The Ten Greatest Skaters Who Never Won an Olympic Medal

anyanka · Sep 5, 2014

Meoima said:
But this time it's the Olympic. And nationalism arise whenever it's Olympic if you know what I mean.
If it's GPF or Worlds, they might not pay attention. You don't know the level of mutual hate between these countries (Japan, Korea, China) when it comes to nationalism. I have seen something very terrible between these countries recently. It's politics and shouldn't affect to sport but we all know it's not true.
There is a other country in this group, but they have no winter sport so they don't count.

I hear ya. I just hope everyone is able to set it aside for the Olympics.

And yes, the history of animosity is really high between these countries for sure!

Still, I hope this doesn't affect any of the great Japanese skaters from trying for 2018! (I'm still hoping for Mao to come back one more time ...)

Meoima · Sep 5, 2014

anyanka said:
I hear ya. I just hope everyone is able to set it aside for the Olympics. And yes, the history of animosity is really high between these countries for sure!
Still, I hope this doesn't affect any of the great Japanese skaters from trying for 2018! (I'm still hoping for Mao to come back one more time ...)

Thank you for your understanding.

Well, If Yuzuru and Mao both go to the next Olympic and skate well, bronze for each of them is equally a gold. :rolleye:

I hope Mao will return, too (ISU and JSF need her more than she need them).

Sandpiper · Sep 5, 2014

I think a lot hangs on whether Korea has a viable contender for 2018, and whether said contender skates well. If all their own skaters flop, I think they'd care less about how Mao/Adelina/Yuzuru does.

Mao has an edge over the other two though: She's not the reigning Olympic champ, so the expectations won't be as high. I suspect there will also be certain judges that really want to give her OGM as long as she skates decently well (just like the judges really wanted to give Shen/Zhao OGM in 2010--they were already legends, and the judges wanted to reward them very badly).

anyanka · Sep 5, 2014

Meoima said:
Thank you for your understanding.
Well, If Yuzuru and Mao both go to the next Olympic and skate well, bronze for each of them is equally a gold. I hope Mao will return, too (ISU and JSF need her more than she need them).

It would be kind of awesome for Mao to win gold in 2018, while Yuna sits up in the stands in the VIP section and gives her a standing ovation, from one great champion to another. (Yes it's just a fantasy but I think this would be awesome if it happened.)

KwanIsALegend · Sep 5, 2014

desertskates said:
Nicole Bobek? Three that come to mind are Surya Bonaly, Fumie Suguri, and Maria Butyrskaya. I'd also put Todd Eldridge and Pechalat/Borzat on that list.

I agree about Nicole Bobek. She had her moments but I don't know about an Olympic medal.

Meoima · Sep 5, 2014

anyanka said:
It would be kind of awesome for Mao to win gold in 2018, while Yuna sits up in the stands in the VIP section and gives her a standing ovation, from one great champion to another. (Yes it's just a fantasy but I think this would be awesome if it happened.)

yeah, that would be nice fantasy

. Personally I hope Mao will only continue for 1-2 seasons if she wants to.

Sandpiper · Sep 5, 2014

anyanka said:
It would be kind of awesome for Mao to win gold in 2018, while Yuna sits up in the stands in the VIP section and gives her a standing ovation, from one great champion to another. (Yes it's just a fantasy but I think this would be awesome if it happened.)

I would shed tears of joy. Please, Skating Gods, keep Mao injury-free and let her have her dream SP + LP in 2018...

fleeting · Sep 5, 2014

Tonya Harding, Akiko Suzuki, Maria Butyrskaya, maybe Miki Ando for ladies.
Kurt Browning, Todd Eldridge, and Johnny Weir for men.
Definitely Pechalat/Bourzat, Delobel/Schoenfelder, and Bourne/Kraatz for dance.
Babilonia/Gardner are the only pairs team that instantly comes to mind for me, but I'm sure there's more.

So many talents unrightfully ignored...

Skater Boy · Sep 5, 2014

That was so random and American biased I have to admit. I think the most glaring missing a medal a the olympics would be Kurt Browning hands down. Then maybe Bourne and Kraatz; Randy and Tai, Maria Butyrskaya; I really liked Dubreil and Lauzon as well, Nicole Bobek and Josee Chouinard when they were on skated with such power, style and grace same for Christopher Bowman, Alexander Fadeev, I do like Weir's style and charisma but not sure he deserved a medal ever at the olympics.

