Figure Skating

[Avaleigh]

2 hours ago, Irlandesa said:

It's also likely this is not a surprise to most of them.  Athletes know when doping is being done in their sport even if it's not proven. This may overshadow some of the competition but I'd be surprised if these athletes are going to be overly distracted by it.

Dave Lease of TSL low key made references to rumors of PED wrt to Team Eteri athletes a few weeks ago. People have long had suspicions but it's the kind of thing that doesn't feel right to bring up or speculate on without proof and facts. 

But yes, there have been suspicions for years so I don't see why NBC shouldn't be allowed to address the scandal since it's what most of the skating world is talking about right now.

3 hours ago, OnePlusOne said:

ETA - I'm curious to see if Johnny will address this on-air, since he's been such an annoying cheerleader for Team Russia ROC.

Timeline wise I don't care when Johnny addresses it as long as it's at some point during this Olympics. It doesn't even have to be via his NBC commentary. I think a more in depth interview would be better but I would like him to at least say *something*.

I guess I want to hear from him that he genuinely cares about the integrity of the sport and to acknowledge how messed up this all is, especially to the athletes. I want him to give some indication and acknowledgement that, if this is all true, Team Eteri needs to be harshly penalized for abusing one or more of their athletes for the sake of money and medals. I need to know that he gives a shit about this and isn't just going to pretend that everything is being blown out of proportion by the media. 

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I agree, the fact that they drugged a minor and gave her medication she almost certainly didn't need deserves harsh penalties for the coaches and anyone else involved.

I just am really worried that actually, all the hate will go towards Kamila. Because people on social media are really shitty like that.

Yes to your entire post. It's not going to be right if Russia doesn't have to face real consequences for a change.

I too hope that Kamila is protected and that social media doesn't try to drag her for a situation that isn't her fault. People on social media were cruel to her while she was winning. Imagine what some of them will be like now?

Edited February 10, 2022 by Avaleigh

[ShellsandCheese]

10 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Sorta like the US AND LANCE FRICKIN' ARMSTRONG.  I don't think Johnny will express anything but regret that we will not see Kamila in the long program.  The news reporters will cover this.  

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. 

[AuntieDiane6]

I guess she tested positive in DECEMBER, so that may be where the delay is. 

 

[Irlandesa]

5 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Timeline wise I don't care when Johnny addresses it as long as it's at some point during this Olympics. It doesn't even have to be via his NBC commentary. I think a more in depth interview would be better but I would like him to at least say *something*.

I think NBC has to cover it but I don't think they need to have commentary on it until there's official news.  There I think they're okay to wait.  And I think Johnny, especially, should wait before he says something stupid in defense of Russia.

[HartofDixie]

8 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Dave Lease of TSL low key made references to rumors PED wrt to Team Eteri athletes a few weeks ago. People have long had suspicions but it's the kind of thing that doesn't feel right to bring up or speculate on without proof and facts. 

But yes, there have been suspicions for years so I don't see why NBC shouldn't be allowed to address the scandal since it's what most of the skating world is talking about right now.

Timeline wise I don't care when Johnny addresses it as long as it's at some point during this Olympics. It doesn't even have to be via his NBC commentary. I think a more in depth interview would be better but I would like him to at least say *something*.

I guess I want to hear from him that he genuinely cares about the integrity of the sport and to acknowledge how messed up this all is, especially to the athletes. I want him to give some indication and acknowledgement that, if this is all true, Team Eteri needs to be harshly penalized for abusing one or more of their athletes for the sake of money and medals. I need to know that he gives a shit about this and isn't just going to pretend that everything is being blown out of proportion by the media. 

Yes to your entire post. It's not going to be right if Russia doesn't have to face real consequences for a change.

I too hope that Kamila is protected and that social media doesn't try to drag her for a situation that isn't her fault. People on social media were cruel to her while she was winning. Imagine what some of them will be like now?

Dave posted this example today.

 

[HartofDixie]

Let’s go Nathan!

[ShellsandCheese]

7 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

Dave posted this example today.

 

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. 

[KittenPokerCheater]

28 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

4 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

I am sure the russians (and johnny) are crafting a cover-up as we speak

Sorta like the US AND LANCE FRICKIN' ARMSTRONG.  I

Exactly.   Except he went out of his way to ruin the people who rightly accused him of doping.  I cannot think about Lance "PED/Doper" Armstrong without bursting into flames of rage.  

[Lady Whistleup]

So apparently Jason will not be doing his quad tonight.

