The best skaters never to win big...

Kasey · May 9, 2006

I was thinking of this a bit during the season....some of the best skaters to never win any major competitions (by "major", I mean their own nationals, Europeans, Worlds or Olys). I would think that by including their own nationals in this, it would exclude quite a few (i.e., Delobel/Shoenfelder, Sokolova, Seguri, etc)...

The one who sticks out in my mind is Ilia Klimkin, at present. Also, I think Angela Nikodinov would fit into this, in my mind. Two hugely talented, quite popular skaters who never have hit it as big as they probably should have (although Klimkin has medaled at Euros, I think). Who else do you think would fit into this "greatest also-rans" listing?

R.D. · May 9, 2006

Can the Four Continents be considered "major" if the Euros are? Hmm...

Kasey · May 9, 2006

Well, I guess it should be Reddog....I know that it's supposedly the equivalent to Euro's, but it doesn't seem to have the same kind of prestige, so I guess that's why I overlooked it.

Tonichelle · May 9, 2006

Angela is the first to come to mind

Perhaps Michael Weiss - he had the potential to take the world stage, but never made it to the top...

And while Kurt's a 4 time world champ, he never even hit the podium at the olympics, but I don't think that diminishes his career (he still regrets it, according to some of his latest interviews) or what he's brought to skating...

I think a lot of the skaters that don't make it big, but continue to contribute are remembered far longer than the winners that take and run.

anya_angie · May 9, 2006

Alexander Abt. So much potential, but fate was not kind to him.

antmanb · May 9, 2006

Yagudin

I don't think Yagudin ever won the Russian title did he? I don't think he even skated in that many.

Ant

Kasey · May 9, 2006

Weiss won nationals several times. Browning won worlds multiple times. Abt won Russian nationals. Yagudin didn't win Russian nats, but everything else.

What I was meaning was, the most talented skaters to never win the big ones, like their nationals, worlds, euros, olys......

antmanb · May 9, 2006

Kasey said:
Weiss won nationals several times. Browning won worlds multiple times. Abt won Russian nationals. Yagudin didn't win Russian nats, but everything else.

What I was meaning was, the most talented skaters to never win the big ones, like their nationals, worlds, euros, olys......

OK i'm confused we're trying to find skaters who were really very good but never won any of their nationals, worlds, euros, olys and if they ever won any of those titles then they don't count? Is that right?

hmmmm...trying to think...has Dambier ever won french nationals? I love his skating but he's never made it to the top of the podium.

Struggling to think of any skaters who are podium material but who haven't at least won their own nationals - Sasha was close but she won nationals this year...other than that...Obertas & Slavnov, though not really podium material...i'm assuming Tot&Mar and Pet&Tik have kept them from the top of the nationals podium...i might be wrong.

Ant

nuge · May 9, 2006

I agree with you on Delobel/Shoenfelder.Hopefully that will change in the new season .They will have a good chance to be on euros and worlds podiums especially if Dubreil/Lauzon and Denkova/Staviski retire.

#1Kerryfan · May 9, 2006

Many really good skaters don't get titles they deserve.

MKFSfan · May 9, 2006

Sasha's hard to label in this category, and kinda hard to keep out of it! She did win Nationals and a GPF, but everyone kinda discounts it. I think when all is said and done, people will still label her as the one who always falls, and that's a shame as she does have a pretty good resume. What I think is interesting is she is now gettiong SO much recognition for her falls-the "Saturday Night Live" bit and on "Vegas" the mention of "a fall in the SP" for reason why the guy had bruises on his face. Something tells me Sasha may not find it very funny, but at least it gets her more well-known.

Hmm...greatest skater to never win a title...Hard to say. Are there many skaters out there with any kind of longetitivty that you can lable as "best" that never won at least one national/international event? IMO, a skater who may have become "best" but never did-AP, or Naomi!

Kwanford Wife · May 9, 2006

The best never to make it big... Angela, Amber, Tonia K. ~ based on skaters I like.