Meoima · Sep 5, 2014

Skater Boy said:
That was so random and American biased I have to admit. I think the most glaring missing a medal a the olympics would be Kurt Browning hands down. Then maybe Bourne and Kraatz; Randy and Tai, Maria Butyrskaya; I really liked Dubreil and Lauzon as well, Nicole Bobek and Josee Chouinard when they were on skated with such power, style and grace same for Christopher Bowman, Alexander Fadeev, I do like Weir's style and charisma but not sure he deserved a medal ever at the olympics.

About Johnny, in term of his talent and performances at Vancouver, yes, he could have medaled there. (Nothing against Dai, just think that what if they had 2 bronzes for both of them).

skatedreamer · Sep 5, 2014

Kurt Browning, for sure! Even with the mistakes, there was something magical about his "Casablanca." (Not saying that he should have medaled b/c he just wasn't on top of his game @ the Olympics, but I just loved that program. Could die for his footwork!)

Tai & Randy -- they almost certainly would have medaled in 1980; so heartbreaking that they had to w/d.

Barb Underhill & Paul Martini -- one of my all-time favorite pairs. They imploded in Sarajevo; Barb lost her balance in the SP, knocking Paul over, and then they had 3 major mistakes in the LP. They rebounded @ Worlds that year with the skate of their lives :yay: but it's sad they never got an Olympic medal.

Caryn Kadavy -- such a wonderfully elegant, lyrical skater; had to w/d in 1988 b/c of the flu. I doubt she would have been on the podium but what a shame that she didn't get to compete.

Christopher Bowman -- tortured by his inner demons; like Tonya Harding, a tragic waste of talent.

The nice thing is that Browning and Underhill/Martini went on to have such great professional careers. They really blossomed as pros; Kurt's "Singin' in the Rain" and U/M's "When a Man Loves a Woman" are real classics. :love:

Kadavy also had a lot of success as a pro.

el henry · Sep 5, 2014

skatedreamer said:
Kurt Browning, for sure! Even with the mistakes, there was something magical about his "Casablanca." (Not saying that he should have medaled b/c he just wasn't on top of his game @ the Olympics, but I just loved that program. Could die for his footwork!)

Tai & Randy -- they almost certainly would have medaled in 1980; so heartbreaking that they had to w/d.

Barb Underhill & Paul Martini -- one of my all-time favorite pairs. They imploded in Sarajevo; Barb lost her balance in the SP, knocking Paul over, and then they had 3 major mistakes in the LP. They rebounded @ Worlds that year with the skate of their lives :yay: but it's sad they never got an Olympic medal.

Caryn Kadavy -- such a wonderfully elegant, lyrical skater; had to w/d in 1988 b/c of the flu. I doubt she would have been on the podium but what a shame that she didn't get to compete.

Christopher Bowman -- tortured by his inner demons; like Tonya Harding, a tragic waste of talent.

The nice thing is that Browning and Underhill/Martini went on to have such great professional careers. They really blossomed as pros; Kurt's "Singin' in the Rain" and U/M's "When a Man Loves a Woman" are real classics. Kadavy also had a lot of success as a pro.

:agree: This, particularly Bowman the Showman. Very sad story ... and I had forgotten about Caryn Kadavy. Such lines, even just standing in repose. I think Toller may have worked with both Caryn and Christopher...

anyanka · Sep 6, 2014

Meoima said:
About Johnny, in term of his talent and performances at Vancouver, yes, he could have medaled there. (Nothing against Dai, just think that what if they had 2 bronzes for both of them).

Lambiel, too. His final spin combination had the crowd going bonkers! And he lost to Dai by just a point!

Meoima · Sep 6, 2014

anyanka said:
Lambiel, too. His final spin combination had the crowd going bonkers! And he lost to Dai by just a point!

But Lambiel had an Olympic medal already by that point. So the judges would likely to go with someone who hadn't medaled. Poor Johnny, though.

if only they had 2 bronze

Wo|flax · Sep 6, 2014

That's okay, those three are the 2010 olympic podium of our hearts

In my dreams Dai won :slink:

SashaSpin · Sep 6, 2014

Adelina Sotnikova.

coraczek · Sep 6, 2014

Denkova & Staviski! I can't believe nobody mentioned them.

The Ten Greatest Skaters Who Never Won an Olympic Medal

anyanka

Meoima

Match Penalty

Sandpiper

anyanka

KwanIsALegend

Fly On

Meoima

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Sandpiper

fleeting

Queen Anissina

Skater Boy

Meoima

Match Penalty

skatedreamer

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.

anyanka

Meoima

Match Penalty

Wo|flax

SashaSpin

coraczek

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