Figure Skating

[ShellsandCheese]

Just now, Minneapple said:

 

 

 

It’s so very Russian. But we are talking about teenagers. This brings back memories of Nicole Bobek’s metldowns, Surya Bonali dramatically ripping her medal off her neck on the podium and of course the dramatics from Svetlana Khorkina in gymnastics. 

[Jess14]

13 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Not only did she do nothing to protect Kamila, she actively harmed her by (probably) giving her drugs.

And then made her tell stupid lies about her grandfather to hide the fact that she gave her drugs…. If Kamila and her parents are smart, she will run from Eteri after this.

[lurkerbee]

41 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

Also, in the days of school figures, you had some skaters who were pure technicians; they could do school figures in their sleep.  Put them on the ice, play some music and ask them to perform and they would move like their skates were made of lead.  Take a look at Trixi Schuba, a German skater who won the gold in 1972.  She would kick everyone's a** in figures and then come out for the short and free skate and plow around the rink like a robot and be awarded the gold, She was a lovely person, just not a performer, no artistry.  I'm pretty sure that it was after those Olympics that school figures were dropped.

Figures were last competed at Worlds in 1990 and the Olympics in 1988.

[Guest]

Just now, galaxygirl76 said:

Spill it Sasha, give us ALL the tea!!

[blackwing]

So glad that Valieva went splat and completely off the medals.  I do wonder if her coach told her that any medal she would win at this point would be tainted, so "encouraged" her to tank.  I find it hard to believe that someone who has been skating in her cult for so long would actually tank, but I also don't believe anything out of Team Russia anymore.

I'm sure Russia is going to blame the media for her splatfest.  Instead of blaming the fact that, you know, she is a drug cheat.  She should have withdrawn or been removed from the competition.

Surprised that Trusova thinks she should have won gold.  I watched her program on the NBC live stream which doesn't have commentary.  But my untrained eye could even see that she fell out of one of her jumps and was shaky on another.  The little boxes at the top left gave her two red boxes.  How come there weren't any deductions?  Is a deduction only for a full-out splat?  It seems bad that even with lower marks for a red jump that she can still outscore Sakamoto, who was great.  Trusova's music was terrible and her skating barely attempted to match the music.  That said, I do think the way she does her hands over the head jumps, with her wrists crossed, is way more attractive than the way Valieva grips one wrist with the other hand.

Scherbakova's program was much more cohesive and I am glad that the scoring rewarded her for a complete skate, as opposed to just jumping around on the ice.

[absnow54]

Geez, if Sasha put a modicum of effort on her transitions and artistry, she would have won Gold, but instead she just moved from jump to jump as if she were doing a warmup. THAT'S WHY YOU LOST GOLD.

[Hana Chan]

Well, I hope the CAS is happy with "irreparable damage" they wanted to avoid.

[Minneapple]

2 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

It’s so very Russian. But we are talking about teenagers. This brings back memories of Nicole Bobek’s metldowns, Surya Bonali dramatically ripping her medal off her neck on the podium and of course the dramatics from Svetlana Khorkina in gymnastics. 

Yes, Sveltana was exactly who she reminded me of. Or Aliya Mustafina. It's entertaining if nothing else.

[absnow54]

Just now, blackwing said:

Surprised that Trusova thinks she should have won gold.  I watched her program on the NBC live stream which doesn't have commentary.  But my untrained eye could even see that she fell out of one of her jumps and was shaky on another. 

Yes, Johnny and Tara both pointed out that her skating quality was terrible. If anything, her PCS were way over scored. She would have still won Silver, but I would have cut 10 more points off her score.

[galaxygirl76]

5 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

Well, I hope the CAS is happy with "irreparable damage" they wanted to avoid.

IKR, this is a dumpster fire that I can't look away from and not because of good reasons.

[Conotocarious]

I haven’t watched a single second of this (I rely on you fine people) but I just saw a photo of the winner and her arms are like toothpicks. Given what we know of her coach’s methods, I’m disturbed.

[tanyak]

While I think things worked out the best that they could and allowed for a medal ceremony, my heart breaks for Kamila. Whether she was told to throw it, or she just buckled under the weight of it all, I really feel for her. I don't know much about Russian skating or coaching circles, but I really hope her parents come scoop her up and take her elsewhere. 

I didn't realize that the skating was this morning until my husband told me to check my CNN alert. I'm hoping they play all of the drama with Sasha in prime time tonight. 

 

[Minneapple]

More from twitter:

 

Can't tell if she's just being a drama queen or if she's really ready to burn it all down.

5 minutes ago, galaxygirl76 said:

IKR, this is a dumpster fire that I can't look away from and not because of good reasons.

Yeah, this is a total trainwreck. NBC must be thrilled.

