Ice Wars - USA vs. The World

All screen captures by Betty Gatlin

Team USA: Kristi Yamaguchi, Tara Lipinski, Tonia Kwaikoski, Brian Boitano, Rudy Galindo and Scott Davis.

Team World: Oksana Baiul, Yuka Sato, Surya Bonaly, Alexei Urmanov, Kurt Browning, and Phillipe Canderloro.

Televised on 11/25 - 11/27 on CBS
At the Riverside Centroplex in Baton Rouge, LA

Technical Program

Technical Program Warm-up

During the warm-up before the ladies technical event, commentators Verne Lundquist and Scott Hamilton talk alittle about Kristi=

Verne: ...and the leader for the United States, Kristi Yamaguchi.

Scott: (in an admiring tone) What can you say about Kristi Yamaguchi that hasn't already been said? She's a consumate professional. She's kept up her skating throughout her entire professional career. And what a competitor. Beautiful double axel there (as Kristi lands that jump).

Technical Program - Smooth by Santana with Rob Thomas

Skate order: 1) Yuka Sato, 2) Tonia Kwwaikoski, 3) Surya Bonaly, 4) Kristi Yamaguchi, 5) Oksana Baiul and 6) Tara Lipinski.

Kristi is wearing a red multi-colored costume that is very similar in style to the costume wore in Hijo De La Luna. This costume however has a sheer print skirt, as opposed to solid. Her hair is up in a pony tail. She looks very good.

When it's finally Kristi's turn to skate, as she skates out to the center of the rink, she received a tremendous, sustained ovation from the audience. The cheers, cries, whistles, screams, of "We love you!", "Go Kristi!" "USA", and just plain "Kristi!" continue. :-)

Commentatory during and after the program

Verne introduces her: And on the ice now, the ladies gold medalist from 1992. She won that title in Albertville, France. Here is Kristi Yamaguchi skating to music from Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas.

Scott during the program: Brand new number from Kristi Yamaguchi. Like almost everybody else in the country, I got addicted to this song this summer. And I always thought that someone like Kurt Browning, or maybe like Steven Cousins or Brian Orser - and she's comes up, says "I'm skating to this." - I never thought of it for a girl. Watch this. It's really well choreographed and it's perfect for Kristi Yamaguchi.

Scott: Kristi's best triple jump is coming right here...triple flip...technique..(She lands a double). Alittle bit quick on the take-off. Maybe alittle bit excited about the new choreography. Doubled it. Rare to see her make a mistake like that.

When the program ends, Verne says: First appearance in Ice Wars since 1995 for Kristi. Third overall. And the song called Smooth, seems appropriate for Kristi Yamaguchi.

Scott: Brand new program. You don't really know where the "rests" are, and sometimes you get alittle rushed. And I think that's what happened on the triple flip. But, it suits her. I like it. I like it alot.

Elements

-circular footwork
-double flip (supposed to be a triple)
-right into a lunge
-flying sit spin
-triple toe loop
-butterfly
-right into another flying camel and illusion spin
-double axel
-stag jump

I've consulted both the Figure Skating for Dummies book and played with, I mean researched with Kristi's Fantasy Skating On Ice CD-ROM game, but I am still very rusty when it comes to naming elements. So please forgive me if there are any errors!

Observations

I agree with Scott: "I like it, I like it alot." This is a really fun program to watch. I enjoyed how she interpreted the lyrics to the song and moved/danced/skated to the rhythm and just about every beat of the music. For more comments, visit the Santana - what did you think? at the Kristi Fan Forum.

As Kristi prepares to step off the ice and walk over to the Kiss and Cry, I notice that she looks alittle unhappy. Perfectionist that she is, Kristi playfully hits her head with her skate guards to the delight of Scott, who laughs in the background.

It was also nice to see Rudy Galindo reach out, grab Kristi's hand and gently shake it affectionately as she receives congratulations from her teammates. She sits herself down right next to Brian Boitano, and just as the scores are announced, makes a "cut-throat" motion, and then buries her head into her hands. When the first score, 9.9 is announced, she looks up and laughs in surprise. Then after all the scores are said, Kristi looks straight into the camera and shrugs as if to say "I tried my best.". We know you tried and we still love ya! ;-)

Scores

9.9   9.5   9.6   9.4 (BOO!)   9.7   9.5   9.6

Total: 48.0

Interview with Bonnie Berstein

Bonnie: Alright Kristi, the U.S. really needed this routine. First time out for you. How do you think you did?

