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Elizabeth Manley won a silver medal for Canada at the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. Source: Facebook/Skate Guard Blog (May be subject to copyright) |
Katarina Witt had won the Olympic gold medal four years earlier in Sarajevo, and now in Calgary in 1988 she was poised to win gold again.
The real battle would be for second place, and it all came down to the long program.
The favourites were the likes of Debi Thomas of the United States and Midori Ito of Japan.
Canada became the first Olympic host nation not to win a gold medal, something the country would rectify in Vancouver in 2010. In fact, many of our gold medal hopes faltered. Some not only did not win gold, but did not medal at all.
Yet, the heart of Canada still beat strongly in its athletes who gave their best in front of their country and the world.
Amid all that was a dark horse, with an outside chance at a medal in women’s figure skating.
Her named was Elizabeth Manley, and she would turn in the performance of a lifetime.
This morning I saw her on Global Morning. She is in Calgary for the Special Olympics, and to work with the skaters.
Seeing her immediately took me back to that warm Saturday night in February of 1988.
Leading up
Elizabeth Manley broke on to the world stage in 1982 when she won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Obertsdorf, West Germany. She competed in her first World Championships later that season in Copenhagen, Denmark where she finished 13th. Manley also placed sixth at Skate Canada in Kitchener in 1981.
Elizabeth Manley broke on to the world stage in 1982 when she won a bronze medal at the World Junior Championships in Obertsdorf, West Germany. She competed in her first World Championships later that season in Copenhagen, Denmark where she finished 13th. Manley also placed sixth at Skate Canada in Kitchener in 1981.
Manley was third at the Canadian championships in Halifax in 1981; second in Brandon in 1982; fourth in Montreal in 1983; second in Regina in 1984; won it in Moncton in 1985; was second in North Bay in 1986; and won it in Ottawa in 1987.
She placed eighth at Skate America in Lake Placid in 1982; second at Skate Canada in London in 1985; won Skate Canada in Regina in 1986; and was second in Skate Canada in Calgary in 1987.
She represented Canada at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, finishing 13th. Manley also represented Canada at the World Championships from 1984 to 1987. She placed eighth in 1984 in Ottawa; ninth in 1985 in Tokyo, Japan; and fifth in 1986 in Geneva, Switzerland.
Wikipedia reveals at the 1987 World Championships in Cincinnati she was in a position to win a medal after the compulsory figures and short program. However, a poor result in the long program kept her off the podium, as she finished fourth.
She would not make that mistake again.
Calgary ‘88
Life was busy in February of 1988 as I was just finishing my first year of university. Part of the Olympics was during Reading Week, and I had stayed behind because I had an essay to finish. My Mom and sister had actually gone up to Calgary from Southern Alberta to go to the Olympics and they wanted me to go along. I was too afraid and hid behind the excuse of that essay. Nevertheless, I stayed in res.
Life was busy in February of 1988 as I was just finishing my first year of university. Part of the Olympics was during Reading Week, and I had stayed behind because I had an essay to finish. My Mom and sister had actually gone up to Calgary from Southern Alberta to go to the Olympics and they wanted me to go along. I was too afraid and hid behind the excuse of that essay. Nevertheless, I stayed in res.
Figure skating starts
Figure skating consisted of three parts back then – the compulsory figures, which have since been eliminated; the short program; and long program.
Figure skating consisted of three parts back then – the compulsory figures, which have since been eliminated; the short program; and long program.
The compulsories were always a mystery to the general public, because they were never televised, nor even explained that clearly. The only thing the vast majority of us knew was the score in the compulsories, which no one saw, could be the difference in winning a medal.
In any event, Manley did well in the compulsories, finishing fourth. I never did see her short program that I recall, because I was busy doing something else, but she did well in that too, finishing third.
Those results put her in third place going into the crucial long program.
A night to remember
Katarina Witt of East Germany, the defending Olympic and World Champion, was in first place and American Debi Thomas was in second place. They were the favourites to win gold. Wikipedia reveals they both skated to music from the opera “Carmen”, so their rivalry was dubbed “The Battle of the Carmens”.
Katarina Witt of East Germany, the defending Olympic and World Champion, was in first place and American Debi Thomas was in second place. They were the favourites to win gold. Wikipedia reveals they both skated to music from the opera “Carmen”, so their rivalry was dubbed “The Battle of the Carmens”.
I remember the long program well. A good chunk of our floor was crowded around the TV in our lounge on Tenth Kelsey as the drama unfolded.
I cannot recall the precise order of skaters but I remember the skates. Japan’s Midori Ito was awesome, and set a standard that would be hard to beat. I remember everyone being so surprised by Ito and the future looked so bright for her.
Witt’s long program was good, but she didn’t take any chances. It looked like she knew the gold medal was hers to lose if she made a mistake, so she skated conservatively.
Given Manley had a shot at a medal, and I never really liked Americans, I was hoping Debi Thomas would falter. It was as if everyone was cheering for Thomas, because they seemed to keep saying she had a shot to beat Witt. What I will always remember was the point in her skate when Thomas did not fall but slipped and put her hand on the ice. That was a certain death for her gold medal hopes. I cheered because the American media machine was just too much for me.
But that simple hand on the ice gave Manley an opening.
What unfolded as Manley took the ice was nothing short of magical.
The thing I will always remember was the confidence, power and determination she skated with. She was attacking every jump, every twist and every turn. Her skate was flawless, and I could feel the excitement build in our own lounge.
Then, it was over. When Manley finished, she just smiled and shook with excitement.
Knowing little about the intricacies of figure skating, I didn’t know just how good her long program was.
It was one of the best. Manley won the long program, catapulting past Debi Thomas into second place, winning the silver medal. Witt finished second in the long program, good enough to win the gold medal. Midori Ito was third in the long program, signaling she was a force to be reckoned with. She finished fifth overall, but would win the World Championships in 1989. Thomas finished fourth in the long program which was still good enough to win her the bronze medal.
Elizabeth Manley’s come from behind victory on home ice to take silver made her a national hero and darling of the nation.
She would cap off her amateur career taking silver at the 1988 World Championships in March in Budapest, Hungary, once again finishing behind Katarina Witt.
Elizabeth Manley retired from amateur competition after the 1988 World Championships.
Parting thoughts
One of the things I will always remember about the 1988 Winter Olympics is the comparison of Elizabeth Manley’s silver medal in figure skating to to fellow Canadian Brian Orser’s silver medal. He came into the Olympics the defending world champion and favoured to take gold, but fell just short to arch-rival and 1986 world champion Brian Boitano.
One of the things I will always remember about the 1988 Winter Olympics is the comparison of Elizabeth Manley’s silver medal in figure skating to to fellow Canadian Brian Orser’s silver medal. He came into the Olympics the defending world champion and favoured to take gold, but fell just short to arch-rival and 1986 world champion Brian Boitano.
The contrast with Brian Orser was stark. Many viewed Orser as getting his silver medal by losing the gold, while Manley came from nowhere to win her silver medal.
I don’t view it that way at all.
One thing I do recall is that Canada had not won a gold medal on home ice, and it didn’t look like we would. It had been a successful and entertaining Olympics, but it would have been nice to have a win.
She may not have won gold, but Elizabeth Manley turned in a golden performance that warm Saturday night at the Saddledome in Calgary
It truly was a skate for the ages.
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