Most Surprising Moments last season?

[Taan]

OMG Stefan Lindemann what an awesome surprise at Worlds! Where did he come from? Before Worlds most people probably thought he would finish 23rd place not 3rd with 3 awesome skates! I can't wait untill next year for him to skate, i love his daring skating style. This year bronze but next year I think he will dethrone plush for gold

 

[sarahmistral]

the streaker at Worlds

coach musical chairs (Sasha, Shizuka, Michelle--the podium at Worlds, no less and all within weeks--or days?--of each other )

Shizuka putting it all together (not really that surprising, but it's just one of those things you think you'll be wishing for in vain forever, though it's not so farfetched when you look at all her grace, talent, and ability--I guess it's our lack of patience in expecting good skaters to jump to the top right away or be immediately classified as also-ran, rather than sit and watch the more logical maturation period)

Taan predicting that the wrong SL will dethrone Plushy next year C'mon, Taan, we all know it's my baby Stephane Lambiel who will be up to that job (unless you're Ximena, PrincessLeppard, or Soogar ) If you ask me, that bronze medal could well have been his...

Okay, take your pick on the next, Evgeni-related surprise:
2 upsets in a row for Evgeni Plushenko...

or

remarkable success and the biggest title of the year staying on that injured knee, let alone doing all the impossibly hard things he does on it!


The overall quality of skating and depth of competition at Worlds

The high-profile application of the time violation rule

The unexpected "inclement weather" at Worlds (raining, pouring, hailing 6.0s)

2 flawless programs, short and long, back to back, from Sasha (we're rootin' for you, girl, we know you can make it three next year!)

Eman putting it together to win GPF (debatably and perhaps on a technicality, but after seeing his meltdown at Worlds, I can totally see this one, just the close to clean performance alone, coming as a huge surprise to those who'd been watching him longer than I--love his skating, but watching his SP at Worlds, and imagining how many more like it he's had, frustrates me to death)

Miki Ando's nearly undefeated season and 4th place finish at Worlds--taking no prisoners on those golden blades, I'm scareda you!

Yukina Ota's first senior competition--a win! (batting 1.000, she is--though perhaps, given her exquisite artistry, this shouldn't be surprising)

The depth of the Japanese ladies field at Nats (eventual world champ finishing no higher than 3rd, and their success at so many major events (Miki-JrGPF, every other Jr. Event, Yukina-4CC, Shizuka-Worlds, Fumie-GPF)

Cynthia Phaneuf NOT going to Worlds

Michelle maintaining a super-long medal streak despite having the Worlds from hell, by her standards, anyway (anyone but one of the winningest lady skaters ever would have been overjoyed to walk away with a bronze after issue after issue, but she handled it well and used all that experience getting to the top to skate great and stay on the podium for the ninth year straight--you go Shel!)--okay, maybe it's not surprising, given her track record, but perhaps it's the Worlds from hell itself that is a surprise, since she usually does comps drama-free

Julia Sebestyen and Viktoria Pavuk at Euros Goooo Hungary!

Rosaleen's exceptional reporting abilities! Gooooo GS posters who report back to the "fam"

Okay, enough already; hope some of these are genuinely surprising, or were at the particular moment.

Cheers!
Sarah

 

[Longhornliz]

All the 6.0's they gave out like candy at worlds.... not that there werent some spectacular performances, but they definately were issueing them as if they were going out of style (which I suppose they are)

 

[BravesSkateFan]

The only thng that really surpised me was Sandhu beating Plushenko at GPF. That one I would never in a milllion years have predicted.

 

[PrincessLeppard]

Taan predicting that the wrong SL will dethrone Plushy next year C'mon, Taan, we all know it's my baby Stephane Lambiel who will be up to that job (unless you're Ximena, PrincessLeppard, or Soogar ) If you ask me, that bronze medal could well have been his...

Well, it'll be Stephane upsetting Evgeni before Stefan, if anyone does. I love them both, but neither has the difficulty in their programs yet that Evgeni does. (and Stephane is closer with those amazing spins, plus, he's had Mishin teach him how to jump)

For me, the most surprising moment was sitting in the audience at GPF and watching the scores come up for Evgeni and realizing that he was in second place. People jumped all over him for doing three combinations, and yeah, he should've been aware of the rule, but for how long had he been competing under a system that allowed three? Stupid flaw in the CoP, hope it's fixed for the coming season.

Second most surprising moment was Victoria Pavuk. I LOVE this girl. I hope she gets the polish she needs and comes out and kicks some butt next year.

I knew Shizuka could be a World Champ, so I wasn't surprised by that.

Laura

 

[DivakawaFan]

My Shiz winning at Dormund. The kind of thing that you so desperately want to happen, that you think it never will! Surprised at how much she'd improved and that she held her nerve. Never doubted her talent but doubted her nerve....