[Hana Chan]

 

[galaxygirl76]

Kati Witt is on the German tv crying about how Kamila was failed by all the adults in her life. Kati was East German so I'm sure she recognizes some of what's going on here.

[Guest]

Just now, tanyak said:

I'm hoping they play all of the drama with Sasha in prime time tonight.

This was likely to happen regardless, but as the Games come to an end and more events wrap up, there's less for NBC to show. So it's practically guaranteed.

[Hana Chan]

The gala list is out for the ladies. I really do feel for Kamila but leaving out Wakaba is a real oversight.

 

[irisheyes]

I love how the Russians are having a total meltdown, Kaori is out there living her best life. It’s like two different ceremonies happening. 

[Hana Chan]

Well.. to sum up this event...

[Enero]

I haven't watched any of this, but I may have to watch the replay on the NBC app just to see all of the drama on full display.

I think Kamila could've very well threw her skate per direction by Eteri and the ROC. This would not negate the devastation she showed after her skate. She could be devastated because of what she was asked to do, and had to do. And of course knowing that this is likely the end of her career and her last Olympics. 

So happy for Kaori!!! Very sorry that her joy is being overshadowed by the mess going on with the Russians. SMH. 

Edited February 17, 2022 by Enero

[Good Queen Jane]

26 minutes ago, blackwing said:

Surprised that Trusova thinks she should have won gold.  I watched her program on the NBC live stream which doesn't have commentary.  But my untrained eye could even see that she fell out of one of her jumps and was shaky on another.  The little boxes at the top left gave her two red boxes.  How come there weren't any deductions?  Is a deduction only for a full-out splat? 

Deductions (points taken off the final total score) are for full falls (body parts other than a hand touching the ice). But where the skater is shaky on the landing or doesn't get completely around, the judges give negative GOEs. For example, Sasha's quad toe has a base value of 9.5, but she receive negative GOEs of -2.44. Her final score on that element was 7.06. The red box means overall negative GOEs.

[Conotocarious]

10 minutes ago, Enero said:

I haven't watched any of this, but I may have to watch the replay on the NBC app just to see all of the drama on full display.

I think Kamila could've very well threw her skate per direction by Eteri and the ROC. This would not negate the devastation she showed after her skate. She could be devastated because of what she was asked to do, and had to do. And of course knowing that this is likely the end of her career and her last Olympics. 

So happy for Kaori!!! Very sorry that her joy is being overshadowed by the mess going on with the Russians. SMH. 

I mean, it sounds nuts, but given Russia’s behavior, I wouldn’t rule anything out. They are shady and don’t care at all about anything except the medals. If it gets more honest investigations going, then good.

But just for myself, I don’t know why they wouldn’t have just just withdrawn Valieva in the first place. I highly doubt a 15 year old has the nerves to perform perfectly under these circumstances no matter how talented she is so much so that she has to be ordered to make a mistake. She’s a human teenager, and this has been a lot for even an adult to handle.

[sweeks]

16 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

Well.. to sum up this event...

I was literally getting to post this meme, since it sums up my experience this Olympics. 

[Hana Chan]

It looks like Kamila was skating to win and just crumbled if this is accurate. Regardless, burn in hell, Eteri.

[Crs97]

Sasha is also reminding me of Nancy Kerrigan’s reaction to silver.  Russian translators are my heroes right now!

[Chit Chat]

It's really a shame to see it playing out this way.  It  could've been avoided if there hadn't been the delay with the test results from December.  There's no excuse for that.  

I feel bad for Kamila.  She's taking the brunt of the hate and negativity from this.  It's no wonder she cracked under the immense pressure.   

I'm just glad that it's not the U.S. team that caused such a shit show!  How embarrassing (and not surprising) for Russia.   

[absnow54]

Poor Kamila. I hope she changes coaches and comes back clean in 4 years. She really is a beautiful skater.

[dankesean]

6 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

It looks like Kamila was skating to win and just crumbled if this is accurate. Regardless, burn in hell, Eteri.

Burn? Nah, Eteri's hell is going to be a much colder place, trapped awake under frozen ice for all eternity while little girls skate over her face.

[specialj67]

10 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

Poor Kamila. I hope she changes coaches and comes back clean in 4 years. She really is a beautiful skater.

Regular skating viewers and fans have seen what happens to skaters who switch from Eteri to other coaches—all of a sudden, their PCS comes back down to planet Earth and they’re getting edge calls and under rotations they never got before. If Kamlia were to switch, things will be much harder for her—and not just because of the specter of doping that will hang around her. I agree she is a lovely skater, and she deserves so much better than this.

Edited February 17, 2022 by specialj67

[DawnDavenport]

5 minutes ago, dankesean said:

Burn? Nah, Eteri's hell is going to be a much colder place, trapped awake under frozen ice for all eternity while little girls skate over her face.

