Tiffany Chin - 1987 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Long Program

Tacoma, Washington, USA - 1987 United States Figure Skating Championships, Ladies' Long Program - Tiffany Chin had a rough skate, not being able to land any of her triple jumps. She would place 5th in the Long Program and would drop from 3rd to 4th Place overall.

[@AT-jm4dl]

It's sad to see how much Tiffany's skating had regressed here in 87 from her superb performances in 84. The only good jump she had by 87 really was the 2axel, which was always a beauty and very reliable.

[@nancymckeon]

Why did Marjorie Chin think she was fooling anyone?

[@Danny-wy8kz]

what happened to her techiques?
or some “muscle imbalance” affected her...?

[@annecohen8927]

Weird that her coach was none the less John Nicks before he coached Sasha. I just wonder.

[@michaeljj43]

ok...her mother standing up and smiling after that performance says it all...weird!!!!!! just weird.

[@officeaddict33]

So weird ...Chin was 4th in Sarajevo and then her career sputtered after that (except for her '85 win at Nationals). It's kind of like Mirai Nagasu coming in 4th in Vancouver and then falling in the standings after that year after year.

[@nondescriptnyc]

officeaddict33 Some of it, of course, is the deterioration in their skating...in some ways. Tiffany did lose the height, consistency and crispness on her jumps post 1984, and Mirai struggled w/ URs post Vancouver. But I do believe politics had a lot to do w/ these cases, as well. Caryn Kadavy, Jill Trenary and Debi Thomas happened between 1985 and 1987, and USFSA was no longer pushing for Tiffany...who didn’t seem as promising. Post Vancouver, we saw Gracie Gold emerge-and sudden resurgences of Ashley Wagner and Alissa Czisney. So, USFSA falling out of love w/ these skaters, I am sure, contributed to the declining placements, as well. It took a 3A for USFSA to acknowledge Mirai again...8 years later!

[@nondescriptnyc]

IIRC, Tiffany started out w/ Frank Carroll, then she switched to Mr. Nicks around, what, 1982? Then, after the disappointing Worlds in 1985, she switched to Don Laws....and she quickly went back to Mr. Nicks after about a year. Then, here, I am surprised to see Frank Carroll again. Coach hopping isn’t unusual but, in her case, it was just 3 coaches taking turns!

[@annecohen8927]

Would she work better with Tatiana Tarasova?? She’s was looking for a coach that could open up her greatest potentials.... Didn’t think Frank Carroll would have worked well with Tiffany...... She needed someone who might have embraced her artistry as well as her techniques

[@nondescriptnyc]

@@annecohen8927 That’s an interesting possibility (although, back then, Soviet coaches would never be permitted to teach American skaters!). With Tiffany’s artistic potential, Tarasova would have worked magic, I am sure!!! Also, if the commonly-held suspicion is true that Tiffany’s mother destroyed her career, it would have been good to have a strong Russian coach that would not allow parents to intervene at all-like Tarasova, Morozov, etc.