http://canada.com/sports/story.html?id=C058B709-434C-4BA0-8D35-3886DA645DB3
Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin quits top competitive figure skating circuit
Canadian Press
Thursday, October 30, 2003
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MISSISSAUGA, Ont. (CP) - Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin, who announced Thursday that he’s bowing out of the top competitive level of figure skating, will perform following the MasterCard Skate Canada International meet’s exhibition gala Sunday afternoon.
"Alexei asked for the opportunity to show his appreciation to all the Canadian fans who have supported his amateur career in Canada," said Pam Coburn, CEO of Skate Canada. "He has always enjoyed Canadian audiences."
Yagudin will skate Sunday in the Hershey Centre and a special ceremony will be held to honour his achievements.
Yagudin, 23, won world titles in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002, when in Nagano, Japan, he became the first skater to receive six perfect marks for a short program. In winning gold at the Salt Lake City Winter Games in 2002, he got the highest marks ever received by a single skater in Olympic history.
In an announcement out of New York by Dmitri Goryachkin, his agent, Yagudin said he was leaving the Olympic-eligible ranks "to pursue new challenges in his skating career."
"I have climbed all the mountains in amateur figure skating and now I am looking to find new mountains in life to push me each day," stated Yagudin. "My love for this sport and my desire to do something new for it are unsurpassed.
"I have so many interesting ideas and projects that will be keeping me extremely busy and I am really looking forward to new challenges."
Doug Leigh, a former coach of three-time world champion Elvis Stojko, always admired Yagudin’s aggressive nature on the ice.
"Yagudin, very simply, was a no-nonsense skater," said Leigh. "Every time there was a competition, count him in.
"He knew what it was like to stand on top of the podium and he didn’t like being off of it. And he knew what it took each time he came to an event to find what his best was. That was an unbelievable strength he had. He was a guy who, like Elvis would say, pushed the envelope. Every time there was a competition, he made it very special."
Richard Callaghan, who coached American Todd Eldredge in many competitions in which Yagudin skated, echoed others in describing the charismatic Russian as one of the most crowd pleasing athletes in the sport.
"Alexei brought to the forefront a great combination of athletic ability and tremendous entertainment," said Callaghan. "He skated from his soul and he always brought the crowd into his numbers."
Evgeni Plushenko, who is competing in the men’s event this week, is the reigning world champion and was runner-up to Yagudin at the 2002 Olympics.
"He is a great guy and a strong skater," said Plushenko. "I liked competing with him.
"Actually, I’ll miss him. Not like a friendship but on the ice. If he comes back, I will compete and fight with him. But we have right now a lot of guys . . . they’re also great guys and great skaters and I’ll compete with them."
Canadian champion Emanuel Sandhu always enjoyed being around Yagudin.
"He’s always been supportive of (coach) Joanne (McLeod) and myself," said Sandhu. "I feel very blessed to have had somebody of that calibre and who has achieved so much be a little bit of a part of who I am as a skater.
"It’s not sad because it’s his choice. If it’s his decision, kudos to him. He’s had an amazing career. He’s pretty much done everything he needs to do (in amateur skating). I’m sure there will be a lot to drive him in the professional world. I think that will suit him quite well. My hat is off to him."
Earlier this year in his native Russia, Yagudin was awarded the Order For Services to the Country, 4th Class, by President Putin.
He has lived and trained in Connecticut for the last three ye 中刀，真的没挽回的余地了。唉，结局怎么这样的阿～，双雄时代终结了。 Olympic Champ Yagudin to Quit Skating
Thu Oct 30, 6:53 PM ETAdd Sports - AP to My Yahoo!
By BARRY WILNER, AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK - Olympic champion Alexei Yagudin (news - web sites) is leaving competitive figure skating after an aborted comeback.
Although Yagudin says he feels healthy enough to continue skating after hip surgery last May, he's decided to pursue other options. He will continue to perform in the Stars on Ice tour and will do some coaching.
"I have climbed all the mountains in amateur figure skating and now I am looking to find new mountains in life to push me each day," he said in a statement Thursday. "My love for this sport and my desire to do something new for it are unsurpassed.
