Competing at worlds -- longest longevity?

glorybox6 · May 12, 2016

The Carolina Kostner comeback has me thinking -- her first worlds was 2003, where she placed 10th (but made the final group). If she makes it to worlds next year, that's a 14-year spread (missing 2015 and 2016). :eek:

I wonder how many skaters of the modern era can match it? Skaters from the golden ages? Has anyone done it or come close with consecutive appearances?

Off the top of my head..

Aliona Savchenko (with Morozov, Szolkowy and Massot): 15 years, 2001-2016 (missed 2002-2004, 2015)
Drobiazko/Vanagas: 14 years, 1992-2006 (missed 2005)
Tatiana Volosozhar (with Kharchenko, Morozov and Trankov): 13 years, 2003-2016 (missed 2010, 2014 and 2015)
Valentina Marchei (with Hotarek): 12 years, 2004-2016 (missed 2005, 2009-2011)
Brian Joubert: 11 years: 2002-2013 (consecutive)
Michelle Kwan: 11 years, 1994-2005 (consecutive)

I wonder if skaters are more likely to extend their competitive days to extreme lengths these days due to the lack of pro opportunities.

Krunchii · May 12, 2016

Probably Chinese pairs? Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo went to their first Worlds in 1994 and last one in 2009 but retired in 2010, missed 1995, 2004-2005

Also Pang Qing and Tong Jian, first Worlds in 1999, last one in 2015, only missed 2014:eeking:

Zhang Hao went to his first Worlds in 2002 and is still competing and wants to go until the 2022 Olympics but only time will tell...

Elvis Stojko competed pretty long too, 1990 - 2001, missed 1998 and went to 2002 Olympics but not Worlds after

glorybox6 · May 12, 2016

Ooh duh, I knew I was missing some obvious ones.. adding yours to the list along with Liashenko and (obviously) Suguri, whom I just remembered:

Pang/Tong: 16 years, 1999-2015 (missed 2014)
Aliona Savchenko (with Morozov, Szolkowy and Massot): 15 years, 2001-2016 (missed 2002-2004, 2015)
Drobiazko/Vanagas: 14 years, 1992-2006 (missed 2005)
Zhang Hao (with Zhang and Peng): 14 years, 2002-2016 (missed 2011-2012)
Shen/Zhao: 13 years, 1994-2007 (missing 1995, 2004-2005 and they didn't do 2009 or 2010)
Tatiana Volosozhar (with Kharchenko, Morozov and Trankov): 13 years, 2003-2016 (missed 2010, 2014 and 2015)
Valentina Marchei (with Hotarek): 12 years, 2004-2016 (missed 2005, 2009-2011)
Fumie Suguri: 12 years, 1997-2009 (missed 1998, 2000, 2007-2008)
Brian Joubert: 11 years, 2002-2013 (consecutive)
Michelle Kwan: 11 years, 1994-2005 (consecutive)
Elvis Stojko: 11 years, 1990-2001 (withdrew in 1998)
Elena Liashenko: 11 years, 1994-2005 (missed 1997)

glorybox6 · May 12, 2016

Aaand then there's Tatiana Navka (with Gezalian, Morozov and Kostomarov): 12 years, 1993-2005. Missing just 1996. Go girl!

SarahSynchro · May 12, 2016

For the "golden age", how about Irina Rodnina? Ten world championship GOLD medals IN A ROW from 1969-1978, with two different partners. :eeking: Girl never went to a world championship and left with anything but gold.

peese · May 12, 2016

glorybox6 said:
Ooh duh, I knew I was missing some obvious ones.. adding yours to the list along with Liashenko and (obviously) Suguri, whom I just remembered:

Pang/Tong: 16 years, 1999-2015 (missed 2014)
Aliona Savchenko (with Morozov, Szolkowy and Massot): 15 years, 2001-2016 (missed 2002-2004, 2015)
Drobiazko/Vanagas: 14 years, 1992-2006 (missed 2005)
Zhang Hao (with Zhang and Peng): 14 years, 2002-2016 (missed 2011-2012)
Shen/Zhao: 13 years, 1994-2007 (missing 1995, 2004-2005 and they didn't do 2009 or 2010)
Tatiana Volosozhar (with Kharchenko, Morozov and Trankov): 13 years, 2003-2016 (missed 2010, 2014 and 2015)
Valentina Marchei (with Hotarek): 12 years, 2004-2016 (missed 2005, 2009-2011)
Fumie Suguri: 12 years, 1997-2009 (missed 1998, 2000, 2007-2008)
Brian Joubert: 11 years, 2002-2013 (consecutive)
Michelle Kwan: 11 years, 1994-2005 (consecutive)
Elvis Stojko: 11 years, 1990-2001 (withdrew in 1998)
Elena Liashenko: 11 years, 1994-2005 (missed 1997)

I know we're discussing Worlds, but as an aside, Fumie skated 3 yrs Sr Nats before here first time at Worlds and 5 more times after her last trip. Add to that several years at Jr and Novice. Wow!!!

