The smile on her face at 0:43 to 0:46. This is the reason she won. She was relaxed and where she wanted to be. No pressure. She said afterwards she was not thinking about a medal. She was thinking about her performance. And gave the performance of a lifetime. It was not about winning and losing to her. It was about doing her best. Still wonderful to watch.
@@23Echeo To bad Sarah Hughes fell on an easy flip , a easy lutz, a easy terrible jumps wouldn't get marks today. 🤣🤣🤣 Sarah Hugh's technique never good enough to win any World champion or the National titles..... so lovely. 💞 🤣🤣🤣
Pizno...wow...really difficult choice. I am going to go with Angela...if only because her rotation speed on the spin may have been a bit faster than Sarah. Sasha's initial position was flawless, but then she would drop the free leg...which I am not a fan of. I also have to mention Janet Lynn. The layback in her 1970 WFSC program is beautiful. Cheers!
I don’t know why everyone thinks Sarah Hughes didn’t deserve the title. Everyone else, Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya included, underperformed. Back in the day with the 6.0 judging system, flutzes and under-rotations weren’t as harshly scrutinized or penalized, so it doesn’t negate the validity of her gold medal in any way. Sarah Hughes skated the best that night, her lines and artistry were also extremely impressive, and she deserved the championship no doubt.
Sarah had the most difficult program and was elegant sasha fell, michelle had the easyest program and fell and Irina didn't do 2 triple, triples So this was an easy call
mozartandi exactly and I was never a Sarah fan but the girl had the performance of the night and Irina showed the worst sportsmanship ever. At least. Michelle, as hurt as she was showed class. Good for Sarah 😊
I keep coming back to this one. The precision, her surprise/joy at the precision, the build up with the crowd absolutely roaring at the end... she had to win. Some moments are just magical!
I just saw this now for the first time in 2020 and I 'm having tears of happiness for this girl I don't even know, that's how much the pureness and authenticity of her performance has touched me.
@@liveoakgap7489 However, Sarah's Olympics performance had no magic if she didn't make triple triple combo......which means her artistry was so so ......actually, Michelle and Irina had better marks in artistry. And Sarah's terrible jumps wouldn't get marks under the new system.
@@liveoakgap7489 Sarah won the Olympics gold, but her performance wasn't the Olympics level. Actually, Irina Slutskaya was robbed at the 2002 Olympics.
I feel like her score in the short program set something free in Sarah - based on the scoring at the time, she didn't feel she could possibly win, so the pressure was off. She just wanted to do the best she could do *for her.* So she skated her heart out, put all of her love for skating into the performance. Plus, she seems to have fed off of the energy from the audience. The better she did, the more they gave her in response. The cleanest possible jumps (including a triple-triple!) and some amazing spins. And that combined energy NAILED IT. I come from a theatre background. I hate auditions, because I'm competing. When I'm performing, I love when an audience gives me energy, and I try to better my own performance.
Hardly believe it is 17 years ago, just like yesterday. What a brave girl and excellent program. Every details in her program were perfect and well executed. Other 3 ladies were good, but not perfect. In the end, the best skater on that night won the gold.
@@liveoakgap7489 Michelle kwan was robbed at the 98 Olympics, Tara's artistry was far from Michelle's. Tara's flip and lutz would be called out for under rotation today. Tara's triples were cheap. Tara's technique wouldn't get marks under the new system just like Sarah Hughes. 🤭🤭🤭
I love in this video that she did not expect that. She is very modest person. Sarah came from outsider to the champion and I do not care if some of the jumps were underrotated or not. The other skaters jumps were underrotated as well. She was able to touch my heart which is the kind of abbility that can not be learnt. I mostly appreciate that. Thank you Sarah.
I play this video from time to time whenever I need a feel good moment. It hasn't failed yet to make me feel good and let out a much needed cry. Mostly what I love is her enthusiasm, even during the routine, and her pure joy after.
To this very day, this is my favorite video on all of UA-cam. The performance, the call, the score, the venue, the camerawork, the result....Touches my heart. I saw this when it was broadcast live and I cried when it happened. Still I cry. Bravo Sarah.
Same here. My wife and I really enjoyed watching Sarah in the competitions leading up to the Olympics, but this was beyond amazing. Talk about hitting the ball out of the park! Still one of my favorite moments in all of sports.
I remember this...I desperately wanted Michelle to win. But, as Sarah did every jumping pass cleanly you just had to give it up. Quality will always win.
One of my favorite Olympic memories. I remember watching this at 15 and being mesmerized. Sarah embodied the Olympic spirit to a tee. It was all about the skate and not the medal color. Her reaction along with her coach in the warm-up/dressing room was priceless. What an awesome moment. Hard to believe this was 20 years ago!
Yes! I remember watching this and being in awe of her performance and so excited for her. She absolutely embodied the Olympic spirit and sportsmanship. I was 40, and it feels like yesterday. And now quads are the norm!
I remember this live on tv. I was trying to get home but was stuck in a cab. My husband was watching and gushing over Sarah’s performance and I told him from the cab “tape it so I can see it!”
Robin Wagner losing her shit at the end and screaming "I LOVE YOU" might be one of the most wholesome and poignant moments of this sport. It chokes me up every time.
@@snopesshop1903 I bet you’re an unhappy person. Robin put a tremendous amount of work and energy into Sarah. Her exclamation was honest and sincere and filled with pride. Nothing but goodness.
Triple loop combos are underrated in skating it's absurd they are given the same value as triple toe combos when they are far more difficult. And Sarah had two of them her flawlessly
She is the one and only I’m absolute amazed Sarah Hughes wins it all at her home country. Millions who watching on NBC was absolutely stunned by her performance.
Sarah's risk to do two tripple-tripple combinations fully paid off! The performance is as beautiful as difficult! A magnificent, solid and impressive performance! ❤💝🧡
Her performance is great - I'll leave the qualifiers for those more knowledgeable about the sport and its particulars - but I will never get over the absolute roar of that crowd for the last 25 or so seconds - and that face she makes around 5:16. Kind of cool to be able to see one of the best moments of someone's life.
While she wasn’t an artist’s artist or a skater’s skater, and although her jumps might have been under rotated, her loop combinations was really stunningly beautiful and magnificently wonderful and it was a great pleasure to watch.
@@TT-ee4qp this was the old system, which heavily rewarded risk taking (I.e., more difficult program) and being able to land jumps. And also pretty much only the long program really counted. She was literally the only skater that night who was able to fulfill both requirements that night. So she deserved it and more importantly, she was the underdog that night, the one who was able to do something that the big name skaters could not. So of course it was emotional. There were of course arguments over the new system when it was taking shape as well. Plushenko for example had lots to complain about the win of lysacek because he landed a quad but was making mistakes all over whereas Lysacek didn’t have a quad but skated a perfect program. Plushenko even blatantly said under the old system, him landing a quad would win him the gold. So it’s all about perception anyways.
