Figure Skating

[DawnDavenport]

23 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

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

I think it was called a half loop originally because the skater does same entry as a loop. However, it's not a proper loop because of the landing edge. That must be why they changed the name.

The way it works is that all jumps land on the same back outside edge of the landing leg (usually the right outside edge unless the skater spins to the left). The only two jumps that are possible that take off from the landing edge are the the toe loop and loop so those are the only jumps that can be directly connected in a jump combination.

It's impossible to directly connect a salchow or flip since they both take off on the inside edge on the opposite foot of the landing edge. The only way to get into the proper position is to do the euler to get onto a left inside edge.

Hopefully that makes sense or someone can correct me if I'm mistaken on anything.

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by DawnDavenport

[Omeletsmom]

37 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

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

Not a clue.  I just suddenly noticed it popping up in the score box about a year and a half ago and had to look it up because I had no idea what it was.

ETA: Wiki has a pretty good explanation of the jump and why the name was changed.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Omeletsmom
Add link to info

[Irlandesa]

38 minutes ago, emmawoodhouse said:

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

I wonder if the movie version is cheaper to get the rights to than the Elton version and if that played a part.

21 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

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

And Johnny is hyper focused on the Russians when they're in the mix but IA that Scott shouldn't come back.

I used to really like Scott's enthusiasm when I was younger but I watched Paul wylie's Olympics skate on YouTube yesterday when it was being talked about in the thread. Scott talked the whole damn time. He didn't just talk about the elements of the skate but he talked about why Paul deserved his spot in the Olympics, why there was controversy at his selection, what tier he'd be seen at, his current and future educational plans, how this skate could change Paul's whole life, and other tidbits like where he's from and what he eats for breakfast and when he lost his virginity....etc.

I mean, Scott pretty much talked and loudly cheered through the whole damn skate.

That can definitely be exciting for viewers used to more engaged sports reporting (as with football and basketball), but I much prefer what we get now.  It was especially noticeable to me during Brown's LP. Aside from Tara's unnecessary moment of talking during Brown's free skate, they all really seemed to let it breathe and speak for itself.

And I think Johnny is even better in the ice dance commentary with Tanith because I don't think he's expected to be part of the Johnny & Tara duo that NBC likes to advertise.  I feel like they think they need to bring more personality and presence to maintain that status in a way he doesn't when he's doing commentary with others. 

After watching that old commentary, I much prefer Johnny's calmer take on things.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Irlandesa

[honeywest]

21 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

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

Plug Stars on Ice and say the skaters' legs must be tired by now.

[Hana Chan]

35 minutes ago, choclatechip45 said:

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. 

When Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport, feels that she cannot speak up, then the federation has a huge fucking problem. At least it's starting to be addressed now.

I was watching Nathan's presser and I love how complimentary he was towards Yuzuru and that he was honored to compete against a man that he considers a legend in the sport (even though Yuzu really wasn't able to compete against Nathan this time around). The press gets caught up in the rivalries, but the elite skating world is a pretty small one and the top men all know one another pretty well. They compete regularly and know better than anyone else what it takes to get to this level in the sport. I'm sure that Nathan is sorry that Yuzu had a rough event and that while he was happy to win, he would have preferred to win with his greatest "rival" skating the way we know he can skate.

[tjsmom]

Thanks for posting the medal ceremony video!  And I also liked the sleeve saying "USA" but the coolest part was that they designed it so it looks the same either direction!  (spouse had just said good thing they didn't print it upside down, that's when we noticed)

[ChicksDigScars]

So, they're going to keep delaying the Team medal ceremony until possibly after the Olympics end, according to articles that I've seen. So, basically, it's the U.S., Japanese and Canadian skaters who are being punished. No medals to pose with. No ceremony, and no watching their flags being raised. No photo/video with all the rest of the medalists. And they will sit by powerless while Constant Bitch Face reigns over the ladies event and her skaters that she feeds drugs to, sweep the podium. Thanks to the ROC and their always willing accomplices at the ISU and IOC. Most of the Team medalists will ONLY medal in that event. It was their moment. Now, they're not getting it. They'll get their medal in a box delivered by the Fed Ex guy. Fuck you, ROC. 

