Olympic Veterans

I was just thinknig to myself that many people tend to forget that in addition to (hopefully wishing her a speedy recovery) Michelle attending her third Olympics (an impressive feat in and of itself - to be skating at the senior international championship level for 12 years, regardless of the huge success she's had) It is also slutskaya's third olympics.

It then got me thinking who else has this level of longevity in the sport that they are coming up for their third Olympics...

Ladies

Kwan (2nd in '98, 3rd in '02)
Slutskaya (5th in '98, 2nd in '02)
Liashenko (9th in '98, 14th in '02)
Julia Sebestyen (15th in '98, 8th in '02)

Then the following ladies weer at 1998 in Nagano but were beaten by team mates to the spots for 2002 Olys:

Sokolova
Arakawa!!! I was really shocked to see ehr name - i didn't recall her skating in Nagano.

Men

Honda (15th in '98, 4th in '98)
Dinev (11th in '98, 13th in '02)

This is more difficult because i don't think Honda will make it to the Olys this year and i don't know if Dinev is still skating.

Pairs

Shen/Zhao (5th in '98, 3rd in '02)
Zagorska Siudek (10th in '98, 7th in '02)
Berankova/Dlabola (15th in '98, 8th in '02)

Obviously there's doubt over Shen/Zhao and i know that Berankova/Dlabola have had injury problems last season...are they still skating this seasn - i really like that pair.

Haven't looked at dance because i don't really follow it that much but i was surprise by the amount of people who's third olympics this could possible be. I presume that the amount of money that can be earned on the Elgibile circuit is why this wasn't as popoular before, eve when there was only a two year break in between '92 and '94 Olympics. Witt must be pretty much on her own in the recent olympics as double gold winner.

Anyway thought it was fun to look back at the results and remember performances. In reality its only really Kwan, Slutskaya and the Shen/Zhao who were at or near the top (obviously with no crystal ball no way to know how this season's olyimpcs will be decided). Remembering Kwan's exquisite '98 Olympics skate with all of her beautifully finished moves and expression. Seeing Slutskaya lay down the technical content in her Olympic free skate including a 3/3 despite the mistake in the SP. Then thinking of them both faltering in the '02 Olympics with mistakes.

The climbers though and feel good factor is remembering a very rough and ready(presentationally and in the spin and lift department) Shen/Zhao with their huge throws and the terribly difficult FO death spiral in '98 Olympics. Then remembering them improving both their spins and lifts and their presentation and the staggeringly close attempt at the throw 4Sal in 2002.

Ant

Unfortunately, Antmanb - from my observations, figure skating fans think more of skaters who are of a young age than those continuing in their sport. Most fans want them out before age 20 unless they are going to defend a title.

In other sports, longevity is well appreciated and usually gets a special ovation from the fans. I'm sure you can think of many such former stars who reined for years. It's not whether you win or lose, it's how you play the game - at any age!

Joe

Other veterans -- Rena Inoue and Elena Liashenko skated in the '94 Olys -- Rena as a singles skater for Japan (18th place) and Liashenko in 19th? The Lithuanian ice dance team and ice dancer Tatiana Navka (with a different partner) also skated there. Michelle Kwan was also there, as the alternate (the legal mess that eventually allowed Tonya Harding to skate wasn't resolved until after opening ceremonis.

Shortly after these Olys, at the '94 Worlds, we got introduced to a lot of other skaters who may well be seen in Torino -- Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhnov made their Sr Worlds debuts (with other partners), and in 21st place was a new pair from China -- Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao. Kwan also made her senior Worlds debut at this event.

attyfan said:

Other veterans -- Rena Inoue and Elena Liashenko skated in the '94 Olys -- Rena as a singles skater for Japan (18th place) and Liashenko in 19th? The Lithuanian ice dance team and ice dancer Tatiana Navka (with a different partner) also skated there. Michelle Kwan was also there, as the alternate (the legal mess that eventually allowed Tonya Harding to skate wasn't resolved until after opening ceremonis.

Shortly after these Olys, at the '94 Worlds, we got introduced to a lot of other skaters who may well be seen in Torino -- Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhnov made their Sr Worlds debuts (with other partners), and in 21st place was a new pair from China -- Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao. Kwan also made her senior Worlds debut at this event.

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Thanks for those added veterans! I forgot to look back to 1994 thinking it wasn't possible that anyone would be attending their 4th Olympics!!!! Liashenko gets HUGE props from me...four Olympics...is there any other Olympian who has attended four Olympics in any sport?

I also didn't think of looking for other's partners...of course there's Artur Dmitriev who obviously made it double gold with Different partners...did he compete in three Olympics then?

Joe - i know it seems people really do value the young, high burn out athletes, that's a real shame.

Ant

Honda is listed and not Weiss??... he has just as much a chance making it, perhaps more so than Honda, and he's on he'd be on his 3rd trip as well

everyone forgets Mike :frown2:

Tonichelle said:

Honda is listed and not Weiss??... he has just as much a chance making it, perhaps more so than Honda, and he's on he'd be on his 3rd trip as well

everyone forgets Mike :frown2:

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Sorry - no offense to any skaters meant i just looked at the top half of the results in 1998 and saw it was all the old guard moat of whom didn't even compete in 2002 let alone be competing this year and Mike's name was burried in the middle of the pack.

