Kristi Yamaguchi | Golden Skate

Kristi Yamaguchi

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
U.S. Figure skater Kristine "Kristi" Yamaguchi was born on July 12, 1971, in Hayward, California. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion and also holds the World title for 1991 and 1992. She retired from competitive skating after the 1991-92 season.

Kristi has a benefit show coming up in San Jose. She was recently honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee for humanitarian work in early childhood literacy.

Here is a video of Kristi practicing for the event with her daughter Emma. Thanks to Sylvia for posting this on FSU.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/fremont-kristi-yamaguchi-to-be-honored-for/vCtHNk/?__federated=1

Additions

Perhaps everyone has already seen this but I hadn't and I look at youtube a lot so I am posting it here. It is Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympic LP in HD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dasO0x2Ook

Olympic 1992 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplWMCsgx2Q

Kristi Yamaguchi's Nationals SP 1992 with Peggy Fleming and Dick Button announcing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWQz5ZGUUo

Also here is her LP performance at Nationals 1992 which is one my favorite performances of hers. She hits her triple salchow and the artistry, lines and musicality are entrancing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJNs1esR0_Y

Here is her 1991 Worlds SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqZm6sW7ph0

Here is a lovely performance of Fantasie Impromptu from 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJxEAm9rEq4

Trophee Lalique LP 1991 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XrmP-iIgp8

An early really entertaining and expressive program with a nice ebb and flow that builds to an exciting finish, just one technical mistake but a lot of fine jumps 1988 Skate America LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dwSN9mv4Q

Here is a wonderful early performance Nationals LP 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7gObdzCNfA

Worlds SP 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNO8UD2j08

Nationals SP 1990: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoL3JE9TscM

Worlds SP 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpUA_C0dPtc

Skate America 1990 LP definitely one of her best performances, beautiful, athletic, subtle, intricate and highly artistic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsdlcu6_Zz4

1990 Goodwill Games SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=samSAqh5nbI nice performance especially so early in the season, also interesting because Debi Thomas (I believe) is announcing. I really enjoyed her articulate and thoughtful commentary and she has a nice tone of voice.
 
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dna5019

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 5, 2014
Kristi Yamaguchi is always going to have a special place in my heart; she was why I got into figure skating in the first place. I watched her win gold when I was really young back at the '92 Olympics, and she became my biggest hero after that. I remember wanting to be just like her. :laugh:
 

FlattFan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 4, 2010
I was in a Waikiki bar this weekend and had a lovely chat with this 80yo white lady. She made a remark about the staff looking like Kristi Yamaguchi. I was floored. How on earth does she even know who Kristi Yamaguchi is? She said everyone knew Kristi and Rudy. I told her that Rudy is now coaching Kristi's daughter and she was glad to hear that because she was very upset when they broke up.
So sad that fans no longer watch the sport, and that to show Kristi will always be skating royalty.
 

gotoschool

Medalist
Joined
Mar 5, 2014
Kristi Yamaguchi is my favorite American skater ever, so I thought I would go back and watch a lot of her performances and try to pick out the ones I enjoyed a whole lot even though they are not all clean. I also wanted to share my thoughts on what I thought of her skating. I really like her combination of technical skill especially the triple lutz / triple toe combination so many years ago, her marvelous lines, extensions, spirals and spins held nicely for just the right length of time with great subtlety and intricacy through the transitions in movement which she improved rapidly within a few years, her compelling artistry with a nice mix of restraint and emotion that gave variety to her performances, her wonderfully spontaneous smile when she got excited about hitting a nice jump, her natural dancing ability with fine fluidity and wonderfully expressive arm movements. Finally, there is her charm both inside and out, and her humble and positive nature which is inspiring. I just find her skating simply beautiful to watch for a long time and it eases my mind and makes me forget the things that bother me and there are very few skaters ever that I can say that are truly able to do that. Her skating is really aesthetically pleasing and she skates with true femininity. And even all this really doesn't do Kristi justice because it doesn't even include any comments about her great competitions in pairs. I just realized I probably copied the same videos that Mathman did and I wasted time doing it all myself. Hopefully, there are a few new performances in this list.

