Figure Skating

[healthnut]

I still don’t think going for the quad axel was a good idea. I will die on that hill. 

[Enero]

Congratulations again Nathan! I had no doubt that he would win this. 

Congrats to Yuma. He is certainly the future. Awesome skate. 

Congrats Shoma on the bronze. He’s 3 times Olympic medalist. 

Despite the issues Yuzu had with his skate  in both programs it is a testament to his awesomeness that he finished the competition in 4th. I can only imagine what would’ve happened had he gone clean. 

Great competition!

[NUguy514]

I am...SOOOOOOO relieved!  Nathan really left it out there, and I couldn't be more thrilled for him!  I actually love his long program because it feels like him and allows him to have fun with it at the end.  I wish Jason had finished fourth or fifth, but I'm THRILLED he finished in the top six and think the medalists are exactly right.

I'm going to go throw up now.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Aw, the Jason/Nathan hug.  

[Daisy]

Just now, healthnut said:

I still don’t think going for the quad axel was a good idea. I will die on that hill. 

me either. it's not even hindsight. to me it just felt like Hanyu felt like he wasn't winning so make history. but if he skated clean he walks away with a Silver/Bronze. now he has neither from this Olympics. 

[GeminiDancer]

Just now, healthnut said:

I still don’t think going for the quad axel was a good idea. I will die on that hill. 

I will die on that hill with you. A clean skate from Yuzu, and I think he would have gotten bronze.

[Jeddah]

I’m so relieved! He did it!

The Nathan/Jason hug backstage!!! I can’t handle it!

[KittenPokerCheater]

Yuma is the future indeed.  Great skate.

[Tippi]

Thrilled and so, so happy for Nathan!

[twoods]

Nathan looked like he was having so much fun during Benny and the Jets and 8 years of pressure finally lifted off his shoulders. Just so happy for him!

The online score is about 2 minutes faster than the TV feed so when his technical score went over 100 before I saw half of his routine I started screaming and knew he hit most of his quads and won it. 

[Jeddah]

Now the IOC needs to do the right thing and give Nathan another gold medal, along with the rest of the American team.

[Chaser]

The Fanyus heads would explode if Nathan got his Silver upgraded and I am 1000% here for it. 

[Minneapple]

2 minutes ago, Jeddah said:

Now the IOC needs to do the right thing and give Nathan another gold medal, along with the rest of the American team.

Absolutely. Fuck the Russians and their inability to stop cheating.

[HartofDixie]

Great for Japan finishing 2-4!

[CeeBeeGee]

52 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

Hey Johnny . . . you don't need to explain how the GOE works every. Single. PROGAM.

Right??!

 

39 minutes ago, Daisy said:

Bolero 
Daisyrage

I posted on Facebook "Did Bolero go on sale or something?"

 

3 minutes ago, Chaser said:

The Fanyus heads would explode if Nathan got his Silver upgraded and I am 1000% here for it. 

My friend and I were texting back and forth and I told him about the crazy Fanyus and how he's actually scared of them. I said "And you can imagine how much they hate Nathan Chen."

[Daisy]

2 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

I posted on Facebook "Did Bolero go on sale or something?"

it really seems like it does. every olympic cycle.

[Chaser]

Nathan looks like the Fourth of July holding the flag. 

[Linderhill]

26 minutes ago, Constant Viewer said:

for some reason it makes me think of the old Star Trek uniforms

 

that yellow one Nathan wore (was it last year?) always made me think he was going to skate to Star Trek music.  Every single time.  Earlier in the competition there was a skater that to me looked like his shirt was a dirty diaper.  It was only when I got a closer look I saw it was mountains, etc.  

[Mirabelle]

I love Nathan's shirt but I am a Star Trek fan. It's what you'd get if Nathan told Vera "Star Trek but make it fashion."

 

[Hana Chan]

As far as whether going for the quad axel was a bad idea, Yuzuru has said many times that it was his only reason for staying competitive. He's done everything else. He's a 2x OGM, has won every other competition that he could as a junior and senior and held multiple world records, He had absolutely nothing left to prove and his place as one of the greatest in the history of his sport is secure. This was a challenge that he set for himself and he's worked hard to try to see it through. And he's so close. The medal was always secondary. I'm sure that he would have liked to win but I think that it's probably more disappointed that he didn't land the axel than about not making the podium.

And when you look at the ages of those that he was competing against this time around, the fact that he was very much in the mix is remarkable. He's five years older than Nathan, three years older than Shoma and nine years older than Yuma. He's come back from injuries that would have had most calling it a career and he is one of the best skaters in the world.

