Thank you to all for keeping the conversation so classy, even when the cause was still speculative. It seems to be confirmed as a suicide now, and it's very easy for such discussion to turn into questioning the deceased's motives, character, etc. Someone mentioned that depression can "make things seem so much worse." It certainly can. But, there are also many things that are bad enough on their own that even someone without mental illness will struggle coping with. We all are born with our own individual personalities, possess varied natural and learned capability to understand and cope with stress/tragedy/bad luck, and will experience events that shape us in unique ways with possible complicated, long-lasting consequences. Even those not struggling with clinical depression might hit a limit to the amount of emotional distress they are able to withstand. This is not directed at that poster, but IMO, it's never important to wonder how or why when someone commits suicide. Someone who ever feels pain that is too unbearable to live even another moment feeling it will always have my total sympathy. I hope he has somehow found the peace he couldn't find during at least the final chapter of his live, and possibly longer.
Wonderful skater. Having looked over his career trajectory, I find his timing for a career insanely unfortunate. In 1996 when he was achieving fabulous results, he had been competing for usually only 2 slots on the World team with Urmanov, Kulik, and Abt, with Yagudin and Plushenko coming up quick behind...so he likely sensed this was dangerous territory, even with his great skills. No idea what his personal feelings were, just conjecture. And before 96, Tataurov was often keeping him out of silver at Nationals. So in 1997 and 98 he competes for AZE but like so many others who country hop, his results declined. I wonder if he had any deep regrets for the way his career ended, mired in the teens at the Olympics after looking so promising 2 years prior. Surely being in the accident with Angela and her mother was a life altering event also. I just feel terribly about all of this.
On closer look, his career wasn't nearly as ill-timed nor was his switch to AZE as unsuccessful as you've made it sound (I don't mean that as an attack in any way; it is easy to see how someone could come to the same conclusions). Igor competed for RUS at the 1993 and 1994 World Championships, as well as the 1994 Olympics. Though he'd only compete in one more ISU Championship (1996 Europeans), that is a fairly impressive resume. While he was ultimately passed by youngsters like Kulik and Yagudin, he was actually three years older than Urmanov, so really he was actually quite lucky as - at 23 - 1994 was likely more so his peak than 1996 and it allowed him the opportunity to compete in a few very prestigious events before the wave of incredible, young talent swept into RUS.
His 1996 Europeans (RUS) silver and 16th place at the 1998 Olympics (AZE) seem consistent with the results he achieved between 1992-1993 and 1997-1998. In fact, aside from that European silver, I'd even say he was more successful skating for AZE, as he placed 8th at 1997 Worlds - his highest finish ever in 3 tries - and a very successful GP season in the fall of 1997, winning two medals and earning a trip to the GPF. I remember watching the GP series that year and the commentary of his skating was very positive and I expected him to be in the picture for top 10 finishes in that year's Championship events. I'd be curious to know why he withdrew from both Europeans and Worlds, as that might give more perspective into his finish in Nagano where he may have been pushing through pain or illness. Even so, he skated a fairly respectable LP, and I am surprised that he dropped from 13th to 16th after this; I will have to watch the rest of the event that this user has kindly uploaded on YouTube. Clearly, the missing 3A kept him from moving up, but 2A, 2A, 3Z+3T (+seq), 3S, 3L is not shabby for who would end up being just the 16th best skater.
Beyond the jumps, the program itself makes the performance worth watching; he may have been a bit less committed than usual, but as someone noted, his skating was always very introverted and if he had any say in the CH, I'm impressed. In an era where the quad became the star of the show and 'artistry' was little more than showing good SS to classical or soundtrack background music, this is very nuanced, sensitive, and detailed:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2ocAHLmnE0
