Olympic comebacks | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Olympic comebacks

IcyEdges

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2013
Johnny's aborted comeback becomes an issue because he was, not so very long ago, begging his fans to donate to his training fund. Getting envelope funding from the USFSA. Parading himself around as a lock for the Sochi team. Trash-talking the other American skaters by saying he would have easily podiumed at last Nationals and that the current crop of men is "weak".

Did he really expect that he could officially quit the comeback and NOT get some backlash from that stuff?


Evan's comeback may not be going so well, but at least he's not begging anyone for money or trash-talking the other US skaters. He seems smart enough to put up or shut up. (Unlike his coach.)

I must say that I completely agree with you on all points here. Except I need one explanation. What has Mr. Carroll said that you elude to here?
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I must say that I completely agree with you on all points here. Except I need one explanation. What has Mr. Carroll said that you elude to here?

Two things that annoyed the living hell out of me:

First, the "Evan works harder than any other figure skater" comment (I think that was back in 2010). Which is a load of BULL. Every figure skater works their as$ off at that level. Evan was no more or less special in that department than anyone else.

But the one that really has my back up at the moment is his comment that "No-one has ever come back from an injury as bad as Evan's". Um, that's absolute rubbish. Right now, Plushenko is coming back from something a whole lot more serious than a muscle tear. Heck, two of his would-be teammates in SLC have had far, far worse injuries than that. And how about a snapped Achilles? I can think of a couple of skaters off the top of my head who've come back from that.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Really skaterboy? Grow up!

Listen you don't have to make it personal but maybe you should grow up. Evan has been gifted he can make money promoting things and skating in shows and things. You really twisted or misread my post which is fine - freedom of speech but you need to learn about life. There is a time for everything and maybe Evan's is time to move on and utilize his popularity and giftings. So really Icy Edges??? Try to keep your edge :)
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
Listen you don't have to make it personal but maybe you should grow up. Evan has been gifted he can make money promoting things and skating in shows and things. You really twisted or misread my post which is fine - freedom of speech but you need to learn about life. There is a time for everything and maybe Evan's is time to move on and utilize his popularity and giftings. So really Icy Edges??? Try to keep your edge :)

I think it was suggesting that the reigning Olympic champion will be relegated to selling fake tans and appearing in cheesy ice shows that was the juvenile comment. As much as haters gonna hate, Evan's still richer than most of us will ever be. His motivations for potentially competing are his own.

And yes, he has much more humility than Weir (not that Weir sets the bar for humility). Weir is also an idiot for lambasting the US men for not medaling at Worlds and appearing weak -- speaking of weak, somebody should point out his glorious 10th (last) place short program finish at Cup of Russia, and barely clearing 200 points at Finlandia. :rolleye:
 

Matilda

Medalist
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
Trash-talking the other American skaters by saying he would have easily podiumed at last Nationals and that the current crop of men is "weak".

Did he really expect that he could officially quit the comeback and NOT get some backlash from that stuff?

Johnny is in very good terms with most of the current US men's top skaters and did not "trash talk" anyone. He clearly meant that had he not got injured, he thinks he would have been competitive. At least he gave his comeback a proper try--he went out and competed--and he announced well in advance, in December, that he would not be competing in the 2013 Nationals.

I have no idea what caused Johnny not to at least try in Nationals this season--I'm sure he will tell us soon--but I'm guessing his body isn't taking the pounding of practicing quads any better than Evan's. They are both old for the sport. Evan has his recurring groin injuries, Johnny his recurring ACL injuries. Plushy still keeps going, but I worry about how much permanent damage he is doing to his body by continuing to train and compete. Be kind to yourself, Plushy!

As far as Johnny's tweet: I took it as referring to the hate tweets from some in the lgbt community, who see his stance of not wanting to boycott Sochi as betrayal, and who (not having a clue of how the Olympics selection works) were celebrating the announcement of him not being in Sochi as "bad karma."

I commend any skater who wants to keep competing, and the decision to retire should only be up to the athlete him- or herself. I wish Miki, Alissa, Plushy, and any of the other skaters attempting a comeback the best of luck! I also hope that those who decide to hang their skates competitively all the best in their future endeavors. Finally, I hope there will be opportunities for those who want to keep skating to do so in shows. What happened to the new pro competitions Hamilton was supposed to organize?? That would be the arena for Johnny, Evan, Stephane, Plushy, Dai, Jeffrey Buttle, etc. to shine and entertain us for years to come!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Agreed, Matilda.

When one sees an athlete who seems to be staying past his or her "freshness date," it's easy to think that this is caused by ego or some kind of hypocrisy. But athletes in all sports have trouble deciding to walk away. Most athletes have depended on drive for so long that they think that sheer force of will can keep them going. Recently I saw an article about baseball great Derek Jeter that said much the same thing. Jeter was never flashy and hard-living: he was known for being steady and dedicated to work and training, but he's starting to feel the effect of injuries and age, and he may not be able to maintain his standard for much longer. When to leave? Only he can make that choice.

The same is true for skaters such as Evan or Miki. It's easy to forget what the life of a champion athlete is like. Wake up, train, eat specially calibrated food, train, eat specially calibrated food, sleep. Repeat. For variation, travel to competitions. It's an all-consuming pursuit, often starting in elementary school. To give up a skill when you do nothing—nothing—else in your life, and you can't imagine if you're even good at anything else, must be like a bereavement. In a way, you're giving up your reason for living. You're also giving up your youth (at an age when most other people get to feel young for quite a while to come. Who's old at 26 except an athlete?). This is heavy stuff! No wonder people try to keep going.
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
At least he gave his comeback a proper try--he went out and competed--and he announced well in advance, in December, that he would not be competing in the 2013 Nationals.