And what happened hear is what happens to every top skater. At some point, they are going to be beaten by the younger ones who haven't been so physically beaten up by the sport. I'll never forget how Plushenko had to withdraw at Sochi because he physically wasn't able to compete, and when Patrick Chan just got swamped by the younger skaters doing quads. And at some point, if he doesn't retire, someone is going to surpass Nathan. It's the nature of sports that at some point, there is always a new champion.

I don't know what Yuzuru plans at this point. It's possible that he'll go to Worlds and see if he can get that quad axel ratified since he's so close but if he decides that this is it for him, then he has nothing to feel sorry about. When you consider that the only thing that kept Yuzuru from winning a third Olympic medal was a chink in the ice, he's more than just a king. He's a fucking legend.

[Linderhill]

I definitely prefer this shirt to the ugly yellow one!

On the PED story, once upon a time my ex-husband did his masters thesis on steroid use.  (granted it was over 20 years ago) I learned more than I ever wanted about it.  He said that pretty much every athlete used them, especially in track and field, and how to manage not to be detected.  When Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson were caught he said they must have pissed off the guys that manage the camouflage measures or they probably would have gotten away with it longer.  FloJo was one he knew was using them.  

Kamila's drug use reminds me of the issues they have been having in horse racing, how certain trainors manage to slip by year after year, race after race with bullcrap excuses to escape punishment.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Linderhill
edited to correct names

[Enero]

31 minutes ago, Daisy said:

me either. it's not even hindsight. to me it just felt like Hanyu felt like he wasn't winning so make history. but if he skated clean he walks away with a Silver/Bronze. now he has neither from this Olympics. 

The 4A was always going to be apart of his program no matter what. I’m sure he would’ve liked to have won gold, or at least A medal, but he made the choice to put 4A above all else. I’m sure he’s disappointed but I think the only thing he may be losing sleep over about this competition is that demon divot and not hitting the 4A.

[Daisy]

2 minutes ago, Linderhill said:

When Usain Bolt

wait what? he doped?

#sadness.

 

2 minutes ago, Enero said:

The 4A was always going to be apart of his program no matter what. I’m sure he would’ve liked to have won gold, or at least A medal, but he made the choice to put 4A above all else. I’m sure he’s disappointed but I think the only thing he may be losing sleep over about this competition is that demon divot and not hitting the 4A.

i know. but it's still kinda sad. 
(but thanks for that :) )

[Hana Chan]

29 minutes ago, Chaser said:

The Fanyus heads would explode if Nathan got his Silver upgraded and I am 1000% here for it. 

Why? Because that will mean that team Japan's medals will be upgraded too.

Look... I may not be a huge fan of Nathan because I don't love his style of skating. I can admire it and I'll agree that he has improved on his artistic quality tremendously, but I much prefer the style of skaters like Yuzuru, Plushenko and Yuma. Nathan worked very hard to win this medal and I'm happy for him because I know how disappointing losing at the last Olympics. He deserves this medal. Do I think he's going to leave as much a mark on the sport as someone like Pleshenko or Dick Button or some of the other greats? I'm not sure.... Nathan had an outstanding quad, but others have had outstanding quads before and will in the future.

As I said, the sport always moves on. We'll have to see where things go, but I certainly can do without the various fanbases egging one another on. 

[CeeBeeGee]

8 minutes ago, Linderhill said:

When Usain Bolt and Ben Johnson were caught he said they must have pissed off the guys that manage the camouflage measures or they probably would have gotten away with it longer.  FloJo was one he knew was using them. 

 

5 minutes ago, Daisy said:

wait what? he doped?

#sadness.

Me too--I'm all, wait, what? Usain Bolt doped? Seriously?

[Linderhill]

3 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

 

Me too--I'm all, wait, what? Usain Bolt doped? Seriously?

sorry, I misspoke, I think I was thinking Ben Johnson and typed Usain first and good old Carl Lewis and forgot to correct.  They were all in that same time period and it was over 20 years ago.  That said, it was pretty much assumed that all athletes doped at one point or another.  

[Enero]

17 minutes ago, Daisy said:

20 minutes ago, Linderhill said:

When Usain Bolt

wait what? he doped?

#sadness.

 

Edited because @Linderhill corrected her statement to say Usain Bolt was NOT proven to be doping. Thank goodness. That would’ve been very disappointing.

 

17 minutes ago, Daisy said:

I know. but it's still kinda sad. 
(but thanks for that :) )

Looking at the protocols it shows that he actually came in 3rd in the LP. So that should soften the blow for you a little. Or maybe it’ll make it worse since he came so close? Hopefully it’s the former though. :)

Edited February 10, 2022 by Enero

[Jeddah]

Okay, so now I can stop worrying about Nathan. I’ll switch over to worrying about Chock and Bates.

