All Russian medallists to skip Worlds | Golden Skate

All Russian medallists to skip Worlds

STL_Blues_fan

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
Larry thanks for the post.

Can't say I am shocked but with all the medalists being out, how on earth would Russia secure more than 1 or 2 spots for the next year? With the minimum number of slots for the next year, how can others not "count Russia out"? I can see them maybe getting 3 spots in pairs for next year, and only of P&T will show up (unlikely). Everybody else is a different story. Only Sokolova can get inot top 10 in tha ladies, especially with VV being out. Klimkin and whoever else gets sent (Dobrin?) will have to work really hard. I can only see the ice dancing teams (1 and 2) both possibly placing in the top 10, at the most.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
STL_Blues_fan said:
Larry thanks for the post.

Can't say I am shocked but with all the medalists being out, how on earth would Russia secure more than 1 or 2 spots for the next year?

Maybe they don't especially want more than 1 or 2 spots next year. The Russian ranks really aren't very deep at present. Pairs, yeah if P/T show up I imagine they and O/S can secure three spots (if O doesn't dump S before then).

Without Plushenko, the Russian men don't have a lot going on. Klimkin's a big fave or mine but even the top 10 is not a given since he's not the most consistent guy around. I'd love to see him skate great and even medal, but I'm not going to bet money on that. I'm not familiar with Dobrin but I've been pretty underwhelmed so far by Griazev.

Women, again without Slutskaya they're gambling. Depending on whether the Sokolova from Euros or Oly's shows up she could miss the top ten or be in the final group. Do they really want to gamble on having one ladies spot next year?

All that said, I can understand TT wanting to get her health situation sorted out and Slute and Plush just wanting to have something like a break for a while. But the Russian field really is in bad need of rebuilding.
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
STL_Blues_fan said:
Can't say I am shocked but with all the medalists being out, how on earth would Russia secure more than 1 or 2 spots for the next year? With the minimum number of slots for the next year, how can others not "count Russia out"? I can see them maybe getting 3 spots in pairs for next year, and only of P&T will show up (unlikely). Everybody else is a different story. Only Sokolova can get inot top 10 in tha ladies, especially with VV being out. Klimkin and whoever else gets sent (Dobrin?) will have to work really hard. I can only see the ice dancing teams (1 and 2) both possibly placing in the top 10, at the most.
My question is with almost all Russian Medalist retiring after this season (Pair and Dance already announced. only Irina and Plushen undecided, but most likely will), does Russian really have more than 2 to send over next worlds? Did they waste a berth in Lady this Olympics already?
 

Frau Muller

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 1, 2005
Ha! Didn't I predict this weeks ago? Haven't I written on more than one occasion here of how Russian stars feel about performing at any ir less-than-fair treatment & poor audience reactions at the '03 Worlds in DC?

Any gold that is won in Calgary will be like the medals that were won at the 84 Los Angeles Olympics.

Not to forget that the top lady of the world -- Mao Asada -- won't be there, as she was not in Torino. So this Worlds will forever be known as the scramble for gold among the '2nd tier' competitors.

Just telling it like it is. Sad moment for World skating.
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
Frau Muller said:
Ha! Didn't I predict this weeks ago? Haven't I written on more than one occasion here of how Russian stars feel about performing at any ir less-than-fair treatment & poor audience reactions at the '03 Worlds in DC?

Any gold that is won in Calgary will be like the medals that were won at the 84 Los Angeles Olympics.

Not to forget that the top lady of the world -- Mao Asada -- won't be there, as she was not in Torino. So this Worlds will forever be known as the scramble for gold among the '2nd tier' competitors.

Just telling it like it is. Sad moment for World skating.

I completely disagree with you, and actually find slightly offensive the idea that this will be a second-rate competition. Dance will still be a great competition with the top Russians out - in fact, I can't say I'll particularly miss them now that they've retired. Pairs will also be a great fight. I've never found T/M thrilling.

And Mao Asada is NOT the top ladies skater in the world. That's just silly. She's a talented junior who may become the best, but has done nothing to earn the title so far.

I actually think worlds will be fascinating with this lot out. We get to see the up-and-comers.
 

SusanBeth

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
rain said:
I completely disagree with you, and actually find slightly offensive the idea that this will be a second-rate competition. Dance will still be a great competition with the top Russians out - in fact, I can't say I'll particularly miss them now that they've retired. Pairs will also be a great fight. I've never found T/M thrilling.

