Throwback Thursday! Protopopovs

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Record Breaker

• 
• 
• 

Joined

Jan 28, 2013

Country

• Feb 26, 2015

• #1

My all-time favorite pair! Olympic Champions in 1964 and 1968.

This video is undated; it looks to be an exhibition in the Soviet Union.

I chose it because I haven't seen it before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me4FlewMtaI

Sure, the skating lacks the speed and athleticism we see today. But note the elegance! The smoothness and completion of every single movement. They invented the death spiral.

They were glorious. Interestingly, only a year after their 1968 triumph, they were dumped in favor of another legend, Irina Rodnina, who led the revolution in athleticism. By 1970, they were only 4th at the Soviet Championships.

For fans of Dick Button, here are his thoughts:

"The Protopopovs are great skaters not only because they were the finest of Olympic champions, but also because their creative impact was extraordinary."

 

Last edited by a moderator: Feb 27, 2015

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Record Breaker

• 
• 
• 

Joined

Jan 28, 2013

Country

• Feb 26, 2015

• #2

Talk about longevity and love for the sport... and for each other!

Here's a fan-cam performance from 2013. I think he's in his 80's, she in late 70's.

And they STILL have the beautiful lines and elegance.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9ksPXmuLDU

 

Weathergal

Medalist

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Joined

May 25, 2014

• Feb 26, 2015

• #3

You did it again, TontoK--great Throwback Thursday! I never knew much about the Protopopovs, and I didn't know they were the ones who invented the death spiral. What beautiful lines and unison!

Their 1968 Olympics free skate to "Moonlight Sonata" in which they won their second gold medal is also beautiful!

A professional performance on Olga's 50th birthday.

Thought it was interesting that the exhibition performance link you shared was them performing to "Meditation from Thais," which is Kavaguti/Smirnov's SP this year, and their Olympics FS was to "Moonlight Sonata," which Gordeeva/Grinkov skated to.

 

P

peg

Medalist

• 
• 

Joined

Jan 17, 2014

• Feb 26, 2015

• #4

TontoK said:

My all-time favorite pair! Olympic Champions in 1964 and 1968.

This video is undated; it looks to be an exhibition in the Soviet Union.

I chose it because I haven't seen it before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=me4FlewMtaI

Click to expand...

Lovely! Thanks!
The announcer introduces them as the 1965 European Champions, so I'm pretty sure it's from that year. Also, I just checked and Europeans were held in Moscow that year, so I suspect it's probably from the Euros gala (they are introduced in Russian).

 

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Record Breaker

• 
• 
• 

Joined

Jan 28, 2013

Country

• Feb 26, 2015

• #5

Peg, thank you for providing that information!

Another plug for the international flavor of GS.

 

P

peg

Medalist

• 
• 

Joined

Jan 17, 2014

• Feb 26, 2015

• #6

TontoK said:

Peg, thank you for providing that information!

Another plug for the international flavor of GS.

Click to expand...

Or at least those whose university Russian classes nearly 30 years ago actually stuck at least a little

 

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Record Breaker

• 
• 
• 

Joined

Jan 28, 2013

Country

• Feb 27, 2015

• #7

Here is some footage from their first Olympic win in 1964.

Note that the judges are seated on the ice surface!

I never knew that the judges used to be there.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1B42suRXKdk

 

S

Sabrina

Record Breaker

• 
• 

Joined

Feb 13, 2013

• Feb 27, 2015

• #8

I love the Protopopovs, they are beautiful to watch...still it was such an easy routine. I know there were different times, still only crossovers and spirals...the lift was beautiful but a almost as a joke; I wish I could skate in that era...were the skates (boots) more different than today?

 

Last edited: Feb 28, 2015

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Joined

Jul 26, 2003

Country

• Feb 28, 2015

• #9

The ice was a lot worse. And some competitions were still held outdoors.

 

M

Matilda

Medalist

• 
• 

Joined

Dec 19, 2012

• Feb 28, 2015

• #10

They are such an inspiration!

 

TontoK

Hot Tonto

Record Breaker

• 
• 
• 

Joined

Jan 28, 2013

Country

• Feb 28, 2015

• #11

Sabrina said:

I love the Protopopovs, they are beautiful to watch...still it was such an easy routine. I know there were different times, still only crossovers and spirals...the lift was beautiful but a almost as a joke; I wish I could skate in that era...were the skates more different than today?

Click to expand...

You have to remember that the time was very different. For example, only the very cream of the ladies were capable of double-axel. Many men did not include a triple in their program. I think that Dick Button mentioned in one video that their lifts could not be "held" but must be raised and lowered in a continuous arc. Perhaps it was the rules for the day. They were certainly capable of more complicated lifts, as they showed during their professional career.

In any event, you are correct, though, that difficulty was not their calling card. Dick Button, again commentating, mentioned during their 1968 Olympic win that other teams had more difficulty. Unison, connection, innovation, line and balletic style. That was where their skating was supreme.

Look for some video of pairs prior to 1964. No disrespect intended towards those skaters, but it will highlight WHY the Protopopov's are icons of the sport. They changed pairs skating forever.

 

P

peg

Medalist

• 
• 

Joined

Jan 17, 2014

• Mar 2, 2015

• #12

I think elite athletes back then also didn't train with the intensity that they do today. They weren't allowed to make money from their sport, so many had regular full-time jobs and trained part-time.