World Figure Skating Championships unlikely to produce a big haul for U.S.

[caseyedwards]

When Russians were the best the American teams frequently won medals. With the rise of the Chinese the Russians were pushed down and the Americans were pushed down further. So you can say Americans are kind of in the same place and have not found a way to improve like the Chinese and surpass the Russians or tie the Russians. I don't think it is a down time for American pairs. It seems about average!

[aliceanne]

From my observation pairs is usually a back-up career for singles skaters in the U.S. It's not that it is easier, it's just that there are not nearly as many skaters competing in that discipline and therefore it is easier to advance. However, the greatest financial reward is in singles skating so that is the first choice.

I don't think that is the case in China or was the case in the old Soviet Union. The skaters don't pick their discipline and those that are assigned to train at pairs are chosen based on their talent, and focus soley on that discipline.

[Frau Muller]

America has not had a consistently top pair -- for a good stretch of time -- since the Carrutherses in the early 80s, ending in Sarajevo 1984. Kyoko Ina, Todd Sand, and their different partners were not at the top of the World (or US) standings long enough to count.

[berthesghost]

From my observation pairs is usually a back-up career for singles skaters in the U.S. It's not that it is easier, it's just that there are not nearly as many skaters competing in that discipline and therefore it is easier to advance. However, the greatest financial reward is in singles skating so that is the first choice.

I don't think that is the case in China or was the case in the old Soviet Union. The skaters don't pick their discipline and those that are assigned to train at pairs are chosen based on their talent, and focus soley on that discipline.

the (former) communist countries all focused on pairs and dance for the very same reasons you listed above for the US: quickest way to medals and bragging about "dominance". It took them all 30 years to even make a dent in singles.

I wonder how talented skaters like Charlie and Ben would have done in mens, rather than toiling away in all but thankless dance.

[Nours]

edited

[barbk]

America has not had a consistently top pair -- for a good stretch of time -- since the Carrutherses in the early 80s, ending in Sarajevo 1984. Kyoko Ina, Todd Sand, and their different partners were not at the top of the World (or US) standings long enough to count.

Meno and Sand had a pretty good run. They weren't at all reliable on their sbs jumps, but their unison was preternatural.

[DORISPULASKI]

I wonder how talented skaters like Charlie and Ben would have done in mens, rather than toiling away in all but thankless dance.

Charlie went as far as Juniors in singles. He was also playing hockey at the same time.

http://www.tracings.net/whit-char.html

He finished as high as 3rd in Novices in 2003 and 9th in Juniors in 2006 at US Nationals, and had one JGP assignment where he finished 7th, back in 2004. I don't think Charlie ever managed a fully rotated 3A in competition. However, he was the first US man to score a level 4 in step sequences; somehow that is not a surprise.



In 2006, he and Meryl medalled (3rd) at Junior Worlds, and that was the end of his singles career; likewise the hockey career.

I don't think Ben Agosto ever skated singles on the international level. Tracings has no record of it.

[Skittl1321]

I wonder how talented skaters like Charlie and Ben would have done in mens, rather than toiling away in all but thankless dance.

Is it really thankless if you have an Olympic medal to hang above your mantle?

[caseyedwards]

Is it thankless for men as women tend to be the focus or just thankless as a whole because Ice Dance is thankless? Did anyone else have the first interpretation?

[DORISPULASKI]

Ref, Charlie White. His goal was to go to the Olympics. He went, and even won a medal. So I doubt that he has found ice dance thankless. OTOH, there is not a ton of money in it...however, there has been no big time money in skating in the US for quite some time.

OTOH, Johnny Weir has parlayed men's skating into among other things, a TV show and a 1.1 M$ condo.

Life is what you make of it.

[mgobluegirl]

In 2006, he and Meryl medalled (3rd) at Junior Worlds, and that was the end of his singles career; likewise the hockey career.

Charlie's hockey career ended after he broke his ankle playing hockey, and he and Meryl missed nationals in 2005 because of it.