Cleanly landed jumps, good choreography, blurred scratch spin, one of the best lay back spins I've ever seen, a lovely spiral. graceful extenstions , not a blip or a bobble to be seen. Beautiful performance athletically and artistically. Bravo, Ms. Hughes.
Jane...I could not agree more. Anyone who thinks Sarah did not deserve to win here...well. Really soft knees enabled her to execute TWO triple loop combos (not even happening in 2018)...as well as one of the best laybacks of all time (along with Janet, Peggy...maybe Sasha)...musicality and choreography well beyond her 16 years. I can even overlook the (f)lutz since Evgenia does the exact same thing and does not get an edge call for it. I will always be in awe of this. Gold medal. Case closed.
@@fitgraphisva Sarah's SP got the 4th place, that's why she didn't deserve to win......however, Sarah's artistry was better than Tara Lipinski.....(*^ω^*)
People don't realize how important the music piece each skater chooses for their performance. I noticed right away this music is so soothing and relaxing and it definitely played a part in Sarah's performance. No one expected her to win, which is why she won! Sarah escaped all scrutiny and pressure that fell mostly on Michelle Kwan. When Michelle took the ice, you can see she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Sarah's skate was free and light as a bird. TWO triple-triple combinations was almost unheard of in 2002. Even today a female skaters completing TWO triple triple combinations in a major world competition is hard to find. Maybe not as aesthetically pleasing as Sasha Cohen, but Sarah's skate was definitely Gold medal worthy !
However, it's a accident that Sarah won, she was lucky because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes. She said : I never did it before.
Correction ... I EXPECTED her to win!! - I first saw her skate when she was only a 12 year old ... I said ON THE SPOT " our next Olympic Champion"!! - I in fact bet on her in Vegas and won a WINDFALL!!! I was CERTAIN she would win ... greatfull to have been in the audience to witness it
There was actually a big article in Time magazine that favored Sarah because she was continuing to get better every year and had beaten Kwan and Slutskaya earlier in the season.
I remember this almost 19 years ago. I remembered only one of my brother predicted Sarah and everyone else thought winner would have been Michelle or Irina!
This blew my mind.I love how she just got more and more confident and happy with every jump she landed until she was practically shrieking with joy when she finished.
Her squeal of delight at landing the triple toe loop was wonderful. I loved the excitement in Scott Hamilton’s voice when she landed her first set of triples is the voice you’re hearing when you’ve landed something you’ve been struggling with.
This is one of my all time favorite videos. I watched it live in 2002. The emotion of that moment remains with me to this day. I find great inspiration in the accomplishment of Sarah Hughes. Her reaction to learning she has won while in the locker room under the stands is worth seeking out. Tears every time.
She just seems so polished and graceful.. This was just great skating. And she won it fair and square.. SHE DELIVERED. Sadly.. the others had not. SHE WON. THIS IS CLEAN skating
They can say whatever they want… it was her moment in time, Sarah was magical that night, while the other faltered the gold was hers. One of my all time best performances. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
This is my favorite Olympic story. She was just 16 and skated the cleanest program ever. Reminded me so much of Peggy Flemming elegance . Beautiful all these yrs later.
@@speeeee35 True, of course, but I didn't even remember those facts. I just remembered her joy and confidence and I think of her performance as an example of what being in the right state of mind at the right time can do for an athlete.
just lovely.. her joy is so palpable… a moment she’ll never forget for as long as she lives!!! “flow” at its finest… that’s what the olympics is all about
Yes, but not as bad as the falls that the "top three" gave us...they were all great, but caved under pressure...Sarah Hughes had NOTHING to lose because she was CERTAIN she would never win and be able to beat those BIGGIES...so she skated clean and had a grand time...which is what made HER performance shine! She did the best of what she could do, because she had nothing to lose and wasn't nervous about winning, because she never expected to win!
Absolutely superb!!! I was watching this live on TV and jumped up screaming and clapping from my couch. Sarah brought that whole arena to its feet, and rightly so.
I was totally paralyzed watching this. I feared if I moved or cheered she would fall and fail. I held my breath. After she finished, just like you, I exploded. A classic moment.
Probably my favorite olympic skating performance. It was particularly exciting and poignant because the olympics were on home turf/in the US that year. Just extra-special. The crowd was cheering so loudly and raucously that (she said in an interview) she couldn't hear her music at the end of her performance and that's why she finished it a second or two before the music ended.
Her coaching making sure she took a moment before getting off the ice to take in what she just did at the Olympics! Bravo that’s a true testament to their relationship
Now that's in the zone!!! One of the best athletic performances I've ever seen every one of those jumps we're near perfection, and what a time to do it congrats Long Island Girl😀😀😀👍
Very deserving win, she went out there with the attitude to have a fun experience at the Olympics, no pressure put on her at all and tada! the performance of her life. I was watching this in Australia and was so hoping she'd medal as I thought Michelle, Sasha and Irina would out skate her but it wasn't the case and one of the best surprises in Olympic history :)
I don't know figure-skating that well, but I always followed the ladies . ------I watched this, cheering for Michelle Kwan, having no idea of this little girl. That said : her music ------& how drop-dead cute she was----& how she skated as if her life was on the line -----just blew me away. -------------That's athletics----you just never know, until you go out & do it ! ----------------------WolfSky9
This is when the Olympics was about presentation, great choreography, music. I am disappointed in today's pair/dance. 2002 and 1998 were Olympics were people performed, told a story and had stunning performances.
Just an incredible, amazing performance by a young 16-year-old! Under the pressure (hardly any, after her 4th place finish in the short program), she mesmerized everybody who saw this outstanding performance. She just skated as calmly as if she were practicing on her home rink. Love that terrific spin finish! Nobody expected anything like this, with 7 triple jumps (5 in combination; that were more difficult than those from Irina Slutskaya (silver) or Michelle Kwan (bronze) in the free skate from her, or her vault from #4 to #1 by the judges. But she got lucky in that Kwan fell on a triple jump, pushing herself down to 3rd for the bronze. The sheer joy on Sarah's face after stopping (at 5:17), is one of the greatest smiles in an Olympics performance I've ever seen! Her scream of excitement (at 7:16) after seeing the judges scores I've also remembered! It's 20 years later, and now she is 36, with a law degree (May 2018) from the University of Pennsylvania. A smart and lovely woman. If she skated to that program 100 times, she would never have done it any better than she did on Feb. 21, 2002! The greatest artistic performance in a figure skating event I've ever seen or probably will see again, and to win the gold after 4th place in the short program may never be done again! figureskatersonline.com/news/2010/02/07/olympic-moments-to-remember-sarah-hughes-in-2002
I do love Michelle, unfortunately she fell , Sarah really did a great job to win 2002 Olympics gold. And Sarah's performance made me feel happy like take a Sunday walk.
