Biggest meltdown from a leading or near leading position under pressure

[briancoogaert]

1995 Worlds was an interesting event too.
Both favorites made mistakes in the SP (Lu Chen and Surya Bonaly) while new comers were perfect (Bobek and Markova).
We could have had a World chapion never medalist before, but in the LP, Bobek and Markova made big mistakes, while Lu Chen and Bonaly had good skates. In fact, the only one with 2 perfect programs was Michelle Kwan. lol

 

[text_skate]

Mao's SP in Sochi and Pogo's LP at World's last season

 

[Seerek]

Jill Trenary was in first place heading into the long program at the 1989 World Championships (2nd figures, 2nd short), but delivered this long program to drop to third overall.

 

[mrr50]

I'll go with 1992 Oly Laetitia Hubert. Particularly when accompanied by the commentary of Verne Lundquist and Scott Hamilton.

 

[Vash01]

Mao's SP in Sochi and Pogo's LP at World's last season

 

[Deleted member 19433]

Both Junior and Senior Ladies events in 2010 at Russian Nationals had major meltdowns from SP winner (in Senior, Sofia Biryukova placing 7th in the FS and 6th overall, and in Junior Kristina Zaseeva placing 12th in the FS and 9th overall):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Russian_Figure_Skating_Championships

Totmianina & Marinin had an uncharacteristically bad performance in the free skate at 2003 Trophee Lalique after winning the short. They lost to the Zhangs overall and were 4th in the free skate behind Scott & Dulebohn and Langlois & Archetto. 6 years later at the French GP, Savchenko & Szolkowy had quite a disastrous free skate to drop them from 1st to 3rd overall (which also probably contributed to them dropping that program entirely for the season), and 4th in the free skate.

In 1997 at Trophee Lalique, Todd Eldredge and Tara Lipinski both had poor free skate performances by their standards after winning the SP (Todd was 5th in the FS and dropped to 4th overall and Tara dropped behind Laetitia Hubert).

An unusual example in dance was Fusar-Poli & Margaglio's 10th place original dance with the fall that resulted in the infamous "death glare" after having won the CD in Torino. At 2011 U.S. Nationals in Junior Dance, Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker were 1st in the SD and 8th in the FD to drop to 6th overall.

Dmitri Aliev won the SP at 2016 Junior Worlds but placed 7th in the FS and 6th overall. The results were extremely topsy-turvy in that event as a whole. Can anyone find another event from any level or era where none of the medalists were even in the top 5 after the SP?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2016_World_Junior_Figure_Skating_Championships

In 2012, Agnes Zawadzki won the SP at U.S. Nationals but was 7th in the FS (she hung on for bronze overall, but missed the world team).

 

[Vash01]

Can we include Todd Eldridge at the 1998 Olympics LP? It wasn't a total meltdown, but he had the opportunity to make the podium but he made some mistakes in the LP and missed the opportunity. I remember Todd's interview a few days or weeks later when he shed a tear when the interviewer asked him about Tara's OGM (and his inability to medal there).

IIRC Yagudin had a meltdown too. He had fever but he skated. Mishin said he had done something stupid, like taking a shower while running a fever. I don't remember everything but I do remember that he didn't skate well in the LP (he won the worlds that year, and Todd came in second place).

 

[coppertop1]

Laetitia Hubert in the 1998 Olympics, she just gave up.

 

[Sasha is DIVINE]

While this was not really the biggest meltdown, Debi Thomas's Olympic LP felt like it, at least to me.

She was in the lead going into the LP and Katarina skated okay, but the door was wide open for Debi to win. After Debi made the (fairly minor) mistake on the opening 3-3 (landed cleanly on one foot, but with a turnout), she became defeated and gave up on the rest of the program (which she admitted to). It was a sad thing to see.

And we now know that it haunted her for years.

Debi's 3T3T was not cleanly landed on one foot. She two-footed it pretty badly (looks like it was underrotated as well) and turned out of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW4LqC33TiU

 

[Marco]

I am just realizing Kerrigan bombing 1993 Worlds cost Kwan her 1st trip to the Olympics at 14. And if she had medalled at 1993 Worlds and kept three spots for US ladies for 1994, she probably wouldn't have gotten whacked.

 

[Seerek]

Nancy only needed to finish 4th in the free skate to hang on for bronze, the benchmark being Yuka Sato, who managed 4 triples in the free skate.

Nancy had ordinals as low as 12th and 13th for that free skate.

 

[paskatefan]

Can we include Todd Eldredge at the 1998 Olympics LP? It wasn't a total meltdown, but he had the opportunity to make the podium but he made some mistakes in the LP and missed the opportunity. I remember Todd's interview a few days or weeks later when he shed a tear when the interviewer asked him about Tara's OGM (and his inability to medal there).

IIRC Yagudin had a meltdown too. He had fever but he skated. Mishin said he had done something stupid, like taking a shower while running a fever. I don't remember everything but I do remember that he didn't skate well in the LP (he won the worlds that year, and Todd came in second place).

