One and done?

[mrrice]

Here is Elaine's World Championship Win in 1982. As you can hear from the commentator, she did not have a great season and after a fall in the SP, she was all the way down in 7th going into the long program. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bHLZfJiAvb0

By the way, the other US Lady at Worlds that year was Priscilla Hill and she finished a very respectable 7th.

 

[Ice Dance]

It's almost Olympic time, it's a horrible time to be written of as "You're done, thanks for playing."

I think it's better to look at all the athletes who are a success right now that have been written off by fans in the past. Look at the journey that athletes like Carolina, Kaetlyn, Ashley, the Shibs, Javier, Mirai, Reynolds, Savchenko, Anna, Adam, & Hao Zhang have been on. Pull up a tape of Carolina Kostner in 2010 versus 2014. Watch Deanna Stellato or Caroline Zhang from this year's Nationals. No two athletes make the same journey.

This is the pre-Olympic season. Always at this time, the next generation rises and proves they're legit. The technical advances in the men's field right now are . We have to adjust our understanding of the sport. That's for sure. But a good many of these athletes will defy our expectations.

 

[narcissa]

And then I've seen some who seemingly came from nowhere and "just got lucky" ... and then went on to substantial careers.

Yeah, I think many people were afraid Yuzuru would be one of those, winning with two falls and rather junior-ish presentation, but he was the only Olympic champion from Sochi who didn't skip the following season...and really improved to an almost unrecognizable degree

He's the only skater I can think of who has accomplished quite enough to be considered a non-controversial Olympic champion , but achieved almost all of it after winning.

 

[Alchamei]

Yeah, I think many people were afraid Yuzuru would be one of those, winning with two falls and rather junior-ish presentation, but he was the only Olympic champion from Sochi who didn't skip the following season...and really improved to an almost unrecognizable degree

He's the only skater I can think of who has accomplished quite enough to be considered a non-controversial Olympic champion , but achieved almost all of it after winning.

Katarina Witt.

 

[jimini]

Skaters I would consider more along that line are people like Tara or Sarah H. (I know this is controversial but hear me out). They each had one brilliant performance, and then that was it.

Tara had multiple great performances though. Apart from Olympic Gold, she won Nationals & Worlds in 1997, won back-to-back Grand Prix Finals across two seasons, and 4 GP medals across two seasons.

She gets flack since she turned pro so young and didn't continue competing, but she was definitely a favorite going into the Olympics given her performance in the prior season.

 

[xeyra]

Katarina Witt.

I went to check this example and I'm impressed! European 1st before and during the Olympic year but 4th at Worlds the previous year. Then suddenly OGM and a 4-time World champion starting that year. Plus defended her OGM four years later. Quite a post-Olympics career Katarina Witt had.

 

[Miller]

Ice is slippery but it can work the other way round, skaters suddenly getting their skates under them and it all coming good. With the way Ladies figure skating is going it's no means impossible for the likes of Liza T to come back. All the ladies are doing 7 triple, 2 double axel programs, and there's the Triple Axel/Quad Barrier also, so if you're a good jumper, and have decent enough PCS - see Gabby Daleman - you always have a chance. However you do have to get your head together - other skaters come to mind. But if so you do have a chance. In fact looking at the Ladies as a whole can think of at least a dozen skaters who have a chance of scoring the 210/215 that Gabby scored and so could have a chance of an Olympic podium.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I think it's better to look at all the athletes who are a success right now that have been written off by fans in the past. Look at the journey that athletes like Carolina, Kaetlyn, Ashley, the Shibs, Javier, Mirai, Reynolds, Savchenko, Anna, Adam, & Hao Zhang have been on. Pull up a tape of Carolina Kostner in 2010 versus 2014. Watch Deanna Stellato or Caroline Zhang from this year's Nationals. No two athletes make the same journey.

This is the pre-Olympic season. Always at this time, the next generation rises and proves they're legit. The technical advances in the men's field right now are . We have to adjust our understanding of the sport. That's for sure. But a good many of these athletes will defy our expectations.

Excellent post! :agree:

 

[Moxiejan]

Ice is slippery but it can work the other way round, skaters suddenly getting their skates under them and it all coming good. ...All the ladies are doing 7 triple, 2 double axel programs, and there's the Triple Axel/Quad Barrier also, so if you're a good jumper, and have decent enough PCS - see Gabby Daleman - you always have a chance.

I keep waiting for that to happen for Courtney Hicks. Maybe not Olympic podium, but certainly for a spot on the U.S. team.

 

[SnowWhite]

Yeah, I think many people were afraid Yuzuru would be one of those, winning with two falls and rather junior-ish presentation, but he was the only Olympic champion from Sochi who didn't skip the following season...and really improved to an almost unrecognizable degree

He's the only skater I can think of who has accomplished quite enough to be considered a non-controversial Olympic champion , but achieved almost all of it after winning.

