Even now, it so beautiful. Sarah was the best skater that night.❤❤❤❤❤

Sarah's risk to do two tripple-tripple combinations fully paid off! The performance is as beautiful as difficult! A magnificent, solid and impressive performance! ❤💝🧡

The smile on her face at 0:43 to 0:46. This is the reason she won. She was relaxed and where she wanted to be. No pressure. She said afterwards she was not thinking about a medal. She was thinking about her performance. And gave the performance of a lifetime. It was not about winning and losing to her. It was about doing her best. Still wonderful to watch.

I remember watching this live. Everyone knew they had just witnessed something very special.

I keep coming back to this one. The precision, her surprise/joy at the precision, the build up with the crowd absolutely roaring at the end... she had to win. Some moments are just magical!

And one of the best laybacks of all time. Turned out hip, free foot parallel to the ice, amazing back position. That is how it is done.

What an incredible performance 😊

if you are going to use all your luck in one night, let it be on the night of the free skate of the Olympics... God Bless Her....

It's been 20 years, and her beautiful performance still brings tears to my eyes!😀

I just saw this now for the first time in 2020 and I 'm having tears of happiness for this girl I don't even know, that's how much the pureness and authenticity of her performance has touched me.

This is when the Olympics were just pure beauty! Great memories!

Not a dry eye in the house that night! Love, love, love an underdog! Phenomenal

never ever gets old. she's a lawyer, studying for her MBA at Stanford

Triple loop combos are underrated in skating it's absurd they are given the same value as triple toe combos when they are far more difficult. And Sarah had two of them her flawlessly

This is my favorite Olympic story. She was just 16 and skated the cleanest program ever. Reminded me so much of Peggy Flemming elegance . Beautiful all these yrs later.

I feel like her score in the short program set something free in Sarah - based on the scoring at the time, she didn't feel she could possibly win, so the pressure was off. She just wanted to do the best she could do *for her.* So she skated her heart out, put all of her love for skating into the performance. Plus, she seems to have fed off of the energy from the audience. The better she did, the more they gave her in response. The cleanest possible jumps (including a triple-triple!) and some amazing spins. And that combined energy NAILED IT. I come from a theatre background. I hate auditions, because I'm competing. When I'm performing, I love when an audience gives me energy, and I try to better my own performance.

One of my favorite Olympic memories. I remember watching this at 15 and being mesmerized. Sarah embodied the Olympic spirit to a tee. It was all about the skate and not the medal color. Her reaction along with her coach in the warm-up/dressing room was priceless. What an awesome moment. Hard to believe this was 20 years ago!

I remember this live on tv. I was trying to get home but was stuck in a cab. My husband was watching and gushing over Sarah’s performance and I told him from the cab “tape it so I can see it!”

Twenty years later and I'm still so happy for her!!!! I remember this night so well.

I play this video from time to time whenever I need a feel good moment. It hasn't failed yet to make me feel good and let out a much needed cry. Mostly what I love is her enthusiasm, even during the routine, and her pure joy after.

Nobody expected her to win. She just went out there and put on a great show.

My favorite Olympic moment. I rewatch it all the time. I was only 11 at the time but I knew that I had just witnessed something magical happen.

Her squeal of delight at landing the triple toe loop was wonderful. I loved the excitement in Scott Hamilton’s voice when she landed her first set of triples is the voice you’re hearing when you’ve landed something you’ve been struggling with.

She just seems so polished and graceful.. This was just great skating. And she won it fair and square.. SHE DELIVERED. Sadly.. the others had not. SHE WON. THIS IS CLEAN skating

Just an incredible, amazing performance by a young 16-year-old! Under the pressure (hardly any, after her 4th place finish in the short program), she mesmerized everybody who saw this outstanding performance. She just skated as calmly as if she were practicing on her home rink. Love that terrific spin finish! Nobody expected anything like this, with 7 triple jumps (5 in combination; that were more difficult than those from Irina Slutskaya (silver) or Michelle Kwan (bronze) in the free skate from her, or her vault from #4 to #1 by the judges. But she got lucky in that Kwan fell on a triple jump, pushing herself down to 3rd for the bronze. The sheer joy on Sarah's face after stopping (at 5:17), is one of the greatest smiles in an Olympics performance I've ever seen! Her scream of excitement (at 7:16) after seeing the judges scores I've also remembered! It's 20 years later, and now she is 36, with a law degree (May 2018) from the University of Pennsylvania. A smart and lovely woman. If she skated to that program 100 times, she would never have done it any better than she did on Feb. 21, 2002! The greatest artistic performance in a figure skating event I've ever seen or probably will see again, and to win the gold after 4th place in the short program may never be done again! figureskatersonline.com/news/2010/02/07/olympic-moments-to-remember-sarah-hughes-in-2002

I still cry watching this. Amazing performance.