I was heartbroken for Todd @ the 1998 Olympics. I wouldn't call it a meltdown, and I admire how he tried to get a successful triple axel in it late in the program, but it just didn't happen that night. To this day, I have only watched that free skate once. Thank goodness he rebounded @ 1998 Worlds a month later!

 

[lala]

I waited for the name of Plushenko..... But no one remembered
This is not characteristic of him but he had two meltdowns:

first: 2000 WCH he was 17 he beat Yagudin at ECH and at GPF. The first season when he beat him at big international competitions.He was the leader after SP. His LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdzhIyTvsfA so painful and funny at the same time... He finished 4th, this is the only one case when he was out off the podium since 1998 to 2014.

second: 2004 ECH. He lost to Joubert. That was a meltdown! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHzPeJtK6A He finished 2nd. (This wasn't a succesful season because his own mistakes. He lost to Sandhu at GPF because he did a not allowed(3rd) quad combo in FS.)

 

[VGThuy]

I am just realizing Kerrigan bombing 1993 Worlds cost Kwan her 1st trip to the Olympics at 14. And if she had medalled at 1993 Worlds and kept three spots for US ladies for 1994, she probably wouldn't have gotten whacked.

Assuming both Tonya and Nancy didn't go to Worlds if that had happened, can you imagine Elaine Zayak at Worlds?

 

[Vash01]

I waited for the name of Plushenko..... But no one remembered
This is not characteristic of him but he had two meltdowns:

first: 2000 WCH he was 17 he beat Yagudin at ECH and at GPF. The first season when he beat him at big international competitions.He was the leader after SP. His LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdzhIyTvsfA so painful and funny at the same time... He finished 4th, this is the only one case when he was out off the podium since 1998 to 2014.

second: 2004 ECH. He lost to Joubert. That was a meltdown! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHzPeJtK6A He finished 2nd. (This wasn't a succesful season because his own mistakes. He lost to Sandhu at GPF because he did a not allowed(3rd) quad combo in FS.)

I remember his 2000 worlds meltdown. He learned from that experience obviously.

I don't remember the 2004 Euros.

 

[skateboy]

Debi's 3T3T was not cleanly landed on one foot. She two-footed it pretty badly (looks like it was underrotated as well) and turned out of it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW4LqC33TiU

You are absolutely right, I stand corrected.

Editing my previous post.

 

[ilovepaydays]

Kurt Browning - 1994 Olympics SP

Case #1 in how cruel this sport can be.

Can we include Todd Eldridge at the 1998 Olympics LP?

I was heartbroken for Todd @ the 1998 Olympics. I wouldn't call it a meltdown, and I admire how he tried to get a successful triple axel in it late in the program, but it just didn't happen that night. To this day, I have only watched that free skate once. Thank goodness he rebounded @ 1998 Worlds a month later!

I still would have overall given him bronze over Candeloro.

Assuming both Tonya and Nancy didn't go to Worlds if that had happened, can you imagine Elaine Zayak at Worlds?

OMG - That would have been awesome to see. I wouldn’t have cared where Zayak would have placed. I can’t imagine her doing worse than Bobek did.
——————

Im surprised that no one has mentioned Janet Lynn implosion at 1973 Worlds. She would have won that title pretty easily if she hadn’t.

 

[alchemy void]

I still would have overall given him bronze over Candeloro.

That's a bold statement!

Candelero actually finished 2nd in the LP, with second place ordinals from 7 of the 9 judges...

 

[Vash01]

Case #1 in how cruel this sport can be.





I still would have overall given him bronze over Candeloro.

Me too. I think if he had just done the double axel at the end, instead of trying to do the triple, he would have won the bronze.

 

[SmallFairy]

I waited for the name of Plushenko..... But no one remembered
This is not characteristic of him but he had two meltdowns:

first: 2000 WCH he was 17 he beat Yagudin at ECH and at GPF. The first season when he beat him at big international competitions.He was the leader after SP. His LP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdzhIyTvsfA so painful and funny at the same time... He finished 4th, this is the only one case when he was out off the podium since 1998 to 2014.

second: 2004 ECH. He lost to Joubert. That was a meltdown! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiHzPeJtK6A He finished 2nd. (This wasn't a succesful season because his own mistakes. He lost to Sandhu at GPF because he did a not allowed(3rd) quad combo in FS.)

I remember both these occasions so well! In Nice Plush skated around and around chasing that quad and gave the program away. I was quite shocked, as he was always so consistent. That was the year Yagudin skated to Broken Arrow, and it didn't go well with the judges. For Worlds he got a new FS to Tosca (with lots of choreo from Broken Arrow) and won.

In 2004 I was in Budapest. You know @lala that I was a Yagudin fan, but by then he was gone (so was Abt), and I was more relaxed towards the men's competition. (Since Davydov, Klimkin or Dambier would never win anyway ). But one of my skating friends was a die hard Plushy fan. She bought him a pajamas as a gift. She was seated two rows behind me and another friend, and when Plushy started messing up, we turned around to watch her reaction, she was in total shock. I wish you could have seen her face. 2004 was Joubert's first big title, right? It was surprising, as Plushenko at that time seemed unable to loose

 

[lala]

But one of my skating friends was a die hard Plushy fan. She bought him a pajamas as a gift.

