trainingdogs82
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With the Grand Prix final on the horizon who are some skaters who seemed to peak at the Grand Prix final but could not keep up the momentum for Olympics or Worlds.
Yuzura Hanyu is one for sure. His winning performances, particularly the long program, at the 2013-2014 season Grand Prix final were much better than his Olympic and world winning ones that year. He won it 4 years consecutively from 2014-2017, and was 2nd in both 2013 and 2020. He never duplicated that same dominance at worlds, or even really at the Olympics despite winning back to back Olympic Golds. In the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons he easily beat Javier Fernandez both times, only to lose to him at worlds both seasons. In the 2016 edition setting WR scores, and falling so far below that performance at worlds.
Irina Slutskaya I think is one. She won the Grand Prix final in the 99-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2004-2005 seasons, but only won the biggest event of the year 1 of those 4 (she won 2002 worlds, but the Olympics were the biggest event that season). She also missed the podium only once in every edition she skated in, and that was a 4th in the 97-98 edition. She placed lower at the years biggest event than at the Grand Prix final itself in 7 of the 8 times she skated in both, with the exception of the 2004-2005 season where she won both.
Another I would pick is Yu Na Kim. This might seem like a strange choice but she only competed in it 4 times and won it 3, and was a close 2nd in the other. Despite winning worlds twice and Olympics once, per competition this is a far better record than her Olympics/worlds one. She failed to win worlds in any of the 3 years she won it, and came only 3rd at worlds in 2 of those, although she did win the 2010 Olympics in the season of one of her wins. Her performances in 2007 and 2008 were also much better than her performances at worlds, atleast in the long program. Had she competed in the 2010-2011, 2012-2013, 2013-2014 seasons, her record there would likely trump her world/Olympic one even more emphatically.
Shen & Zhao would be a choice of mine. They have an incredible career, including 3 world titles, 3 Olympic medals including the Olympic Gold in 2010. They have won the Grand Prix final 5 times though. That is 5 out of 9 times competing. Their record there is 5 golds, 1 silver, 2 bronze, and a single 4th in their debut in the 97-98 season. They were generally more dominant at the Grand Prix final than anywhere else.
A very minor pick I would have is Davis & White. While they have an incredible record in World/Olympic competition they were still more dominant at the Grand Prix final, winning 5 consecutive times. They lost to Virtue & Moir at the 2010 Olympics, 2010 worlds, 2012 worlds, but never at the Grand Prix final.
Weaver & Poje would be a major pick. They won the Grand Prix final in back to back seasons, and came only 3rd and 5th at worlds those 2 same seasons. In their latter win Papadakis & Cizeron were absent, but it was still an outright drop to 5th at worlds.
Pechelat & Bourzat would be another. They medaled at every single Grand Prix final the 2011-2014 Olympic quad, but medaled at the biggest event of the year only 1 of those 4 times.
Tatiana Malina I would give an honorable mention as she did win the event in 98-99, but never won a medal of any kind at worlds. Her performances in winning the 98-99 Grand Prix final would have won her the silver at worlds that same year behind Butyrskaya.
Yuzura Hanyu is one for sure. His winning performances, particularly the long program, at the 2013-2014 season Grand Prix final were much better than his Olympic and world winning ones that year. He won it 4 years consecutively from 2014-2017, and was 2nd in both 2013 and 2020. He never duplicated that same dominance at worlds, or even really at the Olympics despite winning back to back Olympic Golds. In the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 seasons he easily beat Javier Fernandez both times, only to lose to him at worlds both seasons. In the 2016 edition setting WR scores, and falling so far below that performance at worlds.
Irina Slutskaya I think is one. She won the Grand Prix final in the 99-2000, 2000-2001, 2001-2002, and 2004-2005 seasons, but only won the biggest event of the year 1 of those 4 (she won 2002 worlds, but the Olympics were the biggest event that season). She also missed the podium only once in every edition she skated in, and that was a 4th in the 97-98 edition. She placed lower at the years biggest event than at the Grand Prix final itself in 7 of the 8 times she skated in both, with the exception of the 2004-2005 season where she won both.
Another I would pick is Yu Na Kim. This might seem like a strange choice but she only competed in it 4 times and won it 3, and was a close 2nd in the other. Despite winning worlds twice and Olympics once, per competition this is a far better record than her Olympics/worlds one. She failed to win worlds in any of the 3 years she won it, and came only 3rd at worlds in 2 of those, although she did win the 2010 Olympics in the season of one of her wins. Her performances in 2007 and 2008 were also much better than her performances at worlds, atleast in the long program. Had she competed in the 2010-2011, 2012-2013, 2013-2014 seasons, her record there would likely trump her world/Olympic one even more emphatically.
Shen & Zhao would be a choice of mine. They have an incredible career, including 3 world titles, 3 Olympic medals including the Olympic Gold in 2010. They have won the Grand Prix final 5 times though. That is 5 out of 9 times competing. Their record there is 5 golds, 1 silver, 2 bronze, and a single 4th in their debut in the 97-98 season. They were generally more dominant at the Grand Prix final than anywhere else.
A very minor pick I would have is Davis & White. While they have an incredible record in World/Olympic competition they were still more dominant at the Grand Prix final, winning 5 consecutive times. They lost to Virtue & Moir at the 2010 Olympics, 2010 worlds, 2012 worlds, but never at the Grand Prix final.
Weaver & Poje would be a major pick. They won the Grand Prix final in back to back seasons, and came only 3rd and 5th at worlds those 2 same seasons. In their latter win Papadakis & Cizeron were absent, but it was still an outright drop to 5th at worlds.
Pechelat & Bourzat would be another. They medaled at every single Grand Prix final the 2011-2014 Olympic quad, but medaled at the biggest event of the year only 1 of those 4 times.
Tatiana Malina I would give an honorable mention as she did win the event in 98-99, but never won a medal of any kind at worlds. Her performances in winning the 98-99 Grand Prix final would have won her the silver at worlds that same year behind Butyrskaya.
