2000 World Championships

Ladies

Qualifying Groups

After Butyrskaya, the quality of skating in this group quickly declined. Newcomer Mikkeline Kierkgaard did a credible job landing four triples, but did not land a triple flip or Lutz. She managed four second place ordinals to place second in the group. Third place was taken by Julia Sebestyen who skated strongly and with decent speed but made three serious errors. She still managed, however, to land three triples, though none in combination. Ultimately though, except for Butyrskaya, none of the top ladies in Group A placed higher than seventh in the final results, and had the two qualifying groups been more evenly divided most of them would likely have placed lower in the overall results than they finally did.

Short Program

While the qualifying round seemed to validate the conventional wisdom that this would primarily be a contest between Kwan and Slutskaya, the short program stood that notion on its ear.  Maria Butyrskaya gave a strong performance in the short program to take the overall lead and Kwan faltered to place third in the short and ended up third overall going into the final free skate.  Because only the top two skaters after the short program can win an event "unassisted", things looked bleak for Kwan at the end of the day.

Skating last in the fourth of five warmup groups, Angela Nikodinov gave a deduction-free performance of decent quality.  She landed triple Lutz - double toe loop, triple flip, and double Axel.  The jumps were all clean, though a bit heavy, and the performance was a boring presentation of a painful excerpt from the "Eyes Wide Shut" soundtrack.  In the end, it held up for sixth place, a substantial improvement over her 17th place result in the short program last year.  "I felt really good out there," she said.  "Everything just felt really well.   I was confident and comfortable.  I've climbed up and down this whole season and I just want to give a strong performance at Worlds.  I'm just going into it (the free skating) with the same mindset as I did for the short program.  I was a lot more confident than in the qualifying round, so I'll just do my best."

The final warmup group, which consisted of the top three places from the two qualifying groups, was led of by Michelle Kwan.  Her "Days in the Life" program starts off with double Axel which is followed by triple Lutz - double toe loop.  After a layback spin she normally does triple toe loop, but this time used triple flip - criticism of the lack of difficulty in her programs finally sinking in, apparently.  The Axel and jump combination were landed error free.  On the flip she had to hang on for dear life to hold the landing, and though it was not a deduction, it did affect her first mark nonetheless.  Her presentation was well done, but not quite at the level of her Nationals performance earlier in February.  She received the best marks thus far in the competition (5.6-5.7 in the first mark and mostly 5.8s in the second mark), but for a former World Champion they were low and loudly proclaimed that the judges thought she was beatable.  Immediately after she skated, Kwan said, "I felt really good on my program.  I had fun out there,  I did the elements when I wanted to.  It doesn't matter to skate first.  I was ready after the warmup.  The most important thing is how you skate.  For the rest of the competition, the important [thing] is to skate my best as in the practices.  That's all I want to go for."   It was a somber looking Kwan, however, that faced the media.  "I felt really good out there," she said.  "made a little bobble after the triple flip, but I'm glad I went for it, that's for sure."  On being third, she said, "It's not really a surprise.  I've seen the other skaters.  I think they both - Maria and Irina - skated really well, and right now I'm just glad to be in the top three."   Her coach, Frank Carroll, added, "I was very happy that Michelle did all her elements.  One jump was not of the quality she can do it.   When you are up against as fine skaters as Maria Butyrskaya and Irina Slutskaya, you can't even open a tiny door.  You must keep that door shut, or they're going to take advantage of it.  And that was actually what happened today."

After Kwan, two of the skaters who had lucked out by being seeded in Group A skated, after which Irina Slutskaya took the ice.  Her opening triple Lutz - double toe loop combination was landed deduction-free but had a little reach to it on the Lutz.  She followed with a clean double Axel that was landed on the toe and then a good triple flip.   In her combination spin she included her signature forward and reverse Biellmann spins.  Overall her elements were of good quality and she skated with middling speed and strength, better than Kwan in that respect, but not overwhelming.  She was scored fairly equal to Kwan in the second mark and seven of the nine judges had her even or ahead on the first mark.  She moved ahead of Kwan in the standings on a 6-3 decision.   I was really nervous when I went out there.  I don't even know why, because I'm doing all my elements very well in practice."  And then after a pause, "Well, it's a World Championship, that's why."  In the following press conference she said, "I skated well today.  I landed all elements cleanly, without the lightest mistake.  I'm usually more nervous in the short program, because I can repeat a missed element in the long program, which I can't in the short.  You can't make the slightest mistake in the short, therefore I'm more nervous."   Asked about her education, she said, "I'm studying already five years at the academy (of physiculture), and I'll take my final exams this year."

