Favourite veteran skaters of 2019-20 | Golden Skate

Favourite veteran skaters of 2019-20

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
For celebrating the uncles and aunties of figure skating who might not be top contenders anymore for World or Olympic titles, but nevertheless are still going strong as of this season!

It's hard to set a distinction, but I might suggest including ladies at least 25, men at least 28, and pairs/dance members at least 30 years old who are still ISU-eligible and getting internationally-competitive TES scores. You could include examples outside this range if you think the skater is doing exceptionally well for their age :)

Some examples that spring to mind:

Ladies:
Alena Leonova

Men:
Michal Brezina
Alexei Bychenko
Sergei Voronov

Pairs:
Vanessa James
Zoe Jones (has three children too!!)
Della Monica/Guarise

Dance:
Guignard/Fabbri
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
What a lovely idea for a thread!

I would like to include Deanna Stellato who until this season had quite some success with Nathan Bartholomay. And what about Ksenia Stolbova who has just jumped back onto the scene with a new partner? She's 27, and fits the bill.

I'm not sure about Carolina Kostner (she may have finished with competing now) but she skated competitively until her 31st.

Past success: Aljona Savchenko who won an Olympic Gold at 34. Yay! I know she's not part of the 2019-2020 scene, but I admire her so much that I want to name her anyway.
 

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2014
Country
United-States
My gal Deanna:luv17:

Chris Knierim is 31, but it’s hard to think of him as an uncle, I don’t know why:)
 

Seven Sisters

Medalist
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
Daisuke Takahashi is 33 and still skating brilliantly. As if this were not enough, he’s also decided to challenge himself by preparing to compete in a new discipline.
 

DenissVFan

Medalist
Joined
Oct 20, 2017
Interesting fact: there are only two female singles skaters on this year's GP circuit who fit these criteria: Mae Berenice Meite and Veronik Mallet, both 25 years old (b. 1994). The next oldest are Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Mariah Bell, Laurine Lecavalier and Nicole Schott, who were all born in 1996.
 

Dreamer57

Record Breaker
Joined
May 20, 2018
May I suggest Nikolaj Sorensen? :hap10:

I'd also like to include Karly Robertson who represents Great Britain and participated in Nepela Memorial last month. She turns 30 in November!
 

Seven Sisters

Medalist
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
May I suggest Nikolaj Sorensen? :hap10:
!

It’s great that ice dancers can stay competitive into their thirties, because it gives us all more time to enjoy them. Evan Bates is also in his thirties, as are Weaver and Poje, who may or may not be retired from competition but are nonetheless both off killing it on the Battle of the Blades.

Sean Rabbitt is also pushing 30, and still going strong.
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
Keegan is nearly 28 too, though somehow I don't see him as an uncle yet. Andrew Dodds from Australia is 28 and manages to compete in two disciplines! What about Matteo Guarise? Isn't he 31 or 32? Still going strong as well.
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
Great suggestions from everyone! I was surprised that some of the singles skaters mentioned are actually that old (Keegan, Karly, Mae Berenice, Veronik). Keegan particularly seems to be coming into his prime now - maybe he's just a late bloomer :biggrin:

Indeed, looking forward to seeing Deanna Stellato and Ksenia Stolbova (and Daisuke) in competition again with their respective new partners!

Carolina and Aliona have certainly enjoyed exceptional longevity and success. If we include other past veterans too, then certainly Evgeni Plushenko is worth a mention (plus his lesser-known compatriot Konstantin Menshov).

I wonder what the secret to a long competitive skating career is... apart from becoming a cyborg like Plushenko of course :laugh:

And another thing: why do we see older pairs skaters than singles skaters? I can understand why many ice dancers can still compete into their 30s, since they aren't subject to repetitive pounding from jumps. Might this have to do with having fewer jump elements in pairs than singles, or easier jumps due to grade of execution generally outweighing base value of SBS/throw jumps?
 

Interspectator

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 25, 2012
Alas, so many of my favorite ladies skaters are considered veterans at the ripe old age of 20! :drama: All the women skating over 20 are my favorite veterans.
And special mention to Voronov, Brezina and Bychenko. :cheer:
 

Harriet

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2017
Country
Australia
I remain completely charmed by Alexei Bychenko, and in particular his current piratical incarnation. Especially as he does the occasional drunken Captain Jack Sparrow reel in there. Next year the Dread Pirate Roberts perhaps? :laugh:

And always a ton of respect for Zoe Jones.

Re pair skaters and longevity, even though pairs has the highest rates of acute injury of all the disciplines, I suspect male pairs skaters are able to keep skating for longer because the requirement for partners to do matching elements means that they're not forced to attempt quads and 3As that their bodies might not be well conformed for in order to be competitive at the highest levels, protecting their hips and knees, and likewise female pairs skaters are able to keep going because they're not pushed into doing layback spins and Biellmann positions that wreck their backs if they don't have ultra-flexible lower spines to start with (again, because they have to match their partners). It's like they get a trade-off - one more sustainable set of elements that they can do for longer, set aginst another set (throw jumps and lifts) that's more likely to do worse and more acute types of damage. It balances out in the form of longer careers.
 

Coryocris

Praise our Little Bear
On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
Country
Germany
Valtter Virtanen!! He's 32 and a medical doctor and still on the competitive ice.
 

anonymoose_au

Insert weird opinion here
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Australia
Great suggestions from everyone!

...

If we include other past veterans too, then certainly Evgeni Plushenko is worth a mention (plus his lesser-known compatriot Konstantin Menshov).

Old Man Menshov! He was a fave...he's going into coaching now :)

Valtter Virtanen!! He's 32 and a medical doctor and still on the competitive ice.

Dr Finland! He's awesome :biggrin:

Sergei is my favourite, especially since his own Fed gives him no love and credit. Looking forward to his GPs this season.
 

TT_Fin

The second worst besserwisser in the world
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 29, 2007
Country
Finland
Valtter Virtanen!! He's 32 and a medical doctor and still on the competitive ice.

Not just a doctor, he is also a Phd.

My favourites are just everybody, who are able to compete at Euros and worlds, at the age mentioned in the first post. My secret hope is that older skaters do well and perharps some of them could even medal.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Liubov Ilyushechkina is 27 and will be 28 in a few weeks.
 

Seven Sisters

Medalist
Joined
Jul 17, 2018
My secret hope is that older skaters do well and perharps some of them could even medal.

Your wishes and hopes have already been fulfilled, given that 30-year-old Sorensen and his only-slightly-younger partner, Fournier Beaudry, medaled at Skate America last week!

I don’t think they are done yet, either...
 
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