The Comeback Happy Ending | Golden Skate

The Comeback Happy Ending

Tanager

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 2, 2018
Every skater wants their final competition/season to be a great one. To skate up to their potential, to go out on a high note, feeling a sense of completeness and closure with their competitive skating career.

Of course, things don't always work out that way, unfortunately.

Gracie Gold and Daisuke Takahashi are returning this year seemingly motivated by things not ending on a high note for them before and wanting to ultimately finish their careers on their own terms. Kevin Reynolds is staying around another year presumably for the same reason.

To make a comeback or to stay longer in the sport seeking that happier, more complete ending...well, it's not easy. And of course, "closure" has always looked different to different skaters; one skater may want to make that final Olympic team while another may want simply to have a final skate they can be proud of.

What are some of the success stories of skaters who have done this? Who have come back or stuck around to try to end their careers on their own terms and ultimately had that happy (or happier) ending? What are the good stories where skaters have found that closure?
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Ryan Bradley staying around even after just missing that 2010 Olympic team (he should have been on it IMHO), and ends up finally becoming US Mens Champ in 2011. :biggrin:
 

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
There are much more sad endings than happy endings. So it's difficult to find happy comebacks.

Yuna Kim maybe. Even if it doesn't seem to me that she wanted to retire after 2011 worlds or was dramatically regressing in her skating and standings. She only needed a break, a long long break.

Patrick Chan didn't get an happy ending at olympics (aside from the team gold) but at least he won a title after his comeback (4CC).
 

believed

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 20, 2018
Virtue/Moir had a pretty storybook comeback — undefeated first season, becoming the flag bearers for Canada, winning Olympic gold (team & individual), becoming the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history, but I think one of the best parts of their comeback is that they were really happy and fulfilled, and that showed in their skating.
 

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Virtue/Moir had a pretty storybook comeback — undefeated first season, becoming the flag bearers for Canada, winning Olympic gold (team & individual), becoming the most decorated figure skaters in Olympic history, but I think one of the best parts of their comeback is that they were really happy and fulfilled, and that showed in their skating.

Basically the best comeback, all categories included.
 

gravy

¿No ven quién soy yo?
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 28, 2014
Shen & Zhao returned in 2009-10 after retiring after 2007 Worlds. Twice Olympic bronze medalists, they came back to give an Olympic gold medal another shot and they did so in Vancouver after winning everything that season.
 

Step Sequence4

JULLLIEEEEETTTT!
Final Flight
Joined
Jan 12, 2018
Savchenko coming back with Massot instead of Szolkovy? I know the seasons she wasn’t competing were mostly French fed troubles but they really emerged at Boston worlds and she finally got her Olympic gold.
 

Imagine

Medalist
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Arakawa Shizuka is my queen of comebacks. After being deemed a prodigy on the rise early on, she failed to make the Olympic team in 2002. Then she came back and won the World Championships in 2004, which is amazing cause she was taking exams at Waseda University (which is apparently super prestigious or w/e) while training at the same time. Now that would have been a perfectly acceptable time to call it a career and leave the sport on a high note but noooo. She wasn't done.

So anyway, then the rules changed. She struggled with the technical side of things, like not being able to do a Biellmann spin, and finished 9th at Worlds 2005. She thought about retirement, as the new prodigy of Japanese skating (Mao of course) was rapidly rising to fame. Then she decides to make another run for the Olympics, switches coaches two months from the Games, and as we all know, became the Olympic Champion at 24. I love how she just carved out her own path to glory and made it work, not giving a Flutz about what others would think along the way. All she wanted was to deliver a program that she could be proud of.