Still to this day one of the best Olympics performances

Her coaching making sure she took a moment before getting off the ice to take in what she just did at the Olympics! Bravo that’s a true testament to their relationship

Now that's in the zone!!! One of the best athletic performances I've ever seen every one of those jumps we're near perfection, and what a time to do it congrats Long Island Girl😀😀😀👍

I'm not sure why this was so memorable. Something about her graceful confidence that just said "This is my night". ❤️

Bravo to Sarah and her team 👏❤️. In the history of upsets, this one is up there for sure! From a homemade ice rink to olympic gold. Love her story.

Absolutely superb!!! I was watching this live on TV and jumped up screaming and clapping from my couch. Sarah brought that whole arena to its feet, and rightly so.

I also smiled at the end of her program! Wow! ❤️💚💙

I remember this night..spectacular!

A classic lay back spin ! Too bad its not done anymore. The "Code of Points" has ruined the beauty of skating.....

This is when the Olympics was about presentation, great choreography, music. I am disappointed in today's pair/dance. 2002 and 1998 were Olympics were people performed, told a story and had stunning performances.

I love her squeal at 4:50 when she realizes she is through the obstacles and home free

that 3s-3lo was super impressive.

just lovely.. her joy is so palpable… a moment she’ll never forget for as long as she lives!!! “flow” at its finest… that’s what the olympics is all about

This is one of my all time favorite videos. I watched it live in 2002. The emotion of that moment remains with me to this day. I find great inspiration in the accomplishment of Sarah Hughes. Her reaction to learning she has won while in the locker room under the stands is worth seeking out. Tears every time.

This performance always makes me smile.

I think one of the reasons why she did so well was that she was so damn relaxed.

Sarah Hughes didn't fall, didn't stumble, and looked brilliant on the ice. Anybody who saw something different is delusional. The other skaters looked like amateurs.

Как сейчас помню, в 8 лет тогда смотрела эту Олимпиаду и так ужасно была расстроена из за Слуцкой, и что опять засудили и всё-такое, и как трудно приходится на этой Олимпиаде России. Сейчас спустя 20 лет посмотрела оба выступления (наткнулась случайно на интервью Слуцкой), и объективно- американка откатала без ошибок и на льду она летает, а Слуцкая тяжеловато выглядит и ошибки сделала. Поэтому победа абсолютно заслуженная считаю

Wow!!!!! This brought back memories!!! What a smile on MY FACE!!!!

This performance, after nearly 20 years, gives me goosebumps!

I like the way she talks to her friends like no biggie!!Love this 🥇⛸️

The music is so beautiful too!

Как давно и недаано это было. Трибуны заполнены до верху, яблоку упасть негде. Ни пандемий, ни масок, прелесть и красота!

Just watched this after many years and compared to the Beijing performances, especially the Russian ones, this one brought me such joy.

I'm glad I'm here just for the artistry and sheer joy of this performance. I remember watching it live at the time and (thankfully) I know nothing about technique, so relate to it a purely emotional level. Here is someone having the best day of their life and I am here for it, 20 years later.

Pure art, gorgeous!

I watched her combination jumps in a very slow-mo, and those were not under-rotated in my eyes.

Incredible. She got the day she deserved. Wonderful to behold💜

"TAKE THIS IN!" Robin said to her. I absolutely LOVED IT!!

Chills. Incredible performance!! The music so effervescent, the dress simple but sparkly. It was all about the skating. Amazing to witness. I absolutely love her layback, it’s SOOOO pretty and her arms so fluid and graceful. Isn’t that what it is all about?

I was a kid in 2002 and couldn't realize the beauty of this performance. But watching it now like holy craaaaaaaap girl

I remember watching this live. I always enjoyed Sarah Hughes. I was thrilled for her. She totally deserved the win!

Sarah Hughes is what I imagine Brianna of Outlander to be like (sorry for the off-the-wall-referece). Not necessarily pretty in the usual sense but *a force of nature* - someone that you can't ignore. Even here when Sarah was only 16 and kind of a dorky teenager she has those moments of unconscious power. You can't fake that! I love her!!

SH's program is a marvel of rare technical purity and above all so much above that of all the other skaters on the artistic level. Having made this very sure musical choice of Lever Du Jour extracted from Ravel's Daphnis and Chloé is the proof of great finesse when the others skate on worn music so heard and without much interest a well deserved gold medal !!!