"I have so many interesting ideas and projects that will be keeping me extremely busy and I am really looking forward to new challenges."
Yagudin, a four-time world champion from Russia, will make a farewell performance at Skate Canada in Mississauga, Ontario on Sunday.
Olympic champions rarely stay eligible after the games. No men's gold medalist has done so in 50 years, so Yagudin would have been bucking tradition.
"Alexei Yagudin's winning record goes beyond gold medals and titles," said Dick Button, the 1948 and '52 Olympic champion. "Alexei has done so much to develop the sport of figure skating by setting new levels of athleticism and theatrical imagination."
In an interview last month, Yagudin said the hip was not at 100 percent strength, but he expected to compete in the Grand Prix series. But the Russian federation withdrew him from November's Cup of Russia.
"I have very strong feelings for my sport," he said last month. "Yes, I have done everything I wished competitively, winning the Olympic gold medal and the world championships. But I feel there is much more I can do, too, and I still have that desire to do it."
Instead, he will help his coach, Tatiana Tarasova, with her students. Yagudin, 23, already has attended several events as a part-time coach.
"It's very difficult on the nerves," he said. "I would stand by the boards and watch and would be more nervous than if I was skating. And you cannot do anything about it."
Yagudin's memorable performance at the Olympics included the best marks any single skater ever achieved in the games. He also won the world championship from 1998-2000 and in 2002. When he lost in 2001 to Evgeni Plushenko (news - web sites), Yagudin was battling a leg injury that required injections of pain-killers.
Earlier this year, Yagudin, who lives in Connecticut, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, traveling too fast and making an improper lane change without signaling. He will attend an alcohol education program that would clear his record.
希望小熊能开辟一个新天地，成为好的教练，像老太太那样教出优秀的学生！
zhenya应该第一反应会很高兴，毕竟以后没人跟他争宝座。但时间长了就会觉得乏味了，他并不是真正意义上的世界第一，yagudin的离开永远的剥夺了他去打败他的机会，多么被动而又无奈，原来从头至尾所有的主动权都掌握在yagudin的手中，甚至连这样一个竞争的理由都是按他的行动所决定的，他选择退出游戏，挥一挥手，于是带走了整个双雄时代的胜利。zhenya今后的夺冠真是莫大的讽刺，因为这些竟然全拜yagudin退出所赐。，呵呵呵，（偶真不爽）。 如果小熊没有伤的话，他会那么轻易放弃吗？
如果他真是一点不想再和Zhenya竞争，去年世锦赛以后就完全可以功成而身退了，何必熬到今年呢？何必看了今年世锦赛以后去练4-3-3？
要不是因为伤，他无法完成所有的跳跃动作，他不会在06年前退役。
Zhenya今后面对的竞争确实不是象以前那么激烈了，但谁有能说未来没有新秀出现呢？
其实，大家心情都不是太好。毕竟这标志这一个时代的结束！
[此贴子已经被作者于2003-11-2 12:49:48编辑过]
以下是引用dy在2003-11-9 20:06:03的发言：
昨天去首体看比赛，男单自由滑时，高菘的伴奏音乐也是《铁面人》，耳边听着那熟悉的音乐，眼前出现的却是小熊的身影……真是欲哭无泪，我真切体会到了，伤心是一种说不出的痛！
《铁面人》还是小熊版的最精彩，最吸引人，最赏心悦目。最让我心动。 亚古丁为什么选用MEMORIAL啊？好沉重啊~~~~本来他的告别已经是一种沉重了，还要选用这么悲伧的音乐，更让我悲从心来。。。：（
当时老太太流泪的时候，亚古丁虽然没有哭，可声音都变了。亚古丁也将成为流金岁月中的一员了，真是人生。。。。。。。。。。。
永远亚古丁！！！！
[此贴子已经被作者于2003-11-10 22:35:16编辑过]
永远的Memorial
第一次听到这首曲子是98年奥运会的自由舞，Grishuk/Platov在最后一组第3个出场，然而对于他们的生涯那是他们最后一次业余比赛。我始终记得当时的感觉，我的心一直在抖，那种压抑的情感和那萦绕在心的旋律节拍，让我感觉无法呼吸。从此，这个音乐成了我生命中的一部分，每当我感到不快乐的时候，我就会把录象带放到机器，重温Memorial .......当知道G/P决定退役的时候，我并没有那么遗憾，因为他们已经获得第2次奥运会冠军，何况Platov当时已经30岁了，对于业余选手也是该退的时候了。但真正给我打击的，是他们的拆档..............此后的3年，我对花样滑冰始终没有恢复以往的热情.............