I personally appreciate her Torino free skate for what it is; elegant, powerful, yet quiet and subdued as her namesake might suggest. It is a poetic embodiment of who she, both in her literal demeanor as well as her skating style. Of course, one can argue that it was boring, lackluster, forgettable, etc. I can see that point of view as well and sure, it was not the most technically impressive or thrilling Olympic performance. But it was the one she wanted to leave on the ice and in the end that's exactly what she did. On her terms, technically worthless (as in 0 points garnered) but iconic Ina Bauer and all. It all felt very genuine and personal. Oh, and she also made a "comeback" to doing triple jumps after being pregnant and delivering a baby. I think Shizuka has comebacks down to a science.
 

lesnar001

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Arakawa Shizuka is my queen of comebacks. After being deemed a prodigy on the rise early on, she failed to make the Olympic team in 2002. Then she came back and won the World Championships in 2004, which is amazing cause she was taking exams at Waseda University (which is apparently super prestigious or w/e) while training at the same time. Now that would have been a perfectly acceptable time to call it a career and leave the sport on a high note but noooo. She wasn't done.

So anyway, then the rules changed. She struggled with the technical side of things, like not being able to do a Biellmann spin, and finished 9th at Worlds 2005. She thought about retirement, as the new prodigy of Japanese skating (Mao of course) was rapidly rising to fame. Then she decides to make another run for the Olympics, switches coaches two months from the Games, and as we all know, became the Olympic Champion at 24. I love how she just carved out her own path to glory and made it work, not giving a Flutz about what others would think along the way. All she wanted was to deliver a program that she could be proud of.

I personally appreciate her Torino free skate for what it is; elegant, powerful, yet quiet and subdued as her namesake might suggest. It is a poetic embodiment of who she, both in her literal demeanor as well as her skating style. Of course, one can argue that it was boring, lackluster, forgettable, etc. I can see that point of view as well and sure, it was not the most technically impressive or thrilling Olympic performance. But it was the one she wanted to leave on the ice and in the end that's exactly what she did. On her terms, technically worthless (as in 0 points garnered) but iconic Ina Bauer and all. It all felt very genuine and personal. Oh, and she also made a "comeback" to doing triple jumps after being pregnant and delivering a baby. I think Shizuka has comebacks down to a science.
A beautiful performance. Quiet and sublime. Beautiful spins and spirals. One of my favorite Ladies Olympic LP's.
 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique
There are much more sad endings than happy endings. So it's difficult to find happy comebacks.

Yuna Kim maybe. Even if it doesn't seem to me that she wanted to retire after 2011 worlds or was dramatically regressing in her skating and standings. She only needed a break, a long long break.

Patrick Chan didn't get an happy ending at olympics (aside from the team gold) but at least he won a title after his comeback (4CC).



Patrick did get his happy ending ;) it was indeed the Team Event Gold. He almost quit in the fall... he was not feeling it anymore.... but he came back to do two things :
win his 10th national title and contribute to the team gold..

he achieved both of these goals, leaving the games happy. The rest : it doesn't matter... everyone sets their own goals. Patrick wanted to have games where he could skate and enjoy his time which hadn't happen at Sochi... mission accomplished.

Yes... on his way back : Patrick achieved a few more things : winning 4CC with a flawless program that was featuring an extra 3axel, which was a step up from his content up to Sochi.

Also, he landed a 4s in competition at age 25... something quite unusual. He was still challenging himself until the end.

I am a Patrick fan, so I am very demanding on him, not the other way around. I would say his comeback is a great success for many reasons, and I saved the best one for the end :

Upon returning Patrick finally showed HIS style of skating... no warhorses, no classical (aside from Chopin) music... he just wanted to show what he believes skating is, in this modern era... sleek and simple costume.. pure movement from the toes to the fingertips... just beautiful and elegant, refined figure skating... no unnecessary display or superfluous choreography... this is why I believe his comeback is extremely significant.
 

Ziotic

Medalist
Joined
Dec 23, 2016
I also think Patrick ended his career on a happy note.

He may not have skated the way he wanted to the end it, but he said his goals were 10 titles and an Olympic gold.

Although the gold wasn’t individual I think winning the long program was satisfying enough for him.