This is a competition. Like it or not, she WAS the best at that moment in time. She produced the BEST performances. She might not have been the best skater to compete, but she outskated the best when it mattered. The only thing that wasn't gold medal worthy here, to me, was the color of her dress! That's the only area of improvement that I could see. It would have been nice as classic white or a more vivid violet color. It doesn't have the impact that it could have had if they commited to either sides of the spectrum it was at.
The dress doesn't bother me, but YES YES YES...the Best at that moment. How can SHE be faulted for that? It was an extraordinary performance which made you feel something...so much more feeling from this than the other 3 top skaters. Simple magical..an Olympic moment to always be remembered.
@@JustinWirick Sarah deserved the Olympics gold that night. But even Michelle fell, Michelle's artistry still better than Irina and Sarah. Just my opinion, happy for Sarah.
Sarah Hughes didn't fall, didn't stumble, and looked brilliant on the ice. Anybody who saw something different is delusional. The other skaters looked like amateurs.
She was amaising! Choreography, transisions,artistic skills ... And jumps were the best! SHE can be compared with the contemporary girls. Not like Slutskaya or Suria Bonaly.
I used to skate with her early in the morning for two years before this performance in Hackensack, NJ. I mean I was on the ice with her at the same time. I used to talk to both of them all the time. This performance was sort of like an out of body experience for her. She skated with more elegance and attack than anybody had ever seen before. I was so happy she won. But in some ways it was a shame it happened so early for her. She never cared about winning again, understandably. She probably could have had quite a career. After you've won Olympic gold and you have a real brain I can see why your mind would move on to other things. And she was one smart little girl.
@@jondavwal13 wow thank you for some info about her. I honestly didn't know her name and came accidentally across this performance. I think after the Olympic gold your sports life is complete and either you find a new motivation in sports or you move on and become a 'normal' person.
На Олимпиаде в 2002 г. было очень много споров, кто должен был победить в произвольной программе. Несмотря на возмущения по поводу второго места Ирины Слуцкой, все таки и Сара, и Мария Бутырская в произвольной программе были сильнее. И постановки их программ лучше, чем у Ирины, и каскады прыжков у Сары и Марии сильнее. Так что, если Ирина хотела победить, надо было рисковать, а не давать оскорбительные комментарии в адрес своих соперниц , якобы они были на две головы слабее неё. Когда фигуристки хотели победить на Олимпиадах, они рисковали. Так выигрывали Оксана Баюл, Тара Липински, Сара Хьюз, Аделина Сотникова и конечно Алина Загитова, а их соперницы, которые упростили свои программы, до сих пор возмущаются, почему судьи их не пожалели за былые заслуги или за красивые глаза. Так что в 2002 году надо было возмущаться тому, что Бутырская не на пьедестале, а не тому, что Слуцкая не на первом месте.
Совершенно верно!!!! На все 100! Слуцкая даже на медаль не накатала на этой ОИ. На пьедестал должна была встать не корявая Слуцкая, а Бутырская. В ней всегда чувствовалась элегантность и артистизм. Сара Хьюз была на голову выше всех, в том числе и в КП. Ей просто оценки придержали из-за Кван.
@@TT-ee4qp Are you really The Ghost of Ludmilla Slutskaya? Sarah rocked and WON; square, fair, and honest, tied at the end and the WINNER of the free skate WINS the gold. Sarah's marks from the judges, they left room for the "top three" and they did NOT come through.
@@mrunning10 Sarah was lucky. 😙 Sarah's technique and terrible jumps were overrated and got ZERO marks today. 😇 Sarah was a Olympics Cinderella who never won any World champion or the National titles. 😄
I think she just felt she had nothing to lose and probably thought she was not going to win. Only when the others stumbled did the realization hit. Great job!!!🇺🇲❤🏅
Sarah Hughes is what I imagine Brianna of Outlander to be like (sorry for the off-the-wall-referece). Not necessarily pretty in the usual sense but *a force of nature* - someone that you can't ignore. Even here when Sarah was only 16 and kind of a dorky teenager she has those moments of unconscious power. You can't fake that! I love her!!
Wow, had forgotten she was that young! What I do remember is that she kept outskating Michelle Kwan all season, yet almost never won. It was like the US judges were determined that Michelle would go to the Olympics again and kept giving her points she didn't deserve. Michelle was great, but I was so glad that Sarah was finally awarded the victory she deserved.
Agreed. Although I can't recall the year, I know there was one national championship where Sarah was the clear winner, but they gave it to Michelle. Maybe it was the 02 championships right before these games, not sure, but Hughes should have one National Championship title to her name.
@@L1623VP Kwan was always better than Hughes at Nationals. It was the Skate America grand prix competition, two years in a row actually, where Kwan didn't skate great and some people felt Hughes should have won instead.
@@Zuranthium Was it Skate America? Oh well, I knew there was a competition where the judges threw it to Michelle when Sarah was the clear winner. Without controversy it wouldn't be figure skating.
Michelle totally deserved her points, her artistry and technique were better than Sarah. Michelle fell unfortunately, and Sarah did a great job to win .
Still amazing, eight years later. This is what the Olympics are all about -- watching an athlete realize her full potential as the world watches in awe. Although I remember wanting Michelle Kwan to get her gold, Sarah Hughes' performance was unstoppable.
AGREED! This was also incredibly ARTISTIC, more so than Irina and even Michelle here. Sasha's artistry was mind-blowing, but she fell. Irina should have been 4th...only 5 triples and terrible artistry.
Mario Jan Marino Bermejo half of her jumps are fake triples. Just look at the slow motion shows that she is going on two feet and she has flown a half-turn! it's a double jump! these are not true triple-triple tricks. an another freeze frame: she cheats also a half-turn! what joke and all the rest is to match! the flip is a flutz. Her artistic sound is worthy of a skater from the age of twelve! how the judges were able to give him the gold medal! with the new system she would have 7 or 8th places !
I know she won but I still think she was actually under marked - the judges were trying to leave room for the other skaters who placed above her in the short. I would have given her two x 5.9.
