Remarkable Demonstrations of Mental Strength

[figureskateobasan]

I also vote for Mao's Sochi FS! I can't even imagine just how big was the expectation from the whole country she need to carried that time.

 

[Skater Boy]

Joannie. The woman lost her mother 2 days prior. I have no idea how she was able to perform as well as she did.

I agree. My heart just stopped and I wanted to help the poor girl. Quite inspiring.

 

[chezzu]

Yuzuru's 2014 Worlds FS. Deserved/undeserved/inflation aside, the boy /knew/ what he had to do to get that gold. And he did it and got it by the slimmest of margins o_o Such insane willpower.

 

[oriquey]

Yuzuru's 2014 Worlds FS. Deserved/undeserved/inflation aside, the boy /knew/ what he had to do to get that gold. And he did it and got it by the slimmest of margins o_o Such insane willpower.

A good assessment. He was very focused, wasn't he? It was so intense that it was almost tangible. And this season, too. Injuries and whatever talk about his scores, he went to GPF and really skated well. I think during NHK he did talk about the fear of colliding into someone on the ice, even though he knew nobody's there. To go to GPF and overcome that trauma is commendable.

 

[Crossover]

Yuzuru's 2014 Worlds FS. Deserved/undeserved/inflation aside, the boy /knew/ what he had to do to get that gold. And he did it and got it by the slimmest of margins o_o Such insane willpower.

 

[oriquey]

There will always be talk about what happened at Worlds 2014. People can talk until the cows come home and maybe should (or have done so) in another thread. But I don't think we should discredit Yuzuru for his mental strength, no?

 

[Interspectator]

I'd say Plushenko showed remarkable mental strength for most of his very long career. Love him or hate him, he has a tough mind.

 

[oriquey]

I'd say Plushenko showed remarkable mental strength for most of his very long career. Love him or hate him, he has a tough mind.

I'd liken Plushy to a rock. The saying, 'No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it' (Mulan) can be applied to him IMO

 

[HanDomi]

Like Tatsuki's PCS was not inflated . Sorry

 

[oriquey]

Like Tatsuki's PCS was not inflated . Sorry

Guys, let's not start and detract ourselves from the thread's main discussion, kay?

 

[oriquey]

More recently, I think Javi should be given credit for his GPF LP. After what many consider to be a meltdown of an SP, he bounced back in front of his home crowd and won silver.

 

[gotoschool]

Denise Biellmann 1980 LP Lake Placid unbelievably great for its time and still is amazing to this day

Evgeni Plushenko 2002 LP Olympics technically dazzling and full of flair

Midori Ito nailing her second triple axel after falling on her first in the 1992 LP Olympics

Mao Asada Sochi 2014 LP Sochi- the greatest comeback ever, channeled the true spirit of Rach 2 and the definition of redemption; perfect balance of artistry, technical mastery and emotional intensity; my favorite and most inspirational performance

 

[Icey]

Although not as evident as some of the personal situations faced by other skaters, Michelle showed mental strength for a large portion of her career.

Elvis at 1995 World Championships, skating with an unhealed injury.

 

[skaterr]

Yuna Kim at Sochi.

It was the WAR. The stadium supported "against" Her.

 

[chezzu]

There will always be talk about what happened at Worlds 2014. People can talk until the cows come home and maybe should (or have done so) in another thread. But I don't think we should discredit Yuzuru for his mental strength, no?

Precisely why I pointed it out. IIRC, that performance was the /only/ time he delivered that program clean, and I'd like to think it was because of his insane focus during those four minutes.

Another possibly controversial one: Adelina at Sochi. She was known as a headcase and everyone (including me!) expected her to melt down at the LP. She didn't. And she kept it together with home crowd pressure. I was in awe... and then she received her inflated scores and everything went to hell. Lol

Yuna at 2013 Worlds and Sochi was amazing too. She was so businessman-like and so clean, so solid in all four programs. It was unbelievable. The 2013 SP edge call was so strange.

Mao in 2011 Japanese Nationals, claiming the national title so soon after her mom's death, should probably be in this thread too.

 

[oriquey]

Precisely why I pointed it out. IIRC, that performance was the /only/ time he delivered that program clean, and I'd like to think it was because of his insane focus during those four minutes.

Yes, and I an inclined to agree with you. Its the posts afterwards that I felt were trying to open a can of worms and lead the discussion elsewhere.

I believe all the skaters you've mentioned should be credited for their nerves and tough mental states. For Sochi, all competitors I think were tough. The Russian skaters had to deal with a very enthusiastic home crowd. The pressure to perform well on home turf is undoubtedly huge. While the non-Russian skaters had to confront the often alienating and confronting home crowd. They were made to feel very much the away teams

 

[tetana]

Yuna Kim at Sochi.

I think Yuna Kim proved herself a proffessional artist. She didn't care much about the color of medal but much care about her farewell performance. Then, yes!!

 

[cruzceleste]

Yuzuru´s 2011-2012 season. The season after the earthquake was the oen that really saw him rise to the ocassion and win bronze medal with a terrific performance in his first World. In that legendary performance you can literally feel how focus he was.

 

[anonymoose_au]

I'd liken Plushy to a rock. The saying, 'No matter how the wind howls, the mountain cannot bow to it' (Mulan) can be applied to him IMO

For sure...I have to say his Short Program at Salt Lake City after he fell on the quad was something, first Olympics, the co-favourite and with that fall likely to be out of contention for the gold, but he nailed the rest of that program. And he certainly didn't phone in the Free Program either, knowing Plushy maybe he thought he could actually grab the gold, LOL.

 

[jenm]

Yuna and Mao at Sochi.

Mao has the greatest comeback. EVER.

Yuna delivered two clean and great programs despite the cold environment towards most non-Russian skaters. I mean, come on, she was the last performer and Adelina got a monstrous score. People were literally waiting for her to fall on her butt. But she delivered and if that's not a remarkable demonstration of mental toughness, I don't know what is.

And overall, I think Yuna has the strongest nerves. She has the uncanny ability to peak at the right moment and even when she carries the pressure of an entire country and fs fans, she never fails to deliver. She says she feels pressure but it never shows.