Figure Skating

[Grace]

Which got me thinking - whatever happened to Katya Gordeeva? Has she retired from skating? I know she has a daughter.

She married again, Ilia Kulik, and had another daughter. Her oldest child, Daria, will be 18 this year.

She did skate in some of Scott Hamilton's ice shows, but I haven't seen her recently. I read that they moved back to southern California, after living in Connecticut for several years.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

MT4FF, did you see Pelletier and Sale providing commentary for the Canadian sports network? If they ever skate around here again I would definitely go see them. Which got me thinking - whatever happened to Katya Gordeeva? Has she retired from skating? I know she has a daughter.

Hi Elyse,
I saw a brief video clip showing Jamie & David but we couldn't hear them.
Stars On Ice will be at the All State Arena in Chicago on May 8, 2010. Jamie & David are not on the cast list, though.
Jamie and David were not with Stars On Ice last year in Philadelphia, but they might be on the Canadian leg of the tour, or doing guest spots. Stars On Ice is not coming to Philly this year, so I haven't paid any attention to who is in the cast this year.

Katia was recently in a show that was on television but I don't remember which one it was. She has skated solo in many shows and was doing partial legs of the Stars on Ice tour up til recently. I've seen her many times. She and Sergei were in the very first Stars On Ice show I saw, but I was still learning who-was-who at that time...several months later, she lost her Sergei.

Katia did indeed marry Ilia Kulik. They have a daughter, Elizaveta is her name and they call her Lee-za for short(I think I have that right but could be wrong). Katia & Sergei's daughter, Daria, is a very good skater. Up until a year or so ago, the whole family used to participate in Kristi Yamaguchi's "Friends and Family" show...but this year not only were Katia & Ilia absent, the children were not on the show with their parents. That was a disappointment.

Here's a video clip from 2007

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3vAsZ40RRA

If you search around, you'll find others. Daria looks just like Sergei and Leeza looks just like Ilia.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

That was an interesting article about Michelle. I have always liked her but couldn't figure out why she kept going out was it to win more titles, trophies, & metals or was it to prove something to herself? Here it was none of the above. I just couldn't figure out why she hadn't gone professional like most of the other champion skaters? I am happy for her & always felt she had a good head on her shoulders. She had a big adjustment to make like she said going from elegant skating to skating for points. More like acrobatics on ice is what I call it, the more perfected jumps the more points, especially towards the end of your program when your legs are like sphagetti. Ugh! I guess I miss the beautiful elegance & what I would call ballet on ice. But we can still see that on tv specials. Yeah!

Bonny, any of the skaters that were coming up in the Michelle/Tara/Sarah/Nicole/Todd, etc., era, would have a hard time adjusting to the new scoring system. I absolutely hate it. Unfortunately, sloppy skaters like Evgeni Plushenko who can hit technical stuff but does not make all his other movements look like they mean something, can work the point system and win. I don't like skating that is not aesthetically pleasing to watch. Some skaters are getting choreographers that can work with this new system now, and the "in betweens" are improving some, though.

My heart has always lied more with the professional skaters.

I do not like the fact that all the pro shows these days have to share the screen with musical artists. I tried to watch the show the other day that had some musical group that a bunch of teens were just screaming their heads off about. I couldn't stand it and had to turn it off.

I have BEEN to some of those shows live, but not with groups teenagers were screaming about...and at least there live, you can keep your eyes on the skaters. One of the better shows like this that I attended was with Sarah Brightman as the musical guest.

I was never a big fan of Michelle's. I understand she was an icon and a good role model, but her skating programs seemed to be the same moves in the same spots of the ice just with different music. She was a bit more enjoyable to see live than to watch on tv. The last time I saw her, I believe was 2006, she did not do any jumps because she was still recovering from/fighting her injuries.

[Bonny]

Tonight is the long program for the pairs at the Olympics. I liked the retired comeback Chinese pair & also the Germans. My husband was watching the short program & said gee, they all seem to be doing the same thing over & over with each pair. I told him well that is the new system. I didn't think he was really paying attention, he is a sharp old fart. LOL!

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Bonny, I am looking forward to watching the long programs tonight! I just hope Shen/Zhao can hang onto their lead.
If it hadn't been for the 1.00 deduction that Pang/Tong got, they would've taken the lead over Shen/Zhao because their lead now is less than one point! I was looking for an explanation of their deduction all day and finally heard (and this may or may not be the real reason) that their music stopped before they did, so their program ran over the specified time restraint.
The young American skaters did well...they just need more experience and some fine tuning.
I also like the German pair a lot, the ones that skated to Send In The Clowns.
I thought this new scoring system was for preventing things like what happened last night--skaters with stumbles or falls getting ahead of those who skated clean.

