The Top Ten Skaters of this Decade

Kwanford Wife · Apr 13, 2010

Kwanford's List...

Men
1. Plushy (this kills me, but he DOMINATED for most of the decade. You can't deny either his place on top of this list or his place as one of the all time greats.

2. Joubert - Plushy's number rival throughout the decade. And he's hot.

3. Yags - if the decade were adjusted, he'd be on top but alack number 3 is as far as I can fairly place him.

4. Buttle. I'm not a fan, but he deserves this spot

5. Stephan. Again, not a fan but what can you do?

6. Johnny. If he'd won an Olympic Medal, I'd have him higher.

7. Timothy Goeble. If not for CoP and injuries...sigh

8. Evan. He kept plugging away and working hard and now he's on DWTS

9. The Japanese Men. This is where the real Asian Invasion is going to come...but not yet. I believe they have more to give and to add them too high is to fail in recognizing that their the best of their todays will be the worst of their tomorrows.

Ladies

1. Michelle Kwan. Seriously? I will spare Toni with my detailed analyst of why she's number 1. I can sum it up with: Red Violin, Fields of Gold, The Feeling Begins, Tosca and Song For You.

2. Irina. The only one to truly compete with Kwan. Also, her entire story, career and 2005 season are the stuff of legends.

3. Mao. Since she burst on the scene, has the story ever not been about her?

4. Sasha. If she'd just held on during 2006...well. She'd be number 2. The entire decade had Sasha in the mix. We talk about Kwan's longevity, but what about Sasha's? With serious injuries. This girl is a monster.

5. Yuna. She's had an amazing two years, but that does not a decade make. I sincerely hope she stays active because I don't think she's reached the apex of that tremendous talent.

6. Fumie. Year after year, she's been in the mix. I love her determination and clutch ability.

7. DivaKwara. The most matestic creature on ice with the hardward to prove her OGM wasn't a fluke.

8. Miki. Not a shabby career no matter how you look at it... If she'd ever been able to translate that sick talent into a complete season, how different would this sport and list be?

9. The US Ladies as storyline. Once Kwan & Cohen left, we US fans have been ready to anoint the next big thing and each of the current skaters have made (and sometimes failed to make) their case from Kimmie & Emily to MiRai & Racheal. None have pulled it off, but the back and forth has been fun to watch after a decade of superstars making on the bronze medal an interesting fight.

Pairs and Dance are Shen & Zhao followed by Navka and that guy she skates with and Belbin & Agosto... I love these three teams so much, that it's pointless to pretend I have strong opinions on everybody else

Dee4707 · Apr 14, 2010

Kwanford Wife said:
Kwanford's List...

Men
1. Plushy (this kills me, but he DOMINATED for most of the decade. You can't deny either his place on top of this list or his place as one of the all time greats.

2. Joubert - Plushy's number rival throughout the decade. And he's hot.

3. Yags - if the decade were adjusted, he'd be on top but alack number 3 is as far as I can fairly place him.

Ladies

1. Michelle Kwan. Seriously? I will spare Toni with my detailed analyst of why she's number 1. I can sum it up with: Red Violin, Fields of Gold, The Feeling Begins, Tosca and Song For You.

KW, you know that I love you and have always respected your opinion....a good snark every now and then. I think you bring such a good point about the decade....Plushy, first dominating??? Putting Alexei in 3rd place.....uh..........?????? So how does Michelle get 1st place???? Alexei & Michelle competed in the same time frame.

seniorita · Apr 14, 2010

Michelle competed up to the end of 2004-2005 season, 3 more seasons than Yagudin:think: Just for info,

not that i say it as i have any objection to where to put alexei or if he should be first or anything, these kinds of lists are a bit..personnal? Someone can put Dmitrenko first in the list, fine by me, i m not a fan of lists in general, i cannot put things or people in numbers, i m a bit messy.

