- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
ptf, you've criticised Butyrskaya for just having a World title at 27 that's unremarkable (saying "that was it for her" as if she should have replicated her success at Worlds and the Olympics at 28 & 29), and then decided to use Shizuka as some comparatively prodigious "late bloomer"... which is a stupid comparison to begin with considering you're not even using the right numbers in your argument:
Arakawa won her World title at 22 -- so I don't get where the heck you get that she started first hitting her prime and became a medal contender only at 24. And you're saying Butyrskaya started to hit her prime in '96 when she came 2nd at Sparkassen and 3rd at Europeans... okay, sure... Shizuka, by that comparison then, started to hit her prime when she placed 2nd at 4CC and 4th at Skate America when she was 20 years old -- heck, let's say a year later when she won another 4CC silver, a bronze at NHK and made the GPF at 21 years old -- still not even close to 24! I know you're used to throwing out random numbers, but come on...
Shizuka didn't do well in her teens, gained momentum with GP and 4CC medals at the beginning of her 20's, but then lost it and wasn't even able to qualify for the 2002 Olympics, and then gained it back with a World title (the only time she's ever been a podium contender at Worlds -- albeit an excellent performance), followed by a dismal Worlds the following year, and then getting it back together again for an Olympic title. Shizuka is indeed a better skater overall than Maria (I never said she wasn't), but her career has been mercurial and she's hardly this "multi-title threat late bloomer" that you suggest she is. There's nothing to say Arakawa wouldn't have placed 9th at competitions after 2006 Olympics. Saying she had the potential to be a multi-title winner is speculative BS, especially when in her three outings at Worlds she was 8th, 1st and 9th.
In the context of this thread, it is very hard for Kostner to rival a clean Kim so if Kostner never won another Worlds or the Olympics it would be asinine/unfair to insult her as having "only 1 World title and that was it for her" (the way it was hard for Butyrskaya to rival a strong Kwan/Slutskaya after her World title win). It would disregard the fact that (like in Butyrskaya's case) Kostner was indeed the cleanest skater at the Worlds she won, and (like in Butyrskaya's case) discredits the fine skater she is and career she's had, and (like in many cases) makes you just come off like a sad, pathetic jerk. Although you're not exactly a Kostner fan, so I can totally picture you eventually doing that; although I suppose not being a jerk is the least of your priorities, apparently.
As for my arguments being shot down by "all" - LOL, you mean you and a few others who clearly have it in for Chan no matter how he does, right? - well duh, of course I'm fine with disagreeing with your vitriolic, unwavering, and shamelessly biased opinions. I could list sweeping generalizations, false statements, and boorish, nasty things you've said about other skaters, but I wouldn't want to bore you with another "long string".
Maria was a a late bloomer in that she first became an outside medal contender and started reaching her prime in 1996 at age 23. Shizuka first began reaching her prime and became a medal contender at 24, so even older.
Arakawa won her World title at 22 -- so I don't get where the heck you get that she started first hitting her prime and became a medal contender only at 24. And you're saying Butyrskaya started to hit her prime in '96 when she came 2nd at Sparkassen and 3rd at Europeans... okay, sure... Shizuka, by that comparison then, started to hit her prime when she placed 2nd at 4CC and 4th at Skate America when she was 20 years old -- heck, let's say a year later when she won another 4CC silver, a bronze at NHK and made the GPF at 21 years old -- still not even close to 24! I know you're used to throwing out random numbers, but come on...
Shizuka didn't do well in her teens, gained momentum with GP and 4CC medals at the beginning of her 20's, but then lost it and wasn't even able to qualify for the 2002 Olympics, and then gained it back with a World title (the only time she's ever been a podium contender at Worlds -- albeit an excellent performance), followed by a dismal Worlds the following year, and then getting it back together again for an Olympic title. Shizuka is indeed a better skater overall than Maria (I never said she wasn't), but her career has been mercurial and she's hardly this "multi-title threat late bloomer" that you suggest she is. There's nothing to say Arakawa wouldn't have placed 9th at competitions after 2006 Olympics. Saying she had the potential to be a multi-title winner is speculative BS, especially when in her three outings at Worlds she was 8th, 1st and 9th.
In the context of this thread, it is very hard for Kostner to rival a clean Kim so if Kostner never won another Worlds or the Olympics it would be asinine/unfair to insult her as having "only 1 World title and that was it for her" (the way it was hard for Butyrskaya to rival a strong Kwan/Slutskaya after her World title win). It would disregard the fact that (like in Butyrskaya's case) Kostner was indeed the cleanest skater at the Worlds she won, and (like in Butyrskaya's case) discredits the fine skater she is and career she's had, and (like in many cases) makes you just come off like a sad, pathetic jerk. Although you're not exactly a Kostner fan, so I can totally picture you eventually doing that; although I suppose not being a jerk is the least of your priorities, apparently.
As for my arguments being shot down by "all" - LOL, you mean you and a few others who clearly have it in for Chan no matter how he does, right? - well duh, of course I'm fine with disagreeing with your vitriolic, unwavering, and shamelessly biased opinions. I could list sweeping generalizations, false statements, and boorish, nasty things you've said about other skaters, but I wouldn't want to bore you with another "long string".