She may not be the greatest jumper (though, she did do four triples here). But, it is more than just her spins -- which you could discuss for days. But, it is truly her "presentation". Dick Button was accurate at the beginning -- she always projects *up*. Not "out", not "down". Program after program, she was reaching to the furthest seats in the arena. She is not a novelty. She knows how to construct a full program.
sbe79 Well said!! She was always a skater who put a smile on my face! It never matter to me what jumps she completed! Just so lovely and a joy to watch! I wish we could have more skaters like this, especially today...
Skating has had a lot of "great spinners". Skating has had a lot of fine "artistic skaters", but none of them combined the two to really get to the level of Lucinda Ruh in 1999. From a presentation standpoint, I think she was on par with the podium and I would not have been uncomfortable as a judge awarding her a 5.8 here -- even with the fall, even early in the competition. You just don't see this kind of skating. It very much reminded me of a Chen Lu with exceptional spinning and a lot more speed.
I respect her so much. She is 5'9, it is in fact very difficult for tall skaters to jump because their centers of gravity are much higher. A high center of gravity is hard to jump with, that is why jumps w/ arms over the head are given higher scores.
This girl never won a medal at Europeans, Worlds, or Olympics. Yet I believe in popularity she comes second only to Kwan. There must be reason for it!!!! Perhaps she's the only skater that no matter how bad things went for her in a program, always ended the programs with the crowd on their feet. That's a skater!!!
That last spin was simply out of this world. WOW! Lucinda is just magical. The judges never rewarded her enough for her spins, and I am sad to say that the new scoring system would probably have scored her even lower. But isn't Lucinda what figure skating is all about? She is like a fairy out there on the ice...like I said - just magical...
Everytime I watch this program, it brings a smile to my face. You really forget about the jumps, although most of them in this program weren't bad (she nailed a triple loop and double Axel from difficult entries). The rest of the program is wonderfully sold, as you say. I'd say it's beauty on ice personified.
she's breathtaking! read her biography Frozen Teardrop - which she wrote AND proofread herself - to find out what she had to go through to reach this perfection. you will have a whole new appreciation for the sport and her talent
3:56-3:59 you hear her blade hit the ice and make what sounds like a glide on a cymbal...a perfect musical addition in perfect timing with the music as she goes into that last spin. She's my favorite skater to watch, and I could watch skating like this all day with no jumps whatsoever! (Glad she finally got that triple sal in at the end though)
Every time I watch Lucinda spin I stop breathing. Just mind blowing spinning that no one can match. She is the best spinner ever in the world of Ice Skating. Her center bores holes in the ice! Such grace and ability. I can't get enough of her...
What theWOW!!! Just stunning! Her spins are beyond compare, and not only that, look how fast she skates! it's like watching her performance with fastfoward button pressed... I absolutely agree with Level 6 for her spins lol ;D
WOW. This has totally changed my perspective on the harp concerto because her figure skating is sooooo amazing!!! I love this video so much! Thanks a lot for posting!
You can say what you want about her jumps, but I haven't watched this since 1999 and I remembered the performance so well - better than any of the top skaters' performances. The only thing some of them are good at is jumping, they have no artistry. That's not entertaing to me. I'd rather watch her skate any day.
Wow!!! I've seen so many performances in skating but this one really is one of the best of all time! Her carriage across the ice, presentation, jumps and spins are superior!! The judging and scoring are close-minded and careless. Did the judges even watch this performance??? This clearly shows that skating is so much more than just random triple jumps forced to fit boring non-musical programs - like the ones that permeate the sport today.
I think a lot of the level criteria for COP was developed with her in mind in terms of spins...the sideways to layback positions, the pancake spin...now you see so many skaters doing these to get the high levels.
@GlitteringGirl65 Actually, I think Dick Button was referring to spins as being more difficult to do well than jumps. Isn't it odd that most of these remarkable spinners come from Switzerland? Bielmann,Krieg,Ruh & Lambiel spring to mind.
The commentator mentions that jumps are harder to do than spins, explaining her low technical scores. I disagree. Skaters who can do triple jumps are a dime a dozen. But name a skater who can SPIN like that!! If she were skating under the new system, they would have to award level 5 for them! (with plus 3 GOE). Honestly, I could just STRANGLE those judges who gave her 4.7 for technical!!!
Nathalie Krieg = early 90s Lucinda Ruh - middle to late 90's Stephane Lambiel - 00s But let's not forget Denise Bielmann - yet another Swiss phenomenal spinner
I agree with you. Since skaters are trying to rack up the points, they throw in as many different positions as possible, regardless of whether its well-executed or not. It seems like everyone does the same spins these days (catch foot, pancake, inside edge, etc...) They all look the same. I actually don't like all of the inside edge spins. I miss spinners like Ruh and Nathalie Krieg.
