Does Jeremy Abbott need a coaching change?

[apatinar]

Here is a link to one article:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2...n-robin-wagner

I also remember reading that often times, Sasha would spend her time practicing what she liked to do and was good at (spirals, spins- see her many exhibitions where she doesn't do nay jumps at all) rather than on working with her jumps. Many conversations of the sorts were had on the boards from 2002-2006. If I had unlimited time, I would look up more articles for you or find the old conversations, but I don't. I just think it's telling that both Tarasova and Wagner both said she didn't work hard enough. She definitely seemed to have the majority of her success when Nicks was running the show.

Ask Sylvia - she probably can pull the information up in an astonishingly small amount of time.. it really is incredible how she manages to do it

[professordeb]

I am of two minds on Jeremy. I have enjoyed watching him skate but when he has imploded (which has happened too often, I think) I have felt bad for him. I truly don't know what would help him at this stage of his life/skating. If there were pro comps, I would think that would be a great place for him to be -- less pressure. Whatever he chooses to do, I wish him well.

[centerpt1]

If only there were pro comps. I love watching him skate and love seeing his new programs
It's a sad reality that now competitive mens skating is: turn on timer, do jumps and tricks, timer off. No need to pay attention to music or choreo
Jeremy can't keep up with the jump content. But he is still my fav skater to watch.

[Vash01]

When there were real pro comps (not cheesefests) I actually enjoyed them, even though the jump content was less (but not non-existent). I never imagined that they would completely disappear. This is such a shame. I would love to see pro competitions that are respected almost as much as eligible ones, as another art form, although they will never be a part of the Olympics.

[aftershocks]

Contrary to popular belief, the Olympics (while a lofty, admirable goal and notable achievement just to get there), it ain't everything, even for figure skaters.

Kinda sad that it seems to be always made out to be the f*ing Holy Grail of ice dreams.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Let's get real though. The Olympics are the reason why most skaters stay competitive. Even if it's just for a chance to compete there with no hope of a medal, the Olympics really is the holy grail for most competitors.

[arakwafan2006]

Let's get real though. The Olympics are the reason why most skaters stay competitive. Even if it's just for a chance to compete there with no hope of a medal, the Olympics really is the holy grail for most competitors.

I love this. I cannot cannot cannot understand why people pretend like the Olympics is NOT the reason capable skaters like Jeremy still compete. Amen to getting real

[arakwafan2006]

I can tell you from personal observation that Jeremy works his patoody off...

[Marco]

I can tell you from personal observation that Jeremy works his patoody off...

That makes it worse because it means whatever issue he has is not easily fixable.

[skatesindreams]

I'm sure that Jeremy will do all he can to address whatever issue he has; and perform to the best of his ability.
No one should expect more from anyone than that.

I find the idea that he doesn't work hard enough ridiculous and insulting.

[Vash01]

Jeremy could be the next Paul Wylie!

[DarrellH]

Jeremy could be the next Paul Wylie!

I hope so. If not, and he still has the drive to compete...ice dancing.

[museksk8r]

Jeremy could be the next Paul Wylie!

If only pigs can fly. Please show us they can, Jeremy!

[Vash01]

He could do well with SOI, but I would still like to see him at least win a world bronze.

[orbitz]

Jeremy could be the next Paul Wylie!

or the next Nicole Bobek...

[judgejudy27]

Jeremy could be the next Paul Wylie!

The problem is Paul couldnt do that at on his own. He needed a very poorly skated event, otherwise even if his skating was competitive with the others, the bigger names would all get the benefit of doubt over an inconsistent headcase who popped up just for that event. If the skating was the level of the 91 Worlds he would have finished no higher than 6th guaranteed. Since Petrenko, Bowman, Eldredge, Browning, and Barna all made alot of mistakes his excellent skating had to be recognized, and even then Petrenko with his worst performance in 3 years easily beat him for the gold. Other than being heartbroken for Browning, and maybe one or two others, I am thrilled how it worked out for him, and he got something to recognize his amateur career with before it was, and rode it into a stellar professional career with a new confidence, and gave us years of memorable and truly World class skating to come, but it still needed alot of things to go that way for it to happen.