Oh yes, he scratched about at Finlandia, got absolutely demolished in the short program at COR and then conveniently ended up "injured". And with his history, I don't believe he was. He was humiliated. He couldn't even beat Gachinski, who was having the worst season of his life.


And there was no other interpretation of his words about the other US men. He clearly said the US men were weak now. That's not respecting your opponents, that's trash-talking them.
 

Matilda

Medalist
Joined
Dec 19, 2012
What evidence do you have that Johnny was NOT injured? The fact that he lied about an injury ten years ago? Since then he's competed, for example, with an injured toe (2005 Worlds), a terrible cold (several times), and he skated most of the 2005-2006 season with a mono. He has a history of ACL issues, he was seen by the Team USA doctor before his decision to withdraw, and he talked about on-going rehab still in the spring. People present at the COR reported he was limping.

You may not like Johnny, but you have no more grounds to assert that he faked an injury than those accusing Evan of the same regarding SLC. Both men are old for the sport--why would an injury be surprising, when even younger skaters suffer them frequently?

As far as the strength of US men's field: when Johnny and Evan were competing they never failed to secure three spots for the Worlds. A year after they were gone, the US lost the third spot, and so far has not been able to get it back. I hope that changes this year, as there are several terrific young skaters coming up the ranks, and I'd like to see many of them get the opportunity to skate in the Worlds as well as the 2018 Olympics.

P.S. Johnny has specifically talked about how the older skaters weren't very welcoming when he was coming up the ranks, and that he wants to be different in that respect, and offer his support to the next generation of skaters.
 

Sjs5572

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 27, 2012
My problem with Johnny is that he still held out the possibility of competing at Sochi in interviews AFTER September 1st. He refers to this possibility on Olbermann and with queerty.com. Now he's tweeting to wait for "his story". Why the delay? Obviously, so he and Tara have time to cook up a lie for why he's been deceiving the public.
 

IcyEdges

Match Penalty
Joined
Sep 10, 2013
I think it was suggesting that the reigning Olympic champion will be relegated to selling fake tans and appearing in cheesy ice shows that was the juvenile comment. As much as haters gonna hate, Evan's still richer than most of us will ever be. His motivations for potentially competing are his own.

And yes, he has much more humility than Weir (not that Weir sets the bar for humility). Weir is also an idiot for lambasting the US men for not medaling at Worlds and appearing weak -- speaking of weak, somebody should point out his glorious 10th (last) place short program finish at Cup of Russia, and barely clearing 200 points at Finlandia. :rolleye:


Thank you for explaining exactly what I meant to skaterboy. Obviously he needs to live a little and also learn how to read people's replies to him.
 

Tippi1963

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 9, 2013
Let's put it this way.

A clean Yuna (more and more common) can score above 70 in the SP and above 150 in the FS. Her combined total can be in the upper 220's, a la Vancouver 2010.

A clean Carolina can score above 70 in the SP and in the upper 130's in the FS. Her combined total can be above 200. Judges have shown that, even with major mistakes, Carolina will still score in the upper 60's in the SP and the lower 130's in the FS.

A clean Mao can score above 70 in the SP and in the 140's in the FS. Her combined total (a la Vancouver 2010) can be above 210. Even with significant mistakes, like at 2013 Worlds, she's still within range of breaking 200.

We don't know how high a clean Liza would score in the SP, because not a SINGLE ONE of her SP's this season earned more than 60 points. At Euros, her perfectly clean long program scored in the lower 130's -- in the same place that Carolina and Mao are with multiple errors. She was beat by both Adelina and Carolina. At Worlds, she finished lowest of the younger girls. Gracie, Kaetlyn, and Adelina are outstripping her at a pace reminiscent of Yuna versus Mao in 2009/2010.

If Akiko Suzuki had skated a decent FS at 2013 Worlds, Liza would have finished out of the top ten. Period.

Liza's skating skills aren't even in the same galaxy as Yuna's, Mao's, and Carolina's. She'll raise her PCS the same way that everyone else does -- by improving. Until then, to suggest that she can challenge for gold in Sochi is ridiculous. Right now, Liza should be focusing on beating one of Adelina or Julia L at RN to qualify for the Olympics, because even making the team isn't a guarantee with the up-and-down season she's just finished.
I think (maybe) Tuktashshenka (sp?) is getting props is because 1) she was the break-out queen a few seasons back, but has not maintained/lived up to the media hype, and 2) the Olympics are in Russia. Maybe...
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
i really do miss rachael...i'm just not thrilled that she's her own choreographer. her artistry was never the best in the first place and this makes me nervous. i'm hoping for a surprise and something better than in 2012, although i'm not holding my breath. as long as i get to watch her skate i'll be happy. and i'll get to see her and alissa at sectionals! SO EXCITED :biggrin:
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Whatever happend to Anasina and Peizerot's return. did it happen? Are they coming back - I don't see their names in any GP events but what do I know? sometimes I find these comebacks are like those close out sales - way over rated and nothing really comes of them. They should be charged and convicted with false advertising or something lol - or Gwendel has to slash his hair and marina has to go without dying her hair red as a penalty.lol
 
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