Given there way the others in the event had skated, Sarah Hughes had an excellent opportunity to hold her position in the event.  Her program was mostly well done with good elements and presentation, except for her triple Lutz - double toe loop combination.   The Lutz was flutzed and the rotation also cheated on the take off.  In addition, she went over the the permitted time by two seconds which required a 0.1 deduction in both marks.  The two errors cost her, knocking her down to fifth in the short program behind Vanessa Gusmeroli.  Gusmeroli, skating in the third warmup group, had given a strong, clean performance, though without the deductions Hughes would have beaten her.  "I skated as well as I wanted to," Hughes said.   "It was one of my best short programs definitely.  I've proved I can skate it."  Regarding her marks she said, "That's life.  Last year I skated clean and was placed not as high.  It's not always good to be in first after the short, it's maybe more pressure, but I enjoyed it."

Last to skate was the Maria Butyrskaya.  She landed all her jumps cleanly, though her flow out of the landings was a little weak.  She opened with triple Lutz - double toe loop, followed by triple loop, and then the double Axel after her combination spin.   Her step sequence and connecting moves were well done, while her layback was of mediocre quality.  Her presentation was first rate, receiving seven marks of 5.9 in the second mark.  She was placed ahead of Slutskaya on a 7-2 decision, with Kwan ending up third.  In one of the few comments she made during the competition, she said, "It was good."  On skating last she remarked, "Well, after I skated last at the Olympics, nothing worse can happen to me.  I skated right after Tara Lipinski, and that was much harder than skating last here.  I felt very confident today.  I cut my finger right before I went out to skate when I cleaned my blade."  Because of the cut, Butyrskaya was excused from the following press conference, but her coach, Elena Tchaikovskaya, offered the some comments.  "It hasn't been hard for Maria (this season), quite the contrary.  It has been easy.   She was very confident and felt really strong.  It has been easier for her since she won Europeans twice and Worlds.  She said 'finally I know that I can be first".  After the short program today, she told me that she'll include the most difficult solo jump, a triple flip out of steps, in the short program next year.   There won't be a loop any more. ... Right before she skated, Masha cleaned her blade from the snow and cut two fingers on her left hand.  It started to bleed, but if you are really focused and ready, it doesn't disturb you."  Asked about everyone focusing on Worlds being a competition between Kwan and Slutskaya, she said, "Everybody thought this except us.  In a long season, it's important to know when you get into top form.  So, Maria Butyrskaya came to this competition in her best form."  On continuing to compete until 2002, she said, "Of course!  It will be very interesting to see this."  And on the attack on Butyrskaya's car earlier in the season, "We don't have any further news.  It was something completely new to Russian figure skating."

A bit of an awkward moment occurred in the press conference when Kwan was asked about some information about her attendance at UCLA that appeared in USA Today during Worlds that was at odds with what she had told the media at previous competitions, most recently at U.S. Nationals in February.  USA Today reported that Kwan had started taking classes at UCLA during the summer 1999 quarter and that she had moved out of the dorm after the fall quarter.  All season, however, she had said that she had enrolled at UCLA in the fall, and in February said she was still living in the dorm but thinking of moving out.  She responded with a Clintonesque, "I didn't lie.   Technically, summer courses are not the same as being enrolled."  She did not provide further explanation.  [For those of you keeping score on Kwan's academic career, she took a normal load of classes during the summer and fall quarters, followed by one course during the current winter quarter.  During the spring quarter she will be on tour and not taking any classes.]

