How will Sotnikova be viewed should she stumble going forward? | Golden Skate

How will Sotnikova be viewed should she stumble going forward?

wootie

Match Penalty
Joined
Dec 21, 2013
So, yeah, it's obvious Sotnikova didn't really deserve that gold medal, and the judging was sketchy as all get out. Still, there are those that will say bc she did one more triple jump than Yu-na (although that's one LESS than Mao and the SAME number as Carolina)...well she deserved that gold medal. Fine.

My question is, if Adelina continues competing (which I think she will) but starts to falter and bomb, how will her victory on home ice in Sochi be viewed? It's already looked at by at least half the skating world as a dubious, super sketchy win. But if she doesn't follow up her win in Sochi with consistent wins going forward, is it possible Adelina will go down in figure skating history as, perhaps, one of the most absurd gold medalists in Olympic history?
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Well after Urmanov never won a world medal after his Olympic win he didn't become absurd because he didn't match that level again! So if sotnikova never comes close to that level again and doesn't win a world medal who can say anything? She reached a level of performance in sochi that was really rare for her or anyone! So you have to include all factors.
 

usethis2

Medalist
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
If she stumbles going forward, she will retire. I thought that much was obvious.

If she continues and improves, she may have a chance for redemption.. in Pyongchang. :biggrin:
 

Jump

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 16, 2014
Let's wait few years and revisit then. She's young and still has lot of skating left unless she suffers an injury. Who knows how she will turn out. She might surprise us all.
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
She probably won't skate much more. The Olympic winners never do. I think there will always be an asterisk next to Adelina, which breaks my heart, because I really like her as a young skater. She's been one of my favorites this year. But she did not deerve to win, the judges conspired and gave it to her.

The more I think, the more my heart breaks for her too. It was her dream to win the Olympic title, same as any other girl out there. She skated her butt off. So it really pains me if there's a shadow of doubt and rejection following her around the rest of her life (outside of Russia, of course). The only way to avoid that would be to just lie to one's self. Neither is a good fate, which makes her a true victim as well.
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
She will stumble, only a hoo ha would criticize her for it. Pobody's NeRfEct
 

Manitou

Medalist
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Just like every skater. Not a big deal.
Oksana Baiul started going downhill right after the Olympics and we all survived it. Tara retired immediately and her gold was never truly tested, and we all survived.
Arakawa never consolidated her gold medal either and I never heard any mockery, insults or threats against her as we hear now against Adelina.

So we will all survive whatever happens to Adelina too. No worry. The world will be fine.
 

kslr0816

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 20, 2014
She probably won't skate much more. The Olympic winners never do. I think there will always be an asterisk next to Adelina, which breaks my heart, because I really like her as a young skater. She's been one of my favorites this year. But she did not deerve to win, the judges conspired and gave it to her.

The more I think, the more my heart breaks for her too. It was her dream to win the Olympic title, same as any other girl out there. She skated her butt off. So it really pains me if there's a shadow of doubt and rejection following her around the rest of her life (outside of Russia, of course). The only way to avoid that would be to just lie to one's self. Neither is a good fate, which makes her a true victim as well.

though, she did say she wants all the golds in all the FS events possible. I think we'll see her again. she has a competitive fire I don't know that I've really seen in figure skating. if anything the asterisk around her gold will push her all the more to win another, just to validate it. whether or not she can is the question.
 

usethis2

Medalist
Joined
Feb 11, 2014
though, she did say she wants all the golds in all the FS events possible. I think we'll see her again. she has a competitive fire I don't know that I've really seen in figure skating. if anything the asterisk around her gold will push her all the more to win another, just to validate it. whether or not she can is the question.

