Difference between "well earned" and "well deserved" | Golden Skate

Difference between "well earned" and "well deserved"

SmileHappy34

Medalist
Joined
Dec 20, 2022
My pickings especially when I read forums that use well earned and well deserved.
For example the person felt a skater well deserved the title or medal.
How I read it is that the skater didn't skate well for title but got it because of other reasons

Well earned means the person did the job and skated well or did job correctly. Regardless of fairness or worthiness the work showed. Like when ilia skates clean and does his quads

Well deserved means not by job or how well skater skated by other reason, character, posture, worthiness or fairness.

To me when I read well deserved win.it does not mean the person won through their effort or skating well but perception or any matter or what consider fair.

Well earned means to me that skated wrll to be worthy of title. When people go back and look
They can say yes they did earn the medal. Not oh I am glad they deserved it because if x jumps despite flaws and falls.
 
I would use well deserved and well earned to mean essentially the same thing.

You seem to be saying that a "well-deserved" victory could have been because of factors other than a good skate. Do you mean factors related to their skating history and/or other factors (such as overcoming sickness or injury)? Or do you mean a situation where the winner didn't skate particularly well, but did more than their opponents? Or do you mean both? Or something else entirely?
 
Yes to all your questions. we'll deserved does mean other factors such as skating history, or they think it time, character , worthiness, or fairness., overcoming injury , comeback. It used for worthiness or sense of fairness and character.
Well earned is the skater did jumps, spins, footwork, lifts, twirled to the best of their ability

In your example the person won due to two quad or triple triple despite falls, pop jumps while others who did one quad and landed did triple lost. Or ad stated skating history or it time.


We do take that when the person skates.
We often say a well deserved skate, win or medal but rarely say a well earned.


Well deserved and well earned are interchangeable. The minute difference in tone and application and fairness of what we are trying to convey.

We discuss n the minute difference of well earned and well deserved without realizing it.
He / she deserved the win over due to better skating skills, better twizzles, overlooked ur and what not.
Discuss the difference of personal well deserved and well earned.

Some skates u know are well earned like ilia grand prix final, rudyv1996 win, Michelle kwans virtue and moir, yuzuru and whole list
Some think Tara , sara, she usa alina, Anna are well deserved.

There are differences in meaning between the two words.
That difference is what the person trying to convey when using those words
The person earned it so the person deserves the medal
 
Good question. :rock:

I agree with NanaPat that in common usage, the terms are almost always interchangeable. But yes, I do think that there is a tiny subtle distinction between well-earned by virtue of putting in the hard work, and well-deserved in the sense of, "Oh, I'm so glad she won -- it couldn't happen to a nicer person."

One time an interviewer asked Michelle Kwan if she thought that the world championship was well-deserved because of all the hard work she put in. Michelle's answer: "Everybody works hard."
 
To be honest, I use them interchangeably. When I say it is well deserved that Daria Danilova and Michel Tsiba are going to Milan, it's because they earned that spot at World's at Boston, not for any other reason. Not because I like them so much (I do, regardless, but that's not the point).
 
Yes. They are used interchangeable . I am also saying we'll deserved tend to be overused more than well earned.

Yes Michelle Kwan did reply everybody works hard in practice.
It doesnt necessarily show up or do in competition where more noticeable and counts that opinion of who deserved or earn the medal more comes up for. discusion.
 
Theyvthink they mean same thing when dont. Hence interchangeable but people can interpret the word differently by how it means to individuals.
 
I dont a d no one should either.
I brought it up because as I read post i am wondering how the person meant it.
The difference are used to defend the personal opinions ideas about placements regarding the person's favorite skaters or perceived wrong doing in competition .

Nothing wrong with it.
Just to accept or accommodate other person that disagrees .
 
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