What was the toughest major event loss for Usova & Zhulin in their careers

[judgejudy27]

Usova & Zhulin had alot of very narrow and difficult defeats in major events in their careers. Which was the worst and most dissapointing one for them. The 3 that seem to stand out are:

1991 Worlds- Led going into the FD, had four 1st place ordinals in the FD, and still won only bronze. Had the judge who gave the Duchensays a perfect 6.0 not given that they would have won.

1994 Europeans- Seemed to be guaranteed to win once they had beaten Torvill & Dean in the FD on a 5-4 split but ended up dropping to 3rd when Gritschuk & Platov who were too far back to have any chance to win overall, won the FD handily but also flipped the ordinals between U&Z and T&D in the FD.

1994 Olympics- Losing the gold to Gritschuk & Platov by one judge.

I included on the poll as well, although I dont really think it is a valid option:

1992 Worlds- They fell in the FD after taking 3 judges of Klimova & Ponomarenko in the OD. I dont think they were ever winning here though personally.

[gk_891]

Either the 94 Europeans or 94 Olympics probably. Losing the 94 Europeans meant not only were they no longer the first team to beat in Europe/World (in ice dance at that time, the top 3-5 in the world were typically European) but also within their own country as the 2nd team as surpassed them and unofficially became the 1st Russian team going into the Olympics. Losing the 94 Olympics just solidified that. Who knows how they felt about it though.

[TheIronLady]

I think they never would have won 1992 worlds. I also don't think they could have won the 1994 Olympics. Even so Lillehammer appeared to be their most depressing and heartbreaking loss. With their troubled marriage, I suspect it was for them a horrible way to end years of hard work and dedication.

[blue_idealist]

The 1994 Olympics, because it was the Olympic gold they lost, and even though they beat Torvill and Dean they lost to G/P.. by one judge. That has to hurt, one judge.

[Shyjosie]

I think they never would have won 1992 worlds. I also don't think they could have won the 1994 Olympics. Even so Lillehammer appeared to be their most depressing and heartbreaking loss. With their troubled marriage, I suspect it was for them a horrible way to end years of hard work and dedication.

That's exactly what I think, too.
Have they ever talked about what they felt was the biggest disappointment for them? (Either of them?)

[judgejudy27]

Wow this poll is a blowout. I kind of thought the 91 Worlds would get more votes than it has.

[briancoogaert]

Wow this poll is a blowout. I kind of thought the 91 Worlds would get more votes than it has.

Why ? I don't see how Usova & Zhulin could have been disappointed by that. They were clearly not gold medal contenders.
The title was definitely between Klimova & Ponomarenko and Duchesnays. And Duchesnays were favored since it was "their turn".

[judgejudy27]

Why ? I don't see how Usova & Zhulin could have been disappointed by that. They were clearly not gold medal contenders.
The title was definitely between Klimova & Ponomarenko and Duchesnays. And Duchesnays were favored since it was "their turn".

LOL you dont have a very good memory do you. Usova & Zhulin were 1st after the CDs, and still 1st overall after the OD going into the FD. Then in the FD they took 4 1st place votes and came within .1 of winning the FD and overall title. Clearly they were gold medal contenders at that event. Yes at the 92 Olympics they ended up not being.

[aliceanne]

Zhulin has commented that it was painful to come in second at the '94 Olympics, which begs the question why he would start a very public affair with his top competitor. It had to be devastating for Usova's morale, not to mention it was a real ego booster for Grishuk and charisma was what separated the two teams. I would have moved to another training center or done something.

[caseyedwards]

They probably had to think once d&d and k&p were gone they'd be next for great wins but that whole thing blew up!! D&d were beating k&p and then they win in 1993 But then the whole 1993 1994 season is thrown into complete turmoil because Of t&d return and then program demands by isu and the judges loving g&p free dance so much!! Maybe it was that 1994 euros! Obviosly 1991 worlds maybe would have set them up but they didn't and they couldn't do what g and p did and totally disrupt and ruin the expected turn of events - they were even usurped by d&d there!

[blue_idealist]

Zhulin has commented that it was painful to come in second at the '94 Olympics, which begs the question why he would start a very public affair with his top competitor. It had to be devastating for Usova's morale, not to mention it was a real ego booster for Grishuk and charisma was what separated the two teams. I would have moved to another training center or done something.

I heard that Zhulin offered to marry Grishuk if she would quit her skating career. I wonder sometimes if he deliberately started the affair to mess with Grishuk/Platov, but that doesn't make much sense since it obviously messed with his own partner too.