Rooting for C/B on that podium. And even H/D if it means keeping Vikki and Nikki off of it. 

[absnow54]

4 minutes ago, Irlandesa said:

I used to really like Scott's enthusiasm when I was younger but I watched Paul wylie's Olympics skate on YouTube yesterday when it was being talked about in the thread. Scott talked the whole damn time. He didn't just talk about the elements of the skate but he talked about why Paul deserved his spot in the Olympics, why there was controversy at his selection, what tier he'd be seen at, his current and future educational plans, how this skate could change Paul's whole life, and other tidbits like where he's from and what he eats for breakfast and when he lost his virginity....etc.

I mean, Scott pretty much talked and loudly cheered through the whole damn skate.

I remember watching the live coverage for Sochi, when Tara/Johnny/Terry first started, and then I'd switch to primetime, which was still Scott and Sandra, and it was a WORLD of difference. Sandra would drone on endlessly and then Scott would loudly cheer whenever anybody did as much as a double jump. I was thrilled when they went to Terry/Johnny/Tara fulltime. 

[Lovecat]

I am always tickled when Johnny calls Terry "Terrence."  I am tickled a lot.

[absnow54]

3 minutes ago, Lovecat said:

I am always tickled when Johnny calls Terry "Terrence."  I am tickled a lot.

I love when they make basketball analogies for him.

[Ohiopirate02]

3 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

I love when they make basketball analogies for him.

Gary Glitter aside, I chuckled when they were talking about basketball after the one performance, and either Tara or Johnny was ribbing Terry about the short shorts he wore back in the 80s.  

[Lady Whistleup]

21 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

I was watching Nathan's presser and I love how complimentary he was towards Yuzuru and that he was honored to compete against a man that he considers a legend in the sport (even though Yuzu really wasn't able to compete against Nathan this time around). The press gets caught up in the rivalries, but the elite skating world is a pretty small one and the top men all know one another pretty well. They compete regularly and know better than anyone else what it takes to get to this level in the sport. I'm sure that Nathan is sorry that Yuzu had a rough event and that while he was happy to win, he would have preferred to win with his greatest "rival" skating the way we know he can skate.

Figure skaters in general tend to be a tight bunch. It's a very small world. And rivalry or not, I think elite figure skaters all have a bond because of the universally harsh coaching techniques. I think figure skaters probably think only other figure skaters understand what they go through.

Here's a photo of Nathan partying with Gabby and Yuna Kim:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEiGLLHn26B/

Nathan with the Shib Sibs and Yuzuru:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaoVHIIgDjn/

Here's Nathan with Steph Curry. Steph Curry is considered a shorter NBA player but he towers over Nathan:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BduHh9AAUIV/

Edited February 10, 2022 by Lady Whistleup

[choclatechip45]

33 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

When Simone Biles, the most decorated gymnast in the history of the sport, feels that she cannot speak up, then the federation has a huge fucking problem. At least it's starting to be addressed now.

I was watching Nathan's presser and I love how complimentary he was towards Yuzuru and that he was honored to compete against a man that he considers a legend in the sport (even though Yuzu really wasn't able to compete against Nathan this time around). The press gets caught up in the rivalries, but the elite skating world is a pretty small one and the top men all know one another pretty well. They compete regularly and know better than anyone else what it takes to get to this level in the sport. I'm sure that Nathan is sorry that Yuzu had a rough event and that while he was happy to win, he would have preferred to win with his greatest "rival" skating the way we know he can skate.

Yes that is a huge problem, but that is not what you said. You said Gymnasts were kicked off the national team for reporting Nassar which isn't true. Simone has said she couldn't speak up because every practice was treated like a gold medal on the line which is exactly what I said. 

