Poised to break through--but didn't | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Poised to break through--but didn't

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Sasha could have won any competition had she nailed her jumps, but I'm glad Shizuka won in Turin because she is a purer "skater" than Sasha and I never thought her skills were rewarded enough (i.e. Shizuka's SS should score miles ahead of Sasha's but wasn't).
 

Johar

Medalist
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Jenni Tew
Lisa Ervin
Sydney Vogel
Katy Taylor--did she quit due to injuries or quit because she didn't want to skate anymore?
Christina Gao
Emanuel Sandhu
 

yelyoh

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Angela Dikodinov
Yes indeed Deanna Stellato
Yes Naomi and Mirai and Caroline
Jeremy for sure
Lesser extent Matt Savoie
Nicole Bobek
Excuse the spelling errors

Oh and (don't throw things at me) Tonya Harding
 

Poodlepal

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 14, 2010
I still have hope for Jeremy! Not much, but a little bit is left that he'll at least do well in the Olympics, at least get 5th or 6th or so. What a shame his nerves got the better of him.

I remember Sydney Vogel! She was better than Tara Lipinski at one point.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Didn't Sydney Vogel switch countries and skated for maybe Germany? But things dind't work out - she kind of lost it. I would add Tracey Wainman, Tiffany Chin, Lisa Marie Allen, Tanya Sawchenko, and Josee Chouinard (heart break) as well.
 

noskates

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 11, 2012
Ohhhhhhhhhh - Emanuel Sandhu. Usually had a great SP and then blew it in the long. Josee Chouinard (Breakfast at Tiffanys) was a joy to watch. Tiffany Chin had mother issues but was beautiful on the ice. Thought she would make it as a pairs skater but that never went anywhere.

My son's best friend was Katy Taylor's sports psychologist, Katy just never had a competitive edge. Too bad.

But Jeremy. I wish so much he would have the skate of his life at the 2013 Nats and go on to win an Oly medal. He has the mad skills...just can't put it together.
 

MFarone

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Country
United-States
Bebe Liang broke through at a young age and had quite a personality, lots of speed, and fairly good jumps. She had some type of hip injury and was never the same. She skated with the injury but was limited with jumps and even after the injury healed she was seemed to have lost her consistency.

Jennifer Don skated singles and definitely had the "it" factor on the ice. She didn't ever have lutz or flip, IIRC. She switched to pairs and had some success but eventually faded from the scene.

I always loved Ryan Janke's skating and Braden Overett as well. Both had good jumps up thru lutz and interesting and different choreography. Lack of reliable 3A's ended their hopes of international success.
 

flaneur

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
To me, Emanuel Sandhu stands out because he is kind of the broken link in the 'chosen' Canadian men. For a while now, one talented Canadian male skater has risen up to succeed internationally. Orser to Browning to Stojko to Sandhu to Buttle to Chan. With all his talent Sandhu is the one skater in this list who was not able to execute when it counted (only one that didn't win or medal at Worlds/Olympics).
 

Fruit Loops

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
I agree about both Cohen and Sandhu. Cohen made it closer to her potential than Sandu ever did but I still think she was gifted a medal at Torino. I really felt for Suguri and Rochette that year as they skated very well only to land off the podium. Rochette I could understand a little as she still didn't quite project that confidence that came in the following seasons. Anyways, Cohen could and should have been a legend. I was introduced to her skating in 2002 and I was so excited to see what she would come to be but it never really happened.

Other skaters that come to mind include Cynthia Phanuef. She never had consistency but the judges seemed very ready to reward her with high PCS. She seemed hampered by both nerves and a sudden growth spurt then there was the 'controversy' the year she broke through and won nationals but was sent to Junior Worlds. Still debatable whether that was a good decision or not. Might not matter because of the ensuing growth spurt.

There was a Japanese skater whose name escapes me at the moment. She was in the post-Suguri era and she won the Four Continents in 2004. I remember she had a very lovely style and seemed to do well at the GP but after that season I never really heard from her again.
 

RABID

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
I'm going to tweak the intent of the thread... and include Sasha Cohen in the discussion.

Yes, she has US Championships, Olympic medal, WC medal, multiple GP wins... there are many, many skaters who would be thrilled with that resume, and rightly so.

But she never became what she could have been. She had the talent, the look, the charisma to become one of the all time greats in our sport... an icon on the level of Peggy Fleming. Instead, she had a very good career, but will be remembered by few in 20 years.

On one hand Sasha's inconsistency made it hard for me to watch her or even the sport for that matter but on the other hand I haven't been excited about any American LADY since Sasha. Does that make her a failure?
 

RobinA

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Abbott, in a way. Although he has had some victories, he hasn't become the World or Olympic medalist many expected him to be. I also think people expected Dornbush to rise up the ranks much more quickly than he has after 2011. Actually, he hasn't really risen up at all since then. I take it we're talking about American skaters, or else I would have more examples.

Abbott definitely. He's SUCH a great skater.

I'm also going to add Weir to the list. Sure, he has USA medals, but he should have done more internationally. I remember when I first saw him at a local competiton and he was such a gorgeous skater. I don't think he was served by gloing to a Russian coach and he did have the headcase problem... By which I mean no aspersion, I'd be a headcase too if I were in the position.
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
I would add also Polina Shelepen: yes, she's young (only 18), and she's had some Junior success, even if she has never been on the JWC podium, but after the coaching change and the disastrous 2012-2013 season (she couldn't even reach the podium in Seniors B :bang: ) we've never heard anything about her... Injuries, I think, are what still make it impossible for her to train and compete, and the plan to compete for Israel never came true... But I really liked her, after all she was able to land two 3-3s in one program, and I think that (especially during the 2011-2012 season) she was under-appreciated, artistically: yes, she doesn't have Carolina's SS and she isn't as graceful as Sasha, but I liked her style and the consistency of her jumps that made her programs look very solid (the same as Lipnitskaya, at that time they were actually both coached by tutberidze...).
I hope she'll come back!!
 

