Darknight

Karen is apparently going to Cornell. Congrats to her.

This is why I'm pissed when Evgenia and others get away with bad technique. Mao had to rework her technique and Yuna had to have near perfect technique which she already had to be competitive. Skaters with poor technique get away with it because judges don't care.

Quads take down grown men. Even when careful. There's a reason why quads are so dangerous . There is no reason why kids who have a body that is fragile and still growing need to learn quads so young. They don't need to learn quads at 10 or jump 5 quads to see if it works out in the end and to see if they keep them. I wouldn't call hip injuries and not being able to walk a good thing or good health. Yes, the sport has risks and injuries but these are also kids with growing bodies. There is a reason why we have age limits. Every sport has an age limit no matter how good the child is. Especially high risk sports. Kids bodies aren't like adults. These kids are ruining their bodies before they even make a name for themselves or get on the world stage. On top of that the mental pressure at a young age plus the hype doesn't help. Kids don't think like adults. As for Eteri, she doesn't fix technique. It's too much work. Many of her skaters came from other coaches. The skaters she does train, her technique only works for girls without boobs and hips and has to be small. So I agree with this logic even if it makes zero sense to me at times. Good technique is also very important. It prevents injuries. Depending on fast rotation and a small body isn't a good thing.

The main issue is these young kids don't need to learn quads at young ages. Why? I also don't necessarily believe the earlier the better. If anything puberty changes things and many skaters have to rework their technique anyway to get use to their new bodies. Especially for girls. There is no need for an 8yo, 11yo, 13yo to jump all of these crazy jumps. Yes, an 8yo is learning quads and 3a. That's why I brought it up. An 10yo is jumping quads Why? She can't even compete as a junior yet. Will she fake her age and pretend to be a senior next season? For what reason? Especially with poor technique. These kids are ruining their bodies before they even make it into seniors and before their bodies are done growing. Nathan wasn't jumping all of these quads at 13 or 11. Mirai learned her 3a as a grown adult. So I don't believe that the younger they are the better the jumps will be or the younger they are they must learn jump after jump and hope it sticks when they go through puberty. Stephen and Alyssa's coaches I actually have a huge issue with based on what I've read. Especially Stephen, there is no reason why he needs to jump all of these quads at 13. I think he actually left Brain this season. Alyssa already had hip injuries and she couldn't even walk. Too much too soon. The adults and federations should be blamed and held responsible. I can't blame the kids here. They're only doing what adults tell them to do or not to do. This is when the adults need to say no and consider the child's health. Instead it's all about learning jumps at young ages to be the next big thing and to win medals. At what cost? This is so sad. I hope she gets the help she needs

Judges- 5+,5+,5+,5+,5+,5+,4+,5+4+ Johnny and Tara- OMG what an amazing Quad. Watch out Russians. We have Liu doing quads and she has a 3a. Eurosport- That's not a quad. I don't understand why the judges gave her that score. Eurosport is the real MVP here.

Seeing very young kids jump quads and 3a is very very concerning to me. USA fed and Russian fed right now are really pushing the quads. Canadian fed should also be worried about Stephen. I don't understand why an 8 or 10 yo is jumping quads or why a 13yo needs 5 quads. What's the point? Seriously they're kids with growing bodies. Does anyone care? I can't even watch videos of kids jumping dangerous jumps knowing they're ruining their bodies. It's all fun and games now. People praise these young stars for jumping quads and 3a. Saying they're making history, but at what cost? It's not going to be fun getting hip replacement when you're not old enough to drink or vote. This reminds me of the baby ballerinas on pointe at 8 or 9. People think it's cool. When they're teens and can't dance anynore or we never hear from them again that's a problem. ISU should be looking at this and be concerned. Not encourage this kind of thing. Kids are at risk here. They can't consent and can't understand the consequences of their actions.

Maybe because it's just jumps and nothing else. No skating skills. I don't think jumps ruin the sport judges do. They reward poor technique and make it known artistry and skating skills doesn't matter. It's all about the quads and 3a now. So of course skaters will only jump, jump, jump and not work on anything else because the judges don't care about anything else.

