2019-20 Retirements, Splits & Partner Changes
- Thread starter surimi
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I'm with you on this...I enjoyed watching them a lot. I recall them getting a world medal in 2011, and then needing many, many seasons to get back to that level. But they did! I don't begrudge them a retirement either, but I would have loved to see them again in the competitive arena.
Unfortunately, it is exactly for these reasons (one, or more, or all of them) that most of the internationally competing skaters retire earlier than they would like to.
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- Oct 22, 2019
A merely very good skater in Russia doesn't stand much of a chance at international competitions, and will not make it to Europeans, GPF and/or Worlds. Good chance that the Olympic gold and silver medalists won't make Worlds this year. The 10th place finisher at Russian Nationals could probably win Nationals in almost any other country.
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- Feb 13, 2018
They all had fulfilled careers
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- Feb 24, 2012
Who had fulfilled careers? Liza I don't think ever went to an olympics despite a world title. Pogo and Radinova both world medallists also no olympics.
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- Oct 25, 2012
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The Olympics are just a side show that messes up the season.
The World Championships are the most important competition in figure skating. I hold them in much higher esteem because, unlike the Olympics, they don't have silly rules that can prevent the best skaters / partnerships taking part just because they don't have a passport of the country they represent.
CaroLiza_fan
I wonder if they hope to do what Tessa & Scott did; come back the year before the Olympics and then (hopefully considering the US Dance teams) make the Olympic team.
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Saddening
What an inane comment! The Olympics are the pinnacle of an athletes career. It is an event viewed by millions and it validates all the immense hardwork these athletes have endured out of the spotlight. The Olympics open avenues to these athletes ..many would never have the opportunities (oksana bauil?)
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No, the World Championships are the pinnacle of an athlete's career. This is where they get to compete against the best athletes from other countries, without unnecessary restrictions. And because of this, this is what people who have a genuine interest in the sport watch and take notice of.
And this is the way it was always supposed to be.
You see, the Olympics were never intended to be the "pinnacle of the sport", where elite athletes cement their status. They were supposed to be for amateur athletes to get recognition for what they did in their spare time, and maybe even get themselves noticed by the powers that be in the elite version of their sport. They were an event where normal people could see people who are just like them get to compete against each other at a big event and make a name for themselves. And maybe even get inspired to do the same.
But the rules have got diluted over the years and the definition of the word "amateur" has been twisted beyond recognition, so that now what are undeniably elite athletes do get to compete. Which is not in the spirit of what was originally intended.
So, rather than being a vehicle for bringing through talent, the Olympics have become part of the elite tour. And as a result, every four years there is massive disruption to the calendar. Not to mention the massive disruption to the athletes' whole regime, which for figure skaters is normally geared towards being at their peak in mid March, not early February. All of which would not be necessary if the Olympics had stuck to their original aim.
The Olympics have gone so far away from their original remit that there is now confusion and debate as to what they actually mean. To me, they don't mean anything special any more. They are now just an event which entertains people who may have a casual interest in some sports, and tries to get them interested in different sports.
And that is why I always put more weight on the World Championships, which were always intended to be the pinnacle of the sport.
But this is not the thread for debating this.
CaroLiza_fan
P.S. I have merged your two posts into one, so that the third sentence is no longer split mid-word.
Her last competition was in 2016, the next 2 years she was listed for some competitions but never skated there, then no news... I assume she retired!
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I just had a look through all the names, and I spotted a very familiar name. A skater that I adopted when he was doing Singles Skating.
I am going to give up trying to keep up with Nikita Vitryanyuk's Ice Dance career soon. Because it's getting to the stage where he's had more partners in the past few years than hot dinners!
CaroLiza_fan
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- Jul 12, 2019
Zagitova takes break from competition
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-figureskating-zagitova/zagitova-takes-break-from-competition-idUSKBN1YH2C4
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-figureskating-zagitova/zagitova-takes-break-from-competition-idUSKBN1YH2C4
They were supposed to go to another early CS. (Finlandia, I think?) And reportedly they split while there. It's interesting that we suddenly have a bunch of teams chasing a possible 2nd berth in Poland but no one stepping up to challenge Tessari & Fioretti in Italy. The Italian junior teams have been having a rough go this JGP season themselves. Barbara has her work cut out for her.
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- Feb 25, 2006
Pietro/Chiara were a decent team, IMO, kinda sad.
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- Oct 20, 2017
I think Igor Reznichenko has either retired or taken a break to skate in shows. He's not on the national team anymore and not at 4 Nationals, which means (if I'm not mistaken) no Polish man at Euros this season as the rest of them don't have the minimum TES in both programmes. Igor was inconsistent but he was at both Euros and Worlds three times in a row.
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