Which skater in the last 20 years would've been best at comp figures?

[mskater93]

are we talking about skaters who would do well based on their current skill sets or those who could have done well if they had to practice it? Because if its the latter then i would say everyone has a chance of doing well since those who do well in figures dont always do well in free skating and vice versa.

You obviously watched Midori Ito skate figures. She ruined her own opportunity in 1990 to repeat as World Champion due to a huge, HUGE mistake on the second or third figure where she had a ginormous STOP on a turn. She skated off that figure looking shell shocked and I think placed 12th on that figure. She WORKED and WORKED and WORKED at them because she wasn't a natural at them. Figures are incredibly difficult to master and take a different skill set than FS.

Also, a lot of the current crowd wouldn't do that well in figures because it's incredibly BORING to most to master.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Oh wow, I love this!! Maybe Ice Network can do this as an online series or something like with the new fun videos they just had. But you need fresh sheet of ice and probably better camera work to really see it and I don't think they have the budget for that.

There is no need for more resurfacing the ice as skaters can do figures on different sections of the rink. The fluff may be fun but technical parts are boring and not so easy to judge. But, hey, nothing will prevent people from firmly believing in their own acute eyesight and judgements.

 

[gravy]

Patrick was my first thought. Maybe Jeremy if his nerves were on his side.

 

[HanDomi]

What is "this" that you want to see happen? The part of the competition was thrown out because it was no fun, long sessions involving judges scrutinizing the figures up close. TV of the days didn't show the figure competition which counted for a big part of the total, so the public saw the Technical and the Free Programs while the eventual outcomes were mostly already determined.

Most experts however believe in the importance of figures training though it is uncommon these days.

Well I am actually happy that this went off from competition. I find it very, very, extremely BORING

 

[sc8]

Men: I'd say Patrick Chan, Jeremy Abbott, Kurt browning (he may be past 20 years) all would have done well I think.
Women: Yuka Sato had beautiful footwork and edges as did Shizuka A., Caroline K.,

 

[sc8]

I'll add that I loved figures growing up, but am glad they are gone. But, they should still be part of development to emphasize edging.

 

[Sandpiper]

Men: I'd say Patrick Chan, Jeremy Abbott, Kurt browning (he may be past 20 years) all would have done well I think.
Women: Yuka Sato had beautiful footwork and edges as did Shizuka A., Caroline K.,

IIRC, Kurt Browning did compete in figures at the beginning of his career, before they were abolished. He... wasn't very good. At the 1988 Worlds where he landed the first quad, he was only 10th going into the free skate or something... Commentators said it's because of his figures.

 

[Interspectator]

How do others here think Han Yan would do? There is something about his edge work and speed that I just love.

 

[Wo|flax]

I don't think there's any way to predict. You couldn't really look at free skaters and tell which ones were good at figures. Dagmar Lurz did well in figures but her free skating edges look weak and she flutzed.
Skaters who did well in figures in competitions were.... the ones who did well in competition.

IA there's literally no way to tell

 

[peg]

IIRC, Kurt Browning did compete in figures at the beginning of his career, before they were abolished. He... wasn't very good. At the 1988 Worlds where he landed the first quad, he was only 10th going into the free skate or something... Commentators said it's because of his figures.

Yes, Kurt definitely competed figures, and my recollection was also that they were his weakness. So went and checked. At 1988 Worlds, he was 12th in figures, 7th in the SP and 3rd in the FS where he landed that first quad. The following year (after he gained notoriety for that first quad), he was 5th in figures, and won both SP and FS. Another year later, he was 2nd in figures. I'm sure he improved that dramatically and that reputation, landing the first quad, and then going into Worlds as reigning champion had absolutely nothing to do with his improved standings

 

[Mafke]

Yes, Kurt definitely competed figures, and my recollection was also that they were his weakness. So went and checked. At 1988 Worlds, he was 12th in figures, 7th in the SP and 3rd in the FS where he landed that first quad. The following year (after he gained notoriety for that first quad), he was 5th in figures, and won both SP and FS. Another year later, he was 2nd in figures. I'm sure he improved that dramatically and that reputation, landing the first quad, and then going into Worlds as reigning champion had absolutely nothing to do with his improved standings

two things

how many of those who'd placed above him had retired?

most skaters got better at figures as they matured (competition level figures are definitely an adult competition). Toller Cranston said Browning's 1990 WC figures were the best he'd ever done.