The sport shouldn't move forward if that's means young girls and boys having hip and knee injuries. Stephen, Trusova, Sofia, Liu all young kids doing quads and 3a. I don't mind quads and 3a however, I do mind people pushing young kids bodies to the point they don't even care what happens to them after sport. Especially pushing quads and 3a with poor technique. Skating isn't forever. If done correctly and carefully its impressive. Quads and sometimes even a 3a jumping by kids is a huge no in my book. So far, the quad and 3a movement especially in ladies is getting younger and younger and will result in skaters leaver the sport faster and faster. Alyssa Liu is already doing quads and already had hip surgery and injuries. The 10 yo and 14 Russian skaters jumping quads probably won't last long and probably won't even make it to seniors at this rate. Add in staving yourself to jump. Nathan Chen doing six quads is impressive but he had hip injuries too. People forget about the risks and injuries associated with doing these jumps. I don't mind the sport moving forward. However at what cost to young bodies? It's cool now but it's not going to be cool when young skaters get major injuries and their bodies are messed up and most won't even make it into seniors. Don't get me wrong I'm impressed by Nathan and even Hanyu, I hope he lands his 4a but they're adults who make adult choices. I don't mind the adults making their own choices. Both come back season after season and are careful with their training which is good for the sport. As for kids, nope I'm not impressed because all I can think about are their young bodies and their short careers. Let's see if these young kids can still do quads and 3a's when they're 18 or 24 if they even have hips by then.

Eteri is going to ruin these kids bodies. Why is a 10 yo jumping quads? Why? For what reason? Does she care about their growing bodies? Not even boys jump quads at 10. A good coach would never allow a pre teen jump quads. I'm concerned these kids will have hip replacement at 13 and knee replacement at 16. The fact that she shows off one of her young girls at 10 jump quads and people praising her for it is concerning. These kids need protection. I guess that won't come until we see the injuries like we saw in gymnastics or teens in wheelchairs

Women's sports are still new. Unless a woman has sex appeal(sad to say) people aren't interested. Mikaela Shiffrin a skier was just interviewed on Jimmy Fallon but people can't stop going in on her looks. She is pretty but many don't focus on her achievements. Women are also seen as less than men. I think they did a study about this. Men sports represent strength and action. I think lady skaters are more popular than men, pairs, and ice dance(well depends on who you ask), but we need a constant lady skater with appeal. Not just one who comes and goes. I don't think the viewership will ever be like it was. I think the judging scandal of 2002 was icing on the cake for the sport. We don't have the same appeal to sponsors or viewers. Skating is a dying sport here. I also think it's hard to follow the judging system. They need to explain scores and programs more clearly. What is a trip axel, triple toe, quad sal? Why did skater a score less than skater b?

What's amazing to me is all of Eteri defenders. I'm sure if Brian posted what she did he would be shamed. When Eteri does it it's ok. She was hurt by an 18yo teenager leaving her after 11 years. Zhenya was her daughter. Well, she's a grown woman who should suck it up and get over it. I'm scared to think what she'll do to Alina if she leaves. She bashes all of her students that leave her. I'm sure Alina saw how everyone treated Evgenia when she left.

Eurosport is the best. Eurosport- I don't know how Elizabet got those scores. Eurosport- That jump is UR but the judges didn't call it. Eurosport- Why are that skaters scores so high? Eurosport- Wrong edge. Eurosport- the performance doesn't match the music. Eurosport should just take over judging and commentary.

They're both so sweet to each other. Russian media didn't help and neither did Eteri who keeps bringing it up. She is a grown woman for crying out loud. Evgenia never said anything bad about her. The comments are just awful. I translated some Russian comments calling Evgenia terrible names, saying they hope she dies, she is not a real Russian, and she needs to be grateful for Eteri who taught her and helped her win. It's so sad. Also, I'm proud of Nathan for managing Yale and elite skating plus mostly working on his own. That's not easy.

I forgot football and basketball are huge here. Grand Prix events would be during basketball and football season. So of course that would mean people wouldn't watch skating anyway. March madness. Superbowl in Feb. I guess the youtube is a great idea ISU This tech panel were so clueless. They flagged Sofia then realized they made a mistake. At least they were fair. I don't think they called out many skaters if not all. And thanks to Eteri, Evgenia is getting hate again for leaving Eteri.

I think they're waiting for the next Michelle Kwan to get people interested. Again, there will never be another Kwan.

I don't mind paying to watch something but the ISU and USA doesn't show everything and we always have to hear from Johnny and Tara speak about non skating things. Why pay $60 for something when they don't even show ice dancing? I also want to see all skaters from all countries not just my own. No offense to the wonderful USA skaters but I love watching other skaters from other countries. I think online is the way to go. Many people don't watch TV anymore or got rid of cable. I don't know the budget for USA fed and ISU but I'm guessing it is not a lot of money. I mean Gold medal at worlds gets you $25k I believe. In order to air a sport it has to have viewers. In order to have viewers you have to air it. Skating just isn't popular enough here. Gymnastics and tennis is more popular than skating. I mean I'm slightly jealous that Alina, Rika, Hanyu get full coverage in Russia and Japan plus people celebrate their win. Over here nobody knows who Nathan Chen is. Even people at school don't know who he is all they know is that he skates. Everyone in Japan knows who Rika and Hanyu are. They can't even walk down the street without being noticed. On top of that they pull down videos fast. So the interest isn't there. Not enough sponsors.