I cracked up though with Kw saying Plushy, this it kills me :rofl:

Why?

jennylovskt · Apr 14, 2010

Men:

1. Plushenko
2. Joubert
3. Lambiel
4. Yagudin (only has had first two years.

I would put him in the first place if he continued)
5. Buttle
6. Takahashi
7. Lysacek
8. Weir
9. Chan
10. Oda

Ladies:

1. Kwan (duh!)
2. Slutskaya
3. Kim
4. Asada
5. Cohen
6. Arakawa
7. Kostner
8. Ando
9. Suguri
10. Rochette

Mathman · Apr 14, 2010

I think the decades fall wrong for this comparison. If we go from 1996-2005 (or 1995-2004), that's the Michelle decade. All the others can fight it out for 2005-2014. :biggrin:

Dee4707 · Apr 14, 2010

Mathman said:
I think the decades fall wrong for this comparison. If we go from 1996-2005 (or 1995-2004), that's the Michelle decade. All the others can fight it out for 2005-2014.

Thanks Math, that's the point I was trying to make with KW.

janetfan · Apr 15, 2010

Mathman said:
I think the decades fall wrong for this comparison. If we go from 1996-2005 (or 1995-2004), that's the Michelle decade. All the others can fight it out for 2005-2014.

By the same comparison Yuna/Mao also could be thought of from 2006 - 2010 (with no end in sight yet).

Certainly the first half of the 90's belong to Kristi with two WC's and an OGM.

But from 2001 - 2006 a strong case could be made for Irina with an OSM and OBM and two WC's. I think Irina was more dominant than Michelle in the GP's in that time period and head to head Irina beat Michelle ummm....maybe 7 out of the last 10 times they competed.

Shiz also has a WC and OGM in the 2001- 06 time period.

So it could be said Kati owned the 80's, Kristi the first half of the 90's and Michelle the second half of the 90's. To ignore Irina's titles/medals feels more like a fan's opinion rather than what the record shows.

From 2007 on the stats show Yuna with a slight edge over Mao.
It would seem that if Yuna retires Mao will be the skater to compile the most titles/medals from 2010 up to 2014. But Yuna may continue and even get better :eek:

Mao with a top full-time coach in charge of her training can also get better.

Going back - what about Midori? Without the figures, and with a little better health and luck she could have a slot too.

Despite this post I think these comparisons can get a little silly. It is not easy to say if Irina was really the best in the first half of this decade - but it is also hard to ignore her record and accomplishments. The same for Michelle.

Kati has the titles and medals but when we go back and watch YouTube (some of us saw it in r/t) we can see how much better Midori was technically - enough to offset arguments about artistry - but unfortunately the school figures can't just be thrown under the rug. They were real and part of the competition.

Chen-Lu won two Olympic medals and a WC and other medals in the 90's. For me thinking of the 90's with Midori, Kristi, Oksana, Yuka, Lulu, Tara and Michelle - what a decade of Ladies skating.

This decade had Michelle, Irina, Shizuka, Sasha, Mao and Yuna. And Sarah, Miki and Joannie.....

This post can easily be debated by Kwanatics and others.

What I hope for is that this next decade will have as much great skating as the last two decades had.

With Yuna and Mao it is off to a great start. Mirai has shown the talent and Kanako looks so promising. By 2014 we may have these four skaters and others I haven't mentioned.

If the rebirth of the Russian ladies turns out to be real then this next decade has a chance to equal and maybe surpass the last two. Wouldn't that be nice!

Kwanford Wife · Apr 16, 2010

seniorita said:
Michelle competed up to the end of 2004-2005 season, 3 more seasons than Yagudin:think: Just for info, not that i say it as i have any objection to where to put alexei or if he should be first or anything, these kinds of lists are a bit..personnal? Someone can put Dmitrenko first in the list, fine by me, i m not a fan of lists in general, i cannot put things or people in numbers, i m a bit messy.
I cracked up though with Kw saying Plushy, this it kills me Why?

It kills me because I know that Yags is the greaster ever, however, the thread was about the decade and we had two choices: be fair or be fans. I went with fair. If I was being a fan, I'd have Plushy no. 3 spot because I loved Yags skating more and Joubert is hotter.

Dee4707 said:
KW, you know that I love you and have always respected your opinion....a good snark every now and then. I think you bring such a good point about the decade....Plushy, first dominating??? Putting Alexei in 3rd place.....uh..........?????? So how does Michelle get 1st place???? Alexei & Michelle competed in the same time frame.