[nickp1991]

On the 20th anniversary of the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City Salt Lake City native Nathan Chen wins Olympic gold medal

[Daisy]

31 minutes ago, Linderhill said:

sorry, I misspoke, I think I was thinking Ben Johnson and typed Usain first and good old Carl Lewis and forgot to correct.  They were all in that same time period and it was over 20 years ago.  That said, it was pretty much assumed that all athletes doped at one point or another.  

Oh phew. this makes me so happiness now LOL I was like Usain. WHYYY. WHYYYYY. 
 

31 minutes ago, Enero said:

Looking at the protocols it shows that he actually came in 3rd in the LP. So that should soften the blow for you a little. Or maybe it’ll make it worse since he came so close? Hopefully it’s the former though. :)

a little of both ;)

honestly. if the 4A was what he wanted to do and why he was t the Olympics. he came very close so that's good enough for me. it's not always about the medal (but it's sorta like when you are that close...). but as Clara Hughes says all the time it really is about excellence, and sometimes excellence doesn't mean winning - it just means laying all on the ice and whatever you get, you get. I think Hanyu can say he did that tonight.

[NUguy514]

49 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

I much prefer the style of skaters like Yuzuru, Plushenko and Yuma.

One of these things is not like the others.

[CheshireCat]

13 hours ago, twoods said:

It has been used to treat non obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy which is in adolescents. If she does have that diagnosis, she shouldn’t even be competing because she could die. That’s the only thing that makes sense without her making it look like she’s a cheater. Regardless, it sucks that rules don’t apply to 15 year olds.

I don't know if she had Covid or not but even if she didn't have it officially, but when I read that it was a drug normally used to treat chest pain, my first thought was that I hope that she didn't have it unofficially and that they use it to treat chest pains resulting from long-Covid just so that she can compete.

 

6 hours ago, galaxygirl76 said:

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.

There were also athletes who said that it was put into their toothpaste.

[Avaleigh]

2 hours ago, Hana Chan said:

Look... I may not be a huge fan of Nathan because I don't love his style of skating. I can admire it and I'll agree that he has improved on his artistic quality tremendously, but I much prefer the style of skaters like Yuzuru, Plushenko and Yuma.

Interesting that you'd put Plushenko over Nathan in terms of artistry. I always found Plushenko's so called artistry to be kind of a joke. 

Yuzuru, Shoma, Jason and Yuma are miles better than Plushenko ever was.

[redpencil]

3 hours ago, KittenPokerCheater said:

Aw, the Jason/Nathan hug.  

I think that was actually Evan Bates. I thought it was Jason at first too, but now I'm fairly certain it was Evan (had to google photos of him).

ETA: Though I could still be wrong, haha. There were definitely either pairs or dance teams around the arena (probably coming/going from the practice rink) during the final group though, as I saw a couple arriving at some point when they showed Nathan back stage.

Edited February 10, 2022 by redpencil

[GreyBunny]

Congrats, Nathan! He earned it a thousand times over.

Jason had my favorite program, no quad but absolutely lovely and I’m pleased he got 6th.

Messing reminded me of Elvis Stojko, another compact jumping bean with an extroverted style.

First time seeing Semenenko; hearing Wotan’s Ball included in his Master & Margarita medley was a pleasant surprise.

Unless you’re Torvill & Dean, leave Bolero alone.

Will probably pass on most of the ladies’ event, I’m not interested in watching Putin’s Little Dopers.

 

[absnow54]

Nathan made me so nervous right before his performance started, and he was popping his jumps. I held my breath through the first few passes. 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. 

Hanyu was so close to sneaking onto the podium. I agree he probably blames the popped quad over the quad axel attempt for his failure, but that was his ambition. It was sad watching him sit alone in the Kiss and Cry again. Did he and Brian have a falling out, or did he just want to experience the moment on his own?

Back to obsessing over the team controversy… Mark’s demeanor changed substantially between the SP and the FS. I’m sure he’s mad that he put all his energy into the team event, and now he may have nothing to show for it. 

[Hana Chan]

1 hour ago, GreyBunny said:

Will probably pass on most of the ladies’ event, I’m not interested in watching Putin’s Little Dopers.

I'll be more interested in pairs and ice dancing. It's not a lot of fun to watch a competition where the winners are a foregone conclusion. And with this cloud hanging over Kamila and Eteri's whole school, it's going to be unpleasant to stomach seeing a Russian sweep of the podium.

