Poised to break through--but didn't | Page 4 | Golden Skate

Poised to break through--but didn't

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Yeah, especially when Sasha bombed big time. But there was no way the team that year was not going to include her, Kwan, and the OGM.

I was a huge HUGE fan of APM. Loved her over the top costumes!

You must be a huge fan because it is very risky to use initials for a third tier skater and assume we are all going to know who in the world you are talking about :) Seriously I do remember Patrice macdonald or whatever her name is. I believe she was of mixed heritage and a gorgous but unfulfilled skater who I believe may have had a meddlingmom but I can't remember fully :)
 

Slowdive

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 27, 2010
Not sure if already mentioned but Yukina Ota definitely.
....adding Jenni Vahamaa as well.
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Thanks again guys!

It's a good point about some quitting before they have a chance, and others definitely is a matter of headcasing. That was the problem with Sandhu. So often, he'd miss the first jump and give up. I wonder if coaching was part of the issue? Seeing what someone said about Joanne McLeod's coaching, and how her skaters struggle with the Axels, which Sandhu was always so cautious when he'd set up for it, and also she didn't believe in the psychological aspect of skating, and Sandhu definitely needed a sports psychologist (he did work with one in 2005-06, but he needed one before that).

I'd also add Alissa Czisny, 2011 looked like she'd be able to reach her full potential but she was hampered by injury after and as she's pulled from nationals I wouldn't be surprised if she retired.
 
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Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Huh?! Last I heard he was going to compete at sectionals. I knew he was injured, but I felt he could have healed up for sectionals/nationals.

I though he had a great break through last year winning silver at nationals and being part of the US sweep at junior worlds with Josh and Jason.

To answer my own question: Shotoro Omori has WD from sectionals due to injury. However, I still don't see any indication that he's retired....
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Why was Liza mentioned in here? She's still fairly young and new, isn't it a bit too soon to say she never broke through? Sheesh!
 

Poodlepal

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
You know who else I just remembered? Actually, she's not hard to remember, she's still around.
Johnny Weir said Elene from Georgia would win the gold in 2010. She was in the top 6 after the short program in 2006 IIRC

She's still skating, but she's not winning an Olympic gold short of an incredible miracle.
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Oh yes! I was thinking of her, she looks like she's heading that way. Growth spurt and injuries cost her.

Also, Tatiana Malinina of Uzkbekistan had her best season in 1998-99, and it looked like she was on her way to becoming a top skater, but she was plagued by injury in 99-00 and dropped to 18th, and her coach died suddenly, too. She was never able to regain the same status.
 

tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
You know who else I just remembered? Actually, she's not hard to remember, she's still around.
Johnny Weir said Elene from Georgia would win the gold in 2010. She was in the top 6 after the short program in 2006 IIRC

She's still skating, but she's not winning an Olympic gold short of an incredible miracle.

Yeah Elene makes me :cry: She truly is one of the loveliest skaters I have ever seen, but she could never pull it together and I realize/know now she never will.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Oh yes! I was thinking of her, she looks like she's heading that way. Growth spurt and injuries cost her.

Also, Tatiana Malinina of Uzkbekistan had her best season in 1998-99, and it looked like she was on her way to becoming a top skater, but she was plagued by injury in 99-00 and dropped to 18th, and her coach died suddenly, too. She was never able to regain the same status.
I loved her-she was always underscored.

also Elene G. aint gonna happen, hope I'm wrong
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
I loved her-she was always underscored.

also Elene G. aint gonna happen, hope I'm wrong

Yeah, she was. I remember at the World Championships in 1998, she skated one of the best SPs of the night but was ranked seventh behind Irina Slutskaya and Maria Butyrskaya, both who had mistakes. Politics of judging. I don't miss it.
Then after her big year in 1998-99, she bad the worst luck, as I said. Injuries and the death of her coach. It's too bad.

How about Viktoria Volchkova who looked like she was poised to be another great Russian lady skater, but after her best finish in 2003 (5th) she just fell off the map, dropping to fifteenth in 2004, and I don't think she made the World Team in 2005, and had to withdraw from the Olympics in 2006.

I agree about Elene, it's too bad. She has great flare, but no consistency.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Well, I've seen Volchkova skate---for one thing, her flip was undistinguishable from her lutz. Her jumps were huge, but they stopped almost dead on the landing. It was pretty eerie. And she never did have Irina's spark, and contagious audience appeal :love: When there's one or two skaters that are better than you in your own country, it's hard to stay training, I would think. It looks like she's a really good coach though!
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Well, I've seen Volchkova skate---for one thing, her flip was undistinguishable from her lutz. Her jumps were huge, but they stopped almost dead on the landing. It was pretty eerie. And she never did have Irina's spark, and contagious audience appeal :love: When there's one or two skaters that are better than you in your own country, it's hard to stay training, I would think. It looks like she's a really good coach though!

Yeah, she had potential but never really developed it to its fullest, she seemed to plateau. I agree she didn't have Irina's spark or charisma. She seemed to fizzle after 2003. Yup, she's coaching now. Like Elena Sokolova who never seemed to match her silver medal in 2003, partly from injury and partly because she didn't seem to adjust to the judging system.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Julia Soldotova seemed poised for big things when she won the world bronze medal in 1999 and European silver. But she never reached that level again. :(
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Wow - I've always considered myself a fairly knowledgeable figure skating fan but I haven't heard of alot of these skaters that are being mentioned. :scratch:
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Julia Soldotova seemed poised for big things when she won the world bronze medal in 1999 and European silver. But she never reached that level again. :(

Yup, she's another one. She was fourth at Russians the next year and didn't make the world team, so she changed to countries to represent Belarus, and sadly, it seemed to go downhill from there, she was 20th in at Worlds in 2001 and 18th at the Olympics and Worlds in 2002. I think she retired after that. I wonder if part of it was the facilities in Belarus, and lack of resources.

Also Anna Rechnio from Poland, she had wonderful basic skating skills and in 1998 finished a surprising second after the short but the nerves would get the best of her most of the time.
 

coppertop1

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 19, 2006
Angela Nikodinov...sigh.....

Yeah, I feel sad for how after 2001 it seemed like she couldn't catch a break, her coach dying of cancer and a very deep American field so she didn't make the Olympics or Worlds after 2001, injuries, her mother's death in a car accident :(. She was a lovely skater.

Susan Humphreys. She looked to be a promising talent for Canada, but she was hampered by nerves, a bad back and mental fragility. She finally won Canadians in 1997, then at Worlds she developed a really nasty blister on her foot and she fell apart at Worlds in the Short then had to withdraw, and I'm pretty sure she retired after that. She just couldn't catch a break.

Someone mentioned Mikkeline Kierkgaard, a lovely skater from Denmark. I think her problem was that lack of mental toughness. The Brit Eurosport commentators described her as a fragile talent and when she missed one jump it would all unravel. If she was ever able to master the Lutz and the flip and gain that consistency, she'd have put Denmark on the map.

I agree about hyping young girls before they mature. Anything can happen and the puberty monster can devour a skater, especially the girls. I mean it even threw Michelle Kwan off, though she was still able to skate relatively well and regroup, largely due to her own focus and determination.

Susanna Poykio
 

london_calling

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 3, 2007
I'm of two minds about Sasha. She had the talent to win everything and even with her mistakes, I prefer watching her over skaters who achieved much more in their careers. At the same time, I think the athletes who become the "greats" in any sport have a certain personality, drive, and vision that I think Sasha lacked. I think she made the most of herself and achieved a lot more than most skaters often described as inconsistent.
 
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