Olympic Champ Most Likely to Be Least Remembered by 2022 | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Olympic Champ Most Likely to Be Least Remembered by 2022

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Ruby Tuesday said:
It's not like Michelle isn't "well known" among those few in Europe who actually like figure skating. She's a 5-time-World-Champion after all! She's just far away from having the same "meaning" she obviously has in the US. Most of the European skating freaks simply don't get what US-fans seem to see in her, that's all.

I'm American and *I* don't see what the Michelle Kwan fans see either... don't say US fans all love Michelle... cuz that just ain't true! LOL
 

Grgranny

Da' Spellin' Homegirl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I really thought he should have won (Urmanov) as Elvis just doesnt have the artistry. I think he is a great jumper, etc. but no artistry as far as I'm concerned. JMHO
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
It's a tie between Sarah and Alexei. For now, I am forced to say Sarah, because Alexei continues to be involved with FS. However, Sarah can still come back to a productive pro career (I don't beleive she will come back to eligible skating), so the jury is still out.
 

RIskatingfan

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
It can't be Alexei Urmanov. He is the first name that people bring whenever someone asks this LOL Honestly, everybody recognizes this name no matter if they remember his programs or not. They will always bring how he beat (fairly or unfairly) Elvis and how he is being forgotten LOL

Sarah HUghes will be remembered by the magical and surprising night, Oksana Baiul has too much of a background that makes it impossible that people forget about her and tara Lipinski had the rivalry with Michelle Kwan. It might sound weird, even to me, but from that list, I'd say Kulik has the most chances.

The least remembered Olympic champion is someone who nobody remembers. HOw many pairs and dance teams won Olympics and we don't hear their names for so long we don't even remember they existed? Maybe the best way to get a conclusion is actually grab a list with all Olympic champions and see what names we already forgot about.
 

FrozenHeart

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 12, 2003
Urmanov! I´ve never seen his Olympic program, but what I saw in a show on TV last year was deadly boring.
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
North America never gave Urmanov the opportunity to endear himself to the audience. He was never forgiven for beating Elvis Stokjo

Sorry, but I think that this is complete BS.

I think there are two main reasons why AU is not uber popular:
1. Poor career choices/performances. The pro boom between 94 and 98 was phenominal. If he went pro after Lillehammer he could have done so many shows, given so many performances on TV, gotten the chance to beat Wylie and Hamilton, etc... Instead he stayed eligable and never made the podium ever again, sealing a fate of obscurity with each poor showing at worlds. Missing Olys due to injury just sealed the fate. How can you gain fans if you miss the most important and watched competition of all?
2. Style. Once he did turn pro he did a lot of comps. We've all seen his programs, pictures of which constantly show up during "Ugliest costume", "silliest routine" and "most OTT performence" type threads. He had plenty of chances to win over NA crouds, but didn't because he chose to do awful style programs. Well, maybe this one belongs under "poor career choices" as well.

NA gave him plenty of chances, he blew them all.

I'll never understand why people insist on lumping Canda, US and Mexico together under one big consensus of nationalism. Do you really think most US people give a hoot about if a Canadian was robbed? I don't. I may care if I think that a better skater lost to someone who wasn't as good, but that has nothing to do with nationalism. Do you think USers cheered and felt all warm and gooey everytime Elvis beat Todd? Wake up, we are rivals.
 

Ruby Tuesday

Spectator
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Tonichelle said:
I'm American and *I* don't see what the Michelle Kwan fans see either... don't say US fans all love Michelle... cuz that just ain't true! LOL
Sorry! You're right; of course it's too easy and not fair to lump all US-American skating fans together. But just have a look at all those skating boards! Considering all those posts and views on Michelle Kwan threads one simply cannot help to come to the conclusion that all US-Americans are automatically Kwan fans and all Kwan fans automatically US-Americans. :laugh: My fault! :cry:
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
From what I hear from other posters, Michelle is not well known in Europe.

One really has to qualify this statment.

Skating isn't popular in Europe in general, a fact that is obvious in the quality of their skaters. Sometimes I think that they should just rename the European Championships the Russian National Championships - part II.

Ladies skating isn't the most popular event in Europe (also evidenced in the quality of the ladies), Ice Dancing is.

So, I may be persuaded to believe the MK is not the uber-famous icon cum houshold name that she is in the US, but among people who follow skating she's plenty famous.

Example 1: watch a broadcast of skating from Europen TV. One doesn't need Dick and Peggy to hear OTT MK gushing. They even mention her at events she's not in.

