2000 World Championships - danger, drama & controversy

[labgoat]

I was just looking something up on Denkova & Staviski and came across the following list of accidents, injuries, drama and controversies. I remembered some, but not all of them.

Bereznaia & Sikharulidze /RUSSIAN PAIR'S HOPES FOR WORLDS DASHED BY DRUG TESTS
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-03-27-0003270064-story.html

Slashing incident of Stephane Bernadis
https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2000-03-29-0003290031-story.html

Bernadis and Abitbol eventually earned the bronze medal, but not until a French trainer suggested there were rumors that Bernadis had fabricated the story to get sympathy from the judges, causing Bernadis to angrily rip off his bandage and display his five-stitch cut
on French television.

Julia Obertas/ Dmytri Palamarchuk accident
https://web.archive.org/web/20080418014033/http://espn.go.com/skating/news/2000/0329/453312.html

Palamarchuk lay on the ice for several minutes before getting up and leaving the ice on his own but then lost consciousness and was taken to hospital – no damage was found but he was kept overnight for observation. Their partnership dissolved after that.

Earlier in the week, a Ukrainian couple had a serious fall from a lift just before Canadian pair skaters Kristy Sargeant and Kris Wirtz were to compete. But the Canadians were so overcome they had to stop and restart again.

Ice dancing suffers two more mishaps - Denkova & Staviski & Federica Faiella and Luciano Milo
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/ice-dancing-suffers-two-more-mishaps/article18422013/

Denkova suffered a deep cut to her left ankle and underwent surgery to stitch up some muscles after a collision with U.S. champions Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev.

Denkova and Staviski never made it to the free dance, but young Italian couple Federica Faiella and Luciano Milo only skated about 15 seconds into their routine when disaster struck. Milo had been holding Faiella in an unusual low lift when Faiella fell, kicking his shin as she went down. Milo could skate no more after that point, nor could he put weight on his left leg. Doctors carried him off the ice, and he left the arena on a stretcher.

Last night, it was Canada's No. 2 dance couple, Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe, who had to hustle out to skate. Both of them saw the accident.

But all of the skaters knew about the incident with Denkova. Before Wing and Lowe went out for their warmup, their coach, Igor Sphilband, told them not to take any chances, just to watch out. He's also the coach of Lang and Tchernyshev.

Wing and Lowe said the advice was good, but it was a "crazy warmup" with several near collisions.

I knew it was a crazy championship but it was apparently even crazier than i remembered.

 

[DanseMacabre]

This brings back memories. 2000 Worlds was a wild ride from start to finish for so many reasons.

 

[anonymoose_au]

Wow, cursed Worlds

It was also the Worlds where Plushy messed up his LP so bad he ended up off the podium! After having such a brilliant SP too!

 

[labgoat]

Wow, cursed Worlds

It was also the Worlds where Plushy messed up his LP so bad he ended up off the podium! After having such a brilliant SP too!

Oh to be beaten by Michael Weiss...

 

[anonymoose_au]

Oh to be beaten by Michael Weiss...

Well I got nothing against Michael

Watching it on YouTube is a wild ride, Plushy fell on his opening quad and then wasted jumping passes trying to land it and kept falling while Mishin's at the boards yelling what we're all thinking "What are you doing?! Stop it!"

But Plushy learnt a valuable lesson that day and never again finished off the podium at a major international event (unless he had to withdraw, obviously). :yes2:

 

[karne]

The controversy started well before then, since this was the World Championships that was stolen from Brisbane by the ISU for the French.

 

[anonymoose_au]

The controversy started well before then, since this was the World Championships that was stolen from Brisbane by the ISU for the French.

Wait?! What really?!! We could have had the Worlds in Australia?!

Dang you, France!! :dev2: (Well, at least the medals weren't plastic I guess.)

 

[karne]

Wait?! What really?!! We could have had the Worlds in Australia?!

Dang you, France!! :dev2: (Well, at least the medals weren't plastic I guess.)

Yes, 2000 Worlds was originally awarded to Brisbane. Then it was stolen. ISU made up some horsewallop about host broadcast rights issues. :sarcasm: suuuuuuuuuuuuuuure, ISU.

 

[labgoat]

Well I got nothing against Michael

Watching it on YouTube is a wild ride, Plushy fell on his opening quad and then wasted jumping passes trying to land it and kept falling while Mishin's at the boards yelling what we're all thinking "What are you doing?! Stop it!"

But Plushy learnt a valuable lesson that day and never again finished off the podium at a major international event (unless he had to withdraw, obviously). :yes2:

I meant no disrespect to Mr Weiss and apologize for any who have taken offense. My tired mind had Plushy's pride and ego in mind.

 

[labgoat]

Wait?! What really?!! We could have had the Worlds in Australia?!

Dang you, France!! :dev2: (Well, at least the medals weren't plastic I guess.)

That would've been awesome! If/when it happens I would love to make that trip.

 

[ragdoll]

I was there in person and will never forget the terrible accident that happened to Obertas/Palmarchuk. It was shocking to see that live and it affected the athmosfere in the arena badly until it was announced that Palmarchuk was OK and was out of the hospital the next day.

 

[mrrice]

Wow, cursed Worlds

It was also the Worlds where Plushy messed up his LP so bad he ended up off the podium! After having such a brilliant SP too!

:sad21: I remember that. It's also when Maria Butryskaya won Qualifying, the SP, and then had a rough LP and dropped to 3rd. she was heart broken and so was I.

 

[rollerblade]

I was there in person and will never forget the terrible accident that happened to Obertas/Palmarchuk. It was shocking to see that live and it affected the athmosfere in the arena badly until it was announced that Palmarchuk was OK and was out of the hospital the next day.

I'm not going to find the video of this accident, but it's so infuriating that skaters are allowed to skate off the ice on their own after concussion. Where's the medical staff? He passed out again near the boards after getting off the ice (i think), and could have incurred more had the second fall happened while he's still on ice.

 

[labgoat]

I was there in person and will never forget the terrible accident that happened to Obertas/Palmarchuk. It was shocking to see that live and it affected the athmosfere in the arena badly until it was announced that Palmarchuk was OK and was out of the hospital the next day.

It was so unexpected since Obertas & Palamarchuk were skating quite well and were close to the end of the program. The atmosphere in the arena really affected the next skaters from Canada Kristy Sargent & Kris Wirtz. You can see her hesitate on the way to the ice and he actually stops mid program. Eventually they find a way to finish. It was a shame because that it no was supposed to be their final skate as amateurs.

Link to Sargeant & Wirtz https://youtu.be/-WqBYpVDMRk

Also notice Marina Zueva is with them as choreographer. I think she was living in Canada at the time.

Also the referee was Aleksander Lakernik of Russia

 

[labgoat]

I'm not going to find the video of this accident, but it's so infuriating that skaters are allowed to skate off the ice on their own after concussion. Where's the medical staff? He passed out again near the boards after getting off the ice (i think), and could have incurred more had the second fall happened while he's still on ice.

Nicky Slater has remarks on the handling of this incident. This link includes footage of the fall so be warned . Dmitri did eventually continue his career with a different partner.
https://youtu.be/AxGsddq3yfg