[Rootbeer]

1 hour ago, ShellsandCheese said:

Do you mean Sochi? 

Yes, I meant Sochi.  As someone noted above, the Russians put holes in the walls of the testing centers so they could substitute athletes' urine samples with clean specimens from other people.

On NBC's evening news, they reported that the medal ceremony was postponed.  But, they just said that there were 'reports' that the delay was due to a positive drug test from a Russian skater.  They also said that it was a Russian newspaper that reported the name of the drug and that the test was done in December.  They showed video of Russian skaters including Kamila.  Apparently, the IOC has only announced that the ceremony was delayed due to an issue requiring 'legal consultation' that involves a medal winning skater; but there is no official confirmation of the story and the bulk of the information has come from anonymous sources, which, I presume is why they're not naming names or giving specifics.  Seems unlikely that they'll be any more detailed on the air tonight.

[galaxygirl76]

2 minutes ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Exactly.   Except he went out of his way to ruin the people who rightly accused him of doping.  I cannot think about Lance "PED/Doper" Armstrong without bursting into flames of rage.  

American Scandal did a great 4 part podcast series about Armstrong. 

 

I hope that everyone(the press) can focus on the men's long program like they deserve but I have a feeling this is continue to be news for quite some time. 

[Hana Chan]

I also have an issue with the penalties not being evenly levied out because she's a minor. The runs should be the same across the board and if she's too young to be penalized, then she is too young to compete at the Olympics.  Enough is enough. 

And Eteri and her team need to be investigated because I'll bet you anything that most of her girls are being improperly medicated. They just haven't been caught yet.

[specialj67]

7 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

So apparently Jason will not be doing his quad tonight.

If true, I’m glad. Since he has no real shot at a medal, having a (hopefully) clean skate with just triples could create a nice Olympic moment for him. 

[Lady Whistleup]

So in the list of things I didn't need to know but is cool to know:

Apparently Hanyu donates the pooh bears thrown on the ice to local charities for children.

[KittenPokerCheater]

GO NATHAN!!!
 

[Rootbeer]

30 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

So apparently Jason will not be doing his quad tonight.

Just as well.  Jason's quad is like the Loch Ness Monster.  Everyone has heard of it, everyone is excited that they might get to see it, but, then, when he actually brings it out in competition, it's a big disappointment and doesn't even resemble the picture in our minds of what a quad should look like.  Just like those grainy photo of 'Nessie online.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Jillibean]

I really will be shocked if this comes down on Eteri or her team at all. The RusFed's first priority is going to be protecting her, no matter who else has to take the fall. There won't be any proof that they knew or sanctioned this, and they'll deny it. I also think the IOC/WADA has no interest in doing anything more than dealing with this specific issue and moving on. They already know there's a statewide doping program. They've been pretty clear about the fact that they don't care. Slaps on the wrist, over and over, and no interest in actual meaningful change. I would not have any expectations that this will truly affect Eteri in any significant way. She'll still have a gold medalist; it'll just be a different one. 

[healthnut]

Press conference at 10pm ET (11am local time). In the middle of the men’s free skate. Unbelievable. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by healthnut
posted wrong time

[Rootbeer]

8 minutes ago, healthnut said:

Press conference at 9pm ET. In the middle of the men’s free skate. Unbelievable. 

Maybe they'll do it while the zamboni is cleaning the ice between groups?  More likely, they'll do it from a broom closet in the basement of the arena.  No matter what they say, I am getting the feeling we're going to get a whitewash and the Russians won't receive a meaningful penalty.

The warmup for the first group is in progress on Peacock. They could conceivably be finished with that group by 9 if the judges step on the gas and move it along.

ETA: Donovan Carillo is in this group

Edited February 10, 2022 by Rootbeer

[legaleagle53]

Cool. I've got the full Free Skate without commentary on Peacock!

[Enero]

Andrea Joyce is so annoying. Her asking Nathan if he's had a chance to celebrate his SP. Why would he celebrate? He still has one program to go. SMH

[Rootbeer]

1 minute ago, Enero said:

Andrea Joyce is so annoying. Her asking Nathan if he's had a chance to celebrate his SP. Why would he celebrate? He still has one program to go. SMH

It's like she never covered a figure skating competition before.  He's in the midst of the biggest competition of his life in the midst of a major pandemic.  What did she have in mind in terms of celebration?  Good God, she's just so dumb!

[SophiaD]

I'm just glad that that interview was yesterday, not today.  Nathan is probably used to it, but it seems as if Andrea was just digging to get some kind of response.

