what skaters do you love who never really made it?

[RockTheTassel]

People have different ideas as to what is considered "making it" as a skater and what is not, but I would define it by how well a skater lived up to his or her potential, whether it was to win gold at the Olympics or to just earn a spot on the team.

I'm sad that Ryan Bradley never made it to the Olympics. Today I was reading an interview with him from earlier this year, and his comments about the Olympics were heartbreaking. I'm sure he had to know his chances weren't great, but it's still hard. I believe the right people were chosen, but I still would have loved to see him in Vancouver. He's a great performer, and I hope he has a fantastic career as a show skater.

I would also place Sasha on the list. Not just because she didn't get gold in the 2006 Olympics, but also because she never skated two clean performances in a major competition. She was capable of at least one World title, but it never happened for her. It's a shame because she had such talent.

I'm also sad for Johnny. He's a beautiful skater but has just never been able to get it together completely. I am happy that he was able to deliver two great performances in Vancouver, despite only getting sixth.

Thinking about all the disappointment almost makes me want to quit watching skating. It's too heartbreaking! I can't even imagine actually being the skater and having to go through it.

[treeloving]

Yukina Ota, Her lay back spin is just stunning
Ryan Bradley , I love his Mozart program and he has quad. He will be a new star in show after he retire.

[silverlake22]

http://www.icenetworkincrowd.com/Ang...640/72859.html
Angela Maxwell, she is so spunky and adorable. Plus she can do a backflip in skates !

[Mrs. P]

Interesting thoughts..I agree with R.D. and others that you can't really mention people like Sasha in this post simply because she did make it.

Perhaps is there was a thread called "Which skater could have done more?" then maybe Sasha, but then we're faced with that weird definition thing.

Anyway, I was looking at old videos of Miki Ando and I came across some videos of Ann Patrice McDonough, who beat Miki (and Yukari) in the 2002 Junior World championships. Anyway, I think she's absolutely gorgeous. Great jumps and spins!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JV0owg8Wnw

By the way, McDonough graduated high school at the age of 16, but somehow that was never mentioned in the commentary! (Unlike some of Tom Z's other skaters....)

[RockTheTassel]

http://www.icenetworkincrowd.com/Ang...640/72859.html
Angela Maxwell, she is so spunky and adorable. Plus she can do a backflip in skates !

Wow, how cool that she can do a backflip! You rarely see those kinds of moves from female skaters.

[silverlake22]

Wow, how cool that she can do a backflip! You rarely see those kinds of moves from female skaters.

I think she used to be a gymnast. But yeah, she is intense, I don't know if you're familiar with her as a skater but her jumps are HUGE considering she's like 4'11". I really like her though, hope her injury is better!

[Johar]

Ann Patrice McDonough
Naomi Nari Nam
Jenni Tew
Sydne Vogel
Yoshie Onda
Christopher Bowman
Emmanuel Sandhu
Lucinda Ruhl
Katy Taylor
Lisa Erwin
Tiffany & Johnny Steigler
Kiira Korpi
Julia Soldatova
Elena Liashenko

[snowflake]

Agree with many named. And for sure there are many I never saw, especially the ones from US. But Matt Savoie I remember from Torino

My love for great not so lucky skaters:

Stannick Jeanette, who I believe was not fully supported from the French federation. 7th in worlds 2000. European brons in 2001 and 2003. Never in olympics. Would have been more successful in the current system with his inventive spins, choreo and interpretation + he had good jumps and mostly the quad. Now a choreographer for Florent Amodio(FRA), junior A-L Gjersem(NOR), Miriam Ziegler(AUT) and maybe some more skaters? Bet/hope he will be a famous choreographer in the future.

Ilia Klimkin, who had injuries and had to stop skating too early. Brons in Euros 2004 in Budapest. Never number one in Russia. 11th in olympics 2006.

