Olympic-fatigued skaters bumble through worlds

Yuna looked very fatigued and a bit unmotivated.. Don't blame her.

She's burned out from Vancouver.

I'm pretty sure she wants to eat the food she missed and be with her friends who don't mind seeing her gain weight.

About Sara Hughes, she got heavy after winning her gold in Salt Lake. Not exactly skating shape.

I hope Mao doesn't turn out like Michelle Kwan by winning all the other competition, but the Olympic gold.

Yuna should learn to enjoy life as a normal 19 year old should do. Now the pressure is off her back. I doubt that she wants to train anymore and I don't blame her. She wants to have fun and party like other 19 year olds.

I don't get it: skaters years ago were all able to gather together, despite being tired, to compete at World's; but now they don't. It's not that I don't sympathize for the skaters hardships but, what about all the other sports athletes who compete after the Olympics? I don't know, are they complaining too? If so, then all of the competitions right after the Olympics should be delayed. It wouldn't do to have nothing but sloppy performances by almost everyone.

Let's just hope that Kim Yu Na doesn't slip into obscurity like so many other Olympic gold medalists have (e.g. Oksana, Hughs, and Lipinski).

My understanding is that Lipinski had to stop skating competitively due to skating related injuries. It's a sport that can take a real toll on the underbody. Hughes competed the season following her gold, but only finished 6th at the following Worlds, so she left and went to Yale.

Even if Yu Na Kim does retire, she likely won't slip into obscurity, at least not in East Asia. She's too big of a phenomena. She'd likely end up in acting/modeling or sports broadcasting like Shirakawa.

Why would they start training again so soon after the Olympics? Wouldn't it make more sense to rest for a couple of weeks and then train for a couple of weeks?

I don't know, I watched the Alpine Skiing Championships yesterday from Lake Placid and no one was bumbling. Why would it be different for skiiers than skaters?

The Japanese skaters apparently did well in the World Championship.

Obviously you didn't hear about Oda's performance.

netrek:

Also I don't like her attitude.

Do you care to expand on that?

I think it's interesting to note that Michelle Kwan, despite having won "only" Olympic silver and bronze, has made a deeper impression in the sport than those other Olympic gold winners that haoushokuhaki has mentioned.

She's probably one of the best skaters to have never won the Olympic gold. I'm glad she was gracious enough to pass on the previous Olympics, giving her spot to Hugh's sister when she realized she wasn't able to skate well.

Kim Yu-na is too commercial. Also I don't like her attitude.

Now I hope that Mirai steps up after Kwan and fill in those mighty big shoes/boots. She's still young yet talented enough to do so.

I hope so too. I'm sure this will be a good learning experience for her, and that she will be ready to compete come next season. She will become to be a force to be reckoned with in Sochi, in 2014. I'm already excited at the Mirai vs. Mao vs. Kim Yu Na (if she decides to return) prospective battle. Lepisto from Finland, and that young skater (forgot her name) from Russia look very promising as well.

I think it's interesting to note that Michelle Kwan, despite having won "only" Olympic silver and bronze, has made a deeper impression in the sport than those other Olympic gold winners that haoushokuhaki has mentioned. In addition, Kwan has won 9 U.S. and 5 World titles, and despite not having that much-coveted kin medaru she really doesn't have anything left to prove. She has left her legacy in the sport.

Now I hope that Mirai steps up after Kwan and fill in those mighty big shoes/boots. She's still young yet talented enough to do so.

Let's just hope that Kim Yu Na doesn't slip into obscurity like so many other Olympic gold medalists have (e.g. Oksana, Hughs, and Lipinski). In fact, for some reason, I remember Michelle Kwan more (who has never won the gold) than those three. I wonder whatever happened to them? I think Oksana was caught drinking and driving, or something like that.

A month's break is not too short unless you are a gold medal winner and spend several weeks on a media tour, away from the rink. Many skaters do back to back competitions during the Fall with only a week's separation between skates. Pushing back the World's event would only help a few skaters. Meanwhile, it would postpone some of the skating exhibition tours. Many skaters rely on these tours to make money so they can pay their living and skating expenses. There is no way Worlds will get pushed back.

Besides, most skaters retire immediately after winning Olympic gold. For the women, Yamaguchi may have competed at Worlds after her Olympic win, but she did retire at the end of that season. The only thing that will probably bring Yu Na Kim back for another season is that she now needs to beat Mao again.

The Japanese skaters apparently did well in the World Championship. One thing about the Japanese, they are not averse to hard training no matter what the sport. Sometimes it pays off when mind over body takes effect.

Kudos to all competitors competing in the World Championships after having competed in the Olympics. It shows true spirit and grit to do so, and a service to fans who would like to see their favorite skaters one last time at the end of the ice skating season. It would be nice to see the Worlds postponed a bit later (in an Olympic year); say maybe in April or May, but I guess that might bring further complications in an already long season. I just found out that Kim Yu Na was the first woman skater since Kristi Yamaguchi (1992) to compete in the Worlds after having won the Olympic gold medal (and Kristi actually won the Worlds gold that year too!). Mao Asada on the other hand joins several skaters who have came back from not getting gold in the Olympics, but getting gold in the Worlds (e.g. Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya).

Yes even Olympic competitors are sort of pooped out this last while for they are actually humans for crying out loud. For going into World Championships right after the Winter Olympics is very stupid upon the officials. That dreamed this up.

LoveUSA

Wake up. Quads don't guarantee you a win if the rest of your routine is flawed.

I realize they want to use old Olympic venues to their utmost, by why put on this event literally back to back with the Olympics? They can't possibly believe that the gold medal winners are going to be at their peak -- the men's gold winner didn't even enter the competition (as is usually the case for the top medal winners)!

I mean, kudos to all for going out there again so soon, but if it's not going to be your best why bother?

That headline sounds so strange

Brian Joubert

deserved gold with two quads.

Oh my GOD, they finally realized the athletes are humans as well!!! Can you believe it?

Also, most of the bad commentators never put on a pair of skates themselves, nevermind competing in an international event... I wonder what gives them the confidence to start bad mouthing the champions...

I started watching some of these, but with sloppier performances of many with the same program as the olympics, what's the point.