Perhaps everyone has already seen this but I hadn't and I look at youtube a lot so I am posting it here. It is Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympic LP in HD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dasO0x2Ook

Olympic 1992 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplWMCsgx2Q

Kristi Yamaguchi's Nationals SP 1992 with Peggy Fleming and Dick Button announcing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWQz5ZGUUo

Also here is her LP performance at Nationals 1992 which is one my favorite performances of hers. She hits her triple salchow and the artistry, lines and musicality are entrancing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJNs1esR0_Y

Here is her 1991 Worlds SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqZm6sW7ph0

Here is a lovely performance of Fantasie Impromptu from 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJxEAm9rEq4

Trophee Lalique LP 1991 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XrmP-iIgp8

An early really entertaining and expressive program with a nice ebb and flow that builds to an exciting finish, just one technical mistake but a lot of fine jumps 1988 Skate America LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dwSN9mv4Q

Here is a wonderful early performance Nationals LP 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7gObdzCNfA

Worlds SP 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNO8UD2j08

Nationals SP 1990: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoL3JE9TscM

Worlds SP 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpUA_C0dPtc

Skate America 1990 LP definitely one of her best performances, beautiful, athletic, subtle, intricate and highly artistic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsdlcu6_Zz4

1990 Goodwill Games SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=samSAqh5nbI nice performance especially so early in the season, also interesting because Debi Thomas (I believe) is announcing. I really enjoyed her articulate and thoughtful commentary and she has a nice tone of voice.

Kristi Yamaguchi Long interview with The Skating Lesson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eea3v7Kml5Y
 
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Crossover

All Hail the Queen
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 31, 2014
Of course, I've seen all the clips because she is my very first idol to make me have followed the sport as many others might have. Kristi deserves a full OP compiling all existing videos of her performances including her impressive pro career. :luv17:
 

bcskatingacademy

Spectator
Joined
Apr 4, 2022
Country
Canada
U.S. Figure skater Kristine "Kristi" Yamaguchi was born on July 12, 1971, in Hayward, California. She is the 1992 Olympic Champion and also holds the World title for 1991 and 1992. She retired from competitive skating after the 1991-92 season.

Kristi has a benefit show coming up in San Jose. She was recently honored by the U.S. Olympic Committee for humanitarian work in early childhood literacy.

Here is a video of Kristi practicing for the event with her daughter Emma. Thanks to Sylvia for posting this on FSU.

http://www.ktvu.com/videos/news/fremont-kristi-yamaguchi-to-be-honored-for/vCtHNk/?__federated=1

Additions

Perhaps everyone has already seen this but I hadn't and I look at youtube a lot so I am posting it here. It is Kristi Yamaguchi's Olympic LP in HD:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dasO0x2Ook

Olympic 1992 SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KplWMCsgx2Q

Kristi Yamaguchi's Nationals SP 1992 with Peggy Fleming and Dick Button announcing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcWQz5ZGUUo

Also here is her LP performance at Nationals 1992 which is one my favorite performances of hers. She hits her triple salchow and the artistry, lines and musicality are entrancing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJNs1esR0_Y

Here is her 1991 Worlds SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqZm6sW7ph0

Here is a lovely performance of Fantasie Impromptu from 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJxEAm9rEq4

Trophee Lalique LP 1991 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XrmP-iIgp8

An early really entertaining and expressive program with a nice ebb and flow that builds to an exciting finish, just one technical mistake but a lot of fine jumps 1988 Skate America LP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6dwSN9mv4Q

Here is a wonderful early performance Nationals LP 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7gObdzCNfA

Worlds SP 1989: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pNO8UD2j08

Nationals SP 1990: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zoL3JE9TscM

Worlds SP 1992: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hpUA_C0dPtc

Skate America 1990 LP definitely one of her best performances, beautiful, athletic, subtle, intricate and highly artistic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsdlcu6_Zz4

1990 Goodwill Games SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=samSAqh5nbI nice performance especially so early in the season, also interesting because Debi Thomas (I believe) is announcing. I really enjoyed her articulate and thoughtful commentary and she has a nice tone of voice.
She was always such a great performer! Even when she fell, she would get right back up smiling as if she never fell. Amazing!
 

purplecat

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
United-States
Fun article about Kristi taking up the sport of Kung Fu from AARP (now that Kristi is 50! Man I'm old!):

https://www.aarp.org/entertainment/celebrities/info-2022/kristi-yamaguchi-kung-fu.html

An interview w/Kristi from the NBC Bay Area about her 30 year anniversary of her gold and Asian American representation, etc.:

 

purplecat

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
United-States
Some more Kristi stuff....

Blind Landing Podcast: Kristi Yamaguchi Asian American Idol

Kristi got an honorable doctorate from Cal State East Bay:

Kristi throwing out the first pitch for Japanese Heritage Day at the Giants game - Great job!:

I believe her daughter along with a couple others sang the National Anthem before the game too!
 
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