She didn't make a mistake. She skated clean and was flawless. She skated without the pressure and, in the end, she came out on top because the others fell. Great job, Sarah, you were great!! Well deserved!!!❤
It’s always when the pressure is completely OFF.....when you think the chances of even being on the podium are slim to absolutely NONE....that you can skate the best skate of your life. Nerves play into this like nobody’s business. When you come into Olympic competition with no expectations.....that’s when all dreams seem to come true. I remember this skate soooooo well. This was such an incredibly exciting moment. I love upsets !!
Saw her interviewed tonight on TV. Had to come watch this again. I remember watching this when it first aired. I was worried about the ice, because she was on fire that night. I mentioned I saw her on TV tonight? Still beautiful. Gracious and centered. Would love to meet her someday.
Chills. Incredible performance!! The music so effervescent, the dress simple but sparkly. It was all about the skating. Amazing to witness. I absolutely love her layback, it’s SOOOO pretty and her arms so fluid and graceful. Isn’t that what it is all about?
![[HD] Tara Lipinski - The Rainbow - 1998 Nagano Olympics - FS タラ・リピンスキー Тара Липински](/img/n.gif)
The smile on her face at 0:43 to 0:46. This is the reason she won. She was relaxed and where she wanted to be. No pressure. She said afterwards she was not thinking about a medal. She was thinking about her performance. And gave the performance of a lifetime. It was not about winning and losing to her. It was about doing her best. Still wonderful to watch.
I agree. The lack of pressure helped. But she definitely hit the ball out of the park with her long program.
@@davelee8961 Under the new system, Sarah's technique wouldn't get marks.
@@davelee8961 Sarah had no pressure because no one supports she would be the winner.
@@TT-ee4qp everyone accepts the results except you!!! SHAME ON U!!!! Lack of respect for the rightful winner!!! Too bad michelle fell on an easy flip
@@23Echeo To bad Sarah Hughes fell on an easy flip , a easy lutz, a easy terrible jumps wouldn't get marks today. 🤣🤣🤣
Sarah Hugh's technique never good enough to win any World champion or the National titles..... so lovely. 💞 🤣🤣🤣
Even now, it so beautiful. Sarah was the best skater that night.❤❤❤❤❤
And one of the best laybacks of all time. Turned out hip, free foot parallel to the ice, amazing back position. That is how it is done.
Whose layback is The Goat, between Cohen, Hughes and Nikodinov, and why?
Pizno...wow...really difficult choice. I am going to go with Angela...if only because her rotation speed on the spin may have been a bit faster than Sarah. Sasha's initial position was flawless, but then she would drop the free leg...which I am not a fan of. I also have to mention Janet Lynn. The layback in her 1970 WFSC program is beautiful. Cheers!
@@fitgraphisva Also Katherine Healy had a gorgeous layback, and she could change direction within the same spin.
Pizno...I just watched video of her. Beautiful position on that spin. Thanks for the suggestion!
@@fitgraphisva You're welcome. It's never too late to discover a beautiful layback spin. Kkkk
I don’t know why everyone thinks Sarah Hughes didn’t deserve the title. Everyone else, Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya included, underperformed. Back in the day with the 6.0 judging system, flutzes and under-rotations weren’t as harshly scrutinized or penalized, so it doesn’t negate the validity of her gold medal in any way. Sarah Hughes skated the best that night, her lines and artistry were also extremely impressive, and she deserved the championship no doubt.
Agreed 100%
Sarah had the most difficult program and was elegant sasha fell, michelle had the easyest program and fell and Irina didn't do 2 triple, triples So this was an easy call
mozartandi exactly and I was never a Sarah fan but the girl had the performance of the night and Irina showed the worst sportsmanship ever. At least. Michelle, as hurt as she was showed class. Good for
Sarah 😊
Not to mention 2 triple-triple combinations, which weren't as commonplace as they are now.
mozartandi STOP.! She delivered the gold medal performance.
I remember watching this live. Everyone knew they had just witnessed something very special.
@@evanperilstein5308 no need to insult her
I remember it too. I didn't understand what was going on but I knew she had just made an outstanding performance.
I keep coming back to this one. The precision, her surprise/joy at the precision, the build up with the crowd absolutely roaring at the end... she had to win. Some moments are just magical!
Yes! The look on her face at the end when she knew she had done what she came there to do is priceless
I just saw this now for the first time in 2020 and I 'm having tears of happiness for this girl I don't even know, that's how much the pureness and authenticity of her performance has touched me.
You have to see the other Sarah's performance.....you would know that she was a middle skater....
@@TT-ee4qp the other performances weren't at the Olympics.
@@liveoakgap7489 However, Sarah's Olympics performance had no magic if she didn't make triple triple combo......which means her artistry was so so ......actually, Michelle and Irina had better marks in artistry.
And Sarah's terrible jumps wouldn't get marks under the new system.
@@liveoakgap7489 Sarah won the Olympics gold, but her performance wasn't the Olympics level.
Actually, Irina Slutskaya was robbed at the 2002 Olympics.
I feel like her score in the short program set something free in Sarah - based on the scoring at the time, she didn't feel she could possibly win, so the pressure was off. She just wanted to do the best she could do *for her.* So she skated her heart out, put all of her love for skating into the performance. Plus, she seems to have fed off of the energy from the audience. The better she did, the more they gave her in response. The cleanest possible jumps (including a triple-triple!) and some amazing spins. And that combined energy NAILED IT.
I come from a theatre background. I hate auditions, because I'm competing. When I'm performing, I love when an audience gives me energy, and I try to better my own performance.
Hardly believe it is 17 years ago, just like yesterday. What a brave girl and excellent program. Every details in her program were perfect and well executed. Other 3 ladies were good, but not perfect. In the end, the best skater on that night won the gold.
Sarah did a good job never happened before.....so it's just a accident.......🤭
@@TT-ee4qp And it never happened before or after for Kwan.
@@liveoakgap7489 Seriously ? Michelle won 5 World champions and 9 National titles. Sarah Hughes got ZERO. 🤭🤭🤭
@@liveoakgap7489 Michelle kwan was robbed at the 98 Olympics, Tara's artistry was far from Michelle's.
Tara's flip and lutz would be called out for under rotation today. Tara's triples were cheap. Tara's technique wouldn't get marks under the new system just like Sarah Hughes. 🤭🤭🤭
I love in this video that she did not expect that. She is very modest person. Sarah came from outsider to the champion and I do not care if some of the jumps were underrotated or not. The other skaters jumps were underrotated as well. She was able to touch my heart which is the kind of abbility that can not be learnt. I mostly appreciate that. Thank you Sarah.
Agreed!
Twenty years later and I'm still so happy for her!!!! I remember this night so well.
