The least appealing ladies worlds medalist?

[bek]

Yu-Na actually fell in the SP at those Worlds on the 3Lutz in the SP relegating her to 5th place in that segment. In the LP, she singled a Lutz and had a wobbly landing on a 3Salchow, but she did manage to win the LP segment, and finished 3rd overall. Kostner rotated 7 triples in the LP, albeit 4 jumping passes did receive -GOE, while Kim rotated 5 triples and did receive -GOE for the 3Salchow she struggled to land. Yu-Na won the LP and Carolina finished 3rd in that segment. Kostner unquestionably had the more difficult technical content between the two I think. Caro attempted all the triples minus the Axel and rotated all of her triples, which is extremely important to do under COP, while Yu-Na per usual omitted the 3loop and singled a jump, which is a huge mistake under COP. Nakano had many times in her career been faulted for UR'ing jumps, so it wasn't the biggest surprise to me that she was faulted for it again at those Worlds, no matter how clean her program may have appeared to be on the surface. You sort of have to wait and see what the judges are going to do with her jumps as she had a tendency to finish the rotation on the ice.

I'm sorry but I'm tired of the words "rotating" Kim landed 4 beautiful jumps and a fifth one was just a tentative but clean on one leg. Kostner in that skate was a mess....I'm tired of high PCS for messy messy programs with lots of stumbles and lack of control. I'm not a Kostner hater by any means either. I have defended her when she skated well for years, and I'm trilled she's winning now. But that skate was not a silver winning deserved program.. Gold at that night should have been between Kim/Asada... I won't argue for Nakano's UTRS either.


However, I don't see how Kostner's victory over Kwan was some disgrace.. Kwan had her own mistakes and completely bombed one segment of the competition. It was close between the two.

In terms of Trixis wins being unfair...Trixi won because she focused on the part of the sport that scored the most. By all accounts she deserved those huge scores in figures. I'm not sure how anyone can say its unfair, everyone went in knowing that figures mattered the most.

As for Meissner, one could argue that her World title was unfair, but I'm not sure how she's an undeserving world medalist. Does anyone really want to argue that Meissner didn't deserve at least third at that worlds?

[judgejudy27]

I dont see how can even argue Meissner didnt deserve to win those Worlds. If she didnt then who on earth did? They cant give fantasy medals to people who dont even skate.

[bek]

I dont see how can even argue Meissner didnt deserve to win those Worlds. If she didnt then who on earth did? They cant give fantasy medals to people who dont even skate.

I don't remember the skates much. I know Sasha was a disaster, Joannie was disaster, maybe Fumie? what was her skates like...I agree though about not giving fantasy medals to people not there. It really has to be based on who is actually competiting.

[judgejudy27]

Fumie had a so so soish skate with a doubled triple salchow and a stumble/step out of her triple flip/double toe combination. She had 4 clean triples and no difficult combinations. I would say close to on par with her Olympic LP as she upped her spin levels and had a little bit more pizzaz. I guess I could see one arguing for her if one thinks Meissner's triple-triple combinations shouldnt be ratified, but that would be the only way IMO.

[bek]

Fumie had a so so soish skate with a doubled triple salchow and a stumble/step out of her triple flip/double toe combination. She had 4 clean triples and no difficult combinations. I would say close to on par with her Olympic LP as she upped her spin levels and had a little bit more pizzaz. I guess I could see one arguing for her if one thinks Meissner's triple-triple combinations shouldnt be ratified, but that would be the only way IMO.

Now I can totally get and agree with the argument that Meissner is the luckiest WC in the sport....She was definetly at the right place at the right time...But it doesn't mean her medal was undeserved...Its not Kimmie's fault Sasha and Rochette handed her that title.

[escaflowne9282]

I cant believe Fumie Suguri is even on this poll. I could see some thinking she overachieved a bit to win 3 world medals, which she probably did, she was solid and consistent while others made mistakes, but in no way is she one of the weakest World medalists, and her performances each you were fully deserving of her medals. I am not a big Fumie fan but I will say one thing about her, the judges never gave her any gifts in her career like they might have her more celebrated and popular competitors (Kwan, Slutskaya, at times even Arakawa, Cohen, numerous others). Glad to see she has 0 votes, just as it should be.