Just read Hanyu didn't fully recover from his ankle injury. He needs to relax and take a break. He is not superman. Please Hanyu relax yourself and keep yourself healthy.

Please let bbc or eurosport heck even Tatiana replace Johnny and Tara. When Liu becomes a senior it's going to get worse. Look, out Russians we have Liu. Then will if she fails, it's what happened. I'm jealous Russia and Japan dedicate full channels and magazines to their skaters. They even show skaters from other countries. USA never shows athletes from other countries. I was pissed during the Olympics they always hype athetes up. As if Hanyu wasn't Chen's biggest competitor or Mirai would actually medal even with her 3a.

Eteri is a grown woman. She needs to cut it out. Yes, I'm sure it's painful to have your skater leave you that you raised. I don't believe she ever thought Evgenia would leave her. They were like mother and daughter. But skaters leave their coaches all the time. What if her current up and coming seniors leave? She is very manipulative and does things for publicity. She needs to get over it. I don't believe Alina would withdraw. Eteri would push her to skate. Everything she does is typical Soviet style behavior. I just saw Alina's Instagram with Eteri's birthday post and it's obvious Alina didn't write that post. I guess people calling her a skating God is going to her head. She is getting worse by the year. I hope if Alina leaves, she is not bashed. She bashes all of her students that leave her. What do you expect Eteri? Their bodies break down and they burn out. Vincent should work with Mie full time and move to Japan. Mie works so well with Rika. I fully agree longstivy is needed in the report to keep viewers. Who wants to see new faces every year to replace old ones? I remember seeing Yulia in 2014 and loved her girl in the redcoat program. Sadly, when she left skating I was sad. I was somewhat attached to Karen but right now she isn't competing. Polina Edmunds was suppose to carry figure skating but she only did one year in senior. I can't get attached to Eteri skaters because they don't last. I'm fully attached to Alina and Alena but it sucks they will not last long. Michelle had a long career and kept coming back. Hanyu is also popular for this reason. People are attached to see their favorites. It's not the same without them. Similar to Biles for gymnastics and Phelps for swimming.

I was just watching Nancy in her skating days and she was such a diva. I forgot how much of a diva she was. Especially on that Disney trip. Shut up and collect your money. Imagine if Scott and Tessa come back. Kaitlyn and Andrew I actually felt bad for them at times. Who is their coach now? Any update on Lim and Mariah?

Sadly judges do judge skaters bodies. Which is why I said a body that can help ladies like Simone Biles wouldn't be accepted. I forgot how old Lizbeth is. She is 19. However, Eteri encourages starving and not eating to do quads. Depending on fast rotation. The majority of ladies right now doing quads are young girls with the exception of Elizabet who's young body benefits her and coach encourages unhealthy eating habits. I'm worried about her kids. Quads are already dangerous and many men get injured from them. Strength and healthy eating habits are important. Elizabet was actually working on quads for years until she moved to Canada. She came back to Eteri during summers. I'm not against ladies learning quads. I'm against starving skaters and depending on their small bodies to do quads. Proper technique is important. Your skates should at least leave the ice.

It turned me off seeing Evgenia get away with poor technique for two seasons. Johnny and Tara are so annyoing. They mention the Russians everywhere. Even at nationals. The highest scoring skater here would be 15th place at Russian nationals. We are at USA nationals Johnny! Last year at Worlds, they asked seniors how do they feel about a 13 to landing two quads. Why should they care at senior worlds? I love the Japanese because they're not all about jumps. They also have good technique but are overlooked for it. They would rather reward the Russians with bad technique. You can even look at Alina and Hanyu side by side at the gala and see who has good technique. I remember seeing amazing spins. Stephane Lambiel anyone? Sasha Cohen? It turned me off seeing Evgenia get away with poor technique for two seasons. Johnny and Tara are so annyoing. They mention the Russians everywhere. Even at nationals. The highest scoring skater here would be 15th place at Russian nationals. We are at USA nationals Johnny! Last year at Worlds, they asked seniors how do they feel about a 13 to landing two quads. Why should they care at senior worlds? I love the Japanese because they're not all about jumps. They also have good technique but are overlooked for it. They would rather reward the Russians with bad technique. You can even look at Alina and Hanyu side by side at the gala and see who has good technique. I remember seeing amazing spins. Stephane Lambiel anyone? Sasha Cohen?