Like Nicole Kidman's character in To Die For! 

[String Theory]

On 2/14/2022 at 1:50 AM, SophiaD said:

I'm not watching the women's event.  This is sickening.  

Both Johnny and Tara are coming out strongly against the decision.  Plus, they actually are dressed in ordinary clothes.  

Their silence (during her skate) spoke volumes.  You could "hear" their disgust through the TV.  I'm usually screaming at the TV for them to stop talking when a skater is performing......the silence from both were really noticeable & necessary.

[BlackberryJam]

I'm at work and reading this thread like

I would feel sorry for these girls, as they are teenagers, likely have almost no education and because all they do is train, are possibly emotionally stunted, but...FUCK IT. I'm sick of the Russians. I'm sick of Eteri. I'm going to ENJOY this shitshow when I get a chance to watch it.

Next week, I'll see if there's some organization I can donate to that will help these girls escape. 

[scarynikki12]

15 minutes ago, dankesean said:

Burn? Nah, Eteri's hell is going to be a much colder place, trapped awake under frozen ice for all eternity while little girls skate over her face.

The Inferno approach. Nice.

[choclatechip45]

Sasha's dad is one of those crazy skating parents. 

[GeminiDancer]

23 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

Poor Kamila. I hope she changes coaches and comes back clean in 4 years. She really is a beautiful skater.

The sad reality is that her career is over. Medvedeva is the prime example. She switched to Orser, tried fixing her jump technique, and she never made it out of Russian Nationals after the Olympics. 

[BlackberryJam]

Oh bless the sweet baby Jon Snow, the twitter photos are cracking me up.  So unflattering. 

Trusova.

Valieva.

 

[Hana Chan]

17 minutes ago, GeminiDancer said:

The sad reality is that her career is over. Medvedeva is the prime example. She switched to Orser, tried fixing her jump technique, and she never made it out of Russian Nationals after the Olympics. 

Unfortunately, by the time Evgenia arrived in Canada, her back was already a mess so besides trying to learn a new jumping technique, she was battling a body that was already breaking down. Then she got stuck in Russia because of covid and ended up back with Eteri because she had no other options. 

Kamila is still young enough that making changes now would hopefully extend her career. The problem would be the loss of the Russian bonus points that she always enjoyed.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Hana Chan

[Hana Chan]

In happier, albeit insane news... Yuzuru is trolling the universe again.

[Maelstrom]

1 hour ago, absnow54 said:

Yes, Johnny and Tara both pointed out that her skating quality was terrible.

I never thought I’d see the day...

Didn’t realize the FS happened this morning, so now I’m kind of dreading/dying to see this shitshow tonight (assuming NBC deigns to air it all in its horrifying glory, lol).

Most importantly, huge congratulations to Kaori! She is a lovely, talented skater and has absolutely earned her gold bronze. 🥇

[Jeddah]

If Kamila goes to another coach she’s not going to have performance enhancing drugs. She isn’t going to be the skater she is. I keep reading that it’s such a shame because she didn’t need them. We don’t know that. We’ve probably only seen her when she’s been taking performance enhancing drugs. All of her jumps, her clean edges, and all of her success are not indicative of what kind of skater she really is without drugs.

I know I’m in the minority on this because I never want to see her skate again.

[greyhorse]

While I can understand why some are saying "Poor Kamila", count me in the camp that she knew what she was doing and that she shoulders at least some of the fault.  I don't buy for a minute that the Russians told her to throw it.  She is a 15 year old that felt the weight and scorn of the skating community and world.  She buckled under the tremendous pressure.  And probably after the first fall, she didn't have the mental fortitude to fight through it.

She might be an amazing athlete.  Albeit a doped one.  But even amazing athletes fail.  (Just look at Mikaela Shiffrin.). Glad that she didn't podium and that the medals wouldn't be mired in controversy.

[Hana Chan]

This is a really interesting article in the New York Times about how quads are changing the sport for women but the most important thing to me is the table that shows the rate of success of the quads and that 15 seems to be the age when all the girls peak.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/02/16/sports/olympics/quad-jumps-figure-skating.html

What's clear is that by the age of 17, they are not as successful in landing the quads as they were at 15. Sasha's most successful season for quads was when she was 15. At 17, she seems to land them about 50% of the time (compared to maybe 75% at 15). Kamila, up until now, had around a 90% success rate for her quads. Now it's obvious why Eteri was putting so much focus on Kamila, because Sasha and Anna were already on the decline while it appeared that Kamila was peaking at just the right time for the Olympics.

Of course, then we had the doping matter and the whole thing fell apart. Sasha's outburst is starting to make a lot more sense than just the whining of an entitled teenager. Unlike Kamila, she was not given a winning program (costume & choreography) and wasn't set up to win.