She was amazing. If she had kwans jumps to go with her skill she could have been a world champion. She might have done even better in today's scoring system.
This is the thing I hate about artistic sports... if you do something WAY better than anyone else, and it is technically challenging, you should be adequately rewarded. What a shame.
This is what skating is all about! This is why we love it. Yeah, triple jumps, combos & all that. But who else can skate with such grace and ease like this girl? Not many. Dick was right, she doesn't get enough credit for her spins and presentation. That kinda sucks. I miss the old 6.0 system. The new system is too arbitrary and convaluted. Blame it on Sale and Peltier, those crybaby Canadian douches at 2002 Olympics! They suck!!
@Aditi000: I totally agree. Thank God for youtube, because otherwise so many magnificent figure skating programs would be unavailable to a wider audience. I also taped so many programs but the tapes got scratched, etc. There is a cable channel for practically every sport. If there can be a golf channel (of all things) they need a figure skating channel. It will come soon I hope!!!!!
Whatever happened to her video at the 2000 world pro where she skated to Alanis Morisette's Mercy Prayer? That was my favourite video of her of all time because it showcased her spinning ability? Anybody know? Message me back please!!! I want the video
It's too bad she skated under the old system that didn't reward her enough for her artistry. You just know she would clean up under this new system. Still, even knowing she got the shaft, I love to watch her performances.
What a smile. I hope she's as happy today as she was then. Of course if I could spin like that I'd smile too... Lovely girl. Lovely performance. Sure there was a fall, but she finished extremely well. 3:40 to the finish is...
Yeah I totally agree. As a matter of fact, even with the falls, I still thought Sasha was the best of the night. Its not about triple triple combos. Its about the WHOLE package and Miss Ruh is that. I remember being mesmerized by her when I first saw her. shes in my top 5 of all times for sure
I don't think the new system gives enough credit for well-executed spins. A lot of skaters try to just hit features and they probably get more credit by comparison, because the judges don't like to dock points for poor centering and/or speed.
![[HD] Chen Lu - Butterfly Lovers - 1998 Nagano Olympics - FS](/img/n.gif)
In today's scoring system, that last spin should be the highest awarded element of all time. It should score moremthan a quad lutz.
This !!!
Nobody spins like Lucinda; fast, centered, breathtaking positions that always remain elegant
She's definitely one the most appealing skaters I've ever seen. She's always a joy to watch.
I would give 10 points for some of those spin combinations. She ws doing things others still can't do.
I don't think I've ever seen a scratch spin done so brilliantly. The centering on that is sick!
Lucinda was doing COP spins before there was a COP! She was so freaking awesome! that was the best back scratch spin i've ever seen!!
"Good for you, Lucinda Ruh!" Right on with your commentary, "Uncle" Dickie. Thank you for showing your great respect for magnificently done spins!
I'm mesmerized with her spins! The best spinner EVER!!!
Everyone who truly knows skating reveres this name.
She may not be the greatest jumper (though, she did do four triples here). But, it is more than just her spins -- which you could discuss for days. But, it is truly her "presentation". Dick Button was accurate at the beginning -- she always projects *up*. Not "out", not "down". Program after program, she was reaching to the furthest seats in the arena. She is not a novelty. She knows how to construct a full program.
sbe79 Well said!! She was always a skater who put a smile on my face! It never matter to me what jumps she completed! Just so lovely and a joy to watch! I wish we could have more skaters like this, especially today...
Skating has had a lot of "great spinners". Skating has had a lot of fine "artistic skaters", but none of them combined the two to really get to the level of Lucinda Ruh in 1999. From a presentation standpoint, I think she was on par with the podium and I would not have been uncomfortable as a judge awarding her a 5.8 here -- even with the fall, even early in the competition. You just don't see this kind of skating. It very much reminded me of a Chen Lu with exceptional spinning and a lot more speed.
kamwrites agreed!!!
I knew her but meh sorry. Great spins that's it. I watched every show in the 90s. I got the Eaton's skating show. Don't like her
Those spins (especially that stunning last one) are still unmatched...
I respect her so much. She is 5'9, it is in fact very difficult for tall skaters to jump because their centers of gravity are much higher. A high center of gravity is hard to jump with, that is why jumps w/ arms over the head are given higher scores.
This girl never won a medal at Europeans, Worlds, or Olympics. Yet I believe in popularity she comes second only to Kwan. There must be reason for it!!!! Perhaps she's the only skater that no matter how bad things went for her in a program, always ended the programs with the crowd on their feet. That's a skater!!!
That last spin was simply out of this world. WOW! Lucinda is just magical.
The judges never rewarded her enough for her spins, and I am sad to say that the new scoring system would probably have scored her even lower.
