When will Fumie retire already? | Golden Skate

When will Fumie retire already?

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
Watching Fumie at Skate Canada was embarassing for a former 3 time World medalist. When is she going to retire already? She is only past the end of what was her very long and respectable prime by almost 5 years now. She is now going to be fighting for 9th or 10th place in grand prix events she is in (well not that she will be sent to any after this year probably anyway). And at her own Nationals she will probably be fighting for 9th or 10th place as well. The judges are even if anything harsh on her scores and I think they are trying to send the same message- just retire already please. Is pro skating really that bad. Is there not anything else she can do if she doesnt want that.
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Is pro skating really that bad. Is there not anything else she can do if she doesnt want that.

I always thought figure skating was a perversion of the natural order. A golfer starts as an amateur, then turns professional when he is good enough. A photographer starts as an amateur, then turns professional when he is good enough. The same with football players, basketball players, bowlers, billiard players, tennis players, baseball players, almost every human endeavor.

In skating, a skater starts as an amateur, then turns professional …………… when he is no longer good enough to be an amateur. That is just so wrong.
 

ks777

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 15, 2003
Fumie reminds me of when I am gambling, playing black jack. When I am winning, I feel like I can win more so I stay.. then start losing.. and you are down like $200 all of a sudden, but you hate to leave losing so you end up stayig longer and lose more..
 

gmyers

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Joined
Mar 6, 2010
I always thought figure skating was a perversion of the natural order. A golfer starts as an amateur, then turns professional when he is good enough. A photographer starts as an amateur, then turns professional when he is good enough. The same with football players, basketball players, bowlers, billiard players, tennis players, baseball players, almost every human endeavor.

In skating, a skater starts as an amateur, then turns professional …………… when he is no longer good enough to be an amateur. That is just so wrong.

This is so true! Figure skating is so messed up in some ways.

I don't care that Fumie came in 9th because she won a silver medal at worlds in 2006. The idea that skaters should stop when they reach their peak is why Lysacek will probably never skate again. He is named the best male figure skater in the world and one of the best ever at the 2010 Olympics and that is it. He will likely never ever compete again and didn't even go to worlds the NEXT MONTH because being Olympic champion means you can never skate again. That is too messed up. If Fumie wants to skate and compete and place ninth in a GP event than whatever. Her silver at one worlds should not indicate than that is when she peaked and should have retired. Boo. Just skate whenever you want. Look at football. Didn't see Eli Manning retire, or Tom Brady retire after they won superbowls. Once again skating is sooo messed up. Win a gold and never compete again.
 

NMURA

Medalist
Joined
Jul 14, 2010
You are forgetting Evgeni "true winner" Plushenko. I agree Lysacek won't compete again, simply because he knows his historical contributions to the new CoP.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
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Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Wasn't there a similar thread about Fumie a short time ago?
 

Sylvia

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Joined
Aug 25, 2003
From an Icenetwork article dated 10/30 during Skate Canada:
At age 29, Japan's Fumie Suguri soldiers on, despite slipping from second in the world in 2006 to seventh place at the Japanese Championships last season.

"I was not happy with how I skated at nationals, especially because I always want a good performance, not only results. I have been doing the sport for long years and that is not how I wanted to finish."

How long will she continue? "I don't know, as long as possible."
 

pangtongfan

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Joined
Jun 16, 2010
This is so true! Figure skating is so messed up in some ways.

I don't care that Fumie came in 9th because she won a silver medal at worlds in 2006. The idea that skaters should stop when they reach their peak is why Lysacek will probably never skate again. He is named the best male figure skater in the world and one of the best ever at the 2010 Olympics and that is it. He will likely never ever compete again and didn't even go to worlds the NEXT MONTH because being Olympic champion means you can never skate again. That is too messed up. If Fumie wants to skate and compete and place ninth in a GP event than whatever. Her silver at one worlds should not indicate than that is when she peaked and should have retired. Boo. Just skate whenever you want. Look at football. Didn't see Eli Manning retire, or Tom Brady retire after they won superbowls. Once again skating is sooo messed up. Win a gold and never compete again.

Umm for starters nobody has seriously said Lysacek is one of the best skaters ever. :laugh: In fact many dont consider him the best in the World even after winning the Worlds and Olympics since Takahashi on a good day is so much better even if more inconsistent. And I think he is wise to turn pro. He is in his mid 20s, has had a long amateur career which includes many many years of international competition at both senior and junior level, and achieved all he could of. Now is the time to reap the rewards by starring in a major skating tour and gaining in weatlh. He is doing exactly what he should be doing.

Of course skaters can compete past their peaks but when it gets to this extreme it is just embarassing. A former 3 time World medalist who now is finishing at the bottom of grand prix events in weak fields and doesnt have a flying hope of even coming close to making a World team for her own country again. And her skating has become stale and dull in every sense of the word. Yet she is so desperate to keep going. It is sad really.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Now is the time (for Lysacek) to reap the rewards by starring in a major skating tour and gaining in weatlh. He is doing exactly what he should be doing.

I read recently on a "sports business" site that Evan will make an estimated $US 300,000 for skating on SOI, plus another $300,000 for appearing on Dancing with the Stars. His total income from all sources was pegged by this analyst at $1,000,000.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I read recently on a "sports business" site that Evan will make an estimated $US 300,000 for skating on SOI, plus another $300,000 for appearing on Dancing with the Stars. His total income from all sources was pegged by this analyst at $1,000,000.

