- Joined
- Apr 5, 2016
Some principles:
- I prefer recent skaters over older legends due to their advanced athletic capabilities as the sport evolves
- I prefer to go with number of major titles, longevity and general impact/legacy
- I prefer not to include any pre-WW2 legends because while impressive skaters, eligibility and field depth was very different back then
- no one-hit-wonders
- I consider GPFs as credentials but did not include them as reasoning here as the series was introduced relatively late BUT I'm including 4CCs as credentials as they are the equivalent of Europeans
- I started watching figure skating a little bit more than a decade ago only so my knowledge has white spots
- five candidates are in no particular order
MEN
Hanyu - 2 OGs, 2 WGs, the total package, the best figure skating can currently get, constantly breaking new grounds, 'nuff said
Button - 2 OGs, 5 WGs, the revolutionary double Axel, European champ (!)
Yagudin - he was a prime figure skater in his time with excellent footwork while constantly beating his main rivals (1 OG, 4 WGs, 3 EGs)
Plushenko - his longevity and breaking-the-mould attitude really helped advancing the sport (1 OG, 7 EGs, 3 WGs)
??? (I'm looking at Hamilton's impressive credentials but I just can't with his bucketload of double Axels)
LADIES
Kim - the total package, never finished off the podium, 2 WGs and, in my eyes, 2 OGs really
Witt - I don't like the fact she was technically very subpar but 2 OGs, 6 EGs, 4 WGs - you can't not include her
Kwan - the most world titles in this discipline after WW2 with 5 (tied with Heiss), very consistent and high-level skating thorough a decade
Heiss - 1 OG, 5 WGs and very influential
Fleming - 1 OG, 3 WGs and hugely influential
honorary mention: Slutskaya - 7 EGs, 2 WGs, 2 Olympic medals (and I'm biased)
PAIRS
Savchenko and her boys - her sheer endurance and grit speak for themselves, oh and she holds 6 WGs, 4 EGs and 1 OG
Rodnina and her boys - 3 OGs, 10 consecutive WGs, 11 EGs
Gordeeva/Grinkov - 'nuff said (2 OGs, 4 WGs, 2 EGs)
Belousova/Protopopov - mostly the same credentials as above (2 OGs, 4 WGs, 4EGs), their sheer love for this sport thorough decades
Shen/Zhao - 'nuff said (1 OG, 3 WGs, 3 4CGs)
honorary mention: Valova/Vasiliev - 1 OG, 3 WGs, 3 EGs
DANCE
Virtue/Moir - 'nuff said, bias (2 OGS, 3 WGs, 3 4CGs)
Torvill/Dean - some mediocre unpolished dancers without any real legacy, you don't hear their names anywhere... (oh wait 1 OG, 4 WGs, 4 EGs)
Grishuk/Platov - 2 OGs, 4 WGs, 3 EGs
Pakhomova/Gorshkov - they would have at least 2 OGs had dance been intrduced earlier to Olympics, 6 WGs, 6 EGs
Papadakis/Cizeron - their path is soaring with new heights in dance and 3 WGs already in the pocket
In fact, in my case I considered medals of other colors as well but it would have been tool tedious to list all of them. (Many of the listed skaters in my post have tons of silvers and bronzes as well.) On the other hand, being able to squeeze out the gold instead of claiming silver or bronze is also a factor in greatness imo.
- I prefer recent skaters over older legends due to their advanced athletic capabilities as the sport evolves
- I prefer to go with number of major titles, longevity and general impact/legacy
- I prefer not to include any pre-WW2 legends because while impressive skaters, eligibility and field depth was very different back then
- no one-hit-wonders
- I consider GPFs as credentials but did not include them as reasoning here as the series was introduced relatively late BUT I'm including 4CCs as credentials as they are the equivalent of Europeans
- I started watching figure skating a little bit more than a decade ago only so my knowledge has white spots
- five candidates are in no particular order
MEN
Hanyu - 2 OGs, 2 WGs, the total package, the best figure skating can currently get, constantly breaking new grounds, 'nuff said
Button - 2 OGs, 5 WGs, the revolutionary double Axel, European champ (!)
Yagudin - he was a prime figure skater in his time with excellent footwork while constantly beating his main rivals (1 OG, 4 WGs, 3 EGs)
Plushenko - his longevity and breaking-the-mould attitude really helped advancing the sport (1 OG, 7 EGs, 3 WGs)
??? (I'm looking at Hamilton's impressive credentials but I just can't with his bucketload of double Axels)
LADIES
Kim - the total package, never finished off the podium, 2 WGs and, in my eyes, 2 OGs really
Witt - I don't like the fact she was technically very subpar but 2 OGs, 6 EGs, 4 WGs - you can't not include her
Kwan - the most world titles in this discipline after WW2 with 5 (tied with Heiss), very consistent and high-level skating thorough a decade
Heiss - 1 OG, 5 WGs and very influential
Fleming - 1 OG, 3 WGs and hugely influential
honorary mention: Slutskaya - 7 EGs, 2 WGs, 2 Olympic medals (and I'm biased)
PAIRS
Savchenko and her boys - her sheer endurance and grit speak for themselves, oh and she holds 6 WGs, 4 EGs and 1 OG
Rodnina and her boys - 3 OGs, 10 consecutive WGs, 11 EGs
Gordeeva/Grinkov - 'nuff said (2 OGs, 4 WGs, 2 EGs)
Belousova/Protopopov - mostly the same credentials as above (2 OGs, 4 WGs, 4EGs), their sheer love for this sport thorough decades
Shen/Zhao - 'nuff said (1 OG, 3 WGs, 3 4CGs)
honorary mention: Valova/Vasiliev - 1 OG, 3 WGs, 3 EGs
DANCE
Virtue/Moir - 'nuff said, bias (2 OGS, 3 WGs, 3 4CGs)
Torvill/Dean - some mediocre unpolished dancers without any real legacy, you don't hear their names anywhere... (oh wait 1 OG, 4 WGs, 4 EGs)
Grishuk/Platov - 2 OGs, 4 WGs, 3 EGs
Pakhomova/Gorshkov - they would have at least 2 OGs had dance been intrduced earlier to Olympics, 6 WGs, 6 EGs
Papadakis/Cizeron - their path is soaring with new heights in dance and 3 WGs already in the pocket
I think it is not fair to consider golds only.
In fact, in my case I considered medals of other colors as well but it would have been tool tedious to list all of them. (Many of the listed skaters in my post have tons of silvers and bronzes as well.) On the other hand, being able to squeeze out the gold instead of claiming silver or bronze is also a factor in greatness imo.