- Joined
- Jan 7, 2011
Some of us may remember Paul Wylie fondly now because of his activities after turning pro. But as an eligible competitive skater, calling him consistent is a streeeeeeetch. His silver at the Olympics was a total shocker. And it was a once-in-a-lifetime skate.
Wylie would've been one of the inconsistent skaters most of you like to harp on in this thread. He finished 11th at Worlds prior to the Olympics. If it wasn't for Todd Eldredge finishing third and Christopher Bowman finishing 5th, the US wouldn't have had 3 spots for the Olympics. If either Eldredge or Bowman (the latter is more likely) bombed, the US would've only had 2 spots for the Olympics. Then cue the bellyaching and recriminations about sending that flailing head case Paul Wylie to Worlds. Bowman, by the way, never finished lower than 7th at Worlds (his first one), while Wylie never finished higher than 9th at Worlds (also his first one).
Since this is a thread about World selection process to maximize the US' spots, the greatest hero for US men's skating in this regard in the last few decades is Todd Eldredge. Yes, he bores the bejeezus out of me when he skates. But he had an eligible senior career lasting over a decade. He went to Worlds 8 times, finished on the podium 6 of those times, and never got lower than 7th. It's skaters like him that keeps the spots open for a skating program. He can always be counted on to keep the total placements a nice and manageable number. Throw in two other talented, but perhaps less consistent skaters with him, and you just need one of them to do well enough to keep three spots. Eldredge made the team selection process easy for years and years.
We don't have a skater like Eldredge now. And we certainly don't have male skaters who are gold medal threats in their prime seasons like Boitano or Evan Lysacek. The US doesn't even have a realistic podium contender among any of its men right now. It's a miserable state of affairs for the discipline in the US.
I had high hopes that Ross Miner would turn into a Todd Eldredge. He seemed to have the sound technique and mental toughness for it (not to mention he's almost as boring a skater to watch as Eldredge). But it's not to be, as his recent bombing at Four Continents showed. You can't even count on him to medal at minor competitions like Grand Prix events.
Max Aaron is actually our trump card now. Although he's more like a Jack when the other countries have Kings and Aces. Aaron has shown, though, that he can tick off those quads in competitions. His truly wretched artistry and skating skills will keep him from getting too high. But his jumps won't let him sink too low, either. If Miner can have the skate of his season at Worlds (he has to eventually, right?), maybe we can get those precious placements after all.
Wylie would've been one of the inconsistent skaters most of you like to harp on in this thread. He finished 11th at Worlds prior to the Olympics. If it wasn't for Todd Eldredge finishing third and Christopher Bowman finishing 5th, the US wouldn't have had 3 spots for the Olympics. If either Eldredge or Bowman (the latter is more likely) bombed, the US would've only had 2 spots for the Olympics. Then cue the bellyaching and recriminations about sending that flailing head case Paul Wylie to Worlds. Bowman, by the way, never finished lower than 7th at Worlds (his first one), while Wylie never finished higher than 9th at Worlds (also his first one).
Since this is a thread about World selection process to maximize the US' spots, the greatest hero for US men's skating in this regard in the last few decades is Todd Eldredge. Yes, he bores the bejeezus out of me when he skates. But he had an eligible senior career lasting over a decade. He went to Worlds 8 times, finished on the podium 6 of those times, and never got lower than 7th. It's skaters like him that keeps the spots open for a skating program. He can always be counted on to keep the total placements a nice and manageable number. Throw in two other talented, but perhaps less consistent skaters with him, and you just need one of them to do well enough to keep three spots. Eldredge made the team selection process easy for years and years.
We don't have a skater like Eldredge now. And we certainly don't have male skaters who are gold medal threats in their prime seasons like Boitano or Evan Lysacek. The US doesn't even have a realistic podium contender among any of its men right now. It's a miserable state of affairs for the discipline in the US.
I had high hopes that Ross Miner would turn into a Todd Eldredge. He seemed to have the sound technique and mental toughness for it (not to mention he's almost as boring a skater to watch as Eldredge). But it's not to be, as his recent bombing at Four Continents showed. You can't even count on him to medal at minor competitions like Grand Prix events.
Max Aaron is actually our trump card now. Although he's more like a Jack when the other countries have Kings and Aces. Aaron has shown, though, that he can tick off those quads in competitions. His truly wretched artistry and skating skills will keep him from getting too high. But his jumps won't let him sink too low, either. If Miner can have the skate of his season at Worlds (he has to eventually, right?), maybe we can get those precious placements after all.