Skaters that you felt would never go to the Olympics but ended up going

[4everchan]

Back on topic...
I always respected Jennifer for maximizing her talent. She had her flaws but fought back as hard as she could and had a respectable career. At least that is how I remember her.

I somehow managed to forget all of Canadian women skating at Nationals after 1994 until 2004. Since then, only 2020 has been MEH and 2021 MIA.

Since we were talking about Alaine so much : she had her victory lap.. she came back in 2019, after having failed to qualify for the games and won her 2nd National title.

 

[labgoat]

Canadian women skating at Nationals after 1994 until 2004

1993	Hamilton	Josée Chouinard	Karen Preston	Susan Humphreys
1994	Edmonton	Josée Chouinard	Susan Humphreys	Karen Preston
1995	Halifax	Netty Kim	Jennifer Robinson	Susan Humphreys
1996	Ottawa	Jennifer Robinson	Josée Chouinard	Susan Humphreys
1997	Vancouver	Susan Humphreys	Angela Derochie	Jennifer Robinson
1998	Hamilton	Angela Derochie	Keyla Ohs	Jennifer Robinson
1999	Ottawa	Jennifer Robinson	Annie Bellemare	Angela Derochie
2000	Calgary	Jennifer Robinson	Michelle Currie	Annie Bellemare
2001	Winnipeg	Jennifer Robinson	Nicole Watt	Annie Bellemare
2002	Hamilton	Jennifer Robinson	Annie Bellemare	Joannie Rochette
2003	Saskatoon	Jennifer Robinson	Joannie Rochette	Annie Bellemare
2004	Edmonton	Cynthia Phaneuf	Joannie Rochette	Jennifer Robinson
2005	London	Joannie Rochette	Cynthia Phaneuf	Mira Leung

 

[4everchan]

1993	Hamilton	Josée Chouinard	Karen Preston	Susan Humphreys
1994	Edmonton	Josée Chouinard	Susan Humphreys	Karen Preston
1995	Halifax	Netty Kim	Jennifer Robinson	Susan Humphreys
1996	Ottawa	Jennifer Robinson	Josée Chouinard	Susan Humphreys
1997	Vancouver	Susan Humphreys	Angela Derochie	Jennifer Robinson
1998	Hamilton	Angela Derochie	Keyla Ohs	Jennifer Robinson
1999	Ottawa	Jennifer Robinson	Annie Bellemare	Angela Derochie
2000	Calgary	Jennifer Robinson	Michelle Currie	Annie Bellemare
2001	Winnipeg	Jennifer Robinson	Nicole Watt	Annie Bellemare
2002	Hamilton	Jennifer Robinson	Annie Bellemare	Joannie Rochette
2003	Saskatoon	Jennifer Robinson	Joannie Rochette	Annie Bellemare
2004	Edmonton	Cynthia Phaneuf	Joannie Rochette	Jennifer Robinson
2005	London	Joannie Rochette	Cynthia Phaneuf	Mira Leung

Lol. I was just kidding around. As you have noticed, 1994 was Josée's last.. 2004 was the first time Jennifer did not win in years and she would never get back to the top. After that, Joannie, Cynthia, Alaine, Gabby and Katelyn and recently Maddie are all skaters I like

 

[labgoat]

Lol. I was just kidding around. As you have noticed, 1994 was Josée's last.. 2004 was the first time Jennifer did not win in years and she would never get back to the top. After that, Joannie, Cynthia, Alaine, Gabby and Katelyn and recently Maddie are all skaters I like

Still an impressive number of wins, many came over skaters who were highly touted to beat her. Her determination was her great quality. She was very gracious at her last championship in 2004 where she was retiring anyway. May I also say that I rooted for her as she was from nearby Windsor and got to meet her one day she crossed the border and chose to practice at one of my rinks.

 

[4everchan]

Still an impressive number of wins, many came over skaters who were highly touted to beat her. Her determination was her great quality. She was very gracious at her last championship in 2004 where she was retiring anyway. May I also say that I rooted for her as she was from nearby Windsor and got to meet her one day she crossed the border and chose to practice at one of my rinks.