But isn't Lucinda what figure skating is all about? She is like a fairy out there on the ice...like I said - just magical...
Everytime I watch this program, it brings a smile to my face. You really forget about the jumps, although most of them in this program weren't bad (she nailed a triple loop and double Axel from difficult entries). The rest of the program is wonderfully sold, as you say. I'd say it's beauty on ice personified.
she's breathtaking! read her biography Frozen Teardrop - which she wrote AND proofread herself - to find out what she had to go through to reach this perfection. you will have a whole new appreciation for the sport and her talent
3:56-3:59 you hear her blade hit the ice and make what sounds like a glide on a cymbal...a perfect musical addition in perfect timing with the music as she goes into that last spin. She's my favorite skater to watch, and I could watch skating like this all day with no jumps whatsoever! (Glad she finally got that triple sal in at the end though)
Unbelievable final spin!
Tears .... just tears. Can’t muster up anything else to say. 😭😭😭 Just overwhelmed with joy.
Every time I watch Lucinda spin I stop breathing. Just mind blowing spinning that no one can match. She is the best spinner ever in the world of Ice Skating. Her center bores holes in the ice! Such grace and ability. I can't get enough of her...
What theWOW!!! Just stunning!
Her spins are beyond compare, and not only that, look how fast she skates! it's like watching her performance with fastfoward button pressed...
I absolutely agree with Level 6 for her spins lol ;D
it's pretty cool to see a figure skater fall down in the middle of her run and still think that was a phenomenal performance
WOW. This has totally changed my perspective on the harp concerto because her figure skating is sooooo amazing!!!
I love this video so much! Thanks a lot for posting!
Her spins are amazing!!!! I wish I could spin like that. She is amazing, and she's got the best spins in the world!!!!!
God she is incredible...the only skater that makes me cry tears of joy when I watch her!!
I think level 4 and +3 GOE is too low for spins like theese. I'd give her the same mark as quad jump costs for each spin.
You can say what you want about her jumps, but I haven't watched this since 1999 and I remembered the performance so well - better than any of the top skaters' performances. The only thing some of them are good at is jumping, they have no artistry. That's not entertaing to me. I'd rather watch her skate any day.
that last spin was just insane
she was always one of my favorite skaters
absolutely breathtaking
Nevermind, I saw the fall, but still, she's so brilliant.
I could watch her spin all day.
Wow!!! I've seen so many performances in skating but this one really is one of the best of all time! Her carriage across the ice, presentation, jumps and spins are superior!! The judging and scoring are close-minded and careless. Did the judges even watch this performance??? This clearly shows that skating is so much more than just random triple jumps forced to fit boring non-musical programs - like the ones that permeate the sport today.
One of the greatest things I've ever seen in figure skating I'll never forget it!
All spins Level10 GOE+20
She's perfection, amazing performance x
This brought me to tears
Lucinda's spins should be Level 6 lol. Level 4 doesn't do them justice. She's just in a league of her own with those spins.
She has the most beautiful smile.
With today's scoring, she would have gotten +5 GOE on her spins.
I’ve always enjoyed this performance!
Unreal talent
her artistic scores should have been 5.8s and 5.9s...beautiful skater
+mjj i Even the technical score should have been higher, maybe around 5.1-5.2.
dear lord, i get dizzy from watching her spin lol
love her flow over the ice and the ease she performs with
I think a lot of the level criteria for COP was developed with her in mind in terms of spins...the sideways to layback positions, the pancake spin...now you see so many skaters doing these to get the high levels.
my favorite skater of all time, due to her mesmerizing spins. she deserves gold just for her spins!
Greatest spinner ever. Dick should know-he competed with the best of his day in 1948-1952 and has seen them all ever since. :)
She can fall even on all her jumps but still she will be amazing! I was waiting her making a hole in the ice on her last spin :)
missed this one...so many jumps for her! [at end] i've never seen anyone spin that SPEED and i've been fan of figure skating since 90s! WOW
Lucinda you are simply devine, all the best from tunisian fan!
@GlitteringGirl65 Actually, I think Dick Button was referring to spins as being more difficult to do well than jumps. Isn't it odd that most of these remarkable spinners come from Switzerland? Bielmann,Krieg,Ruh & Lambiel spring to mind.
She is amazing on the ice.
i had a lesson from her in 2004 when i was 12. she taught me my bielmann
Beautiful spins.