He certainly has achieved a lot more since the Olympic gold, but I don't think it's so different than say Tessa and Scott, who won their gold at a young age. Hanyu had been 3rd and 4th at Worlds the two seasons before. He had a junior worlds title, two 4CC silvers and silver and gold at GPF. V/M had been 2nd and 3rd at Worlds the two seasons before. They had a junior worlds title, two bronze, a silver and a gold from 4CC and GPF silver. One more worlds medal and a couple more from 4CC, but then he had the GPF gold. Still, they won all their World titles after the OGM and set a bunch of firsts for ice dance (first to win in their Olympic debut, youngest ever OGM, etc). I suppose the difference is they didn't have someone like Patrick who was the obvious favourite going in (though I remember plenty of people were talking about Hanyu having a chance, especially after GPF). Either way, Hanyu's had an impressive career since Sochi.

 

[narcissa]

He certainly has achieved a lot more since the Olympic gold, but I don't think it's so different than say Tessa and Scott, who won their gold at a young age. Hanyu had been 3rd and 4th at Worlds the two seasons before. He had a junior worlds title, two 4CC silvers and silver and gold at GPF. V/M had been 2nd and 3rd at Worlds the two seasons before. They had a junior worlds title, two bronze, a silver and a gold from 4CC and GPF silver. One more worlds medal and a couple more from 4CC, but then he had the GPF gold. Still, they won all their World titles after the OGM and set a bunch of firsts for ice dance (first to win in their Olympic debut, youngest ever OGM, etc). I suppose the difference is they didn't have someone like Patrick who was the obvious favourite going in (though I remember plenty of people were talking about Hanyu having a chance, especially after GPF). Either way, Hanyu's had an impressive career since Sochi.

Ah, that's good to know - I didn't mean that he was the only skater who's done this, just the only one I could think of I don't follow Ice Dance, so I didn't know about Tessa and Scott's history, but that's very impressive

 

[nguyhm]

I'd like to add Oksana Baiul as the one and done.

 

[mrrice]

I'd like to add Oksana Baiul as the one and done.

Well, didn't Oksana win her Nationals twice, she also has 2 European Silver Medals, She won Worlds in 1993, and the OGM in 1994. That is hardly 1 and done.

 

[TryMeLater]

I get it....By the way, IMO, the queen of one and done. Holly Cook of the US. How many of you even know who she is???

That was some weird Worlds. To think that Natalia Lebedeva was first after the SP...

 

[LiamForeman]

That's her..........

Uggh. "Third? I'm third? Third! I'm third!" then she hugs her coach like she just found out she didn't have cancer.... Holly, how do you feel about this surprise bronze? "Oh, I don't know. I mean, I don't know. It's like I don't know!!!" Quite the articulate one there.

Would have to look at the whole events at USN that year. Kerrigan CLEARLY outskated her in the LP while Holly was her usual mess. Never saw her SP and it's safe to say Holly kicked butt in the figures which Nancy was not so great at. I really felt sorry for Holly that she actually came back the next year. Take that World bronze and run, grrl!!! Don't look back because once figures were out, no one was looking at you anyway.

 

[LiamForeman]

That was some weird Worlds. To think that Natalia Lebedeva was first after the SP...

I was a fan of Lebedeva, actually. She took a major fall at a Skate Am or Can in 1987 where it looked like she just wrecked her ACL and her career was over. Then she came back to be first going into the FS at 90 Worlds. I just wish she had more personality.... IIRC she skated to Rhapsody in Blue wearing a black dress??? Huh?

But you're right, 90 Worlds was weird. Ito totally bombed the figures, and Trenary totally bombed the SP. I almost thought Kristi would do something great but then she had mediocre figures and two falls in her LP. I was so glad when figures were eliminated. Kristi the next year took her rightful place at the top. She has been such an enormous ambassador to the sport.

 

[mrrice]

Uggh. "Third? I'm third? Third! I'm third!" then she hugs her coach like she just found out she didn't have cancer.... Holly, how do you feel about this surprise bronze? "Oh, I don't know. I mean, I don't know. It's like I don't know!!!" Quite the articulate one there.

Would have to look at the whole events at USN that year. Kerrigan CLEARLY outskated her in the LP while Holly was her usual mess. Never saw her SP and it's safe to say Holly kicked butt in the figures which Nancy was not so great at. I really felt sorry for Holly that she actually came back the next year. Take that World bronze and run, grrl!!! Don't look back because once figures were out, no one was looking at you anyway.

I totally remember that and I'm sure those words were genuine as she basically came out of nowhere and then disappeared never to make another podium.