Now, Dee. Don't you be like that! The thread is this past decade 2000-2009. And within that timeframe, my list is fair. If we solely focused on making our favorites number 1 - my list would drop Mao, Yuna and Mikki and include Nicole, Tara, and maybe Maria B. Now, would that be fair? But let's be clear - Yags is the best male figure skater I've EVER seen... But he only competed until 2002. Don't hate the playa, hate the game (I know, I'm so gangsta with my hip hop talk)

seniorita · Apr 16, 2010

Kwanford Wife said:
I'd have Plushy no. 3 spot because I loved Yags skating more and Joubert is hotter.

well, that sounds fair

Although I thought Yags was hot too...

parma · Apr 16, 2010

dlgpffps said:
This decade is now coming to an end. I think it's time for us to list "the skaters of this decade" starting from season 2000-2001 to now. The criteria are up to you, but I hope you do elaborate to make the discussion interesting. My criteria encompass titles, dominance, technical difficulty, impact, legacy and excellence in general.

MEN:
1. Yagudin: Can anyone dispute his first place? He was the complete package, hands down.
2. Plushenko: Plushenko in 2006 was destined to strut into Torino and just take the medal. Pure dominance, charisma and technical prowess.
3. Lambiel: One of my favorite skaters. He had the quads and the artistry. He's simply breathtaking on ice.
4. Takahashi: If he had not been injured, his quad would have been in shape. He might have...
5. Joubert: I actually like him. I'm sorry he is following Plushenko's footsteps (willowing choreography for hip shakes and big jumps), but raw talent wise he's up here. It's not as though he lacks artistry either. Watch some of his Ex performances. He also has great consistency.
6. Buttle: His skating inspires me. He's lacking in titles, but his skates make up for it.
7. Lysacek: His skating has yet to evoke emotions, but there's no denying his OGM, world gold and genius in milking CoP. I don't know about legacy though.
8. Abott: a little underwhelming in terms of medals and Worlds placing, but he's very close to the whole package. His 2010 Nationals performances alone make me place him here.
9. Abt: One of the most underrated skaters. He had what it takes to win big titles. It's just that he represented the same country as Yagudin and Plushenko.
10. Sorry, really can't think of one. Maybe Chan?

LADIES:
1. Kwan: 2 World titles, OBM and 4 world medals, in addition to being one of the most loved skaters of all time. The greatest lady skater to have not won the OGM, but that matters very little in light of her legacy and grace on ice. What's left are the skates, not the medals.This is also the decade of Tosca, Aranjuez, Song of the Black Swan and the Red Violin.
2. Kim: I would put her here for her Olympic performances alone. Add into that Roxanne, Danse Macabre and Lark Ascending, her gorgeous jumps, dominance and presence/authority on ice? Yes, I would be so brazen as to put her here. She's also the best SP skater of all time.
3. Slutskaya: Two Worlds, two olympic medals, a heartbreaking story and triumphant performances. I have great respect for her. I still believe she should have won gold in 2002.
4. Asada: Two Worlds and an olympic silver. I think she has officially jumped more 3As than Midori Ito. She's gorgeous to behold. Her soft knees make her seem as though she floats on ice.
5. Arakawa: I had great difficulty choosing between Mao and Shizuka. Shizuka did win the best medal ever, the OGM, but she didn't stay on top long enough to change the sport and inspire youngsters. That's a pity since she had no weaknesses. Her donut spin was gorgeous. Her ina bauer, stunning. Her jumps, very impressive. I wish she just had greater consistency.
6. Cohen: She wasn't that big of a nutcase, really. She never put together two clean performances, but it's not as though she pulled a Kostner 2009 all over the place and her international medals attest to that. She has set the standard for spins, had crisp, gorgeous skating. Second best SP skater. Artistically, very strong.
7. Ando: first woman to land a quad, won 2007 worlds. Technically superb. Artistically weaker, but improving with time.
8. Joannie: I would put her higher, but she has only a World silver and an Olympic bronze. Amazing skater, with great maturity, edges and artistry.
9. Kostner: She was doing very difficult triple triple combinations (e.g. 3F-3Lo) with superb speed and precision. I don't know what has happened to her. I love her Canon SP.
10. I really can't think of one. Perhaps Hughes?