The biggest reason why skating isn't popular here is because you can't find anywhere to watch it. ISU currently thinks it's ok to keep pulling videos. They don't believe in keeping up with current times. I also agree we need one skater to draw people in. People still remember Kwan even if they were not a fan of skating. They might just watch for her..USA just puts so much pressure on ladies. They crumble. Many aren't consistent. Every year you see a new face. That's not good for a sport especially an individual one because people are attached to certain athletes. Heck, I only watch tennis for Serena and Rafel because they're both dominate. I was never into gymnastics until I saw Simone Biles and now I keep up with her. I never ever watched swimming in my life until I saw Phelps in 2008. I don't even watch swimming now because he's retired. Jumps and spins should be worth the same or similar points. I see skaters focused only on jumps but lack in other areas. And ISU should understand what artistry is. Let's be honest here, who really remembers Tara? Michelle made a bigger impact on skating. I still remember her programs and how beautiful they were. She moved an audience. Judges have no idea what musicality is. People remember programs too ISU.

Ladies should not turn into a jumping contest like men. They're also under a lot of pressure to stay skinny. Also, more jumping means shorter careers. Even triples are hard on ladies bodies. Remember Tara and her 15 minute career? Do we want to see ladies last a season or two in seniors? Mira got injured doing her 3a and she is a grown woman. Liza had issues for a few seasons too. Men and women have different body types. Puberty is not nice to them if I'm being honest here because of boobs and hips. It sucks boobs slow you down but that's the way we were created. Men are lucky their chests are flat. I suspect next season there will be a lot of falls in ladies trying to do quads or ur quads. I mean the top men can do 5 or 6 quads. I can't see a lady doing this because of biology differences. Let's tape apples to the men's chest. You also have to remember many ladies have weak Lutz's. Especially when puberty hits. So having good technique is important. If quads do become the thing in ladies, then the age should be raised. Right now there are 10 year olds doing quads. The Russians are trying to fight puberty. Similar to gymnastics. A 13yo shouldn't be doing quads. Raise the age to protect skaters. I do think ladies are progressing. Will quads become a thing? I really don't know. IWhen I see a grown woman land them then I'll believe it. A quad is just hard to do with boobs. I do think once one lady skater finds something that works for her others will copy it. I think the biggest issue with ladies is that the judges like skinny girls. Simone Biles body type wouldn't be acceptable in skating. Quads requires more strength and muscle. Especially for ladies. They really need strength to fight gravity. So imagine a lady skater with muscles and power doing quads but being made fun of for her body. Even by judges. Judges want quads but only want skinny girls. How does that work? We need more body types accepted. Enough with the girls trying to fight puberty and starve themselves to stay thin. Just my opinion.

I hope I explain this right. Please someone correct me if I'm wrong. I remember when Tonya did her 3a's. A 3a is basically throwing yourself in the air and hoping you land. It's a forward take off. The technique doesn't rely on fast rotation. Even doubles are hard which is why many skaters quit if they can't get their double because that's required for senior competitions. It's 3.5 rotations in the air. You have timing, making sure your take off is right, the rotations, speed,height, and the landing. It does require strength because you're throwing yourself in the air. Bad technique is an issue. Many skaters especially men say quads are easier than an axel. On top of this, women have boobs and hips. You have to find your axis and be close to it(I hope I'm explaining this right) You can't really pull in boobs and hips so that slows you down. You need a very right air position and height. You can't cheat on it. In ladies, skating wants skinny girls. They favor the skinny girls. Judges already have an image of the skater before even judging them. Skinny. So the triple axel needs strong skaters with good height and good air position with good technique. If you look at the few women who've done triple axel's especially Tonya and Liza, they aren't skinny skinny girls. They're a healthy weight and have strength. Especially Tonya. Quads take off backwards. It's a different technique than the 3a. Strength is also needed. When girls and boys go through puberty, it benefits boys because they get stronger and their center of gravity benefits them. For girls, boobs and hips slow them down and their center of gravity is an issue. I mean a 10yo girl can do quads but most likely she won't keep them after puberty especially if her technique is bad. Eteri's quad girls are all tiny and relies on fast rotation. The issue is when they go through puberty and get hips and boobs they will lose their quads. It's very hard for a grown woman to do quads and much easier for a teen because of biological differences. The lighter you are and with nothing on your chest or hips the easier it is for you to rotate fast. Even Rika, from the one video I saw of her practicing a quad in Jan and Alyssa are all depending on fast rotation. Can a grown woman do quads? Maybe. But she'll have to really work hard for it. Build strength and have muscles. Try to take off good, get the 4 rotations in less than a second, and land well. I don't know how to explain this but it's like you're fighting gravity. You try to jump but because you have boobs and hips it brings you down and you can't do the rotations needed. If men taped apples to their chest they would find it much more difficult to do quads. All of this is basic physics. Again, please correct me if I'm wrong or explained this wrong.