Andree Brunet/Pierre Brunet
Maxi Herber/Ernst Baier
Barbara Wagner/Robert Paul
Ljudmila Protopopov/Oleg Protopopov
Irina Rodnina/Alexandr Zaitsev
Elena Valova/Oleg Vasiliev
Ekaterina Gordeeva/Sergei Grinkov
Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao
Barbara Underhill/Paul Martini
other
Listing Kazahkova/Dmitriev would be too much, they never even won a world title or GP title, their only big win was the Olympics (and 1 European title with the top team at the time withdrawn) and they certainly didnt make any great impact on the sport as a pair. I see one suggesting I should have had an option for Mishkutienok/Dmitriev, but if it comes to bringing up the 2nd pair it is better to just have an option for Dmitriev himself as a pairs skater.Originally Posted by jsteam4501s
I would agree to some extent about Kasakova/Dmitriev - but remember, Mishkutenok/Dmitriev made a sensational impact from their '92 Olympic Gold and also gave a great, dynamic performance at the '94 Games as well. Even I, one of the most rabid G&G fans in the world, saw a lot of good arguments for M&D winning that competition.
I must also confess to a bit of bias here -- In September 1991, while on a vacation out west, I spent a couple of days in Colorado Springs. I first visited the museum at USFSA headquarters and ogled at Jill Trenary's red skating costume - I was in my Jill Trenary crush at the time. Then I went to the Old Broadmoor Arena (the original one) and sat down in the stands with many other visitors that day - and I spotted Natalia Mishkutenok practicing and also apparently helping some of the youngsters out on the ice. I walked to the box office and asked the man there if I could possibly meet her in person - and to my delight he went inside the arena with me and called her over! I must tell you for those few moments I was a 50-year-old teenager(my 50th birthday was just a few days earlier on Sept. 14th)!! Natalia shook hands and then gave me a kiss on the cheek - and I can tell you without hesitation, she had one of the most beautiful faces up close that I still to this day, have EVER seen!
Gordeeva/Grinkov simply fantastic but followed by:
Mishkutenok/Kazakova/Dmitriev
Sale/Pelletier
Kovarikova/Novotny
Bereznaya/Sikhaluridze
Woetzel/Steuer
Shen/Zhao
Savchenko/Szolkowy
Xue Shen / Hongbo Zhao 1994--2007 compete in international competitions.
And may be come back in a year time.
Gordeeva and Grinkov by a long shot.
They truly eptiomized the term "skating as one". Watching the Grand Prix final yesterday only confirmed in my mind that there is currently no pair team that comes close to G & G. I don't mean this to sound mean but the current pair skaters are hackers compared to the likes of G & G. This includes the current Chinese who may have the biggest throws but don't have the unison and grace that made G & G the best ever.
Dizzy
Dizzy........you said it all........Katia and Sergei all the way.....42
other: Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze or Mishkutionok & Dmitriev
Just have to re-visit this thread since I watched a 1980 performance by Rodnina and Zaitsev today. Wow, I want to change my vote! The amazing footwork they could do, the absolute unison not just during big tricks but also while stroking, the polish of all the big moves, just wow. I don't know why I wasn't struck by them before, although I didn't get into watching FS until the 1980 Olys, and even then it was mostly the men I remember through about 1988.
Anyway, Rodnina and Zaitsev were magnificent, and their choreography still looks powerful to me today, and not dated. I'll have to start buying up some old tapes!
Please, anyone, share your thoughts. And how was Irina with her first partner?
Thanks!
Mishkutienok/Dmitriev.........
I did like G/G, but I am not crazy about them.
Natalia Mishkuteniok/Artur Dmitriev
1. Aljona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy
2. Tatiana Totmianina/Maxim Marinin
3. Yelena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikharulidze
4. Ekaterina Gordeeva/Sergei Grinkov
5. Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao
Gordeeva & Grinkov, no doubt, but the Protopopov are great too and made a lot for pair skating.
Katia & Sergei
In my opinion they'll always be the best.
G&G all the way. There is not team that can even come close to them!!!
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