I play this video from time to time whenever I need a feel good moment. It hasn't failed yet to make me feel good and let out a much needed cry. Mostly what I love is her enthusiasm, even during the routine, and her pure joy after.
You don't know what is skating sport......
@@TT-ee4qp it's ice skating. You must be thinking of roller skates.
To this very day, this is my favorite video on all of UA-cam. The performance, the call, the score, the venue, the camerawork, the result....Touches my heart. I saw this when it was broadcast live and I cried when it happened. Still I cry. Bravo Sarah.
Ron Gallagher Almost 16 years later and still watching 💙
LOVE*****
Exactly how I feel! I'll never forget it!
Same here. My wife and I really enjoyed watching Sarah in the competitions leading up to the Olympics, but this was beyond amazing. Talk about hitting the ball out of the park! Still one of my favorite moments in all of sports.
Just a accident.....
I remember this...I desperately wanted Michelle to win. But, as Sarah did every jumping pass cleanly you just had to give it up. Quality will always win.
I loved how cheerful she was. Her energy was infectious.
One of my favorite Olympic memories. I remember watching this at 15 and being mesmerized. Sarah embodied the Olympic spirit to a tee. It was all about the skate and not the medal color. Her reaction along with her coach in the warm-up/dressing room was priceless. What an awesome moment. Hard to believe this was 20 years ago!
I was 20, I loved the 2002 Winter Olympics, they are my favorite of all time
I was 16, and remember that moment like it was yesterday.
Yes! I remember watching this and being in awe of her performance and so excited for her. She absolutely embodied the Olympic spirit and sportsmanship.
I was 40, and it feels like yesterday. And now quads are the norm!
@@CN-dl2cj Next year (after the 2002 Olympics )........Sarah got the 6th place at the 2003 World medals.......she knew she deserved it.....
@@TT-ee4qp her gold medal weighed her down
I remember this live on tv. I was trying to get home but was stuck in a cab. My husband was watching and gushing over Sarah’s performance and I told him from the cab “tape it so I can see it!”
What an incredible performance 😊
Robin Wagner losing her shit at the end and screaming "I LOVE YOU" might be one of the most wholesome and poignant moments of this sport. It chokes me up every time.
It was annoying af🙄
debsam77 I LOVE A CONTRARIAN 😍🙌
It was gross
@@snopesshop1903 I bet you’re an unhappy person. Robin put a tremendous amount of work and energy into Sarah. Her exclamation was honest and sincere and filled with pride. Nothing but goodness.
Triple loop combos are underrated in skating it's absurd they are given the same value as triple toe combos when they are far more difficult. And Sarah had two of them her flawlessly
She is the one and only I’m absolute amazed Sarah Hughes wins it all at her home country.
Millions who watching on NBC was absolutely stunned by her performance.
Sarah's risk to do two tripple-tripple combinations fully paid off! The performance is as beautiful as difficult! A magnificent, solid and impressive performance! ❤💝🧡
Her triple triple combo was overrated...... wouldn't get marks today. 😂
This is ONCE ina a life! Thanks to UA-cam 8and the person who post this) we can watch it over and over. PERFECTION!!
Thank you i watch it every week
Her performance is great - I'll leave the qualifiers for those more knowledgeable about the sport and its particulars - but I will never get over the absolute roar of that crowd for the last 25 or so seconds - and that face she makes around 5:16.
Kind of cool to be able to see one of the best moments of someone's life.
While she wasn’t an artist’s artist or a skater’s skater, and although her jumps might have been under rotated, her loop combinations was really stunningly beautiful and magnificently wonderful and it was a great pleasure to watch.
This is when the Olympics were just pure beauty! Great memories!
It's been 20 years, and her beautiful performance still brings tears to my eyes!😀
Seriously ? Under the new system, Sarah's technique wouldn't get marks.
@@TT-ee4qp this was the old system, which heavily rewarded risk taking (I.e., more difficult program) and being able to land jumps. And also pretty much only the long program really counted. She was literally the only skater that night who was able to fulfill both requirements that night. So she deserved it and more importantly, she was the underdog that night, the one who was able to do something that the big name skaters could not. So of course it was emotional.
There were of course arguments over the new system when it was taking shape as well. Plushenko for example had lots to complain about the win of lysacek because he landed a quad but was making mistakes all over whereas Lysacek didn’t have a quad but skated a perfect program. Plushenko even blatantly said under the old system, him landing a quad would win him the gold. So it’s all about perception anyways.
@@luceafarul579 OK. Fine.😶
if you are going to use all your luck in one night, let it be on the night of the free skate of the Olympics... God Bless Her....
perfectly said!
A little funny.
Not a dry eye in the house that night! Love, love, love an underdog! Phenomenal
never ever gets old. she's a lawyer, studying for her MBA at Stanford
Cleanly landed jumps, good choreography, blurred scratch spin, one of the best lay back spins I've ever seen, a lovely spiral. graceful extenstions , not a blip or a bobble to be seen. Beautiful performance athletically and artistically. Bravo, Ms. Hughes.
Jane...I could not agree more. Anyone who thinks Sarah did not deserve to win here...well. Really soft knees enabled her to execute TWO triple loop combos (not even happening in 2018)...as well as one of the best laybacks of all time (along with Janet, Peggy...maybe Sasha)...musicality and choreography well beyond her 16 years. I can even overlook the (f)lutz since Evgenia does the exact same thing and does not get an edge call for it. I will always be in awe of this. Gold medal. Case closed.
@@fitgraphisva Under the new system, Sarah's technique wouldn't get marks. (*^ω^*)
@@fitgraphisva It's a accident that Sarah had triple triple combo....she never done it after the Olympics.......
@@fitgraphisva Sarah's SP got the 4th place, that's why she didn't deserve to win......however, Sarah's artistry was better than Tara Lipinski.....(*^ω^*)
@@fitgraphisva Sarah was a middle skater who was lucky to win because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes......
People don't realize how important the music piece each skater chooses for their performance. I noticed right away this music is so soothing and relaxing and it definitely played a part in Sarah's performance. No one expected her to win, which is why she won! Sarah escaped all scrutiny and pressure that fell mostly on Michelle Kwan. When Michelle took the ice, you can see she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. Sarah's skate was free and light as a bird. TWO triple-triple combinations was almost unheard of in 2002. Even today a female skaters completing TWO triple triple combinations in a major world competition is hard to find. Maybe not as aesthetically pleasing as Sasha Cohen, but Sarah's skate was definitely Gold medal worthy !
However, it's a accident that Sarah won, she was lucky because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes.
She said : I never did it before.
@@TT-ee4qp Michelle was the accident. Falling flat on the ice. I was embarrassed for the United States.
