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Figure
Skating The compulsory figures began with Kira Ivanova of the USSR in first, followed closely by Debi Thomas. Witt was a strong third, and Elizabeth Manley of Canada placed fourth, with Jill Trenary and Caryn Kadavy of the U.S. in fifth and seventh respectively. The short program became a survival contest of staying upright by the early skaters. Then Midori Ito of Japan drew all attention away from the "Carmens" and top contenders, as she wowed the audience with her power and unabashed enthusiasm. From a tenth in figures, she placed fourth in the short and gave notice as a new free skating power. When the leaders took the ice, it was primarily a battle of artistry and athleticism between Witt and Thomas. Witt, skating first, to "Hello, Dolly" used all of her sex appeal to charm the audience and neatly finished a clean program. Thomas, using rock rhythms of "Something in My House" by Dead or Alive, performed a more difficult double jump combination and received unanimous higher technical marks. Witt won the short, and Thomas was second but moved into the lead overall. Ivanova, placed tenth in the short and began her decline, as Trenary and Kadavy stood fifth and sixth going into the long program. Standing room only at the Saddledome greeted the ladies for the long program, the final event, which also produced the highest TV ratings for the Games for ABC. Caryn Kadavy was forced to withdraw due to a severe case of influenza, and the night began inauspiciously with falls and spills by early skaters. Once again, among the non-medallists, it was Ito who ignited the ice with six amazing triples. Her technical marks were the best of the night but her artistic marks were considerably lower yet good enough to hold the diminutive dynamo for a third place in the long and fifth overall. It was hard to tell who was more excited, Ito or the cheering audience who saw the possible champion of the future. With the current champion yet to be named, Witt took the ice and slowly opened to the tolling bells from Carmen. Her interpretation followed the story of the opera, of the tragic, seductive heroine who dies at the hands of her lover. A questionable middle section with over 30 seconds of posturing and no skating, plus completing only two triples, each repeated in combination, and turning another planned triple into a double, left her with deservedly low technical marks, but was boosted by a raft of seven 5.9's for interpretation. Manley, known to collapse under the pressure of the long program, overcame the past, and joined the battle with a fast-paced high spirited rendition of Irma la Douce" and "A Canadian Concerto." From an opening triple Lutz, she could do no wrong, popping off three other triples and fast centered spins. Good marks for both technique and presentation placed her first in the long. The Canadian audience exploded knowing she had moved into medal contention, but the outcome was yet to be decided. Skating last, a difficult position, Thomas's Carmen was distinctly different. It portrayed the personality and character of the woman rather than a literal story of the opera. It was a new, mature and artistic Thomas, but the doom of her Carmen was to prevail. Opening with a difficult triple toe-triple toe combination, she under-rotated the second jump, and later fell, as she seemed to weaken before the final spin. Scores placed her fourth in the long after Manley, Witt and Ito. Trenary doubled an opening triple flip, but recovered and took control to complete a beautifully interpreted program which held her in a solid fourth overall. With the top three ladies all retiring, Trenary now stands as the heir apparent. The final results saw Katarina Witt winning the gold, Elizabeth Manley the silver, and Debi Thomas dropping to the bronze. "I'm not offering any excuses, it just wasn't there tonight," Thomas stated. "Missing the first jump, I think, threw my concentration. Skating last was hard. Everything for so long has been focused on this one night; but tonight was not my night. I wish it had been otherwise, but it wasn't." An Exhibition of Champions brought to a close the figure skating events at the Winter Games. The warm and gracious Calgary audience responded enthusiastically to all the medallists and non-medallists in their last appearance in the Saddledome. The competitors raced to the Closing Ceremonies to see the extinguishing of the flame and a, superlatively staged ice spectacular, the focus of the ceremonies. We await now the new Olympians to begin their drive towards Albertville in 1992 when a new flame will be lighted and the Games will begin again. |
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