Also, what is Johnny wearing?  OMG!  

USA is carrying the earlier group life, for non-Peacock people.  Right now, though, it's mainly speculation and filler.

[anniebird]

Johnny Weir has outdone himself with his outfit tonight.

Edited February 10, 2022 by anniebird

[ShellsandCheese]

43 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

Yes, I meant Sochi.  As someone noted above, the Russians put holes in the walls of the testing centers so they could substitute athletes' urine samples with clean specimens from other people.

On NBC's evening news, they reported that the medal ceremony was postponed.  But, they just said that there were 'reports' that the delay was due to a positive drug test from a Russian skater.  They also said that it was a Russian newspaper that reported the name of the drug and that the test was done in December.  They showed video of Russian skaters including Kamila.  Apparently, the IOC has only announced that the ceremony was delayed due to an issue requiring 'legal consultation' that involves a medal winning skater; but there is no official confirmation of the story and the bulk of the information has come from anonymous sources, which, I presume is why they're not naming names or giving specifics.  Seems unlikely that they'll be any more detailed on the air tonight.

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).

Edited February 10, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[Enero]

The Swiss skater got through it, but not the best skate. At least he didn't fall, just a lot of step outs and sloppy landings. 

[Bewitched]

My biggest problem with Johnny's ensemble is that he and Tara are dressed for two different climates.   For all the "fashion", he looks like he is commentating on the Winter Olympics, while Tara is wearing her alternate choice for the Kentucky Derby.

[Rootbeer]

3 minutes ago, anniebird said:

Johnny Weir has outdone himself with his outfit tonight.

Is he trying out for a remake of The Golden Girls?  It looks like something Blanche would've worn.

[Enero]

1 minute ago, Bewitched said:

My biggest problem with Johnny's ensemble is that he and Tara are dressed for two different climates.   For all the "fashion", he looks like he is commentating on the Winter Olympics, while Tara is wearing her alternate choice for the Kentucky Derby.

Tara looks almost casual with the ponytail. I was expecting more glamour from her. 

[GeminiDancer]

Does anyone know if Mark is competing? Apparently he wasn’t at practice today. 

[Jaded]

On 2/7/2022 at 12:20 PM, annzeepark914 said:

I still watch women's fs, but I get my skating enjoyment nowadays from ice dance.

Going back to this post for a sec. As I've gotten older I've come to appreciate ice dance a lot more since there's not nearly as much unintentional splats on the ice.

I don't watch FS as much as I used to especially since professional skating isn't on TV anymore. I always make time for Olympic FS though. Since the O's started this year I've been watching the commentary free replays of the skating through Peacock and am trying to watch live tonight on USA. It's kind of weird since the commentary free feed is so peaceful.

[CeeBeeGee]

5 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

How old was the gymnast Raducan (I think the was her name) when they stripped her of her medal a million years ago in Australia?  I think she was under 18.

I listened to a podcast last summer about the vault debacle in Sidney and they went out of their way to contrast the IOC's heavy handed, brutal punishment of Raducan (for the crime of...following her doctor's orders and not weighing as much as her teammates, thereby triggering a positive result for a substance which didn't help her) with FIG's utter rejection of anything more than the barest minimum of accountability WRT the vault being set at the wrong height. So the girl who took a cold tablet is stripped of her gold medal and humiliated in the world press, but the team that mis-set the vault (which ruined the AA contest and endangered the gymnasts) isn't punished? And you don't start the AA over, you just make the lamest gesture of "well, you can do your vault over." Khorkina was right to refuse--she is interviewed on the podcast and she said she didn't want to give such an inadequate gesture respectability by accepting their offer.

 

5 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Kamila Valieva -- this is actually a case of child abuse. 

Yes, it is.

 

33 minutes ago, specialj67 said:

If true, I’m glad. Since he has no real shot at a medal, having a (hopefully) clean skate with just triples could create a nice Olympic moment for him. 

I was thinking the same thing earlier. Just do what you do best out there, Jason. You give us such joy. I don't want to see you fall.

[OnePlusOne]

Terry briefly mentioned the drama a few minutes ago, but in the same vague language the NBC host used before the coverage started. Said that the team medal ceremony was delayed due to a positive doping test on the Russian team, but didn't name any names. 

[Enero]

21 minutes ago, healthnut said:

Press conference at 9pm ET. In the middle of the men’s free skate. Unbelievable. 

