Now that the WCs are officially over, I thought I might take the opportunity to poll the GS members as to which skater (or skaters if it's a pairs/dance team) would be most likely for a "Skater(s) of the Year Award" for 2005 (à la Time magazine's Person of the Year)
The nominees I have come up with and why are:
Stéphane Lambiel : for finally putting it together and skating like we know he can, for making the fantasies of the posters at GoldenSkate come true (well, one of the fantasies ) by winning the WC, bringing Switzerland its first medal since 1947, and being the first person since Evita Perón to wear an up-do in front of thousands of people and actually pull it off.
Carolina Kostner : for finally skating like we know she can, winning Italy's first ladies' medal since 1978, and putting herself in good position for the 2006 Olympics in her backyard.
Irina Slutskaya : for overcoming vasculitis and the death of her mother-in-law, skating a flawless programme to win the WC at home, and by pledging the prize money from Worlds to go to funding a kidney transplant for her mother
Totmianina/ Marinin : for enduring both sides of the coin after a horrific fall on a lift (a concussion for her, psychological trauma for him), coming back to train 10 days later, skating one of the best pairs SPs ever to the music of "Ave Maria" (you really need to see that one!!), and winning their second gold medal at home
Navka/Kostomarov : for arguably the best and most authentic programme to "Tosca" I have yet seen (IMHO, mind you) and setting the best ice dance score ever seen in the two years of CoP
Kevin van der Perren : for skating two strong performances to finish 8th and being the best and probably only skater you will ever see produced by the country of Belgium
Other : please explain
The nominees I have come up with and why are:
Stéphane Lambiel : for finally putting it together and skating like we know he can, for making the fantasies of the posters at GoldenSkate come true (well, one of the fantasies ) by winning the WC, bringing Switzerland its first medal since 1947, and being the first person since Evita Perón to wear an up-do in front of thousands of people and actually pull it off.
Carolina Kostner : for finally skating like we know she can, winning Italy's first ladies' medal since 1978, and putting herself in good position for the 2006 Olympics in her backyard.
Irina Slutskaya : for overcoming vasculitis and the death of her mother-in-law, skating a flawless programme to win the WC at home, and by pledging the prize money from Worlds to go to funding a kidney transplant for her mother
Totmianina/ Marinin : for enduring both sides of the coin after a horrific fall on a lift (a concussion for her, psychological trauma for him), coming back to train 10 days later, skating one of the best pairs SPs ever to the music of "Ave Maria" (you really need to see that one!!), and winning their second gold medal at home
Navka/Kostomarov : for arguably the best and most authentic programme to "Tosca" I have yet seen (IMHO, mind you) and setting the best ice dance score ever seen in the two years of CoP
Kevin van der Perren : for skating two strong performances to finish 8th and being the best and probably only skater you will ever see produced by the country of Belgium
Other : please explain