1988 Games: Katarina Witt Beats Debi Thomas in Battle of the Carmens In an epic showdown in Calgary, Canada, 22-year-old Katarina Witt of East Germanythe 1984 figure skating gold medalist . Katarina Witt's Carmen turned out to be good as gold after Debi Thomas's came to a bad end in Calgary. 5. Her free skate with a triple flip and five triples was technically superior to Sumners', and many believed she should have taken the crucial 1st place in this phase. As the New York Times recently noted, two-time gold medalist Katarina Witt has written about how, in 1987, her costume slipped during a competition and she was forced to finish the routine with her arms pressed against her sides lest the outfit come off completely. They briefly discussed whether or not Kokko knew what had happened. as well as other partner offers and accept our. " Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France compete during the Figure Skating Ice Dance Short Dance on day 10 of the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympic Games at Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 19, 2018 in Pyeongchang-gun, South Korea. Her talent soon became obvious, and she gained entry to a special school for children with a talent for sport in Karl-Marx-Stadt. Clothing may, however, reflect the character of the music chosen. But even in a sea of bedazzled illusion sleeves andsheer panels, these 30 costumes have tested the ISU's official dress code, and therefore manage to stand out as the most risqu figure skating costumes of all time. and keeping a high level of concentration until the afternoon, as this event can be a marathon of up to 9 hours. Well, luckily it worked with the drama of the evening.I skate my freestyle very early in our group. By clicking Sign up, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider Clothing may, however, reflect the character of the music chosen.". 1988: Katarina Witt. And everyone around must have wondered, what in the world are those girls talking about up there on the podium? But to speed up the drug test, I help myself to this "medical aid" and lose my composure. Rules are stricter in ice dancing: A woman must wear a skirt that goes around her entire waist (though there may be slits in the skirt). Peggy Fleming and Dick Button, commentating for ABC, utilize this little "break". They receive an accreditation from the organizers, and even tickets to the closing banquet, which irritated some of those on our team. The audience and the international media completely flipped out! As long as skaters have performed in costumes, those costumes have betrayed them. As an athlete, I can fully understand her immeasurable disappointment, and admire her honesty and openness, and make no bones about it. The stands in the Archie Boyce Pavillon were filled to the top, with over 600 journalists present. During his free skate at the 2002 world championships, American skater Timothy Goebel came out in a vest-and-tie combination, looking like an investment banker at happy hour. She received a higher A score for technical merit, but with eight scores of 5.9 for artistic interpretation, I have the advantage. That is part of the sport. The 2018 Winter Olympicsare underway inPyeongchang, which means the pressure is on for the competing athletes to not only deliver athletically, but, in the case of figure skaters, aesthetically too. Had Manley not narrowly lost second place to Thomas in the short program (by one judge), or Witt not narrowly held onto second place over Ito in the long program (on a 63 split), Manley would have defeated Witt for the overall gold medal. Costume malfunction! one exclaimed as the camera cut to a shot of Rublevas chest. February 18, 2022 8:59am. She won her first at the 1984 Sarajevo games and her second four years later at the 1988 Calgary Olympics. . ''. In 1988, Witt started a professional career rare for East German athletes. Newcomer said some skaters tend to be on the warm side because their bodies adjust to being in rinks constantly. Updated: Feb 8, 2018 / 02:10 PM EST. After Soviets Marina Klimova and Sergei Ponomarenko won bronze at the 1984 Winter Olympics, they skated an exhibition dance for the crowds at Sarajevo. ''Whatever works is fine.''