[cassiesmom]

I'm rooting for the Chinese couple that got 76+ points last night, Shen and Shao or Zhao (sp? sorry) I thought their short program was just beautiful. It reminded me a little of watching Torvill and Dean's '84 Bolero program.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zbbN4OL98
Here's Torvill and Dean. Just the two of them and Ravel's music. The house is so quiet that you can hear a pin drop until their program ends. I remember this so well.

[Grace]

Anyone remember the World's in 1973 - Rodnina & Zaitsev? The music stopped, but they kept on skating.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

I am also rooting for Shen/Zhao, the Chinese pair. They have always been technically great but have also learned to relate to each other and show emotion in their performances.
I have seen them during their tour with Stars On Ice. They have grown so much in their performing.

Bolero by Torvill & Dean is wonderful. There will never be another dance pair like them.

I was not following skating in 1973, didn't start til '94.

[Grace]

I was not following skating in 1973, didn't start til '94.

Too bad. You missed something very special. Their music stopped suddenly in the middle of their program. They completed it without music and won the gold. That performance earned a standing ovation. Actually, they did have to skate it again, with the music. But they were perfect, with or without.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Their music stopped suddenly in the middle of their program. They completed it without music and won the gold. That performance earned a standing ovation. Actually, they did have to skate it again, with the music. But they were perfect, with or without.

I do believe I have seen footage of that on television as part of 'specials' about skating, or possibly it is on one of my purchased video's that tell some of the history of skating. Definitely amazing.

[smokey the elder]

I remember seeing the Rodnina and Zaitsev on Wide World of Sports, which carried a lot of figure skating back in the day.

The new system is kind of lame; it has good intentions but fails in the execution, IMO. Skating is nothing more than "tricks on ice". It might as well be half-pipe snowboarding.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

The new system is kind of lame; it has good intentions but fails in the execution, IMO. Skating is nothing more than "tricks on ice". It might as well be half-pipe snowboarding.

I agree about the scoring system.
Even as the choreographers, coaches and skaters start learning to put some "moves in the field" in the programs, there isn't enough time to hit all those point making moves AND do a lovely classic spiral or Ina Bauer move.
And I hate that catching the foot on spirals and death spirals garners more points...some of the positions the pairs ladies were using to get into the death spiral were down right ugly in the pairs competition. A catch foot here & there with a spin or spiral is okay, but not seeing, especially a female, skater glide across the ice in a beautiful spiral position(i.e., Cohen, Bobek, Kwan, Hughes) takes away from the programs, IMO.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Congratulations to China, Zhen/Zhao and Pang/Tong!
What a night for pairs skating!
Zhen/Zhao didn't skate a perfect program but were still wonderful to watch and the work they put into returning to Olympic eligible skating paid off. They have realized their dream of an Olympic Gold Medal.
Pang/Tong were wonderful. Had they not been in 4th going into the long program, they would've easily over-taken Zhen/Zhao. Pang/Tong are SO improved over their earlier years of skating...they now have the grace, beauty and emotion to go with the technical aspect.
The Russian Reign in pairs Olympic Gold Medals is finally at an end. (not that many of the Russian skaters didn't deserve their medals, it's just nice to see a different country be victorious)

[Bonny]

The pairs skating is done now the mens short program is tonight. I hope I can stay awake. I get so relaxed watching the skaters & the music puts a person to sleep. LOL! I think it is old age creeping up on me & during the day I take the dogs out & snowshoe for a good 2 hour run to wear them out & I get wore out. I wonder if my husband will notice the required elements tonight? He was at the hospital today getting his blood checked & they had the Olympics hockey game on. He said he saw a player slam another one into the wall & into the penalty box the player went. The puck had already been passed onto another player so the slam was after the fact. Hockey is a kill get killed game, maybe that is why they are padded from head to toe.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Although I am not a hockey fan, I remember the days in the 1970's when the Philadelphia Flyers were hot-hot-hot. They didn't wear any helmets back then!

I sometimes fall asleep during the skating as well. I took a short nap today so will hopefully make it up for the whole mens event. We can catch up on sleep Wednesday night when there is no skating events on. (Why couldn't Thursday be the night no skating is on, I wouldn't have to tape Survivor!)

I am NOT looking forward to seeing Evegeni Plushenko, and I know it sounds mean, but I really hope he makes mistakes and does not win. I'd love to see one of our American men on the top of the podium. Go Evan Lysacek!