aka_gerbil
Rooting for the Underdogs
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Early in his career, I thought Roman Sadovsky might be able to be the one to break the curse, but he is such a headcase.
Is it that they struggle to take it one element at a time during competition? Would be curious to find out the secret to Nathan Chen's seemingly superior mental strength.Early in his career, I thought Roman Sadovsky might be able to be the one to break the curse, but he is such a headcase.
I think Petkevich won a world bronze. That was about what he was capable of, from the fs video I saw. I never saw him skate. Way before my time. Hubert got lucky early in her career but I never thought of her as great talent. Julia Seb did underachieve, I think.John Misha Petkevich
Laëtitia Hubert
Júlia Sebestyén
Viktória Pavuk flashed great talent when she finished fourth at Europeans in 2004. The advent of COP and a series of injuries doomed her.
She should have gone to the 1998 Olympics. However, she was doing herself no favors until 1996, when she actually started springing off those technically exaggerated jump entrances.But in Miss Kwiatkowski's case,most of the cause of her lack of success came down to unfortunate internal USFSA politics.
In the same vein as Patrick, we could almost add Kurt Browning to the list.
Did Stojko thrive tho?
Stojko managed to grab silver, and he handles competition nerves better than Chan.
I mentioned him early in this thread,along with Sasha Abt.Ilia Klimkin just came to mind. Loved him.
I think Petkevich won a world bronze. That was about what he was capable of, from the fs video I saw. I never saw him skate. Way before my time.
His fall 2010 was remarkable! He couldn’t do quads for some reason and beat Patrick Chan because everything he did was done well l! Makes you think!Tomas Verner. He was a really good skater and performer, and should have had more than his Euros title/medals to show for it.
Yeah, don’t forget his individual Olympic silver and team Olympic gold and silver medals as well. What an underachiever!Well, Patrick Chan has also been one deemed lacking in success even with TEN national titles and 3 World championships.
This is a tough room!
USFSA politics made her melt down at the 1993 Worlds QR, made her fall on the 3flip in the 1995 Nationals FP and go from 1st to 3rd, made her melt down in both the 1997 and 1998 Nationals FPs, thus missing a spot on the 1997 Worlds team and 1998 Olympics team? Your position would hold weight if Kwiatkowski had actually delivered clean skates at these crucial moments in her career.Indeed. But in Miss Kwiatkowski's case,most of the cause of her lack of success came down to unfortunate internal USFSA politics.
-BB
I agree he could have won in 2014, but not sure how he could have won a "couple" individual golds. He was never winning in 2018.I said Patrick because despite his obvious monumental talent, I would go so far as to say generational talent, (with Hanyu being the only other one) he never did have the kind of success he could have had if he'd been a fierce competitor. Imagine what he'd have achieved with his talent both technical and artistic coupled with Stojko's competitive mindset. He'd have won everything in site - including a couple of individual Oly golds. He "lost" to Hanyu's 1st Only gold for want of a double axel. If he'd skated to his potential he'd have creamed him.
I would add in the 2 Donalds.Brian Orser (1984, 1988)
Kurt Browning (1992, 1994)
Elvis Stojko (1994, 1998)
Patrick Chan (2014, 2018)
Have I missed anyone?
Out of these four, Browning and Chan had the best chance to win the OGM. They were the favorites In those years (they had competed a year earlier, as potential).
There could be a surprise in the future. A Canadian man who is not the favorite or Co-favorite May win the elusive OGM. I don't expect it to happen in 2022 though.
I would add in the 2 Donalds.
Donald Jackson won Worlds in 62 with that epic performance, but had to retire for financial reasons.
And a little know Donald, Donald MacPherson, won the 63 worlds. He also had to retire only a year from the Games for financial reasons. Back then skaters did not have sponsors and help like today. Manfred Schnelldorfer who won the Gold, lost all 3 of his head to head meetings with Donald M, and had been beaten easily by him at the 63 worlds where he was 3rd to Donald's 1st. He won the Olympics with an uninspiring performance.
You are quite a historian. Impressive.
True. Orser, Browning, Stojko, Chan were all capable of winning the gold. It just didn't happen.I am also Canadian and our lack of a mens gold at some point is gut wrenching to me. I have wanted it so badly, and needless to say it looks nowhere on the horizon now. I am not saying we deserved it any year, but given that there were so many possibles and it hasn't happened, ugh. It is our strongest discipline I believe and the only one we don't have a gold in, and so many legendary men.