. At 7a.m. Not everything goes without saying. Meier of Switzerland wore the ensemble to the Exhibition of Champions for the 2006 Skate America figure-skating competition, where she placed fourth. I try to answer their questions patiently, and try to communicate in English. After adjusting her top, Papadakis recovered and finished her routine, and the two ultimately finished in second place after the short program, just behind Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Many figure skaters wear outfits with illusion panels that appear sheer. But unfortunately, at the award ceremony, there was a commotion. It's crazy to be sitting in a chair, being there in your thoughts, and being so far away. Before Elizabeth and Debi. Discover Katarina Witt's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family. Their rivalry was known as the "Battle of the Carmens", as each woman had independently elected to skate her long program to music from Bizet's opera Carmen. It was the "Battle of the Carmens" at the Calgary Olympics and that showed in the skating costumes as well. She coached Anett Potzsch to a gold . Besides just the stress of competing, emotionally, this . Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. She appeared as herself in two episodes of the comedy series Arli$$ that aired in 1997 and 1998. I was probably still dead tired, and maybe this sluggishness finally gave me the necessary inner peace I needed for my compulsories, because after the first figure, I am in, amazingly, second place. Witt trained six days a week,[3] sometimes for seven hours a day with three hours spent on compulsory figures. Belbin and Agosto were silver medalists at the 2006 Games. My heart has always been in figure skating. I haven't even been there for 24 hours, and am hit by a wave of requests for interviews, television appearances and photo shoots. It popped out halfway through, and Goebel skated the duration of his routine with his tie flapping in the breeze, like an investment banker rushing to catch the commuter rail after having stayed too long at happy hour. I won't be shedding any tears over the compulsories, although I have especially dedicated myself to them in the last few years. February 1, 2022. So there we are on the podium, receiving our medals, flowers, congratulations and the usual kisses on the cheek, and all the while we are in discussion and rather amused. Not everything can be measured in points and fractions. The freestyle is scheduled for Saturday evening during prime time. Skaters cant avoid the issuethey can only hope to deal with it as gracefully as Cizeron and Papadakis did. New competition, new chance. Your guide to the figure skating championships. This is a family show.' Witt landed three triple jumps in her free skate program, and the judges left room for Sumners to win the event. Wagner's outfitactually incorporated a deep illusion sleeve and plunging bodice. Fringe is risky to wear on the ice, because ISU guidelines state that points will be deducted if a part of a skater's costume becomes detached. Barb, I think hes had the back end of that set of trousers let go on him, one commentator said as the routine concluded. . And it keeps going around in my head: this will be the last time. But you know something, its always seemed kind of difficult to get into skating, and you can have some embarrassing moments, and I think we see one here, Button said, chuckling nervously, as the broadcast showed a close-up of the Soviets flapping costume. Actually pretty young, but, then again in figure skating it's pretty old. She turned in a relatively lackluster long program, popping out of both a planned triple loop and triple salchow, and below the quality of her Olympic performance, but with other top contenders also being mostly subpar and fatigued after the high of the Calgary Games, she won gold with a victory in compulsory figures (just second win in figures in a World or Olympic event, only other instance was 1984 Worlds), 2nd place to Debi Thomas in the short program, and victory in the long program. I am actually happy to know that this will be the very, very, very last competition in my life! Katarina Witt (December 1998) The Olympic figure skater had competed at the highest level just four years before. She said then she planned to continue a while longer but did not see herself likely making it to the 1988 Calgary Olympics. But I put my heart into it, and sometimes I lose my composure. But since the women's competition is to lead up to the grand finale of the games once again, I feel I can better concentrate on my training here at home, rather than on site under the observation of everyone there. Adam Rippons Costume Designer on the Skaters Love of Crystals and Skintight Mesh, Nathan Chen Is the Future of Figure Skating, But the Sport Shouldnt Abandon Its Past. Witt, and the only woman to beat her since winning her . In order to satisfy the media's curiosity a bit and give me a little peace so I can do my training, the team management agreed to hold a press conference to answer all of their questions. Apparently that doesn't bother anyone these days. She placed on a major podium for the first time in 1982, winning silver at both the European and World Championships. Both of us, Mrs. Mller and I, know that under such enormous pressure, it was a good performance. A very fortunate farewell to my short program