Figure Skating Champions SURVIVOR: Men's ROUND 5

[Vagabond]

The tribe has spoken.

Jeffrey Buttle (8th) has been voted off.

The original contestants were the last twelve men to win a World or Olympic title.

Previous eliminees are:

Elvis Stojko (9th)
Evan Lysacek (10th)
Todd Eldredge (11th)
Alexei Urmanov (12th)

Seven skaters remain:

• Ilia Kulik: Olys 1998
• Alexei Yagudin: Worlds 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, Olys 2002
• Evgeni Plushenko: Worlds 2001, 2003, 2004, Olys 2006
• Stéphane Lambiel: Worlds 2005, 2006
• Brian Joubert: Worlds 2007
• Daisuke Takahashi: Worlds 2010
• Patrick Chan: Worlds 2011, 2012

Who is the weakest link? Use whatever criteria you want.

Spoiler

Whom am I kidding? Bye, bye, Babou!

[briancoogaert]

I think I won't vote this round.
I guess Joubert will be kicking out, but it's too difficult for me to vote for him.

[SamuraiK]

I have a huge soft spot for Joubert (maybe his hotness I dunno) but I couldn't think of any reason to vote for any of the others before him. So bye bye Brian and your endless matrix entertainment.

[kwanette]

I think I won't vote this round.
I guess Joubert will be kicking out, but it's too difficult for me to vote for him.

Me, too.
I voted for Kulik. I know his jumping technique was gorgeous, but I hated his arm use. His skating never moved me. He was a talented "diamond in the rough", but never a finished product.

I like him better as a pro.

[Cherub721]

I have a huge soft spot for Joubert (maybe his hotness I dunno) but I couldn't think of any reason to vote for any of the others before him. So bye bye Brian and your endless matrix entertainment.

There is something to be said for his longevity at least.

[Marco]

Easily Joubert

[judgejudy27]

Joubert. I am to the point of considering Kulik but I will wait until next round when there is a chance he actually goes.

[shady82]

Joubert. He was only the gold favorite for one year (2007), and won that year. However, artistically he has the least ability in interpreting music and in transitions. Technically, most of the skaters on this list are at least comparable to him, with the exception of Lambiel and Takahashi. Even Takahashi has pulled off a quad toe and salchow in the same program.

[Zemgirl]

I am debating what to do with my vote. Though his time is likely up, I don't want to vote off Joubert, and if one looks at competitive careers, I'm not sure he should go before Ilia anyway. I will sit this one out for the time being and ponder things.

Joubert. He was only the gold favorite for one year (2007), and won that year. However, artistically he has the least ability in interpreting music and in transitions. Technically, most of the skaters on this list are at least comparable to him, with the exception of Lambiel and Takahashi. Even Takahashi has pulled off a quad toe and salchow in the same program.

Dai has landed a 4S? When? I know he tried 4F once (two-footed, UR'd) but I don't recall any 4S attempts. Actually, with the exception of Joubert - is there any men's World or Olympic champion who has landed a quad other than the 4T?

Transitions fall under PCS, but I don't think they should be considered a measure of one's artistry; along with skating skills, they strike me as a more technical component.

[Mafke]

Voting for Joubert until he's out (which should have been before Lysacek, Stojko and maybe Buttle).

Kulike should also be out by now but Joubert is the bigger priority.

[blue_idealist]

Me, too.
I voted for Kulik. I know his jumping technique was gorgeous, but I hated his arm use. His skating never moved me. He was a talented "diamond in the rough", but never a finished product.

I like him better as a pro.

I totally hated how Ilia skated with his arms out, but I voted out Joubert for the same reasons as the last two votes, even though I like him.

[Aussie Willy]

Joubert must go.

[shady82]

I am debating what to do with my vote. Though his time is likely up, I don't want to vote off Joubert, and if one looks at competitive careers, I'm not sure he should go before Ilia anyway. I will sit this one out for the time being and ponder things.


Dai has landed a 4S? When? I know he tried 4F once (two-footed, UR'd) but I don't recall any 4S attempts. Actually, with the exception of Joubert - is there any men's World or Olympic champion who has landed a quad other than the 4T?

Transitions fall under PCS, but I don't think they should be considered a measure of one's artistry; along with skating skills, they strike me as a more technical component.

Never mind - I was thinking of 4CC. But Dai did two quad toes, not a quad toe and salchow.

[DaiKozOda]

Things start to get difficult for me... Voting out Plushenko or Yagudin is totally out of the question.

I love Joubert and I'm really proud of his achievements. His longevity and capacity to bounce back is extraordinary. Nevertheless, he never had the perfect jumping technique of Kulik neither the musicality of Lambiel and Takahashi. Chan has better spins and better skating skills. So in all fairness I had to vote for Joubert... (and I'm feeling guilty).

[Macassar88]

Could bring myself to vote for Joubert even though he deserves to go.

[Vash01]

Plushenko got 4 votes while Joubert is still there?

[judgejudy27]

Plushenko got 4 votes while Joubert is still there?

Amazing isnt it. Joubert is basically a very poor mans Plushenko in ever sense.

[Zemgirl]

Amazing isnt it. Joubert is basically a very poor mans Plushenko in ever sense.

I've heard poor man's Yagudin before, and I get it - but a comparison to Plushenko? Joubert and Plushenko are nothing alike as skaters. Though Plushy's influence can be seen with many skaters, I'm not sure there's really anyone who's quite like him.

[judgejudy27]

He is a combination of a poor mans Yagudin and poor mans Plushenko. He tried hard to mimick Yagudin's style in early years, although that sort of dissapeared. He is a poor mans Plushenko in that all his strengths (powerful and consistent jumping, quadruple jumps and triple axels, solid basic skating and speed over the ice, command and attack, strong posture) and weaknesses (iffy spins, choreography lacking in transitions and in between content, posing spots) are pretty much the same. Even his style and look of skating once he got past the Yagudin wannabee early years was pretty similar I found.

Either way even if they arent that similar, there isnt a single thing Joubert does better than a prime (aka not the Vancouver version except for someone who only started watching skating in 2009) Plushenko. Joubert if he wasnt such a headcase definitely had a shot at the 2010 Plushenko, but then again so did atleast 5 other guys probably.

[sk8ingcoach]

Voted for Joubert....

I know there are a lot of Patrick Chan haters out there, but he seriously cant be next to go. Both times he has won worlds, he has landed 2 exceptional quads in the long program and have led him to beat Daisuke countless times in the past 2 seasons . And besides Yagudin, Chan has the best skating skills and he deserves to stay around for many more rounds..