When I watch these two lovely, artistic, original skaters again, I see how much I miss them. Wish they had been in more competitions and won more medals

Another Russian guy; Abt, a fabulous skater that had a lot of problems: injuries(broken leg?) and not being popular with the Russian federation if I have got it right. He was 5th in olympics 2002. As said in another post; always behind Yagudin and Plushenko.

Exactly the skater who came to my mind.

My wife and I saw her at Junior Worlds in 2000, and she became our favorite skater at that entire event. To our frustration, we never got to see her in competition again. Her skates at international performances were never included in the television coverage we received at home. She did not skate at Europeans 2002 (which we attended) because of injury. She switched from singles to pairs (and from Denmark to Germany) and was entered into the 2004 Nebelhorn Trophy, which we attended, but she and her partner dropped out at the last minute because of illness or injury. (There was a consolation prize--they were replaced by Savchenko and Szolkowy in their first international competition together.) She then retired from competitive skating a year later, just a couple of months before we attended the German national championships. She did appear as a skating double for Claire Danes in the movie "It's All About Love"; this is the only other place in which we've seen her skate.

Does she still skate in shows, or has she moved on to other things?

Oh yes, Mikkeline Kirkgaard(DEN), what a loss! I saw her first time at Euros 2000 when she placed 7th. The audience, commentators, everyone was so impressed. She didn't do the harder jumps, but what performances: SP to "Light my fire" and LP to Rondo Cappricioso. At worlds the same year she was 11th I think, not sure. In 2001 she was 14th in worlds and then I never saw her again. Won't speculate about her problems, but very sad that she disappeared from the ice also after trying pair skating.

Another lost Scandinavian lady is Lina Johansson(SWE), second in JGPF 2003 and then plagued by injuries. At the JGPF event in Malmö behind one year older Miki Ando. Pavuk(HUN) was 3rd, Mai Asada 4th and Kimmie Meissner 5th. Mai Asada didn't make it to the top either. Don't know why and I never saw her skating. The ladies placing 6-8 I don't know anything about.

so many come and go

There have been many over the years. Here's a few-

Braden Overett
Yosuke Takeuchi
Jeannie Miley / Michael Verlich
Anna Rechnio
Michael Chack

who are they all???
Anna from Poland I remember and agree. She was a very fast and powerful skater.

[Kwanford Wife]

Katy Taylor

Thanks Johar! I almost forgot Katy... I wonder if she ever got that pink hummer. Some of my favorite threads around here concerned her 16 year old self wanting that truck - too funny!!!

[silverlake22]

Amelie Lacoste

[blue_idealist]

Amelie Lacoste

Amelie Lacoste still has time to 'make it' :D

Btw, I read somewhere that Ann Patrice McDonough really hated skating and was forced to skate by her mother. I'm not sure how true this is.

[Mrs. P]

Amelie Lacoste still has time to 'make it' :D

Btw, I read somewhere that Ann Patrice McDonough really hated skating and was forced to skate by her mother. I'm not sure how true this is.

Tracked this Colorado Springs Gazette story from 2006: "Remember Ann Patrice McDonough?"
http://findarticles.com/p/articles/m.../ai_n16181555/

[silverlake22]

Amelie Lacoste still has time to 'make it' :D

Btw, I read somewhere that Ann Patrice McDonough really hated skating and was forced to skate by her mother. I'm not sure how true this is.

True. Especially if Joannie retires soon, the Canadian ladies' field is not that deep. I prefer Amelie's skating to Cynthia's but apparently the judges find Cynthia way better.

[Bijoux]

Please can someone tell me what happened with Katy Taylor? How why she left the scene? Thanks...

[Raatkirani]

Most of my heartbreakers have already been mentioned. For me the list would be:
Alexander Abt (number one for sure...immensely talented, judging victim)
Drobiazko and Vanagas (judging victims)
Ryan Bradley
AP McDonough
Jenny Kirk
Nicole Bobek
Tiffany Stiegler
Shelby Lyons
Lucinda Ruh
Angela Nikodinov
Dare I say...Silvia Fontana?