The same I am sure is true of Abbott at this point. Even if one could argue, like Wylie, his best skating, is competitive with most anyone in the World, after years of bombing out even if he somehow made it to Sochi and skated lights out he will not be higher than 6th if Chan, Hanya, Takahashi, Fernandez, all skate well. That plus that like Paul in 92 even if he skated somewhat cleanish technically to go with his terrific artistry, there are other guys with more potential technical ammunition than he has.

[Vash01]

Even if one could argue, like Wylie, his best skating, is competitive with most anyone in the World, after years of bombing out even if he somehow made it to Sochi and skated lights out he will not be higher than 6th if Chan, Hanya, Takahashi, Fernandez, all skate well. That plus that like Paul in 92 even if he skated somewhat cleanish technically to go with his terrific artistry, there are other guys with more potential technical ammunition than he has.

Out of the skaters you mentioned, only Chan is likely to skate well enough to win a medal of any color, with gold being the most likely. As we recently saw at 4CC, Takahashi and Hanyu are vulnerable. Hanyu due to his lack of stamina, and Takahashi- I am baffled. Fernandez is not exactly known for consistency. He could bomb either the SP or the LP. Plushenko has injury issues. If Jeremy skates nearly clean, there is no reason why the judges would not put him ahead of some of these skaters- again Chan being an exception. That plays right into a 1992-like scenario: Chan-Gold, Abbott-Silver, Bronze:Hanyu/Fernandez/Takahashi/Reynolds/Plushenko.

Don't call me crazy for imagining a scenario like this because before the 1992 Olympics who would have thought that Wylie would win the silver and Barna the bronze? Actually going into the 2014, Jeremy has a slightly better record at worlds than Wylie did before 1992.

Of course this is a very low probability result, but it is not impossible that many of the top skaters would implode under the Olympic pressure, while Jeremy would learn to relax before his performance and deliver two magical performances.

[TheIronLady]

Jeremy could be the next Paul Wylie!

I hope this is possible. I would like every skater of Jeremy's caliber to have an outside shot at medaling. Does anyone think it really is possible? With Patrick Chan winning some events with falls, is there going to be room for underdogs even if the favorites have problems? I'm curious what judging analysts among us think.

[Zemgirl]

Let's get real though. The Olympics are the reason why most skaters stay competitive. Even if it's just for a chance to compete there with no hope of a medal, the Olympics really is the holy grail for most competitors.

That's generally true, just not for everyone. Jeffrey Buttle, after all, walked away a year and a half before the Olympics in his home country, because he felt his career was complete. I really respected his ability to say and do that. Though I do wish he had stayed competitive for two more seasons...

And there are skaters who might be able to make the Olympics but would have to give up their original nationality to do so, and they choose not to. Haven't we seen some partnerships end because of this?

As for Jeremy: there's only so much a coach can do. Some skaters are more mentally and emotionally fragile than others, and there are no quick fixes, or in some cases, any fixes.

[aftershocks]

Let's get real though. The Olympics are the reason why most skaters stay competitive. Even if it's just for a chance to compete there with no hope of a medal, the Olympics really is the holy grail for most competitors.

I understand that the Olympic dream is a reality for most eligible skaters. How refreshing that it wasn't for Yebin Mok, btw, even though because it is such a reality for most in the skating world, Yebin felt it was necessary to comply with the Olympic goals others had for her. Sylvia has started an enlightening thread about Yebin's journey (after it was mentioned briefly in another thread).

But since this thread isn't about Yebin, back to Jeremy and the possibility of a second Olympics for him. Yes, an admirable goal and it would be so great to see him cap his career with Olympic redemption, but he's quite fortunate to have made it there once. Perhaps the desire to return is more strengthened in him since his first Olympics did not end up how he likely had hoped. It may be that Jeremy's path in skating will ultimately provide unexpected lessons and pleasures not necessarily of an Olympic nature. Right now, we don't know what's going to happen so I guess we can continue speculating and offering him unsolicited advice, as fans tend to do.