Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

[Blades of Passion]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Savoie would have scored really, really well under COP.

Had he built up momentum, yeah. It's such a shame he never got the chance to compete at many of the big international competitions and gain experience. He should have been able to compete at 1999 Worlds and he should have gone into 2001 Worlds as the U.S. Champ (where he could have won the Bronze...he was actually already starting to build up some international recognition that season because he did the best out of all the American men on the Grand Prix and won a Bronze at the GPF) and he should have been at 2002 Olympics. Then in he next quadrennial he didn't get to attend 2005 Worlds, where he also could have won a medal and then gone into Turin with tons of confidence and momentum.

EDIT - Oops, I meant Turin. Not Vancouver.

 

[iluvtodd]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Matt should have gone to the Olympics in 2002 (with all due respect to Mike, whom I like, especially as a pro). I am glad that he did get to go to Worlds that year (when Todd opted not to go & join SOI ). I was thrilled that Matt did make the Olympic/World team for 2006. Justice was finally done and I feel that Matt represented the USA and himself proudly!

 

[shine]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

2002: Savoie was the only person to skate a clean SP. He should have been at least 2nd in that part of the competition (the marks were quite interesting, with Savoie + Eldredge + Goebel all getting three 1st-place ordinals). Savoie's Long Program was pretty bad, but so was Michael Weiss's. Even if you give Weiss the edge in the LP and place him 3rd there to Savoie's 4th, Weiss had an AWFUL performance in the Short Program (falls on the first part of his jump combination, therefore not even doing a combination at all, and then steps out of the Triple Axel). There is no way he should have placed ahead overall. Savoie was robbed of a Bronze Medal and a spot on the Olympic team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr39_MaZ6v4

That's my favoruite SP from Matt Such intensity, elegance and musicality. And what a gorgeous triple axel.

He should also haved been at least 3rd (if not better) anyway in the free skate in 2005 and gone to worlds. His LP that year was another brilliant program that showcased his beautiful musicality and movement quality.

AND can you believe that this performance at 2002 Worlds only placed him eleventh, eleventh, ELEVENTH!!!! in the long program and overall?? He is truly THE most underappreciated skater of all time. No joke.

For someone who was going to college and grad school full-time while competing, it's amazing that he had such an impressive body of work with so many memorable programs. I so miss his skating.

Looking at the way the US judges seem to be enamored with Abbott's skating in the past couple of years, I wonder why that kind of love affair didn't start earlier with Matt, a skater with similar strengths. I am glad that skating is not the only focus for Matt and that he is so committed to pursuing a professional career outside of the sport. If I had as much to offer as he did to skating, I surely would have felt pretty unsatisfied with the lack of appreciation from the skating authority over the years.

 

[lilshorty]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

I really thought Surya Bonaly from France was not appreciated. Did anyone see the 1993 Worlds?

I did. What a shame that two foot jumper, lack of difficult combinations, spins and jumps, and dated choreography skater named Baiul took the title over Surya. This was the one major title she deserved imo, but the judges were not gonna give it to her.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

I personally would go with Lu Chen in 1993 because she displayed great jumping and artistry along with a level of basic skating that Surya lacked, but Surya was better than Baiul and wouldn't have been a bad winner after giving the skate of her life.

 

[Mathman]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

^ As much as I have come to appreciate Yuks Sato later, I thought Surya should have won 1994 Worlds, too.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Wow, really? I think you might want to look at Surya's performance again. She is slow and tentative and messy. It was nowhere near as good as her 1993 performance. I wouldn't even put her technical merit mark as higher than Yuka's. I actually even thought more highly of Marina Keilmann's LP overall...

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

US judges appreciated, among the quadless, Ryan Jahnke (who was only occasionally able to land a 3A) and Johnny Weir, & Evan Lysacek much more than Matt Savoie... Jahnke just wasn't the skater Savoie was IMO.

I agree with everything you said except regarding Jahnke. I think he was every bit the skater that Savoie was, only more extroverted on the ice than Savoie's gentle introvert. Both were underappreciated by judges.

