Are Yagudin and Goebel still friends?

[Skatetomusic]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0_Vi0S4lgE

Does anyone know here?

There is also a clip from 2002 worlds where they were interviewed.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iJ_0EAHwJfE

Notice how they are the same height.

[Bluebonnet]

What do you want to make out of it?

I've never heard they were close friends.

[mskater93]

It's the off season, so there's so little to talk about that Skatetomusic brought up something of interest to him/her. If you aren't interested in the subject, don't read it.

Last I heard, Goebel finished his Math degree at Columbia. That's very time consuming so I suppose he didn't have time for much outside of school. They are probably still friends but not close friends or likely have drifted apart due to not having as much in common any more.

[Bluebonnet]

It's the off season, so there's so little to talk about that Skatetomusic brought up something of interest to him/her. If you aren't interested in the subject, don't read it.

You are mistaken. I'm interested in all about Alexei Yagudin. But I'm just puzzled why putting these two together and specifically asking about their friendship?

They weren't any close friends ever. Maybe Timothy Goebel admired Yagudin and wanted to be closer friend with Yagudin at some point, I don't know. But Yadugin has never seen Goebel as close acquaintance. They never had friendship like Patrick Chan and Daisuke Takahashi have.

[golden411]

Last I heard, Goebel finished his Math degree at Columbia. That's very time consuming so I suppose he didn't have time for much outside of school.

Doesn't shed any light on the Yagudin question, but this article is a nice update on Goebel from 2012 Feb. http://www.teamusa.org/News/2012/Feb...ars-later.aspx
Now 31, he is an analytical consultant (number-cruncher) for Nielsen. A couple of excerpts:

He remains involved in the sport of figure skating, serving as a technical specialist on judging panels at various competitions.
But the skater who broke ground in the sport as the “Quad King,” no longer laces up skates.
"I really miss competing sometimes,” Goebel said. “But I am not skating now. Not at all."
“The last time I skated to do jumps was two and a half years ago. ... I had one of the worst falls of my life on a triple flip. I was basically horizontal in the air. I told myself, ‘I’m done. I quit.’ ”
And with that, the skater who made history by becoming the first in the world — and the first in Olympic competition — to land three quadruple-revolution jumps in one program, came off of the ice and hasn’t looked back.
Yet the sport remains a big part of his life. He enjoys watching young skaters rising through the ranks and is especially intrigued by a young woman named Gracie Gold, who claimed the junior national crown in January. Like Goebel, Gold is a natural jumper, and he believes she could be one of the top American contenders less than two years from now when the next Winter Games take place in Sochi, Russia.

Goebel openly lamented that the sport had not advanced much in the quad department and it is only recently, when the International Skating Union revised its scoring system, that quads have sneaked their way back into men’s programs.
This season, when American Brandon Mroz became the first skater in the world to land a quad lutz, Goebel was ecstatic to hear the news.

[Skatetomusic]

I have been watching my tapes of 2002 worlds and they had views of several of the competitors off the ice. Kwan, Slutskaya and Suguri in the ladies and Goebel and Yagudin in the mens competitions. All of them in scenes together and a peak add the athletes lounge. That is the main reason why I asked.

I really don't keep up with as many of the athletes today as I did back then. 1998-2003 was the main period of time that I watched the competition and 2002 worlds is one of my favorite competitions to watch. Good times.

[Olympia]

Yet the sport remains a big part of his life. He enjoys watching young skaters rising through the ranks and is especially intrigued by a young woman named Gracie Gold, who claimed the junior national crown in January. Like Goebel, Gold is a natural jumper, and he believes she could be one of the top American contenders less than two years from now when the next Winter Games take place in Sochi, Russia.

[/FONT][/SIZE][/INDENT]

How nice to hear about Goebel. Like Todd Eldredge and Paul Wylie, he always seemed like such a decent guy. And I always have a soft spot for skaters who take their education seriously. This is definitely a skater I will remember with fondness.