ShellsandCheese

I’m torn! Not a fan of HD but also not a fan of SK, lol. Oh Ice Dancing, I wish I could quit you.

Ice Dancing is about to start! Any chance that anyone can beat Papadakis and Cizeron? I think they’ll get Gold, Silver to Hubbell and Donahue, and Bronze to Sinitsina and Katasalapov………

I know. And the same thing happens in the US. But it’s always easier to be outraged about what’s happening in other places and a lot harder to look inward. And what happened with US Gymnastics was absolutely a systemic issue that most turned a blind eye to, once American girls started winning and dominating. What happened there was no different than what’s happening with Eteri’s methods, except there was an even grosser and disgusting component of sexual abuse. As I’ve said before, not trying to discount what’s going on in Russia. I want people to see the bigger picture and recognize that there’s a reason why there hasn’t been a bigger stink from China, America, Canada, Germany, France, Britain etc etc etc

Yep and it’s very easy to dislike Russians but I also wish more people who are outraged by Eteri’s methods would recognize that plenty of sports in the US do the same damn thing. A wonderful comparison is the way in which young boys are chewed up and spit out and left with damaged bodies and brains in football…..I’d also like to point out that to my knowledge none of Eteri’s skaters have died but I can think of at least three instances last year when a high school teenage football player died during practice. Things that make you go hmmm…..

Twenty bucks days the positive test was from Russian nationals and I’m sure the legal issue is everyone figuring out a way to justify the presence of the drug in her system. And just like that, things are interesting again. The drama, the intrigue…..

Honestly. I don’t think it’s that so much that there is rampant cheating everywhere and no country wants to push too hard less the lens gets turned back on them. With all of the various doping scandals in so many sports - I resigned myself to the fact that most elite athletes are probably engaged in some shady business to give themselves a leg up on competition…..

Can someone explain to me how WADA works, because I’m reading this drug is banned but it’s not considered a performance enhancing drug - I’m so confused.

If it’s true that the positive test was in December than it’s pretty obvious the drug was taken before, way before, the Olympics. I’m starting to think she did test positive in December and should not have been eligible for the Olympics - someone dropped the ball and then someone had an oh shit moment after the Team Event.

It doesn’t take this long to kick someone out over a doping issue. There’s something else going on here.

He’s pretty much guaranteed to win anyway….

My point is the vast majority of doping offenders are adults who know what they are doing and not children.

It’s usually adults who cheat and they know exactly what they are doing. When I think about the most notorious doping examples; it’s grown folks doing whatever it takes to win. Baseball players? Adults. Lance Armstrong? Adult. East German swimmers? Adults. I don’t think we should start pushing the narrative that only minors are tricked into cheating…..or forced to dope because most doping violations are by grown athletes who know exactly what they are doing.

Am I the only one disturbed by the racist, sexist, and jingoistic rhetoric toward Eileen Gu? It’s so gross and disgusting…..

Interesting, not that I want a 15 year old to be cheating but I’ll be annoyed if this all turns out to be just idle gossip and chatter…..or something totally unrelated to any drug violations. I posted earlier that the rumor was there was an issue in December. If it comes out that she shouldn’t have been eligible for the games or something because of that, I will scream that it was somehow overlooked and she was still allowed to compete. Because that is just babytown frolics…..so there better have been a positive test during these games or something (I know, that sounds horrible).

Doping is a big issue in sport and obviously in Russia but stuff like this is kind of silly. I mean there’s no sound for the second skate (at least for me) so if the implication is Anna’s doping because she was out of breath after Skate 1 and not after Skate 2….that doesn’t even hold up because there’s no sound! I could find a bunch of videos of athletes being out of breath and then not after a similar performance. I could also find videos of known dopers being competed winded and non-dopers (to our knowledge) not.

Is she out of the Olympics? I hadn’t seen an announcement yet. If so, that’s huge. I’m truly wondering what’s happening because it’s been 12 hours since the first story broke and it normally doesn’t take this long to strip someone of a medal or kick them out of there was a drug violation during competition.

The whole system is a joke and needs to be overhauled.

Do you mean Sochi?

Truthfully. I would hope nothing is addressed until all the facts are out and that the focus is on the men competing; none of whom have anything to do with whatever is currently happening behind the scenes.

This story just doesn’t make sense. Did she test for something before the Olympics? During the team competition? And Eteri is a lot of things but not stupid; I find it hard to believe that she would be this sloppy…….also wouldn’t KV have been tested throughout the season? What are the odds that if she is taking something, the coaches would have just started giving it to her? Wouldn’t it have shown up before? I feel bad for KV though, she’s 15 so whatever is happening, it’s likely outside of her control. It will be interesting to see what happens; it would just mind boggling stupid for if Eteri just started giving KV a banned substance, especially at a time when Russian athletes are all under such intense scrutiny. Does anyone know, were there any positive tests for Russian athletes during the summer games last year? ETA: I heard this from a friend who lives in Russia, but is not Russian. I don’t know if it’s true. RE: KV “The sample in question had been taken two months ago, the drug trimetazidine was found in one single sample in December. A minuscule amount. Nothing in her samples before or since.”

Nah. They'll find a way. LOL. And once the American ladies catch up we will never hear about these concerns again. A lot of the sentiment around here is just clearly anti-Russian and not out of actual concern for any of the skaters.

I feel like this show would have worked better if it was just about the behind scenes intrigue. Board members and administrators jockeying for power and trying to get their guy or gal the position as chief. Like I just don’t buy Sam or Griff as Chief material, let alone doctor material - but I could buy them as hospital administrators who are battling each other to get big donors and whatnot.

I would imagine the same thing that happens in all sports, they either rise to the occasion are they get overtaken. The world is full of former (insert sport here) phenoms who were relegated to footnotes because someone faster, quicker, more athletic, etc etc etc came along. That’s not a phenomenon that is specific to Russia or reserved for young female skaters. Personally I think competition is great and I necessarily need to see the same person win and dominate for a decade to enjoy something….. And let’s be real outside of maybe Yuma Kim, Michelle Kwan, Carolina Kostner, and maybe Eugenia, women’s figure skating has been a revolving door for some time. There’s been a new OGM every Olympics since 1992! Sarah Hughes didn’t stick around very long, ditto Tara, Shizuka, Alina, Oksana….. Also, while there is a lot to critique and dislike about Eteri and her methods; rooting against someone like KV simply because Johnny and Tara are annoying is certainly a choice, lol. As if she has any control over two over enthusiastic and slavish American commentators.

I’m still pissed that Trusova is skating the long for the team event and not Anna. Anna is the reigning world champion and the three time Russia National champion and they go with Trusova? The hell? Anna’s long program at Euro’s was really good.

I loved Oksana’s free skate, it’s one of my faves. Nancy was the better technical skater but under the old scoring system artistry was given the upper hand over technical merit. Nancy didn’t just deserve gold because the media was hounding her. It’s fascinating reading stuff from the 1994 competition explaining how Baiul won: https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1994-02-27-9402270251-story.html https://www.nytimes.com/1994/02/27/sports/winter-olympics-the-judges-judge-says-baiul-deserves-the-gold.html