Pajamas? But that is better than a bra. He received it not once from his women fans..

She was seated two rows behind me and another friend, and when Plushy started messing up, we turned around to watch her reaction, she was in total shock. I wish you could have seen her face.

Probably my face was totally similar.. I just had to look into the mirror

2004 was Joubert's first big title, right?

Right.

It was surprising, as Plushenko at that time seemed unable to loose

Yes. But the ice is slippery as we use to say.

 

[Vash01]

G&G were so consistent, but even they (rather Katia)!had a meltdown of a sort at the 1990 worlds. In the LP, Katia stepped out of the sbs 3t and then gave up on the 2A in a jump sequence, while Sergei went on with his jumps. They still won but there was a controversy.

M&D's meltdown came at the 94 Europeans, I think. They had problems with the lift which their coach had advised against but they insisted on doing it.

Even the best in the world can have a meltdown.

 

[Yazmeen]

While this was not really the biggest meltdown, Debi Thomas's Olympic LP felt like it, at least to me.

She was in the lead going into the LP and Katarina skated okay, but the door was wide open for Debi to win. After Debi made the mistake on the opening 3T-3T (second jump two-footed with a turnout), she became defeated and gave up on the rest of the program (which she admitted to). It was a sad thing to see.

And we now know that it haunted her for years.

To me, Debi's is the worst because she just gave up after a relatively minor mistake on the 3-3 combo that she could have still recovered from and won the gold medal had she completed her other elements cleanly after Katarina's Carmen "posefest." And that seems to have been the story of her life - when things didn't go exactly her way, she gave up. In the articles about her recent downfall, it was noted that she lost medical positions because she wouldn't go with the flow and do what her superiors expected of her (recent video still has her complaining that she was being "forced" to do things patients didn't need). Unlike Nancy who worked to overcome her flaws and fulfill expectations to succeed, Debi seemed to always just double down on doing things her way.

With Nationals being again in San Jose, the most recent Skating magazine's cover story is on the skater's they consider the Bay Area Greats - Fleming, Tickner, Boitano, Thomas, Yamaguchi and Galindo, who last reunited at 2012 Nationals. The article says very little about Thomas today, just commenting that she "drifted away from the skating world," which was gentle and polite considering her circumstances. I looked her up again today - she is still with Jamie Looney and selling "Karatbars" and her Facebook page is basically anti-government and anti-banking propaganda, including concentrating on the defense of a couple accused of a serious wire fraud surrounding stealing funds from the Federal Reserve. She now describes herself as "retired" from orthopedic surgery and is dedicated to helping others find financial freedom through Karatbar global gold sales. She considers herself part of a "world-changing movement" that will improve everyone's lives - through buying Karatbars. Which has been seriously criticized as a lousy way to buy gold and invest. But this is her way - any criticism of it is just the evil powers that be keeping true financial freedom from the rest of us.

Well, it's always been Debi's way or the highway...

 

[skateboy]

She considers herself part of a "world-changing movement" that will improve everyone's lives - through buying Karatbars. Which has been seriously criticized as a lousy way to buy gold and invest. But this is her way - any criticism of it is just the evil powers that be keeping true financial freedom from the rest of us.

Wow, that's pretty wild! Well, I wish her luck.

 

[bardtoob]

Assuming both Tonya and Nancy didn't go to Worlds if that had happened, can you imagine Elaine Zayak at Worlds?

It would have been nice to see Elaine at Worlds, but the USFSA was going to send somebody that was going to attempt the 3Lz.

 

[icie]

IIRC Yagudin had a meltdown too. He had fever but he skated. Mishin said he had done something stupid, like taking a shower while running a fever. I don't remember everything but I do remember that he didn't skate well in the LP

Mishin claimed that Yagudin went outside with wet hair & that caused him to catch the flu.

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I feel like Pogo has redefined the word "meltdown" for me.

 

[foxboston]

Regarding Nancy's 1993 meltdown: It was never widely reported, but she gave an interview years later where she said an ingrown toenail had been removed prior to the long program. Why they did that I'll never know.

I am also curious if anyone can pick up on what Nancy is saying to Mary and Evy in the Kiss and Cry: "You can't take it out of it. Not that it matters now. So many mistakes. My God. Oh well. It's too tight now. It hurt the whole time. Doesn't matter" followed by the wanting to die comment.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^^^ Yeah but this whole 93 Nancy thing I feel should just be filed under "wasnt my night." That isn't a meltdown IMO

No one holds that torch better than Anna or Alissa.

 

[Vash01]

Viktor Petrenko at 89 worlds LP

Sasha Cohen at 2006 worlds LP. With most top skaters skipping worlds after the 2006 Olympics it seemed like she could easily win the gold there, but she had a meltdown in the LP and she ended up with a bronze.