Added: Nov 18, 2008
From: griffinm7
Duration: 5:52
Torvill & Dean's 1994 Winter Olympic Free Programme. This was a reworked Free Dance which they changed after only just winning the European Championships. This reworked version included more 'trick' elements in hopes of achieving a higher technical mark. Sadly, though they skated perfectly, they only won the Bronze medal. Commentators have since argued that the 'overhead' lift at the end of the programme cost them the Silver or Gold. The real truth is, most of the judges down-marked them, only to award the two Russian couples higher marks. Controversial maybe, but let's not forget the judging controversy that tarnished the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics in the Pairs competition. It only went to prove that judging irregularities have been happening for years.
Channel: Sports
Tags: 1994 dance dean face figure free lillehammer music olympics programme skating the torvill winter
Rating: 4.93 (294 ratings) Views: 120660' favoriteCount='765 Comments: 25
arakhachatran Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - even after the fall of USSR all the Olympics were won by them (remember Anissina is also from USSR school of dancing)
LPCLASSICAL Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - I think it was a warning to T&D when, at the euro championships, their FD scored poorly. Why? It was a brilliant routine - in a totally different league from anything except T&D's other routines. So why the poor scores for a great routine executed with passion and spirit. And why such an ordinary routine was preferred in an Olympic final? There can only be one answer - corruption. The judges were determined not to allow the victory. That is clear.
arakhachatran Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - TandD won the European championship indeed. And probably they relaxed, they thought that the provided their victory at the Olympics a prior. I agree that they were brilliant at the European and their CD historire de l'amour was magnificient. But do not forget, there are other criteria that ISU pays attention. The Soviets won almost all the championships due to the high speed and great choreography. Even Bolshoi ballet specialists work with them.
arakhachatran Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - I woudnt think that corruption plays a role here. The stronger and more powerful USSR coudnt promote its singel skaters for a long time. Besides Kovalev or VOlkov who won once or twice
LPCLASSICAL Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - In fact they did not win the free dance at the euro 94 - they did not relax - were worried in fact because they lost the free dance. The mark 2 free dance was much improved but the judges still scored 5.6/5.7 in the olympics for the free dance. I agree that Russian skaters have been the best more or less in the last 30 years - EXCEPT when UK has produced a champion - Currie, Cousins and T&D were all special - and T&D's routines and execution 1980-84 will never be matched by a long way.
arakhachatran Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - continuedUSSR never had champions in single skating. Vodorezova's bronze that we obtained decades ago was considered a triumph. So why didnt USSR use its strength or corrupt connections to have more champions? Now look at weak Russia. When i was a child none of us would even dream that one day Slutskaya or Yagudin or Plyushchenko would win everything. And in terms of corruption dont u think that Slutskaya deserved that gold medal in Salt lake more than Sarah Hughes?
arakhachatran Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - the=they a prio= a priori
iiscream4icecream Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - How unfair is it that they won Bronze? It was rigged, I am sure of it. If any other pro's had returned, from any country, any division, I think the same would have happened. The judges had placed them fourth already, so I think it was stunning how they won Bronze, when most of the judges were against them. They are still the best that the world has ever seen, and 1994 did not change that.
DANCINGxAGNES Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - They were the best in 1984, the best in 1994 and the best ever. They dont need gold medals to show that. Everyone knows that they were the best the world has ever seen and probably will ever see.
serenakicksass Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Anissina/Peizerat did deserve the 2002 Olympic gold though. In fact Russia did deserve to win all the Olympic golds in ice dancing since 1984 except possibly this one. Can you tell me any other ones they have won since then that you would have had something else win (excluding this one perhaps of course).
serenakicksass Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Also except the womens event where U.S and Asians and Germans are always the best in that span of time, with the brief exception of Slutskaya at her peak.
serenakicksass Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Sorry but Grischuk/Platov are overrated and always were. I rarely even thought they were the best Russian team. Klimova/Ponomarenko were much better, Usova/Zhulin I still felt were better then Grischuk/Platov even in 94 when the judges started putting Grischuk/ Platov over them (which I didnt agree with), and Krylova/Ovsiannikov in 97-98 were better then them even though judges did not agree with that. Torvil/Dean by far and many of the other Russian teams even I prefer to Grischuk/Platov.
serenakicksass Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Also Bolshoi ballet specialist work may show with some of the other top Soviet dance teams, but not with Grishuk/Platov. There is nothing Bolshoi-like about them. They are sloppy and very unrefined. Their biggest strength is their incredible speed over the ice, Pasha's very exubert personality on ice, and their very complex looking although not as intricate as it looks footwork. Bolshoi looking does not relate to them at all. Torvil/Dean are in fact much more polished then Grishuk/ Platov.
JPPT1974 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Still in their thirties at the time, they showed that age is just that...a number. Wished that they would had own a gold IMHO!
delayedricochet Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - They were the real no-brainer winners, but they didn't win because the results were done. Russians were going to win because what the IOC did then (92,94,98,02)was give the previous World's to another country, but then they have to have a Russian or former soviet win gold at Olympics. In all disciplines.
SimonDolan Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - They may not have won officially - but the footage proves otherwise.
nicaisleain Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - They were robbed and I was devastated for them at the time. There wasn't another pair of Ice dancers on the planet at the time who could have touched them!
ElizabethR1558 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - The crowd's reaction said they'd won, the commentators thought they'd won, so did the nation.Pity they were robbed.
ravingeddie Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - what the hell could beat that
grafgirl27 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - While I actually agree that they should have won gold, I also feel that way I still find what you are saying a bit strange. The commentators and nation of Britian are going to be biased so how is that a good barometer to whether they are going to win or not. Atleast the crowd is a better example since it isnt a british crowd.
grafgirl27 Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - What you are saying makes no sense. 94 pairs and 98 mens are the only times from 92-2002 russians won Olympic gold when a russian had not won the previous worlds, and that was with a reinstated team coming back and winning pairs, and Kulik the headcase getting his head together finally to win Olympics.
russianskatingfan Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - They should have won gold. I love Usova/Zhulin but their 94 free dance was a total stinker, and Grischuk/Platov were so sloppy in their skate. This was definitely best of the competition. Funnily enough i thought Moniotte/Lavanchy had the second best of the night and they lost 4th place to the Finnish team with a FALL. Since I am Russian I cheer for the Russian skaters but I still like to see fair judging. I dont think this night had that.
nleytman Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - Their level of skating is so much higher than the others that the medals do not matter.
nleytman Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - I am Russian too and I agree with you. They should have won gold - not silver.
arakhachatran Says:
Nov 18, 2008 - As a Russian fan I felt the same in 1994, the next day i couldnt even work coz I was so upset when they lost. But today, when I understand more in FS, and when I went thru the videos so many times, I can say that Oksana and Evgenyi were s little better. The speedwise, the techniquewise they were just better. Thats we have to accept. But I do not think that Torville and Dean were worse than Usova Zhulin. So they deserved silver.