[tralfamadorian]

A few years back Zhulin and Navka gave about a gazillion interviews to the Russian press about how their love affair started a few months before the '94 Olympics, so if anything was affecting Zhulin's marriage at the time it was Navka and not Grishuk... (though personally I don't see how either one of them would have anything to do with the fact that U/Z happened to come up with what was IMO the worst fd of their whole career that year)

[Vash01]

1994 Olympics were really supposed to be U&Z's time to shine. When T&D announced their return, it threw a wrench in those plans. From what I read, U&Z were very concerned about competing against the legendary U&Z, and they were not really afraid of G&P until the Europeans, where G&P won the FD. Had U&Z simply stuck with what had worked for them in the past, chances are they would have won over both of these pairs. I don't know what drove them to pick a FD that totally obliterated their biggest strengths. Losing to G&P in particular must have been devastating to them. It did not help that their marriage had been on the rocks for a few years leading up to the 94 Olympics. It was such an unfortunate set of circumstances! I had really wanted them to win the OGM in 94.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I wonder if the transition from having almost total freedom to do balletic or interpretive kinds of dances to doing more traditional ballroom had the biggest effect on U/Z. I know they were successful in 1993 with their Blues for Klook FD, but I wonder why they didn't try for a Waltz or something other than not only La Strada but probably one of the more boring dances we ever saw set to La Strada. Let's face it, as beautiful as their earlier FDs were, they were not that heavy in footwork or overall content compared to the likes of Klimova/Ponomarenko and even Grishuk/Platov. The earlier rules allowed them to put much more emphasis on their strengths (line, overall presentation, musical interpretation).

However, that probably wasn't a problem because judging from their OSPs and ODs (and even compulsories), they didn't seem to have a problem with traditional ballroom rhythms. In fact, their Rhumba was very well done in 1994 (especially compared to G/P's effort). Too bad there wasn't a different OD rhythm chosen because had U/Z's Rhumba been a FD instead, I think they would have had a better FD.

Maybe Dubova started to run out of creative energy in 1994.

[nuge]

I loved U/Z FD Planets or something like that .Betty Calloway was commentating and she loved it. in their silver costumes.The first time I ever saw them the lines were great I think it was 88.
OOOH must go and watch it !

[Cherub721]

I wonder if the transition from having almost total freedom to do balletic or interpretive kinds of dances to doing more traditional ballroom had the biggest effect on U/Z. I know they were successful in 1993 with their Blues for Klook FD, but I wonder why they didn't try for a Waltz or something other than not only La Strada but probably one of the more boring dances we ever saw set to La Strada. Let's face it, as beautiful as their earlier FDs were, they were not that heavy in footwork or overall content compared to the likes of Klimova/Ponomarenko and even Grishuk/Platov. The earlier rules allowed them to put much more emphasis on their strengths (line, overall presentation, musical interpretation).

Great point. If a ballroom rhythm had to be done a waltz would have suited them perfectly, and they probably could've even taken a few liberties (not being in hold all the time, doing a few balletic moves). I really believe if they had created a showpiece for their lines and exquisite basics they woud've won. La Strada has to be one of the worst ideas of all time. In fact, it really isn't even ballroom either. I guess it's dancy and more rhythmic than Blues for Klook, but T&D had a more defined Fred & Ginger routine and G&P had their jive. I really don't understand the concept of U&Z's FD (actually I think they used some other Rota scores in addition to La Strada, so they weren't going for a circus theme but more of a folksy/nostalgic theme ... which really has nothing to do with going back to the dance floor either... it's often discussed how G&P and T&D's choreography broke the rules, but could U&Z have also been penalized for their stylistic choice?)

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I also think it was telling that Rahkamo/Kokko's La Strada FD was conceptually better (as were the music cuts). I'm not saying Rahkamo/Kokko should have medaled or anything even they didn't fall, but I'll just never understand why Usova/Zhulin gave us that as their 1994 Olympic showpiece.

[judgejudy27]

Had they done their exhibition program with a bit more content put into it they probably would have won with that. Or even keeping their 93 program, despite that keeping FPs was a no no in ice dancing back then. I agree Rahkammo & Kokkos 94 program to the same music was better put together, much better interpreted, and better choreographed.

[Vash01]

I loved U/Z FD Planets or something like that .Betty Calloway was commentating and she loved it. in their silver costumes.The first time I ever saw them the lines were great I think it was 88.
OOOH must go and watch it !

It was their 1989 worlds FD. They skated to Mars, then Chopin for the slow section, and then back to Mars. It was their debut at worlds and they won the silver. Very impressive. I thought they were going to be OGM winners some day.