- Joined
- Jun 21, 2014
Several skaters have made incredible comebacks after missing most of their competitive season be it because of choice or injuries. I'm making this thread in order to celebrate these personal journeys. I'm including those who missed most of their season and/or did only lower ranked competitions prior to their first major one, in no particular order.
Sui/Han - 4CC/Worlds 2017 and 4CC/Worlds 2019
Their whole history of returns could be a book.
Due to Sui's recurrent injuries on her feet, she required surgery after the 2015-2016 season and they had to withdraw from their GP assignments for her recovery. Nevertheless they came back at 4CC winning the gold and claiming their first World title a month later!
At the Pyeongchang Olympics, they lost the gold by less of a point. Sui had another injury one week before this event which even though affected their practice schedule was otherwise manageable. It was discovered after that it evolved into a stress fracture and they had to withdraw from Worlds 2018. During this past season they once again had to withdraw from their GPs due to Sui's feet. They came back at 4CC which they won and because she had a twisted lower back during training they lost 10 days of the preparation leading to Worlds. However, they still claimed their 2nd World title with a spectacular WR at the free skate!
Yuzuru Hanyu - Pyeongchang Olympics and Worlds 2019
After a ligament and bone injury on his ankle in november that made him withdraw from the rest of the season, he had to face the Olympics as the reigning Olympic champion without any warm up competition, still not fully recovered, the pressure of a whole country behind him and a sea of worldwide hungry media. He had to settle for a lesser layout with almost no margin for error since he was only landing triples for the last three weeks, quads for two weeks, couldn't land the 4Lz and landed his first 4Lo since the injury just days before the event. He then succeded as the first repeat Olympic champion in mens after 66 years. His outpouring of emotion after his feat will remain as one of the greatest Olympic moments. Some say it was miraculous, I'd say it was created out of sheer mental fortitude.
He reinjured the same ankle last november, missed the rest of the season and had to comeback at a home Worlds without any warm up competition once again. While knowing at the free skate that he was the last chance of a medal for Japan he claimed silver.
Yuna Kim - Worlds 2013 and Sochi Olympics
Yuna made her comeback at Worlds after deciding to sit out the GP season. She had only competed prior to the event at a minor competition in order to score the TES minimum and at the Korean nationals to earn the sport. She won her second World title after two clean skates and at the time the biggest score gap between gold and silver at Worlds since the IJS was estabilished. Regardless of the scores she proved she was the golden standard even almost 4 years after Vancouver. The next season she had another incredible comeback at the Sochi Olympics, the pressure of a whole country behind her, having done only a minor competition and nationals once again. These exemplify her incredible mental fortitude and dominance within the sport.
Boyang Jin - 4CC 2018/Pyeongchang Olympics
During 2017–2018 Boyang withdrew from the GPF and Chinese nationals because he sprained both of his ankles. He came back at 4CC winning the competition with a clean short program, the first time he surprassed the 100-mark at this segment, and together with a practically clean 4 quad free skate surprassed the 300-mark total once again. A month later he had a great showing at his first Olympics placing 4th, the highest of any chinese men ever. It's important to remember Boyang since I've hardly seen his comeback mentioned just like most don't recognize his significant improvement in components. Hopefully this weird phenomenon only happens on the western side of the internet. Let's remember the pioneer of the quad revolution!
Evgenia Medvedeva Euros 2018/Pyeongchang Olympics
Because of a stress fracture on her foot she had to withdraw from GPF and Russian Nationals. Made her comeback at Euros with two almost clean programs winning silver. She then skated clean at her first Olympics claiming silver! After 2 undefeated seasons and 2 World titles, seeing Alina's rise through the ranks and experiencing a setback out of her control during the Olympic season Evgenia still delivered at the biggest stage. Seeing her cry out of relief after her free skate shows everything about her journey.
What are your thoughts about comebacks like these? These examples are all fairly recent so please comment about other incredible comebacks you remember. Especially the ones that marked your time as a figure skating fan.
Sui/Han - 4CC/Worlds 2017 and 4CC/Worlds 2019
Their whole history of returns could be a book.
Due to Sui's recurrent injuries on her feet, she required surgery after the 2015-2016 season and they had to withdraw from their GP assignments for her recovery. Nevertheless they came back at 4CC winning the gold and claiming their first World title a month later!
At the Pyeongchang Olympics, they lost the gold by less of a point. Sui had another injury one week before this event which even though affected their practice schedule was otherwise manageable. It was discovered after that it evolved into a stress fracture and they had to withdraw from Worlds 2018. During this past season they once again had to withdraw from their GPs due to Sui's feet. They came back at 4CC which they won and because she had a twisted lower back during training they lost 10 days of the preparation leading to Worlds. However, they still claimed their 2nd World title with a spectacular WR at the free skate!
Yuzuru Hanyu - Pyeongchang Olympics and Worlds 2019
After a ligament and bone injury on his ankle in november that made him withdraw from the rest of the season, he had to face the Olympics as the reigning Olympic champion without any warm up competition, still not fully recovered, the pressure of a whole country behind him and a sea of worldwide hungry media. He had to settle for a lesser layout with almost no margin for error since he was only landing triples for the last three weeks, quads for two weeks, couldn't land the 4Lz and landed his first 4Lo since the injury just days before the event. He then succeded as the first repeat Olympic champion in mens after 66 years. His outpouring of emotion after his feat will remain as one of the greatest Olympic moments. Some say it was miraculous, I'd say it was created out of sheer mental fortitude.
He reinjured the same ankle last november, missed the rest of the season and had to comeback at a home Worlds without any warm up competition once again. While knowing at the free skate that he was the last chance of a medal for Japan he claimed silver.
Yuna Kim - Worlds 2013 and Sochi Olympics
Yuna made her comeback at Worlds after deciding to sit out the GP season. She had only competed prior to the event at a minor competition in order to score the TES minimum and at the Korean nationals to earn the sport. She won her second World title after two clean skates and at the time the biggest score gap between gold and silver at Worlds since the IJS was estabilished. Regardless of the scores she proved she was the golden standard even almost 4 years after Vancouver. The next season she had another incredible comeback at the Sochi Olympics, the pressure of a whole country behind her, having done only a minor competition and nationals once again. These exemplify her incredible mental fortitude and dominance within the sport.
Boyang Jin - 4CC 2018/Pyeongchang Olympics
During 2017–2018 Boyang withdrew from the GPF and Chinese nationals because he sprained both of his ankles. He came back at 4CC winning the competition with a clean short program, the first time he surprassed the 100-mark at this segment, and together with a practically clean 4 quad free skate surprassed the 300-mark total once again. A month later he had a great showing at his first Olympics placing 4th, the highest of any chinese men ever. It's important to remember Boyang since I've hardly seen his comeback mentioned just like most don't recognize his significant improvement in components. Hopefully this weird phenomenon only happens on the western side of the internet. Let's remember the pioneer of the quad revolution!
Evgenia Medvedeva Euros 2018/Pyeongchang Olympics
Because of a stress fracture on her foot she had to withdraw from GPF and Russian Nationals. Made her comeback at Euros with two almost clean programs winning silver. She then skated clean at her first Olympics claiming silver! After 2 undefeated seasons and 2 World titles, seeing Alina's rise through the ranks and experiencing a setback out of her control during the Olympic season Evgenia still delivered at the biggest stage. Seeing her cry out of relief after her free skate shows everything about her journey.
What are your thoughts about comebacks like these? These examples are all fairly recent so please comment about other incredible comebacks you remember. Especially the ones that marked your time as a figure skating fan.
