1994: A Year to Remember

1994 was a pivotal year in the skating world. Skating was front-page news after the Tonya Harding/ Nancy Kerrigan saga, making the 1994 Winter Olympics-- a quote un quote "showdown" between the two skaters-- one of highest rated sports events in history. Not only that, but the quality of skating that year was second to none. With professional skating legends, such as Katarina Witt and Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean reinstated as amateurs, the caliber of the competition was elevated. Although, as those of you who witnessed the 1994 Olympics will remember, with the exception of Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov winning the pairs event in both phases, the other professionals were not as dominant. The new wave of skaters hungry for gold made big waves in the competition, taking medals that many had predicted would go to the legends.

The entire Olympics was memorable--I would be remiss if I didn't mention the judging controversies. To this day I am adamant that Nancy Kerrigan should have won the gold medal, Elvis Stojko should have trumped Alexei Urmonov, and Artur Dimitriev and Natalia Mishkutenok should have worn gold over the beloved Gordeeva and Grinkov. I used to feel that Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin should have taken gold in ice dance, since there was debate over whether or not Oksana Gritshuk and Evgeny Platov's choreography broke the rules, but now I am not as certain about who I think should have won gold. But in any case, all the performances are outstanding and I never tire of watching them.

Below are some of the most wonderful skating performances that the world has ever seen in Olympic competition. It is my pleasure to present you with this compilation of glorious skating performances that are to be treasured and enjoyed again and again.





Katarina Witt's "Robin Hood" and "Where Have All The Flowers Gone" :








Nancy Kerrigan's "Desperate Love" short program and the Neil Diamond medley played by the Boston Pops:









Elvis Stojko's short program to techno music and long program to "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" :









Philippe Candeloro's "Godfather":






Kurt Browning's "Casablanca":






Jayne Torville and Christopher Dean's "Rhumba":





Maia Usova and Alexander Zhulin's "Nino Rota" by Fellini:





Ekaterina Gordeeva and Sergei Grinkov's "Moonlight Sonata":





Natalia Mishkutenok and Artur Dimitriev's "Don Quixote" by Minkus and "Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No.2" by Sergei Rachmaninoff:







Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler's classical medley freeskate: