- Joined
- Oct 23, 2011
There is actually an article by this name you can google, but who would you rank 1 thru 10-daunting, I know. The older historians here could try-an off season work in progress thread. maybe break down to the four disciplines makes it easier? Obviously one can research the older skaters, but maybe we should pick 1900-1960, then 1960-2010 and have two lists as skating has changed so much-that is an arbitrary split, 1960. I am thinking by discipline, gender, countries and know a lot less about say eastern european skaters, so these are more guesses. Not in any particular order but Kurt Browning is my number 1 best skater without Olympic hardware.
I can start: Men: Kurt Browning,
Todd Eldridge (does he belong on list?)
ladies
Tonya Harding,
Elaine Zayak (she was not on podium, right?-I need to check that-but she should have been)
Yuka Sato, WC! She missed podium by one spot in 94. She was/is/ever will be awesome!
Ice dancers Bourne and Kraatz (robbed of a few WC's?)
Roca and Sur. I thought this team one of the best ever. I guess SOI did too. There are a dozen ice dancers I can think of but I loved these two teams and thought them excellent and exemplified what I liked in ice dance in the modern era.
Punsalen and Swallow. They were American and thus shut out. I loved them as a team and their connection, and they pushed Roca/Sur visa versa. I am a fan of Notrh American ice dancers/just my taste and cultural bias I'm sure for style and classic lines over innovation/ugly lifts/awful choreo-costumes (sorry europe/russia forgive me!) I agree with many medals awarded to teams I recall since the 80's, so I guess I just feel North America was shut out for so long and these teams were world class, too.
Pairs Randy Gardner and Tai Babilonia (but if not for the injury -they seemed on track-big sigh!)
Meno Sand -forgot them! should have been bronze not fifth at olympics-they were so fab-just not russian! very great American pair. They deserved more respect. Katia loved their classic lines
I can honestly say as long as I have watched pairs, the best teams medaled, but I am sure I am not thinking of the best teams from Eastern Europe.
Just a start and I wonder about the lists of better historians with a more world compeititors memory.
Should their be an ancient era and modern era divide to fit in top ten from each era? Or are we interested in top ten of all time despite the huge strides in jumping?
I have not picked anyone still competing, obviously, though I'd like to! But hope springs eternal for a couple ladies I love. Lots are coming back!
I can start: Men: Kurt Browning,
Todd Eldridge (does he belong on list?)
ladies
Tonya Harding,
Elaine Zayak (she was not on podium, right?-I need to check that-but she should have been)
Yuka Sato, WC! She missed podium by one spot in 94. She was/is/ever will be awesome!
Ice dancers Bourne and Kraatz (robbed of a few WC's?)
Roca and Sur. I thought this team one of the best ever. I guess SOI did too. There are a dozen ice dancers I can think of but I loved these two teams and thought them excellent and exemplified what I liked in ice dance in the modern era.
Punsalen and Swallow. They were American and thus shut out. I loved them as a team and their connection, and they pushed Roca/Sur visa versa. I am a fan of Notrh American ice dancers/just my taste and cultural bias I'm sure for style and classic lines over innovation/ugly lifts/awful choreo-costumes (sorry europe/russia forgive me!) I agree with many medals awarded to teams I recall since the 80's, so I guess I just feel North America was shut out for so long and these teams were world class, too.
Pairs Randy Gardner and Tai Babilonia (but if not for the injury -they seemed on track-big sigh!)
Meno Sand -forgot them! should have been bronze not fifth at olympics-they were so fab-just not russian! very great American pair. They deserved more respect. Katia loved their classic lines
I can honestly say as long as I have watched pairs, the best teams medaled, but I am sure I am not thinking of the best teams from Eastern Europe.
Just a start and I wonder about the lists of better historians with a more world compeititors memory.
Should their be an ancient era and modern era divide to fit in top ten from each era? Or are we interested in top ten of all time despite the huge strides in jumping?
I have not picked anyone still competing, obviously, though I'd like to! But hope springs eternal for a couple ladies I love. Lots are coming back!
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