The ten best figure skaters who never won an olympic medal

[Poodlepal]

I forgot all about Fusar-Poli and partner's bronze medal! I'll have to change it to--well, I'm not sure. Maybe Elaine Zayak, another one who seemed to peak between the four year cycle.

Neither of the three "criminal" skaters were a lock to win a medal. Their personal lives had kept them from reaching their highest levels even before the Olympics. I would put them in a different category, maybe "Skaters who partied too much" and maybe throw in Johnny as an associate member.

What's interesting is how far you could go with pure talent back then. These three didn't train as hard as they should have, most agree, yet they all won world medals and two almost got bronze medals at the Olympics. Somehow, I imagine it was only possible in that era. Can you imagine Tonya practicing to get level 3445 footwork? Or trying to do 4839 positions in her spin? She'd probably give up and go get a beer or maybe shoot some pool. I don't think either of those characters would do well under the new nit-picky rules.

[Olympia]

Hehe, I was going to post that he was giving a lesson one morning at our rink and was bored because his skater wasn't listening so he whipped off a 2A from a standstill in his teaching clothes (heavy coat, ski pants, etc).

I put Harding, Bowman, and Bobek in a separate category because I felt they did it to themselves in a different way than some of the other skaters mentioned did it to themselves (a fall, slightly holding back, someone have the SOHL to keep the 4th place skater off the podium, illness,etc).

Harding in my mind was one of the two most naturally physically talented female skaters ever (Ito was the other in my opinion and it will be a long time until the sport sees ladies who are THAT physically gifted again) and to see her waste that talent with coach hopping, poor training habits and getting involved with a doofus for a husband who gave her bad advice and orchestrated a crime on her behalf just irritates me more than I can say.

Yes, I'm sure there are countless skaters who work their duffs off who would give anything for half the natural talent that these three basically let seep away. Very frustrating, and ultimately sad, with or without the lawbreaking element.

As for Fedeev--what a great story! The moment where he impressed me the most was a pro team competition where he skated to "Le Veau D'Or," an aria from Gounod's Faust. He was just lightning: splendid jumps, great personality. I'm glad he's coaching, because he had gorgeous technique. I couldn't find "Le Veau D'Or," but here's a link to a pro piece he did:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6Ha5tMYuJk

[blue dog]

Before the whack Tonya was my favorite ladies skater, and I agree with your post, Blue Dog... I was devastated when she allowed the win to be so important that she put it above skating, others, and herself. I still haven't gotten ove that "betrayal".

The love of attention reminded me of another "could've-been-great"-- Emanuel Sandhu. He could've been...

[skateluvr]

If the list were top twenty, maybe manny could be squeezed in, but his inconsistency caused him to lose so many comps he had the talent to win. Jeffrey Buttle may belong in the top 10 as a wonderful skater and deserving WC. Nah, sorry, disagree Manny belongs on this list. As inventor of the butt spin, he surely was different, elegant and special. So frustrating. Sasha Cohen might be his female eqivalent, though Sasha was a better competitor results wise for sure. Manny is a great Canadian who just was not a competitive animal.

[Olympia]

If the list were top twenty, maybe manny could be squeezed in, but his inconsistency caused him to lose so many comps he had the talent to win. Jeffrey Buttle may belong in the top 10 as a wonderful skater and deserving WC. Nah, sorry, disagree Manny belongs on this list. As inventor of the butt spin, he surely was different, elegant and special. So frustrating. Sasha Cohen might be his female eqivalent, though Sasha was a better competitor results wise for sure. Manny is a great Canadian who just was not a competitive animal.

I'd have to say that Sandhu's female equivalent is Alissa: same miraculously beautiful aspects to the skating, same total inconsistency, varying between splendid and devastating. (Sasha actually has a pretty sparkling national and international competitive record, generally finishing in the top five and often on the podium.) Frustratingly, Sandhu didn't just have artistry. He had jumps! He even had a quad, which is something a lot of our faves (insert name here) never achieved in international competition. I think you're right, skateluvr: Sandhu just wasn't a competitive animal. But could he move. He's one of those gifted people who could make music seem like a living thing. Glad I got to see him.

[Tonichelle]

If the list were top twenty, maybe manny could be squeezed in, but his inconsistency caused him to lose so many comps he had the talent to win. Jeffrey Buttle may belong in the top 10 as a wonderful skater and deserving WC. Nah, sorry, disagree Manny belongs on this list. As inventor of the butt spin, he surely was different, elegant and special. So frustrating. Sasha Cohen might be his female eqivalent, though Sasha was a better competitor results wise for sure. Manny is a great Canadian who just was not a competitive animal.

