Derrick Delmore | Golden Skate

Derrick Delmore

Arianne

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Wow! I just read on the choreography thread that he is skating again this year. I thought he retired last year? Any one have any info? Thanks
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
See Delmore's updated USFS' Team C envelope bio:
http://www.usfigureskating.org/AthleteBio.asp?id=35115
From the Notes section at the bottom:
Declared that last year would be his final year of competitions as a singles skater, but he reconsidered after the 2007 U.S. Championships ... He is now competing to maintain a high level of performance, with the hope of securing a pairs partner for the 2008-09 season ...
 
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emma

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
Oh, I'm glad to hear he is still skating. And he wants to do pairs??? Fabulous - I hope he finds a suitable partner!!!
 

iluvtodd

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 5, 2004
Country
United-States
Wow! That's great news! I'm glad he's staying involved with the sport. He has a great musical sense. I've always enjoyed watching him skate. :) :clap: :party:
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
Wow! That's great news! I'm glad he's staying involved with the sport. He has a great musical sense. I've always enjoyed watching him skate. :) :clap: :party:
I totally agree, I really like him and his skating style.

Dee
 

Pixie Cut

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
I hesitated to post my opinion, because everyone seems so enthusiastic. But I guess every thread needs a dissenter. I think it's a terrible decision. Derrick Delmore is 28 years old. He's been skating in seniors for more than a decade, but has never been on the podium. His best finish was top five -- years ago. He had a nice swan song in Spokane. It is time to move on. Share your love of skating with your students. Or try to land more professional gigs, like the stage show he just did. Sign on for one of the cruise ships for six months. Or join Holiday on Ice and see the world. Or maybe use that Stanford education somehow. He's never been a good competitor.
 

emma

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
I hesitated to post my opinion, because everyone seems so enthusiastic. But I guess every thread needs a dissenter. I think it's a terrible decision. Derrick Delmore is 28 years old. He's been skating in seniors for more than a decade, but has never been on the podium. His best finish was top five -- years ago. He had a nice swan song in Spokane. It is time to move on. Share your love of skating with your students. Or try to land more professional gigs, like the stage show he just did. Sign on for one of the cruise ships for six months. Or join Holiday on Ice and see the world. Or maybe use that Stanford education somehow. He's never been a good competitor.

I had to laugh when I read this because I too hesitated to say what I was thinking - and actually did more than hesitate as I didn't say it -- but I was very surprised to read he wants to continue IN A NEW discipline precisely because of his age. But, I do enjoy his skating a lot and would love to see him do well, and if he thinks he can give it a try then I can only wish him the very, very best. I can imagine that it would be hard to find a partner as the partnership might appear 'doomed' to be relatively short lived...but maybe a good run at a four year cycle is what he is looking for, and that very well might be quite doable.

So, to finish my unstated thougts now --- I also wondered if Jennifer Kirk would consider coming back and doing pairs...???
 

waxel

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 18, 2005
Even of more concern than his age, is that he seems to be a slight fellow. I wonder if he has the body strength to pull off the difficult throws and lifts?

At any rate, I wish him luck.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
If he really wants to do Pairs, he should give Katy Taylor a call.....she's just 5 feet tall.

Derrick is not tall (only 5'8") but he is not that slight--he is well muscled. Scott Smith is really slight in build.
 
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Jimmy Hoffa

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
I had to laugh when I read this because I too hesitated to say what I was thinking - and actually did more than hesitate as I didn't say it -- but I was very surprised to read he wants to continue IN A NEW discipline precisely because of his age.?

It isn't a new discipline, it's old. Delmore was a pairs skater before he was a singles skater, IIRC.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
No, Stephanie Kalesavich skated with Aaron Parchem. Delmore competed in pairs quite a while ago at the Novice or below level, IIRC.

Share your love of skating with your students.
Delmore has been all along. :) I've seen him coaching at club competitions for many years now.
 
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heyang

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I'd like to bring up John Baldwin to the naysayers. He competed for years with little 'success' in Mens' Sr's. He was ready to give up on skating when his parents convinced him to try pairs. End result, he teams up with Rena Inoue and they win a couple of National titles, fall in love and land the 1st throw triple in competition. Sheesh - the guy seldom lands his end of the SBS triple.

I've always enjoyed Derrick's skating style. He also had a double major at Stamford University, which I admire. I was hoping that he would pull a Wylie and have the skate of his life after graduating from such a prestigious college.

Anyway, American pairs is relatively week. It's possible for Derrick to make it in US Pairs.
 

Pixie Cut

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2004
I'd like to bring up John Baldwin to the naysayers.

John Baldwin was 23 not 28 when he started pairs skating. He also had the incredible opportunity to skate with Rena Inoue, who was already an Olympian. Still, it took them three years to make the World team. So if Delmore first starts pairs skating next year, he will start the discipline at age 29. If it all goes well, maybe he'll be on the podium by the time he's 32. Too late the 2010 Olympics. He will be 35 for 2014. Yes, I know there have been skaters at the Olympics in that age range, but it's still very unlikely.

Another thing, Baldwin didn't have the benefit of a Stanford education. All he knew was skating. Delmore has other options in life.
 

dutchherder

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 17, 2006
John Baldwin was 23 not 28 when he started pairs skating. He also had the incredible opportunity to skate with Rena Inoue, who was already an Olympian. Still, it took them three years to make the World team. So if Delmore first starts pairs skating next year, he will start the discipline at age 29. If it all goes well, maybe he'll be on the podium by the time he's 32. Too late the 2010 Olympics. He will be 35 for 2014. Yes, I know there have been skaters at the Olympics in that age range, but it's still very unlikely.

Another thing, Baldwin didn't have the benefit of a Stanford education. All he knew was skating. Delmore has other options in life.

According to Inoue and Baldwin's website, they became official partners in 2000. John would have been 26 or 27 at that time, since he was born in 1973.

Let's not forget one of the greatest pair teams of all time: Oleg Protopopov and Lyudmila Belousova. Oleg didn't skate at all-- pairs or otherwise-- until he was 15. Lyudmila didn't start until she was 16. They were in their thirties when they won BOTH of their Olympic gold medals in 1964 and 1968. They continued to compete in the World Professional Figure Skating Championships until 1987 (they came in 4th)-- when they were in their fifties!!! The last time they won gold was in 1985.

Johnny Weir didn't begin skating until he was 12, and won the World Jr. Championships four years later.

Sure, 28 is a late start, but it doesn't mean he's ancient. If he loves the sport enough to stick with it, perhaps he will be successful. :thumbsup:
 
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