sigh... I felt the same way at first.Julianne Sequin and Charlie Bilodeau
YesLindsay Thorngren
And yesTatsuki Matchida
Oh the happy note, while Jeffrey's retirement was a bit unexpected in 2008, he did it at the right time maybe. He won an olympic bronze and WC, and left a winner. He focused on performing, he said he liked to perform, and he did JO for competition for 6 or 7 years. Some of my favourite long programs of him are from there, he also did some fantastic stuff as a choreographer. In hindsight his retirement doesn't feel very hasty, and he's been competing in seniors since 1998. Joannie's international career also lasted 10 years, of which 8 were at the senior level, and in my view a silver and a bronze at the world level is something to be proud of. She maintained form for many years, it's true, I saw her in a show in mid 2010s live, and I have to say she is a rare skater who takes show skating seriously. But who knows how much competitive reserve she still had. Also Shoma: he had a long career, it's just that there was always somebody else who was a priority: cash-bringers, 5-quadsters, 6-duadsters, and it kept feeling that his time was about to come, but it wasn't coming. But I also think Yuma in some respects is a better skater, he certainly hears music better and a is better jumper technically than Shoma. So, I don't know... Some of Shoma's underachievement may be of his own making. Also Weaver Poje's career was long, left a question if they could have achieved more should they stay longer, but I still think it was a good, long and fruitful career with some really good programs. Or I want to think this way.
some of the too early retirements I have mentioned are indeed "longer and happier careers" than others... but still too early for meOh the happy note, while Jeffrey's retirement was a bit unexpected in 2008, he did it at the right time maybe. He won an olympic bronze and WC, and left a winner. He focused on performing, he said he liked to perform, and he did JO for competition for 6 or 7 years. Some of my favourite long programs of him are from there, he also did some fantastic stuff as a choreographer. In hindsight his retirement doesn't feel very hasty, and he's been competing in seniors since 1998. Joannie's international career also lasted 10 years, of which 8 were at the senior level, and in my view a silver and a bronze at the world level is something to be proud of. She maintained form for many years, it's true, I saw her in a show in mid 2010s live, and I have to say she is a rare skater who takes show skating seriously. But who knows how much competitive reserve she still had. Also Shoma: he had a long career, it's just that there was always somebody else who was a priority: cash-bringers, 5-quadsters, 6-duadsters, and it kept feeling that his time was about to come, but it wasn't coming. But I also think Yuma in some respects is a better skater, he certainly hears music better and a is better jumper technically than Shoma. So, I don't know... Some of Shoma's underachievement may be of his own making. Also Weaver Poje's career was long, left a question if they could have achieved more should they stay longer, but I still think it was a good, long and fruitful career with some really good programs. Or I want to think this way.
But Ilyushechkina and partners and Moore-Towers and partners is such a sad story, and also Nicolas Nadeau.
I agree with all you have written, yet I still wanted more 
I tend to believe that these threads are very subjective. Fans have different opinions about the trajectory their favourite skaters could have taken and on top of that, of the circumstances around their retirement. So, in that sense, there are no right or wrong answers here. I am not sure why there is a need to agree or disagree with one another in these kinds of threads
. , Jeffrey's retirement stung even more for me. He may have skated poorly but if he had skated the way he did for in some of the Japan Opens for instance, he could also have earned a medal, if not the top prize, at home Olympics for his homies like me
I was responding to your post but could have provided another example, not Canadian. My main point though, is why the need to argue of people's choices ? They are personal and thus, all valid.Aww 4everchan. Oh Canada!I understand.