The commentator mentions that jumps are harder to do than spins, explaining her low technical scores. I disagree. Skaters who can do triple jumps are a dime a dozen. But name a skater who can SPIN like that!! If she were skating under the new system, they would have to award level 5 for them! (with plus 3 GOE). Honestly, I could just STRANGLE those judges who gave her 4.7 for technical!!!
actually, Dick says the opposite - that spins like this are more difficult than jumps
Nathalie Krieg = early 90s
Lucinda Ruh - middle to late 90's
Stephane Lambiel - 00s
But let's not forget Denise Bielmann - yet another Swiss phenomenal spinner
bellissime trottole brava Lucinda
Brilliant!!! Such a joy to watch, she is beautiful.....absolutely AWESOME!!!
She's magnificent. God gives such beautiful gifts to us.
A few words to say...
OH MY FREAKING GOD!!!!! Can anyone spin as good & fast as her? There really must be something in the Swiss Air......
fantastica
I wonder how much that last spin would score in todays scoring system.
bravissima nessuno come lei nelle trottole
she's brilliant!
I agree with you. Since skaters are trying to rack up the points, they throw in as many different positions as possible, regardless of whether its well-executed or not. It seems like everyone does the same spins these days (catch foot, pancake, inside edge, etc...) They all look the same. I actually don't like all of the inside edge spins. I miss spinners like Ruh and Nathalie Krieg.
WOW! SPINSZZZZ! WOW! My Inspiration!
Wow!!!
The Swiss have many fantastic spinners, as you have mentioned, but don't forget about Todd Eldredge & Scott Davis - great spinners too!
Lucinda was doing COP spins before there was a COP! She was so freaking awesome!
UNREAL!
She was amazing. If she had kwans jumps to go with her skill she could have been a world champion. She might have done even better in today's scoring system.
Michelle Kwan was great. But there was nobody greater than Denise Biellmann!
Lucinda Ruh however is the queen of spins! :D
I could be happy watching Lucinda all day, even if she didn't jump once!
Good for you, lucinda ruh
This is the thing I hate about artistic sports... if you do something WAY better than anyone else, and it is technically challenging, you should be adequately rewarded. What a shame.
Does she still the Guiness record holder for the fastest spinner?
Yes, she does.
This is what skating is all about! This is why we love it. Yeah, triple jumps, combos & all that. But who else can skate with such grace and ease like this girl? Not many. Dick was right, she doesn't get enough credit for her spins and presentation. That kinda sucks. I miss the old 6.0 system. The new system is too arbitrary and convaluted. Blame it on Sale and Peltier, those crybaby Canadian douches at 2002 Olympics! They suck!!
@Aditi000: I totally agree. Thank God for youtube, because otherwise so many magnificent figure skating programs would be unavailable to a wider audience. I also taped so many programs but the tapes got scratched, etc. There is a cable channel for practically every sport. If there can be a golf channel (of all things) they need a figure skating channel. It will come soon I hope!!!!!
Lucinda may have not been strong technically but her PHENOMENAL jumps were UNSURPASSED! She and Ronnie Robertson are the two best spinners ever,,,
Whatever happened to her video at the 2000 world pro where she skated to Alanis Morisette's Mercy Prayer? That was my favourite video of her of all time because it showcased her spinning ability? Anybody know? Message me back please!!! I want the video
It's too bad she skated under the old system that didn't reward her enough for her artistry. You just know she would clean up under this new system. Still, even knowing she got the shaft, I love to watch her performances.
What a smile. I hope she's as happy today as she was then. Of course if I could spin like that I'd smile too...
Lovely girl. Lovely performance. Sure there was a fall, but she finished extremely well. 3:40 to the finish is...
my god...shes graceful...how tall IS she?!
Yeah I totally agree. As a matter of fact, even with the falls, I still thought Sasha was the best of the night. Its not about triple triple combos. Its about the WHOLE package and Miss Ruh is that. I remember being mesmerized by her when I first saw her. shes in my top 5 of all times for sure
How many languages does she speak?
Her spinning is fantastic!
From the look of this program, Lucinda influenced Yuna Kim.
Die Kür ihres Lebens! WOW !!!!
It is a variation on the flying camel spin.
Midori ito of spinning.
If I were doing helicopter spins like that I would have fallen right after from too much dizziness LOL
This is what skating should really be about.
How tall is she?
How the Hell did she get 13th ?!
I don't think the new system gives enough credit for well-executed spins. A lot of skaters try to just hit features and they probably get more credit by comparison, because the judges don't like to dock points for poor centering and/or speed.
Can you please repost this without the un-marvelous commentary? The Gliere` and the skater and tghe ballet are QUITE nice as they are!!!
2:30 that was on purpose guys look how she got up >:O
So artistic!
Love the music and the choreography - but could do w/o the unnecessary commentary
Yep, also known as windmill spins.
And the tragic irony is the thing that made her famous or should I say infamous, her spins, affected her brain and now she can no longer spins.
I span like her in my living room and my cats ended up stuck on my wall.
same as the dancer on a music box
Too good; it's as if that last scratch spin was machine-assisted.