John Misha Petkevich
If Patrick had not been injured in the fall of 2009 he would have won the 2010 gold, he got the quad toe in the summer of 2009 but could execute it because of his injury. Evan Lysacek score was 257.67 at the Olympics, Patrick score at 2011 worlds was 280.98. And more than likely you can add World 2010 if he had not been injured.I agree he could have won in 2014, but not sure how he could have won a "couple" individual golds. He was never winning in 2018.
If Patrick had not been injured in the fall of 2009 he would have won the 2010 gold, he got the quad toe in the summer of 2009 but could execute it because of his injury. Evan Lysacek score was 257.67 at the Olympics, Patrick score at 2011 worlds was 280.98. And more than likely you can add World 2010 if he had not been injured.
Bechke/Petrov?
I know they got an Olympic silver medal, but it was as if someone else was always ahead of them in the queue. They also had a reputation as not very consistent.
This is a very comprehensive list. Although I never particularly cared for Mark Mitchell.Some men who come to mind.
Emmanuel Sandhu- Do I even need to go into explanations on him, L OL! I am sure anyone on this sub remembers him.
Alexander Abt- Amazing he never even won a world medal. He was a victim of a combination of inconsistency, competitive nerves, injuries and a serious nasal/sinus ailment (which he only finally corrected with surgery in 2001), and being stuck in the era of Yagudin and Plushenko in Russia. If he just landed that quad at the start of his 2002 worlds long program he likely wins silver, but missing it and it being his only quad attempt, he narrowly lost bronze to Honda.
Takeshia Honda- Tons of talent and a lot of people expected him to achieve more. He like Abt, got stuck in that brutally tough era with Plushenko, Yagudin, and Goebel throwing all kinds of quads. He struggled with consistency in competition his whole career. Then had injuries that all but ended his career after the 2003 season. He competed off and on, while continuing to get injured (and a horrific and scary injury at 2005 worlds) before ending his career at Japanese Nationals 2006 as a shadow of his old self and realistically no way to make the team vs younger stars Takahashi and Oda.
Alexander Fadeev- A favorite of mine as you can tell by my username. He did have a fine career, but after winning his first world title in 1985, a lot expected much more. He had a huge lead going into the LP at the 86 worlds and only needed to finish 3rd in the LP to ensure the gold, but had such a disaester he wound up 5th in the LP and dropping to bronze behind surprise winner Boitano (who at that time was not as highly regarded and only 4th going into the LP) and Orser. From that point he slowly lost ground to the 2 Brians who kept improving while he really didn't, while continuing to struggle with consistency issues. He also annually skated much better at Europeans than worlds. Compare his 87 and 89 Europeans performances to his worlds performances which could have won worlds both years, particularly 89. In Calgary he was still considered a near lock for atleast a bronze but after winning figures, a 9th place finish in the short (where he fell on the combination, and the entire top 12 besides him were clean), combined with a subpar long where he was 4th left him 4th behind the rising Soviet Victor Petrenko. He actually won Soviet Nationals over Petrenko in 90, and was 2nd at NHK behind Petrenko but over Browning, but quietly dissapeared before Europeans and worlds 1990 without ever announcing retirement. A strange ending to his strange career.
Jozef Sabovcik- He had a ton of jumping talent, and while the rest of his skating did not live up to his jumping prowess, according to Orser's book a lot of that was laziness and general lack of work ethic. He did win the bronze at the 84 Olympics, but mistakes left him off the podium at both the 84 and 85 worlds. He had a great shot at the world title in 86, and would have won with his Europeans performance, but had a total disaester and wound up 11th in the long and 6th overall. He wound up needing to take a break with injury but quietly retiring before the 88 Olympics.
Mark Mitchell- A very talented skater, but suffered with difficulties with the triple axel, and being caught in a deep US era with Eldredge, Bowman, Wylie, and Davis. Also was never a favorite of the USFSA and never made a strong enough stand at the world level to force their hand. Had a great shot of a medal at the 93 worlds but did not come through, and that was essentialy the end of his career with Boitano returning and only 2 spots for the US to the Games. Was very controversially left off the 92 Olympic team where most agree he should have beaten a flawed Wylie at Nationals, and the bye was then given to a very injured Elredge, who in fairness was the man who gave the US 3 spots to the Games.