Speculating on Retirements after 2010

We have some really strong skaters out there. The top Men have all been in Olys before, but some are all new to this ultimate of events. The top Ladies, I believe are all brand new. This will be a new Era for Ladies skating in all the upcoming competitions. Pairs will be some close calls during the season of the top Pairs teams, and Skate Dance do not seem to challenge for the podium, let alone, win the event.

The season will begin in October and travel all the way to the Olys, and for some the Worlds.

Will Joubert retire after the Olys? or after the Worlds? or not at all?
Plushenko, Weir, Lysacek, Verner?

Will Mao and YuNa hang around for another Olys? Will they skate 2010 Worlds?

What about the young American Ladies?
Joannie, Sarah Meier, Carolina ?

Lots of Pairs and Skate Dancers.

Appreciate your thoughts on Retirements after 2010,

I think if Yuna wins the OGM she will retire from competitive skating. I wouldn't be surprised if she retires if she wins silver or bronze either.

Mao I think will continue if she doesn't win the Gold medal.

Haven't Evan and Johnny already said this is their last season? Plushy retired once and like Sasha, I think he is looking for one more shot of Olympic fueled adrenalin and glory.

I think B/A will retire too.

I think if Joubert gets OGM, he'll retire. Otherwise, he'll go to 2010 worlds.

janetfan said:

I think if Yuna wins the OGM she will retire from competitive skating. I wouldn't be surprised if she retires if she wins silver or bronze either.

Mao I think will continue if she doesn't win the Gold medal.

Haven't Evan and Johnny already said this is their last season? Plushy retired once and like Sasha, I think he is looking for one more shot of Olympic fueled adrenalin and glory.

I think B/A will retire too.

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yeah, i think this is pretty much it.

I think we will also have a retiring in pairs en masse. Shen and Zhao will certainly go back in retirement, I expect Pang and Tong and possibly the Zhangs also to hang up the skates after this season. If S&S win the gold I think they will retire.
Oliver and Shonfelder will retire...gold medal or not. She will have new baby to care for and they have been around a long time.
I think this will be Bebe's last year, frankly, I am surprised that she is coming back for this season. The chances of making the olympic team are very small.

Sarah Meier has said she might stay because 2011 Euros will be in Bern. BTW, not all the top ladies are brand new - Joannie, Miki and Caro were all in Torino, while Sasha and Fumie were also at SLC.

Like Tinymavy, I think all the top Chinese pairs will retire, with the Zhangs being the only question mark - if they fail to medal in Vancouver, they might try and stay on until they win Worlds.

Plushy will re-retire, and I expect Johnny Weir will also call it a day. And KvdP, with all those injuries he's pretty much held stitches and tape at this point. Brian Joubert is harder to predict, I believe that if he medals he'll probably retire, he's just had too many health issues the last few years.

In dance, I can't imagine B/A, Del/Schoes and DomShabs will stay. I also expect Sinead and John to retire, though they might stay an extra year to try and win a world medal.

Joesitz said:

We have some really strong skaters out there. The top Men have all been in Olys before, but some are all new to this ultimate of events. The top Ladies, I believe are all brand new. This will be a new Era for Ladies skating in all the upcoming competitions. Pairs will be some close calls during the season of the top Pairs teams, and Skate Dance do not seem to challenge for the podium, let alone, win the event.

The season will begin in October and travel all the way to the Olys, and for some the Worlds.

Will Joubert retire after the Olys? or after the Worlds? or not at all?
Plushenko, Weir, Lysacek, Verner?

Will Mao and YuNa hang around for another Olys? Will they skate 2010 Worlds?

What about the young American Ladies?
Joannie, Sarah Meier, Carolina ?

Lots of Pairs and Skate Dancers.

Appreciate your thoughts on Retirements after 2010,

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It's pretty much a sure bet that some of the household names like Joannie, Weir, Plushenko (is he competing at Olys?) will move on after the 2010 Games. Also a few who are making a so called "come back" like Sasha Cohen for the Games will also be hanging up their competitive blades.

Have no fear though, there will be a new crop of skaters coming on their skate blade heels and we will grow to love them as well....

I think it's almost certain that Z/Z will not retire, i think they'll go to at least 2014.

P/T is a question mark too... haha, the chinese skaters tend to have a longer skating life i think.

How about V/M and D/W, do you guys think they might retire? V/M have some injuries, D/W have been skating together for so long, and they have always talked about wanting to go to grad school or something.

jumpjumpjump said:

How about V/M and D/W, do you guys think they might retire? V/M have some injuries, D/W have been skating together for so long, and they have always talked about wanting to go to grad school or something.

