World and Olympic chokers and their opposites | Page 2 | Golden Skate

World and Olympic chokers and their opposites

AllYouDoIsTalk

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 2, 2013
I disagree about Kwan. Nagano was a great games for her. She skated great-nothing held back, she just wasn't the jumper Tara was. It was so close.

Even in Nagano it was obvious, and not to make the ole tired sports cliché again, but in both the SP and FP, you could tell one skated to win and the other skated not to lose-- and we all know which one was which. You could tell from the demeanor throughout those programs.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Well I have to disagree about Kurt Browning not being able to compete in the big competitions. His first Olympics in Calgary he came from literally nowhere to take 8th!! His freeskate was thrilling and it was so nice to see someone "new" out there. His second Olympics he had a bad back (compressed disc from jumping???? Can't remember completely) He would have won with his Casablanca in Lilliehammer but for a jump he could do in his sleep - the double axel in his SP. I think it was more bad luck! But winning four World Championships was pretty big!!

I never liked watching Tara skate. She could jump and that was about it! I doubt she would have won under the new scoring system. But there's something to be said for the Oksana Baiul's and Tara Lipinskis of the world who go into a competition not necessarily favored to do much and just leave it all on the ice. You have to have great appreciation for any athlete that's able to do that.

I think the saddest case right now is Jeremy Abbott. When he's "on" he's awesome - athletic, graceful, musical (loved his 2012 SP) but he just doesn't seem to get it together.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Kurt's back was a slipped disk according to one of the fluff pieces from back then... just watched it on Youtube the other day.

Kurt had two major mistakes on the jumps and a stumble in his footwork in the SP in 1994 - the flip is the most forgivable I suppose, but the footwork and the 2A were "bonehead" mistakes that most likely came from him obsessing over that flip (it was the first thing out of his mouth coming off the ice about what happened out there).
 

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Olympic Chokers: by far the saddest cases would be Kurt Browning and Todd Eldredge. I loved them both and was so deeply saddened by their inability to get Olympic medals. They were both excellent in every other kind of competition- Nationals, Worlds, etc- but could not do it at the Olympics. I will never forget the front page of the NYT with the photo of Todd falling and grasping towards the Olympic rings in the center of the ice. I agree with the poster who said how fortunate it is that they both went on to have successful professional careers. They are head and shoulders above any other Olympic chokers in terms of both their exceptional talent and success everywhere else and the magnitude of their Olympic failures- they were both expected to medal, perhaps win gold, at multiple Olympics and could never put it together on Olympic ice.

The Opposite of Chokers- is that consistency (ie Katarina Witt) or is that people who came through and did great in a surprising way (Wylie, Manley)?
 

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
and I'd say the two biggest Worlds chokers out there right now are Jeremy Abbott and Alyssa Cizny. Jeremy is also an Olympic choker- he won Nationals in 2010 with 8 triples and a quad and was expected to win a medal at those Olympics. I hope he can do well at this year's Olympics as he is so incredibly gifted and beautiful.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
I just watched Jeremy's LP at NHK. He can be absolutely brilliant at times and then make dumb mistakes. But he powered through and I thought he looked really good for most of the program. A short interview afterwards where he said he has to work on the quad now. He looked alot better than he did the last few times I saw him but skateluvr's comment about winning the mental game before you even skate personifies Jeremy's challenges. I would really like to see Jeremy put it together at Nats and the Olys....it would certainly shake things up at the top!

Alyssa was painful to watch because I was always waiting for her to fall.
 

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
I just watched Jeremy's LP at NHK. He can be absolutely brilliant at times and then make dumb mistakes. But he powered through and I thought he looked really good for most of the program. A short interview afterwards where he said he has to work on the quad now. He looked alot better than he did the last few times I saw him but skateluvr's comment about winning the mental game before you even skate personifies Jeremy's challenges. I would really like to see Jeremy put it together at Nats and the Olys....it would certainly shake things up at the top!

Alyssa was painful to watch because I was always waiting for her to fall.

I felt the same way about Alyssa.

Couldn't agree more re Jeremy putting it together at Natls and the Olympics. and I'm glad to hear abt that interview. His free skate at NHK made me cry- such a vast improvement from Skate Canada and most important, a joyful, uninhibited skate from him. When he is on, he is one of the best ever.
 
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