 

[peg]

two things

how many of those who'd placed above him had retired?

most skaters got better at figures as they matured (competition level figures are definitely an adult competition). Toller Cranston said Browning's 1990 WC figures were the best he'd ever done.

There were some retirements from 1988 to 1989, but he certainly vaulted up in the standings.

Your second statement would apply equally to his competitors. They presumably would have also improved from year to year, no? As a reference point, Viktor Petrenko was 6th in figures in 1988 (vs. 12th for Kurt), 2nd in 1989 (vs. 5th for Kurt) and in 1990 when Kurt was defending World champion, Petrenko was behind Kurt in figures.

 

[fruitbasket]

Yuna, the most beautiful skater

 

[rollerblade]

It's hard to imagine Kurt being bad at figures. The guy has magic feet! Did he trip over himself or something?

 

[solani]

I think it's really hard to tell. Remember the Janet Lynn / Trixie Schuba controversy. I always thaught that while Lynn was clearly the better free skater, Schuba could have done better in the free skates if only she needed to. I heard and read that she developed her free skating abilities a bit in her pro career. Lynn was obviously a great skater, but training figures seems to be really tedious, I guess you have to be the type for it.
Maybe figures would do better in the TV broadcast nowadays, with all the new technology. They could display the correct size of the figure on screen for the audience to see. I mean, people are watching curling, so maybe figures would do well also.
In this video you see Schuba doing figures, it's kind of meditative. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SscrUDzeDcs

 

[Mafke]

Schuba actually got worse in free skating as her eligible career went on, she was pleasant enough in 1968 (nothing spectacular but pleasant enough) while later she was kind of going through the motions.

Lynn supposedly could do beautiful figures in practice but had competition issues (as she did in free skating). If Schuba weren't competing I still don't think Lynn would have won in Sapporo, Karen Magnussen (not bad at figures and nearly as good as Lynn at free skating) would mostly likely have won.

 

[solani]

Schuba actually got worse in free skating as her eligible career went on, she was pleasant enough in 1968 (nothing spectacular but pleasant enough) while later she was kind of going through the motions.

Lynn supposedly could do beautiful figures in practice but had competition issues (as she did in free skating). If Schuba weren't competing I still don't think Lynn would have won in Sapporo, Karen Magnussen (not bad at figures and nearly as good as Lynn at free skating) would mostly likely have won.

True, Karen Magnussen came in 2nd in Sapporo and she was very good at figures, but still no way near Schuba regarding points.
With the controversy I meant Worlds in 71, where the audience in Lyon was booing and screaming Janet Lynn's name, because she wasn't on the podium.

 

[sc8]

So surprised to hear Kurt didn't do well in figures. But, I suppose, in hindsight, his creativity probably felt stifled by the very mechanical and uninteresting demonstration of skating skills.

 

[TontoK]

Schuba actually got worse in free skating as her eligible career went on, she was pleasant enough in 1968 (nothing spectacular but pleasant enough) while later she was kind of going through the motions.

Lynn supposedly could do beautiful figures in practice but had competition issues (as she did in free skating). If Schuba weren't competing I still don't think Lynn would have won in Sapporo, Karen Magnussen (not bad at figures and nearly as good as Lynn at free skating) would mostly likely have won.

Schuba actually finished 7th... SEVENTH... in the Free Skating in 1972. Her lead in figures was so massive that she still won the gold medal in a rout.

Karen's placements were 3 in figures, 2 in FS to win silver.
Janet's placements were 4 in figures, 1 in FS to win bronze.

 

[mrrice]

I don't think Carolina would have had the nerves to be a really good figures specialist.

It occurs to me that if you go with 21 years, Brian Boitano, who skated at the 1994 Olympics, would be included, in which case, Brian probably wins. Victor Petrenko, another returnee, finishes second.

Katarina Witt, another returnee in 1994, wins the ladies.

Another gal who was good at figures.....Tonya Harding. If only......