Thanks for the figures. And he deserves it, he isnt one of my favorite skaters by any means but he worked his butt off for what he achieved and to be in position to be rewarded financially.

Suguri isnt a Lysacek-star but she certainly could have made a nice pro career for herself either in Asia or wherever she chose. If even Jennifer Robinson can.....
 

gmyers

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Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Umm for starters nobody has seriously said Lysacek is one of the best skaters ever. :laugh: In fact many dont consider him the best in the World even after winning the Worlds and Olympics since Takahashi on a good day is so much better even if more inconsistent. And I think he is wise to turn pro. He is in his mid 20s, has had a long amateur career which includes many many years of international competition at both senior and junior level, and achieved all he could of. Now is the time to reap the rewards by starring in a major skating tour and gaining in weatlh. He is doing exactly what he should be doing.

Of course skaters can compete past their peaks but when it gets to this extreme it is just embarassing. A former 3 time World medalist who now is finishing at the bottom of grand prix events in weak fields and doesnt have a flying hope of even coming close to making a World team for her own country again. And her skating has become stale and dull in every sense of the word. Yet she is so desperate to keep going. It is sad really.

All the point was was that Lysacek hads the golds that the judges gave him which points to them thinking he is the best in the world and one of the best ever and how that should not be a STOP sign but a continue sign.
 
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ImaginaryPogue

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Joined
Jun 3, 2009
All the point was was that Lysacek hads the golds that the judges gave him which points to them thinking he is the best in the world and one of the best ever and how that should not be a STOP sign but a continue sign.

There was a king. One day he decided to build the world's most ostentatious monument as a tribute to his wealth. He had precious metals shipped from around the world; he used only the finest craftsmen and women to help achieve his vision. It took eons to build but when it was complete everyone marvelled at it's brilliance and majesty. The next day the king ordered the monument destroyed. When asked why, he said it was better to live in your memory as a splendor than suffer the ravages of time and be thought of what was one once but could never be again.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
What's it to you (original poster) when Fumie retires? That kind of thing takes care of itself. When she can't get to the competitions, she'll obviously figure out that it's time to quit!
 

pangtongfan

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Joined
Jun 16, 2010
All the point was was that Lysacek hads the golds that the judges gave him which points to them thinking he is the best in the world and one of the best ever and how that should not be a STOP sign but a continue sign.

The judges never gave him points that indicated he was one of the best ever. This system hasnt been around since the end of time, it has been around 6 years, but Takahashi and Plushenko for example have both scored higher under this short lived system before than Lysacek did in Vancouver. The points they gave him just indicated they felt he was the best that night and good enough to win over a past his prime and subpar Plushenko (barely) and Takahashi making major mistakes.

Anyway that is aside the point. On what you are saying I believe the smartest thing he could have done is retire. Why?

1. He is 25 years old. Already an advanced age for an elite competive skater at which point nearly all retire, or a year or two beyond that at most. And he has had a very long junior and senior international career already, as long or longer than most.

2. He has gone through alot of injuries, it is time to give his body a break and move on to a less physical strenous form of skating.

3. He is at the peak of his marketability now. He just won the Worlds and Olympics, he was on Dancing with the Stars. He would be crazy to not cash in on this and take all the opportunities to headline a major skating tour and make as much money as he can before that window is closed.

4. He clearly peaked. He wasnt going to ever be a better amateur skater than he was in 2009 and 2010. And he rightly is probably smart to realize he did extremely well to win those 2 major championships, and it in fact was an unlikely occurence but all the variables fell his way for it to happen. He is not a skater who was going to dominate the sport long term and in fact the direction he was most likely to go had he continued was down. Going out on top with all his goals achieved and capatilizing on the height of his popularity and fame to the best professional opportunities was absolutely what he should have done.


So Lysacek was in fact very smart about when to retire.
 

bigsisjiejie

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
I always thought figure skating was a perversion of the natural order. A golfer starts as an amateur, then turns professional when he is good enough. .....

And once the golfer is no longer good/consistent enough for the regular professional tour, he regresses again and hits the seniors/masters circuit. :) But at least golf has an established Life Cycle path. Golfers can continue in reasonably top form for longer however, as that sport does not put the same kind of demand on the body.

.... Look at football. Didn't see Eli Manning retire, or Tom Brady retire after they won superbowls. Once again skating is sooo messed up. Win a gold and never compete again.

Can't compare an individual sport like figure skating with a team sport. Those guys didn't win the Superbowl by being out there on the field by themselves!

Maybe a better comparison would be to elite gymnasts, skiers, swimmers, etc. Individual sports that put great physical demands on the body, that cannot continue indefinitely at the same high level.

On topic, I've always had a soft spot for Fumie, but she is way overdue for being realistic about her limitations and her chances in competitive skating (diminishing), and moving on with her life. I think that is one of her issues, she doesn't seem to have found another focus. Much as I miss Yukari Nakano on the competitive roster, I respect her decision to "close up shop" when she did, and find another direction.
 
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sorcerer

Final Flight
Joined
May 1, 2007
What's it to you (original poster) when Fumie retires? That kind of thing takes care of itself. When she can't get to the competitions, she'll obviously figure out that it's time to quit!

ITA!!
But there's just one thing and that is she has somehow managed to maintain receiving "Special Reinforcement" from the JSF this season, which could have been divided to the upcomers.

But in any case I would wish her to really shine again and be happy with her skating just one more last time.
 
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