Best skater of each quadrennial- 1977 to today | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Best skater of each quadrennial- 1977 to today

StephenGfan

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 10, 2018
No tessa/scott or michelle? You could make strong cases for both for being the best skaters of a quad. I would have tessa/scott tied with D/W for the 2010-2014 or tessa/scott for the 2014-2018 quad and michelle for the 1995-1998 quad. Domnina shabali and,tara lipinski but no tessa/scott or michelle? :rofl:
 

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
just like we won't pretend that Hanyu won his olympic medals with 2 great skates (in each program) ... also, why do you give Hanyu as the top skater of the years when Javi beat him at words after winning europeans.... ????

I would say that Hanyu and Fernandez are tied for 2015 and 2016, even if we can give the edge to Fernandez if we think that worlds weight more. For example, Hanyu was just fantastic in GP series in 2016 (and worlds SP). I wouldn't say that Fernandez was dominant that season. But he won worlds thanks to a superb FS. So he can maybe get the top skater of the year because of that. I would say that Fernandez was the top skater in 2015 even if Hanyu won GPF (because aside GPF it wasn't just a good season for Hanyu), and Hanyu was the top skater in 2016 even if Fernandez won worlds (because Hanyu was in a different galaxy before worlds FS).

Europeans doesn't count imo. Because:
- Not every skater can compete there,
- It's easier for european skater to take part to that competition than 4CC skaters to compete at 4CC.
- These last years the field at euros was way more weaker than the 4CC field, and usually the scoring is more generous. Fernandez would have had an harder time to win if he had to compete with 2016, 2017, 2018 4CC field.

So for me if we have to compare titles, only GPF and worlds count. Because every skater can take part to both.
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
So for me if we have to compare titles, only GPF and worlds count. Because every skater can take part to both.

As they can the Olympics, of course. (oh, and we don't have to 'pretend' that Yuzu won with two great skates in each... he, like pretty much every other man in Sochi, had real problems with that free. But he has skated five times there and four of those were by any unbiased assessment superb - the Olympic Channel would seem to agree, and put out a special video of Yuzu's competitions and his two glorious exhibitions, the first good copy of that White Legend skate I've managed to come across. And neither of his actual victories seem to have been controversial?)

Actually, Yuzu and Javi sharing the honours and the ice in 2015-18 is one of the great things about that quad, of course. Rivalries make any sport more exciting, but a rivalry as brilliant and uniquely 'feelgood' as theirs is rare and won't be forgotten for a long time.
 

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
As they can the Olympics, of course. (oh, and we don't have to 'pretend' that Yuzu won with two great skates in each... he, like pretty much every other man in Sochi, had real problems with that free. But he has skated five times there and four of those were by any unbiased assessment superb - the Olympic Channel would seem to agree, and put out a special video of Yuzu's competitions and his two glorious exhibitions, the first good copy of that White Legend skate I've managed to come across)

Actually, Yuzu and Javi sharing the honours and the ice in 2015-18 is one of the great things about that quad, of course. Rivalries make any sport more exciting, but a rivalry as brilliant and uniquely 'feelgood' as theirs is rare and won't be forgotten for a long time.

Well, many prefer to forget the great performances that he did at olympics. If find it weird to always point that he wasn't clinical in both program. It's not like any other top contender was and should have got the got the gold instead of him. I think he did more than to prove these last seasons that these wins were not accidental.

I would like every medalist to stand on podium like Hanyu and Fernandez at Finlandia trophy in 2012.:biggrin:


For 2007-2011 in ladies, finally i will go for a 50/50. Kim-Asada.
 

TallyT

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 23, 2018
Country
Australia
Well, many prefer to forget the great performances that he did at olympics. If find it weird to always point that he wasn't clinical in both program. It's not like any other top contender was and should have got the got the gold instead of him. I think he did more than to prove these last seasons that these wins were not accidental.

I would like every medalist to stand on podium like Hanyu and Fernandez at Finlandia trophy in 2012.:biggrin:

'Clinical' is one word I don't think anyone anywhere has seriously used for Yuzuru Hanyu :laugh2:
 

4everchan

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2015
Country
Martinique
I would say that Hanyu and Fernandez are tied for 2015 and 2016, even if we can give the edge to Fernandez if we think that worlds weight more. For example, Hanyu was just fantastic in GP series in 2016 (and worlds SP). I wouldn't say that Fernandez was dominant that season. But he won worlds thanks to a superb FS. So he can maybe get the top skater of the year because of that. I would say that Fernandez was the top skater in 2015 even if Hanyu won GPF (because aside GPF it wasn't just a good season for Hanyu), and Hanyu was the top skater in 2016 even if Fernandez won worlds (because Hanyu was in a different galaxy before worlds FS).

Europeans doesn't count imo. Because:
- Not every skater can compete there,
- It's easier for european skater to take part to that competition than 4CC skaters to compete at 4CC.
- These last years the field at euros was way more weaker than the 4CC field, and usually the scoring is more generous. Fernandez would have had an harder time to win if he had to compete with 2016, 2017, 2018 4CC field.

So for me if we have to compare titles, only GPF and worlds count. Because every skater can take part to both.

GPF is per invitation only and only features 6 skaters. It's less important than ISU championships, accordingly to the ISU itself : proof, they give more points to the winner of 4CC and Euros than to the winner of GPF. Something people forget when they think GPF is the top of the top... it excludes skaters who CAN and HAVE beaten the GPF participants : best example of that is Kevin Reynolds... who barely has a GP medal to his name.. yet, with the skates of his live he beat Hanyu and others, GPF contenders at 4cc.

