Better career: Volchkova or Meier?

This is so random lol. But yes Sarah had a euro title but probably not as much of an ipact on the sport as Volchkova when you look at everything including coaching but neither were huge stand outs. Too many good skaters. I mean why not compare at random josee Chouinard say versus Tanya harding or karyn Cadavy versus say Emi Watanobae - both world bronze medallists at least

Volchkova received a lot of attention for the wrong reasons, mostly from salivating men who talked about her "luscious" body.

She was also one of the most boring skaters ever known to figure skating. She had zero emotional connection to the music and the audience. Like one of the posters said, it seemed she was so bored by the competitive process she could go narcoleptic at any time.

There was a snarky, crude writeup about skating in 2002. By "Jesse James" or some similar moniker. He said that Meier single-handedly killed the myth that the Swiss are great spinners (Biellmann, Lambiel, Ruh). At that time Meier skated like someone in 16th place would skate and so I never really followed her career. There were periods that I didn't follow skating because I didn't live in places that televised skating, so I guess Meier reached her zenith when I was MIA.

Volchkova skated in an era with a deep field. However, her rivals weren't always consistent and had a few bombs. If Volchkova skated consistently herself, she would have won a World medal or two. But she didn't.

pangtongfan said:

Volchkova did not really have opportunities for world medals given her competition. At the 2001 and 2003 worlds she skated virtually clean and still wasnt close to a medal, coming 6th and 5th respectively. The 2002 worlds was maybe her best chance for say a bronze, but beating an in form Suguri in Japan was unlikely. Definitely no other year it was possible.

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OK, I didn't follow VV's career very closely because I couldn't really sit through her automaton programs. But are you telling me that between the late 90s and 2007 before she retired, she had no opportunity to win a World medal? That is to say the judges would have rewarded her if she were able to put 2 clean programs for several seasons (if only to make her go away).

pangtongfan said:

Volchkova did not really have opportunities for world medals given her competition. At the 2001 and 2003 worlds she skated virtually clean and still wasnt close to a medal, coming 6th and 5th respectively. The 2002 worlds was maybe her best chance for say a bronze, but beating an in form Suguri in Japan was unlikely. Definitely no other year it was possible.

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Actually in 2003, she just had little shaky landings on both 3Lz+2T and 3F in short.
In FS , however, she underrotated and two footed her triple-triple combination and also doubled her second triple lutz attempt.
IMO,if she landed those jumps, she would have won a bronze.

FireOn said:

Actually in 2003, she just had little shaky landings on both 3Lz+2T and 3F in short.
In FS , however, she underrotated and two footed her triple-triple combination and also doubled her second triple lutz attempt.
IMO,if she landed those jumps, she would have won a bronze.

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Yes, while I don't recall her programs in 2003, I do recall that her basics were very good indeed, even if she lacked charisma. Her jumps were beautiful. If she only skated clean at Worlds 2-3 times to establish herself in the judges' eyes and "earn" a cushion for errors, she could have medalled, since all the "default" bronze medalists weren't always consistent and clean themselves.

pangtongfan said:

OK possibly 2003 then. However that and maybe 2002 are the only years and she would have had to skate perfect 7 triple programs either one to make it.

1999- Soldatova was favored over her that year and skated very well.
2000- Maria, Irina, and Michelle K were always the podium that year in some order. No chance of anyone else breaking in.
2001- She did skate pretty much clean with 7 triples and took 6th place, 7th in the free skate.
2004- Was not even a contender anymore by the so not going to bother with any future years either.

BTW she never landed a triple lutz-triple toe so if she needs a clean triple lutz-triple toe to medal, that isnt even neccessarily realistic.

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You've done your research. I still think it's hard to say she couldn't have medalled because she was after all an inconsistent skater. It's a shame because she had many fine qualities. I hope she can impart some of her hard-earned knowledge and experience to her students.