I actually came dangerously close to voting for Fumie. I found her to be messy and overrated during her medal winning years. She had sloppy presentation , poor posture, lack of extention, and she looked like she was going to trip on a simple crossover half the time. She had generic Lori Nichol "choreography" that was barren and gimmicky and it seemed to get more barren and less gimmicky as time went on; until finally, in 2006, an Olympic year, she had no choreography at all!!! However, it is as you say, she wasn't really gifted with medals, so I couldn't vote for her.

I am surprised so many voted Bonaly. While I know that her skating skills left a lot to be desired, I think she fully deserved to be on the podium all three times. IMHO in 1993, she really should have won.

Of those listed, I voted for the 1975...errr I mean, 2010 world medalist Laura Lepisto. I also agreed with your intense dislike of Nancy Kerrigan in an earlier post.

[judgejudy27]

I used to think Joannie had no real chance to win Worlds but come to think of it she could have definitely won 2006 skating to her potential, and she would have had a good shot of winning in 2011 had she competed that whole season. She beat Ando easily at the Japan Open and it is not like Ando's World title winning performances were anything great at all. For Fumie 2006 Worlds was definitely her only real shot to win a Worlds IMO.

[bek]

I used to think Joannie had no real chance to win Worlds but come to think of it she could have definitely won 2006 skating to her potential, and she would have had a good shot of winning in 2011 had she competed that whole season. She beat Ando easily at the Japan Open and it is not like Ando's World title winning performances were anything great at all. For Fumie 2006 Worlds was definitely her only real shot to win a Worlds IMO.

Joannie won (Prelims).. If I read correctly the Olympic judges were told later that Joannie had the second best performance in the free skate in Italy, and should have been scored much higher. So the World judges were ready and willing to reward her if she skated well.

[bardtoob]

This poll seems really silly since Trixie Schuba is not listed. In skating history, she is far beyond somebody that should be categorized as "other", since she was an Olympic Champion.

[Alex Forrest]

I actually came dangerously close to voting for Fumie. I found her to be messy and overrated during her medal winning years. She had sloppy presentation , poor posture, lack of extention, and she looked like she was going to trip on a simple crossover half the time. She had generic Lori Nichol "choreography" that was barren and gimmicky and it seemed to get more barren and less gimmicky as time went on; until finally, in 2006, an Olympic year, she had no choreography at all!!! However, it is as you say, she wasn't really gifted with medals, so I couldn't vote for her.

Poor Fumie... ITA.

[blue_idealist]

I have to say Lepisto, even though I like her.. that program was full of double jumps.

[judgejudy27]

Joannie won (Prelims).. If I read correctly the Olympic judges were told later that Joannie had the second best performance in the free skate in Italy, and should have been scored much higher. So the World judges were ready and willing to reward her if she skated well.

and they were right. Her Olympic SP wasnt any good and cost her any medal chance, but her Olympic LP was definitely one of the best and was placed by reputation (at the time) rather than merit. It is a joke it was placed lower than Slutskaya's terrible performance which was one of her worst ever probably.

[TheIronLady]

Joannie is interesting, for she could not be a nominee for this thread. Even if some thought she was overrated by Canadians who called her the messiah, many agreed for years she could and should achieve a medal. When she bloomed in world competition at like her 7th worlds, she acquitted herself well; and at the Olympics, I never got those rumors some idiot official started that there was a fix to put her on the podium to keep it from being all ethnically Asian. She was definitely the winner of the Olympic bronze.

[Seerek]

As for Meissner, one could argue that her World title was unfair, but I'm not sure how she's an undeserving world medalist. Does anyone really want to argue that Meissner didn't deserve at least third at that worlds?

We'd have to do the math and see how the standings would have changed after the long program if the technical caller had applied 3F-3T> and 3Z-3T> for both combinations...I still think Kimmie is on the podium at 2006 Worlds even with downgrades (though maybe not necessarily gold overall).

[bek]

Joannie is interesting, for she could not be a nominee for this thread. Even if some thought she was overrated by Canadians who called her the messiah, many agreed for years she could and should achieve a medal. When she bloomed in world competition at like her 7th worlds, she acquitted herself well; and at the Olympics, I never got those rumors some idiot official started that there was a fix to put her on the podium to keep it from being all ethnically Asian. She was definitely the winner of the Olympic bronze.

I don't think the issue was ethnically Asian-i.e I think they'd have considered an Asian American. I think it was more not wanting Asia to dominate...And I think people were thinking a Kim, Asada, Ando podium could very much happen.