***Tanja Szewczenko (1997-1998)
I find this story to be the most stunning. I remember seeing her at the 1993 worlds and 1994 olympics and I just thought that this young lady was going to be a star. At only 16 she was a 6th place finisher at the olympics, and was a crowd favorite in Chiba, Japan when she won the world bronze medal. However 1995-1997 she just seemed to fall off, in 1996 she made a bit of splash to come back and finish 6th at worlds, but she fell deathly ill in which doctors were not able to figure out what was wrong for such a long time. But 1997-1998 season rolled around and she was just on a torment winning all of her grand prix events defeating people she had never beaten before, top ranked skaters in the world ie. Irina Slutskaya, Maria Butyrskaya, and previous world champions like Lu Chen. She had created such a stir going into the grand prix final finishing 2nd to World Champion Tara Lipinski landing 7 triples with the best performance of her life. Some were even commenting that she would be the one to challenge the Americans at the upcoming olympics. She then ended up winning the bronze medal at the Europeans and was definately a favorite to win a medal....in Nagano, but fell ill.
***Todd Eldredge (1994-1995)
After being off the podium for so long and basically away from competition, he was able to come back and win the first of many consecutive national titles, and capture a spot on the podium once again.
***Lu Chen (1997-1998)
It is an understatement to say how this woman was able to come back and win a 2nd olympic bronze medal. Winning the world silver medal in 1996 that was worthy of a gold medal, and then coming back just one year later and not even finishing in the top 25 is devestating. But, she fought back entering the Grand Prix the following season, not in the form that made her a champion earlier in her career with a 4th and 3rd place respectively in the grand prix. She was a bit of a long shot to win another medal, delivered a highly emotional/stunning SP/LP @ the olympics in Nagano to edge out 2 Russians for the bronze medal.
***Irina Slutskaya (1999-2000)
What a story a woman who had in prior to this point won 2 world medal (bronze, silver) and was always one to struggle with her style and technique came blasting back onto the scene after not even medaling at her own national championships to win the national title, grand prix finale and win a 3rd medal @ the 2000 world championships. (I would also like to mention this years efforts)
***Nancy Kerrigan (1993-1994)
In 1993 this young woman was the favorite to take the world championships and continue the dominance of US ladies figure skating, but a disappointing 5th place finish at worlds was devastating for her. But, she came back the next year with a whole new attitude, winning events during the beginning of the season, and was again the favorite to win her 2nd national title. But of course everyone knows the ordeal of the Kerrigan/Harding saga in which she went on to win the olympic silver medal in which I thought should have been gold.
***Michelle Kwan (1997-1998)
Losing her world/national title to Tara Lipinski in 1997, is to an understatement for Michelle. Who came back with a fury with arguably her best 2 programs to date claimed both her titles back and won an olympic silver medal in "winning" fashion.