Top 10 Ice Dance Teams 1989 to present

[longingfornia]

If Lobacheva & Averbuhk were from most other countries they would have been a 2nd tier out of the medals regularly kind of couple. If Krylova & Ovsiannikov had not had her back injury and the Russians needed to anoint an unusually unexceptional team to their #1 status L/A probably would have never won a World medal of any color (or maybe one bronze if they got lucky). Even with the backing as Russian #1 they finished out of the medals at the 2000 Worlds and were lucky to eke out their bronze in 2001. It took 3 years as Russian #1 for them to become a major threat at the very top.

I think Krylova & Ovsiannikov would have dominated Dance to 02 with a great rivary with Anissina & Peizerat. They could have won 4 or 5 Wc's in a row plus OLY Gold damn...........grrrr

[Loves_Shizuka]

^Aww. I know right. K/O were big, big faves of mine. It's sad their career got cut so short, just as they were about to come into their own IMO. With their more classical style, they'd have had some great battles with the Frenchies I'm sure. I never really thought FP/M and A/P was much of a convincing rivalry.

[Proustable]

I think Krylova & Ovsiannikov would have dominated Dance to 02 with a great rivary with Anissina & Peizerat. They could have won 4 or 5 Wc's in a row plus OLY Gold damn...........grrrr

I'm not sure they would've dominated. They K/O won in 1999 with a 5-4 split and had already lost the OD, if I recall. Having watched some of their earlier dances (1995 Flamenco, the Masquerade Waltz) their early exit was a damn shame. It would've been awesome if they had managed to get together earlier (in time for Lillehammer), but sakes alive they rocked.

So did Anissina/Peizarat. That would've been a terrific rivalry.

[judgejudy27]

I am pretty sure A/P would have beaten K/O at the 2000 Worlds with it being in France. After that all bets are off. Some strange things happened after that anyway like the Italians World title. I personally dont think K/O would have had a dominant unbeaten like run like G/P though even if they did win the 2002 OG and a 3rd World title at some point.

[blue_idealist]

I never really thought FP/M and A/P was much of a convincing rivalry.

Me either.. I don't really understand why FP/M won Worlds or an Olympic medal besides politics.. a lot of teams such as Bourne/Kraatz and Drobiazko/Vanagas, to name a couple, were much better than them. I think A/P should have always beaten them!

[icenut84]

I never, ever, EVER got L/A. Seriously. I was TOTALLY lost on why/how they were liked so much by 02. I'm no teknik, but I never thought they were that good and everything they did seemed totally blah. I always thought of them as a kind of 2nd tier couple, like a 4-6 kinda team, but clearly I know nothing.

I used to quite like them, but I know a lot of people didn't. My favourite performance of theirs was definitely their Spanish OD in 2002 Olympics - it was fantastic. I also liked their 2002 FD (controversial, hey?) and their 2001 FD, but that was pretty much it. Their FD in 2003 just made me laugh - the 'mockingbird' bit of the music was so random and reminded me of the scene in Dumb & Dumber when they were singing it in the van!

Thanks Cherub. I've never been a fan of Ice Dancing, but definitely have heard of T&D. I didn't understand why they weren't on the list until reading your post, and realizing that their success occurred prior to 1989!

If you didn't know their success was prior to 1989, does that mean you have never seen their most famous routines? Even 27-29 years later, their routines are remembered and considered up there with the best ever.

Bolero, 1984 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t2zbbN4OL98

Paso Doble OSP, 1984 (they used to have to repeat the pattern 3 times - this was imo one of the best pieces of skating choreography ever) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaJtKHeis_g

Barnum, 1983 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydN5Glf9KI0

Mack & Mabel, 1982 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qmdv74L7nWo

I have no idea who I'd have in my own top 10 from 89 onwards though! But I definitely wouldn't have the Duchesnays on it. Isabelle was nowhere near the standard of an elite ice dancer, IMO - they only got where they did because of Dean's choreography. I've never really understood how they did as well as they did, beating K&P and U&Z

[dinakt]

My top 10:

Klimova/Ponomarenko
Grishuk/Platov
Usova/Zhulin
Krylova/Ovsyannikov
Anissina/Peizerat
Delobel/Schoenfelder
Virtue/Moir
Davis/White
Denkova/Staviski
Navka/Kostomarov

[nuge]

. Their FD in 2003 just made me laugh - the 'mockingbird' bit of the music was so random and reminded me of the scene in Dumb & Dumber when they were singing it in the van!


I watched this FD yesterday and I do like it it was fun ' and they skated it well .But it was more of an ex piece.



! But I definitely wouldn't have the Duchesnays on it. Isabelle was nowhere near the standard of an elite ice dancer, IMO - they only got where they did because of Dean's choreography. I've never really understood how they did as well as they did, beating K&P and U&Z

The Duchesnays were only popular because of the choreo yes.They were so controversial ' with the marks the judges didn't know what to do with them at first

[briancoogaert]

1-Grishuk&Platov
2-Anissina&Peizerat
3-Klimova&Ponomarenko
4-Delobel&Schoenfelder
5-Virtue&Moir
6-Denkova&Staviski
7-Usova&Zhulin
8-Navka&Kostomarov
9-Krilova&Ovsianikov
10-Duchesnays (for their amazing FD in 1990 and 1991 !)

