what skaters do you love who never really made it?

[Olympia]

One of the great things about skating fans is that we often are able to detect hidden treasure in skaters. We don't just appreciate the ones with the top scores or the glittering careers, though of course we love and admire them as well. We also see the quality in the more obscure. I think skaters such as Naomi Nari Nam, Matt Savoie, and others mentioned here would be gratified to know that their efforts are remembered and admired. This is one way that skating is an art form as well as a sport: it's an act of communication between competitor and spectator, or, if you will, performer and audience. If we in the audience can respond by "getting" what the skater is doing, it completes the process.

Kwanford Wife, do you mean Laetitia Hebert? I remember that skate--wasn't it Albertville? Poor kid; she was just overwhelmed by the situation.

[R.D.]

Yebin Mok

Oh yeah, I remember her. Whatever happened? She was a good one IIRC.

But I can't believe some of the names being thrown about here. If you win any kind of World or Oly medal you've DEFINITELY "made it". (IMO) It's almost ridiculous to think otherwise. How many thousands (possibly millions) of other skaters just want to BE at Worlds or Olys? I mean- Czisny, as inconsistent as she might be, has absolutely "made it"- she's national champ and has been to the worlds twice for goodness sake. Meissner, a WORLD champ, has "made it"- and Cohen, multiple World and National medals- she's reached the point that many people outside of the FS community have at least "heard of her". If that's not "making it" I don't know what is. Perhaps some people think you must win OGM or WGM. Then practically no one has "made it"- at least by some fans' definitions.

Sorry for the rant.

[Antilles]

Punsalan&Swallow, Nikidinov, Lucinda Ruh, Nakano, Shawn Sawyer, Chouinard, Steven Cousins, the Kerrs, Ann-Patrice McDonough

[Bijoux]

Punsalan&Swallow, Nikidinov, Lucinda Ruh, Nakano, Shawn Sawyer, Chouinard, Steven Cousins, the Kerrs, Ann-Patrice McDonough

I think Steven Cousins did well with 8 Brittish champs and long SOI/Pro show career. ITA about the so lovely AP and thought Lucinda deserved more than 1 year only, I think on SOI. She skates like a Goddess and I would like to have seen more of her during the pro years extravaganza. Its not like many SOI skaters except Yama/Sato jumped much anyway. I love watching her. And I agree about most ice dance teams pre Belgosto.

Matt Savoie...why did he quit? He was so good, underappreciated, tho. I think he would do better now under CoP as men can do well without quad.

I don't think Goebel belongs on the list and certainly Sasha does not. She choked plenty and Peggy once called her "the best practice skater to ever have lived," Ouch but true. Still, she has had a fine career as skating goes.

[ruriruri]

Nobunari Oda.

He had so many silly mistakes at the world stage and seems to pass the peak already.

[dlgpffps]

Oh yeah, I remember her. Whatever happened? She was a good one IIRC.

She had a gorgeous, true lutz. I adore skaters with oustanding toe jumps. In Wikipedia, it says "She has since dealt with injuries and failed to make it out of regionals in the 2006/2007 season." Skating really is a survival of the fittest.

[Olympia]

I think it's way too soon to make an evaluation of Oda's career. Didn't he win everything in sight in the Grand Prix season this year? He just had a tough time at Worlds. (The Olympics problem I don't count because of the shoelace.) After Paul Wylie and Todd Eldredge, I don't like to close the door on skating careers that are still going on, because you never know.

Lucinda Ruh is definitely someone to add to the list, though. What a delight to watch! The only lady who even approaches her magical spinning ability is Czisny, and she's a distant second to Lucinda. Thank goodness Lucinda was around during the Landover Pro tournament years, where she got air time and name recognition that she otherwise wouldn't have had. The announcers always singled her out in the American TV presentation of that competition, and it was well deserved.

I suppose Emanuel Sandhu could go on the list, too. He was a Canadian champion, so he wasn't exactly an also-ran, but the guy had worse competition nerves than Czisny. He gave his coach fits, and fans could get high blood pressure just rooting for him in the long program. Such a shame. Not only did the guy move like silk on the ice, but he had quads! When he wasn't cleaning the ice with his backside, that is. Even so, I don't regret rooting for him. When he was on, he was like no one else.

[Mathman]

But I can't believe some of the names being thrown about here. If you win any kind of World or Oly medal you've DEFINITELY "made it". (IMO) It's almost ridiculous to think otherwise. How many thousands (possibly millions) of other skaters just want to BE at Worlds or Olys?...

Totally agree.

Soime more of my faves:

Vakhtang Murvanidze

Watanabe and Kido

Best and Young

Sima and Amir Ganaba

[R.D.]

She had a gorgeous, true lutz. I adore skaters with oustanding toe jumps. In Wikipedia, it says "She has since dealt with injuries and failed to make it out of regionals in the 2006/2007 season." Skating really is a survival of the fittest.

That's really too bad. She was talented, I remember that much.

[silverlake22]

Oh yeah, I remember her. Whatever happened? She was a good one IIRC.

But I can't believe some of the names being thrown about here. If you win any kind of World or Oly medal you've DEFINITELY "made it". (IMO) It's almost ridiculous to think otherwise. How many thousands (possibly millions) of other skaters just want to BE at Worlds or Olys? I mean- Czisny, as inconsistent as she might be, has absolutely "made it"- she's national champ and has been to the worlds twice for goodness sake. Meissner, a WORLD champ, has "made it"- and Cohen, multiple World and National medals- she's reached the point that many people outside of the FS community have at least "heard of her". If that's not "making it" I don't know what is. Perhaps some people think you must win OGM or WGM. Then practically no one has "made it"- at least by some fans' definitions.

Sorry for the rant.

Soo I guess Tomas doesn't count then because he has 6 Czech titles, a European title, a European silver medal, multiple GP medals, and has gone to the GPF 3 times? Still, I'd love to see him perform two clean programs at a competition just out of curiousity to see how he would place.

[evangeline]

Alexander Abt - had the great misfortune of skating for Russia at the same time as Yagudin and Plushenko. Plus, all those weird injuries.
Matt Savoie - The Mission. That is all.
Yukina Ota - So much potential...

[SweetPea21307]

Alexander Abt - had the great misfortune of skating for Russia at the same time as Yagudin and Plushenko. Plus, all those weird injuries.

Alexander was such a magical skater. At the 2002 Olympics, he was the forgotten Russian--if your name wasn't Plushenko or Yagudin, it was as if you didn't exist.

I think if Alexander came up right after Kulik or Yagudin's retirement from competition, then he would have been on top (or near the top) of the skating world.

It's also a shame that he never could stay healthy. He had so much potential, but because of a mix of health issues and political judging, I don't think he was ever able to fully realize that potential.

[prettykeys]

I suppose Emanuel Sandhu could go on the list, too. He was a Canadian champion, so he wasn't exactly an also-ran, but the guy had worse competition nerves than Czisny. He gave his coach fits, and fans could get high blood pressure just rooting for him in the long program. Such a shame. Not only did the guy move like silk on the ice, but he had quads! When he wasn't cleaning the ice with his backside, that is. Even so, I don't regret rooting for him. When he was on, he was like no one else.

Hmm, cool, you know of him? lol I never watched him skate (just wasn't watching a lot of figure skating at that time), but I know about him. I watched an interview once where he was bitter about coming 2nd at the 1998 Canadian Nationals but being refused to be sent to the Olympics. The next chance he got, in 2002, he was apparently injured and he very much regretted being robbed of the earlier opportunity to gain Olympic experience. Whether he was inconsistent or not, I do sympathize with his story.

[jennyszy]

Povilas vanagas and margarita Drobyasko. They had it all in ice dancing in the early 2000s, and never made it beyond a couple of bronze medals! had they been russian (or from a more politicaly influencial country than Lithuania) , i'm sure they would have had many gold medals, they always had the public going for them though!!!

[Olympia]

Hmm, cool, you know of him? lol I never watched him skate (just wasn't watching a lot of figure skating at that time), but I know about him. I watched an interview once where he was bitter about coming 2nd at the 1998 Canadian Nationals but being refused to be sent to the Olympics. The next chance he got, in 2002, he was apparently injured and he very much regretted being robbed of the earlier opportunity to gain Olympic experience. Whether he was inconsistent or not, I do sympathize with his story.

Look Sandhu up on YouTube and see what you think. He was elegance personified. He also did a stint on the Canadian version of So You Think You Can Dance, where he was wonderful--that's on YouTube as well. The guy is made for show skating.

Jennyszy, I agree about Drobiazko and Vanagas. I'd still like to add the intriguing Finnish couple Rahkammo and Kokko. Ironically, I don't know if Rahkammo and Kokko are unsuccessful enough...having finally won a World silver and a European gold, thank goodness. They were so stylish, and usually they came in fourth after a bunch of Russians. R & K had a luxurious cushion because they were from Finland, where they didn't really have much competition, so they remained national champions for a good long career and were able to build both skills and a reputation at world events. I just looked them up on Wikipedia, and they're now married with two kids--a nice ending to a romantic pairing. She's also been president of the Finnish Figure Skating Association. Another trip to YouTube is in the offing for me, so I can watch them!