And Mao Asada is NOT the top ladies skater in the world. That's just silly. She's a talented junior who may become the best, but has done nothing to earn the title so far.

I actually think worlds will be fascinating with this lot out. We get to see the up-and-comers.

ITA! :rock:

I have never seen a more outrageously enthusiastic audience at a Worlds than in 2003. They were ever ready to jump out of their seats screaming when they saw a great skate. The Russians just didn't have the most exciting skates.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Frau Muller said:
Not to forget that the top lady of the world -- Mao Asada --

You mean the top lady who lost her national championship to the fourth place skater at the olympics? That top lady skater?

Let's have some semblance of reality.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I had a slightly different take on this. To me, there is something wrong with a sport in which the top performers care so little about its World Championship that they don't bother to show up.

The Grand Prix series is already in the toilet because many of the top people don't want to skate in it.

If the athletes don't want to compete, why should the audience want to come or watch on TV?

It is as if figure skating wants to be a sport that exists only for two weeks every four years.

MM :frown2:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
To be honest, I will not miss the two couple teams in Calgary. I'm not saying they aren't technically good but as far as presentation, they are just boring. JMO.

Joe
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Mathman said:
I had a slightly different take on this. To me, there is something wrong with a sport in which the top performers care so little about its World Championship that they don't bother to show up.

The Grand Prix series is already in the toilet because many of the top people don't want to skate in it.

If the athletes don't want to compete, why should the audience want to come or watch on TV?

It is as if figure skating wants to be a sport that exists only for two weeks every four years.

MM :frown2:

Russia's just doing what a lot of skaters have done since 94... it seems to be the new trend of the olympics... miss the worlds after having the emotional roller coaster ride of a lifetime at the olys...

I disagree with it, but I guess I've never been in those shoes so...
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
thanks for the news...not surprising, though.

I still wonder if Arakawa is going to Worlds. If she isn't, this could be a VERY interesting competition. Cohen and Suguri would be the only top contenders to show up!
 

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Red Dog said:
thanks for the news...not surprising, though.

I still wonder if Arakawa is going to Worlds. If she isn't, this could be a VERY interesting competition. Cohen and Suguri would be the only top contenders to show up!

Then Rochette or Meissner might sneak out a medal, maybe even Hughes if she can skate a bit better than she did in Turin. The bronze would be wide open with Ando and Sokolova not skating well this year(if Sokolova even goes).
 

ceg15

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 2, 2004
I think that Rochette or Meissner could easily get a medal if they skate well.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I think this is shaping to be a second-rate competition. Virtually no top skaters. So weird, too, it being the world championships. But then it's so close to the Olympics that there's basically no possible way the medallists can gear up in time. Even Cohen's making the media rounds and sounds as if she's only going to go back into training for a couple of weeks before the event. Now, I'd be interested to see the general reaction if she manages to pull together and win the World championship. Would that shine over her OSM?
 

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 28, 2005
Red Dog said:
I think this is shaping to be a second-rate competition. Virtually no top skaters. So weird, too, it being the world championships. But then it's so close to the Olympics that there's basically no possible way the medallists can gear up in time. Even Cohen's making the media rounds and sounds as if she's only going to go back into training for a couple of weeks before the event. Now, I'd be interested to see the general reaction if she manages to pull together and win the World championship. Would that shine over her OSM?

Only if it were a strong field. The Olympic field even was already missing Asada and Kwan, and a field also missing Arakawa and Slutskaya would impress few even with a big win IMO.
 

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Country
United-States
Mathman said:
To me, there is something wrong with a sport in which the top performers care so little about its World Championship that they don't bother to show up.
Math, I totally agree. This reminds me of the 2002 Olympics when Alexei was one of the only medalists who went to Worlds.

Dee
 

ladysarahchatto

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 18, 2006
Red Dog said:
I think this is shaping to be a second-rate competition. Virtually no top skaters. So weird, too, it being the world championships. But then it's so close to the Olympics that there's basically no possible way the medallists can gear up in time. Even Cohen's making the media rounds and sounds as if she's only going to go back into training for a couple of weeks before the event. Now, I'd be interested to see the general reaction if she manages to pull together and win the World championship. Would that shine over her OSM?

This seems to happen after every Games. I remember Oksana Baiul, and Nancy Kerrigan didn't show up at Worlds after Lillehammer. And of course Tara skipped Worlds after her Olympics. Well, this is the kind of sport as Peggy Fleming once said where you can compete against yourself. She was certainly head and shoulders above the field in her day, as Kwan often was, particularly at Nationals in her prime.
 
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