Who has the most to prove? | Golden Skate

Who has the most to prove?

K

krenseby

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Which of the current skaters have the most to prove and most podium-hungry?

Here's my opinion.

1.) Asada desperately needs a World Gold to live up to the hype that she's been subjected to... She really wants a to beat both Ando + Kim, otherwise she will no longer be considered the best skater in the world as she now is.

2.) Evan Lysacek. He needs a podium finish, but not necessarily next year.. I think the deadline is the year after... If he doesn't have a podium finish in a row, the US will stop hyping him and will begin to think of him as a skater without promise.
 
Asada definitely, for the reason you gave already (hype).

Also not mentioned is Meissner, who despite winning the World championship in 2006 is still considered an underdog. I still think she needs to prove on the world stage that her win wasn't a fluke by at least getting back on the world podium next year. Otherwise everyone will attempt to push her out and make room for the next big US lady (if there will be one?)

Also, a lot will be made of Asada/Kim or maybe even Asada/Ando next year. Fairly unexciting rivalries to me, but there you have it. All three of them IMO must show next year that they have staying power to be taken seriously as contenders for 2010 Gold.
 
Red Dog said:
Asada definitely, for the reason you gave already (hype).

Also not mentioned is Meissner, who despite winning the World championship in 2006 is still considered an underdog. I still think she needs to prove on the world stage that her win wasn't a fluke by at least getting back on the world podium next year. Otherwise everyone will attempt to push her out and make room for the next big US lady (if there will be one?)

Also, a lot will be made of Asada/Kim or maybe even Asada/Ando next year. Fairly unexciting rivalries to me, but there you have it. All three of them IMO must show next year that they have staying power to be taken seriously as contenders for 2010 Gold.
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I would actually exclude Kim from the list. You see, she racks up points for her elegance as well as for her jumps, so she doesn't have to up her jump content to win. Besides, she does not have a feeling of entitlement about medals. She is really happy with being one of the best and not getting gold doesn't seem to faze her or disappoint her. I have gathered these insights from an interview I've read.
 
that seems odd to me. Why go through all of the trouble of competing, etc. if you're content with not winning? It's tough because I see Kim doesn't show much emotion in person (don't know if it's a cultural thing or not) so it would be tough to tell either way.

She doesn't seem too bad. I definitely prefer her over the Japanese, but still would rather the North Americans step it up.

When you're hailed as one of the best and people say you have the POTENTIAL to win, immediately anything less than gold and you haven't fulfilled it yet. I see this happening to Kim in the future (assuming she doesn't win anything big)
 
Mao already proved she's the best. If a foreigner was in "Ando's position", Mao should've been given the gold, as always the home advantages go. The judges just wanted to reward Ando's clean performance.
 
After how this season went, I think Johnny Weir has the most to prove. People are saying he's just like Emanuel Sandhu: great skater who can't compete. Johnny has to get serious and get his act together next season.
 
Red Dog said:
...which was about as exciting as watching 4 minutes of golf. :indiff:
Click to expand...

I find some rounds of golf exciting:p

USA? Kimmie and Alissa (of course Ice Diaries was on again:laugh: ) are first to mind. Johnny and Brooke/Ben. Thinking of Taylor F, Katy T, and more.....

eta, just thought of "Cupcake" and Julia S.
 
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Czisny- not so much. If she disappears I doubt people will be moaning over what she "could" have done. Nice (?) skater, okay competitor.

(I put the question mark next to "nice" because reports are coming in now that Alyssa actually lacks excitement when she skates.)
 
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Red Dog said:
Czisny- not so much. If she disappears I doubt people will be moaning over what she "could" have done. Nice (?) skater, okay competitor.

(I put the question mark next to "nice" because reports are coming in now that Alyssa actually lacks excitement when she skates.)
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I think Alissa still needs to prove she can do the jumps in competition. The lack of excitement might come from her feeling that she lacks concentration for the jumps, that will take some of her "crowd connection" away at first but she could find some facial expression that could mask this - that is something I think Sasha is AWESOME at doing.

Elena and Julia...???? Past their prime, well I 'spose I can't disagree with that, but I don't think this leaves them with nothing to prove, to the skating community or even themselves.

Inoue and Baldwin might also fit that but I still think they wanted to prove that 3a throw could be done with consistency.

Now Oksana and Max come to mind, to prove Russia still has a great pairs team??? I guess this is a open to interpretation question, for most that hit the ice are going to want to prove something to someone - even if it is just themselves. Oksana B, Angela N proving or trying to prove they still have "all that" to be active on the ice in the sport they love. Different to each skater - that is why I used those two for I think they have totally different goals in mind.

What about Plushy, "still on top." Why are Denkova and "that other guy:laugh: " (just Kidding Max) coming back, or rumored - well rumored either way. Anyway is it to prove something????
 
I don't think Kimmie has to prove she's the best. I think she enjoys being the underdog where she was in Calgary facing Cohen, Suguri, Kostner, and Nakano.
She did well as the underdog.

Further, I don't think skaters should worry about other skaters in competitions, but concentrate on doing their best That's what practice is all about.

Joe
 
Bebe Liang-She needs to execute two decent programs. She has been on the senior level for a number of years and imo if she does not get it together soon she should call it a day in competitive skating. She is being coached by the best and she still falls short. I like Bebe and think she has a lot of talent but she just can't seem to make her way to the podium.
 
Joesitz said:
I don't think Kimmie has to prove she's the best. I think she enjoys being the underdog where she was in Calgary facing Cohen, Suguri, Kostner, and Nakano.
She did well as the underdog.
Click to expand...
But I don't think she wants herself or the world thinking her 3a s were flukes and she'll never get them again - and I think she wants to prove she is "an artistic" skater as well. JMO

Joesitz said:
Further, I don't think skaters should worry about other skaters in competitions, but concentrate on doing their best That's what practice is all about.
Click to expand...
:agree: Yah but look at Alissa, in practice hits her jumps, same day during performance, falls. I think she can - IF she wants to of course - to herself at the least, she can during a competition.

BeBe too, great one to bring up:agree:

I was looking at this more in "prove to themselves and their fans".... kinda thing.
 
Julia'll fool ya! Sebestyen has nothing to prove. She's the 2004 European Champion! :clap: :bow: Put that in your pipe and smoke it! :rock:

I think next season will be make or break for Bebe Liang, Katy Taylor and Alissa Czisny. Time and tide wait for no man (or lady).

I don't think Mao Asada necessarily has anything to prove. Only time will tell whether she is really better than everyone else, or just more precocious. At 12 she was an infant phenomenon. But sometimes child prodigies level off and the tortoises catch up to them.
 
Emily Hughes. She and her coach were so adamant about her going to the Olympics. She went and finished 7th, but since then she slipped to 8th at 2006 Worlds and 9th at 2007 Worlds.

Emily also believed she had a great chance to win the US Championship, but she couldn't quite do that, and she let her shot at winning 4CC slip away as well.

She asserted in a TV interview that she was unlike other skaters in that she combined education and skating, and now she has announced that she will attend Harvard AND continue to compete.

At some point, Emily needs to walk the walk instead of talking the talk. It's great to be so self-assured, but sometimes, it sets one's teeth on edge.
 
It's just like her sister: she'll figure it out the hard way, but give her credit for trying, at least.
 
Johnny Weir...he's on a downward slide and has failed to medal at Worlds despite being a 3-time National Champ. I think he has a lot to prove this season and needs to earn back the respect of the judges that he once had.
 
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