Correction ... I EXPECTED her to win!! - I first saw her skate when she was only a 12 year old ... I said ON THE SPOT " our next Olympic Champion"!! - I in fact bet on her in Vegas and won a WINDFALL!!! I was CERTAIN she would win ... greatfull to have been in the audience to witness it
Nobody expected her to win. She just went out there and put on a great show.
She didn't really win the Olympics....the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes......
@@TT-ee4qp she won. Champions don't make mistakes.
@@liveoakgap7489 Under the new system, Sarah's technique wouldn't get marks. 😆😆😆
@@liveoakgap7489 Sarah Hughes got ZERO World champion and ZERO National titles.....she was just lucky at the 2002 Olympics. 😙
There was actually a big article in Time magazine that favored Sarah because she was continuing to get better every year and had beaten Kwan and Slutskaya earlier in the season.
I remember watching at it at home. She was fabulous. Well deserved
I know me too! I cannot believe I was still as excited...and I know what happens!
My favorite Olympic moment. I rewatch it all the time. I was only 11 at the time but I knew that I had just witnessed something magical happen.
I remember this almost 19 years ago. I remembered only one of my brother predicted Sarah and everyone else thought winner would have been Michelle or Irina!
@@timothychow177 I felt terrible for Micjelle it was so sad.
This blew my mind.I love how she just got more and more confident and happy with every jump she landed until she was practically shrieking with joy when she finished.
Her squeal of delight at landing the triple toe loop was wonderful. I loved the excitement in Scott Hamilton’s voice when she landed her first set of triples is the voice you’re hearing when you’ve landed something you’ve been struggling with.
This was beautiful. I love how she got happier and happier with every jump she landed until she was shrieking at the end.
This is one of my all time favorite videos. I watched it live in 2002. The emotion of that moment remains with me to this day. I find great inspiration in the accomplishment of Sarah Hughes. Her reaction to learning she has won while in the locker room under the stands is worth seeking out. Tears every time.
So lucky.
@@TT-ee4qp Sarah is so much prettier than Kwan.
Agreed!!
She just seems so polished and graceful.. This was just great skating. And she won it fair and square.. SHE DELIVERED. Sadly.. the others had not. SHE WON. THIS IS CLEAN skating
Her performance was boring....just clean.....🤭🤭🤭
Sarah's SP got the 4th place....that's why she didn't deserve to win........
@@TT-ee4qp she didn't fall on the ice. You're supposed to skate on it, not slide down on it.
@@TT-ee4qp they don't give out medals for the short program.
I remember this night..spectacular!
They can say whatever they want… it was her moment in time, Sarah was magical that night, while the other faltered the gold was hers. One of my all time best performances. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
I still cry watching this. Amazing performance.
This is my favorite Olympic story. She was just 16 and skated the cleanest program ever. Reminded me so much of Peggy Flemming elegance . Beautiful all these yrs later.
Very reminiscent of Fleming. I always wondered if that was what Sarah was going for!
I'm not sure why this was so memorable. Something about her graceful confidence that just said "This is my night". ❤️
She came back from fourth to win the gold and landed two triple combos! I know why it’s memorable! Haha :)
@@speeeee35 True, of course, but I didn't even remember those facts. I just remembered her joy and confidence and I think of her performance as an example of what being in the right state of mind at the right time can do for an athlete.
In sports, it's called,"In The Zone". She was in the zone that night. She worked hard for years and it all converged that night.
@@fritzgolden6237 Yes, all true.
So true.
just lovely.. her joy is so palpable… a moment she’ll never forget for as long as she lives!!! “flow” at its finest… that’s what the olympics is all about
What a time to have the skate of your life. There was not a single flaw or imperfection. That was stunning.
There were some, to be fair... Some under rotations on her jumps...
Yes, but not as bad as the falls that the "top three" gave us...they were all great, but caved under pressure...Sarah Hughes had NOTHING to lose because she was CERTAIN she would never win and be able to beat those BIGGIES...so she skated clean and had a grand time...which is what made HER performance shine! She did the best of what she could do, because she had nothing to lose and wasn't nervous about winning, because she never expected to win!
@@evanperilstein5308 she also looked like an awkward puppy with her stumbling
I’m a Kwan die hard but let’s be real....this free skate was INSANE.
Seriously ? Sarah did a good job never happened before, but it's not a great job.
Absolutely superb!!! I was watching this live on TV and jumped up screaming and clapping from my couch. Sarah brought that whole arena to its feet, and rightly so.
I was totally paralyzed watching this. I feared if I moved or cheered she would fall and fail. I held my breath. After she finished, just like you, I exploded. A classic moment.
I remember it well. A great moment in sports.
Probably my favorite olympic skating performance. It was particularly exciting and poignant because the olympics were on home turf/in the US that year. Just extra-special. The crowd was cheering so loudly and raucously that (she said in an interview) she couldn't hear her music at the end of her performance and that's why she finished it a second or two before the music ended.
@@hkonyt797 It's a accident that Sarah won the Olympics.....she was lucky to skate a clean program........she never done it before and after.
@@elaineen1 Next year, Sarah got the 6th place at the 2003 World championship. 🤭🤭🤭
Her coaching making sure she took a moment before getting off the ice to take in what she just did at the Olympics! Bravo that’s a true testament to their relationship
Now that's in the zone!!! One of the best athletic performances I've ever seen every one of those jumps we're near perfection, and what a time to do it congrats Long Island Girl😀😀😀👍
Bravo to Sarah and her team 👏❤️. In the history of upsets, this one is up there for sure! From a homemade ice rink to olympic gold. Love her story.
Very deserving win, she went out there with the attitude to have a fun experience at the Olympics, no pressure put on her at all and tada! the performance of her life. I was watching this in Australia and was so hoping she'd medal as I thought Michelle, Sasha and Irina would out skate her but it wasn't the case and one of the best surprises in Olympic history :)
So lucky. Sarah was so surprised what happened more than anyone.
I don't know figure-skating that well, but I always followed the ladies . ------I watched this, cheering for Michelle Kwan, having no idea of this little girl. That said : her music ------& how drop-dead cute she was----& how she skated as if her life was on the line -----just blew me away. -------------That's athletics----you just never know, until you go out & do it ! ----------------------WolfSky9
I remember watching this live. I always enjoyed Sarah Hughes. I was thrilled for her. She totally deserved the win!
This is when the Olympics was about presentation, great choreography, music. I am disappointed in today's pair/dance. 2002 and 1998 were Olympics were people performed, told a story and had stunning performances.
