The ten best figure skaters who never won an olympic medal

[skateluvr]

Brian Joubert
Kurt Browning
Maria Butyrskaya
Tonya Harding
Surya Bonaly
Christopher Bowmna


Ina & Zimmerman
Todd Eldredge
Yuka Sato
Bourne and Kraatz

Brian Joubert, yes, he deserves consideration. He still isn't out but two years from now he wlll be how old? He plans to stay in, yes?

In no praticular order:
Regőczy & Sallai
Brian Jobert
Karolina Costner
Bourne and Kraatz
Krylova and Ovsyannikov
Sasha Cohen
Michelle Kwan
Annenko - Sretensky
Regyotzi - Shalai
Moiseeva - Minenkov
Denise Bielmann
Nicole Bobek
Lu Chen
Denkova - Staviyski
Tanja Szewczenko
Philippe Candeloro
Duchesnay & Duchesnay
Brasseur & Eisler

Hi snejina, maybe it is a language issue? smile but this thread is those great skaters that should have or were worthy of Olympic medals yet somehow it did not happen. Your lists mentions people who won medals. The thread is not great skaters who never won gold. If it were, I agree with several on your list?

This is relatively easy:

Kurt Browning
Michelle Kwan
Janet Lynn
Martini & Underhill
Krylova & Ovsyannikov
Toller Cranston
Brian Orser
Midori Ito
Jeff Buttle
The Duschenes

again, most have oly medals just not gold, please re read thread title! Thanks.

It wasn't his artistry that held him back, it was his very, very weak basic skating. The guy slower than slow. His artistry was just fine. He was one of the most entertaining skaters out there. He could have been as successful as Brian Joubert if he skated with speed and power.

Agreed. He does not belong on list of great skaters who amazingly have no Olympic medals. Sweetheart of a guy though and a favorite of USFSA. But one US title? I was surprised he won.

 

[ryanbfan]

Agreed. He does not belong on list of great skaters who amazingly have no Olympic medals. Sweetheart of a guy though and a favorite of USFSA. But one US title? I was surprised he won.

LOL I included him as a joke.

And don't hate on his US title hwell:

 

[Tonichelle]

LOL I included him as a joke.

And don't hate on his US title hwell:

I just wish his LP had been as good as the year before. I love that program... crappy edges and all (and I got on the bandwagon for Ryan way late lol)

 

[Olympia]

Of pre-1950 skaters, I was going to suggest Maribel Vinson Owen, who had the misfortune to skate during the long Sonja Henie era, but then I researched and found that she did indeed win a lone Olympic medal, a bronze in 1932. For many years, she led American ladies' skating, both in singles and pairs. She famously won nine national singles championships, a feat not equalled until Michelle Kwan tied her record. Tragically, she was on the 1961 worlds team plane that went down, along with her two daughters Laurence and Maribel, the singles and pairs champions that year. I'm glad Maribel Sr. doesn't belong on this list, and that she did attain Olympic glory.

 

[jenaj]

Agree with all those mentioned so far. I would add Johnny Weir. He says he will make a comeback, but has had two shots already and has not medaled.

 

[dorispulaski]

In dance,

Annenko & Sretenski (I'm using their 1987 FD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNo0HGiPLG8

and Blumberg & Siebert (Their Olympic FD)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyfosI-IcYY

Rahkamo & Kokko (their 1994 program from Worlds)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRiX1wPC7ok

 

[skateluvr]

dance really requires its own list as there are so many great teamss. sorry toni re multoquote-i don't know how to use it, sorry.

 

[cleoc]

For me the list is/
1. Kurt Brauning (maybe he could be only 1 in this list ).
2. Alexandr Abt
3. Shae-Lynn Bourne-Victor Ktaatz
4. Isabel Delobel-Olivier Shonfelder
5. Denkova-Staviicki
6. Povilas Vanagas
7. Jhonny Weir
8. Brian Joubert
9. Elena Lyashenko
10. Pestova-Leonovitch

 

[Olympia]

By Vanagas you mean Drobiazko and Vanagas? I'd certainly agree with that. They're a wonderful couple. I'd also add Rahkamo and Kokko, the delightful Finnish ice dancers. They were innovative, buoyant, and marvelous storytellers.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KopcVIyZe_w


Edit: I didn't notice that Doris had already pointed out this grand couple. Well, I will just second them. They're worth much repeated mention.

 

[Jaana]

In men there are only two with big merits who competed and did not win any medal at the Olympics:

Kurt Browning (a four-time WC plus a silver medal)
Brian Joubert (five medals plus one Worlds win)

 

[Olympia]

Conversely, there is a sizable number of ice dance teams who seem to deserve a medal. Maybe the overall level of ice dance is higher? It's always seemed to be crowded at the top. Whenever, after an Olympics, we get into a conversation about how one couple or another should have been ranked higher, I always wonder whom that couple should have replaced, because the skaters in the medal positions are generally also splendid.

