Wow Dorothy said that? That is shocking.

Well for one thing since Biellmann had a much more technically difficult and superior program planned.

The scoring is so technical now thank goodness. Before it seemed like the scoring depended on which country the judges were from. It was so hit and miss.

+christian margeric So true. Fratianne and Poetzch were both hideously boring and dull skaters. They can both thank figures otherwise both would regularly be losing to more exciting and interesting and overall talented skaters like Biellmann, Marie Allen, Watanabe.

Biellmann finished 11th in the compulsory figures, and that immediately took her out of the competition. Remember, those figures were ultra important back then. Even if she’d won both the short and free, a medal was doubtful. Fratienne was robbed due to vote trading - she did not deserve to be so far behind Potzsch in the compulsory figures and it was nearly impossible for her to make up the distance, even though she beat Potzsch in both the short program and free. Damn those compulsory figures and vote trading! Vote trading was finally exposed in 2002, but it still occurred in this year’s ice dancing competition. Something must be done to stop this travesty.

Poetzsch was ALWAYS ahead of Fratianne after figures by this type of margin though and this is the only time anyone ever complained. To me it seems like there is very little evidence of corruption in the figures and that is just what Linda and Frank want to think unless Linda skated much better figures than normal or Anette worse than usual. Also dont forget Linda only won worlds the year before since Poetzsch blew the short and long programs, which was needed as Anette just like here and just like always was ahead by a considerate to moderate margin after figures.

And it is funny even though the figures were never televised you act like you know Fratianne was robbed to be 3rd in figures, but there is no way that Biellmann being 12th (she was 12th, not 11th) in figures wasnt political in some way, LOL! So biased you are. After all Biellmann is the one from a federation with no power, not Fratianne who comes from a very powerful country and federation. Isnt it just as possible if there was corruption all the top countries got together to make sure Biellmann was so far down in figures she couldnt win any color medal since everyone was scared of her free skating.

Anett did not skate clean and had awful edges

I don't know why Linda didn't throw in an extra triple in combination in her program, but that's what they did back then. Or at least another double axel Linda used to do three double axels in her program

It was Dorothy Hamill who made the 'wedge' haircut famous - not Linda.

Denise Biellman's LP was the class of the field at Lake Placid, and she deservedly placed first in that portion of the competition.

@tony braxter The German speaking judges ( five of them) were seen fraternizing and discussing the competitors together. Remember the politics of holding up LURZ also cost Linda the gold medal. Lurz was even given silver in Dortmund when she had no business even being on the podium

Interesting information. Especially considering that only 4 judges spoke german.

I am aware of that considering Hoffman was the silver medal winner in 1980. . . My point was that both judges with East German ties (Hoffman competed for East Germany) were incorrect in their scoring for the respective American skaters (Fratianne and Kerrigan) in both competitions.

I love old school ice skating

All Linda and her mother did afterward was cry foul - I don't like ungracious losers and crybabies.

Frank had an even stronger relationship with Linda than Michelle. Linda is his all time favorite skater, with Michelle, Evan, or whoever a super distant 2nd, even though those and a few others he had very close personal and professional bonds with too. He admits Linda was like a daughter to him, his exact words. So just because he was able to be objective and reasoned when it came to Michelle's loss and most of his students, does not mean he was going to be when it came to Linda. If the result were really so wrong or horrible, there would be other people complaining about it besides Frank, when really it was mostly only Frank. Sonia Bianchetti who is one of the most respected people in the sport then and still today and who constantly rips of judging controversies in the sport today and has called out Cinquanta and numerous corruptions in the sport, even said the result was absolutely right. It really isnt hard to figure out, Anette won due to her figures lead, figures were a big part of the scoring (otherwise Denise Biellmann would be your Olympic Champion that year, not Linda or Anette), she was ALWAYS much better at figures than Linda and unless Anette bombed Linda was not so much better in free skating to make up the gap. People forget the two times Linda beat Anette were 77 and 79 worlds where Anette either blow the short or long (both at the 79 worlds), every other time Anette came out on top if she stood up and skated even reaonably well in the free skating, due to her figures superiority. Anette bombed the 79 worlds which was the only reason Linda was able to win with Anette's figures lead, she didnt bomb here and skated well in the free skating which with her figures edge she was always guaranteed to win over Linda in that case. Nothing confusing to those with a brain or no personal agenda.

And if Linda is so pathetic she let the silver medal impact her that much for decades, that just means she is kind of a loser in life and needs a shrink, nothing else. No sympathy for self pitying losers who act like losing an Olympic Gold is some tragedy, Rosalynn Sumners is another who would to some degree fall into that pathetic category but atleast she pushed through her bitterness to have a nice and long pro career, when there are people who have lost limbs, loved ones, struggle to survive and have actual real problems the likes which Fratianee could only dream of.

Yes she was the best with her triple lutz and big triple toes and sals, by far the best spins and also beautiful skating and personality she had it all, silver medal was good for Linda.

Don't forget she finished 12th in the compulsory figures.

@@stevebbuk --Given, but they don't even include compulsory figures these days in Olympic figure skating to this day! Do you admit that Biellmann was the better free skater back in 1980?

@@atiboyful It's hypothetical because in 1980 the competition consisted of three components. She was better technically yes but what about the other spins which she omitted and which the commentator alluded to?

@@atiboyful At the Olympics, yes. One month later at worlds, Linda in the free skated rings around Denise who fell on her lutz and doubled all of her other triples.

Fratianne came 3rd in figures like she always was. She was behind Poetzsch by the same margin she always was in figures, more or less. The only times she won over Poetzsch was when Poetzsch blew one or both the short or long anyway, since Poetzsch was always much better than Fratianne in figures, and Fratianne wasnt better by that much of a margin in free skating to make up for it if Poetzsch skated well. She only won 79 worlds since Poetzsch messed up both the short and long, something Fratianne fans, Frank, and Linda herself conveniently forget/ignore.

Denise Biellmann would have won the 80 Olympics without figures. Probably easily. She beat Fratianne in the long program even with being 12th in figures and 8th enterining the long program overall. I mention this since back then your placings in figures affected how judges scored you in free skating too, even Janet Lynn did not start winning any long programs in world competitions until she finally began placing top 4 in figures in 71. And she was a close 2nd to Fratianne in the short program skating in the 2nd last flight long before all the other big guns her 12th place in figures. So you are not correct on your first point.