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No way. Both of these teams are young and pretty much just are climbing to the top. Tessa and Scott might retire if they win the gold. any of other situation I see both teams going to 2014.

Thank you all so much for your views, and also for mentioning so many other solos and teams
In 2003 when I first began to attend Worlds competitions, I believe there was only a few Oly podiums from 2002 attending the 03 Worlds. Kwan, Fumie, Sokolova and Cohen were all there Plushy, too, was there. Lots of newbies in 2003 including Joubert and Lambiel. Borne and Kranz won their gold finally and retired as did Lobacheva/Averbach.

It really boils down to determination for a medal, if not at the Olys, then at Worlds, but how many Worlds before the newbies start getting noticed?
And also very important how much effort to put into a new season? it's easy to get bored showing up at a cold rink in the mornings and rehash everything one has been doing for the past 15-10 years.

Evan and Johnny have both made comments to the press that they plan to move on after this season - whether or not they decide to stay to that plan who knows...

IIRC, Tanith also mentioned this would be the last season for B/A (the way she was quoted made me think we wouldn't see them skate together at all after that - or like Peter and Naomi: very rarely)

Joesitz said:

In 2003 when I first began to attend Worlds competitions, I believe there was only a few Oly podiums from 2002 attending the 03 Worlds. Kwan, Fumie, Sokolova and Cohen were all there Plushy, too, was there. Lots of newbies in 2003 including Joubert and Lambiel.

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At 2003 Worlds, Joubert was in his second senior season, and had already won two Euros medals and a GP (Skate America).

Lambiel was in his third senior season and second Worlds, but it would take him another two years to win a medal at an ISU championship: his 2005 win at Worlds was his first medal of any color at Euros/Worlds. Fun fact: Stephane first appeared at a World Championship in 1997, when he skated in the gala as the Swiss novice champion. The clip can be found online and is worth tracking down just to see how good he was even at that age.

Re D/W and V/M, they will not retire in 2010 except maybe if Scott and Tessa win the OGM. Meryl and Charlie will have to stay in because they won't get on the podium at Worlds/Olys until B/A retire.

For some reason, I can't see V/M retire even if they are golden in Vancouver. As for American pairs, I couldn't see McLaughlin/Brubaker nor Denney/Barette retiring, but wouldnt be surprised at all if we lose Inoue/Baldwin and Vise/Trent, and a Castile/Okolski retirement wouldn't be too shocking, but I think they'll hang around a little lounger.

For American ladies, I think it's safe to say no more Bebe Liang or Emily Hughes, nor obviously Sasha if she returns successfully. I think Alissa will want to go atleast one more year, but wouldn't be surprised with a retirement. I can't see any of the other girls retiring, like Zhang, Nagasu, Wagner, or Flatt. I think they realize 2010 will be tough, and their medal chances at Sochi 2014 seem a lot higher.

janetfan said:

I think if Yuna wins the OGM she will retire from competitive skating. I wouldn't be surprised if she retires if she wins silver or bronze either.

Mao I think will continue if she doesn't win the Gold medal.

Haven't Evan and Johnny already said this is their last season? Plushy retired once and like Sasha, I think he is looking for one more shot of Olympic fueled adrenalin and glory.

I think B/A will retire too.

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Omg why? WHy do you think Yuna will retire after the 2010?

Joesitz said:

Will Joubert retire after the Olys? or after the Worlds? or not at all?

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As a Brian expert, this is what I can say:

Several times Brian has stated that after 2010, he'd retire. However, last season he said, that time had flown since 2006, and so he might stay on a little longer.
I don't think that he'll retire straight after the Olys and that he'll definitely go to worlds, unless he wins the OGM and gets loads of juicy exhibition contracts, baring in mind that Brian is more of a competiton guy than an exhibition guy, and I suppose he'd like to win a second world title even if he does become Olympic champ. Even if brian does stay on after the Olympics, I doubt it it would be for more than a season if he wins gold, and if he doesn't win gold, he probably won't go all the way to Sochi.

I think Z/Z will surely retire but I am not sure of pang/tong, chinese federation doesn't seem t have a reliable junior teams and may what P/T to stay on to keep third spot at worlds.

Domnina/Shabalin is sure shot retirement, K/N will stay to test the waters again. D/S (france) will surely retire and can't believe they held together for so long. B/A will retire but i don't think D/W and V/M will retire (they are babies by Ice dancing standards).

Singles - i don't think both Mao or yuna will retire, they may take sabbaticals.

Miki, Rochete, Suguri and Sasha will retire.
Mens- plushy, weir, Lysacek, Jourbert will retire

jayjayjayyy said:

Omg why? WHy do you think Yuna will retire after the 2010?

