Who Were You Most Disappointed to See Retire?

**Jaana** · 08-08-2003, 12:53 AM

Originally posted by Antilles
It is sad that Paul Wylie doesn't skate anymore.

I don´t know more about this, but here Wylie is mentioned among the other skaters:

http://www.sovereignbankarena.com/pr...edreams03.html

An exerpt:

>Professional ice skaters performing in the nationally televised event include: 1994 Olympic Gold Medallist Oksana Baiul; two-time Olympic Gold Medallist Ekaterina Gordeeva; two-time Olympic Medallist Canadian pair Isabelle Brasseur and Lloyd Eisler; 1992 Olympic Silver Medallist and World Professional Champion Paul Wylie; and 1998 Olympic Gold Medallist Ilia Kulik.>

Marjaana

**ladybug** · 08-08-2003, 12:54 AM

Ladskater, I must agree with you on Underhill and Martini. They skated with such great passion. It was hard not to think of them as a couple both on and off the ice.

**April** · 08-08-2003, 01:55 AM

Anyone who won gold and turned pro the next day is always missed? Tara (and Sarah) had/have their personal reasons, so that's life.

**Germanice** · 08-08-2003, 02:19 AM

They could've give(n) so much more to the sport! :(

- Ilia Kulik (waaay too early!)

- Oksana Baiul
... such a shame, she was one of the greatest, most charismatic, natural-gifted female skaters of all times! When it comes to real fire, temper, expression and versality noone can ever touch her. She's got it all! I still miss her!

- The Duchesnayes

Anke

**ballerinagrl** · 08-09-2003, 04:02 AM

I have been hugely disppointed when people have turned pro, but I read their reasons in the skating press, and I respect them. The problem is, if you live in Europe, the only skating you see are the European and World championships. Thus when a skater turns pro you completely lose them (other than reports in magazines), and I guess it is the lack of pro skating accessible to Europeans through the various TV channels that disappoints me rather than the skater's decisions.

To name but a few I miss Oksana, Tara, Ilia, B&S, Katia G ...

I also fear I am soon to miss Alexei ...

Best, Lilia

**Germanice** · 08-09-2003, 05:00 AM

Originally posted by ballerinagrl
I have been hugely disppointed when people have turned pro, but I read their reasons in the skating press, and I respect them. The problem is, if you live in Europe, the only skating you see are the European and World championships. Thus when a skater turns pro you completely lose them (other than reports in magazines), and I guess it is the lack of pro skating accessible to Europeans through the various TV channels that disappoints me rather than the skater's decisions.

To name but a few I miss Oksana, Tara, Ilia, B&S, Katia G ...

I also fear I am soon to miss Alexei ...

Best, Lilia

This is oh-so-true! Retirements of skaters from eligible skating are way harder to bear for fans in Europe, because they're no pro shows in front of our door, no TV coverages of shows etc. Here it means nothing else but to "lose" that certain skater forever ... :(

Anke

**Joesitz** · 08-09-2003, 07:16 AM

"TURNING PRO' This phrase, imo, is saying 'going out to pasteur', I am happy to note that posters are realizing that turning pro, for most skaters, means bye bye.

Joe

**sk8ing_lady2001** · 08-09-2003, 09:20 AM

I agree with show 42. :(

**shdotz** · 08-10-2003, 08:40 PM

Paul Wylie.

He was an outstanding lyrical skater. I miss seeing that.

sh

**Skating is fun** · 08-12-2003, 08:07 AM

[QUOTE]Originally posted by lavender
[B]Paul's showing in the pro world made me forget all about the eligible world for him but I was totally sad when he gave it all up so early. I still don't understand why.

Except for the silver medal at the Olympics Paul never really had any success in the eligible ranks. I think it was a smart move to turn pro, because he probably knew it was his only shot at a medal. He was not that young either and I guess the money he earned was also needed to finance his studies. In the early nineties there was not much money to earn for amateurs and only the higher ranked pros got lots of it. And with this more than unexpected medal, he finally was in that postion. Another thing is that he, just like i.e. Yuka Sato and Bechke & Petrov became so much better as a pro, because he finally could show more of his artistic side.

**Pookie** · 08-12-2003, 09:31 AM

I forgot to mention Paul Wylie. I think he left such a hole when he retired.

**astimegoesby** · 08-12-2003, 07:38 PM

IMO, there's a huge difference between "retiring" as in "turning pro" and "retiring" as in "leaving skating behind forever." Although that difference appears to be growing smaller and smaller since pro competition has basically ceased to exist.

That being said...

The skaters who I was most disappointed to see move on to the pro world are Jamie and David. Although they've probably had the most promising pro debut I've seen in years and I'm looking forward to seeing what they'll come up with next, I still would have liked to see them win another world title or two before moving on...although I completely understand why the two of them would have felt differently!

The skaters I was most disappointed to see leave the sport altogether were Christine Hough and Doug Ladret. They were one of the most underrated and versatile pairs team I've ever seen and they were just starting to reach their peak as pro skaters when they retired back in 1996.

**berthes ghost** · 08-13-2003, 04:29 AM

"[QUOTE]Originally posted by lavender
[B]Paul's showing in the pro world made me forget all about the eligible world for him but I was totally sad when he gave it all up so early. I still don't understand why."

Huh?

In addition to what SkatingIsFun said, I'd like to add that perhaps Todd and MK have spoiled us.

Paul skated at the senior level for almost a decade. Back in the day, 2 trips to the Olympics, 4 nats medals with 4 qualifying trips to worlds, and a career crowning Oly medal at 27 was a full career to be envied.

Sure, today we have 30 year olds giving it one last try, but Paul was no 15 year old with nary a visit to worlds.