I can't help from feeling that we're watching the end of an era on the men's side of the sport. I suspect that right after Worlds, we're going to see a slew of retirements. Yuzu will probably retire after Worlds if he decides to compete at all there (he's a bit hurt from a fall he took in practice so he said that he's not ready to consider his future at the moment). After a decade in the sport, and all that he's accomplished, he could step back and be proud of what he did. Even if he doesn't get his quad axel ratified (it has been certified, so he's halfway there), he's had a career to be very proud of.

Nathan achieved his goal and while I can see him sticking around, he achieved his final goal so he might be ready to move on before he riisks the kind of injuries that have hamstrung Yuzuru the past few years. He also has a career to be proud of and got this final crown jewel. Shoma and Bo Yang will probably retire, as will Jason. They've headlined the men's side of the sport for many years now and I'm kind of looking forward to seeing what the younger men are going to accomplish as they start rising in the ranks. I don't think that I'll ever be as invested in a skater as I was with Yuzuru but I'll always be a fan of the sport and would like to see how it continues to evolve.

[Hana Chan]

I'm seeing some mixed reports about the quad axel - some are reporting that according to the score sheet that it has been ratified (though performed as underrotated). If so, then Yuzuru achieved his goal.

[CherryMalotte]

Need to retire Nessun Dorma for a couple of years please.

[absnow54]

8 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

I'm seeing some mixed reports about the quad axel - some are reporting that according to the score sheet that it has been ratified (though performed as underrotated). If so, then Yuzuru achieved his goal.

Yes, here are his scores posted on the results page  

[Misslindsey]

4 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

Interesting that you'd put Plushenko over Nathan in terms of artistry. I always found Plushenko's so called artistry to be kind of a joke.

This. I try to block Plushenko’s hip thrust routine out of my mind. I am scarred for life with that one. 

[HartofDixie]

Kamila Valieva practicing

https://youtu.be/Z_P8gL-fbB4

[Jillibean]

10 minutes ago, CherryMalotte said:

Need to retire Nessun Dorma for a couple of years please.

I mean, is it really a men's figure skating event if someone hasn't skated to Nessun Dorma? 

I think it was worth it to switch back to Rocketman if only so Nathan could have his victory choreography sequence. That was so joyful to watch (and no faceplant this time!)

In the "spot skaters in the crowd on Peacock" game I definitely saw Mariah, Adam, Karen and Kaitlyn, and I'm pretty sure I saw Ashley near Karen. Also noticed they all moved right up front for the mascot ceremony and Mariah was jumping around excitedly. 

The American skaters seem so much like a family these games, moreso than I remember any other American skating team being in the past. I think part of it is probably Covid and having to be there to support each other in the absence of loved ones and even fans, part of it is how long some of them have known each other and been friends, and part of it is that this particular team has some just flat-out lovely, kind, gregarious, team spirit  people. I honestly think putting people like Jason and Jean Luc on this team might have been worth it just for the incredible energy and kindness and humor they bring to everyone around them, during a time when everyone is feeling stressed and pressured. It's truly so beautiful to watch. 

I'm just going to assume that nothing will be done about the ROC team, and that way I won't be disappointed. Instead, I will hope that the US and Japanese teams get their medal ceremony during the games, because they deserve that moment. 

4 hours ago, redpencil said:

I think that was actually Evan Bates. I thought it was Jason at first too, but now I'm fairly certain it was Evan (had to google photos of him).

You're right; it wasn't Jason. I originally thought it was, but after going back and rewatching I'm honestly not sure who that is. But not Jason. 

[ShellsandCheese]

7 hours ago, Linderhill said:

I definitely prefer this shirt to the ugly yellow one!

On the PED story, once upon a time my ex-husband did his masters thesis on steroid use.  (granted it was over 20 years ago) I learned more than I ever wanted about it.  He said that pretty much every athlete used them, especially in track and field, and how to manage not to be detected.  When Carl Lewis and Ben Johnson were caught he said they must have pissed off the guys that manage the camouflage measures or they probably would have gotten away with it longer.  FloJo was one he knew was using them.  

Kamila's drug use reminds me of the issues they have been having in horse racing, how certain trainors manage to slip by year after year, race after race with bullcrap excuses to escape punishment.

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

[absnow54]

24 minutes ago, Jillibean said:

In the "spot skaters in the crowd on Peacock" game I definitely saw Mariah, Adam, Karen and Kaitlyn, and I'm pretty sure I saw Ashley near Karen. Also noticed they all moved right up front for the mascot ceremony and Mariah was jumping around excitedly. 

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.

[Hana Chan]

5 hours ago, GreyBunny said:

Jason had my favorite program, no quad but absolutely lovely and I’m pleased he got 6th.

