Best male skater of the 2000s

[lala]

Why? Can Plushenko sing?
(Dima Bilan cant either but thats another point..)

I believed, I'm the only one who thinks Dima can't sing... But the song is great, I like it.

[Zemgirl]

So essentialy there would be absolutely no reason to vote for him other than trolling or extreme fandom. So he beat most of those skaters in one competition? Big deal. Plushenko, Lambiel, Takahashi, Chan, and Joubert have all beaten all those skaters minus Yagudin (who Evan never faced or beat either) in one competition, most of those numerous ones, as well. Beating a really old Plushenko, past his best Lambiel, back from injury and not fully back Takahashi, past his best Joubert, and back from injury and also well before peak years Chan, does not make one of the skater of the decade.

Joubert also had medical issues that season - he spiked his blade into his foot and suffered tendon and ligament damage two and a half months before Vancouver (he missed the GPF and French Nats as a result). Lysacek had a stress fracture that was diagnosed over a year earlier, and yet we heard about it ad nauseam, as if he was facing a huge challenge compared to the other guys.

The achievement of winning an OGM can't be taken from Lysacek, but this is not equivalent to, say, the ladies event in which many skaters were in form, or SLC with Yagudin and Plushenko in their prime.

I believed, I'm the only one who thinks Dima can't sing...

Finally we are in agreement on something.

But the song is great, I like it.

Short-lived agreement, though.

[Glacier cat]

Well Evan is none of:

Lysacek didnt win Dancing with the Stars too.

[lala]

Short-lived agreement, though.

It's matter of taste, too.

[Holley Calmes]

Lysacek didnt win Dancing with the Stars too.

Well, he should have! I'm not a Lysachek fan-though I don't hate him either-but I was furious he didn't win DWTS that year. What's her face was a ringer! She had it won before the season started. (Nicole Schw...something. Talk about trashy!) I think Evan did a great job and danced very well-and looked very elegant. In fact, I might like him better as a dancer than a skater. I had never watched that show before and will not again. If I'm going to watch ballroom, which I really love, it's going to be the high quality competitions.

[Simone411]

I voted for Mr. Lambiel. Love his moves. I wish it could have been multiple choice, however, and more skaters added to the poll. I also love Yagudin, Lysacek and Timothy Goebel ... bronze medalist and bravo with his quad!

[Cherub721]

Well, he should have! I'm not a Lysachek fan-though I don't hate him either-but I was furious he didn't win DWTS that year. What's her face was a ringer! She had it won before the season started. (Nicole Schw...something. Talk about trashy!) I think Evan did a great job and danced very well-and looked very elegant. In fact, I might like him better as a dancer than a skater. I had never watched that show before and will not again. If I'm going to watch ballroom, which I really love, it's going to be the high quality competitions.

Evan was a ringer too. Nicole Scherzinger was freaking awesome and had the best choreographer/partner in Derek Hough. They were the best DWTS pairing ever for me.

Maybe we ought to make a poll ... best performance by a figure skater in DWTS... who else is there besides Lysacek, Yamaguchi, and van der Perren? Navka and Biellman did the Eurovision dance contest but it was a one off.

[VarBar]

Definite troll.

I didn't see that post, thank you. So, is trolling about being intentionally or unintentionally funny? kwanlysacek probably just wants to amuse people and I can see no harm in that.
Then again, when I come to think of it, who knows what would happen at the Sochi Olympics if Lysacek were serious about returning and could land a quad or two. He scored really high in Vancouver for programs with no quads, especially his SP score stands the test of time. I suspect a clean Lysacek with a quad, the PC boost for the quad and the 10% bonus for jumps done in the second half of the program would be high up there with a clean Hanyu, a clean Chan, a clean Takahashi and most likely a clean Plushenko. And Lysacek's OGM reputation would do the rest.

Brian Orser:
....
Plushenko - supertalant. And the fact that he is still willing and able to compete with much younger children, is admirable. What really surprised me in Zagreb - is his refusal to quadruple jump in the short program. Because Plushenko - unbeaten fighter. After that he made at the last European Championships in Sheffield, I became his fan. True. Remember thinking, OK, we have to admit he is a god figure skating, if he can fight like this. It was amazing! I did see him in training - such a calm, even relaxed. But Plushenko knows exactly how to get together when you go to the start. I know that he really wants to come to Sochi, and I can only wish him a full recovery and get in shape. Such men as he pushed all the other forward. This is for my students. They look at him with wide eyes. Besides Plushenko - the kind of person who surrounds the special aura they create around themselves a special atmosphere. And it's impossible to miss.

Does Orser know about this best of the decade poll? How can we get Orser here to vote for Plushenko?

[VarBar]

Beating a really old Plushenko, past his best Lambiel, back from injury and not fully back Takahashi, past his best Joubert, and back from injury and also well before peak years Chan, does not make one of the skater of the decade.

Yes, it does seem like the stars aligned for Lysacek to become an Olympic champion. However, I don't think we should go the ""he was lucky" way in judging a win we are not particularly happy with. Some people are of the opinion that Lambiel wouldn't have won any of his world titles if Plushenko had been around or that Takahashi would have finished third again like in Vancouver if Lysacek and Plushenko had competed at 2010 Worlds in Italy. In which case, none of them would be listed in any best of the decade poll. But I agree with the rest of your post.