RobinA

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
I think that it is notable that a number of the women being brought up--Kimmie, Mirai, Caroline, Naomi--were all heavily hyped before they finished growing. Things changed for them when their bodies matured. Fans and the federation need to be more careful about putting such high expectations on young skaters because we should all know that everything can change with a few inches and some curves.

Couldn't agree more about the young girls. PLEASE, fans and media, stop hyping female skaters who aren't physically mature. It does no one any favors, least of all the skaters. In remains a fact in this sport that is not kind to mature female bodies, so it seems kinda creepy to set these girls up and then commentate endlessly about how they aren't what they once were. All because of a natural process.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I would like to see Abbott win a world medal and then retire happily. I think if Dai and Chan don't win gold, which is impossible that they both can, then they would not have skated to their full potential - like or dislike. However, there are only two American spots for the men. It appears from these posts Rippon and Brown have taken the lead but you also have Max Aaron, jeremy Abbott and if you still believe Evan is really going to compete the OGM. This doesn't preclude Dornbush and Minor and other more "minor"players excuse the pun.
 

Johar

Medalist
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
I agree about both Cohen and Sandhu. Cohen made it closer to her potential than Sandu ever did but I still think she was gifted a medal at Torino. I really felt for Suguri and Rochette that year as they skated very well only to land off the podium. Rochette I could understand a little as she still didn't quite project that confidence that came in the following seasons. Anyways, Cohen could and should have been a legend. I was introduced to her skating in 2002 and I was so excited to see what she would come to be but it never really happened.

Other skaters that come to mind include Cynthia Phanuef. She never had consistency but the judges seemed very ready to reward her with high PCS. She seemed hampered by both nerves and a sudden growth spurt then there was the 'controversy' the year she broke through and won nationals but was sent to Junior Worlds. Still debatable whether that was a good decision or not. Might not matter because of the ensuing growth spurt.

There was a Japanese skater whose name escapes me at the moment. She was in the post-Suguri era and she won the Four Continents in 2004. I remember she had a very lovely style and seemed to do well at the GP but after that season I never really heard from her again.

Yukari NAKANO?
 

Johar

Medalist
Joined
Dec 16, 2003
Elena Sokolova always seemed on the verge of greatness. She was still fun to watch, though.
 

tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
I'm going to tweak the intent of the thread... and include Sasha Cohen in the discussion.

Yes, she has US Championships, Olympic medal, WC medal, multiple GP wins... there are many, many skaters who would be thrilled with that resume, and rightly so.

But she never became what she could have been. She had the talent, the look, the charisma to become one of the all time greats in our sport... an icon on the level of Peggy Fleming. Instead, she had a very good career, but will be remembered by few in 20 years.

Cohen actually had 3 world medals and never finished worse than 5th anywhere in her whole senior career. Out of 21 senior (international) competitions she was only off the podium 6 times (and again, never lower than 5th); if you only count from 2002 forward she was in 15 competitions and only landed off the podium once, at the world championships, where she was 4th.

While I lurrrrved Cohen (and still do) and was gutted for her for many years that she didn't reach her 'potential' as we are discussing, I've come to think differently about it. I think, given her shortcomings, that she actually exceeded her potential in some ways. While some think she wasn't mentally tough (and there may be some truth in that) I think it is more so true that she was a good, but not a great, jumper at a time when a fall on a jump hurt you a lot more than it does now. I actually think if she had competed under COP she'd have often placed higher than she did under 6.0 (and as I already discussed, she always placed very high, potential aside). While her potential in a fantasy world where she was a very strong jumper was doubtless #1 in the world at everything, her potential in the real world where we live I think is reflected accurately in her results, and she probably more or less did the best she could with what she had (if she could have improved her jumps in some way is a different question and outside the scope of what I am currently saying).
 

SamuraiKike

Medalist
Joined
Jan 26, 2008
I really disagree with the OP about Kimmie, if winning a World Championship isn't Breaking Through, then what is it?.. Sure she went downhill after that but she had her time on the spotlight if only very briefly.
 

minze

Medalist
Joined
Dec 22, 2012
Cohen actually had 3 world medals and never finished worse than 5th anywhere in her whole senior career. Out of 21 senior (international) competitions she was only off the podium 6 times (and again, never lower than 5th); if you only count from 2002 forward she was in 15 competitions and only landed off the podium once, at the world championships, where she was 4th.

While I lurrrrved Cohen (and still do) and was gutted for her for many years that she didn't reach her 'potential' as we are discussing, I've come to think differently about it. I think, given her shortcomings, that she actually exceeded her potential in some ways. While some think she wasn't mentally tough (and there may be some truth in that) I think it is more so true that she was a good, but not a great, jumper at a time when a fall on a jump hurt you a lot more than it does now. I actually think if she had competed under COP she'd have often placed higher than she did under 6.0 (and as I already discussed, she always placed very high, potential aside). While her potential in a fantasy world where she was a very strong jumper was doubtless #1 in the world at everything, her potential in the real world where we live I think is reflected accurately in her results, and she probably more or less did the best she could with what she had (if she could have improved her jumps in some way is a different question and outside the scope of what I am currently saying).

Standing on the world podium and olympic silver medal is good engough to be considered breakthrough in my book. Also, Cohen is a talked about skater. Many people when they want to talk about aristry, spins and beutiful skating they mention Sasha.. You even have people like Mao Asada saying they look up to Cohen.
 
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