What country can lay claim to best male singles dynasty?

seniorita said:

Petrenko is Ukrainian but when he competed and won his medal he was competing for Unified Team.

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Whatever, but it was Urmanov who was the first Russian skater to win the men´s Olympic gold medal.

janetfan said:

That is a good reason.
Personally I can't believe how Curry makes them all look like a bunch of truckdrivers on skates.
That is just my opinion though.

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You know I sympathize with you on this! But things aren't as bad as all that. Look at Yagudin, Wylie, and Browning. And Takahashi.

Certainly few people if any live up to Curry. But that's what an immortal is--someone whose achievements can almost never be equalled. So Curry's just living up to his description, because no one else can live up to him. We were lucky even to have one skater like that!

I'm looking forward to watching the Yagudin link you posted.

Mathman said:

:agree: One of those skaters, like Kristi Yamaguchi and Yuka Sato, who kept growing as a pro.

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Not so much growth MM re Kulik. Watch Nagano, watch any pro skate. He is a very inventive choreographer, that's true enough. Kulik was a pure jumper but his skating style didn't mature greatly. I think his posture and arms /upper body are very much the same. I think of Kurt, Wylie, Eldridge, Weiss even and see improvement in SOI years. His recent skates in the Asian shows were nothing special. I think he was a bit egotistical to always want to do his own choreo and not seek out the best choreographers. Urmanov is my least favorite Russian skater so I can't say he had a great am or pro career. Hated every costume I can remember. Yecch! I think Petrenko is underrated. Many wonderful show programs. His MJ in person was phenomenal.

Yuka became more sublime, but she is very much a classical skater. Kristi could do anything to any music. I saw little of her DWTS but knew she'd win as she is a great dancer. I don't think there was anyone who compared to her as a pro. I think she is probably our best American skater to date. I know KWAN got all the competitive titles but she never developed the versatility of Kristi because she stayed in the comp. world her whole career. I can't think of another skater who kept her jumps like Kristi and who grew by leaps as an artist/performer/entertainer. She did do everything possible. What a lucky woman and what a career. I think Kristi is in a league of her own as she chose to stay skating a very long time and worked very hard to show such versatility.

snowflake said:

There was Klimkin

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Breaks my heart. He was outstanding. :yes: