Remarkable Demonstrations of Mental Strength

[jimeonji]

Not as good of an example as the many before (Yuna, Joannie, etc) but:
Takahashi at Sochi - by no means perfect, but definitely showed mental strength. He went into the competition with a completely messed up knee, pressure from the Japanese public as one of the most popular skaters, and the desire to prove himself worthy of even going to the Olympics after a 5th place finish at Nationals (chosen over two of his best friends). He landed two clean 3As after not being able to land them for weeks before, and didn't fall once in what would be his last appearance as a competitive figure skater. His LP never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

 

[Bag of Goldfish]

I agree with CanadianSkaterGuy about Dan Zhang. That was incredible seeing her get up and complete the program after falling in a box split like that. There is an Olympic medal for sportsmanship that they give out once in a while, the Pierre de Coubertine (sp?), and I thought they should have given her one.

 

[Interspectator]

I agree with CanadianSkaterGuy about Dan Zhang. That was incredible seeing her get up and complete the program after falling in a box split like that. There is an Olympic medal for sportsmanship that they give out once in a while, the Pierre de Coubertine (sp?), and I thought they should have given her one.

Welcome to Golden Skate! Post often.

 

[karne]

I'd also give Joshua Farris a thumbs-up. Osteochondritis dissecans at 13 - Novice National Champion that season (just after his 14th birthday). Then cops a blade to the leg and can't jump for a few months - manages to recover to silver at Junior Nationals. Still only 15 at this point. Then the Horror Nationals - with the torn hip muscle/anaphylactic reaction and then breaks his leg on the third jumping pass of the LP and finishes. At sixteen.

Three huge injuries, three huge blows, right over what are traditionally the most vulnerable years for a skater, and he never gave up and just kept coming back. I'll give a sticker for that.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

-Adelina Sotnikova delivered at the Olympics after many people wrote her off as a headcase.

This was very impressive. She had a lot of critics before Sochi and even the Russian Fed didn't believe in her. She was set on proving them wrong and delivered the best performance of her career when the stakes were the highest.

 

[attyfan]

I think Michelle's skate after the streaker incident shows a great deal of mental strength -- while years later, she told Phil Hersh that it was the funniest thing that ever happened, I would be very surprised if she wasn't badly frightened when the guy showed up on the ice. This isn't the only time Michelle has shown great mental strength ... her newly repaired blade (getting it re-attached to her boots) just before the QR in 2001 is one incident, and being the sole US lady to make it to the SP at the 1994 Worlds had to be a little nerve-wracking. Michelle, IMO, is like Plush -- a mentally tough skater. As far as single incidents though, I think Rochette's great skate following her mom's death takes the prize.

 

[padme21]

Yuzuru Hanyu's incrediable mental strength proven in his many performances over the years. 2012 Worlds, 2013 Worlds, 2013 GPF, 2014 Sochi Olympics, 2014 Worlds, 2014 COC, NHK, and his most recent victory at the 2014 GPF were he defended his title and won by such a huge margine when most people had written him off as a medal contender.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

This was very impressive. She had a lot of critics before Sochi and even the Russian Fed didn't believe in her. She was set on proving them wrong and delivered the best performance of her career when the stakes were the highest.

Agreed. Snubbed in the team event. Nobody was talking about her and when Julia had a poor SP all of a sudden she was the one facing the most pressure and scrutiny and who everyone pinned their hopes on. I'm glad she delivered. Had she placed 3rd or 4th I'm certain she would have come under more fire/criticism than Lipnitskaia who placed 5th but already performed well in the team event.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Yuzuru Hanyu's incrediable mental strength proven in his many performances over the years. 2012 Worlds, 2013 Worlds, 2013 GPF, 2014 Sochi Olympics, 2014 Worlds, 2014 COC, NHK, and his most recent victory at the 2014 GPF were he defended his title and won by such a huge margine when most people had written him off as a medal contender.

I think 2014 was a mentally strong FS. And yes he did have comebacks after poor SPs at WC2012 and WC2013. Especially at WC2012 there was the silly mental error fall which clearly winded him but then to come back with a gorgeous 3A+3T.

 

[Sophie-Anna]

I agree with many post everybody wrote here, but the first name which came to my mind after reading a headline of this thread was Dan Zhang and her fall during 2006 olympics. That wasn't just ordinary fall, which is usual at practice. That was really bad, even if I watch it after so many years I'm kinda shocked. It had to be terrible pain. The way she could skate the rest of the program was amazing.

 

[gotoschool]

Yuzuru Hanyu's incrediable mental strength proven in his many performances over the years. 2012 Worlds, 2013 Worlds, 2013 GPF, 2014 Sochi Olympics, 2014 Worlds, 2014 COC, NHK, and his most recent victory at the 2014 GPF were he defended his title and won by such a huge margine when most people had written him off as a medal contender.

