Here is an example of a Janet Lynn performance. Sandra Bezik said, in her recent interview with Jennifer and David, that once you've seen Janet Lynn you realize that skating has not progressed in the last thirty years -- quite the opposite. There is no one skating today who can skate like this. Notice the variation in speed, the attention to detail, and how she weaves the jumps into the choreograohy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7kTnyOcPy4
No Patrick Chan? *is utterly shocked*
What are your criteria? Some of these skaters never won a Worlds or Olympics.
Lynn won a bronze medal at the 1972 Olympics in Sapporo, Japan, and five consecutive national championships, but, like Kwan, she was a skater whose achievements surpassed her career statistics.
Repeatedly stymied by the dull but demanding compulsory figures competition, which has since been phased out, she brought crowds to their feet during the free skate with her feather-light landings and athletic jumps, her feel for the music, and the joy she was able to communicate on ice.
"She was an artist and an athlete, both," says David Santee, who skated in the 1976 and 1980 Olympics.
"I remember her skating to 'Afternoon of a Faun,' and she would get so lost in the music that it would be hard not to watch and feel the same way. Yet, she could jump, she could spin, she could just do everything. . . . If I had one person to take with me [into competition] as the ultimate skater, I'd take Janet for sure."
After Lynn didn't win a gold at Sapporo because of the compulsories, the sport itself was revised, with international competitions placing less emphasis on the painstaking ice tracings that had tripped up the great free skater.
When Lynn left skating to raise her five sons, the sport's insiders -- judges, coaches, commentators and athletes -- kept her legend alive with grainy videotapes, locker room discussions and frequent references.
On a different note: Trixie Schuba deserves some love on these lists. She was the greatest figure skater of all time.
To be fair, couldn't it be because skaters are all doing triples and quads nowadays, which take a bit more time and energy to set-up? Isn't it "easier" to weave doubles into choreography? I'm not denying Lynn's unparalleled musicality, but she could afford to pay attention to detail and choreography when all she had to jump were doubles.
Moreover, while it may be true that skating has gone nowhere artistically since Lynn, it is true that it has progressed technically. This is actually the direction it has taken since Lynn, with greater and greater emphasis on jumps. Ironically enough, the elimination of figures which was supposed to bring advantage to skaters like Lynn probably accelerated this move towards the athletic side.
And here's the men's version. This is John Curry, 1976. (I have to smile when people mention Yagudin, etc. )
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djadlQLK_ow
Moreover, while it may be true that skating has gone nowhere artistically since Lynn, it is true that it has progressed technically. This is actually the direction it has taken since Lynn, with greater and greater emphasis on jumps. Ironically enough, the elimination of figures which was supposed to bring advantage to skaters like Lynn probably accelerated this move towards the athletic side.
if yagudin is not the Best of all Time
Then, who do you think is the best of all time??
Actually, I think Toller Cranston is more like the men's version of Janet Lynn. Both Lynn and Cranston were not that great at figures (which prevented them from winning a world or Olympic title) but were incredible, ground-breaking freeskaters who revolutionized the way skaters moved on the ice for their respective disciplines. Curry had lovely, very proper ballet training and a wonderful classical style but Cranston moved his body and emoted on the ice in a way that was unprecedented for male skaters and was just totally original.
To fully understand how exceptional Cranston and Lynn were, you have to watch their contemporaries, how skaters skated before and during their careers. Cranston and Lynn both skated with a freedom, fluidity and expressiveness that was ground-breaking and has proved to be extremely influential, and that's why I ranked both of them fourth on my "top 10 of all time" lists despite their lack of big titles.
My subjective list, watching figure skating since the late 60's.
Men:
1.John Curry (the reason this sport was created)
2.Alexei Yagudin (emotion, passion, technique with a touch of art)
3.Toller Cranston (innivation, introduced the real choreography in men's skating)
4.Stephan Lambiel (breathtaking talent, art and beauty, perfect actor)
5.Plushenko (best jump technique but arrogance)
6.Brian Boitano (perfectionism)
7.Daisuke Takahashi (virtuoso, technique and personality)
8.Patrick Chan (the best blade ever used in sport)
if yagudin is not the Best of all Time
Then, who do you think is the best of all time??
My subjective list, watching figure skating since the late 60's.
Men:
1.John Curry (the reason this sport was created)
2.Alexei Yagudin (emotion, passion, technique with a touch of art)
3.Toller Cranston (innivation, introduced the real choreography in men's skating)
4.Stephan Lambiel (breathtaking talent, art and beauty, perfect actor)
5.Plushenko (best jump technique but arrogance)
6.Brian Boitano (perfectionism)
7.Daisuke Takahashi (virtuoso, technique and personality)
8.Patrick Chan (the best blade ever used in sport)
The influence of Yagudin is still seen in men's footwork and exuberance in performing today. Telling that Plushenko, Joubert, Lysacek, etc. all have/had footwork that is "shades of Yagudin" The only couple of people in the past decade who really owned style of footwork was Lambiel, Buttle, Chan, and Takahashi (and Johnny to a lesser extent, for me)
Yagudin's most famous footwork was the sequence that Morozov gave him for Winter. Morozov reached all the way back to Sonia Henie for that dancing on toepicks motif. The next season there was a parade of skaters to Morozov's door who wanted to be Yagudin -- including Michelle Kwan (Aranjuez), Joubert was the most obvious wannabe, but unfortunately the patented Morozov footwork sequence did not suit his style and he just looked silly attempting it.
Yagudin's most famous footwork was the sequence that Morozov gave him for Winter. Morozov reached all the way back to Sonia Henie for that dancing on toepicks motif. The next season there was a parade of skaters to Morozov's door who wanted to be Yagudin -- including Michelle Kwan (Aranjuez), Joubert was the most obvious wannabe, but unfortunately the patented Morozov footwork sequence did not suit his style and he just looked silly attempting it.