Retrospective: The 1988 World Championships

[DarrellH]

Question...at what point did a World's, following an Olympics, become a throw-away? This one seems like one of the last to have the Olympic Gold medalists still competing.

[Erin]

The gold medalists all showed up in 1992 as well, although a couple of other medalists were not - the Duchesnays (injured I think) and Paul Wylie (who was not actually named to the US team to allow the assignments to be split between him and Mark Mitchell).

I think the tide turned in 1994, probably due to a combination of returning pros who almost all skipped worlds, older skaters who had hung on for another two years and were ready to be done (eg Browning), and possibly the increased pro opportinities.

[DarrellH]

The gold medalists all showed up in 1992 as well, although a couple of other medalists were not - the Duchesnays (injured I think) and Paul Wylie (who was not actually named to the US team to allow the assignments to be split between him and Mark Mitchell).

I think the tide turned in 1994, probably due to a combination of returning pros who almost all skipped worlds, older skaters who had hung on for another two years and were ready to be done (eg Browning), and possibly the increased pro opportinities.

I remember that! Paul was interviewed after getting his medal, and said he was not asked to go to Worlds, but was open. (My favorite memory was seeing him interviewed while walking backstage. He looked at the camera while walking and said "Disney? I don't think so.")

[judgejudy27]

The gold medalists all showed up in 1992 as well, although a couple of other medalists were not - the Duchesnays (injured I think) and Paul Wylie (who was not actually named to the US team to allow the assignments to be split between him and Mark Mitchell).

I think the tide turned in 1994, probably due to a combination of returning pros who almost all skipped worlds, older skaters who had hung on for another two years and were ready to be done (eg Browning), and possibly the increased pro opportinities.

94 Worlds:

Pairs- Gordeeva & Grinkov and Miskutienok & Dmitriev no showed. I fully expected G&G not to go as I knew they were only back for Oly Gold, but am surprised at M&D given that they competed in the Goodwill Games as amateurs later that summer. Why miss Worlds but do the Goodwill Games.

Men- Petrenko, Browning, Browning, all no showed. Fully expected Boitano not to show. I am a bit surprised at Petrenko, as he had only won Worlds once, and he had left amateur young, I thought he might even stay until 95 Worlds or so, as other than the bad Olympic short program his comeback had gone well. Browning only stayed in for another Olympic shot after the Albertville disaester, so I am not surprised he didnt show, especialy after another dissapointing Olympics.

Dance- Torvill & Dean and Usova & Zhulin no showed. I knew T&D probably wouldnt, another back only for Oly Gold chance. Usova & Zhulin surprised me a bit, I thought they might even go past 1994, and they had won Worlds only once. I think they didnt show in part because they were so immensely dissapointed with losing the Oly Gold to G&P (and T&D for the same reason). Also after Europeans and the Olympics they saw the writing on the wall who the Rus. fed was now favoring, and there is no point even trying to fight against that. Had they known G&P would fall in their FD they probably would have gone though, as the judges would have now had to give them their 2nd World title had they stayed on their feet.

Ladies- Bauil, Kerrigan, Witt, and Harding all no showed. I thought Witt might compete at one last Worlds just for the fun of it. Anyway with the depleted field it turned out she might have even had an outside medal shot. Her comeback wasnt ever about serious medal aspirations at the Olympics like other 80s comebackers. Bauil surprised me not going to Worlds actually, and shocked me by already going pro it turned out. Kerrigan I sort of knew wouldnt show, but IMO she should have, she would have been a heavy favorite to win and she never managed a World title in her career. Harding was an obvoius no show for a horde of reasons. Chen had to withdraw with injury after showing up to compete as well.

[DarrellH]

Thanks for that, Judgejudy27!

[olympic]

1994 probably was the turning point.

In 1998, none of the Olympic gold medalists showed up to '98 Worlds.

In 2002, only Alexei Yagudin showed up to '02 Worlds.

[judgejudy27]

1994 probably was the turning point.

In 1998, none of the Olympic gold medalists showed up to '98 Worlds.

In 2002, only Alexei Yagudin showed up to '02 Worlds.

In 2001 3 of the 4 defending World Champions, none who were the Olympic Gold medalists that year, did not show up either- Sale & Pelletier, Fusar Poli & Margalio, and Evgeny Plushenko.

[briancoogaert]

The fact that gold medalist don't show up at Worlds anymore is also due to contracts and financial opportunities right after THE big title.
In 1994, there was more money around Figure Skating than in 1988 and 1992.

[Vash01]

In 2001 3 of the 4 defending World Champions, none who were the Olympic Gold medalists that year, did not show up either- Sale & Pelletier, Fusar Poli & Margalio, and Evgeny Plushenko.

I think you meant 2002 (not 2001)

[Alex Forrest]

1994 probably was the turning point.

In 1998, none of the Olympic gold medalists showed up to '98 Worlds.

In 2002, only Alexei Yagudin showed up to '02 Worlds.

1994 was the turning point, and those few months after Tonya/Nancy were just so bizarre, I can understand why skaters just didn't show up. But unfortunately it paved the way forever after where the gold medalists would take their golds and run. Lipinski withdrew first from 'exhaustion', then 'too much going on (read, $$$$ opportunities), then that was a PR disaster so it was because she had an infected wisdom tooth (interesting because she apparently still had some baby teeth and wisdom teeth impaction usually doesn't happen in little girls with baby teeth), then she showed up to accept a Corvette the week of Worlds. A total joke.

I wish that the ISU should require skaters to commit to a 'run of the play' contract. You go to Olympics, you go to Worlds, or the national federation cannot send a replacement. Claire Ferguson completely f'd up post Sarajevo Worlds, but I like that idea, if the Oly entries cannot make it to Worlds then tough luck.

[skateboy]

Lipinski withdrew first from 'exhaustion', then 'too much going on (read, $$$$ opportunities), then that was a PR disaster so it was because she had an infected wisdom tooth (interesting because she apparently still had some baby teeth and wisdom teeth impaction usually doesn't happen in little girls with baby teeth).

Tara had BABY TEETH at age 15? I'd never heard that before. (I've never heard that about any 15 year old...)

[falling_dance]

Pairs- Gordeeva & Grinkov and Miskutienok & Dmitriev no showed. I fully expected G&G not to go as I knew they were only back for Oly Gold, but am surprised at M&D given that they competed in the Goodwill Games as amateurs later that summer. Why miss Worlds but do the Goodwill Games

Perhaps because the Goodwill Games were held in St. Petersburg?

[Alex Forrest]

Tara had BABY TEETH at age 15? I'd never heard that before. (I've never heard that about any 15 year old...)

Looking for the source... Give me a minute. I know I remember reading she hadn't lost all her molars.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Other than 1994 which was just an odd Olympic year with all the pros coming back, do you think the fact that the seasons themselves became longer and more intensive with the GP series played a role as well?

I think for 2006 and 2010, COP played an immense role as routines, coupled with the long season, became even more taxing.

[Cherub721]

I wonder if Urmanov's epic fail in 1994 played a part. Not all Olympic champions won worlds the same year. V&V lost their title to U&M, and then G&G in turn lost to V&V four years later. But the Olympic champs were virtually always on the podium, and not winning the gold did not seem to embarrass the skaters into retirement or anything. I think Urmanov not even making the podium that Worlds, nor ever again in his career, may have played a cautionary tale to skaters like Kulik. The increased pro opportunities may have played a role as well in the concept of not wanting to lose face in your last moments before you retire.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

If the 2002 Pairs scandal never happened, I wonder if Berezhnaya/Sikarulidze and/or Sale/Pelltier would have competed at Worlds.

2010 was sort of a nice change of pace with two OGMs, three silver medalists, and two Olympic bronze medalists competing. Evan had to strike while the iron is hot because it's not as if figure skating champions capture the nation's attention long after you win these days, Plushenko was aiming for another OGM, Shen & Zhao were at their 4th Olympics and just came back to vie for the OGM, Joannie competing in Vancouver was heroic enough given the circumstances, and Shabalin's knees were at the breaking point during the games and they were generous enough to not make us witness those routines ever again.

[judgejudy27]

If the 2002 Pairs scandal never happened, I wonder if Berezhnaya/Sikarulidze and/or Sale/Pelltier would have competed at Worlds.

The best thing about the SLC pairs scandal was Sale & Pelletier's immediate retirement when they likely would have continued competing another 4 years otherwise. Under COP I am sure they would have began losing often to an improving Shen & Zhou and a now prime Totmianina & Marinin, and would have whined and begged for a 2nd gold at every event it happened in. Thank goodness the sport was spare of that.

The saddest thing of the SLC pairs scandal was the way the exquisite Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze were forever vilified and gradually shunned out of the skating World, not to mention I think they also might have continued their amateur career otherwise.

[Vash01]

The saddest thing of the SLC pairs scandal was the way the exquisite Berezhnaya & Sikharulidze were forever vilified and gradually shunned out of the skating World, not to mention I think they also might have continued their amateur career otherwise.

Word. From what I read around that time, Elena would have liked to continue skating, but Anton had had enough (of the politics). They turned pro and satisfied their obligation to skate with SOI for 4 years, but I believe they received true appreciation and respect from fans in Europe and Russia. The audience in the USA (I don't know about Canada) seemed to be lukewarm toward them- sometimes not even knowing who they were-, while cheering LOUDLY for S&P whenever they were introduced. B&S were treated like second class citizens. I attended many shows (before and) after the 2002 Olympics and that's how it appeared to me. However, even those people seemed to recognize how beautiful B&S's skating was, based on their response at the end of their performances.

[Proustable]

Well, I doubt COP would have been introduced so rapidly had their been no pairs scandal, but COP wouldn't have been kind. COP, as designed, would've given B/S an overwhelming victory over S/P anyway (which is interesting to think about. I read speculation that suggested that COP's design goal was to justify the results - which I wouldn't put past Cinquata given his general attitude).

[lulu]

94 Worlds:

Pairs- Gordeeva & Grinkov and Miskutienok & Dmitriev no showed. I fully expected G&G not to go as I knew they were only back for Oly Gold, but am surprised at M&D given that they competed in the Goodwill Games as amateurs later that summer. Why miss Worlds but do the Goodwill Games.

I wish M&D had skated at Worlds that year, I think they would have been heavily favored for winning their 3rd world championship that year as well. Apparently, the original worlds team was suppose to consist of whatever one of the returning professionals scored highest at the Olympics, S&N and E&B, who were unable to make the Olympic team because of the return of the professional. As to why M&D didn't take G&G's place at Worlds, I'm not sure. Perhaps as injury? IIRC, Dmitriev had chronic back pain during his skating career. The absence of G&G and M&D did allow the up and coming pair of Petrova & Sikharulidze to make their world debut, where they ended up placing a respectable 8th place.