Just an incredible, amazing performance by a young 16-year-old! Under the pressure (hardly any, after her 4th place finish in the short program), she mesmerized everybody who saw this outstanding performance. She just skated as calmly as if she were practicing on her home rink. Love that terrific spin finish! Nobody expected anything like this, with 7 triple jumps (5 in combination; that were more difficult than those from Irina Slutskaya (silver) or Michelle Kwan (bronze) in the free skate from her, or her vault from #4 to #1 by the judges. But she got lucky in that Kwan fell on a triple jump, pushing herself down to 3rd for the bronze. The sheer joy on Sarah's face after stopping (at 5:17), is one of the greatest smiles in an Olympics performance I've ever seen! Her scream of excitement (at 7:16) after seeing the judges scores I've also remembered! It's 20 years later, and now she is 36, with a law degree (May 2018) from the University of Pennsylvania. A smart and lovely woman. If she skated to that program 100 times, she would never have done it any better than she did on Feb. 21, 2002! The greatest artistic performance in a figure skating event I've ever seen or probably will see again, and to win the gold after 4th place in the short program may never be done again!
figureskatersonline.com/news/2010/02/07/olympic-moments-to-remember-sarah-hughes-in-2002
I want to party with you.
I do love Michelle, unfortunately she fell , Sarah really did a great job to win 2002 Olympics gold. And Sarah's performance made me feel happy like take a Sunday walk.
The music is so beautiful too!
I remember it too and her spins, to this day, are my favorites. She was wonderful!
Wow!!!!! This brought back memories!!! What a smile on MY FACE!!!!
This is a competition. Like it or not, she WAS the best at that moment in time. She produced the BEST performances. She might not have been the best skater to compete, but she outskated the best when it mattered. The only thing that wasn't gold medal worthy here, to me, was the color of her dress! That's the only area of improvement that I could see. It would have been nice as classic white or a more vivid violet color. It doesn't have the impact that it could have had if they commited to either sides of the spectrum it was at.
The dress doesn't bother me, but YES YES YES...the Best at that moment. How can SHE be faulted for that? It was an extraordinary performance which made you feel something...so much more feeling from this than the other 3 top skaters. Simple magical..an Olympic moment to always be remembered.
@@JustinWirick Sarah deserved the Olympics gold that night. But even Michelle fell, Michelle's artistry still better than Irina and Sarah. Just my opinion, happy for Sarah.
@@TT-ee4qp Michelle is awkward.
The triple toe - triple loop combo was insane! So well done
I also smiled at the end of her program! Wow! ❤️💚💙
I love her spins! Very graceful and strong! And her ending is so awesome! You go girl!
A classic lay back spin ! Too bad its not done anymore. The "Code of Points" has ruined the beauty of skating.....
Yes, I agree. Sarah's layback did rival that of Sasha and Michelle. Which says alot!
I like the way she talks to her friends like no biggie!!Love this 🥇⛸️
Sarah Hughes didn't fall, didn't stumble, and looked brilliant on the ice. Anybody who saw something different is delusional. The other skaters looked like amateurs.
You said it . . . she was great here!
She was amaising! Choreography, transisions,artistic skills ... And jumps were the best! SHE can be compared with the contemporary girls. Not like Slutskaya or Suria Bonaly.
@@sincerita1plus • Contemporary girls ? 😂
I remember just screaming ….being from LI our girl left everything on the ice and had fun.
@@hebbie831 She skated like it was just another day in the park. It was
I was a kid in 2002 and couldn't realize the beauty of this performance. But watching it now like holy craaaaaaaap girl
I used to skate with her early in the morning for two years before this performance in Hackensack, NJ. I mean I was on the ice with her at the same time. I used to talk to both of them all the time. This performance was sort of like an out of body experience for her. She skated with more elegance and attack than anybody had ever seen before. I was so happy she won. But in some ways it was a shame it happened so early for her. She never cared about winning again, understandably. She probably could have had quite a career. After you've won Olympic gold and you have a real brain I can see why your mind would move on to other things. And she was one smart little girl.
@@jondavwal13 wow thank you for some info about her. I honestly didn't know her name and came accidentally across this performance. I think after the Olympic gold your sports life is complete and either you find a new motivation in sports or you move on and become a 'normal' person.
@@rocksane It's a accident that Sarah won the Olympics.....it's impossible happened again....
@@TT-ee4qp Kwan had the accident. Fell down on the ice
На Олимпиаде в 2002 г. было очень много споров, кто должен был победить в произвольной программе. Несмотря на возмущения по поводу второго места Ирины Слуцкой, все таки и Сара, и Мария Бутырская в произвольной программе были сильнее. И постановки их программ лучше, чем у Ирины, и каскады прыжков у Сары и Марии сильнее. Так что, если Ирина хотела победить, надо было рисковать, а не давать оскорбительные комментарии в адрес своих соперниц , якобы они были на две головы слабее неё. Когда фигуристки хотели победить на Олимпиадах, они рисковали. Так выигрывали Оксана Баюл, Тара Липински, Сара Хьюз, Аделина Сотникова и конечно Алина Загитова, а их соперницы, которые упростили свои программы, до сих пор возмущаются, почему судьи их не пожалели за былые заслуги или за красивые глаза. Так что в 2002 году надо было возмущаться тому, что Бутырская не на пьедестале, а не тому, что Слуцкая не на первом месте.
Совершенно верно!!!! На все 100! Слуцкая даже на медаль не накатала на этой ОИ. На пьедестал должна была встать не корявая Слуцкая, а Бутырская. В ней всегда чувствовалась элегантность и артистизм. Сара Хьюз была на голову выше всех, в том числе и в КП. Ей просто оценки придержали из-за Кван.
Слуцкая не заслуживает даже ноги лизать Бутырской
@@olgaleybovich3125 в короткой программе,вы серьёзно? Корявое катание? Бутырская еле еле прыгала в короткой программе.
@@elenajako6733 корявое??? Да это потрясающая постановка вообще. Не чета медведевской. Да Вы, небось, фанатка Хрустального, вот и пишете чушь
@@olgaleybovich3125 Under the new system, Sarah's technique wouldn't get marks....(≧ω≦)/ She would be a loser.
This performance, after nearly 20 years, gives me goosebumps!
So easy ? 🤭🤭🤭
@@TT-ee4qp Are you really The Ghost of Ludmilla Slutskaya?
Sarah rocked and WON; square, fair, and honest, tied at the end and the WINNER of the free skate WINS the gold. Sarah's marks from the judges, they left room for the "top three" and they did NOT come through.