Doris, thanks for mentioning Blumberg/Siebert. How could I have forgotten their beautiful 1984 free dance! It was agonizing at the time to see them come so close to a medal, but look at the couples ahead of them: Klimova/Ponomarenko in bronze position, Bestemianova/Bukhin in silver, and Torvill/Dean in gold. Maybe we should just award extra medals for ice dance....I'd vote yes!

 

[Serious Business]

While she doesn't top my list, I have to mention Denise Biellmann because more people aren't picking her. Aside from her famous spin, she was also extremely strong in jumps, being the first woman to land the triple lutz in competition, and the first woman to get a perfect 6 on the technical mark. I know she only had one season of dominance in eligible skating (albeit one in which she won everything), but prior to that she came one place away from being on the Olympic podium. Her abrupt retirement at a very young age hindered her chances at Olympic and other medals. But she still did enough to establish herself as one of the strongest and most talented skater of all time.

 

[MarkusNJ]

try to tell me that Rosalyn was better than Elaine in the 1984 Olympics....

Zayak Short
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2nzC7d_9-o

Zayak Long
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjHfiv1pF5U&feature=relmfu

 

[Victura]

In men there are only two with big merits who competed and did not win any medal at the Olympics:

Kurt Browning (a four-time WC plus a silver medal)
Brian Joubert (five medals plus one Worlds win)

Although not my favorite skater, Todd Eldredge comes close to this - one Worlds win, 3 silvers, and one bronze. Three trips to the Olympics (same as Kurt and Brian) and no medals. Todd referred to Brian as his "French brother" in a tweet during Worlds this year; I wonder if it's because of this.

On a side note, Kurt and Brian, besides not winning an Olympic medal and having worked together in the past, have both also put their blade into their foot while attempting the lutz on multiple occasions. Ouch.

Someone asked this earlier upthread, but yes, Joubert is intending on staying in until Sochi, so he still has one more chance at a medal.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Although not my favorite skater, Todd Eldredge comes close to this - one Worlds win, 3 silvers, and one bronze. Three trips to the Olympics (same as Kurt and Brian) and no medals. Todd referred to Brian as his "French brother" in a tweet during Worlds this year; I wonder if it's because of this.

Eldredge and Joubert actually have the exact same medal count at Worlds - 1 Gold, 3 Silver, 2 Bronze. And, yeah, 3 trips to Olympics without medals.

 

[Victura]

Ah, thanks for the correction! For some reason Wikipedia doesn't list the first bronze medal that Eldredge won in 1991 in his medal record (though does below in the competitive highlights section).

 

[Skater Boy]

Oho my gosh, how could i forget Dubreil and Lauzon frmo Canada ion dance. What a horrible fall.

 

[mskater93]

I agree with you on so many grounds. But weren't Harding, Bowman and Bobek all criminals - still such talent, such power, such charisma.

They may have all had criminal convictions, but not necessarily during their peak skating:
Harding was really at her peak in 91 and 92, before the whack heard 'round the world and if it weren't for a crappy SP, she would have knocked Kerrigan from the podium easily and possibly even won overall as she might have gotten a better overall score for being in the top 3 after SP.
Bobek had a small brush with the law for B&E while she was competing, but her main issues (meth lab) were after he competitive days.
Bowman was just a mess, even during his skating days.

 

[Olympia]

They may have all had criminal convictions, but not necessarily during their peak skating:
Harding was really at her peak in 91 and 92, before the whack heard 'round the world and if it weren't for a crappy SP, she would have knocked Kerrigan from the podium easily and possibly even won overall as she might have gotten a better overall score for being in the top 3 after SP.
Bobek had a small brush with the law for B&E while she was competing, but her main issues (meth lab) were after he competitive days.
Bowman was just a mess, even during his skating days.

I think it's not so much that they fell afoul of the law that would make me list them separately, but rather the fact that they all wasted such extraordinary natural talent. This was going on way before any of them got involved with illegal activity. These three skaters seem to have trained sporadically, eaten carelessly, and generally not applied themselves with forceful consistency.

By contrast, the other skaters we've been mentioning have almost invariably been hard workers and focused competitors, but factors such as injury, a more formidable competitor, judging decisions, or just bad luck on the crucial night have kept them from the Olympic podium. Bobek, Harding, and Bowman made their own bad luck, unfortunately.

Illness can also be a factor. One skater we haven't mentioned was world bronze medalist Caryn Kadavy, who had the flu right at the Olympics and couldn't skate at all. Poor thing; she was a delightful skater with ballet training who stood a good chance of making at least the top five. That was her only Olympics and so her only chance at a medal. But she had a long and illustrious pro career and was always a joy to watch.

 

[mskater93]

I agree, Olympia, and originally bucketed the three skaters separately due to their waste of talent. I was responding to Skaterboy's comment about the fact that they were all criminals.