Aliona Savchenko and Tatiana Volosozhar - Would they have been successful as singles?

[lulu]

this question reminded me of one commentator's query about katia gordeeva being successful as a singles skater at the peak of her career with sergei. i think this was after the 94 olys. and how that remark closely preceded sergei's death and katia's eventual transition to singles skating (although only in pro shows).

Along the same lines, I wonder how Elena Valova would have fared as a singles skater? Unlike Katia, who began skating with Sergei at a young age (10-I believe), Elena was originally trained by Mishin, before eventually becoming a pairs skater. As a pair team, V&V, unique for the time, performed side-by-side triple jumps.

Why do people assume that pairs skater = failed singles skater?

Great point.

[gkelly]

For skaters in the 1980s and before, they might have chosen (or been chosen for) pairs over singles because they were better at freestyle (including but not limited to jumps) than at school figures.

Also, as has already been pointed out, if pair skating was considered more glamourous or prestigous than singles, as seems to have been the case in the Soviet Union, then it wouldn't likely be a second choice.

[l'etoile]

The first names that come to mind are men: Mark Mitchell, Paul Wylie, John Curry.

They could do the jumps that most of the guys were doing at the time, but not as big or as consistently as many of their competitors who were not as strong at basic skating and presentation.

Mark Mitchell's '93 US Nats LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsbN2_RNNzg This is the first time I've heard of him, and I see why you picked him. He is sublime And it's the same music that John Curry skated to his OGM in Innsbruck. What an amazing coincidence!
Paul Wylie's '92 Olympics LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nLhA7CVIok It was an extraordinary performance from him!I think Paul fits the most to the description of excellent skating skills but with technical problems.
John Curry's '76 Olympics LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djadlQLK_ow He's really got a superb line and skating skills with such great control and command of jumps and edges.

^^ I think Lucinda Ruh had good jumps, but excelled more at other elements, particularly spins. Jumps were not her strong suit. Also, Stephanie Rosenthal had excellent dance, musicality and interpretation skills, but did not have all the triple jumps in her arsenal, so I doubt her goal was to make it to the Olympics. Her goal was probably achieved in creating two rockin' programs and making it to Nationals in 2006, which she accomplished with great style. Skating truly is not all about the jumps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnkku5aJzZM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZMwXYdkSK4g

Beautiful performances. Sometimes watching performances like these, especially that SP, I think figure skating doesn't always have to be evolving around jumps. There are so much more that skaters bring onto the ice than rotating the jumps and landing them.

David Liu from Taiwan! Anyone remember him? He couldn't jump to save his life, but I remember his straight line steps, on one foot, he had great skating skills. I believe it was Nagano Olympics.

Is this him? It is from Albertville Olympics.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZUXUv7nV-g His artistic skating just shone through this performance. Also, Scott mentions that he had problems landing the jumps but other than that he was very artistic.

[judgejudy27]

Why do people assume that pairs skater = failed singles skater?

Of course that isnt the case, but only a pairs skater who can easily do triple toes, triple salchows, and double axels without missing them hardly ever has a hope to acquire the technical repertoire needed to be competitive in singles today.

Someone like David Pelletier was an extremely consistent jumper for a pairs skater and even he was a mediocre singles skater.

[aftershocks]

Mark Mitchell's '93 US Nats LP: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsbN2_RNNzg This is the first time I've heard of him, and I see why you picked him. He is sublime And it's the same music that John Curry skated to his OGM in Innsbruck. What an amazing coincidence! ...

Mark had such great posture, line and musical interpretation! He definitely was unlucky in not making the Worlds team in favor of medical byes for Christopher Bowman and Todd Eldredge. I'm sure those experiences informed Mark's views about medical byes re 2006 Olympics. It's great seeing Mark and Peter J in the kiss 'n cry these days with their skaters.

[julieann]

Of course that isnt the case, but only a pairs skater who can easily do triple toes, triple salchows, and double axels without missing them hardly ever has a hope to acquire the technical repertoire needed to be competitive in singles today.

But if they weren't busy working on pairs skills (lifts, twists, throws) when they were young teens they would have had time to build a better arsenal.

I think the original poster meant if they weren't pairs skaters to begin with-not if they quit and started skating skingles now. If not, I mis-understood the question.