Ok. I didn't know that Slutskaya was the first. For Medvedeva i was suspecting the arm variation + 444 transitions. But since it's a trend in Eteri's camp since 2014-2015 season...
She's indeed the first on senior level, the others were too young.
Could one of the Russian ladies become the best ladies skater EVER next season?
- Thread starter macy
- Start date
She's indeed the first on senior level, the others were too young.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
The question of the thread is if any of the Russian ladies can do enough in the 2021-22 seqason to be considered the best skater ever..
If Medvedeva makes the team and wins the Olympic gold medal and a 2022 world medal then then her accomplishments will be on the same plane as Yuna Kim's. Zagitova, as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, would certainly be in the mix if she won the 2022 Olympics.
All the rest, as astonishing as their talent is, I think we will have to wait and see whether any of them rises to the top echelon of GOAT-hood.
If Medvedeva makes the team and wins the Olympic gold medal and a 2022 world medal then then her accomplishments will be on the same plane as Yuna Kim's. Zagitova, as a two-time Olympic gold medalist, would certainly be in the mix if she won the 2022 Olympics.
All the rest, as astonishing as their talent is, I think we will have to wait and see whether any of them rises to the top echelon of GOAT-hood.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
-
Excellent points. For me, none of them reach the level of Michelle Kwan, for accomplishments paired with artistry. Which, in this clearly subjective sport and art, counts. For pure interpretation, Medvedeva's my girl.
For that matter, of Medvedeva, Kim, and Zagitova, my favorite is Medvedeva. And I love what she said in her recent interview. Something to the effect that after 2018 Olympics, she wanted to prove something to everybody, but she no longer feels that way. And she said, now she skates for the fans. For me, that spells greatness as much as any of her accomplishments. She's skating to give something, not to prove something or earn something.
Sorry that I can't at the moment find the article. I'll try to find it later.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I think it will also have to do with what kind of technical level we see from the OGMist. Witt achieved far more than Yuna, but a lot of people dismiss Katarina's accomplishments because she was able to win her titles doing two or three types of triples. If the 2022 champions wins with quads, beating other skaters who land quads, does that much higher technical level make a difference if the skater is a 2x world champion and OGMist at the end of 2022?
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I don't know how I would evaluate that factor. It shows that the sport is evolving. It was a different sport in Yuna Kim's time thatn in Katarina Witt's. Whether this means that Kim was the better skater or more deserving of accolades and praise than Witt, that is not obvious to me.
Off topic, but I just read that major league baseball will move to a softer ball next season. Why? Because batters hit too many home runs the past season.
- Joined
- Oct 14, 2017
- Country
-
It’s also because players that got hit by baseballs were getting bad injuries. I like the change of topic!
I think that there can be a GOAT of each skating era, so to fully answer the question, I think that the most successful Russian lady at the end of next season could become the GOAT of the post-Medvedeva/Zagitova era.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
-
This is exactly why the "who's the GOAT" question means nothing to me. You can't compare skaters from different eras, when the requirements of the sport have changed. Not to mention that we all have differing likes and dislikes. The only GOAT I really subscribe to are Gordeeva and Grinkov; and even that's not because of their perfect technique for their time; it's because of their timeless qualities of beautiful synchronicity and something more elusive ... the unspoken communication between the two, their music and their audiences that just elevates them. Even so, in recent years Savchenko and Massot, and Sui and Han have made me re-think.
Maybe I'm a little Off-Topic, but not nearly as far off as Mathman's baseballs!
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
This is exactly why the "who's the GOAT" question means nothing to me. You can't compare skaters from different eras, when the requirements of the sport have changed. Not to mention that we all have differing likes and dislikes. The only GOAT I really subscribe to are Gordeeva and Grinkov; and even that's not because of their perfect technique for their time; it's because of their timeless qualities of beautiful synchronicity and something more elusive ... the unspoken communication between the two, their music and their audiences that just elevates them. Even so, in recent years Savchenko and Massot, and Sui and Han have made me re-think.
Maybe I'm a little Off-Topic, but not nearly as far off as Mathman's baseballs!
But did G&G have these qualities more so than Belousova and Protopopov?
The Protopopovs continued to skate in shows, exhibitions, and charity events up until she was 79 and he was over 80.I remember one time I was aimlessly channel-surfing on TV and I happened to hit on a televised Stars on Ice show. There were Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi and the gang leaning on the boards with their mouths hanging open and looks of rapture on their faces. What kind of religious experience were they having, I wondered.
They were watching a special guest eprformance by Belousova and Protopopov, then I suppose in their 60s.[/B]
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
-
I haven't watched their videos very many times, so I just looked one up, and they're mesmerizing and have that magical quality. I only see that as more proof that it makes more sense to appreciate each skater or team's qualities in the context of their time, and I still don't like the GOAT designation. I only meant that for me, only G&G come the closest, but even then I qualified it by saying S/M and S/H make me re-think my opinion. I can get lost in B&P's skating. It's a different feeling from what I get when I watch Savchenko/Massot or Sui/Han ... chills. Honestly, though, I don't often think of any skater as "the best" even when compared to their contemporaries. Just someone skated the best on that particular day. I'd rather appreciate the great qualities of my favorites and not bother my head with trying to pick a forever best.But did G&G have these qualities more so than Belousova and Protopopov?
I remember one time I was aimlessly channel-surfing on TV and I happened to hit on a televised Stars on Ice show. There were Scott Hamilton, Kristi Yamaguchi and the gang leaning on the boards with their mouths hanging open and looks of rapture on their faces. What kind of religious experience were they having, I wondered.
They were watching a special guest eprformance by Belousova and Protopopov, then I suppose in their 60s.[/B]
Just to give you an idea of my cantankerous-ness ... as much as I love G&G, I love Mishkutenov & Dmitriev's 1994 Olympic FS more than G&G's, and I re-watch M/D's more often. I love their passion and drama!
- Joined
- Sep 13, 2020
I totally agree with that. If I start listing the skaters I loved during my long history of interest in FS, I would get tired and still maybe forget somebody who gave me that feeling of magic. But there are not so many of those who give me the supporter's adrenaline, and it is not the same: the one you feel for is not necessarily the greatest. Usually one of the best, but one shouldn't forget there are and were a lot of equally or more deserving athletes in the sport and in the history of the sport. The choice of one's heart is not an objective assessment.