career. At ISU Championships, the Olympic Winter Games, and International Competitions, the clothing of the Competitors must be modest, dignified and appropriate for athletic competition not garish or theatrical in design. Birth Country: Germany. Meite's unitard featured a jeweled bodice and black pants a rarity in women's figure skating. Around this time, she also played a villain in an episode of the tongue-in-cheek television series, V.I.P. He won the bronze medal at the 2010 US Figure Skating Championships. Following the competition, at the press conference with Olympics mascot "Howdy", giggling apologetically. The pair skated to a jazz version of "Toxic" by Britney Spears. Halfway through his routine with Susanna Rahkamo at the 1992 world championships, Finnish skater Petri Kokko split his pants while ice-dancing the polka, and went on for a good minute with his bright white underwear peeking out from the seat of his black pants. I am the first to go out on the ice, and that slick flat surface wasn't the only thing that was frozen. Figure skating great Katarina Witt was reduced to tears Thursday over the fallout of Kamila Valieva's doping scandal at the 2022 Olympics. And almost without breathing. Canadian skater Elizabeth Manley won the long program convincingly over Witt (seven judges to two), however Witt retained her Olympic title based on her overall scores (she had finished ahead of Manley in both the compulsory figures and the short program). 5. Later, she continued at Holiday on Ice in the United States and in western Europe. "The Katarina Rule" dictates that women's hips, midriffs, and butt are covered. She had been considering making the 1986 World Championships her final event, but stung by the loss, Witt vowed to regain her title and skate on to Calgary. I love the energy of the program, and after the step sequence, I was so proud and overjoyed , that my nose was running. The coach for Elizabeth Manley, the Canadian favourite, who was in fourth place after the compulsories, could smell the gold medal for his pupil, and tried to a certain degree, to discredit my performance. In 1988, Witt won her sixth consecutive European . Retiring from competitive skating after defending her Olympic title in 1988, Witt reappeared at the 1994 Winter Olympics where she represented a reunified Germany while skating a Robin Hood-themed program, a comeback performance which saw her receive the Goldene Kamera award. It has always happened and it always will. During training fir the compulsories, you could use this one as a template for the "roundest rounding of a round circle". Even though the effervescent performances of Elizabeth Manley and Midori Ito had stolen the show from Katarina Witt Saturday night, when the figure skating gold medalist from East Germany arriveda bit tipsyto meet . The ISU dress code dictates that figure skaters have to cover their hips, midriffs, and behinds. Name: Katarina Witt. Debi Thomas of the U.S., the chief contender for Witt`s title in the competition that begins with compulsory figures Wednesday, had no quarrel with her rival`s costume. Read the rest of Slates coverage of the Pyeongchang Olympics. Katarina Witt's outfit caused the ISU to institute "The Katarina Rule." Associated Press. But costumes are going to slip. Joan Gruber, a U.S. team leader and international judge, said points could be deducted from Witt`s score because of rules about appropriate costumes. It was a priceless incident for the media, who, in Calgary, were tauting it as "The Battle of Two Carmens". Katarina Witt's Playboy pics at the time were controversial. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. Secret Tapes of Katarina Witt. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Katarina Witt's skirtless, feather-trimmed costume at the Calgary Olympics ruffled the feathers of the International Skating Union. If that comes undone, the whole thing could just pop off. (Image: www.imdb.com) Agencies. I was like, Oh no! she explained. "I was like, 'Oh no!' And emotions can't be rated or judged. An all-German girl. But all that glitz and glamour doesn't come cheap. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Witt made her first appearance in a major international competition at the 1979 European Championships, finishing 14th at the event. '', Peter Dunfield used those words to describe the costume Witt plans to wear in Thursday`s short program phase of the Olympic women`s competition. Every element is clean as a whistle, and once again, I am high-spirited, and right in my element with "Jerry's Girl". I believe that throughout my whole career, my legs are never straight, my feet don't glide perfectly over the ice, and I am absolutely not perfect. Here are some rare and classic photos of two-time Olympic gold medalist skater Katarina Witt, who turned 50 on Dec. 3, 2015. East Germany's Katarina Witt won the 1984 Olympic gold medal and sought a back-to-back victory four years later at the 1988 Calgary Games. Here, Gracie Gold competes in the ladies short program at the 2014 Winter Olympics. 