Good enough to medal at worlds or Olympics, but never did- who are these skaters?

[Vash01]

Some skaters just never won a world medal, for various reasons, even though they were excellent skaters. Who are these skaters?

Matt Savoie: He was ahead of his times when it came to transitions. He was not rewarded adequately under 6.0 system. He finally got his opportunity in 2006, but could not win a medal at worlds/Olympics.

Angela Nikodinov: She had the perfect technique on jumps but she often ran out of steam in her LPs, and often lost to skaters with ur jumps and/or flutzes because the 6.0 system sort of ignored them. She did not get rewarded for her beautiful spins either.

Annenko & Sretenski: They had to wait for their turn in ice dance. With B&B and K&P being very strong, and Canada with W&M, they could not medal. I could never figure out why they retired/turned pro after the 1988 Olympics. They would have certainly won a world medal in 1989.

Alexander Abt: Injuries did him in. Also a very strong group of male skaters at his time (Kulik, Yagudin, Plushenko) created a very tough competition for him, at nationals and at worlds. He could not capitalize on the opportunity at the 2002 Olympics. His basics were divine, but he always two-footed his quad. That was his nemesis.

Yukari Nakano: Lovely skater, despite the leg wrap on her jumps. The judges never rewarded her adequately for what she did well, and her 3A always got a ur from the judges. In a vary competitive Japanese ladies field, it was tough for her to make the Olympic team. She just missed out on a medal at the 2006 worlds. IMO she was undermarked.

Obertas & Slavnov: This is marginal. They (she in particular) had great talent, but not the heart to compete. They did not work hard enough, from what I read to be competitive at the worlds/Olympic level.

Mark Mitchell: His good year was 1992. He was denied an Olympic spot in favor of Paul Wylie (turned out VERY good for Paul), but he did go to worlds that year. He could not capitalize on the opportunity.

Unless Jeremy Abbott pulls a Wylie next year, he could join this unfortunate group of talented skaters.

Did Blumberg & Siebert ever win a world/Olympic medal in ice dance? I don't remember.

[julieann]

I think sometimes it has to do with being lucky (or unlucky) at a particular event. Just like Joubert finishing so low in the standings at the Olympics. Sometimes things just don't work out.

And other times a really so-so skaters pulls it out for the win.

[poirierpaul]

I dont agree on some of those:

Matt Savoie- nice skater, but didnt have the spark or extra something to medal a the World level.

Mark Mitchell- not a strong jumper and competed in a tough era of U.S men which he could never stand out enough in to even make World teams hardly ever. He did skate his best at the 92 Worlds, and came 5th, just wasnt good enough to medal. His only chance of a medal was maybe a bronze at the 93 Worlds.

Nikidinov- the U.S era was too tough for her, I cant think of a year she could have even made the Olympic team. Her only chance of a world medal was a bronze in 2001 but would have had to skate perfect.

[kwanfan1818]

Blumberg/Seibert won World bronze from 1983-5. (Behind T/D and B/B in 1983-4, and behind B/B and K/P in 1985.) It was the Olympic bronze that they lost in a controverial way.

I think Nikodinov's career would have gone differently if she had been bronze medalist in 1997 and had gone to Worlds for the first time then, but the US judges were still enamored of Nicole Bobek.

[kukkura]

Stanick Jeannette and Ilia Klimkin were special skaters and with less injuries could have ended up with a Worlds medal.

[orientalplane]

Tatiana Malinina - should have had the bronze or even silver in 1999
Anna Rechnio - huge jumps but too inconsistent
Laetitia Hubert - great artistry when her technical didn't let her down, and she could do all five triples (sometimes!)
Alexander Abt - couldn't do it when it mattered most
Susanna Poykio - beautiful, calm, serene skater who didn't have quite the technical goods to compete at the very top. If she'd been more technically proficient, her artistic/PCS scores would also have been higher

I'm sure there are others; I'll have another think.

[lala]

Sacha Abt!! he was an amazing skater, he deserved it...

[skatak]

Marina Kiellman - so close to bronze, but a fall on double Axel in the last seconds of her program handed the bronze to Tanja Szewczenko. Oups that was at Euros 98 (and I think she already had european medals). but she didn't grab anything at worlds.

Eric Millot - always not that far, but too often struggling with the triple Axel. But first one to land the 3Lp-3Lp combo (GPF if I remember correctly)

[orientalplane]

Oh Eric Millot. Wonderfully bold and powerful moves to the music. He should have won the FS at Worlds 1995, landing two triple axels, but missed the podium because of another poor short (IIRC, which I may not be doing). Loved him.

skatak - are you thinking of Worlds 1994, when Szewczenko won the bronze and Kiellman was fourth after a fall on the 2A late in her programme? I think Kiellman retired after poor performances the following year. She had won at least two bronze medals and a silver at European level.

[briancoogaert]

It was 1994 Worlds. I wanted Marian Kiellmann to win a medal here, but she had 2 falls, IIRC.
She stayed one more season in 1995 in order to be at Euros in Dortmund, her hometown.

[judgejudy27]

I think Nikodinov's career would have gone differently if she had been bronze medalist in 1997 and had gone to Worlds for the first time then, but the US judges were still enamored of Nicole Bobek.

She couldnt have been the bronze at those Nationals since Bobek beat Kwan in the LP. Nikidinov could have only finished 2nd or 4th. Anyway she definitely should have been the silver medalist at those Championships.

[shine]

I dont agree on some of those:

Matt Savoie- nice skater, but didnt have the spark or extra something to medal a the World level.

Not a valid argument. There are plenty of skaters with less sparks or skills than Savoie who have won medals at the World level.

[Vash01]

I dont agree on some of those:

Matt Savoie- nice skater, but didnt have the spark or extra something to medal a the World level.

Mark Mitchell- not a strong jumper and competed in a tough era of U.S men which he could never stand out enough in to even make World teams hardly ever. He did skate his best at the 92 Worlds, and came 5th, just wasnt good enough to medal. His only chance of a medal was maybe a bronze at the 93 Worlds.

Nikidinov- the U.S era was too tough for her, I cant think of a year she could have even made the Olympic team. Her only chance of a world medal was a bronze in 2001 but would have had to skate perfect.

I watched Matt Savoie skate live at the 2006 US nationals and was mesmerized by his skating. I have to disagree that he lacked the 'spark' needed to win a world medal. Many lackluster skaters have medalled at worlds. Matt lacked the jump consistency, if anything, at worlds, so the 6.0 judges never gave him the benefit of the doubt.

Nikodinov: She could have won the bronze at the 2001 worlds with a nearly clean performance. She had a solid SP. One problem with Angela was that if she missed a jump, she lost confidence while skating. In 2002 she skated poorly at the nationals, or she would have been on the team, instead of Sarah, and we would have never argued about whether Sarah Hughes deserved to be the Olympic champion.

[Really]

Josee Chouinard -- damn nerves.

[Norlite]

Josee Chouinard -- damn nerves.

Definitely!

Emanuel Sandhu.

[Really]

Yup

[blue_idealist]

I think if Kerr/Kerr weren't limited to having to skate brother-sister friendly routines they may have won a world medal, even if "only" a bronze.

Also, Mirai Nagasu when she was at the top of her game. The 4th place at the Olympics still leaves me feeling bad for her.

[Alex Forrest]

Yukari Nakano. Seriously one of the most beautiful skaters that ever lived.

[apatinar]

Rohene Ward!!!

[bardtoob]

Laetitia Hubert - great artistry when her technical didn't let her down, and she could do all five triples (sometimes!)

I think Hubert's strategy for getting medals was the same as getting coins while playing Super Mario Brothers, jump while trying not to fall, knock structures . . . and knock down opponents.