@@mrunning10
Sarah was lucky. 😙
Sarah's technique and terrible jumps were overrated and got ZERO marks today. 😇
Sarah was a Olympics Cinderella who never won any World champion or the National titles. 😄
@@mrunning10
After the 2002 Olympics, Sarah placed 6th at the 2003 World championship......so well deserved. 🤭🤭🤭
I love her squeal at 4:50 when she realizes she is through the obstacles and home free
Had she skated later, the scores would have been higher, which they should have been.
I think one of the reasons why she did so well was that she was so damn relaxed.
I think she just felt she had nothing to lose and probably thought she was not going to win. Only when the others stumbled did the realization hit. Great job!!!🇺🇲❤🏅
Thanks for posting, 3Axel1996. You have all the good videos I used to have on VHS and DVD until I lost them in a fire.
that 3s-3lo was super impressive.
Super underrotated
@@joejoematic8206 ))
Sarah Hughes is what I imagine Brianna of Outlander to be like (sorry for the off-the-wall-referece). Not necessarily pretty in the usual sense but *a force of nature* - someone that you can't ignore. Even here when Sarah was only 16 and kind of a dorky teenager she has those moments of unconscious power. You can't fake that! I love her!!
Wow, had forgotten she was that young! What I do remember is that she kept outskating Michelle Kwan all season, yet almost never won. It was like the US judges were determined that Michelle would go to the Olympics again and kept giving her points she didn't deserve. Michelle was great, but I was so glad that Sarah was finally awarded the victory she deserved.
Agreed. Although I can't recall the year, I know there was one national championship where Sarah was the clear winner, but they gave it to Michelle. Maybe it was the 02 championships right before these games, not sure, but Hughes should have one National Championship title to her name.
@@L1623VP Kwan was always better than Hughes at Nationals. It was the Skate America grand prix competition, two years in a row actually, where Kwan didn't skate great and some people felt Hughes should have won instead.
@@Zuranthium Was it Skate America? Oh well, I knew there was a competition where the judges threw it to Michelle when Sarah was the clear winner. Without controversy it wouldn't be figure skating.
Michelle totally deserved her points, her artistry and technique were better than Sarah. Michelle fell unfortunately, and Sarah did a great job to win .
"TAKE THIS IN!" Robin said to her. I absolutely LOVED IT!!
Still amazing, eight years later. This is what the Olympics are all about -- watching an athlete realize her full potential as the world watches in awe. Although I remember wanting Michelle Kwan to get her gold, Sarah Hughes' performance was unstoppable.
Sarah was lucky because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes.
This performance always makes me smile.
Make you cry.......
Class act. Not an accidental champion. You can't accidentally land two triple triple combos.
AGREED! This was also incredibly ARTISTIC, more so than Irina and even Michelle here. Sasha's artistry was mind-blowing, but she fell. Irina should have been 4th...only 5 triples and terrible artistry.
Mario Jan Marino Bermejo half of her jumps are fake triples. Just look at the slow motion shows that she is going on two feet and she has flown a half-turn! it's a double jump! these are not true triple-triple tricks. an another freeze frame: she cheats also a half-turn! what joke and all the rest is to match! the flip is a flutz. Her artistic sound is worthy of a skater from the age of twelve! how the judges were able to give him the gold medal! with the new system she would have 7 or 8th places !
A lot of under-rotations tho...
Justin Wirick better than Irina at least, although I love Michelle's artistry a lot
@@drissabderrhamane7948 nobody
cares about the new system lol 😂
Still to this day one of the best Olympics performances
Seriously ? So boring.....
However, Sarah had more artistry than Tara Lipinski......(*^ω^*)
So glad she changed the last minute of her program...It really added to the excite and intensity...I was BORING before...
Agreed!!
Incredible. She got the day she deserved. Wonderful to behold💜
Of course Sarah was lucky because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes.
Sarah did a good job, but Tara Lipinski was overrated......
I know she won but I still think she was actually under marked - the judges were trying to leave room for the other skaters who placed above her in the short. I would have given her two x 5.9.
@@evanperilstein5308 you love that word don't ya? "Underrotated."
She didn't make a mistake. She skated clean and was flawless. She skated without the pressure and, in the end, she came out on top because the others fell. Great job, Sarah, you were great!! Well deserved!!!❤
Yes, Sarah was lucky because the other better skaters like Michelle and Irina made mistakes. 😆
Under the new system, Sarah's technique got ZERO. 😁
@@TT-ee4qp I reckon that matters zilch
Pure art, gorgeous!
I watched her combination jumps in a very slow-mo, and those were not under-rotated in my eyes.
Just watched this after many years and compared to the Beijing performances, especially the Russian ones, this one brought me such joy.
Much better than Tara Lipinski.
Sarah was also the best spinner in teh competition besides Slutskaya
It’s always when the pressure is completely OFF.....when you think the chances of even being on the podium are slim to absolutely NONE....that you can skate the best skate of your life. Nerves play into this like nobody’s business. When you come into Olympic competition with no expectations.....that’s when all dreams seem to come true. I remember this skate soooooo well. This was such an incredibly exciting moment. I love upsets !!
She was lucky.
@@TT-ee4qp she was lucky only in the sense she was competing against Kwan.. who couldn't even skate across the ice.
the most beautiful of all the lay back spins. to be so poised so young. she went for it. amazing skate. congrats to sarah hughes.
She had never skated at that level and never staked at that level afterwards. A stunner!
It's a accident that Sarah won.....
Please keep this on I watch it every day....Thanks 3Axel1996
The 2 Triple Triple combinations gave her the gold She skated brilliantly n her coach designed a gorgeous program with all the right moves !
Согласна . Сара сделала 2 сложных каскада . Прошло 22 года и до сих пор мало кто их делает ( Загитова только , но она тоже олимпийская чемпионка )
Saw her interviewed tonight on TV. Had to come watch this again. I remember watching this when it first aired. I was worried about the ice, because she was on fire that night. I mentioned I saw her on TV tonight? Still beautiful. Gracious and centered. Would love to meet her someday.
I just always loved the choreography to this music.
Agreed! This choreography was classic and outstanding. Not enough credit is given to it.
Chills. Incredible performance!! The music so effervescent, the dress simple but sparkly. It was all about the skating. Amazing to witness. I absolutely love her layback, it’s SOOOO pretty and her arms so fluid and graceful. Isn’t that what it is all about?
I remember watching this, & almost holding my breath, thinking " come on Baby-Girl, please, don't fall ! " ---------------------WolfSky9
AND, only 16 y/o---------just amazing.!! ------------------WolfSky9
Sarah Hughes is planning to run for N.Y Congress. I just recently heard about it. What do you think?
Love her! Class act
I don’t know her politics but I’m sure she would get my vote.