10 Greatest Skaters Who Never Won An Olympic Medal?

[Mafke]

Too US centric and leaving off Kurt Browning is basically inexcusable. FAIL!

[Aussie Willy]

As much as Joubert isn't my favourite skater (even though my cat is named after him), I would agree about putting him on the list.

I also think Bourne & Kraatz should have had an olympic medal too. Not gold but something.

[spikydurian]

Sorry. I was thinking Gold. Omit Kwan. Add Tai and Randy.

Me 2..... Not good enough for the list?

[Loves_Shizuka]

It's all kinds of wrong, but an entertaining read nonetheless.

[paskatefan]

My list would have to include Kurt, Todd, Bourne & Kraatz, Delobel & Schoenfelder, Tai & Randy, for sure.

[PashaFan]

As much as Joubert isn't my favourite skater (even though my cat is named after him), I would agree about putting him on the list.

I also think Bourne & Kraatz should have had an olympic medal too. Not gold but something.

OMG-I have a cat named after Daisuke

[Zemgirl]

I also think Bourne & Kraatz should have had an olympic medal too. Not gold but something.

Oh yes, them too. Maybe the Olympics need a pewter medal like Us Nationals?

OMG-I have a cat named after Daisuke

Did you name him before or after the kitten video?

[PashaFan]

Oh yes, them too. Maybe the Olympics need a pewter medal like Us Nationals?


Did you name him before or after the kitten video?

I've never seen that !
I got him when he was three weeks old during the 2007 Worlds.

[Subway]

As soon as they said Trenary was favored to win the gold in '92 the list lost me. I've read some figure skating books about the era and it was always between Yamaguchi and Ito. A lot of skaters on their list weren't ever going to get on the Olympic podium no matter what the skate gods did. It's more like a list of underappreciated skaters than about best skaters not to win an Olympic medal. Of course without Browning on it the list is ridiculous.

[gkelly]

For the most part, especially in 1998.

He was the two-time reigning world bronze medalist ('90, '91) going into 1992, though he was injured in '92 and controversially named to the US team he surely was considered to have a shot at the podium.

He had a streak of nothing but world silver ('95, '97) and gold ('96) going into 1998 where someone else already mentioned that it was pretty much presumed that Stojko, Kulik and Eldredge would be the podium in some order.

Agreed so far

The only guy to invade the world podium from those three from 95-97 was Galindo's bronze in 96 and that's only because Stojko had the wipeout of his career in the SP.

Now I'll quibble. Candeloro took bronze at 1995 Worlds and Yagudin at 1997. I don't see how you could say Yagudin didn't "invade" the world podium in those years.

Also both had medaled at Euros during that period. And Zagorodniuk had medaled there several times and just missed a second world bronze in 97. Unlike Galindo, and Urmanov because of injury, those guys were actually competing in Nagano.

So while I think Eldredge had stronger odds than those guys going into the Olympics and I expected him to medal, I certainly also expected Yagudin at least to mount a challenge.

[judgejudy27]

The question is this, is there any Olympics Eldredge could have even medaled with his best performance.

1992 Olympics- Had he been healthy and trained of course. As it was, I think he skated about as well as he could have, minus the silly double axel fall in the short.

1994 Olympics- He wasnt capable of making the team this year. Davis and Boitano were locks for the 2 spots. His one outside chance was knocking off Davis but since Davis upset Boitano at Nationals this wasnt happening.

1998 Olympics- Going in it looked like he a great shot at bronze. However with Candelero skating so well in the long program, even beating Stojko in that phase, the bronze was impossible even with a clean skate.

2002 Olympics- With Goebel landing 3 quads no medal chance.

[Johnny_Fever]

Not a dancer on the list. Sod 'em.

[judgejudy27]

As soon as they said Trenary was favored to win the gold in '92 the list lost me. I've read some figure skating books about the era and it was always between Yamaguchi and Ito. A lot of skaters on their list weren't ever going to get on the Olympic podium no matter what the skate gods did. It's more like a list of underappreciated skaters than about best skaters not to win an Olympic medal. Of course without Browning on it the list is ridiculous.

Yeah even back in 1989 when some thought Trenary could win Worlds before it began or in 1990 after she won Worlds, nobody ever talked about her winning the 92 Gold. Ito was always given a major chance knowing figures were soon to be dropped, while Kristi whow as an up and comer and not at the top then was always given a big chance to be at her peak and possibly win by 92 too. There were other up and comers who people were tabbing for 92 at the start of the quad- Kerrigan, Harding, Grossman, Bonaly, Lang. Most didnt think Jill could even hang on for 92 and possibly contend for a medal with the rising jump content, figures being dropped, and how long she had been on the scene, never mind win.

[Moka-Ananas]

My list would've included:

Alexander Abt (could've made the podium in 2002)
Maria Butyrskaya
Petrova/Tikhonov
Delobel/Schoenfelder (totally robbed in 2006)
Brian Joubert
Johnny Weir
Obertas/Slavnov (I am still heartbroken over their wasted talent)
Khokhlova/Novitski
Todd Eldredge
Kurt Browning
Sarah Meier
Mukhortova/Trankov (OK, he still has a shot at an Olympic medal)
Susanna Pöykiö (just love her)
Stefan Lindemann (looked so promising in 2004-2005)
Denkova/Staviski
Chait/Sakhnovski (I know many don't like them but I found them more interesting than Grushina/Goncharov for example)
Dubreuil/Lauzon (but only because I like their "Somewhere in Time" FD)
Fumie Suguri
Takeshi Honda
Zagorska/Siudek (only because I have a soft spot for them)
Elena Sokolova (a personal favorite of mine and she looked so great at Euros in 2006)
Bourne/Kraatz (because I enjoyed their Michael Jackson FD)
Tanja Szewczenko
Rahkamo/Kokko

[Cheylana]

1998 Olympics- Going in it looked like he a great shot at bronze. However with Candelero skating so well in the long program, even beating Stojko in that phase, the bronze was impossible even with a clean skate.

Ehh, I don't know about that. Canderloro's FS wasn't that great; it was entertaining in a cheesy way but some of those jump landings were sloppy. I think a clean skate from Eldredge would have gotten him silver, and I think had Todd even just landed that second triple axel he would have gotten the bronze, but the splat at the end of the program really did him in.

[Vagabond]

The question is this, is there any Olympics Eldredge could have even medaled with his best performance.

Maybe in your view, that is the question, but the article linked in the original post frames it as either "The 10 Greatest Figure Skaters Who Never Won an Olympic Medal" (which was the headline and the topic of our thread title) or "the most underrated skaters of the last 30 years," which seem to be two very different things both from each other and from how you and some others in this thread seem to feel the list should be compiled.

I'm going with the headline. I can't really say that Biellmann would have medaled in 1980 with her best performance because I don't know what she was capable of doing at the time in the compulsories. I can't really say that Denkova & Stavisky would have medaled even in 2006 even with their best performances because I think that if every one of the top teams had skated clean, the French and maybe the Italians, Lithuanians, and/or Canadians would have finished higher than they. And there's no way the Bulgarians would have medaled in 1998 or 2002. However, their accomplishments outside of the Olympics, and particularly after their last Olympic appearance put them on my list. And, no, I'm not consistent with my criteria because Harding gets on my list more because of her talent than her actual accomplishments.

In terms of the "most underrated skaters of the last 30 years," there's no way I would include Joubert, and Biellmann and Babilonia & Gardner wouldn't even be eligible for consideration. But I do feel they are among the best skaters never to win an Olympic medal.

You are, of course, free, to use your own criteria. So are the rest of us.

[judgejudy27]

Ehh, I don't know about that. Canderloro's FS wasn't that great; it was entertaining in a cheesy way but some of those jump landings were sloppy. I think a clean skate from Eldredge would have gotten him silver, and I think had Todd even just landed that second triple axel he would have gotten the bronze, but the splat at the end of the program really did him in.

Todd could not have gotten the bronze. Candelero beat Stojko in the LP as everyone seems to forget, so only silver or 4th was possible.

[briancoogaert]

1998 Olympics- Going in it looked like he a great shot at bronze. However with Candelero skating so well in the long program, even beating Stojko in that phase, the bronze was impossible even with a clean skate.

1996 Worlds : GOLD
1997 Worlds : SILVER
Todd Eldredge was a favourite for a medal entering these Olympics, not just a bronze medal contender.

2002 Olympics- With Goebel landing 3 quads no medal chance.

I agree with you, but in fact, he medaled at 2001 Worlds, although Tim Goebel had 3 quads ! lol

[Cheylana]

Todd could not have gotten the bronze. Candelero beat Stojko in the LP as everyone seems to forget, so only silver or 4th was possible.

I see what you are saying, but I guess I'm re-envisioning the judges' perception of the overall event. Todd skated earlier than Candeloro, and IMO the judges overscored Candeloro a bit because he seemed super exciting after Todd's rather blah skate. Had Todd landed his second 3A I see the judges finding a way to make the podium just as it was at GPF: Kulik - Stojko - Eldredge.

[judgejudy27]

I personally think if the judges wanted to place Stojko over Candelero in the long program, they would have, even knowing it wouldnt affect the final results (probably) either way. There was tons of room between Candelero and Kulik's scores too do so. They obviously didnt. In either case the fact you dont feel confident putting Eldredge over Stojko, means you cant be totally sure of him beating Candelero who did beat Stojko in the LP.

1996 Worlds : GOLD
1997 Worlds : SILVER
Todd Eldredge was a favourite for a medal entering these Olympics, not just a bronze medal contender.

That was before Kulik made his move. Stojko always dominated Eldredge, the 96 Worlds where Elvis bombed the short is Todd's only win over Elvis from 1992-2000. So Stojko beating Eldredge was a virtual certainty, yet Kulik that season seemed to have surpassed or atleast pulled on par with Elvis, and after winning the GP final was favored to win the Olympics. So that left Todd trying to hold onto bronze, and Yagudin's rise made that even a big challenge, and then as it turned out Candelero's surprise performance at the Olympics.

I agree with you, but in fact, he medaled at 2001 Worlds, although Tim Goebel had 3 quads ! lol

Goebel landed only 2 of his 3 quads there.