The US judges marked Jahnke well in 2003 amidst embarrassing competition, but in 2004 when he skated even better, he was dropped to 4th and missed the World team. He should have been 2nd in the LP that year, imo.

 

[seniorita]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

About Savoie, I had a flash, in lack of many international broadcasts I remember him in 2001 Gpf and then I think I saw him again only in Torino. I cant find Gpf but I guess this was the same program of the season from CoR, the man was ahead of his time, he was creating great COP programs in 6.0 era.

 

[dorispulaski]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Jahnke would be in my list of overappreciated skaters. He may, perhaps, have been a guy that left it in practice--I wasn't watching practices in the era that he was skating. But IMO, he was a guy who was nice looking, with good posture, who spent most of his performances on his butt on the ice, and who really did not have either a quad or a secure triple axel. Furthermore, he skated to some of the most horrendous music I've ever heard used in skating, including one with bird noises all though it.

His best performance ever, I think, was in the qualifying round of the 2003 World Championships, which was an LP skated to Cinderella.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srtDEQwVeLQ

 

[Olympia]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

^ As much as I have come to appreciate Yuks Sato later, I thought Surya should have won 1994 Worlds, too.

Really? I haven't rewatched those two programs, and I probably wouldn't know what to look for, but it's my memory that Surya generally had very bad stroking--very staccato--and generally worked on two feet during the non-jumping sections, while Sato was and is known for edges, stroking, carriage, and beautiful, flowing footwork. That alone probably got Yuka marked a little higher, and then there was the home-court advantage that year. I do remember that the programs were both good, hairline-close in terms of jumps and such. I always hoped that Surya would have a win one year, but that year my heart was with Yuka, so I hope my bias isn't getting in the way of my evaluation of the program.

 

[Tonichelle]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Doris - I, also, never got into Jahnke's skating, but he's a nice guy. So, it doesn't surprise me that people love him. He's very personable.

 

[shine]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Jahnke would be in my list of overappreciated skaters. He may, perhaps, have been a guy that left it in practice--I wasn't watching practices in the era that he was skating. But IMO, he was a guy who was nice looking, with good posture, who spent most of his performances on his butt on the ice, and who really did not have either a quad or a secure triple axel. Furthermore, he skated to some of the most horrendous music I've ever heard used in skating, including one with bird noises all though it.

Wow, really? I LOVED that Brazilian program. One of my favourite men's LPs. His performance at the 2004 Nationals was brilliant, with 2 3axels and an almost successful 3lutz/3loop. I was so excited when Jahnke and Lambiel both placed 3rd in their respective qualifying rounds at 2003 Worlds. I agree with Fozzie Bear about Jahnke being the extroverted version of Savoie. They both had such pure skating and wonderful innate musicality, and together saved a few US Nationals for me earlier this decade.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

ITA, shine! He's one of my favorite skaters, and that has nothing to do with his being a nice guy. That Brazilian program was brilliant, and the music was so unique. He was really versatile as a skater and could interpret so many different pieces of music well. His Asturias and Grieg LPs are also two of my favorites.

They both had such pure skating and wonderful innate musicality, and together saved a few US Nationals for me earlier this decade.

For me as well. And thank skategods that Abbott came along after they retired!

 

[shine]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

For me as well. And thank skategods that Abbott came along after they retired!

Yes to that. And hopefully getting the results that the Matt and Ryan had the potential to but couldn't achieve.. I root so hard for him because sometimes I feel like I'm rooting for 3 skaters all at the same time!

 

[Tonichelle]

Re: Skaters Underappreciated in their eligible years that you respect more now

Yes to that. And hopefully getting the results that the Matt and Ryan had the potential to but couldn't achieve.. I root so hard for him because sometimes I feel like I'm rooting for 3 skaters all at the same time!

yes but in Savoie's case he had the goods, the judges just couldn't see it. Jahnke couldn't put two solid programs together when it counted, and Abbott crumbles after nationals. so frustrating.