Belated Torino Thoughts

[xerox78]

This is the first Winter Olympics since 1992 that I have not been devastated and/or disgusted by the ladies' final results. Although I am still depressed for Michelle Kwan, I am truly pleased for Shizuka Arakawa. I thought she was cheated out of a spot and Salt Lake City four years ago, so it is a major coup for her to win and go back to Japan a hero. Mao Asada who? (As an aside, Mao is 5'2" and 81 pounds right now and still growing. I think if injuries don't get her before 2010, the Puberty Monster will. Ex: Miki Ando)

Speaking of Japanese skaters, Fumie Suguri should have been somewhere on that podium. She was lowballed for two clean programs. I don't buy that she had bad or non-existent choreography and skating skills. Nobody thought they were bad a month ago.

Like I said, I am happy for Shizuka but I'm always going to feel that if Michelle had been able to skate, this would have been the one for her. Shizuka landed five triple jumps and no triple/triple combinations. Michelle's seven-triple program in Nagano would have blown this field away and her five-triple program from Salt Lake would have definitely challenged if not won also. I guess Michelle is just not meant to have a happy Olympics. :o(

And might I add that I have already grown weary of a certain skater being hailed as a great hero for fighting back after her two falls and being classy in defeat, when Michelle fell less in both of her Olympics than said skater did in that one program and also fought back after her fall, but will be forever labeled "choker", "loser", and "phony".