直到2001年我看到了Yagudin的Revolution Etude..................
如今Yagudin已经决定离开，尽管在他对观众微笑，但眼中确是哀伤.............
其实他不想这样离开...........
再次听到了Memorial ，这次是Yagudin，虽然节目看似简单，又类似于G/P的编排，几乎没有太多典型男单的跳跃旋转，但我又体味了那种颤抖无法呼吸的感觉，这不是什么人或者什么节目都能做到的........当节目结束的时候我的泪水涌了出来..........一直以来我就认为Memorial 不是特别适合花样滑冰的音乐，特别是男单，但是如果谁重新演绎这个音乐，我的脑海中只有一个名字，Alexei Yagudin........
不知道是不是命运的巧合，今年Platov加入了Tarasova的教练组，而Yagudin的Memorial 就是他和Tarasova共同为Yagudin编排的............
而这个节目也成了Yagudin告别演出的一部分.............
象是一种传递，Platov把这个音乐“交给”Yagudin，赋予了这个节目另一种心灵的震撼，亦可以说，是Yagudin用自己对滑冰的全部情感再次演绎生命中的沉重..........
对于Alexei，这是一次告别，对于Alexei是一个新的起点...............
[此贴子已经被作者于2003-11-11 0:33:19编辑过]
都渐渐成为传奇，成为我们生命中的一部分了。 我的心要碎了。
看着小熊和塔拉索娃含泪的样子，回想这些年俄罗斯双子的经典对决，不禁让人唏嘘不已。我觉得小熊选择退出并不是急流勇退见好就收，如果那样冬奥会之后也就可以收了，冬奥会后不收，世锦赛之后也就收了。今年他的手术一度传来利好消息，但是不幸复发的消息却又来的太快。他的身体已经不适合业余比赛的强度，从这点上说，他是被伤病而不是被对手击败，更说明他是一个悲壮的战士，一个真正的战士。说什么zhenya以后会偷笑什么的话简直是亵渎，真正的对手是真正的惺惺相吸，没有对手的zhenya只会感到寂寞与遗憾，而并不仅仅是我们这些无法看到双雄会的冰迷们会遗憾的。就像去年b/s退出时申雪就曾经说渴望与他们继续比赛，不希望b/s退出。
永远的小熊，永远的冰王子。
他为我们留下了这么多的经典节目，我们也应该感到幸福与满足了吧。而且就像他眼含热泪向观众们说的那样，他虽然退休了，但不会离开滑冰，虽然比赛结束了，但是他的生活翻开了新的一页。 立羽的想法太天真了，就算没有小熊，在明年之后的比赛zhenya也不会轻易夺冠的。而且，俄罗斯的下一梯队的运动员也逐渐的成熟起来。zhenya以后的日子也不会多么轻松的。
祝福小熊，希望他能够做一名好教练（象塔拉索蛙一样）。无奈的退役对他是最大的伤害。 的确是这样啊，今年不过是2003，又不是2005，花样滑冰奥运会冠军是越来越年轻了。
我想plushenko没有了yagudin对他的冲击，即使赢了心里也有所不甘吧。 是啊，而且失去了小熊这样顶尖的竞争对手，小普会退步也说不定。
还是希望小普能在三年之后问鼎奥运冠军。 <br><br>小普会怎么想？他大概并不会太在乎这件事吧，他好象并没有为输给小熊而耿耿于怀，他的注意力好象更集中在自身的表现上。<br><br>其实我觉得对小普而言能不能有机会战胜小熊倒不重要，不断超越自己，引领男单进一步发展的意义更为重大。