USA Gymnastics still has a ton of issues. They won't be able to fix anything until they have an independent investigation. 

 

Edited February 10, 2022 by choclatechip45

[choclatechip45]

12 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Figure skaters in general tend to be a tight bunch. It's a very small world. And rivalry or not, I think elite figure skaters all have a bond because of the universally harsh coaching techniques. I think figure skaters probably think only other figure skaters understand what they go through.

Here's a photo of Nathan partying with Gabby and Yuna Kim:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CEiGLLHn26B/

Nathan with the Shib Sibs and Yuzuru:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BaoVHIIgDjn/

Here's Nathan with Steph Curry. Steph Curry is considered a shorter NBA player but he towers over Nathan:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BduHh9AAUIV/

Aw I love Nathan getting to meet Steph. It made me laugh that Terry was disappointed not to see him with the basketball. I just have images of Terry and Nathan talking hoops. 

[Avaleigh]

1 hour ago, DawnDavenport said:

I think it was called a half loop originally because the skater does same entry as a loop. However, it's not a proper loop because of the landing edge. That must be why they changed the name.

The way it works is that all jumps land on the same back outside edge of the landing leg (usually the right outside edge unless the skater spins to the left). The only two jumps that are possible that take off from the landing edge are the the toe loop and loop so those are the only jumps that can be directly connected in a jump combination.

It's impossible to directly connect a salchow or flip since they both take off on the inside edge on the opposite foot of the landing edge. The only way to get into the proper position is to do the euler to get onto a left inside edge.

Hopefully that makes sense or someone can correct me if I'm mistaken on anything.

Yes, I understand what a half loop is and why it was originally called that. Obviously it's not a proper loop which is why until recently people always called it a half loop. The name half loop makes sense because of the take off and landing. What isn't  clear is why it's now called a euler. According to Wikipedia the etymology of euler is currently unknown. 

Anyway, since most people still say half loop I was wondering why they bothered to change it. 

[Enero]

Has Jason already left China and flown back to the U.S.? Someone on another site posted a list of the men who were invited to the gala and Jason wasn’t on it. The list looks to have skipped those who placed 5th through 8th. Then resumed with invites for those who placed 9th through 11th. 

I’m guessing this happened because Jason and others immediately flew back to their home countries after competing. Or will be flying home soon and don’t plan to stay for the gala. 

Edited February 10, 2022 by Enero

[absnow54]

7 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Yes, I understand what a half loop is and why it was originally called that. Obviously it's not a proper loop which is why until recently people always called it a half loop. The name half loop makes sense because of the take off and landing. What isn't  clear is why it's now called a euler. According to Wikipedia the etymology of euler is currently unknown. 

I mean there was a famous mathematician named Euler, but I can't connect where jumping a half loop would derive from his work. Other corners of the Internet say it was named after a skater Kurt Euler, who was a World Champion in pairs skating... but he doesn't seem to exist. 

[Avaleigh]

17 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

I mean there was a famous mathematician named Euler, but I can't connect where jumping a half loop would derive from his work. Other corners of the Internet say it was named after a skater Kurt Euler, who was a World Champion in pairs skating... but he doesn't seem to exist. 

The mystery deepens lol.

[iMonrey]

Quote

Medal ceremony on YouTube 

Aww, Yuma tried to wrap his medal ribbon around his hoodie and then gave up. I hate to sound like I am infantilizing him or being disrespectful, but dammit! He is just so darn cute.

Edited February 10, 2022 by iMonrey

[Hana Chan]

44 minutes ago, choclatechip45 said:

You said Gymnasts were kicked off the national team for reporting Nassar which isn't true. Simone has said she couldn't speak up because every practice was treated like a gold medal on the line which is exactly what I said. 

That's not what I said. What I said was that no one would say anything because those who didn't toe the line knew that they would be replaced in a heartbeat. When you're in a gym with about 30 other woman all shooting for the few slots on an Olympic team and either Bella or Marta has sole say over who got one of those slots, you don't make waves. You spent your whole life building up for that one shot, fighting through injuries and broken bones and this is just one more discomfort and indignity that needed to be endured so they could have that chance to achieve their goals. If these young women were confident that their interests and safety would have been protected and they wouldn't be retaliated against, we wouldn't have had to wait until some who had already been cut or retired from competition to start the ball rolling. As I said, if Simone Biles felt that speaking out would risk her spot on the team, it speaks volumes about how corrupt the USGA was. 

Everything that I've read and seen about how Eteri runs her program is pretty much the same. The girls drill quads all day, using the crappy technique that wrecks their backs and if anyone complains? They're out the door and likely have no chance of making it into the Grand Prix and Olympic events. When Zagitova was trying to get back into competitive shape (and keep in mind that she was only 18), Eteri made it clear that she wasn't a priority, accused her of being lazy when she couldn't drill jumps all day and instead of helping Alina work through what was holding her back, drove her out of the sport. If any of her current troika think that Eteri will have any interest in helping their careers once the newest teenager rises from juniors to dazzle the judges, I've got a bridge to sell them. 

And if these girls are told to take "vitamins" for their own good, they're not going to argue.

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, Lady Whistleup said:

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

He'd also screech a lot, and always say stuff like,  "Ice is slippery".

[emma675]

Quote

I mean, Scott pretty much talked and loudly cheered through the whole damn skate.

I love Scott the person, I hate Scott the announcer. He never shut up, he went on and on about things that had nothing to do with the performance going on, and he would get so loud and screamy when he got excited that I would dive for the remote to turn the volume down. Tara is practically chill compared to Scott. 

[backgroundnoise]

I didn't like Scott as an announcer either, but the prize for banality has to go to Peggy Fleming.  I don't remember her ever saying anything insightful and still remember her stupidest remark, "She knows this routine like the back of her hand."   Well, duh.

[Jeddah]

4 minutes ago, backgroundnoise said:

I didn't like Scott as an announcer either, but the prize for banality has to go to Peggy Fleming.  I don't remember her ever saying anything insightful and still remember her stupidest remark, "She knows this routine like the back of her hand."   Well, duh.

For me it’s Sandra Bezic. She added nothing helpful and would gush about programs without ever mentioning that she choreographed them.

[justmehere]

3 hours ago, Lovecat said:

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.    

No worries. I made an assumption too. Sorry if my response came across poorly.

[choclatechip45]

When Eteri coached in the US did she coach any high level skaters?

[Tippi]

I'm still on Cloud 9 for Nathan!

I'm trying to think if any singles skater who was hyped to win, but didn't, was able to come back and win the Olympics the next time.  That Nathan was able to do this, and overcome his horrible experience of 2018, and overcome all the questioning and bringing it up over and over, and withstand the enormous pressure of being the favorite and being the face of the Olympics and succeed spectacularly--damn, if that isn't some incredible mental and physical strength.

I was quite touched by his and Raf's reaction in the kiss and cry.  They reached the pinnacle together!

[SophiaD]

Ironically, I was thinking that Tara and Johnny had finally found their stride as interviewers this year, unusual outfits notwithstanding.  Dick Button was good, back in the day, but even he had his moments, especially when he really liked a skater, or was commenting about women's layback spins.  (He also got a bit grumpy about their practice schedules and work ethics, whereas Terry, Tara, and Johnny are much more diplomatic).  

 

[sweeks]

1 hour ago, Jeddah said:

For me it’s Sandra Bezic. She added nothing helpful and would gush about programs without ever mentioning that she choreographed them.

I always thought Sandra Bezic was the worst when it came to being biased in favor of skaters she worked with. Even as a pre-teen, I thought it was painfully obvious in both her commentating and her interactions with skaters in the Stars on Ice rehearsal footage. The way she catered to people like Kristi while dismissing suggestions from Paul Wylie in that footage (I think it was from the 1992-1993 show) is something that has stuck with me. 

[Jillibean]

3 hours ago, Lady Whistleup said:

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

He also made "oooh" noises when someone fell. That's it, no commentary on why they fell. Just sympathetic noises of pain. 

 

[Lovecat]

7 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

He also made "oooh" noises when someone fell. That's it, no commentary on why they fell. Just sympathetic noises of pain. 

 

The inspiration for a classic SNL sketch...

 

[justmehere]

18 hours ago, emmawoodhouse said:

If Nathan doesn't bow out of Worlds, that might be Jason's Las competitive skate. 

I'm late responding to this. It's too sad to think about, but of course the day will come. In a couple things I read, he said he hasn't decided yet. (Same w/Yuzuru, actually - a standard answer right now, I suppose.)

[Enero]

1 hour ago, Hana Chan said:

and instead of helping Alina work through what was holding her back, drove her out of the sport.

Alina’s “problem” sadly was that she’d gotten too “old” and “fat” to be competitive. I remember reading something where she said she tried to learn quads but wasn’t thin enough to do them. SMH.

Quote

If any of her current troika think that Eteri will have any interest in helping their careers once the newest teenager rises from juniors to dazzle the judges, I've got a bridge to sell them. 

Perhaps there are no delusions about where they stand in the pecking order once they reach 17/18 years old. In fact I was reading an article the other day where Sofia Samodelkina (though not coached by Eteri, but is Russian) was cited as saying she hoped  the Olympics would be canceled this year because when it comes around again she’d be too old to compete. She’s 14 now, will be 18 in 2026. I think the mentality in women’s figure skating in Russia is that if you don’t make it by 16, you’ll never make it. Which is sad considering two of whom I’d think would be the most iconic women figure skaters to come out of Russia competed and won medals  until they were nearly 30. Do they not idolized Slutskaya and Buturskaya?

I do hope the age will be raised for competing, if for nothing else that it’ll deter Eteri’s current strategy of pumping out teen phenoms and then throwing them away before they’re 20. What will her strategy be when her phenoms can’t compete until they’re 17? Should prove interesting if the rule passes. 

[Jeddah]

42 minutes ago, Tippi said:

I'm trying to think if any singles skater who was hyped to win, but didn't, was able to come back and win the Olympics the next time. 

Plushenko is the closest I can think of.  I don’t know if he was the favorite over Yagudin in 2002, but he was the reigning World Champion.

[ShellsandCheese]

14 minutes ago, Enero said:

Which is sad considering two of whom I’d think would be the most iconic women figure skaters to come out of Russia competed and won medals  until they were nearly 30. Do they not idolized Slutskaya and Buturskaya?

The current crop is way better than both Slutskaya and Butyrskaya. I think people admire them and like that they paved the way but I don’t think they are idolized (which is a good thing IMO). 

Edited February 10, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[Avaleigh]

4 hours ago, Mirabelle said:

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. 

Regarding moves that should have been named after skaters, I always thought that the donut spin should have been called the Baiul after Oksana because she popularized it.

Similarly I think the I spin should have been called a Cohen spin or a Sasha spin. 

[shoregirl]

Wouldn't they have to have some sort of decision before the women skate?  Are they really going to let Kamila skate not knowing if the will have to DQ her later leading to the same issues with the team skate? Or are they hoping they can just ignore it. I would love to here what they are telling the other Federations. The US, Japan and Canada have to be pissed.

[Hana Chan]

7 minutes ago, Enero said:

Do they not idolized Slutskaya and Buturskaya?

And this is where I think that it hurts the sport. Gymnastics was always popular but got a major boost from having athletes being able to compete for more than a single quad. There's a real why men's figure skating gained so much attention because you had so many veterans returning to compete. Mock the Fanyus, but they've had a decade of watching him compete in the seniors to get invested in him as a performer. Nathan got the compelling story about coming back from crushing disappointment in Korea to becoming the new Olympic champion. We got to watch Jason prove that he could be competitive even without having a secure quad under his belt. And we'll have the pleasure of watching Yuma and Jun-hwan continue to mature and develop as athletes.

We don't get that from the winners on the women's side anymore. The winners might skate for another year, and then they're gone. We can admire their talent, but they become more or less interchangeable. I felt horrible for Evgenia when she should have won the gold medal but got overshadowed by her younger teammate and then got shuffled off to the sidelines. It's terrible for the girls and terrible for the sport. I miss the days of following skaters like Michelle Kwan, Yuna Kim, and others who survived in the sport for more than a single quad. And for girls to have the misfortune of being born at the wrong time to be 15 in time for the Olympics not to automatically be shut out.

[Minneapple]

If they let Kamila skate in the individual competition it would be the biggest joke. The US figure skating association and  USOC should raise holy hell if it happens. Enough with bending over backward for the Russians. Figure skating has enough credibility problems as it is, and so does the IOC.

[ShellsandCheese]

1 minute ago, Hana Chan said:

We don't get that from the winners on the women's side anymore. The winners might skate for another year, and then they're gone. We can admire their talent, but they become more or less interchangeable. I felt horrible for Evgenia when she should have won the gold medal but got overshadowed by her younger teammate and then got shuffled off to the sidelines. It's terrible for the girls and terrible for the sport. I miss the days of following skaters like Michelle Kwan, Yuna Kim, and others who survived in the sport for more than a single quad. And for girls to have the misfortune of being born at the wrong time to be 15 in time for the Olympics not to automatically be shut out.

The Women’s winners have been all over the place since the late 90’s. There’s been a new Olympic champion every year since 1988. There used to be big names who competed in multiple of Olympics but that has been rare for a while now. Sarah Hughes won one World Bronze medal and Olympic Gold and that was it. Lipinski won one World Title and OGM ditto Arakawa. Yuna Kim has been the only Women’s skater who has multiple world titles, and multiple Olympic medals since 2002. Medvedeva winning the world title in 2016 and 2017 was the first woman to repeat as world champion since Kwan did it in 2000 and 2001. It’s been a revolving door for a while. 

[BitterApple]

33 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

If they let Kamila skate in the individual competition it would be the biggest joke. The US figure skating association and  USOC should raise holy hell if it happens. Enough with bending over backward for the Russians. Figure skating has enough credibility problems as it is, and so does the IOC.

I agree, and it's so obvious they're working every loophole they can to let her skate, otherwise the decision to disqualify would've been immediate. 

As noted above, this situation is not only screwing over the girls who didn't cheat, but the Teams who are in limbo, waiting for their medals. For some skaters the team event was their only chance to stand on the podium, and having it delayed (or not happen at all) due to another Russian doping scandal is so unfair. 

[sweeks]

The video of Nathan backstage after his win is adorable. I love seeing Mariah jumping around in excitement and seeing Evan(?) and Nathan hug. The fact that Nathan's first thought after leaving the kiss and cry is "I need to find my team leader" and going to look for Evan (ETA maybe?) makes me so happy. 

https://youtu.be/KSDOmL-BQiQ

Sorry that I only have the link. For some reason, I keep getting the message that YouTube doesn't allow for the video to be embedded. 

Edit: Upon reading the comments, it isn't clear if it is Evan that Nathan is hugging. Based on the comments, like it might be his trainer. The masks make it hard to tell. 

Edited February 11, 2022 by sweeks

[HartofDixie]

TSL discusses the doping scandal

 

[Avaleigh]

28 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

The Women’s winners have been all over the place since the late 90’s. There’s been a new Olympic champion every year since 1988. There used to be big names who competed in multiple of Olympics but that has been rare for a while now. Sarah Hughes won one World Bronze medal and Olympic Gold and that was it. Lipinski won one World Title and OGM ditto Arakawa. Yuna Kim has been the only Women’s skater who has multiple world titles, and multiple Olympic medals since 2002. Medvedeva winning the world title in 2016 and 2017 was the first woman to repeat as world champion since Kwan did it in 2000 and 2001. It’s been a revolving door for a while. 

You can even go back further than that. Oksana had one world title in 93 and retired right after the 94 Olympics. She was barely on the scene. Kristi won world titles in 91 and 92 in addition to her 92 Olympic win. She was active for one quad just as the skaters are these days. Debi was around for one quad. 

Skaters who are only around for one Olympic cycle have been standard since the days of Peggy Fleming. 

Michelle Kwan was exceptional. One could argue that she might well have retired in 1998 had things gone a different way in Nagano. We'll never know. I think her desire for the Olympic title was what kept her on the scene for so long. I'm thankful that she stayed around for as long as she did because it was a pleasure to watch her. That longevity turned her into a national treasure. 

[HartofDixie]

Nathan’s free skate 

https://youtu.be/PDCGU1Ix2zs

 

 

[choclatechip45]

This is a nice video US Figure Skating put together to congratulate Nathan. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ0JRjrJLa8/

[Avaleigh]

1 hour ago, Minneapple said:

If they let Kamila skate in the individual competition it would be the biggest joke. The US figure skating association and  USOC should raise holy hell if it happens. Enough with bending over backward for the Russians. Figure skating has enough credibility problems as it is, and so does the IOC.

I'm surprised that there isn't more of an uproar. It's like people are scared of Russia and they don't want to make too much noise so they're going to hide behind 'we don't have all of the facts' for as long as they can.

At the moment if it seems like Kamila is going to compete and it isn't right. Meanwhile the Russian media wants to make it seem like it's everyone but Russia and Team Eteri who are victimizing Kamila. To them, the people who want to know the truth are bad and the people who are drugging her and covering this up are good. It's an upside down world, indeed.

[Enero]

29 minutes ago, Avaleigh said:

Michelle Kwan was exceptional. One could argue that she might well have retired in 1998 had things gone a different way in Nagano.

I agree. Kwan was an anomaly as was Witt. 

1 hour ago, ShellsandCheese said:

The Women’s winners have been all over the place since the late 90’s. There’s been a new Olympic champion every year since 1988.

1 hour ago, Hana Chan said:

We don't get that from the winners on the women's side anymore. The winners might skate for another year, and then they're gone.

If you look at the history of women OGMs most of them only competed until they won gold then they retired. I think what the women’s discipline lacks is skating top talent and rivalries that remain for at least 4 or more years. For years we had Yuna Kim and Mao Asada, then Skutskaya/Kwan/Cohen, and for a while there Miki Ando/Caroline Kostner/Fumie Siguri we’re all in the mix. No they weren’t all consistently making it to the podium, but these were careers which we could follow and enjoy their struggles and triumphs. Now even the “top” ladies are changing out every year or two either due  to injury or aging out of the system. It makes it difficult to invest in the discipline. 

Women’s figure skating used to be my favorite, but now I’d say men’s is my favorite, followed by pairs. With the men we’ve seen Yuzu, Nathan, Jason, Javi (now retired), Chan (now retired), Shoma , even Boyang and others compete for years going from young phenoms with so much potential to world and Olympic medalists etc, We’ve seen them falter and fly. It’s been a great experience and keeps me as a viewer invested and watching. The same can’t really be said about the women’s discipline in recent years. 

[annzeepark914]

2 hours ago, Lovecat said:

The inspiration for a classic SNL sketch...

 

Who was that on the ice? Was it a guest host who knew how to skate a bit? I couldn't stop laughing😁.

[Sarahsmile416]

1 minute ago, annzeepark914 said:

Who was that on the ice? Was it a guest host who knew how to skate a bit? I couldn't stop laughing😁.

I think that was Jason Priestley