Figure Skating Rivalries

Time made up a list of top ten figure skating rivalries: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1968197_1968201_1968211,00.html

They listed Mao and Yuna as number one . I have to totally disagree, cause the media makes them out to be rivals more than anything. Well, you can make your own list, so I did. This is my list here:
http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/completelist/0,29569,1968197,00.html?user=17745008691971841554&network=fc

This is nothing too significant, but if you're bored, it's something to kill some time I guess

I find Mao and Yuna being the first quite understandable, it's not only the media, but these two are really super talented golden girls showing a great rivalry through the years. I don't find anything offensive there. But to my eyes, the top rivalry was Alexei and Plushy, even if it was sometimes ugly, it always was a big battle.

polosatik wrote:

I find Mao and Yuna being the first quite understandable, it's not only the media, but these two are really super talented golden girls showing a great rivalry through the years. I don't find anything offensive there. But to my eyes, the top rivalry was Alexei and Plushy, even if it was sometimes ugly, it always was a big battle.

I didn't find it offensive, I just disagreed. I really don't know how anything tops Tonya and Nancy when their rivalry when to the extremes of physical assault, and Tonya being banned as a result.... At least Mao and Yuna are friendly (or can at least pretend to be) off the ice. Some of the other rivals can't even do that. lol. And why were Johnny and Evan not on the list??...

I love this:

Quote :

The scandal marked a low point in a sport long marred by tales of vote-swapping, judge-collusion and favoritism, and figure skating's image has yet to fully recover.

The way they're judging nowadays, it's far from recovering any soon.

Star85 wrote:

polosatik wrote:

I find Mao and Yuna being the first quite understandable, it's not only the media, but these two are really super talented golden girls showing a great rivalry through the years. I don't find anything offensive there. But to my eyes, the top rivalry was Alexei and Plushy, even if it was sometimes ugly, it always was a big battle.

I didn't find it offensive, I just disagreed. I really don't know how anything tops Tonya and Nancy when their rivalry when to the extremes of physical assault, and Tonya being banned as a result.... At least Mao and Yuna are friendly (or can at least pretend to be) off the ice. Some of the other rivals can't even do that. lol. And why were Johnny and Evan not on the list??...

It looks like the article was written on February 25, 2010, which might explain why Mao and Yuna topped their list. I agree with Star85 that Evan and Johnny should be on there. But instead they went for Todd Eldredge and Timothy Goebel...?

Oh well, I guess we don't have to take it too seriously.

I agree with polosatik about Alexei and Plushy—now that was an epic rivalry.

alyssa wrote:

I love this:

Quote :

The scandal marked a low point in a sport long marred by tales of vote-swapping, judge-collusion and favoritism, and figure skating's image has yet to fully recover.

The way they're judging nowadays, it's far from recovering any soon.

Lmao. So true!

illani wrote:

Star85 wrote:

polosatik wrote:

I find Mao and Yuna being the first quite understandable, it's not only the media, but these two are really super talented golden girls showing a great rivalry through the years. I don't find anything offensive there. But to my eyes, the top rivalry was Alexei and Plushy, even if it was sometimes ugly, it always was a big battle.

I didn't find it offensive, I just disagreed. I really don't know how anything tops Tonya and Nancy when their rivalry when to the extremes of physical assault, and Tonya being banned as a result.... At least Mao and Yuna are friendly (or can at least pretend to be) off the ice. Some of the other rivals can't even do that. lol. And why were Johnny and Evan not on the list??...

It looks like the article was written on February 25, 2010, which might explain why Mao and Yuna topped their list. I agree with Star85 that Evan and Johnny should be on there. But instead they went for Todd Eldredge and Timothy Goebel...?

Oh well, I guess we don't have to take it too seriously.

I agree with polosatik about Alexei and Plushy—now that was an epic rivalry.

Awww yes. That would maybe explain things. Other than Johnny and Evan, they are the most recent big rivals. And of course that was hyped up more than ever at olympics time.

Star85 wrote:

Time made up a list of top ten figure skating rivalries: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1968197_1968201_1968211,00.html

I would put Kwan vs Slutskaya on the list instead of Kwan vs Lipinski.

polosatik wrote:

But to my eyes, the top rivalry was Alexei and Plushy, even if it was sometimes ugly, it always was a big battle.

ITA The men's fields will never look the same without them.

europeanfan wrote:

Star85 wrote:

Time made up a list of top ten figure skating rivalries: http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1968197_1968201_1968211,00.html

I would put Kwan vs Slutskaya on the list instead of Kwan vs Lipinski.

polosatik wrote:

But to my eyes, the top rivalry was Alexei and Plushy, even if it was sometimes ugly, it always was a big battle.

ITA The men's fields will never look the same without them.

Woah, I didn't notice that. I agree with you , Tara and Michelle rivalry was too short, then Ira and Michelle were long time rivals.

^I notice that in the U.S., national rivalries usually get more attention than do international ones...

But a point that I would like to make on the subject of rivalry is that Michelle once referred to her rivalry with Tara as a "war" and Irina used the same exact word to describe her rivalry with Michelle, despite the fact that they all were friendly with each other off-ice.
By contrast, I don't think that I've ever heard either Mao or Yuna refer to their rivalry in such strong terms. As far as I remember, both girls described their rivalry as a positive thing that helped push them forward technically, they never spoke of it as an arduous war where the goal was to defeat the other.

Of course, I had heard the stories of Yuna wishing for Mao to fall or of her smiling when she was told that Mao did not make the '09 GPF, but I didn't see the video of the latter and the article in which I read the former didn't seem to offer any kind of solid proof.

I disagree!
If I had to choose among the ladies - It would have been Tonya and Nancy - That was rivalry at its PEAK! It was about the sport! The medals - The willingness to win above anything!
But - again - the whole rivals-thing-bogus feeds media!
2010 Olympics was not just about two skaters - It was about the history of FS in Japan and S.Korea - and the whole issue which links the past of these two countries...

I feel this point of view is slightly overrated! I mean - Yuna is a skater! She is not some proxy-warrior fighting for her country's dignity on ice - They have both been struggling for gold in many competitions and each of em claimed the top! Quite ends here...
Both of em are quite respectful towards each other - They play the pretend-friends quite well -
When asked questions about each other - They simply play along nicely...
Obviously - They each had their weak moments - Its understandable - How can you keep on pretending you are happy about her winning...

Seriously - Fans have been a major reason why this 'rivalry' started in the first place - Yuna fans have earned a serious reputation on youtube for the past few years...