Stefan Lindemann
Johnny Weir - two great performances at Worlds, I really love this guy!!
Julia Sebestyen - all season, esp. at Euros
Elena Liashenko - always loved her, thought a season like this was past her!
Fumie winning at GPF - again I doubted her nerve

Great season!!!

 

[Kasey]

The most surprising moments for me both came from the U.S. Nationals....

Tim Goebel's short program collapse and subsequent withdrawl

Johnny Weir's performances and win, after the disaster of last year



Kasey

 

[Isa-krisa]

- TAT/Cohen split
- Plushenko loosing GPF
- Timmy's health
- B/A's 1st place at SA
- Irina choosing to skate in Worlds in her condition
- T/M win, S/Z's World's SP meltdown
- Arakawa beating SC and MK
- Buttle's win at 4CC
- Weir winning Nationals
- L/T presence and outcome at US Nationals
- Liashenko's GP and European events performances
- J. Sebastyan's European win
- TAT coaching Arakawa
- MK going to RA
- W/L coming in 3rd at the Worlds
- Yags/Joubert "media hoopla" on "seeking out Plushenko's weaknesses".
- A/P getting back together for 2004/2005 season.

 

[RIskatingfan]

The bigger shocks to me were

Sandhu's GPF win
Plushenko's meltdown at Euros
Kwan's bronze medal at Worlds
Arakawa's World title

Except for Plushenko's meltdown, the other three choices were that sort of thing you knew that COULD happen but you weren't sure if they were going to happen. Plushenko at Euros, I never expected him to skate so bad, thought his bad skates in Minneapolis and Nice had been way back in the past.

 

[Becca84]

Brian's rough start in the GP series, but winning the gold at Euros & silver at worlds (which I loved)!

Timothy's boot problems & awful season.

Dancers L&T splitting (& in pros B&K splitting).

Michelle's bizaar experiences at worlds.

People acting like Sasha failed at Worlds although she took silver as her first World medal (or maybe that was just ABC w/ the Sasha "messed it up" talk )

But most shocking was that streaker being able to get on the ice & it taking so long to get him off

 

[Ximena]

Taan predicting that the wrong SL will dethrone Plushy next year C'mon, Taan, we all know it's my baby Stephane Lambiel who will be up to that job (unless you're Ximena, PrincessLeppard, or Soogar ) If you ask me, that bronze medal could well have been his...

Oh Sarah, believe me everytime Stephane competes and Plush doesn't I'm rooting for that guy, both have got very bad season when it comes to stay healthy and I wish both can be at their 100% next season; I have also think more than once that if anyone can beat Plush by improving a little bit more is Stephane. Mishin said that Stephane deserved the silver this Worlds (of course then he said that he is a little bit biased since he trains Stephane every now and then ) but next season, Worlds in Russia... I will still think Plush will come up with gold again.
Laura, the COP has already being changed and the three combos are allowed again, as long as just one of those combos contains 3 jumps, the other two can only contained two

My most surprising moments
- Sandhu winning GPF (not because I didn't trust Sandhu to do a good program, but mostly because I didn't understood why Plush lost until it was explained)
- Irina coming back so soon for Worlds
- Russian ladies doing that bad this season (Elena and Vika)
- Japanese ladies winning all big events
- Michelle Worlds experience (I never expected her to win, but I never though that she will have such weird worlds)
- Jhonny winning nationals, considering he had to do sectionals and all that
- Jeff winning 4CC (I love that guy but c'mon!!!)
- Plush at Euros (cosnidering his last meltdown was 4 years ago, I couldn't believe my eyes!)
- Lindemman getting the bronze medal
- Tim SP at Nationals
- Kevin Van der Perren getting medals without a quad or triple axel (I do like KVP but I though this was too much)
- COP (that really shocked me)

Then a lot of the upcoming ladies doing wonderful performances, Ota, Pavuk, Phaneuf etc.

Next season is going to be really good.

 

[icenut84]

This season has been so good!

Some shocking moments, for me:

* Plushenko at Europeans. I was watching it with my mum, having informed her as he came onto the ice that he was my favourite and I wanted him to win. I couldn't believe what was happening as he skated - I knew he was injured, but he's Plushenko! It was obvious he was really trying though, even though he was making mistakes he never gave up. It was right that Joubert won, but I was still shellshocked.

* Viktoria Pavuk at Europeans. She was amazing!!! Where did this girl come from?! I think the only time I'd even ever heard of her was seeing her name listed as one of the medallists in a junior event, or something, and then she comes out and places 3rd in the SP! Then followed it up with an equally amazing LP in front of her home audience. I hope she continues to improve and skates great next year too. (Hungary has 2 spots for next year, doesn't it?)

