ISU competitions where the overall winner didn't win either program.

[icyboid]

While playing fantasy figure skating I was wondering about the rare, but not impossible, outcome of a competition where the winner did not win the short nor the free skate.

How often does this happen?

The only real ISU competition I could think of fitting this example was this year's 4CC's ladies, where Yukina Ota won despite being 3rd in the short and 2nd in the free skate because the top two after the short dropped to 5th and 9th, and the winner of the free skate was 8th in the short program.

[hebequeen]

Ota should have been first in the SP at 4CC :evil:

[jcspkbfan]

The only example I can think of is 1991 Trophée Lalique--Kurt Browning won overall even though Viacheslav Zagorodinuk beat him in the SP and Alexei Urmanov beat him in the long (Kurt placed second in both programs). Kurt's back injury was really bothering him during this competition, and well, let's just say those weren't exactly the two greatest performances of his career. :cry:

I imagine this kind of outcome would have been more common back in the days of compulsory figures--didn't Jill Trenary win 1990 Worlds without placing first in the SP or LP? Midori Ito won both, IIRC, but she was too far back after figures to take the whole thing.

[mikey]

It happens more often at the junior level...

[Aussie Willy]

At the 1992 Junior Worlds, Laetitia Hubert placed third in the SP and second in the LP to win the title because she had the lowest factored points.

[NickB]

Even though you actually specified ISU competitions, I'll be stubborn and say Suzanne McDonald in senior at Eastern Sectionals. ;)

[Ellyn]

And Todd Eldredge at 1988 Junior Worlds, although he did win the figures.

[Artemis]

Well if you want to go further back to the days of figures ... the classic example is the 1984 Olympics. Brian Orser won both the short and free programs, but Scott was so far ahead after figures (or, rather, Brian so far behind) that he won the gold.

[Samskate]

Wasn't there a female skater whose first name was Trixie who won gold because of her high placement in figures? I think I'm going back quite a few years and can't remember her last name, but it's on one of the Memories on Ice tapes. Maybe it was Trixie Luba or something like that?

[snoopysnake]

Beatrix "Trixi" Schuba of Austria was generally regarded as the all-time best compulsory figures skater. Janet Lynn won the free-skating in 1972 but Trixi's large lead after compulsories allowed her to win the gold medal even though she placed 7th in freeskating. This apparently had much to do with the addition of the short program to the competitions.

There is an interesting chapter about Trixi in Toller Cranston's book "Ice Cream." She was so identified with the school figures that she even did them as her exhibition number on the world tour!

[luvtodans]

i am a jazz dancer and a big follower of skating because i have worked with several skater, but i do remember an instance in the novice level at nationals when Sarah Soloman and Ben Cohen (i do believe those names are correct) won the Novice title after coming in 2nd in the compulsories and 2nd in the freedance because the team in first dropped in the freedance and the team in thrid won the freedance... or something like that... just thought i should share

[Samskate]

snooopysnake, thanks for the clarification on Trixie's name and how she won the gold. :)