[Holley Calmes]

Evan was a ringer too. Nicole Scherzinger was freaking awesome and had the best choreographer/partner in Derek Hough. They were the best DWTS pairing ever for me.

Maybe we ought to make a poll ... best performance by a figure skater in DWTS... who else is there besides Lysacek, Yamaguchi, and van der Perren? Navka and Biellman did the Eurovision dance contest but it was a one off.

How was Evan a ringer? He hadn't ever had any ballroom and Nichole was a trained dancer. That just doesn't seem fair at all not only to Evan but to the rest of the pack that year, whoever they were. I don't remember. I agree she was really good although I can't compare her to any other year's crop. That was the only year I've watched.

[Cherub721]

Many people consider figure skaters ringers because their sport involves performing choreography to music, spinning, footwork, attention to posture and lines, etc. When Kristi was announced there was definitely a feeling of her being a ringer who was guaranteed to win, which she did. Nicole was more of a ringer than Evan but if she hadn't been there he would've been considered the ringer of the season. His participation could be considered unfair to the others.

[Holley Calmes]

Well, I guess we can speculate all night, but I still remember reading/hearing about how hard Evan had to work to get the technique and stylistics of each dance down....but of course hard work is probably his greatest talent. I enjoyed watching him more than watching that hoochie mama. I think I said up thread that I enjoyed his dancing more than his skating. No, he isn't anywhere near the other skaters to me, but I do have a great respect for his work ethic.

It's all PR deals. Nicole was trying to emerge as a serious star at that time and had a lot of publicity elsewhere going on too. I don't see her in the media as much as back then. She is a beautiful girl-I just didn't like the way she packaged herself. Good luck to her.

[judgejudy27]

Yes, it does seem like the stars aligned for Lysacek to become an Olympic champion. However, I don't think we should go the ""he was lucky" way in judging a win we are not particularly happy with. Some people are of the opinion that Lambiel wouldn't have won any of his world titles if Plushenko had been around or that Takahashi would have finished third again like in Vancouver if Lysacek and Plushenko had competed at 2010 Worlds in Italy. In which case, none of them would be listed in any best of the decade poll. But I agree with the rest of your post.

Takahashi skated much better at Worlds than at the Games. I dont think either Lysacek or Plushenko could have beaten him personally. His winning score was basically a virtual tie with their Vancouver scores too but scoring at Vancouver was ridiculously high so essentialy was higher.

As for Lambiel, I think he would have been alot more motivated if he hadnt won the 05 and 06 Worlds and probably won in the future, especialy as he could have won any of 2007-2009 with his 2006 performances. He admitted to losing motivation after his success in 05-06, and that the last 2 years before his first retirement were a struggle, and the main reason why he left. As far as his Oly Gold chances, not having won Worlds as early as he did might have been better for him anyway, as obviously his chances peaking for 2010 would be 10x higher than peaking for 2006. Anyway Plushenko was not on his way to the gold even had he skated out the 2005 Worlds (granted he was injured while competing, but the record books would have still recorded him as a silver or bronze medalists if he didnt WD, hence why he WD, lol)

[yaya124]

Anyway Plushenko was not on his way to the gold even had he skated out the 2005 Worlds (granted he was injured while competing, but the record books would have still recorded him as a silver or bronze medalists if he didnt WD, hence why he WD, lol)

I think he withdrew because he was too injured to continue. Even if he could get silver or bronze if he continued, he could risk further injure himself beyond repair for the Olympics. Just saying...

[umronnie]

I think he withdrew because he was too injured to continue. Even if he could get silver or bronze if he continued, he could risk further injure himself beyond repair for the Olympics. Just saying...

I think so, too. First, Plushy is not oe to give up. Second, I wet back and checked the results after the short. He had a 7 poit differece from Lambiel, and Lambiel was not known as a consistent skater back then. It was quite possible for him to win, unless he was too injured.

[misskarne]

I think he withdrew because he was too injured to continue. Even if he could get silver or bronze if he continued, he could risk further injure himself beyond repair for the Olympics. Just saying...

Actually I think 2005 was the year he had pnumonia and skated with a massive temperature and had to go to hospital straight after the SP...he collapsed on the ice during the qualifying round and Joubert cattily accused him of faking it.

[senorita]

No, I dont know anything pneumonia. He had breathing problems at Euros 2006.

2005 was the year with hernia problems, he participated in one Gp and didnt want to go the final, to which he qualified as an alternative because Weir withdrew. Then by Worlds 2005 he was a mess and he had double hernia and skated with injections again the Q round without quad and the sp falling flat. There was a lot of fight with RF wanting him to qualify 3 men for Olys, but he was unable to move, had a surgery after Worlds and the rehab took a lot of months. If you remember many discussions had taken place about how he would comeback in less than a year fixed with glue to go to Olys.

[umronnie]

Then by Worlds 2005 he was a mess and he had double hernia and skated with injections again the Q round without quad and the sp falling flat. There was a lot of fight with RF wanting him to qualify 3 men for Olys, but he was unable to move, had a surgery after Worlds and the rehab took a lot of months. If you remember many discussions had taken place about how he would comeback in less than a year fixed with glue to go to Olys.

the more things change the more they stay the same...

[lala]

the more things change the more they stay the same...

http://twitpic.com/by0677

[kitasakaba]

definitely Yag.
His skating is elegant and beautiful.
And he is handsome.