Yu-Na was Willie Mays, Joe Montana, Gordie Howe, Magic Johnson. She was - is - simply the best.

[Faygo Kid]

I'm kind of a downhill and hockey kind of guy, but I do and always have watched the skating. I remember watching Peggy Fleming et al, but Yu-Na is and was the best I have ever seen. Worth another look, even if you have seen it. Bond, James Bond: http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=d7831d64-6242-430d-9bf2-56e03e33c2f1.html

[alfredo]

1. She blew me away. Watch her hands and arms. There alone

she outclasses everyone. Too many of the skater seemed to be flailing around in the air.

[Faygo Kid]

2. Always true. That's the difference for me.

The technical proficiency is important, but I want to see a program of grace and style. You are exactly right. Throwing your arms around without meaning loses it for me.

[alfredo]

6. Her dance instructor did well.

[AlecBGreen]

11. that was the 1st thing i noticed too

she flowed like liquid out there. very graceful!

[alfredo]

14. Attention to detail.

[TheDebbieDee]

3. I think of her as the Nadia Comeneci of figure skating........

She forces everyone to ramp things up just a little bit. And then she still can't be beat!

[imnKOgnito]

4. She was awesome...

But I'll always be in love with Katarina Witt. Although, after watching the NBC interview of Joannie Rochette, I may have to reconsider. Her short and long programs were very special given the circumstances.

[alfredo]

5. Here's her performance video

Take a look.

http://www.nbcolympics.com/video/assetid=e554cf17-5d3c-4531-9dc6-c9a9cf5eec06.html#queen+yu+na+crowned+kim+wins+gold

[Bozita]

7. Did Yu-Na ever turn Lou Fontinato's face into a bloody mess of a magazine cover?

#9 still rules.

Lou started it.

[alfredo]

15. Blocking slap shots with your face is an under appreciated

art form.

[Elwood P Dowd]

8. I saw Willie Mays play in person over a dozen times back in the 1960s.

Willie Mays performed baseball magic for over 20 years playing over 150 games a season. He performed at the highest level in the world day after day for all those years. Do it 150+ times a year for 20 years, and then maybe her name can be mentioned in the same breath. Magical performances at one or two olympic events does not equal being put on the same pedestal as the great Willie Mays.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WolverineDG]

17. Her nearest competition landed the most triple axels ever done in Olympic competition

and was STILL scored 10 points below her. THAT'S how good she is.

dg

[ClassWarrior]

25. No, that's how subjective the "sport" is. Her nearest competition, Mao had an awful lot more...

...passion and spirit than the sterile Yu-Na did, and Mao deserved far better than she got.

NGU.

[WolverineDG]

29. Yu Na was anything but sterile on the ice nt

[ClassWarrior]

32. A lot less in the long program than the short, but not nearly the passion that Mao had.

NGU.

[Political Heretic]

9. She was absolutely amazing. Her long program was even better than the one you linked.

[Bluebear]

12. The definition of exquisite. Not since Janet Lynn . . .

has someone's skating been so complete.

[CBR]

13. She is fantastic. There was just no competition for her.

Joy to watch.

[TuxedoKat]

16. She was fantastic -- like watching poetry on ice (nt).

[morningglory]

18. She was beautiful and amazing. And I am rooting for Canada to win the

hockey gold medal. Being from the South from birth, I have never watched a hockey game, but saw the Canada vs. Slov game (last 5 minutes) last night and it was riveting. All I have ever seen was 3 seconds of drive-by hockey on tv, and it always seems the most professional athletes and performers are so smooth that it is hard for an amateur to appreciate what they are doing. The game last night looked like a bunch of kids having a great time and trying their darndest to WIN! Not expressing myself very well, but I would rather see Bill Robinson tap dance than Shirley Temple or Gregory Hines, because I can see what he is doing, and appreciate it's beauty and his smooth delivery. Don't wanna see 200 taps/minute.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

19. She is the Glibert Gottfried, the Bobby Flay, the Kurt Vonnegut of ice skating.

I mean Mays, Montana, How, and Johnson were real athletes.

[Faygo Kid]

21. You don't think she's an athlete??

I have no problem that you disagree, but c'mon - that took tremendous athletic ability.

[theHandpuppet]

27. People who don't think it takes athletes to skate like that...

Only deserve pity. Of course, I've head professional sports writers denigrate skating as sport whilst in the same breath having verbal orgasms over someone's golf game.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

28. No.

It's athletic, but figure skating is not a sport.

[Faygo Kid]

31. Whether it's a sport or not, it takes incredible athletic ability.

I don't understand folks that can't acknowledge the ability it takes to do what Yu-Na did. Or, for that matter, the hand-eye coordination and strength to be a successful golfer.

I suppose Babe Ruth didn't exactly have the body of a pure athlete, but he did alright, too.

Geez. What's the problem with admitting that these are all great athletes? Must give some folks a thrill to dismiss them, I guess.

[WolverineDG]

30. Detractors don't realize (or if they do, pretend they don't) how physical ice skating is

there's a reason they're panting as they get off the ice....they've essentially run miles at top speed for almost 5 minutes.

dg

[Blue_Tires]

20. I can't pretend I've ever cared about isce skating

but the James Bond 007 motif makes her a permanent medalist in my book...

[upi402]

22. When judging is real I may pay attention.

:boring: :puffpiece:

[Faygo Kid]

24. If you missed her performance, I invite you to check it out. She won.

By any judging standard.

[upi402]

26. saw it n/t

[ctaylors6]

23. and the pressure she was under from her country esp at her age ... amazing