Kristi: Well, I'm alittle upset. I think I let the team down abit. I wasn't as aggressive and pulled out of my triple flip, but you know, overall I think the program went really well for the first time out. It's really "steppy" and a bit harder than some of the other numbers I've had. So, I'm happy. I just hope that next time out I can be alittle more aggressice.

Bonnie: You always want to challenge yourself.

Kristi laughs.

Bonnie: Alright, thanks!

Artistic Program 
Head to head match-up againest Oksana Baiul

Artistic Program Warm Up

Verne: And in the final match-up tonight, we'll have a battle of Olympic gold medalists. First Kristi Yamaguchi, who won her gold in 1992.

Scott: Kristi's just so unbelievable. A technical machine. You could see that triple flip right there (as she lands that jump), it's the one struggled alittle bit in the technical program. Beautiful, beautiful artistic skater. Prescence on ice, she's really developed over the years as a professional skater and really understands the crowds, postition, choreography. She's gonna be tough for Oksana to beat.

Artistic Program - From This Moment by Shania Twain

Kristi was the fifth skater to skate her artistic program. She wore a pretty, sparkly, pink, crop, tank-top with a matching sheer skirt. Her hair was upswept in an elegant tucked french braid (or whatever the hairsyle is called).

Commentatory during and after the program

Scott: This type of music and choreography really suits Kristi

Scott: With each successful move, Kristi is slowly closing the door againest the World team.

Scott: Solid, beautiful, balanced, gorgeous routine. That could do it.

Verne agrees: Beatifully done, Kristi Yamaguchi!

Scott gushes: Beautiful, perfect skating. She's gotta be happy with that.

Elements

-double axel
-triple flip
-flying camel
-butterfly
-2 russian splits in a row
-stag
-forward spiral
-triple toe loop
-combination spin: camel, layback and scratch.

Observations

This program is going in my (long) list of my favorite Kristi programs. It was just graceful, soft, flowing and very expressive...especially how she used her hands, arms, the way she would tilt her head at times and extends her body to convey feeling. At the end of her program, Kristi clasps her hands over her heart. You could tell that she really felt the music. For more comments, visit the Ice Wars - artistic program thread at the Kristi Fan Forum. The program was very well received by the audience, and she even got a parital standing ovation :-) As Kristi heads on over to the kiss and cry, she receives a round of hugs and kisses from her happy teammates, who exclaim "Good job!", "Good girl!", "Awesome!" and "Great!".

Since this was a head-to-head match-up, the scores were announced until after Oksana Baiul, the 1994 Olympic gold medalist has skated. Oksana performed a shaky, but fierce program to Brittany Spear's Baby One More Time. After she receives congratulations from her teammates, Oksana sits down next to Kristi. Kristi smiles, reaches out and pats her on the back. When 10.0 was announced, she lit up like a Christmas tree and cheered, waving her fists around. I must admit, I did too!

Cute moment: Right after all the scores were announced, Kristi rather abruptly stands up, with Brian following as if to go backstage. Then she makes an "Oops!" expression on her face, and they quickly sit back down together and laugh.

Scores

Kristi:	9.9	9.9	9.9	9.9	9.9	9.9	10.0	total 99.8 YEAH!!
Oksana:	9.8	9.7	9.8	9.7	9.8	9.7	9.8	total 97.6

Interview with Bonnie Berstein

Bonnie: Kristi, at what point in your routine did you realize, okay, it's smooth skating from here on now?

Kristi: Not really until the last jump was done! (with a laugh). I knew that it was just very close with the the points and that every single movement counted toward the final score. I enjoyed the whole preformance, but it wasn't until the last jump, I was like, "whew!".

Final Thoughts:

Team USA won over the World Team with a combined total of 784.4 to 781.9. Kristi debuted a new program from the music of Santana to the delight of her fans. It may not have gone as planned (a missed triple flip), but I'm sure I can say on behalf of Kristi fans everywhere, we always look forward to watching and cheering you on in any competition. Triple flip be damned!

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