How many champ/elite skaters were only kids? | Golden Skate

How many champ/elite skaters were only kids?

kiki611

Spectator
Joined
Oct 16, 2013
Well, Flatt is one. I think Weir is an only. How do you think this sport seems to select for only kids? Chan is another. National, world or Olympic Champs? Joannie Rochette is another only child. How about YuNa-does she have sibs? I'm curious as FS takes so much from parents-esp time and money. It ain't basketball!
 

Victura

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 8, 2012
I think Tara Lipinski's an only child. Maybe Brian Boitano? (Not sure about him.)

I do think it helps somewhat, since this is quite an individual sport and needs a lot of time, money, and attention from the parents. On the other hand, I think it was discussed in another thread that younger children tend to benefit from an older one's experience if both were skaters, and there were quite a few siblings in which the younger one did a bit better (though not all).
 

ciocio

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2010
Well, Flatt is one. I think Weir is an only. How do you think this sport seems to select for only kids? Chan is another. National, world or Olympic Champs? Joannie Rochette is another only child. How about YuNa-does she have sibs? I'm curious as FS takes so much from parents-esp time and money. It ain't basketball!

I think we had a similar thread, not too long ago, but to answer your question, not all the elite skaters are only kids. Just to mention a few of them Yuna, Mao, Joubert, Plushenko, Lysacek, Maxim Trankov, Scott Moir, Lambiel, have siblings.
Yagudin is an only child.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
And of course Kwan has a sister, which is how she ended up with two adorable nieces. She also has a brother. Sergei Grinkov had a sister, but I think Gordeyeva is an only child.
 

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avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
I think Weir is an only. How do you think this sport seems to select for only kids?

I think Tara Lipinski's an only child. Maybe Brian Boitano? (Not sure about him.)

I do think it helps somewhat, since this is quite an individual sport and needs a lot of time, money, and attention from the parents. On the other hand, I think it was discussed in another thread that younger children tend to benefit from an older one's experience if both were skaters, and there were quite a few siblings in which the younger one did a bit better (though not all).

I think we had a similar thread, not too long ago, but to answer your question, not all the elite skaters are only kids. Just to mention a few of them Yuna, Mao, Joubert, Plushenko, Lysacek, Maxim Trankov, Scott Moir, Lambiel, have siblings. ....

Yes, The Edge very recently had a thread on this exact same topic of only kids.
I do not agree at all with the premise that figure skating selects for only children.

- Weir is not an only.
- 99% sure that Boitano is not an only.
- And as ciocio notes, counterexamples are numerous -- just as numerous or more numerous than the examples of only children.
- More who are not only kids (still scratching only the surface): Tessa Virtue, Max Aaron, Jason Brown, Sarah and Emily Hughes, Rudy Galindo, the Shibutanis (obviously), Meryl Davis, Charlie White, Alissa Czisny, Jeremy Abbott, Adam Rippon, Tanith Belbin, Gracie and Carly Gold, etc.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
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