I can only guess that the news will be good for the Russians and will be presented as much ado about nothing. I can't imagine them having a PC in the middle of the men's event if someone or several someone's were going to be suspended and/or penalized in some way.

[Enero]

This cloud guy from Ukraine is walking across the ice. He looks like he's skating like a snail. With the music being so soft and calm, he needed to skate it with more passion to sell it. 

[anniebird]

6 minutes ago, OnePlusOne said:

Terry briefly mentioned the drama a few minutes ago, but in the same vague language the NBC host used before the coverage started. Said that the team medal ceremony was delayed due to a positive doping test on the Russian team, but didn't name any names. 

They may all have been advised by the NBC lawyers not to say anything until a decision has been made.

[AuntieDiane6]

12 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

Andrea Joyce is so annoying. Her asking Nathan if he's had a chance to celebrate his SP. Why would he celebrate? He still has one program to go. SMH

Uh, he broke the world record.  And he skated the program of a lifetime.  I think you should celebrate the little moments.  I remember when Katya Gordeeva said that after she and Sergei won their first gold medal, he wanted to go out drinking with his buddies and she wanted to go to bed.  So that's what they did.  How sad.

 

[OnePlusOne]

I'm really suspicious that they're holding this press conference while the men's free skate is happening. Always trust the IOC/ISU the be the worst.

[scarynikki12]

Just think about the time, energy, and money that goes into the process of cheating and covering it up. Now imagine if that same time, energy, and money were put into proper training and care of the athletes. We could be seeing all of these medals being won by people in great health who have been so well trained they are able to have long careers and maybe even mentor the young athletes following in their footsteps. 

Instead we have athletes being starved to stay tiny and given medication they don't need that can potentially harm them because the coaches only care about their own paydays. It's horrifying.

I agree that the timing of the press conference likely means they won't do shit. We're all expecting Kamila to be thrown under the bus so I wouldn't be surprised if they say she's out for the rest of the competition but the team gets to keep the gold.

[annzeepark914]

Over at the fs-gossip site, it says VK will not be able to skate in the individual event and the team will lose its gold medal. That's a strange site, so I don't know.

[ShellsandCheese]

3 minutes ago, scarynikki12 said:

Instead we have athletes being starved to stay tiny and given medication they don't need that can potentially harm them because the coaches only care about their own paydays. It's horrifying.

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. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[Enero]

3 minutes ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Uh, he broke the world record.  And he skated the program of a lifetime.  I think you should celebrate the little moments.  I remember when Katya Gordeeva said that after she and Sergei won their first gold medal, he wanted to go out drinking with his buddies and she wanted to go to bed.  So that's what they did.  How sad.

 

It was great that he broke the record. And that he was pleased and excited about the skate, but going out to celebrate (and where? As someone asked, in the middle of a pandemic) would be premature, since he has yet to win the competition. 

Now if all goes great tonight, then I think he'll be ready to celebrate. 

The Swedish skater was good, but no one has done Man In the Iron Mask like Anissina and Peizerant. They killed it back in the day when they used that music for their free dance. 

[CherryMalotte]

Swedish guy...I dig him, he's just one of those kids happy to be there.

[GeminiDancer]

Wouldn’t it be amazing if Donovan had Orser for a coach? I can’t wait to see him grow. 

Just now, CherryMalotte said:

Swedish guy...I dig him, he's just one of those kids happy to be there.

I lived for his little yell at the end! 

[healthnut]

11 minutes ago, OnePlusOne said:

I'm really suspicious that they're holding this press conference while the men's free skate is happening. Always trust the IOC/ISU the be the worst.

In their defense, Jackie says they have a press conference at this time everyday. Still seems stupid though. 

[BitterApple]

I'm really happy for Donovan even though it was a messy performance. He's such a likeable kid and so appreciative to be at the Olympics. That's a nice thing to see.

[Enero]

Carrillo has such a great smile. He looks to have really enjoyed himself. 

[galaxygirl76]

9 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

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. 

There were East German athletes that were told they were taking vitamins and the state run doping program started them young, the article I just read mentioned a 12 year old who was given 'vitamins' she was not allowed to discuss with her parents.

[justmehere]

Aw Donovan - he was landing jumps in the warm-up. Maybe nerves got to him. Still, he's at the Olympics and participated in the final skate with a season's best score. It would be great if he got more opportunities from this.

[Jeddah]

I know the Grand Prix does it this way, but is it new for the Olympics to have the skaters go in reverse placement order? It certainly adds to the tension!