Ant

Joesitz said:

Unfortunately, Antmanb - from my observations, figure skating fans think more of skaters who are of a young age than those continuing in their sport. Most fans want them out before age 20 unless they are going to defend a title.

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I think this is only true of single skaters (especially the ladies). Pairs and especially dance requires maturity that young skaters just don't have.

antmanb said:

Thanks for those added veterans! I forgot to look back to 1994 thinking it wasn't possible that anyone would be attending their 4th Olympics!!!! Liashenko gets HUGE props from me...four Olympics...is there any other Olympian who has attended four Olympics in any sport?

I also didn't think of looking for other's partners...of course there's Artur Dmitriev who obviously made it double gold with Different partners...did he compete in three Olympics then?

Ant

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Drobiazko and Vanagas will be going to their 4th Olympics.
Chait and Sakhnovsky will be attending their 3rd Olympics.

Dmitriev competed in at least 3 that I know (twice with Natalia and once with Oksana). Kat Witt, Victor Petrenko also competed 3 times. Of course, for them that was 2 years less in the amature ranks (and Katarina was skating as a pro for a while). Irina Rodnina competed in 3 Olympics and won gold each time with 3 different partners. I bet there's more but those are the skaters I can think of from on top of my head.

How about Murvanidze and Chiper? I think they have been around long enough to make it to their 3rd Olympics.

I remember Shizuka in 98. She was the first skater shown on TV that night.

IIRC from 98, Arakawa did a 3lz-3tl in the SP and so suprised herself that she seemed to forget her program and just kind of skated around for a while, or that might have been the choreography, hard to tell.

STL_Blues_fan said:

Irina Rodnina competed in 3 Olympics and won gold each time with 3 different partners.

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I'm pretty sure that's just two partners (an astounding feat all the same)., the second's last name was Zaitsev if IIRC and became her husband

STL_Blues_fan said:

Drobiazko and Vanagas will be going to their 4th Olympics.
Chait and Sakhnovsky will be attending their 3rd Olympics.

Dmitriev competed in at least 3 that I know (twice with Natalia and once with Oksana). Kat Witt, Victor Petrenko also competed 3 times. Of course, for them that was 2 years less in the amature ranks (and Katarina was skating as a pro for a while). Irina Rodnina competed in 3 Olympics and won gold each time with 3 different partners. I bet there's more but those are the skaters I can think of from on top of my head.

How about Murvanidze and Chiper? I think they have been around long enough to make it to their 3rd Olympics.

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Drobiazko and Vanagas are actually attending their fifth Olympics. They were 16th in Albertville, 12th in Lillehammer, 8th in Nagano, and 5th in Salt Lake City.

Torvill and Dean attended three Olympics; with a decade between their second and third.

Mafke said:

I'm pretty sure that's just two partners (an astounding feat all the same)., the second's last name was Zaitsev if IIRC and became her husband

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i knew that! It was a typo. Thanks for the correction. BTW, Rodnina and Zaitsev are not longer married.

Also, she is in the running (out of 6) to be the next Russian Olympic Chief.

Yana

Berankova/Dlabola retired. Dinev placed 8th at NHK. Rodnina's two partners were Ulanov and Zaitzev.

thisthingcalledlove said:

Drobiazko and Vanagas are actually attending their fifth Olympics. They were 16th in Albertville, 12th in Lillehammer, 8th in Nagano, and 5th in Salt Lake City ... .

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Now I know why they were so angry after SLC -- coming in 5th (instead of fourth) upset their mathematical progression! I hope, though, their steady upward movement continues!

hockeyfan228 said:

Berankova/Dlabola retired. Dinev placed 8th at NHK. Rodnina's two partners were Ulanov and Zaitzev.

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Oh no i'm so sorry to hear that Berankova and Dlabola retired - they really were a beautiful pair to watch.

Ant

Elena Berezhnaya competed in 3 Olympics. In 94 she competed for Latvia with her old partner Oleg Shliakov (they placed 8th), and in 98 & 2002 with Anton Sikharulidze (placed 2nd and 1st).

IIRC Elvis Stojko competed in 4 Olympics- 92,94,98,2002. He placed 2nd in both 94 and 98. I don't remember the placements in 92 and 2002.

Bourne & Kraatz competed in 3 Olys- 94,98,2002.

I can't think of anyone that would be skating in 2006 as the 3rd Oly (other than those already mentioned).

Vash

OK maybe this is kind of silly but assuming that Belbin & Agosto stick in it until 2010 like they always say that they will, they would have qualified for 3 Olympics, 02, 06, and 10.

Brian Boitano competed in the 1984 (fifth), 88 (gold) and 94 (sixth) Games, and Todd Eldredge competed in the 1992, 98 and 2002 Olympics. Klimova & Ponomarenko were, I believe, bronze medal winners in 1984, silver in 1988 and gold in 1992. And I'm not sure about Valova & Vassiliev, but I know they were in 1984 and 1988 -- don't know if the were at the 1980 Games or not.

Valova & Vasiliev were not in the 1980 Olympics. They won the world championship in 1983 in their first appearance at worlds. The 1984 Olympics were their first Olympics.

Vash