Sk8kirsty started a thread about favourite Russian Figure Skaters (including ones from the past), so I thought I could do the same thing. Only for European Figure Skaters excluding Russians (because they have got one of their own). I'll start with my own list of memorable and favourites.
In Pair Skating both Aljona/Robin and Aljona/Bruno come to mind with a personal preference for the last couple (also they won Olympic Gold). Innovative, classy, and just beautiful to watch.
Another European pair I liked at the time were the Czech skaters Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny. World champions in 1995. Beautiful skaters, but could be a bit inconsistent.
Vanessa James and Morgan Cypres are my current favourites. They did some pretty amazing things to transform pair skating. Great. They're not the first from France. I loved Sarah Abitbol and Stephan Bernardis.
In ladies I always like the Finnish and French. Finland had quite some success with Kiira Korpi, Laura Lepisto and Susanna Pyokio. I hope the bronze medal at Europeans last season for Viveca Lindfors is the start of another Finnish Renaissance. France has so many good lady skaters, although often a bit inconsistent. Venessa Guzmoroli comes to mind on the inconsistency bit. Suraya Bonaly was one very succesfull lady but had some problems with the artistic part (not very good on edges). However her back flip with a one foot landing is gorgeous. And that girl could jump. Very athletic.
In men it's the South. The French, the Italians and the Spanish. Well, only one Spanish skater - Javier. France has more of a history with Brian Joubert in first place (6 world medals, 11 european medals). But they've also got Florent Amodio, Philippe Candeloro (two Olympic medals!) and the rather inconsistently skating Stannick Jeannette who could be superb if he was on. Of course they've got a new talent on the rise now: Kevin Amoz. Italy had Samuel Contesti for a time (who originally skated for France) and now has Matteo Rizzo and Daniel Grassl, both looking good.
In Ice Dance France has the top guns. Of course everybody knows Gabrielle and Guillaume who are the current leaders, but they also gave us Marina Annessina and Gwendal Peizerat (Olympic champions). And let us not forget Sophie Moniot and Pascal Lavanchy and - more recent - Nathalie Pechelat and Fabian Bourzat. One of my secret favourite teams are Isobel Delobel and Olivier Schonfelder (2008 WC). The Italians have quite a few good examples as well: Barbara and Maurizio, Federica and Massimo, Anna and Luca, and currently Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabri. Looking good for them. The Finnish had an excellent couple too, Suzanna and Petri. Spain is on the rise currently with two good couples in the mix.
What do you think? Any other ones, skaters I forgot? For good order, mentioning skaters from former USSR members is fine, as long as it's after Russia as a single country again came into being. Skaters from Ukraine can be part of this from app. 1993 for example.
In Pair Skating both Aljona/Robin and Aljona/Bruno come to mind with a personal preference for the last couple (also they won Olympic Gold). Innovative, classy, and just beautiful to watch.
Another European pair I liked at the time were the Czech skaters Radka Kovarikova and Rene Novotny. World champions in 1995. Beautiful skaters, but could be a bit inconsistent.
Vanessa James and Morgan Cypres are my current favourites. They did some pretty amazing things to transform pair skating. Great. They're not the first from France. I loved Sarah Abitbol and Stephan Bernardis.
In ladies I always like the Finnish and French. Finland had quite some success with Kiira Korpi, Laura Lepisto and Susanna Pyokio. I hope the bronze medal at Europeans last season for Viveca Lindfors is the start of another Finnish Renaissance. France has so many good lady skaters, although often a bit inconsistent. Venessa Guzmoroli comes to mind on the inconsistency bit. Suraya Bonaly was one very succesfull lady but had some problems with the artistic part (not very good on edges). However her back flip with a one foot landing is gorgeous. And that girl could jump. Very athletic.
In men it's the South. The French, the Italians and the Spanish. Well, only one Spanish skater - Javier. France has more of a history with Brian Joubert in first place (6 world medals, 11 european medals). But they've also got Florent Amodio, Philippe Candeloro (two Olympic medals!) and the rather inconsistently skating Stannick Jeannette who could be superb if he was on. Of course they've got a new talent on the rise now: Kevin Amoz. Italy had Samuel Contesti for a time (who originally skated for France) and now has Matteo Rizzo and Daniel Grassl, both looking good.
In Ice Dance France has the top guns. Of course everybody knows Gabrielle and Guillaume who are the current leaders, but they also gave us Marina Annessina and Gwendal Peizerat (Olympic champions). And let us not forget Sophie Moniot and Pascal Lavanchy and - more recent - Nathalie Pechelat and Fabian Bourzat. One of my secret favourite teams are Isobel Delobel and Olivier Schonfelder (2008 WC). The Italians have quite a few good examples as well: Barbara and Maurizio, Federica and Massimo, Anna and Luca, and currently Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabri. Looking good for them. The Finnish had an excellent couple too, Suzanna and Petri. Spain is on the rise currently with two good couples in the mix.
What do you think? Any other ones, skaters I forgot? For good order, mentioning skaters from former USSR members is fine, as long as it's after Russia as a single country again came into being. Skaters from Ukraine can be part of this from app. 1993 for example.