[Ohiopirate02]

2 minutes ago, Jeddah said:

If Kamila goes to another coach she’s not going to have performance enhancing drugs. She isn’t going to be the skater she is. I keep reading that it’s such a shame because she didn’t need them. We don’t know that. We’ve probably only seen her when she’s been taking performance enhancing drugs. All of her jumps, her clean edges, and all of her success are not indicative of what kind of skater she really is without drugs.

I know I’m in the minority on this because I never want to see her skate again.

Not necessarily.  The combination of drugs she was using were to help her gain stamina while she was severely restricting food and possibly water. It's a vicious cycle with Eteri.  Calories are needed for energy, but she restricts her skaters' daily intake, so they need PEDs to make up for it.  Put Kamila on a real diet with enough calories and she would not need the PEDs.

[Sarahsmile416]

Just now, greyhorse said:

While I can understand why some are saying "Poor Kamila", count me in the camp that she knew what she was doing and that she shoulders at least some of the fault.  I don't buy for a minute that the Russians told her to throw it.  She is a 15 year old that felt the weight and scorn of the skating community and world.  She buckled under the tremendous pressure.  And probably after the first fall, she didn't have the mental fortitude to fight through it.

She might be an amazing athlete.  Albeit a doped one.  But even amazing athletes fail.  (Just look at Mikaela Shiffrin.). Glad that she didn't podium and that the medals wouldn't be mired in controversy.

While I do think she does shoulder some of the responsibility and have a hard time seeing her as blameless - I also think that she was likely given little choice in the matter.  
 

I also do feel for her - I didn’t think I would - but in the end, she is also a 15 year old kid and I don’t like seeing anyone fall.  

[Minneapple]

Women finish growing, height-wise, at about the age of 13-14. But then you become curvy. You get breasts and hips. And I suppose that's the major drawback to quads and why the men have an easier time landing the jumps. They don't have hips like women do, they don't have as much body fat as women do in general.

I think Kamila should shoulder some of the blame, and no way should she have been skating. I do not believe she is innocent in all of this, and even if she was at one point, she must now know how much lying and covering up has been going on around her. She'd have to be living in a black hole to not know. However, the adults around her should definitely be held accountable, and Russian athletic federations including the Russian doping agency should be held most accountable of all, for creating a culture that values winning and image over everything else, especially over the health of young people.

[Pallas]

2 hours ago, BlackberryJam said:

Next week, I'll see if there's some organization I can donate to that will help these girls escape. 

With their families and friends.

2 hours ago, choclatechip45 said:

Sasha's dad is one of those crazy skating parents. 

He can stay.

Edited February 17, 2022 by Pallas

[Lady Whistleup]

9 minutes ago, Ohiopirate02 said:

Not necessarily.  The combination of drugs she was using were to help her gain stamina while she was severely restricting food and possibly water. It's a vicious cycle with Eteri.  Calories are needed for energy, but she restricts her skaters' daily intake, so they need PEDs to make up for it.  Put Kamila on a real diet with enough calories and she would not need the PEDs.

Yes, the drugs are for stamina. They wouldn't help Kamila's jump technique or skating skills which are solid.

[BlackberryJam]

Oh, I just watched the medal ceremony, because hey, YouTubeTV. And I want a super cut of the Trusova meltdown. I want all the footage of that from every nation, in every language. 

It was like three different medal ceremonies. Kaori's pure joy. Sasha's barely contained rage. Anna wanting to celebrate but afraid Sasha would pull out a shiv and slice her. Kaori keeps leaning into Anna like, "should we stand closer? I kind of want to hug you. OMG, Anna, are you okay? Let's at least get within 8" of each other for the photographers. I'm so happy. Aren't you happy, Anna? Let's be happy together."

 

[Hana Chan]

I don't know how much blame I can place on Kamila, as she is coming from a very authoritarian society where you don't often feel like you can act in your own best interests. She wouldn't feel like she could push back against Eteri if her coach ordered her to do something, because that would mean a loss of competitive potential. If she was told to to something that would help her win, her first instinct would be to go along with it. As for withdrawing when the drug test came out, I don't believe that was a decision she was free to make. Going by Eteri's behavior and words, she seemed to fully expect Kamila to push though and win, and they would deal with the complications later.

I think that Kamila would have wanted to drop out because it was obvious that she was not enjoying herself, even in the SP. And now while the Russian media is trying to put the blame on WADA and the IOC for "breaking" Kamila, it's pretty obvious that the blame belongs to Eteri and the Russian sport system. No one was acting in Kamila's interest. She was nothing more than a vehicle to another gold medal.

[Lady Whistleup]

19 minutes ago, Jeddah said:

I know I’m in the minority on this because I never want to see her skate again.

A lifetime ban is not going to be given out. They don't even give lifetime bans to repeat offenders like Justin Gatlin.