My list is similar to this, and the reasons as well, except the reason for Yuna being in the 2nd place. I think she has every quality and reason to be in the first place; artistry, technicality, speed, looks... her overall package in 2010 exceeds that of anyone in the list at their peak days. And not to forget her decisive Olympic victory with two historic and spectacular performances; she made figure skating look good.

Despite all this, I would put her right behind Kwan because one crucial thing that is missing from her is longevity. Longevity is particularly important at her level, because as the top lady, she has extra responsibility of leading the sport and advancing it further by staying in the competition. Kwan stayed with the sport for a decade and made long lasting contributions, one of them being the inspiration she gave to young skaters around the world like, well, Yuna. If Yuna stays with competitions and contributes for a few more years as she has done for the last a few seasons, she will be the undisputed queen of the sport of the last half century, in my book.

Figure88 · Apr 16, 2010

parma said:
Despite all this, I would put her right behind Kwan because one crucial thing that is missing from her is longevity. Longevity is particularly important at her level, because as the top lady, she has extra responsibility of leading the sport and advancing it further by staying in the competition. Kwan stayed with the sport for a decade and made long lasting contributions, one of them being the inspiration she gave to young skaters around the world like, well, Yuna. If Yuna stays with competitions and contributes for a few more years as she has done for the last a few seasons, she will be the undisputed queen of the sport of the last half century, in my book.

I agree that Yuna should skate for another four years. For the moment, I would rank Yuna as the same level as Kwan because she does have the longevity factor. Yuna did mention that her decision to retire rests on whether she can maintain her competitive level. That's actually a very logical statement. She's an Olympic champion, after all. It would tarnish her reputation, if she can't maintain a gold-medal winning streak. So, I have mixed feelings about whether she should continue in the sport since there will be more pressure on her than ever. At the same time, I do think that if continues to compete and win gold, she would undoubtedly be considered one of the best female skaters ever, if not the best.

wonbinfan86 · Apr 19, 2010

Ladies:
1. Mao Asada: Superior artistry, queen of the triple axel, what more can you ask for?
2. Shizuka Arakawa: diva on ice, gorgeous positions
3. Yuna Kim: OGM, best triple-triple in the sport
4. Fumie Suguri: amazing consistency, artistry, gigantic triple flip
5. Miki Ando: quad salchow, lovely triple loop in combination
6. Yukina Ota: wonderful spins, step sequences
7. Yukari Nakano: overall package
8. Yoshie Onda: huge jumps
9. Nana Takeda: triple loop to die for
10. Julia Sebestyen: triple lutz, longevity

Honorable Mentions: Sasha Cohen, Michelle Kwan (overrated imo, her programs kept on using the same elements over and over again, if you took out the music they would pretty much be identical), Elena Sokolova

....

....

1000. Sarah Hughes: won OGM with 7 heavily underrotated triples

BRaZILIANSKaTER · Apr 29, 2010

Only Men:
1 - Plushenko. Plushenko was the best jumper of the decade, no doubt about it, phushing the envelope more and more with 4/3/2 , 4/3/3, 3axle/half loop/3flip combos and even trying a quad lutz (in 2004 Cup of Russia I guess). He won 3 worlds and 2 OSM and an OGM in this decade. In my opinion in this decade he beats Yagudin.
2 - Yagudin. Yagudin had the hole package, he was a great artist and was consistent in all jumps. He skated with passion and always had great charisma. He won 2 world titles (2000 and 2002) and an OGM in this decade.
3 - You may think I'm crazy but... Timothy Goebel. He was trully "the quad King" being one of the very few men able to land 3 quads in the same FS. His artistry was terrible (But his "American in Paris" program was ok) but he won OBM and 2 WSM competing against Yagudin and Plushenko in their best.
4 - Takahashi. He is a great all around skater (Although there´s something I don´t like in his jumps). He is consistent in thw jumps and has GREAT skating skills.
5 - Lambiel. Great artist with great quad toe. His Four Seasons program is a masterpiece! Won 2 Worlds and an OSM. If he had mastered his 3 axel he would have been even greater.
6 - well well well... Joubert. I don´t like him but i have to agree he´s been very consistent this decade winning some important titles and always in the podiums. He had done better in both Olympics he could have placed better here.
7 - Buttle. Now we reach the "no quads" squadron on men fig. skating. Buttle was just GREAT!!! His musicality, edges, landings, spins, interpretation.. wow... it´s very sorry his jumps weren´t great all the time and he lacked the Quad (and had many mistakes on the 3 Axels). If he had the jumps he would beat all men in my opinion.
8 - Lysacek. He has grown throughout this decade. I honor his effort to become more artistic (I don´t think he is a great artist but he has improved A LOT) and he is really consistent in the triples. Anyway HE IS World champion and OGM.
9 - Takeshi Honda. He was a great skater. Good artistry and great technique. Had 2 WBM and was another of the few man able to land 3 quad in FS (2003 4 countinents I guess).
10 - TIE - Weir, Chan and Oda. Weir had some very good and some terroble moments in this decade but he is very good, somewhat consistent with the triples and always had great interpretation, music choices, presence on the ice. Chan has apeared in the end of this decade with good jumps but no quads and some shaky 3 axels. Although he managed to win 2 WSM after all. Nobunari Oda is one of my favorite skaters and I thougth this season would be HIS season... but he disapointed me not including quads this season and faded when faced the entire field of men. But I still have hope in him.