[longingfornia]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My new list
1 Marina Klimova & Sergei Ponomarenko Russia
2 Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov Russia
3 Angelika Krylova & Oleg Ovsiannikov Russia
4 Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin Russia
5 Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat France
6 Tatiana NAVKA & Roman KOSTOMAROV Russia
7 Tessa VIRTUE & Scott MOIR Canada
8 Albena DENKOVA & Maxim STAVISKI Bulgaria
9 Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder France
10 Oksana DOMNINA & Maxim SHABALIN Russia

HM
Meryl Davis & Charlie White USA
Irina LOBACHEVA & Ilia AVERBUKH Russia
Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko Finland
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas Lithuania

[Jaana]

1. Gritschuk & Platov
2. Anissina & Peizerat
3. Krylova & Ovsiannikov
4. Denkova & Staviyski
5. Davis & White
6. Virtue & Moir
7. Belbin & Agosto
8. Navka& Kostomarov
9. Deloebel & Schoenfelder
10. Rahkamo & Kokko

The greatest of all time: Torvill & Dean

[longingfornia]

1. Gritschuk & Platov
2. Anissina & Peizerat
3. Krylova & Ovsiannikov
4. Denkova & Staviyski
5. Davis & White
6. Virtue & Moir
7. Belbin & Agosto
8. Navka& Kostomarov
9. Deloebel & Schoenfelder
10. Rahkamo & Kokko

The greatest of all time: Torvill & Dean

Wow No K & P

[Jaana]

Wow No K & P

Yeah, there are some Russian dancers I do not appreciate.

[Carmen Ovsiannikov]

longingfornia, I may have to update my list as well. I can't believe I left out T&D as they certainly belong on any greatest icedance list IMO. Need to do some more thinking.

I think L&A's situation with the medals they won was similar to F/P&M's. The timing was right (00/01) as well as the timing being right and they actually had great programs (01/02). ITA that L&A's Tango/Flamenco OD was excellent and one of the best OD's of that season. Their FD was very good as well but the choice of costume distracted from the skating as many found it in poor taste. I didn't realize until the season was almost over that the costumes and the coloring in Irina's hair was supposed to represent ashes and burned clothing. L&A consistently had IMO the worst taste in costumes so I thought that was more of the same.

Actually as good as the NA teams had/have become I still might have to leave all of them out of a top ten list. Especially if it's an all time best list of international skaters. Granted trends in dancing keep changing but many of the past skaters were so great that their skating and programs still stand up over time. To include T&D I might have to drop either DomShabs or V&M although V&M's skating and their medals might place them ahead of DomShabs. Both teams are fantastic. How about a top 20?

[briancoogaert]

longingfornia, I may have to update my list as well. I can't believe I left out T&D as they certainly belong on any greatest icedance list IMO. Need to do some more thinking.

Maybe because the thread is post 1989. Of course, T&D skated at 1994 Euros and Olympics, but I'm don't think we can consider that they are from the 90's !

[Vash01]

1 Marina Klimova & Seegei Ponomarenko Russia
2 Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov Russia
3 Angelika Krylova & Oleg Ovsiannikov Russia
4 Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin Russia
5 Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat France
6 Tatiana NAVKA & Roman KOSTOMAROV Russia
7 Tessa VIRTUE & Scott MOIR Canada
8 Albena DENKOVA & Maxim STAVISKI Bulgaria
9 Shae-Lynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz Canada
10 Oksana DOMNINA & Maxim SHABALIN Russia

HM
Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder France
Irina LOBACHEVA & Ilia AVERBUKH Russia
Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko Finland
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas Lithuania

No Davis & White on the list? I would replace either B&K or Dom-Shab with them.

[AYS]

There are 3 other world medals for V/M and D/W actually are dancers with Olympic medals and world titles from 1989-present: for worlds, they now have a gold and a silver medal from worlds.

I'll try to do one based on medal count, not my preference, and this is all from memory so feel free to correct mistakes... ...
5. Virtue & Moir - Olympic gold, 1 world title


That ends the list of dancers who won Olympic medals AND world titles during this period...
at this point it starts getting tricky with Olympic medalists who never won worlds vs. World champions without Olympic medals - which is better?

Honorable mentions:
...Davis & White - Olympic silver, 1 world medal
.

[pani]

1 Marina Klimova & Seegei Ponomarenko Russia
2 Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov Russia
3 Tessa VIRTUE & Scott MOIR Canada
4 Angelika Krylova & Oleg Ovsiannikov Russia
5 Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat France
6 Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin Russia
7 Shae-Lynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz Canada
8 Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder France
9. Rahkamo & Kokko
10 Oksana DOMNINA & Maxim SHABALIN Russia

HM
Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas Lithuania
Dusheney

[Carmen Ovsiannikov]

Maybe because the thread is post 1989. Of course, T&D skated at 1994 Euros and Olympics, but I'm don't think we can consider that they are from the 90's !

Yep that might be why. I guess that would be my moment for the week.

[longingfornia]

No injuries Domshabs would have won 08 worlds and been in play for Vancouver gold. Their 07 season was undermarked as well.