This doesn't mean that GPF is not important for fans and skaters.... but it's not a championship with multiple entries.

Talking about ISU championships, I agree with you that certain years, the field is much harder at 4cc than at Euros, but that does vary... it really depends on the year. However, it is still a championship with entries from many countries and rarely do skaters skip Euros... while some like to skip 4CC....

To me a dominant season is wins after wins... split seasons are fun to watch for rivalries.. however, if we have to select a winner for seasons that are split, then I go with ISU championships.

so I would give the edge to fernandez on those two seasons even though I admit the NHK CHOPIN-SEIMEI and GPF that same year where the apotheosis of Hanyu's performance in his entire career.
 

DSQ

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Country
United-Kingdom
- It's easier for european skater to take part to that competition than 4CC skaters to compete at 4CC.

Not true. You have to earn spots at Europeans whereas at 4CC every country can have three spots if the want.
 

tokoyami

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 9, 2018
ok but in all honesty here are my picks for most dominant skater of each quadrennial. Please don't send me hate for this but I will take no constructive criticisms

Men:

1977-1980: Keegan Messing
1981-1984: Keegan Messing
1985-1988: Keegan Messing
1989-1992: Keegan Messing
1993-1994: Keegan Messing
1995-1998: Keegan Messing
1999-2002: Keegan Messing
2003-2006: Keegan Messing
2007-2010: Keegan Messing
2011-2014: Keegan Messing
2015-2018: Keegan Messing
 

jenaj

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 17, 2003
Country
United-States
I see Americans have a really tough time dealing with the fact that not everyone considers Michelle the best...
It’s hard to hold back when someone says something so objectively wrong as naming Tara Lipinski (also American, BTW) as being most dominant in 1995-98. I checked with my friend, Wikipedia, and learned the following: In that time period, Michelle competed internationally 15 times. She won gold at 10 events, silver at 4 and was 4th at one. Tara competed at 11 events. She won 4 golds, 4 silvers, 1 bronze and finished 4th and 15th at 2 other events. Michelle clearly was dominant during that quad.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
^ Well, you could look at it this way.

If you win the world championship, then you were the most successful skater that year. Except that in an Olympic year, the Olympic champion is the most successful. This gives us the following winners of the "skater of the year" award.

1995 -- Chen Lu
1996 -- Michelle Kwan
1997 -- Tara Lipinski
1998 -- Tara Lipinski

Next quad:

1999 -- Maria Butyrskaya
2000 -- Michelle Kwan
2001 -- Michelle Kwan
2002 -- Sarah Hughes

Next quad

2003 -- Michelle Kwan
2004 -- Shizuka Arakawa
2005 -- Irina Slutskaya
2006 -- Shizuka Arakawa

The three-quad marathon:

Michelle Kwan 4
Tara Lipinski 2
Shizuka Arakawa 2

and 1 each for Chen Lu, Maria Butyrskaya, Sarah Hughes and Irina Slutskaya.

:)
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
In 1995, Tara was losing US Jr. Nationals to Sydne Vogel, and finishing 4th at Junior Worlds
In 1996, she finished 15th at senior Worlds
In 1997, she won Worlds, GPF and US Nationals, but did not win the other three events she entered
In 1998 she won Olympics after losing US Nationals to Michelle, and she skipped Worlds

In 1995, Michelle was 2nd at Worlds
In 1996, she won everything she entered
In 1997, she was second at Worlds
In 1998, she won worlds and was second at Olympics.

Michelle was clearly the most dominant skater of that quad vs. Tara.
 
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GoneWithTheWind

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 7, 2018
Country
United-Kingdom
Who was the best skater of each quadrennial from 1977 to today.

Pairs:
2015-2018: Savchenko & Massot

Much as I love Savchenko & Massot and their Olympic/Worlds winning free skate, I would like to suggest that Duhamel & Radford should also have a claim on the 'best' between 2015-2018. They won the world title twice, went undeafeated for 10 straight competitions, achieved a grand slam in the 2014-15 season (won Worlds, 4CC and GPF in the same season) and from 2014 Worlds to 2018 Olympics only missed the podium once (2017 Worlds).

Savchenko and Massot didn't compete at all in the 2014-15 season, and didn't compete the Grand Prix in the 2015-16 season and although they were amazing in the 2017-18 and their Olympic free skate was so, so glorious, this takes them out of the running for the title of 'best' in my opinion. I could see why people could argue they could be proclaimed the 'best' for that quadrennial based on their Olympic skate alone though!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Not exactly relevant to the question of this thread, but here is an interesting trivia question.

Who are the only two ladies to win world figure skating championships in three different quads?

Answer: Sonja Henie and Michelle Kwan. (If you count the worlds after the Olympics as being the start of a new quad instead of the end of the old one, then also Mao Asada joins the list with gold in 2009, 2010, and 2014.) :yes:
 

yume

🍉
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 11, 2016
Not exactly relevant to the question of this thread, but here is an interesting trivia question.

Who are the only two ladies to win world figure skating championships in three different quads?

Answer: Sonja Henie and Michelle Kwan. (If you count the worlds after the Olympics as being the start of a new quad instead of the end of the old one, then also Mao Asada joins the list with gold in 2009, 2010, and 2014.) :yes:

2008.
Interesting. That shows longevity on top.
 
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