At the very least I don’t think he’ll be haunted by silver forever.
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Plushenko came back and won team gold at home Olympics. That was also his third comeback, first time for Vancouver, second time for 2012 Euros, third time for Sochi.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Irina Rodnina won 4 Euro titles, 4 World titles, and an Olympic title with Alexi Ulanov. He split with her when he fell in love with another pair skater. She could have called it a career, and it would already have been legendary.

Instead, she picked herself up, dusted herself off, grabbed a new partner, and went on to win another seven Euro titles, six world championships, and two more Olympic gold medals.
 

asiacheetah

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2017
I don't know, if you only take a season off, does it TRULY count as a come back? You never really went away. You're just taking a rest season. If we count Patrick, Gracie, and Yuna taking a season off as a come back, would we count the people taking GP season off as a come back as well?

The only come back I can think of are the ones that actually retired and step away from competitive skating and then return to the ring. The first one that comes to mind are Gordieva and Grinkov. They retired from amateur skating and turned Pro. When the rules changed allowing Pros to compete again, they returned and earned their second OGM.

Shen and Zhao I'm also not sure if they ever fully retire prior to their OGM win although if they did retire, they count as a glorious happy ending come back.

Did Virtue and Moyer ever retire or did they take a season off?

As much as we all love Queen Aljona, she never retired or went away. That's not a come back. That's a persevering to meet your goal. I fully expect that she would have kept skating if she hadn't finally won the OGM.
 

NanaPat

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2014
Country
Canada
The original post talked about:
To make a comeback or to stay longer in the sport seeking that happier, more complete ending...well, it's not easy.

And used Gracie Gold and Kevin Reynolds as an example, so didn't require a formal retirement. In fact, it doesn't require any career interruption at all!

The ISU considers a comeback skater as one who has missed an entire season, and that's good enough for me.

Since the line between amateur and professional skaters has blurred, a lot of skaters don't even announce a formal retirement. I believe Davis and White haven't formally retired, but I would certainly consider it a "comeback" if they came back. Certainly Virtue and Moyer and Aljiona meet the spirit of the original post.
 

sadya

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 10, 2006
Country
Netherlands
Gordeeva/Grinkov had a happy comeback with their second gold, even if Grinkov wished he could have had a better performance in the Olympic lp. Katarina Witt had a happy comeback too, even with her mistakes in the lp. She knew she wasn't competing for gold anymore, she had a different goal and achieved that. Tanja Szewczenko almost quit the sport because of her illness, even thought she'd die, but the first part of the 1998 season was a happy comeback until things started fall apart by the time she reaced the Olympics.
 

lesnar001

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 19, 2005
Lu Chen winning the bronze medal at the 1998 Olympics - one year after finishing 25th at the World Championships.

A truly beautiful skater.
 

Yuzuruu

the silent assassin
Medalist
Joined
Nov 21, 2017
I don't know, if you only take a season off, does it TRULY count as a come back? You never really went away. You're just taking a rest season. If we count Patrick, Gracie, and Yuna taking a season off as a come back, would we count the people taking GP season off as a come back as well?

Did Virtue and Moyer ever retire or did they take a season off?

A sesason off is a season off, you practice less, judges may hold you down when you come back etc. so I think it's fair to say that after a full year of rest you are actually making a 'comeback'.

It's MOIR and they did retire after Sochi, they were out for two full seasons if I recall correctly so it was definitely a comeback and a glorious one indeed ;)

Yuna also took one full season off so also a comeback, and it surely was a successful one - a world championship and an Olympic silver (that should've been gold but oh well...)

G&G are my favorite comeback skaters of all time for sure :) shame we won't ever see Sergei again, I miss his skating so much :(

Patrick's comeback was an endless struggle but as 4everchan beautifully described it - it was all worth it, Patrick achieved what he wanted and so much more, he changed the way of male skating and I am grateful he did not give up because I love his style, he's a true champion and one of my idols.

And now I couldn't be more exited for Gracie G. and Daisuke! I wish them all the best in the upcoming season :)
 
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