10 World titles | Golden Skate

10 World titles

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Ulrich Salchow (SWE), Sonja Henie (NOR) and Irina Rodnina (USSR) all won the World Figure Skating Championships 10 times. Times have changed since, so these records will probably never be broken. But never say never! What are your thoughts?

 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I think the direction the sport has gone on and the level of competition will make it hard to match or beat ten titles.
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
I dont think the human body can sustain a skater long enough to win ten word titles in this day and age. Spins causing concussions, jumps leading to overuse injuries and hip injuries and the risk of injury in high risk elements! You would need a superhuman to accomplish something like that.
 

blue_idealist

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 25, 2006
Yeah, I agree with the last two points. It's too bad Plushenko wasn't able to achieve this along with his other great achievements.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
10 World titles in this day and age is impossible. Not only is it hard to stay at a competitive level for so long, a skater would need motivation to continue. I'm sure if D/W or V/M continued (without competition from the other) they might be able to get many given their superiority over the field but what's the point. It's hard enough even making it to 10 World Championships, let alone winning them.
 

jkun

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 16, 2013
Not possible anymore due to increased competition and the depth of the skating field currently.
 

Skategmt

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 7, 2014
Its going to be awhile until someone else can do it because you need to have:
-age on your side, you cant win your first title when your 20 years old
-a relatively ease competition field/ competition you can beat
-you have to be a great skater!
- cant get injured
-can't burn out
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Yes, if we can build cyborg skaters. :biggrin: but frankly new model will always triumph old model, we know how fast technology develop these days.
 

Krunchii

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
Only possible thing I see is Russia maybe collecting 10 world titles from the Ladies but it'll be different ladies and probably not consecutively, my head hurts just thinking about the amount of talent they have.
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Only possible thing I see is Russia maybe collecting 10 world titles from the Ladies but it'll be different ladies and probably not consecutively, my head hurts just thinking about the amount of talent they have.
Me think the same. :p
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
IMO, the biggest difference between the early winners and todays skaters..... Figures ! In those days, one could win a title by winning in figures. This required discipline and mental toughness however, it had a very low impact on a skaters body. Without figures, skaters are required to perform several very difficult jumps if they are to win a title.

Remember Jill's title in 1990. I don't fault her, but that skate wouldn't have been anywhere near the podium without her superior performance in figures.
 

marcustoronto

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 2, 2014
I think it will happen someday, but not from any of the current crop or emerging junior crop. Torvill & Dean and Gordeeva & Grinkov were both fully capable of it IMO. Yagudin without his career ending injury could have challenged it, if he wanted to.
 

Meoima

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
I think it will happen someday, but not from any of the current crop or emerging junior crop. Torvill & Dean and Gordeeva & Grinkov were both fully capable of it IMO. Yagudin without his career ending injury could have challenged it, if he wanted to.
A series of what if...:eek:hwell:
 

BravesSkateFan

Medalist
Joined
Aug 7, 2003
Never say never, but it will be next to impossible in this day. A lot of things would have to align for this to happen. Since the end of figures the most titles won by a skater/team was 5 and only 2 have done that (Kwan & Savchenko/Szolkowy). For someone to double that number would be quite a feat.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Remember Jill's title in 1990. I don't fault her, but that skate wouldn't have been anywhere near the podium without her superior performance in figures.

While I concur that Jill's gold medal was won on the strength of her school figures, I disagree that she wouldn't have been near the podium otherwise.

She placed 5th in the short program and 2nd in the long. Yes, Midori Ito would have won in a walk if the competition were conducted under the next year's rules, but Jill would have made the podium. I don't recall the placements of the other ladies, but Jill's long program placement was strong.
 

Sandpiper

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
No one in this day and age is going to come within throwing distance of that record. It's a whole different field now, and the human body does have its limits. I'd be surprised if any singles skater (S/S already did it in pairs) touches Michelle's 5 titles. I guess Mao has a chance if she finds her consistency and remains uninjured.

Maybe, maybe, if D/W or V/M had competed in different eras (not against each other), and continued competing for a long time, they'd be able to equal the record. But like CSG said, it'll be hard to even make it to 10 World championships, let alone winning all of them.

Yeah, I agree with the last two points. It's too bad Plushenko wasn't able to achieve this along with his other great achievements.
A bit off topic, but an interesting observation: I was wondering how many World titles Gilles Grafstrom (Plushenko tied his record of 4 Olympic medals) has won; I knew people tended to win them by the bucket-load then, so I expected Grafstrom stomp over Plushenko's 3 World titles. I was surprised to realize Grafstrom, too, only won 3 World titles! I guess life always balances out--all skaters seem to have a nemesis competition (GPF for Kwan and V/M, Europeans for Lambiel, Olympics for Browning and Joubert, ect.)
 
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