*** Ghosts from the past christmas (worth mentioning): Verner, Abt, Klimkim (do you remember him?), Van Der Perren, Samuel Contesti, Emanuel Shandu (When he was on!!!!!!)
***Ghosts from the future christmas (worth watching closely next decade): Brezina (HE IS GREAT, reminds me buttle, but with better jumps!!!!), Amodio (he was bonr here in Brazil!), Jeremy (he still young), Denis Tan, Kozuka, Schuits... I don´t know his name (I guess he is from Sweden).

That's all

dlgpffps · Apr 30, 2010

wonbinfan86 said:
Ladies:
1. Mao Asada: Superior artistry, queen of the triple axel, what more can you ask for?
2. Shizuka Arakawa: diva on ice, gorgeous positions
3. Yuna Kim: OGM, best triple-triple in the sport
4. Fumie Suguri: amazing consistency, artistry, gigantic triple flip
5. Miki Ando: quad salchow, lovely triple loop in combination
6. Yukina Ota: wonderful spins, step sequences
7. Yukari Nakano: overall package
8. Yoshie Onda: huge jumps
9. Nana Takeda: triple loop to die for
10. Julia Sebestyen: triple lutz, longevity

Honorable Mentions: Sasha Cohen, Michelle Kwan (overrated imo, her programs kept on using the same elements over and over again, if you took out the music they would pretty much be identical), Elena Sokolova

....

....

1000. Sarah Hughes: won OGM with 7 heavily underrotated triples

You have a very interesting list. Could I ask that you elaborate on your criteria? I just don't understand how Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya and Sasha Cohen are not on your top ten, while some very obscure names are. I have no ulterior motive in asking. You're entitled to your opinions, but I can't help but be curious.

BRaZILIANSKaTER · Apr 30, 2010

Ladies:
1 - Irina. She had a wonderful come back after her illness. Always been technically stronger than Kwan, improved dramaticaly her artistry in this decade and won 2 worlds, an OSM and an OBM.
2 - Kwan. She is just great and I would place her higher than Irina if we came back to 1996-2006. But in this decade, Irina wins.
3 - Mao. Her jumping ability in phenomenal, unparalled in this decade. The only ladies to land 3Axels really consistently since Midori Ito. Has very good artistry, won a lot of titles, 2 worlds, an OSM, and who knows what would have happen if she had been to Torino?
4 - Kim. I think she's been a little overscored (How could she win the FS in this last Worlds???) in every competition she entered. She can´t even do a 3loop. Anyway, she has great speed, excellent technique, good interpretation and won worlds and an OGM with a stellar performance.
5 - Arakawa - Wonderful jumper (with her 3/3 combos) won 1 world and OGM. She has the important titles. But she repeated her "Puccini" program a lot of times.
6 - Sasha. I hate her jumps but she is maybe the great artist fo the decade along with kwan. Her had somo masterpieces SPs. The better spirals I have ever seen in the history of Fig. Skating (and I have watched a LOT of old time skater), great spins. If she had consistent jumps and more titles she could be at the top. But her up and down history was disaponting.
7 - Ando. One of the best jumpers in this decade, poor artistry, some strange costumes along the way, but I really like her. She won a deserved world championship.
8 - Rochette. I like her attack in the jumps, her speed. Her artristry is good but somehow "artificial" for me, like something that was learned after some efffort but is not natural to her(the same impression I have from Evan Lysacek). She's been a little overscored too.
9 - Suguri. Consistent in the begining of the decade winning 2 WBM. She had very good artistry and music choices. Unfortunatly faded as the decade proceeded.
10 - Kostner. In my opinion she is here only because of her speed and her 3/3 combos.