I adore Jason and he's definitely one of the best artistic skaters alive right now. It's a serious flaw of the judging system that the technical side of the sport (focusing on the quad jumps) and not as much on the artistic side. Jason is also 27 (same as Yuzu) but didn't have the quads at an early age so he was at a real disadvantage as quads became so critical to winning. It's hard to learn them when you didn't train for them when you were younger. It's remarkable that he's as competitive as he is without a secure quad (especially when others are doing multiple quads and quads in combination), but he's usually not able to really contend for the podium at international competitions.

I'm looking forward to seeing him and Yuzu going pro, where they don't have to worry about judging and can just do stunning performances for appreciative audiences. I'll never forget Yuzu's gala performance where his only jump was a single delayed axel and the performance was so gorgeous that you didn't miss the jumps. I'd like to see the scoring system recalibrated to give the artistic side of the sport more weight, but that's an argument for another day.

Edited February 10, 2022 by Hana Chan

[annzeepark914]

1 hour ago, CherryMalotte said:

Need to retire Nessun Dorma for a couple of years please.

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.

[Hana Chan]

24 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

I also wish more people who are outraged by Eteri’s methods would recognize that plenty of sports in the US do the same damn thing.

There is no question that a lot of sports programs have very questionable histories and there are a lot of coaches that should be run out of the sports. But it's one thing for a federation to turn a blind eye to abuses (such as what happened with US gymnastics) and the systemic issues that we see in the Russian skating federation. Eteri gets results, but she totally destroys her athletes as a result.

When Evgenia Medvedeva moved to train with Brian Orser, her back was destroyed by the torquing that Eteri's technique of jumping caused, and she's not an isolated case. Alina Zagitova was finished in the sport before she was 19. The medals that Eteri's 15 year old phenoms win are paid for with being forced out of the sport by their own bodies before they're 20. I know that this is a sport that favors the young, but Eteri's stable takes it to an extreme that the ISU needs to address. 

This YouTube video really documents just how pervasive the problem on the Russian side is, and that doesn't even go into the doping issues that got the Russian team banned in theory (though not in practice).

 

[ShellsandCheese]

23 minutes ago, Hana Chan said:

There is no question that a lot of sports programs have very questionable histories and there are a lot of coaches that should be run out of the sports. But it's one thing for a federation to turn a blind eye to abuses (such as what happened with US gymnastics) and the systemic issues that we see in the Russian skating federation. Eteri gets results, but she totally destroys her athletes as a result.

When Evgenia Medvedeva moved to train with Brian Orser, her back was destroyed by the torquing that Eteri's technique of jumping caused, and she's not an isolated case. Alina Zagitova was finished in the sport before she was 19. The medals that Eteri's 15 year old phenoms win are paid for with being forced out of the sport by their own bodies before they're 20. I know that this is a sport that favors the young, but Eteri's stable takes it to an extreme that the ISU needs to address. 

This YouTube video really documents just how pervasive the problem on the Russian side is, and that doesn't even go into the doping issues that got the Russian team banned in theory (though not in practice).

 

I know. And the same thing happens in the US. But it’s always easier to be outraged about what’s happening in other places and a lot harder to look inward. And what happened with US Gymnastics was absolutely a systemic issue that most turned a blind eye to, once American girls started winning and dominating. What happened there was no different than what’s happening with Eteri’s methods, except there was an even grosser and disgusting component of sexual abuse. 

As I’ve said before, not trying to discount what’s going on in Russia. I want people to see the bigger picture and recognize that there’s a reason why there hasn’t been a bigger stink from China, America, Canada, Germany, France, Britain etc etc etc

[CeeBeeGee]

5 hours ago, Avaleigh said:

Interesting that you'd put Plushenko over Nathan in terms of artistry. I always found Plushenko's so called artistry to be kind of a joke. 

Oh my God--there is no question. I can't even watch Plushenko. His artistry is non-existent, which is how he got his ass handed to him in 2010.

 

1 hour ago, Jillibean said:

The American skaters seem so much like a family these games, moreso than I remember any other American skating team being in the past. I think part of it is probably Covid and having to be there to support each other in the absence of loved ones and even fans, part of it is how long some of them have known each other and been friends, and part of it is that this particular team has some just flat-out lovely, kind, gregarious, team spirit  people. I honestly think putting people like Jason and Jean Luc on this team might have been worth it just for the incredible energy and kindness and humor they bring to everyone around them, during a time when everyone is feeling stressed and pressured. It's truly so beautiful to watch. 

This is a really sweet comment. 

 

1 hour ago, ShellsandCheese said:

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

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.