That would be wonderful to see. I just hope her federation will be kind to her, no matter what happens to her.
 

caelum

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 8, 2013
It's hard to know how she'll be viewed once this whole brouhaha settles down, but my feelings are she will be remembered much as Sarah Hughes was remembered - an Olympic champion with talent, but not one of the greats. Of course, her talent is far beyond Hughes and it's possible she'll grow into a truly great skater, but I suspect not. My forecast is that her and Gracie will have a battle through next season, after which either Yulia or one of the up-and-coming Russian younglings, or maybe even Karen Chen or, and this seems far less likely, Miyahara, will overtake both of them. Adelina will probably then retire. But I'd love to be proven wrong, as with all the recent retirements we have lost a lot of greats.
 

att

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
As much as i am Yuna die hard fan..i hope Sotnikova will just rise up going forward and not stumble..she alongside Yulia and Gracie are the future for FS,,and i'm looking forward to see them in the future ..going head to head against each other..
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
As much as i am Yuna die hard fan..i hope Sotnikova will just rise up going forward and not stumble..she alongside Yulia and Gracie are the future for FS,,and i'm looking forward to see them in the future ..going head to head against each other..
:points:
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
It's hard to know how she'll be viewed once this whole brouhaha settles down, but my feelings are she will be remembered much as Sarah Hughes was remembered - an Olympic champion with talent, but not one of the greats. Of course, her talent is far beyond Hughes and it's possible she'll grow into a truly great skater, but I suspect not. My forecast is that her and Gracie will have a battle through next season, after which either Yulia or one of the up-and-coming Russian younglings, or maybe even Karen Chen or, and this seems far less likely, Miyahara, will overtake both of them. Adelina will probably then retire. But I'd love to be proven wrong, as with all the recent retirements we have lost a lot of greats.

I agree that she'll be viewed just like Sarah if she "stumbles." People are already making Sarah comparisons. I'm not sure if she will though.. I honestly cannot predict what will happen with the ladies in the next four years, even the Russian ladies. With injuries and puberty and all that, it's really hard to say (I know Adelina has gone through puberty, but some of her Russian competitors haven't).
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
Sarah Hughes earned her title though. Adelina skated her heart out, but that doesn't mean she deserved to win. Bronze yes. Gold or silver, no.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
So, yeah, it's obvious Sotnikova didn't really deserve that gold medal, and the judging was sketchy as all get out.

I don't think any reasonable people are saying for sure that she didn't deserve gold (I'm mostly undecided) mainly people are saying it should have been much closer (a very close competition would not raise as many eyebrows. The judging was sketchy, yes, you'd think it was a knockout (which it wasn't) instead of a close call (which it should have been). Or in 6.0 terms it was a 5/4 kind of decision instead of a 9/0 one that the protocals show.
 

EricRohmer

On the Ice
Joined
May 31, 2010
Adelina was having always a future WC potential.
So, now that Yuna,Caro,Mao retire soon, I think she would win at least one WC title.
As OGM, she is now in the most stand-out position among young skaters(Gold, Julia etc). An advantage to her in future competitive scenes. So her situation is different from Sarah‘s who had to face Kwan, Irina again.
 

belladashwood

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 16, 2014
Long time lurker & first time poster here. In my humble opinion Adelina Sotnikova is pretty much Russia's version of USA's Sarah Hughes or very much like her own countryman Alexei Urmanov. Both Urmanov and Hughes each to their own credit at least had a world bronze medal before winning the olympic gold medal, but neither one's skating career never recovered b/c at worlds following the Olympics they never placed on the podium again, then eventually saw the writing on the wall and promptly retired. Sotnikova is barely out of juniors, was 9th at last year's Worlds, came in 5th at the GPF back in Dec, and has never won any GP events nor Euros, and based on her lack of senior titles she really shouldn't have placed any higher than third in Sochi. However, once Sotnikova competes outside of the Russian bubble, either at Worlds/on the Grand Prix circuit/or at Euros, she's definitely not gonna get those cooked BS scores like she did in Sochi, and I really look for her skating career to follow the same path as Sarah Hughes and Alexei Urmanov's, and with this latest judging controversy growing she's mostly like gonna end up with an asterisk next to her name.
 

tokugawaice

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 9, 2014
I'm wondering if she can maintain 74+ PCS scores for clean skates? If she competes at the WC do you think her PCS will drop to pre-Sochi levels?
 

Ambivalent

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 29, 2011
The disgusting judging at this event will ruin this girl's future sadly. She is a victim too. She did nothing but skate her heart out and now has to deal with controversy everytime she skates.
 
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