Spectacular! Almost make me cry 🥹🥹🥹

I just always loved the choreography to this music.

The triple toe - triple loop combo was insane! So well done

Saw her interviewed tonight on TV. Had to come watch this again. I remember watching this when it first aired. I was worried about the ice, because she was on fire that night. I mentioned I saw her on TV tonight? Still beautiful. Gracious and centered. Would love to meet her someday.

One of the 2-3 great sports moments of my lifetime, watching someone go for broke, let it loose, and deliver.

I am amazed at the snooty comments about luck. She wasn't lucky, she prepared and performed when it was time to shine, To all the negative people, where is your Olympic qualification, let alone your gold medal, Jealous and hateful, the internet is a place of no nothing experts

Had she skated later, the scores would have been higher, which they should have been.

So glad she changed the last minute of her program...It really added to the excite and intensity...I was BORING before...

She had never skated at that level and never staked at that level afterwards. A stunner!

She didn't make a mistake. She skated clean and was flawless. She skated without the pressure and, in the end, she came out on top because the others fell. Great job, Sarah, you were great!! Well deserved!!!❤

Sarah was also the best spinner in teh competition besides Slutskaya

Perhaps the best overall Olympic performance ever by a lady; so beautiful, so musical, so free, so powerful, so mesmerizing, so liberating. This was a perfect choice of music for her, and she interpreted the music perfectly with her skating using a blend of wonderful technique and glorious artistry. Simply amazing!!! No other woman skated near her level that night. Her scores should have been much higher.

An American Classic 🇺🇸 ⛸

Till this day, this is the best figure skating performance I have ever seen….

Just to let others know the last song 🎵 by ravel and her choreography is in 5/4 time. She has to count in five while skating ⛸️ not the usual 4 or 3. It makes the last triple so suspenseful and explosive when counting along. She lands exactly on the 1st beat

Sarah Hughes is planning to run for N.Y Congress. I just recently heard about it. What do you think?

the most beautiful of all the lay back spins. to be so poised so young. she went for it. amazing skate. congrats to sarah hughes.

Никогда не обесценивайте чужие достижения, если не хотите, чтобы обесценивпли ваши! А Сара - чемпионка!

I cannot stand figure skating. Just by chance I get home from work and flip TV on. I could see about half way through this was something special. No matter what sport it is, when you see something like this. Someone bringing their A game. You have to appreciate it. This is my favorite Olympic moment. Hands down. Not to discount The Miracle on Ice.

I cannot understand why people blame about her Flutz.... Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Fumie Suguri, Irina Slutskaya.... All of them jumped the lutz as the Wrong edge.

Beautiful performance. Enchanting choreography. No other way to put it

THE girl next door-------the cute girl--------at 16 y/o, goes out & just skates like nothing I have ever seen Not even the glorious Peggy Fleming had this program, that smile, & the joy of skating like she had never----------would never, ever, skate, again. Absolute beauty, on ice. It's The skate for the ages ! --------MJL< 77 y/o

Simply amazing!

She nailed it! And very underrated. Thar haircut though...

wow! When triple-triple combos were the hype. 2022 Quad combos!

It's interesting how often the underdog wins the Olympics. We want the one with the credentials, like Kwan, to win, but it's really about this particular performance that wins. Often the underdog is relaxed enough to come through

My fav Olympic performance along with 2010/2014 Yuna Kim. The only two skaters who literally look like flying on ice.

Daphnis et Chloé by Maurice Ravel. Excellent musical Choice!

Amazing her home crowd ❤😍💙💕💖♥ Sarah Hughes.

A truely special performance. Thank you Sara ❤❤❤

This was one of the most mesmerizing skating spells ever cast. Period.

This is what true champions do !!!!

Such poise

Sarah hughes like tara lilinski before her. They both had the courage to just lay it down and go for it. Michelle kwan for all her talent and artistry always played it safe.

She’s seriously good. Great extension and lines ,jumps great. Even in today’s rigorous scoring system, she would score high!

the 16 year old is now a lawyer in new york city

She was so awesome

She was magnificent!☺️

Like Velvet Brown....created an inspirational moment and realized her dream, then moved onward to the next and most important phases of life. More athletes would live happier, more fulfilling lives if they realized this.

I was in SLC and saw this. I had counted her out because the Nationals program was boring (except the incredible dress). But with the improved program and her great combos, it was obvious in person that she would win compared to the top three