Cry Baby Plushenko
He criticized Lysacek (and the other competitors) for not attempting a quad and said, "Now it's not men's figure skating, now it's dancing."
Well, perhaps Plushenko should try Dancing with the Stars and gain some grace. Dick Button, whom Plushenko said he wanted to emulate by winning back to back Olympic gold medals, described Plushenko's landing of his quad as "like a hammer." He added that Plushenko's lack of grace, plus his putting all his jumps up in the front lead to his second place score.
"If you don't like the scoring, then you go elsewhere or your change it," Button said during a Universal Sports panel discussion. Button said his main objection to the current scoring system was it forced skaters to load up the program to gain points, sacrificing style. While landing a quad gains two more points than a triple, you can lose more if you don't make it. Plushenko did perform the quad, but other jumps weren't as clean.
Also, while Lysacek chose not to attempt a quad, he wisely didn't "front load" all his jumps and took advantage of the new points system. Under the Code of Points, a skater gains additional points for putting jumps later in their program.
The snipes had all the potential of an old USSR/USA cat fight, but to his credit, Lysacek wasn’t biting.
In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, Lysacek remained the good winner to Plushenko's sore loser. Lysacek remarked, "I guess I was a little disappointed that someone that was my role model would take a hit at me in probably one of the most special moments of my life, that I will never forget, regardless of what anyone says,"
Way to take the high road.
Bah.
ReplyDeleteI didn't see Takahashi getting too misty eyed during the anthem. In fact, he and Plushenko were salt and pepper shakers either side of Lysacek.
Dick Button is a self serving bore. He's gotten more attention for that record this Olympics than ever before in his life and he's WALLOWING in it. You go elsewhere. This to the guy that has put a stamp of a set standard on the sport for the last 11 years. A real showdown was 2002 with Plush and Yagudin. Yagudin went... there hasn't been anyone to challenge Evgeni's supremacy.
AND THERE STILL ISN'T.
Let's see what Mr Improved produces at the Exhibition skate. Let's see what he can inspire in the next generation. Ugly, talentless, souless skating... with unimpressive jumps... as in, no HEIGHT, no TRAVEL, no SPEED. It's not all about the landings.