*** Worth mentioning: Julia Sebestyen (Great 3 Lutz, good artistry), Yoshie Onda (Huge Jumps)², Nakano, Lepisto, Rachel Flatt (CONSISTENCY), Hughes ( for her OGM only!)

fairly4 · Apr 30, 2010

my top ten of 2000 are this

1) michelle
2) irina
3)shizuka
so far those are it-i didn't put in the skaters who are still competiting because their careers and accomplishments aren't over for figure skating. I don't know and can't predict the future--so the list is incompelete

men are incomplete because of decade
i don't know future both evan and evgeny hasn't stated they would retire etc. even though they might i still don't know the future

pairs
zhen/zhou
2006 olympic champs
pang tong

dance
2006 olympic champs
dubreil lauzon
belbin and agosto

my list is incomplete the ones i listed will be on the list no matter what who still skates or doesn't not listed -the future accomplishments are up for grabs.

ronja_so · May 2, 2010

I´ll just pick my top 5:

Men:
1. Plushenko: The One and Only. He´s got incredibly strong technique, jumps are far above to any other skater.
Pure artistry, breathtaking charisma and powerful presence on the ice; it´s mesmerizing to see him skate.
2. Lambiel: He´s got it all: effortless quad jumps, amazing spins, great artistry. I can´t take my eyes of him when he is on the ice.
3. Yagudin: May be as good as Plushenko, but there´s something about him that I dislike, can´t define precisely what it is (that´s why the third place).
4. Joubert: I actually dislike him a lot, but can´t deny his achievements
(although in all honesty: he wouldn´t have reached so many medals if Plushenko didn´t had his three seasons break).
5. Takahashi: Strong and flawless technique. Still, there´s something missing..

Women:
1. Slutskaya: Unique. Passionate and charismatic skater with ability to make just perfect performances.
2. Asada: Incredibly talented and powerful skater with great artistry. Looks like she didn´t have to make an effort at all.
3. Kwan: Unforgettable performances, beautiful to watch.
4: Kim: Amazing skater, but I think she hasn´t skated for long enough to get into the top 3 yet.
5: Ando: Technically she´s great skater, but not very artistic. A bit boring to watch, I think.

frodenofan30 · May 2, 2010

Pairs:

1. Sale & Pelletier- unbeatable unless there was a judging scandal
2. Totmianina & Marinin- technically best and most consistent pair of decade.
3. Berehznaya & Sikharulidze- second best artistic pair of decade after Sale & Pelletier.
4. Shen & Zhou- kept waiting for others to retire to win big events. Way overrated.
5. Savchenko & Szowkoly- great pair, poor competitors under pressure.
6. Pang & Tong- take advantage of others mistakes for biggest successes.
7. Zhangs
8. Petrova & Tikhonov

Mens:

1. Yagudin
2. Plushenko- better record than Yagudin but less inspired skating
3. Takahashi
4. Lambiel
5. Lysacek
6. Joubert
7. Buttle
8. Chan
9. Weir
10. Honda or Goebel

Dance:

1. Anissina & Peizerat
2. Navka & Kostomarov
3. Virtue & Moir
4. Belbin & Agosto
5. Delobel & Schoenfelder
6. Bourne & Kraatz
7. Domnina & Shabalin
8. Drobiazko & Vanagas
9. Barbara Fusar Poli (since she alone was all that mattered of that team)
10. Davis & White

Ladies:

1. Kim- her best skating this decade beats everyone elses best
2. Slutskaya
3. Asada- her best skating would probably beat Slutskaya's but Irina was a bit consistent when healthy
4. Kwan- why is everyone ranking her #1? She clearly doesnt have the best record of this decade overall even if you counted her 3 World titles. And if we are talking about last 10 years and counting only 2 of those her overall record is well behind the other 3 listed above. Her best in the 2000s would also not beat Kim, Slutskaya, or Asada at their best in the 2000s under either scoring system.
5. Arakawa- although her best skating this decade beats Kwans best
6. Cohen- her best skating would beat both Kwan and Arakawa's best but she rarely produced it.
7. Hughes- fluke Olympic Gold, still have to give her credit.
8. Rochette
9. Suguri
10. Ando- ugh skater. Only put her on the list out of respect for her record

Layfan · May 2, 2010

Mathman said:
I think the decades fall wrong for this comparison. If we go from 1996-2005 (or 1995-2004), that's the Michelle decade. All the others can fight it out for 2005-2014.

This is how I feel and why I find it impossible to rank skaters of this decade. Michelle and Kim never even competed against each other. They are from different eras, not the same one.

But it made me think of something. How do you determine whether a skater is truly great? Having a certain period defined as an era because a certain skater competed in it seems like a pretty good criteria to me!

So.

Is there a Michelle Kwan era? Obviously.

Is there a Kim Yuna era? Yes even if she doesn't keep competing.

Is there an Irina Slutskaya era? Well, there is at least a Michelle Kwan-Irina Slutskaya era. And a good case to be made for an Irina era, as she has two world title and two Olympic medals and was a favorite for gold for so long. So she's also on the list.

Is there a Mao era? There is obviously a Yuna-Mao era. And again, a case to be made for Mao with her two world titles and record-breaking triple axels. So she's on the list.

Is there a Sarah Hughes era? No.
Is there a Shizuka Arakawa era? May more than Sarah Hughes. But nah.
Is there a Miko Ando era? No.
Kim Meissner era? Definitely not.

So I say there are only 4 truly "great" skaters who competed in past decade:
Michelle Kwan
Kim Yuna
Irina Slutskaya
Mao Asada

With honorable mention to Sasha Cohen and Shizuka Arakawa since they were great rivals to Michelle and Irina. I might even say there was a Michelle-Sasha era but that's really only from a U.S. perspective. Just like a "Shiz era" would be from a Japanese perspective.

miki88 · May 2, 2010

Layfan said:
This is how I feel and why I find it impossible to rank skaters of this decade. Michelle and Kim never even competed against each other. They are from different eras, not the same one.

But it made me think of something. How do you determine whether a skater is truly great? Having a certain period defined as an era because a certain skater competed in it seems like a pretty good criteria to me!

So.

Is there a Michelle Kwan era? Obviously.

Is there a Kim Yuna era? Yes even if she doesn't keep competing.

Is there an Irina Slutskaya era? Well, there is at least a Michelle Kwan-Irina Slutskaya era. And a good case to be made for an Irina era, as she has two world title and two Olympic medals and was a favorite for gold for so long. So she's also on the list.

Is there a Mao era? There is obviously a Yuna-Mao era. And again, a case to be made for Mao with her two world titles and record-breaking triple axels. So she's on the list.

Is there a Sarah Hughes era? No.
Is there a Shizuka Arakawa era? May more than Sarah Hughes. But nah.
Is there a Miko Ando era? No.
Kim Meissner era? Definitely not.

So I say there are only 4 truly "great" skaters who competed in past decade:
Michelle Kwan
Kim Yuna
Irina Slutskaya
Mao Asada

With honorable mention to Sasha Cohen and Shizuka Arakawa since they were great rivals to Michelle and Irina. I might even say there was a Michelle-Sasha era but that's really only from a U.S. perspective. Just like a "Shiz era" would be from a Japanese perspective.

Unfortunately, Irina had to compete with Michelle when she was at her prime, and was mostly overshadowed until around maybe 2005. Irina adapted much better to the CoP than Michelle and emerged as the frontrunner. I guess it could be argued that she had an "era" during the last few years of their rivarly albeit a brief one. On the other hand, Mao clearly had her "era" so to speak. From the moment she emerged on the scene in 2005, she has caught attention and the hype only died down after she won her first championship in 2008 and teamed with TAT. If Yuna is the model of the present CoP, then Mao was the star of the early days of the system.

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