I'm confused how Jeff Buttle fits in the equation... not only is he a WC, he is also an Olympic Bronze Medalist

[skateluvr]

OOps, thanks for wake up Toni-stressed to the max and literally my hair is falling out...I don't know how my brain fart forgot 2006, Jeff Buttle. I did not see the men live at all, so that podium never stuck. I guess I am thinking of the WC in 2008 and his decision not to go to Vancouver. I wish he had. I wanted to see him in Vancouver...thought he might win, and I think he is a better skater than Evan, and also, he was a better skater (thought not better jumper) than Plushy whose win in 2010 was a it, um squeaky!.. Then there was Dai. Still Jeff must wonder how he would have skated on home ice? We always forget the bronze...at least I do... He is one of Canada's male gems and I think he would have been on that podium. Then maybe Dai would not. I am a fan of Jeff and one day must watch the skates I missed. 2006 was the year I did not sleep. I guess besides the ladies and some dance I was "asleep in 2006." Gonna watch the skate I forgot all about. For us Americans, Sasha was the news in Torino, a bit gifty, and of course the Belgosto, who I wish had won gold before those pesky Canadians in Vancouver. How's a bout a
'The top ten who should have had gold instead of that darned silver/bronze or 4th!'

I was watching Orser skate in Carmen on Ice for a bit today. Wow. He was the bomb in his day. He is on the should have had a gold medal list. So is Jeff. Where would men's skating be without the glorious Canadian men? I hope Joannie is a comeback. She is a golden for me. Come back Joannie-you are the best!

[mskater93]

What's interesting is how far you could go with pure talent back then. These three didn't train as hard as they should have, most agree, yet they all won world medals and two almost got bronze medals at the Olympics. Somehow, I imagine it was only possible in that era. Can you imagine Tonya practicing to get level 3445 footwork? Or trying to do 4839 positions in her spin? She'd probably give up and go get a beer or maybe shoot some pool. I don't think either of those characters would do well under the new nit-picky rules.

I think you just don't realize HOW talented at least two of those skaters really were (Harding and Bowman). Harding at the time was only the second woman to land a 3A and the ladies that have followed her onto the list have not had the same quality to the 3A as she (and Ito) did. Of the 3A's Harding did, none of them had questionable rotation (in fact, the one at 91 Nationals could have been considered a little OVER rotated). She had a power and a strength that was totally unrivaled except by Ito. Her edgework was actually VERY good because she ALMOST made the World team the year before (the last year of figures) but tanked her LP at Nationals to drop off the podium. She would have had little problems with L3 and 4 footwork because she had passed her Gold figure test AND had finished in the top group at Nationals the previous 2 years in the figures segment. Her stretch in her spirals was actually pretty nice (before the uber-gumby Bobek hit the scene and changed everyone's perception of a NICE spiral). Her speed and power was really awe inspiring when she was even somewhat trained. Her spins were fast; she was able to do a change edge camel easily, her flying spins really flew...
Bowman was amazing - he put a 3A into a program near the end at 90 or 91 Worlds (???) just to spite Frank Carroll because they'd been fighting throughout the season about Bowman's training habits and many other things and especially at Worlds. He had incredible charisma and magnetism that would make Ryan Bradley look like a wallflower (and I think most people here can agree that Bradley is a giant "ham on ice"). Someone with less natural talent would never have been able to pull that off.

[evangeline]

Bowman was amazing - he put a 3A into a program near the end at 90 or 91 Worlds (???) just to spite Frank Carroll because they'd been fighting throughout the season about Bowman's training habits and many other things and especially at Worlds. He had incredible charisma and magnetism that would make Ryan Bradley look like a wallflower (and I think most people here can agree that Bradley is a giant "ham on ice"). Someone with less natural talent would never have been able to pull that off.

About Chris Bowman--I remember Kurt Browning said that the first time he saw Bowman compete, he was convinced that he would never, ever be as good as Bowman or beat him. Of course, things turned out differently but for Kurt (one of the all-time greats) to say something like that is rather telling.

[mskater93]

Sorry, it was a 3T but RIGHT at the end. Just went out to youtube- it was 1990. For a guy who was undertrained to be able to do that, well, it says a lot about his natural talent...

[Olympia]

Sorry, it was a 3T but RIGHT at the end. Just went out to youtube- it was 1990. For a guy who was undertrained to be able to do that, well, it says a lot about his natural talent...

Yipes! When Bowman was on, he was impressive. So frustrating to contemplate. And to have Kurt, who had plenty of natural talent of his own, say that about Christopher really emphasizes the fact. I'm so glad that Kurt managed to combine talent with focus and hard work, so that watching him isn't a slow-motion heartbreak. I mean, it isn't even a longterm distress that Kurt never won an Olympic medal. He's so splendid and inspiring that it doesn't seem to matter. That's because we can count on Kurt never to let us down. We know that he always gives it everything he's got.