- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
Going from eligible to pro can be a difficult transition for some skaters. Some skaters have really blossomed (or became even better skaters) after turning pro. A few others were not so lucky.
Here is my list of who really developed as pros and who did not:
First, the successful ones(not just in terms of winning pro competitions, but those who really came into their own after turning pros):
Yuka Sato- as an amateur she was a skater with great basics but not very exciting. As a pro she is among the very best.
Annenko &Sretenski- ice dancers that never won a world medal. As pros they gave some of the most beautiful performances and won two pro titles.
Surya Bonaly- As a pro she is very exciting and she even won the Goodwill games. As amateur her lack of edging turned judges against her. Her best finish at worlds was -Silver (3 of them actually).
Paul Wylie- It started with his Olympic silver medal, and he carried it much further to become one of the best pro skaters.
Kristi Yamaguchi- The OGM certainly gave her a great start, but she worked hard to maintain her technical mastery, while developing artistry and versatility.
Gordeeva-Grinkov: When they won the OGM in 1988, they were a young pair with superb technique. After turning pro in 1990 their artistry really blossomed.
Bechke & Petrov: As an eligible pair they often suffered from nerves (Elena's). However, their Olympic silver medal was followed by a long and successful pro career.
Underhill & Martini- They did win the world title in 1984, but their real development came after turning pros. They dominated the pro pairs scene for a few years and were always respected even in the twilight of their careers.
Robin Cousins: He established himself as one of the great artists on ice. The pro format of competitions really suited his creativity.
Others- Josef Sabovcek, Josee Chouinard, Maria Butyrskaya, Ina-Zimmerman
Now the not so successful as pros:
Oksana Baiul- Too many problems, on and off the ice
Jill Trenary- Her health problems and later family commitments took her off the ice for good.
Viktor Petrenko- He had some successes, but he really did not expand on his enormous talent as a skater. His numbers were often too easy, choreographically, although they were very entertaining.
Grishchuk & Platov: They split right after their second OGM. What a pity!
Anissina-Peizerat: The storm of the 2002 Olympics seems to have destroyed their career. I saw them at COI, skating in the first half. They were wonderful though.
Bestemianova-Bukin: Considering their status (1988 OGM) they did not fare very well in the pro competitions. They experimented a lot, and perhaps grew a lot as persons, but they did not win many competitions, except in their first year as pros.
That's all I can think of, right now. An OGM is never a guarantee of success.
Vash
Here is my list of who really developed as pros and who did not:
First, the successful ones(not just in terms of winning pro competitions, but those who really came into their own after turning pros):
Yuka Sato- as an amateur she was a skater with great basics but not very exciting. As a pro she is among the very best.
Annenko &Sretenski- ice dancers that never won a world medal. As pros they gave some of the most beautiful performances and won two pro titles.
Surya Bonaly- As a pro she is very exciting and she even won the Goodwill games. As amateur her lack of edging turned judges against her. Her best finish at worlds was -Silver (3 of them actually).
Paul Wylie- It started with his Olympic silver medal, and he carried it much further to become one of the best pro skaters.
Kristi Yamaguchi- The OGM certainly gave her a great start, but she worked hard to maintain her technical mastery, while developing artistry and versatility.
Gordeeva-Grinkov: When they won the OGM in 1988, they were a young pair with superb technique. After turning pro in 1990 their artistry really blossomed.
Bechke & Petrov: As an eligible pair they often suffered from nerves (Elena's). However, their Olympic silver medal was followed by a long and successful pro career.
Underhill & Martini- They did win the world title in 1984, but their real development came after turning pros. They dominated the pro pairs scene for a few years and were always respected even in the twilight of their careers.
Robin Cousins: He established himself as one of the great artists on ice. The pro format of competitions really suited his creativity.
Others- Josef Sabovcek, Josee Chouinard, Maria Butyrskaya, Ina-Zimmerman
Now the not so successful as pros:
Oksana Baiul- Too many problems, on and off the ice
Jill Trenary- Her health problems and later family commitments took her off the ice for good.
Viktor Petrenko- He had some successes, but he really did not expand on his enormous talent as a skater. His numbers were often too easy, choreographically, although they were very entertaining.
Grishchuk & Platov: They split right after their second OGM. What a pity!
Anissina-Peizerat: The storm of the 2002 Olympics seems to have destroyed their career. I saw them at COI, skating in the first half. They were wonderful though.
Bestemianova-Bukin: Considering their status (1988 OGM) they did not fare very well in the pro competitions. They experimented a lot, and perhaps grew a lot as persons, but they did not win many competitions, except in their first year as pros.
That's all I can think of, right now. An OGM is never a guarantee of success.
Vash