Example 2: When I went to my first Euros, I was shocked to find not only the arena but bus stops all over the city plasted with huge images of MK. Apparently the Olympic museum chose her (a non OGM) as thier posterchild. Not Irina, not one of French gals, MK.
 

Germanice

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Fine, but where are the true Kwan admirers among European skating fans? :eek: So far I've never really met one! But wait - maybe it's just me and I'm scaring them to death? :D Sooo, p-l-e-a-s-e! - Kwan fans around Europe!, don't be afraid!, why don't you finally come out of your closets? ;)

Anke
 
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FrozenHeart

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 12, 2003
Germanice said:
Fine, but where are the true Kwan admirers among European skating fans? :eek: So far I've never really met one! But wait - maybe it's just me and I'm scaring them to death? :D Sooo, p-l-e-a-s-e! - Kwan fans around Europe!, don't be afraid!, why don't you finally come out of your closets? ;)

Anke

Yeah, European Kwan fans, be brave. We won´t bite your heads off, don´t we, Germanice? BTW, didn´t you recognize me, dear? :love:
 

Ptichka

Forum translator
Record Breaker
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Jul 28, 2003
Berthes, even though I don't like your tone, it's nice to have one poster I can always recognize by the style. I started reading your post , and three lines down thought to myslef: "Hmmm, must be Berthes!". Looked... and indeed was right!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Fine, but where are the true Kwan admirers among European skating fans? :eek: So far I've never really met one! But wait - maybe it's just me and I'm scaring them to death? :D Sooo, p-l-e-a-s-e! - Kwan fans around Europe!, don't be afraid!, why don't you finally come out of your closets? ;)
Yeah, European Kwan fans, be brave. We won´t bite your heads off, don´t we, Germanice?
Guten Abend, Damen und Herrn. Meine Name ist "DeutcheKwanLieb." I will switch over to English now, because not everyone on GS speaks my mothertongue fluently.

My computer is broken, so Mathman has kindly let me post under his login name. (I usually hang out at the MK Forum -- membership 5600, mostly Germans like me.)

I have just conducted a scientific poll of the European continent. You will be happy to learn that there are 862.3 million Michelle Kwan fans in Europe, with 62.8 million right here in Good Ol' Germany.

Danke und Auf Wiedersehn!

(signed) DKL, Berlin, 16/11/03
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
forgotten

For the men, I have to say Urmanov....I think his problem was that he was just too esoteric a lot of the time to be really embraced by a lot of fans.


In ladies, I have to say Hughes will be quickly forgotten, though it's close between her and Lipinski. Hughes wasn't around the figure skating world for all that long and was not a terribly distinctive skater to begin with (fans, don't jump on me, I just think she wasn't around long enough to distinguish herself from the pack stylistically). None of her programs really rank up there as special.
 

beebeeuk

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 4, 2003
Least remembered......Sarah Hughes....for a minute there I had to recall who won last Olympics. :rolleye:
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
curious:

That was definitely a judging bias. Elvis should have won. The judges did not go for Elvis's short program and costume Don't blame the fans.
 

windspirit

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
beebeeuk said:
Least remembered......Sarah Hughes....for a minute there I had to recall who won last Olympics. :rolleye:
Yeah, but the question was how many people would remember her in 2022.

Unless she comes back and wins some important competitions (Worlds among them), or has a successful professional career, I too think that she'll be among the least remembered Olympic champions.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
IT'S QUIZ TIME.........

Without looking them up do you know which lady figure skater won the following Olympics"?

1920

1952

1964

1980

2002

If you do then, I believe, those ladies will always be remembered.

Joe
 

berthes ghost

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Without looking them up .....

1920 Herma Plank Sorba

1952 Jeanette Altwegg

1964 Sroujki Drouxra

1980 Anett Poetsch

2002 Sarah Hughes

God, the spellings are all wrong, but the middle 3 definately were forgettable by all acounts.

Sarah was too recent to forget, get back to us in 20 years.

Herma was a big deal in her day.

Peggy was inspired by the 64 champ. She said in a fluff piece that she disliked her skating so much, it inspired her to get better and become the next champ.
 

moyesii

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 28, 2003
berthes ghost said:
Peggy was inspired by the 64 champ. She said in a fluff piece that she disliked her skating so much, it inspired her to get better and become the next champ.
:laugh: If you're not making that up, then I give credit to Peggy Fleming for her cheekiness. That's more like somethind Dick Button would say :D
 
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