For skaters who had "it" but failed to produce for whatever reason (personal issues, health, etc.) I'd add Jenny Kirk, AP & NNN... how different would US ladies skating be if these three had ever lived up to their potential?

bostonskater · May 9, 2006

Paul Wylie! I think he only won one senior competition in his entire career, a minor international in England. No National titles, no World medals, just the one Olympic silver.

MFarone · May 9, 2006

Best skaters to never win big

The lovely Caryn Kadavy comes to mind. I was also thinking about Scott Davis but I think he might have won Nationals once. David Santee skated in Scott Hamilton's time and I don't think he ever won any major titles.

Maureen

anya_angie · May 9, 2006

True Abt won Nationals in 2003, but keep in mind it was in the absence of Yagudin and Plushenko, and even though he earned that National title, he's still overlooked in general.

Mathman · May 9, 2006

For recent American ladies, I would say Jenny Kirk. As world junior champion she was poised to become the next Sasha. But unstead Sasha came along and became the next Sasha.

In fact, that would be an interesting sub-category. Which Junior World Champions never won a major title as seniors. Graziev?

Bill508 · May 9, 2006

Yoshie Onda and Yukari Nakano of Japan. Yoshie took junior national in 2001I believe but neither in 1st in any majors that I know of - correct me if Im wrong. Hopfully they will in the future.

slutskayafan21 · May 9, 2006

Jennie was a great junior but she seemed to stay in the juniorish made of skating forever. She improved some I guess, but very small jumps, lack of speed, lack of any command or presence on the ice.

I would say Miki Ando who showed such promise a couple years ago, but has yet to win a World medal, or even a GP final medal. Tanya Szewcenko showed amazing promise as a teenager but due to major health issues only ended up with a single World bronze.

I thought the two pairs of Petrova and Sikhardlidze and Berezhanaya and Shliakov were going to both be something big but both spllit, although 3 of the 4 went on to great successes still.

To a lesser extent I would add Bourne and Kraatz, although they did win 6 World medals, and 1 World gold. I thought they were the future superstars of dance back in 94-95. I do think their careers were hurt by the politics of dance under the old system, and think their careers would have been more under this new system. At the same time when I say Anissina/Peizerat for the first time in 95 I knew they were future problems for Bourne/Kraatz as well.

Mark Mitchell I would add. I just want to say it was totally BOGUS he did not go to the 92 Olympics. He far outskated both Bowman and Wylie at the U.S Nationals. Wylie splatted in his short, did only 3 or 4 triples in the long, and Mitchell was clean in the short, and almost clean in the long with 6 triples and a triple axel and also had great artistic ability. Then they give wonky backed Eldredge the bye over him as well. It was obvious the U.S mens Olympic team was picked for 92 no matter what, the skater who should have been that years U.S Champion was not even going to the 3-man Olympics. He skated very well at the 92 Worlds but as 4th-ranked U.S man he missed the medals in 5th. He had a great chance to medal at the 93 Worlds but messed up in the long.

merrywidow · May 9, 2006

Derrick Delmore won Jr. Worlds in '98, nothing else major that I recall.
Evgeni Pliuta won Jr.W. in '93; Dmitri Dmitrenko in '92?; Erik Larson in '85; Scott Williams in '82;
There's a ton of women who have won Jr. Worlds but nothing major as Senior competitors: McDonough, Oblasova, Kirk, Timoshenko, Vogel, Koiwai, Mills, Cindy Bortz, etc.

Eeyora · May 9, 2006

Viktoria Volchcova and Angela Nikodinov come to mind. Both were beautiful skaters with lovely jumps but nerves, injuries and personal tradgedies for Nikodinov prevented them from reaching the top.

The best skaters never to win big...

Kasey

R.D.

Kasey

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

anya_angie

antmanb

Kasey

antmanb

nuge

#1Kerryfan

MKFSfan

Kwanford Wife

bostonskater

MFarone

anya_angie

Mathman

Bill508

slutskayafan21

Match Penalty

merrywidow

Eeyora

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