Which RUSSIAN skater(s) do admire NA fans most?

[canbelto]

I think G&G, M&D, and B&S really earned a big following among North American fans, simply because they were *so* superior to the rest of the field that it was like, hard not to like them.

I also think a lot of fans liked Elena and Katia because of their cute, doll-like appearance. They never really looked like Russian divas.

[museksk8r]

Without partners

You know, I never cared too much for their partners, but I always wanted Maxim and Jana to skate together. I think they would have been lovely together! It's really too bad what happened to Shabalin's knee.

[CynicElle]

I lurrrve Alexei Yagudin. I also like Ilia Kulik, Artur Dmitriev (with both partners), Navka & Kostmarov, Ilia Klimkin, Krylova & Ovsiannikov, and Petrova & Tikhonov.

[vmfan89]

Retired skaters:

-Alexei Yagudin (I think he is up to this point the best male skater of all time)
-Goordeeva/Grinkov
-Bereznhaya/Sikhularidze
-Irina Slutskaya (I always liked her better than Kwan)
-Marina Klimova/Sergei Ponomarenko

Current skaters:
(I'm actually liking the new generation of young skaters more than the one from the last years and I think they will fare very well in 2014)

-Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
-Adelina Sotnikova
-Bazarova/Larionov
-Iliushechkina/Maisuradze
-Gerboldt/Enbert (I soooo want these two to become champions some day)
-Bobrova/Soloviev
-Ilinykh/Katsalpov
-Monko/Khaliavin

[paulee]

I always rooted for Anna Kondrashova back in the day - I loved her free skating. Also, Krylova/ Ovsiannikov - they were my favourite Ice Dancers of their day. Can I count Margarita Drobiazko? She is Russian? No? I loved her and Vanagas as well, and they seemed to be fan favourites where ever they skated. (if crowd boos re. their lower than expected marks/ ordinals are an indication).

[geoskate]

From Canada here is my list:

Ladies:
- Maria Butryskaya (she was a fighter, and her world championship programs were beautiful) and Irina Slutskaya (as a joyful 15-year-old, and then later when she showed she had the perserverance to work through difficulties). Elena Solokova almost made the list, but that's just because she was very cute. Present-day, no Russian lady really stands out for me, although I enjoy watching Ksenia Makarova. I haven't seen the promising ladies on the JGP, so no comments on them.

Men: Alexei Yagudin! (I personally would tie him with Kurt Browning as the best male skater of all time), Alexander Abt at his best (so much speed and power), Ilia Kulik (ambitious programs that were wonderful when he was on). Present-day, well . . .

Ice dance: Krylova/Ovsyannikov (for their precision, elegance and power; my all-time favourite team before Virtue/Moir arrived on the scene), Gritschuk/Platov (but they weren't as precise as Krylova/Ovsyannikov, so they're in second place for me), Khokhlova/Novistski (especially her). Present-day, I like Ilinykh/Katsalapov, and will follow them with interest to see if they develop as I think they should.

Pairs: I didn't start watching figure skating until the early 1990's, but I got to see some of the programs of the wonderful Gordeeva/Grinkov. I also liked Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze for the speed and fluidity, and Leonova/Khvalko as professionals. Present-day, I love what I saw of Iliushechkina/Maisuradze at Skate Canada, and I also like Bazarova/Larionov, especially her.

[Sk8tn]

I always rooted for Anna Kondrashova back in the day - I loved her free skating. Also, Krylova/ Ovsiannikov - they were my favourite Ice Dancers of their day. Can I count Margarita Drobiazko? She is Russian? No? I loved her and Vanagas as well, and they seemed to be fan favourites where ever they skated. (if crowd boos re. their lower than expected marks/ ordinals are an indication).

After Sarajevo, I was just sure that Anna Kondrashova and Tiffany Chin were going to dominate everything through Calgary (and was really looking foward to a quadrennial of really beautiful skating)...You don't want to ask me to predict anything about skating...

[olympic]

The first skaters that come to my mind are G/G and Alexei Yagudin

[blue_idealist]

It seems like almost everybody likes Yagudin, regardless of their nationality.

[IceAlisa]

It seems like almost everybody likes Yagudin, regardless of their nationality.

What's not to like? The best male singles skater ever, IMO.

[professordeb]

I Am Canadian ... and my picks from the past are:

Men: Yagudin, early Plushenko, Abt

Women: Slutskaya

Pairs: B&S - loved their silky smoothness and their Chaplin program.

Dance: hmmm ... none really come to mind.

As for the current crop, I haven't seen enough of them yet to make a determination how I feel about them.

[PUNKPRINCESS]

Glad to hear Alexander Abt was not lost entirely in the shadows of two great contemporaries...

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Yagudin was phenomenal, I can't imagine anyone not admiring him.

I also loved and admired G&G, B&S and Klimova & Ponomarenko.

Admired Slutskaya for her spunk and determination - though wasn't a huge fan of her skating.

[bardtoob]

I can't speak for everybody, but I ADORE THE PROTOPOPOVS and like:

Rodnina
Ivanova
V/V
G/G
M/D
Ilia Kulik
Irina Slutskaya
Maria Butryskaya

[barbk]

USA here too:

Other than the Russian lady headcases (and their male counterparts), what's not to like about Russian skaters, particularly those of years past? Krylova (now there was a diva), Dmitriev and both his partners, G&G, G&P, Yagudin, Kulik, Slutskaya (especially in later years), N&K,... the list goes on and on.

I wasn't a fan of most of the headcases (Volchkova, Sokolova, Abt) and I've rarely liked Pluschenko, and never cared for Bestemeniova & Bukin.

[aliceanne]

Let's see...


1. Alexandre Fadeev - Mephisto (Ice Wars)
2. Bechke and Petrov in SOI (their speed was beyond amazing but didn't come across on TV)
3. Illia Kulik - Rubberband Man
4. Alexei Yagudin - especially Salt Lake Olympics
5. Viktoria Volchkova - I always had high hopes for her but something happened to her after 2003 Worlds
6. Urmanov did a Beatles medley exhibition number that I loved
7. Always enjoyed Plushenko and Slutskaya - good or bad they always had a lot of personality and put on a good show

[Susan M]

I've really liked lots of Russian skaters over the years. I've never really thought in terms of "admire" but the ones I like the most and actively rooted for are:

Kulik - He was one of those "love at first sight skaters" for me, with such a light and musical quality to his skating. In addition to effortless speed and wonderful spring in his jumps, you can see in every movement that he feels and expresses the music in his whole body.

I felt the same about both Petrenko & Baiul. (I know they are really Ukraine and not Russian, but they came out of the old Soviet skating system.)

I also liked Urmanov and Yagudin and was one of those who particularly enjoyed watching Alexander Abt. I think Borudulin is a cutie, but I am not quite sure about his skating yet.

Mishkutenok & Dmitriev are, I think, my all time favorite pair team. I also really liked G&G and Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze. By the end of their career Totmanianina/Marinin had also achieved a classic pairs look I really liked. I also liked Betchke & Petrov in their SOI years. I think for them, I would use "admired" especially because they never stopped putting SBS jumps in their pro programs.

Klimova-Ponomarenko - I was charmed by this couple at the 84 Olympics and rooted for them for the next 8 years. I think they were great, great dancers, one of the few teams where your eye was not constantly drawn to only one of them.

In dance, I also really liked Usova-Zhulin and Lobacheva-Averbukh (especially him).

I can't actually think of any Russian ladies I especially rooted for. I did enjoy Irina S when she was very young, but in later years, she lost that charm for me as her skating no longer looked fun and effortless.