6 / 7. Figure Skating Championships in St. Paul. And her theatrical" But she doesn't get any further, as Dick finished her sentence in a somewhat brash manner, "there's nothing theatrical about that, it's just posing. skirtless feather-trimmed 1988 costume for a . German skater Katerina Witt won the gold medal and did . [6][7] In 1994, skating a Robin Hood-themed program, Witt stated, "I wore the Robin Hood like a man's costume because I didn't want to be accused of seducing the judges this time."[8]. I don't think I got those scores because of the feathers on my costume or because my butt was hardly covered. Witt, the defending champion, does the two-minute routine to music from the broadway show ''Jerry`s Girls. The season is long, the thrill is gone.My performance during the freestyle was not as masterful as I had wanted it to be for my last time. Read all of our coverage of the Winter Olympics here. She received the Golden Camera for her Olympic comeback. She won two gold medals for , first in the 1984 and the second in 1988 at the . In 1988, East German skater Katarina Witt found herself in the bizarre position of having to defend her choice of costume for her Olympic routine. The short program could not be better. Most skaters try to match the color of tights to their skin tone. Anyway, they're still nice and white, and maybe they will bring another skater more luck! 1988 - Olympics. She is a four-time World champion (1984, 1985, 1987, 1988) and twice World silver medalist (1982, 1986). Asked what was wrong with the costume, Dunfield replied, ''Do you want to see it?'' Gender: Female. Years later, I still cringe when I see my highly expressive make-up. This time I have to show them how it's done. Calgary, Alberta, CANADA - 1988 Winter Games, Ladies' Short Program - Re-posting another one of the videos the IOC had filed copyright infringement and had m. East Germany's Katarina Witt won the 1984 Olympic gold medal and sought a back-to-back victory four years later at the 1988 Calgary Games. Both Witt and Thomas were favoured contenders at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. ''This costume is ready for an ice show, and I think there is a good possibility she will join one after the Olympics,'' Hamill said. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. It is really an unbelievable happenstance, that in this season of all things, Debi and I, completely independent from each other, chose to use the music from Bizet and to embody Carmen. In her long program, Witt landed four triple jumps and downgraded her planned triple-loop jump to a double loop. "I never drink beer", I say apologetically. We got the lowdown on costume rules from Juliet Newcomer, director of technical services for U.S. There's simply nothing higher. Heinz Kluetmeier for Sports . I am now 22. Had she placed 1st in the long program instead of 2nd (on a 54 split) to Sumners, she would have jumped to the silver over both Leistner and Vodorezova. Witt said she did not care for the "cute, pretty, ice princess image" of figure skaters and wanted to "change people's perceptions". Weir told Philly Mag,"I'm very flamboyant, I have a crazy dress sense.". Laureus Academy Member Katarina Witt attends the 2020 Laureus World Sports Awards at Verti Music Hall on February 17, 2020 in Berlin, Germany. Katarina Witt's infamous blue dress at the 1988 Olympics is the reason figure skating now has a dress code. He told the press, "We are accustomed to skaters being properly dressed and not wearing a thong"This gave the journalists a juicy topic aside from the usual Olympic reporting. Figure Skating Championships and what to watch for during competition. And of course I must do this while "dying". In a dramatic buildup, she would also draw last to skate, and get to close the show in her final Olympic skate, after the medalists had already been determined. I reached my hand out to congratulate Debi as she stepped onto the podium, and she ignored me. When you know, yourself, that it hasn't gone well, and the judge has plenty of reasons to punish you, but instead gives you a good score, you don't really feel right about it.I have collected a lot of sympathy points from the judges in the last few years. [10] (The first sold-out issue was the inaugural one including photos of Marilyn Monroe.) Dorothy Hamill, the 1976 gold medalist, said Witt may be trying to win other hearts and . When?" Her costume. [11], On 7 July 2007, Witt was a competitor at the German segment of Live Earth. Slate is published by The Slate Group, a Graham Holdings Company.