I forgot to mention Yuzuru Hanyu. His 2012 Worlds LP is the one that impressed me the most, even with the out of the blue fall and skating after the collision in the Cup of China LP.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I agree with many post everybody wrote here, but the first name which came to my mind after reading a headline of this thread was Dan Zhang and her fall during 2006 olympics. That wasn't just ordinary fall, which is usual at practice. That was really bad, even if I watch it after so many years I'm kinda shocked. It had to be terrible pain. The way she could skate the rest of the program was amazing.

I remember watching it with coworkers and everyone gasped/turned away/exclaimed "That's got to be a broken leg."/etc. We were all amazed when we saw her getting up. And then when she hit that 2A+3T, it was like "Dammmmmn, she is a bad@ss."

Here it is... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-lm6kU8HIY

 

[Bag of Goldfish]

I think Michelle's skate after the streaker incident shows a great deal of mental strength -- while years later, she told Phil Hersh that it was the funniest thing that ever happened, I would be very surprised if she wasn't badly frightened when the guy showed up on the ice. This isn't the only time Michelle has shown great mental strength ... her newly repaired blade (getting it re-attached to her boots) just before the QR in 2001 is one incident, and being the sole US lady to make it to the SP at the 1994 Worlds had to be a little nerve-wracking. Michelle, IMO, is like Plush -- a mentally tough skater. As far as single incidents though, I think Rochette's great skate following her mom's death takes the prize.

Michelle was so poised when she was confronted by that loser. I would have slapped the stupid right off of his face.

 

[OS]

I remember watching it with coworkers and everyone gasped/turned away/exclaimed "That's got to be a broken leg."/etc. We were all amazed when we saw her getting up. And then when she hit that 2A+3T, it was like "Dammmmmn, she is a bad@ss."

Here it is... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u-lm6kU8HIY

Ohmegosh... that was just ridiculous!! She is truly worthy of the name of dragon's people in the music. Astounding! ...and still got the silver!!??

Can they stop like that mid performance and still continue to only get -1 deduction point? What are the rules and limit stopping time?

 

[skatedreamer]

I've already mentioned Mao and Yuzuru earlier, but Midori at 1991 Worlds just came to my mind. I didn't watch it in real time (It's the month and year I was born!) but it's the epic performance in which she kept on delivering after crashing into cameras over the board. And IIRC before that performanace, she had had a surgery a month ago and had collided with another skater during 6 min practice cutting her boot or something. After crashing into cameras, she bounced back (literally) and performed as if nothing happened. Incredible.

I'd forgotten all about that! Not only did she finish the rest of her program but I seem to remember that she even laughed at herself about it as she was hauling herself back to her feet. No small thing when you consider that the Japanese media simply. would. NOT. leave. her. alone. After "losing" Albertville, she apologized to the entire Japanese nation -- talk about pressure! She's now in her 40s and skated in a pro competition a few years ago, IIRC. A real pro and a real champion, with or without the OGM.

Every single performance cited on this thread is an example of astounding mental toughness but for me, the #1 spot is a tie between Mao in Sochi and Joannie in Vancouver.

 

[swc0931]

Yuna Kim at 2009 world, Vancouver, 2013 world and Sochi

 

[Macassar88]

Yuna Kim at Sochi.

And Vancouver

 

[Ophelia]

^Vancouver, yes. But Sochi stands out more to me because 1) she was still injured, 2) in the SP she had very shaky warm-up where she was popping all her t-t attempts, and yet managed to control her nerves to the extent that she executed a clean SP minutes later (you could see how visibly relieved she was when she finished) and 3) skating the FS last and in a not-the-most-welcoming environment, and pulling through.

 

[labgoat]

Hi All,

Two others come to mind:
1. Paul Wylie's 1992 Olympic short program skated after reporters in a press conference asked him "why are you here?"
2. Todd Eldredge at Skate America in Detroit (year?) skating nearly flawlessly after dislocating a shoulder on the warmup. I was sitting right in front and wathced it pop out and back in again.

 

[Interspectator]

Hi All,

Two others come to mind:
1. Paul Wylie's 1992 Olympic short program skated after reporters in a press conference asked him "why are you here?"
2. Todd Eldredge at Skate America in Detroit (year?) skating nearly flawlessly after dislocating a shoulder on the warmup. I was sitting right in front and wathced it pop out and back in again.

WOW, amazing to have seen Todd Eldredge live! and congrats on your first post. -I'd say welcome to Golden Skate, but I see you've been here longer than I have.