I am on a contained, but thorough, youtube spiral wrt the Olympics (ie, endlessly clicking Related Videos BUT not going on wikipedia to branch out into other winter Olympics sports-->curling-->curly fries-->fast food commercials, etc). I am so so enamored of the pairs figure skating team who just won the gold medal, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo of China:
They have been partners (and they are SUCH partners ~on the ice~, it is so wonderful to watch!!!! I LOVE THEM) for eighteen years and they got married just a few years ago. He went down on one knee to propose to her on the ice after one of their performances, but she misinterpreted the gesture and kneeled with him ~in solidarity. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They came out of retirement for the Olympics because it was like the only medal in the universe they hadn't won yet. NOW THAT THEY HAVE WON IT THEY ARE RETIRING FOR GOOD AND FOCUSING ON THEIR FAMBLY. <3___<3
I LOVE THEM. THEY FIST-BUMP BEFORE THEY START SKATING. SHE SMILES SO BIG EVERY TIME THEY DO A BIG ELEMENT. THEY BOTH JUMPED OVER THE BARRICADE TO HUG THEIR COACH. THEY WERE SO HAPPY WHEN THEY WON. THEY ARE SO BEAUTIFUL AND WARM TOGETHER. THEY ARE SO IN LOVE. I LOVE THEM I LOVE THEM I LOOOOOVE THEMMMMMMMMMM
The performances from the Olympics aren't up on youtube yet but
this was their short program (Who Wants to Live Forever) for the 2009 - 2010 season and
this was their long one (Adagio in G minor).
2002 Olympics short program (Kismet)2003 Worlds long program (Turandot) <-- I LOVE this one
I have very little interest in men's figure skating. Women's figure skating hasn't started yet. I'm hella looking forward to it!
I'm in awe of Kim Yu-na! She is like the best in the universe right now. I don't know anything about figure skating, though apparently she is freaking textbook perfect, but just visually...!! The lines of her are amazingly pretty and it's all so easy and expressive. It's a thrill just to watch her go across the rink. Her skating is just so so pretty. (Note: I'm always surprised at how people choose to romanize Korean, because I saw her name in Korean and it's actually pronounced 'Yun-ah', not 'Yoo-nah'. But I didn't even know who she was until this Olympics, that's how bad of a Korean I am. They're going to revoke my card.)
2009 Worlds long program (Scheherazade)2009 Skate America (James Bond medley) <-- It's a bit posey for my ~taste, but lol, it's a Bond medley and it's cute and she looks gr8 and I love how it follows the music, especially when it kicks into the main theme near the end.
2007 Worlds short program (El Tango de Roxanne)2007 Worlds long program (The Lark Ascending) <-- She falls twice in this one near the end but everything up to that is so so so pretty. It's effortless to watch her. The music, the lines...!! also, my inner five-year-old is flipping out over her dress.
Of course Korea has been milking her for all she's worth so right now she's a giant cross-market commodity and, I think, the country's biggest celebrity. She's under craaaazy amounts of pressure. I want her to have a lion-shark-bulldog character who'll tell the Korean celebrity machine to back the fuck off (I have no doubt that the homeland pressure is the absolute worst). I hope she'll be alright. :<
I also like Mirai Nagasu. She is smooth yet lively! (Sounds like I'm describing wine.) And hella adorable, omg.
2010 US National Championships long program (Carmen)yawww this was for my own reference more than anything else. I DON'T KNOW SQUAT ABOUT THIS SPORT (I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO ROLLER SKATE YO), I JUST LIKE PRETTY STUFF.
