Figure Skating

[Hana Chan]

1 minute ago, Minneapple said:

On another note, I wouldn't mind Johnny dragging the GOE into every single fucking program ("he underrotated that and it will be a deduction on his grade of execution") if he actually pointed out when Eteri's skaters underrotate their jumps and why the judges don't dock their GOE.

The downside of any sport with an "artistic" element (like figure skating and gymnastics) is that there is a lot of wiggle room for subjectivity. The current scoring system was supposed to take a lot of that subjectivity out and making it clear what was expected when an element was performed and would be scored at how well it was done accordingly. Unfortunately that doesn't usually happen. I can't count the number of times when I found myself screaming at the television about one skater being zinged for an element while others who made errors got high GOEs.

The video that I posted shows just show screwed up the judging is for Eteri's girls. That the moment they hit the seniors, their GOEs go through the roof. Then the new dazzling 15 year old shows up two years later and their GOEs start coming back down to earth. I'm wondering if a scoring system the way we have in gymnastics would be more fair. An element would have a maximum value (instead of a base value) and then deductions would be leveled for specific reasons (missed edges, positioning, etc). It wouldn't erase the subjectivity completely but it would certainly help to rein in the abuses.

[Jeddah]

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

Someone gif'd it on tumblr, and it's very sweet. I feel so bad for Michal not being able to skate, but it was lovely seeing him support his friend.

Team Raf is so cute! I love how much they support each other.

[HartofDixie]

Men’s medal ceremony happened a couple of hours ago. Thought it would get delayed with the delay of the team medal ceremony.

 

[absnow54]

1 minute ago, Hana Chan said:

Unfortunately that doesn't usually happen. I can't count the number of times when I found myself screaming at the television about one skater being zinged for an element while others who made errors got high GOEs.

Yes, even on the 4S that he totally wobbled, Nathan still got nearly +2 GOE. The judges still know who's supposed to win (although his OGM was totally deserving!)

4 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

Men’s medal ceremony happened a couple of hours ago. Thought it would get delayed with the delay of the team medal ceremony.

Don't competitors have to leave within 24 hours of their final event? I think they want to get everyone out ASAP. The US will probably do their own medal ceremony at Nationals next year (they're probably happy to wait, if it results in an upgrade to gold!) for the team event.

[ShellsandCheese]

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………

[HartofDixie]

9 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

Men’s medal ceremony happened a couple of hours ago. Thought it would get delayed with the delay of the team medal ceremony.

 

Medal ceremony on YouTube 

https://youtu.be/JN_qrLVddS8

[Crs97]

I finally got to watch Nathan’s programs and just wow.  Amazing!

If you read Pride and Prejudice you remember the buffoon Mr. Collins explaining how he works out ahead of time little compliments that he can put into conversations to charm everyone.  I just realized Tara is the Mr. Collins of figure skating.

I wish that the announcers would mentally take note of things marked “under review” and then show that move in the replay to explain what was being looked at and why.  I noted Nathan had a couple of elements marked under review that must have been determined good, but I would have liked to know more.

Regarding PED’s years ago a friend of a friend (I know, but true) was an elite runner who had to make the decision whether to dope to move to the top tier.  He said it was so tempting because everyone was doing it and it was so hard to know that was the only reason he couldn’t break through.  He ultimately decided not to - said he was already taking legal stuff that he wasn’t sure the long term effects of so he chose a more normal future to preserve his health.  He also said Carl Lewis being in and out of braces was the clear evidence of human growth hormones, as they affect your jawline.

 

[HartofDixie]

1 minute ago, ShellsandCheese said:

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………

After the team event Chock and Bates might sneak onto the podium too! P/C still need to be clean but I think the gold is their’s. S/K is questionable for me as he’s got back issues plus the drama with the team medal.

7 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

Yes, even on the 4S that he totally wobbled, Nathan still got nearly +2 GOE. The judges still know who's supposed to win (although his OGM was totally deserving!)

Don't competitors have to leave within 24 hours of their final event? I think they want to get everyone out ASAP. The US will probably do their own medal ceremony at Nationals next year (they're probably happy to wait, if it results in an upgrade to gold!) for the team event.

I think most will but some skaters will be part of the gala/flag bearer for closing ceremony.

[absnow54]

3 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

I think most will but some skaters will be part of the gala/flag bearer for closing ceremony

I totally forgot the Gala was still scheduled. For some reason I thought they were skipping it this year!

[choclatechip45]

I'm hoping for an all Montreal Ice Dancing podium. P/C for gold and then the two Americans. I know it is unlikely but it might seem like momentum might be on their side?

[absnow54]

11 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

After the team event Chock and Bates might sneak onto the podium too! P/C still need to be clean but I think the gold is their’s. S/K is questionable for me as he’s got back issues plus the drama with the team medal.

I think most will but some skaters will be part of the gala/flag bearer for closing ceremony.

After the team event, I'd prefer CB & SK on the podium over HD. Madison Hubell has grown on me, even though I find her a bit dramatic while they're preparing to go on ice, but Donahue seems like a total jerk. 

[anyanka323]

44 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

 

Plenty of people are also outraged by practices in US sports--and frankly this reads as a whataboutism. This thread is specifically for figure skating in the 2022 Olympics. 

FWIW when I posted about the latest scandal on my FB page, a friend of mine said he had stopped following the Olympics because of all the scandals, and another friend of mine said she felt the same way about the NFL, because it was just problem after problem.

Multiple posters here have made comparisons between Eteri and the Karoylis regarding both their training methods and how both view the young women under their care as disposable.  Both seem to view the young women as useful and beneficial to them when the women are winning and making them look good. 

 

[irisheyes]

22 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

Medal ceremony on YouTube 

https://youtu.be/JN_qrLVddS8

A) Love when they fling the flag away from the pole as they’re raising it. 
B) Whoever designed the jackets deserves an A+ for putting the USA on the lower arm so it shows perfectly during the anthem. 
C) Nathan looked like he still wasn’t sure that gold was actually his. 

[Linderhill]

26 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

Medal ceremony on YouTube 

https://youtu.be/JN_qrLVddS8

thanks for posting this!  I love how the Chinese soldiers fling the flags right as they are being raised.

[OtterMommy]

Hey all!  Here is a reminder of Primetimer's Political Talk Policy.  

This policy does not just apply to politics in the United States.  Politicans in other countries, such as Vladimir Putin, also fall under this umbrella.

Several posts mentioning Putin in this thread have been removed and future posts mentioning him will meet the same fate.  So, to keep your voice in the conversation, please keep politics out of your post.  Thanks!

[ShellsandCheese]

19 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

After the team event, I'd prefer CB & SK on the podium over HD. Madison Hubell has grown on me, even though I find her a bit dramatic while they're preparing to go on ice, but Donahue seems like a total jerk. 

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. 

[Lady Whistleup]

You know ... last night I saw that almost all the men included twizzles in their step sequence. Twizzles are considered the hardest part of ice dance, or one of the hardest.

Could singles men transfer to ice dance? It does not seem as physically demanding as the singles and pairs events.

[absnow54]

2 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Could singles men transfer to ice dance? It does not seem as physically demanding as the singles and pairs events.

I think it's a hard transition. Look at the team podium. Most of the male singles are tiny, and the men in pairs and ice dance are huge. The lifts are probably very difficult for them. As for skill, I think the hardest to learn (aside from the lifts) would be synchronizing with your partner. 

[iMonrey]

Quote

Once he got to the step sequence, his joy was contagious. I couldn’t stop smiling. I actually love his Rocket Man performance, but I don’t mind music with lyrics. I rather skaters use music they connect with, because it really enhances their performance. 

I love how he comes alive after finishing his jumping passes. It's the most personality I've ever seen in him, on or off the ice. He's such a robot I never knew he had it in him.

I'm confused about the whole Kamila Valieva issue. If she tested positive for a prohibited substance in December, why are we just now hearing about it? Did they just now get back the test results? Or were they hidden until now when someone leaked them? Surely they were testing to make sure everyone was clear to go to the Olympics so how did she make it this far if she tested positive back then? Did she later test negative, still prior to the Olympics, which is why she was cleared? Have I missed something?

[Jeddah]

28 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

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. 

Same. I’d love for it to be P/C, C/B, and then anyone else besides H/D or S/K. Any other team, I’m not picky.

[Hana Chan]

57 minutes ago, anyanka323 said:

Multiple posters here have made comparisons between Eteri and the Karoylis regarding both their training methods and how both view the young women under their care as disposable.  Both seem to view the young women as useful and beneficial to them when the women are winning and making them look good. 

The problem with the way Eteri and the Karoylis approach sports is that the athletes are disposable. It was always very clear to everyone involved that stepping out of line of faltering in the smallest way would end up with you being left off the national teams because there was always someone else ready and willing to take your place. So the althletes learn early on to keep their mouths shut and toe the line so they can make it to the Olympics.

We saw that with the Larry Nassir scandal, that the few gymnasts that complained about his abuse were cut from being considered for the national team. Retaliation was a given so the ones who made it to the Olympics only spoke about their abuse after the door was opened and their chances to compete weren't at risk. 

Athletes being abused and used up by their federations is nothing new and hardly isolated. What I think makes Eteri so pernicious is that, like the Karoylis, she seems to have near total control over which skaters make it to the big competitions. And with the ISU constantly rewarding her and her skaters, they have no reason to change. I'm not optimistic about the Olympic Committee or the ISU making a stand now and risk disqualifying Eteri's brightest (current) star.

[backgroundnoise]

1 hour ago, Crs97 said:

If you read Pride and Prejudice you remember the buffoon Mr. Collins explaining how he works out ahead of time little compliments that he can put into conversations to charm everyone.  I just realized Tara is the Mr. Collins of figure skating.

Hee.  Yes, I was just thinking that I wish Tara would think about what she's about to say and decide if it adds anything to the conversation or is just banal "You really need to bring it to the Olympics"  or "This is their moment" drivel.

Or I wish they'd only say things that are applicable to this skater, not generalities.  That would cut out at least 80% of the chatter.  

Edited February 10, 2022 by backgroundnoise

[Lady Whistleup]

Aww, apparently Hanyu was crying at his presser.

[Crs97]

I realized when she said about Nathan, with a giggle, “The king of quads is ready for his coronation.  Give him the crown” that she had probably been rehearsing that in the mirror for days.

[Lady Whistleup]

This is cute.

[Lovecat]

1 hour ago, Linderhill said:

thanks for posting this!  I love how the Chinese soldiers fling the flags right as they are being raised.

That is indeed a snazzy bit of pageantry!  On the flip side (modern pageantry?), we also saw the medalists pull out their masks almost in unison before they got together for the photo op.

[GeminiDancer]

1 hour ago, ShellsandCheese said:

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………

C/B are riding a huge wave of momentum after beating S/K. It wouldn't surprise me if they managed to get on the podium.

I really wouldn't mind if S/B snuck ahead of S/K either.

[gingerella]

12 hours ago, iMonrey said:

Well that wasn't as good as Chen's LP at Nationals but it was enough!

I preferred Nathan's short program to last night. The short was so beautiful in so many ways and the music and choreography was just breathtaking to me. I like Elton John and I like Star Trek, but nit mind melded together thankyouverymuch! But so glad he won his gold now! 

Also, I saw the medal Ceremonies and was shocked that they trotted out military again to raise the flags. It's so out of place and disrespectful to the Olympic ethos to allow any host country to have their military invited in any part of the Ceremonies at any level. Has any other country done this before? It shouldn't be allowed IMO. Let flag raising be done by hard working volunteers.

Edited February 10, 2022 by gingerella

[justmehere]

2 hours ago, HartofDixie said:

Medal ceremony on YouTube 

https://youtu.be/JN_qrLVddS8

I noticed in one shot that Shoma Uno also had his hand on his heart during the U.S. National Anthem. Respect to him for his show of respect.

[blackwing]

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

I think it's a hard transition. Look at the team podium. Most of the male singles are tiny, and the men in pairs and ice dance are huge. The lifts are probably very difficult for them. As for skill, I think the hardest to learn (aside from the lifts) would be synchronizing with your partner. 

I have been wondering how when kids are starting out, how they determine who is going to be singles or pairs or dance.  I get that people have switched disciplines before, but it seems rare.  What if they decide that a 10 year old boy is going to do pairs, and then he doesn't grow?  A lot of the pairs men are tall, and they have to be strong enough to do the lifts and throws.  What if a pairs guy ends up being 5 foot 7 and 140 pounds?  Do they get switched to dance or singles?  Or are these the ones that end up leaving the sport and we never hear about them because they don't make it to this level?

1 hour ago, iMonrey said:

I'm confused about the whole Kamila Valieva issue. If she tested positive for a prohibited substance in December, why are we just now hearing about it? Did they just now get back the test results? Or were they hidden until now when someone leaked them? Surely they were testing to make sure everyone was clear to go to the Olympics so how did she make it this far if she tested positive back then? Did she later test negative, still prior to the Olympics, which is why she was cleared? Have I missed something?

I have been wondering about the same thing.  This was supposedly a test back in December.  Did she have to test again after the team event, failed, and then it was revealed that she had already failed a test back in December?  How come the December results were covered up?  Is this Russia being Russia again?

[Lovecat]

5 minutes ago, justmehere said:

I noticed in one shot that Shoma Uno also had his hand on his heart during the U.S. National Anthem. Respect to him for his show of respect.

I saw that too, but assumed he was saluting his own flag, which was also being raised.

[KittenPokerCheater]

I wish I had seen Nathan's presser.

All athletes on the podium are drug tested after their wins.

[justmehere]

7 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

I saw that too, but assumed he was saluting his own flag, which was also being raised.

Could be - but Yuma didn't. I haven't noticed if those from other countries also do this with their flags/anthems. If I'm wrong - OK.

@annzeepark914 said:

And Schindler's List. I don't want to hear music that reminds me of the horrors of those death camps while watching skaters leaping and spinning on an ice rink.

I totally get this, especially if it's treated lightly. --Jason Brown is Jewish and gay, and he did this program as a personal tribute. From comments elsewhere, many see it as respectful and thought it was very moving. Opinions obviously vary - just offering another view.

[Good Queen Jane]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Could singles men transfer to ice dance? It does not seem as physically demanding as the singles and pairs events.

Daisuke Takahashi of Japan has done this. He was an upper level singles skater who now is skating dance.

 

2 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I have been wondering how when kids are starting out, how they determine who is going to be singles or pairs or dance.  I get that people have switched disciplines before, but it seems rare.  What if they decide that a 10 year old boy is going to do pairs, and then he doesn't grow?  A lot of the pairs men are tall, and they have to be strong enough to do the lifts and throws.  What if a pairs guy ends up being 5 foot 7 and 140 pounds?  Do they get switched to dance or singles?  Or are these the ones that end up leaving the sport and we never hear about them because they don't make it to this level?

Young skaters with talent skate a lot of disciplines. Paul Wylie and Johnny Weir both skated pairs when they were young. Rudy Galindo and Kristi Yamaguchi were National Champions in pairs before splitting to do singles. John Baldwin was a Junior Men's Champion singles skater until he found greater success in Pairs. Ashley Cain-Gribble was a Junior Ladies champion in singles. My favorite was Troy Goldstein, who in the early 90's skated at Nationals in Men's singles, Pairs and Dance. We used to say that the only reason he didn't skates ladies was he couldn't figure out how to pass the chromosome test. 

[roughing it]

I am an Olympics only skating viewer.  I used to follow the sport more but not in more than a decade.  I loved Nathan's long program, the music, and the energy.  And I loved his shirt!  I am not a fan of the sparkly blouses that some of the men wore (Hanyu for one).  The other programs with their slow, operatic music are such a slog to sit through.  Nathan's program rocked! 

[Jillibean]

27 minutes ago, blackwing said:

I have been wondering how when kids are starting out, how they determine who is going to be singles or pairs or dance.  I get that people have switched disciplines before, but it seems rare.  What if they decide that a 10 year old boy is going to do pairs, and then he doesn't grow?  A lot of the pairs men are tall, and they have to be strong enough to do the lifts and throws.  What if a pairs guy ends up being 5 foot 7 and 140 pounds?  Do they get switched to dance or singles?  Or are these the ones that end up leaving the sport and we never hear about them because they don't make it to this level?

I believe Tanith Belgian started as a pairs skater and had to switch to ice dance because she was getting too tall. And Charlie White skated singles and dance into intermediates. I think one of the reasons, though, that the United States is behind a lot of other countries in pairs skating is this sort of cyclical effect where it's the red-headed stepchild of American figure skating, so people don't go into it if they have the option of trying to be a singles skater. And then the teams aren't really internationally competitive, and so it never quite rights itself. American pairs could really use an American ice dance like revolution where a couple of teams break through at the top level and it cultivates interest and coaching opportunities. 

2 hours ago, Crs97 said:

If you read Pride and Prejudice you remember the buffoon Mr. Collins explaining how he works out ahead of time little compliments that he can put into conversations to charm everyone.  I just realized Tara is the Mr. Collins of figure skating.

This is so apt; amazing comparison. I heard Tara say at least twice last night that Nathan's LP is the best she's ever seen from him, and look. It was great. He was joyful, he landed a bunch of quads, it was fun. It was objectively not the best LP he's ever skated. It's not even the best LP he's skated in the past two months. But clearly she had already predetermined what she was going to say if he won. At one point she also commented that a score was "almost a 14" when it was, like, a 14.2 which IS in fact, you know, a 14. But then she'll be like, "That's almost 17 points!" and it's 16.1 which is really not almost 17. 

I did feel charmed by Johnny briefly during the warm-up when he was talking about Nathan and then, as Nathan stepped out of a jump, smoothly inserted, "Don't worry about that," in a very calming sort of way, as if to reassure everyone that it was normal and not a big deal, rather than trying to mine it for drama.  I would have liked, though, to hear what score Nathan needed before he started his skate, and for Tara and Johnny to tell us functionally what it meant--like, could he fall once and still win? Or was it basically a done deal because no one else had been clean? It didn't matter, but it would have been interesting. 

Go Chock and Bates!

[Avaleigh]

3 hours ago, Minneapple said:

On another note, I wouldn't mind Johnny dragging the GOE into every single fucking program ("he underrotated that and it will be a deduction on his grade of execution") if he actually pointed out when Eteri's skaters underrotate their jumps and why the judges don't dock their GOE.

I agree that he needs to step up his criticism of the Russians because there's plenty to criticize. That being said, I'll give the Russians credit for rotating their jumps. The Americans are the ones who really have issues with underrotations. Amber, Isabeau, Lindsay and Bradie are probably the best examples of the ladies who are fully rotating their jumps on a regular basis. 

The Russians though? Lots of pre-rotation issues, lots of edge calls that aren't being made, inflated GOE that Johnny never seems to see, etc. Don't even get me started on how he doesn't see Anna's downturned toes. Grr, makes me stabby how he never calls them on anything negative. Even after one of Trusova's many falls he'll just say that her program's overall base value is enough for it to not matter. Nothing about it being "messy" a word he loves to throw around at non Russian skaters.

Seriously though, wtf is he going to say about the Russians during the warm up now that the news is out? If he stays silent it'll make him seem both cowardly and indirectly complicit especially since we know he's gone to visit Sambo 70 to hang out with Eteri and co.

[carrier76]

I saw a lot of social media posts this morning referencing the “Quad King’s Coronation,” so somebody liked that dumb comment. Other frequent Tara favorites include “he/she/they need this….” before a skater or skaters go into a jump. No kidding, Tara. She loves the phrase “quad Revolution” when Jim Boyang skates.

[absnow54]

14 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

I believe Tanith Belgian started as a pairs skater and had to switch to ice dance because she was getting too tall. And Charlie White skated singles and dance into intermediates. I think one of the reasons, though, that the United States is behind a lot of other countries in pairs skating is this sort of cyclical effect where it's the red-headed stepchild of American figure skating, so people don't go into it if they have the option of trying to be a singles skater. And then the teams aren't really internationally competitive, and so it never quite rights itself.

America's only use for Pairs skating is sexual tension in romantic comedies. Male pairs skaters are only recruited from hockey teams.

14 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

At one point she also commented that a score was "almost a 14" when it was, like, a 14.2 which IS in fact, you know, a 14. But then she'll be like, "That's almost 17 points!" and it's 16.1 which is really not almost 17. 

Her and Tanith also kept insisting that Hanyu would get 18 points for his quad axel, if he landed it.

Edited February 10, 2022 by absnow54

[Avaleigh]

1 hour ago, blackwing said:

I have been wondering how when kids are starting out, how they determine who is going to be singles or pairs or dance.  I get that people have switched disciplines before, but it seems rare.  What if they decide that a 10 year old boy is going to do pairs, and then he doesn't grow?  A lot of the pairs men are tall, and they have to be strong enough to do the lifts and throws.  What if a pairs guy ends up being 5 foot 7 and 140 pounds?  Do they get switched to dance or singles?  Or are these the ones that end up leaving the sport and we never hear about them because they don't make it to this level?

A lot of skaters do more than one discipline when they are kids. Most people start in singles of course and then give another discipline a try once they've spent a few years in the sport.

Men/boys very often dip their toe into either pairs or dance because there are fewer men in the sport so they're sought after for girls who are looking for a partner. (There are even guys at the lower levels intermediate, novice, junior etc who don't have to pay or fully pay their way because the parents want their daughter to have a partner. Sometimes it's easier to get to sectionals or nationals in dance or pairs than it is in singles.) 

It also depends on how a person's singles career is going. Vanessa James had a decent singles career at first but eventually she knew that she had a better chance of medaling internationally if she did pairs. 

1 hour ago, Good Queen Jane said:

Young skaters with talent skate a lot of disciplines. Paul Wylie and Johnny Weir both skated pairs when they were young. Rudy Galindo and Kristi Yamaguchi were National Champions in pairs before splitting to do singles. John Baldwin was a Junior Men's Champion singles skater until he found greater success in Pairs. Ashley Cain-Gribble was a Junior Ladies champion in singles. My favorite was Troy Goldstein, who in the early 90's skated at Nationals in Men's singles, Pairs and Dance. We used to say that the only reason he didn't skates ladies was he couldn't figure out how to pass the chromosome test. 

Yes, there are a lot of skaters who aren't top tier who've tried all three disciplines. Tiffany Stiegler skated in singles, pairs (where she and her brother got some decent results at nationals) and finally dance.

Shelby Lyons did singles and pairs for a long time. I think Naomi Nari Nam gave pairs a try too. Julia Vlassov did singles and pairs.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Avaleigh

[Lovecat]

35 minutes ago, justmehere said:

Could be - but Yuma didn't. I haven't noticed if those from other countries also do this with their flags/anthems. If I'm wrong - OK.

I come in peace, promise!  I wasn't trying to correct you, just saying what my own assumption is--if the bronze medal was on the other neck (so to speak) and an American saluted during the Japanese anthem, I would have made the same assumption, that he was honoring his own flag as it was raised on the 3rd place staff.  I honestly don't know what (if anything) other nations do to honor their flag.    

[emmawoodhouse]

Elton John congratulated Nathan on Twitter. 

[choclatechip45]

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

The problem with the way Eteri and the Karoylis approach sports is that the athletes are disposable. It was always very clear to everyone involved that stepping out of line of faltering in the smallest way would end up with you being left off the national teams because there was always someone else ready and willing to take your place. So the althletes learn early on to keep their mouths shut and toe the line so they can make it to the Olympics.

We saw that with the Larry Nassir scandal, that the few gymnasts that complained about his abuse were cut from being considered for the national team. Retaliation was a given so the ones who made it to the Olympics only spoke about their abuse after the door was opened and their chances to compete weren't at risk. 

Athletes being abused and used up by their federations is nothing new and hardly isolated. What I think makes Eteri so pernicious is that, like the Karoylis, she seems to have near total control over which skaters make it to the big competitions. And with the ISU constantly rewarding her and her skaters, they have no reason to change. I'm not optimistic about the Olympic Committee or the ISU making a stand now and risk disqualifying Eteri's brightest (current) star.

Maggie Nichols wasn't making the 2016 Olympic Team because she got injured two months before the Olympics. She made the World Team &  was chosen to do the American Cup before her injury and after her coach overheard about Nassar and reported him. She was injured training for the PacRims another team she was chosen to be on. This narrative that Athlete A and her family keeps sharing has left out a lot of key details. No one who complained about Nassar was cut from the national team because most of them did not realize they were being abused which is a whole other problem or didn't feel like they could tell an adult which leads into the much bigger problem with Karolyi's. 

The biggest issue with Karolyi's was that every single practice was treated like a Team Final with the Gold Medal on the line which created an environment that let someone like Nassar thrive and gymnasts were not given second chances once they did badly on the World Stage. Under the Karolyi system someone like Vincent would have been gone from US Figure skating after he bombed at Worlds.

The Karolyi's deserve criticism and are horrible people with no morals but lets criticize them on accurate information like the fact they kept Nassar around because he would clear gymnasts to compete on injuries. 

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by choclatechip45

[Omeletsmom]

13 hours ago, Daisy said:

And now you think, Hanyu...if you were clean...
 

the same. the Euler is "new" to me. I usually watch the circuit at times (at least Skate Canada, etc) but i've never seen that before. i'm like... did they just step out?!

It's a half loop.  They just renamed it a couple of years ago.

[Harry24]

13 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

Elton John congratulated Nathan on Twitter. 

I just wish Sir Elton’s great voice had been more present in the program instead of the actor from the movie.  As creditable as his singing work was.  He’s no EJ when it comes to pipes.

[emmawoodhouse]

3 minutes ago, Harry24 said:

I just wish Sir Elton’s great voice had been more present in the program instead of the actor from the movie.  As creditable as his singing work was.  He’s no EJ when it comes to pipes.

Yeah, he could have used the original Rocketman. It didn't differ much from the movie soundtrack. 

[Avaleigh]

5 minutes ago, Omeletsmom said:

It's a half loop.  They just renamed it a couple of years ago.

Anyone know why they renamed it? I don't know anyone who says euler. Everyone says half loop.

[Frost]

 

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Kagiyama is going to be way ahead of Shoma. Great skate!

Yuma is just adorable!  He looks like an Our Gang member from Little Rascals.  He's so fun to watch. 

Amen to the Tara Mr Collins comparison.  Tara and Johnny seem more into their own performances than what's happening on the ice.  Can't Scott Hamilton be a commentator?

[Mirabelle]

Maybe whoever brought it back called it the Euler and it stuck. Kwan didn't invent the Charlotte spiral but she did bring it back to competition and she/Frank Carroll called it the Charlotte instead of the Michelle or the Kwan. 

[Lady Whistleup]

3 minutes ago, Frost said:

Can't Scott Hamilton be a commentator?

Not Scott Hamilton. He used to commentate and all he did was plug people that skated on Stars on Ice.