Long Program

After climbing up to sixth in the short program on a fairly decent skate, Angela Nikodinov faded in the free skating, dropping to 11th in the free skate and ninth overall.   Skating fourth in the third of four warmup groups, she flutzed a triple Lutz in what was supposed to a triple Lutz - double toe loop combination.  She landed the subsequent triple loop with a poor landing edge, and that was the last triple she landed in the program.  She two footed or doubled four subsequent attempts at triples and landed a double Axel.  The presentation was flat with weak connecting moves and overall a far cry from her performance at U.S. Nationals in early February.  After her performance she said, "I was a bit nervous when I began skating.  I just kept going in and out of my concentration, but I'm happy."

Michelle Kwan led of the final warmup group, just as she had in the short program.   Going into the free skating things looked bleak for Kwan,  She had been beaten by Slutsyaya in the qualifying round, by Slutsyaka and Butyrskaya in the short program, and the judge's marks from her first two programs had been luke-warm.  All she could do at this point was skate the best program she could and hope that if she beat Butyrskaya, some else would also.

Her back to the wall, Kwan delivered her best program since U.S. Nationals in 1998.   Some, including herself, thought is was her best effort ever.  It was also the first time in two years that she went out and aggressively skated a program to win.   She landed seven triples and a double Axel, including a triple toe loop - triple toe loop combination.  Despite her strong effort, her marks though respectable again left plenty of room for other skaters to be placed ahead of her.  At this point however, all she could do is wait.  After she skated she offered the typically unrevealing comment, " It's hard to say anything about my marks because I was first to skate in the group.  Perhaps the judges didn't know what to expect from the group.   Mentally it was great to skate first because I was ready after the warmup.  I felt really good out there. I had fun."

Kwan was followed in the starting order by Vanessa Gusmeroli and Julia Sebestyen.   Gusmeroli, the 1997 bronze medalist, did not have a good skate in the qualifying round, but had moved up in the short program.  Here in the final round, she still had a few problems with some of the jumps, but still managed to land five triples cleanly.   Her expression was outstanding and she skated with decent speed - a big improvement over the qualifying.  She placed fourth in the free skating, with four judges having her third.  With her fourth place finish in the short program, she ended up fourth overall, a one place improvement over her result from 1999.  Sebestyen, who had benefited from being in the easier qualifying Group A managed to land only a triple loop and triple toe loop cleanly.  She dropped to ninth in the free skating, to end up seventh overall; not as well it appeared she might do after the qualifying round, but still a big step forward compared to her 19th place finish in 1999.

Among the heavy hitters, Butyrskaya was up next.  She landed five triples and a double Axel, but skated tentatively and made two errors on triple Salchow, once in an attempted combination and once alone.  Based primarily on the second mark she was given the edge over Gusmeroli and scored 1 to 5 tenths below Kwan in total marks.   After she skated she would not comment on her performance, but her coach, Elena Tchaikovskaya, said, "When she came off the ice, Maria said 'how stupid'.   Yes, indeed.  It's a shame.  She went too fast into the combination, was too hasty."  In the final ladies press conference Butyrskaya was finally available to speak for herself.  She said, "I'm quite pleased.  I was confident, I showed nice skating and good jumps.  I had trouble with the triple Salchow.  That's a bit upsetting, because it's normally an easy jump for me.  I didn't watch Michelle.  As usual, I didn't watch any competitors before or after I skated.  Unfortunately you can't hide from the noise anywhere in this arena, so I heard her marks.  I've been World Champion already, so I fulfilled my dream.   But everything is repeating itself.  Michelle has been first, then second and first again - that's sport, that's a normal thing."  As for next season she said, "Everything will start from the beginning.  I've many plans, but I won't disclose them now."  Over the past few years Butyrskaya has had her ups and downs.  On this she remarked, "The times of bad placements are over sine I've reached a certain level.  Since I won the bronze medal in 1998, I always was up there - first, second or third in major competitions."

Once Butyrskaya had skated the fate of the competition was in Slutskaya's hands (or feet, as it were).  If she placed first in the free skating she would win the gold medal; second, Kwan would win; and third, Butyrskaya would win.