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She has said so.
If she wins she will have nothing else to prove. She will be national champ many ties over, World champ and Olympic champ.
If she dosen't win I really can't see her maintaining that level of skating for 4 more years, taking into account all her injuries.

Tessa and Scott have stated that they want to accomplish their skating goals young so they have time to achieve other things in their life (ex. school, career). If they win gold in 2010 I can see them hanging up their blades.

I think Jessica and Bryce will retire. I can see Joannie sticking around for maybe one more year to beat the Canadian record for Senior titles held by Jennifer Robinson.

Buttercup said:

At 2003 Worlds, Joubert was in his second senior season, and had already won two Euros medals and a GP (Skate America).

Lambiel was in his third senior season and second Worlds, but it would take him another two years to win a medal at an ISU championship: his 2005 win at Worlds was his first medal of any color at Euros/Worlds. Fun fact: Stephane first appeared at a World Championship in 1997, when he skated in the gala as the Swiss novice champion. The clip can be found online and is worth tracking down just to see how good he was even at that age.

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We, in the US did not see Euros often and did not know of Joubert and Lambiel winning or placing in competitions. Beg pardon, but I should have said that I had not seen (or even heard of them) prior to 2003 Worlds. Where that whole competition was about Plushenko and Goebel and their quads, there was little buzz in DC about Brian and Stephane except among the Europeans whom I happened to sit by. Stephane won me over with his SP at that event.

Re D/W and V/M, they will not retire in 2010 except maybe if Scott and Tessa win the OGM. Meryl and Charlie will have to stay in because they won't get on the podium at Worlds/Olys until B/A retire.

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IMO, the two teams are very special, and I can't wait to clear the air with the obvious podium at the Olys. I hope these kids battle it out in Bern.

Joesitz said:

We, in the US did not see Euros often and did not know of Joubert and Lambiel winning or placing in competitions. Beg pardon, but I should have said that I had not seen (or even heard of them) prior to 2003 Worlds. Where that whole competition was about Plushenko and Goebel and their quads, there was little buzz in DC about Brian and Stephane except among the Europeans whom I happened to sit by. Stephane won me over with his SP at that event.

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Oh, I see what you mean. I thought Joubert might have gotten noticed because of the win at 2002 Skate America (the one in which Yagudin had to WD after the short). You have to look up Stephane at 1997 Worlds - it's adorable.

IMO, the two teams are very special, and I can't wait to clear the air with the obvious podium at the Olys. I hope these kids battle it out in Bern.

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2011 Euros will be in Bern. Worlds will be in Nagano that year so assuming D/W and V/M stay, that's where they'll be competing.

Baring unforeseen circumstances, Mao will certainly stay at least until Sochi. She spoke many times about her plans for the future and she has very specific plans for the next 4 years. Also, both het and TAT spoke that one of their goals is to find such a training regime that would result in a body not susceptible to injuries, and possibly attend the next Olympics after Sochi (though, of course, plans can change over the course of the next few years).

YuNa - she spoke a few times after possibly retiring after Olys, but somehow I can't see the Korean Federation allowing her to do so. Figure skating is big in Korea, but if YuNa retires, there's no one to fill the void.

She will be national champ many ties over

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Funnily enough, she hasn't competed at Nats at all in the recent seasons. Though, of course, the Korean Fed granted her the title of Korean Champion anyway.

Miki - somehow it's hard to imagine her retiring, recently she seems more happy and motivated than ever. But, of course, there's the question of her recurring injuries and the doubtful 'pleasure' of training and competing while in pain. Also, recently she seemed to be quite enthusiastic about becoming a figure skating coach. I could see ehr becoming Morozov's assistant and/or a coach at Chuukyo University.

Daisuke - I think it will depend on the results from this season. He might stay around for a bit more if he's able to fully recover from his injury.

Nobunari - fans worry that he might retire after Vancouver, as he mentioned many times that he wants to finish school, work as a teacher and create a family. However, Nobu said that nothing's written in stone yet and he'll make a decision after Olys, after discussing the matter with his coach Nikolai Morozov.

Fumie - I think she'll retire for sure. She mentioned a few times that she wished she had retired after last Olys... Her last season was very successful, placing 2nd at Nats and making the Worlds team. I think that whatever happens this season she should be happy with her career.

Yukari, Akiko - I thought they might want to retire as welll... But with Fumie and (possibly) Miki retiring, their chances to make the Words team next season become much better. So, who knows?

Alissa, Bebe - I think they'll retire.

Evan, Johnny - I have a feeling that they might to call it a day as well.