Sabrina · May 12, 2016

Maria Butyrskaya...won worlds at 29

Skater Boy · May 13, 2016

Sabrina said:
Maria Butyrskaya...won worlds at 29

Or was it at a much younger age 27??? Mrrice will know for sure

MGstyle · May 13, 2016

Butyrskaya was 26 or 27 when she won WC in 1999. She did win Euros in her last season, 2002. Sokolova and Slutskaya had long careers too, seemed like a trend for Russian girls, but since then the peaking age has shifted a lot, perhaps it won't be the case for the current bunch.

MGstyle · May 13, 2016

No one mentioned Plushenko???

glorybox6 · May 13, 2016

MGstyle said:
No one mentioned Plushenko???

Yeah, if you expand it to Worlds and Olympics, Plushy is up there too: 1998-2014, so 16 years -- which Navka still tops.

And Butyrskaya's world appearances are 1993-2002, so not quite up there with the names above. Including both worlds and olympics, Slutskaya was 1995-2006. Sokolova was 1998-2007.

plushyfan · May 13, 2016

MGstyle said:
No one mentioned Plushenko???

He had breaktime not once

TheCzar · May 13, 2016

Of the current crop of ladies (barring Kostner), Mao Asada is the only one who has this longevity, and from what it looks like- we're to see a bit more of her. She started in the GPF senior circuit at 2005-06, but at Worlds officially in 2007. She had since made every single World JPN team (and both Olympic teams for 2010 and 2014) for the last 9 years, with the exception of 2015 when she took a break.

Ares · May 13, 2016

TheCzar said:
Of the current crop of ladies (barring Kostner), Mao Asada is the only one who has this longevity, and from what it looks like- we're to see a bit more of her. She started in the GPF senior circuit at 2005-06, but at Worlds officially in 2007. She had since made every single World JPN team (and both Olympic teams for 2010 and 2014) for the last 9 years, with the exception of 2015 when she took a break.

I wonder what would have happened if they allowed Mao to compete in Torino. At the age of 15 she was already one of the main contenders and reigning GPF champion.

pohatta · May 13, 2016

Kevin van der Perren's first Worlds were in 2000 and last in 2012.

MaxSwagg · May 13, 2016

Ares said:
I wonder what would have happened if they allowed Mao to compete in Torino. At the age of 15 she was already one of the main contenders and reigning GPF champion.

She would've won easily, and still probably would've gone on to 2010 and 2014...

Krunchii · May 13, 2016

Ares said:
I wonder what would have happened if they allowed Mao to compete in Torino. At the age of 15 she was already one of the main contenders and reigning GPF champion.

Well she probably would have gone with a 3-3 in the SP and an 8 triple LP (compared to Shizuka who had 5) so I'd assume that she would have Gold even with 1-2 mistakes. She was crazy ambitious at the time.

blue_idealist · May 14, 2016

Julia Sebestyen - 1998 to 2010, missing 2009.

iluvtodd · May 14, 2016

Todd Eldredge - competed @ Worlds for the first time in 1990, won bronze in 1991. He didn't compete there in 1993 & 1994

, came back in 1995 - won silver, gold in 1996 :love:

, silver in 1997 & 1998. Took two seasons off in 1999, 2000, won bronze in 2001. He qualified for the US World Team in 2002, but opted to join SOI right after the SLC Olympics (but Matt Savoie got to go as a result of that :biggrin:

). So, that's a pretty long time to be competing.

Giselle · May 14, 2016

glorybox6 said:
Drobiazko/Vanagas: 14 years, 1992-2006 (missed 2005)

Drobiazko/Vanagas missed 2003 and 2004 too. They basically retired in 2002 and decided to comeback for the Olympic season in 2005-2006.

Albena Denkova went to 15* Worlds: 4 with Hristo Nikolov (1992-1995) and 11* with Maxim Staviski (1996-2007). *She made Worlds in 2000 but had to withdraw after a collision with Peter Tchernyshev during the practice before the FD.

Competing at worlds -- longest longevity?

glorybox6

Krunchii

glorybox6

glorybox6

SarahSynchro

peese

Sabrina

Skater Boy

MGstyle

Crawling around on the ice after chestnuts

MGstyle

Crawling around on the ice after chestnuts

glorybox6

plushyfan

TheCzar

Ares

pohatta

MaxSwagg

Match Penalty

Krunchii

blue_idealist

iluvtodd

Giselle

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