* The Kerrs. I'd heard about them for a while, but had never seen them before Europeans this year. First they beat Humphreys & Baranov (although have been injured, they've represented GB for the last few years and placed 15th in the Olympics) and O'Connor & O'Dogherty (sent to Euros & Worlds last year) in Nationals, then with the issue of losing their funding hanging over their heads, went to their first ever Europeans and placed in the top 10, ensuring 2 teams for next year! I totally loved their Matrix free dance - sometimes when somehting gets a lot of hype, you don't expect it to live up to it, but the Matrix dance did. And when you're relatively unknown and in your first Europeans and you can bring the international audience to a standing ovation, you know they're doing something special.

* The guy on the ice before Michelle's skate at Worlds. WTF??

* Stephane Lambiel at Worlds I was rooting for him, but didn't really expect to see him skate so well in his LP. Definitely one to keep. It was wonderful, especially seeing him land two quads and a 3axel when he'd been having trouble with them all week, and the look on his face.

* Like someone else said, the musical coaches by the top 3 ladies!

* Stefan Lindemann!

 

[aliaschick]

Here's a few
*Sandhu winning GPF! I was sure he'd have a meltdown
*Plushenko's meltdown at Euros
*Jenn Robinson finishing 3rd at Canadians
*Tim Goebel's boot probelms and nationals short program
*Kerr & Kerr - where did they come from? Randomly this super good team appears from nowhere!!
*Bourne & Kraatz splitting as pros
*Jeff Buttle not making world team
*Winkler & Lohse and Lindemann's bronze medals at worlds
*Me actually liking CoP

and more but I can't think of them

 

[thisthingcalledlove]

- TAT/Cohen split

- A/P getting back together for 2004/2005 season.

By this do you mean Anissina and Peizerat? Are they pros or are they eligible?

 

[Lucy25]

Two biggest surprises for me were Sasha and TT's split, and Michelle being over the time limit for the World's SP. I never could have guessed that this would happen.

 

[Ogre Mage]

I thought all season long Shizuka had the talent and ability to be a dark horse at Worlds so her win didn't take me by complete surprise. However I was quite surprised by her "cheeks" in the LP as well as the streaker. One could have mistaken 2004 Worlds for a burlesque show.

 

[lavender]

Michelle still surprises me when she wins Nationals in the fashion that she wins it. Actually I thought Sasha was going to take it all with all the hype, better program and her slight improvement. I was actually shocked when she didn't win Nationals because I know Michelle can't win them all.

Not shock at the Arakawa's win. I had a feeling that one of the Japanese girls were going to win but I thought it would be Fumie. I had a feeling months before Worlds that Michelle wouldn't win but I was shocked the way she was treated at worlds. I don't know why but I didn't think Sasha would win but I had a feeling she would do well.

Shocked that Sasha left TT and brought Robin's face back. I wasn't as shocked about Michelle's coach change. I was just surprised who she picked. It made me think she was really staying but that has since changed. I still don't know what she's going to do.

Timmy's short at Nationals..wow.

Emanuel beating Plushenko. Love Eman but I still don't think he should have won.

Sasha having such a meltdown at that cheesefest. She makes mistakes most of the time but not like that. She had that win within her grasp also.

 

[Dee4707]

My most surprising moments of last season were Johnny Weir winning Nationals and coming in the top 5 at Worlds. I have had my eye on him for quite a while and knew he had it in him. Good for Johnny. My next big surprise was Evgeni losing Europeans and the Grand Prix.

Dee

 

[icenut84]

Some more things that were big surprises for me:

Totmianina & Marinin coming only 4th in the LP at one of the GP events (had a meltdown - my eyes almost popped out when I looked at the results).

Reading the reports about Tim G at US Nationals, & Jennifer Robinson coming third in Canadians.

Bourne & Kraatz splitting!

Seeing some of the results at Worlds - Fumie so low in the QR, Michelle only 3rd in hers, Sandhu beating Joubert in the QR (and then being about 11th after the SP).

 

[clairecloutier]

--Shizuka Arakawa winning Worlds (single biggest surprise for me)
--Stefan Lindemann winning bronze at Worlds
--Stephane Lambiel getting fourth place at Worlds
--Michelle's disappointing performances in Dortmund
--Sasha *not* winning Nationals (was rooting for Michelle, but really thought this would be Sasha's year)
--Shen/Zhao's fourth-place finish in the SP at Worlds
--Belbin/Agosto's unexpected success on the international level
--The emergence of several men with real artistic talent (Lambiel, Buttle, van Perren)
--Tim's collapse at Nationals
--Johnny Weir's win at Nationals and fifth place at Worlds
--Elena Sokolova's bizarre up-and-down season
--The sudden emergence of the Japanese women as a major force
--Shizuka Arakawa and Miki Ando suddenly being able to land consistent triple lutz/triple toe and triple lutz/triple loop combinations (is there something in the water in Japan?)
--Sasha's split with TT
--Shizuka's hiring of TT
--COP and how it makes the results so much less predictable (as well as making for better skating overall)