Yes. I agree with all of what you say. I was just not a fan of her skating but I liked her as a person (the little we get to know from skaters when they speak to media or even just the way they behave at events) ... As a young fan back then, I wouldn't root for her at Nationals but then, at worlds, I would root for her ... strange right? I was always hoping she would earn a second spot... Some years she did... some years she didn't. It was a decade of really poor international results... I think her only international podium is Skate Canada bronze one year...

She indeed achieved things beyond her pure skating talent.... which is commendable as it's not usually the case with many of our women. Look at Josée: so much talent, only 3 titles. The talent to be world champion, but not able to nail two programs back to back in the same event, etc... So yeah. For a fan like me, that decade is not the best one in Canadian skating for women. But for sure, it's not Jennifer's fault if the others were not making it happen for themselves. Angela Derochie, I could have cheered for much longer... what happened to her? Nicole had arthritis. No idea what Netty Kim and Keyla Ohs or Michelle Currie did after their podium finishes. In any case, Jennifer, with all of that being said went to the Olympics and finished 7th. Better than most Canadian champions historically.

 

[labgoat]

Yes. I agree with all of what you say. I was just not a fan of her skating but I liked her as a person (the little we get to know from skaters when they speak to media or even just the way they behave at events) ... As a young fan back then, I wouldn't root for her at Nationals but then, at worlds, I would root for her ... strange right? I was always hoping she would earn a second spot... Some years she did... some years she didn't. It was a decade of really poor international results... I think her only international podium is Skate Canada bronze one year...

She indeed achieved things beyond her pure skating talent.... which is commendable as it's not usually the case with many of our women. Look at Josée: so much talent, only 3 titles. The talent to be world champion, but not able to nail two programs back to back in the same event, etc... So yeah. For a fan like me, that decade is not the best one in Canadian skating for women. But for sure, it's not Jennifer's fault if the others were not making it happen for themselves. Angela Derochie, I could have cheered for much longer... what happened to her? Nicole had arthritis. No idea what Netty Kim and Keyla Ohs or Michelle Currie did after their podium finishes. In any case, Jennifer, with all of that being said went to the Olympics and finished 7th. Better than most Canadian championships historically.

The Robinson era delivered decent but not great finishes. Jennifer’s legacy is her grittiness, a quality that was needed by many Canadian ladies. Eventually Joannie and Cynthia developed that quality and their results ascended. Angela had those big jumps that Netty, Keyla and Michelle could not deliver. I liked Humphreys who seemed undone by injuries. I really liked Annie Bellemare who was quite stylish, don’t remember why she stopped. It was obvious that Rochette and Phaneuf were the future.

off topic - how bad are the wild fires near Kelowna? Our news says they are serious.

 

[4everchan]

The Robinson era delivered decent but not great finishes. Jennifer’s legacy is her grittiness, a quality that was needed by many Canadian legacies. Eventually Joannie and Cynthia developed that quality and their results ascende. Angela had those big jumps that Netty, Keyla and Michelle could not deliver. I liked Humphreys who seemed undone by injuries. I really liked Annie Bellemare who was quite stylish, don’t remember why she stopped. It was obvious that Rochette and Phaneuf were the future.

off topic - how bad are the wild fires near Kelowna? Our news says they are serious.

I am not near Kelowna but the news are indeed very scary.... it's been a series of tragic environmental tragedies in Canada this summer...

 

[labgoat]

I am not near Kelowna but the news are indeed very scary.... it's been a series of tragic environmental tragedies in Canada this summer...

Here in Michigan we have had haze and smokiness from Quebec fires. Isn‘t Skate Canada in BC this year?

 

[4everchan]

Here in Michigan we have had haze and smokiness from Quebec fires. Isn‘t Skate Canada in BC this year?

It is...

 

[Diana Delafield]

Lol. I was just kidding around. As you have noticed, 1994 was Josée's last..

After being thoroughly rattled by Tonya Harding's histrionic antics at the Olympics just before Josee's skate.

 

[iluvtodd]

I'm really glad that Jen Robinson had a chance to shine as a pro in SOI (and that we got to see her in the US SOI tour for several years).