Slutskaya potentially had two triple-triples available in her program as the first two elements.  For her opening combination, however, she executed triple Lutz - double loop instead of the triple-triple.  Her next element was supposed to be a triple Salchow - triple loop combination but she popped the first jump into a single.  She immediately improvised a second attempt at the combination but executed triple Salchow - double loop instead of that triple-triple.  She went on to land four more triples and a double Axel.  She made no serious errors, but seemed a little sluggish and after the opening combinations appeared to be skating conservatively - for second place and not the win.  She had decent expression, but not as good as in her qualifying round performance.  Seven of the nine judges ended up placing her second, while two though she had beaten Kwan.  It was just the right result Kwan needed to move ahead of Butyrskaya in the overall standings and win the gold medal.  After she performed she did not offer any comments, but in the post-event press conference she said, "I didn't skate really well or really bad.  It's a shame that I didn't do all the combinations I had planned.  But, I came back and I didn't finish last.  I didn't watch Michelle skating, I just saw some elements, but I heard the marks."   Some observers thought she might have won had she landed at least one triple-triple.  Asked if she thought might have been the case she said, "I really don't know.  I'm no judge.  I don't know what would have been if ...   But I can say that Michelle skated very well and deserved to win tonight.  I'm happy to be second, and I'm a bit angry at myself that I'm not first.  But I showed everyone that I can skate and can compete with everybody.  I've been second before at Worlds (1998), so after sitting out a year, I kept my placement and I have something to work for."  Asked what she would be working on for next season she replied, "Everything."

Last to skate was Sarah Hughes.  Butyrskaya's performance opened the door for Hughes to potentially place third in the free skating, though numerically she had no chance to win the bronze medal after placing fifth in the short program.  She seemed to be pressing a little too hard at the beginning and made two errors in the first third of her program, stepping out of triple loop in an attempted triple Salchow - triple combination and later two footing another triple loop.  Finally she settled down and landed three more triples (one of which was a flutz) and a double Axel.  Her presentation had some strong aspects, but the program was not as well done as at U.S. Nationals, perhaps due to the excitement and pressure of the moment getting to her.   She placed fifth in the free skating behind Gusmeroli for a fifth place finish overall, two places better than her result in 1999.  Though not quite ready this year, should she fix the flutz and polish up the rest of her presentation she can be competitive for a medal next year and at the 2002 Olympics.  Afterwards she said, "It's hard here at Worlds, because you have two longs and one short, when normally you only have to do one long and one short, so it's a lot more difficult.  But I'm pleased with how I held myself together.  I came here and wanted a medal, but I know that I went out there and I tried everything that was in my program."

After the event, Kwan offered a little more insight into her performance.  "I just felt really strong out there," she said.  "The words from Frank (Carroll) were - just let it go, do it like practice, and I felt very confident and really ready to do it.  I'm glad I skated first this time.  I looked at it in a positive way - this is like practice, you have ten, 15 minutes warmup, and then you're on and just have to do your program.  I think this is the most satisfying championships for me, because there was a lot of pressure - like, she's got to do the triple-triple.   After Nationals, I was able to work hard.  We focused on the triple-triple and making the short program more difficult with the triple flip instead of the triple toe loop.  I think this is the first competition, the first performance I've ever gone out on the ice and pushed it, pushed it, pushed the four minutes.  I never felt as fast.  There was a time when you get a little tired in your program and you're thinking 'oh, I've got to save energy', but this time I said, 'no, I'm not going to save anything, go!'  After I skated, I knew the possibility of me not winning, because my marks were fairly low.  I went back to the warmup area.  There was a TV, but I didn't watch.  I [was] stretching and trying to keep my mind off everything and thinking, 'Michelle, you just skated your best performance in your life, so no matter what the outcome is, be happy.'  It was along 30 minutes."

Describing Kwan's program ("The Red Violin"), coach Frank Carroll said, "It's a very difficult program.  Some people said she should give it up.  If it's done perfectly it has great dramatic impact, but if you don't do it perfectly it leaves the feeling something is wrong."

Perhaps the most insightful comment about Kwan's skating here, and over the past two years, came from her father, Danny.  Michelle revealed, "my father told me (after the short program), 'You fight back when you're up against a wall - why not fight back from the beginning'."

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