Figure Skating

[annzeepark914]

35 minutes ago, choclatechip45 said:

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

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

Wow! So great to see our gold medalists. I've been wondering about Dick Button (& missing his interesting, and sometimes hilarious, comments) during the past few skating seasons. Well...he is 90+ now. 

[choclatechip45]

22 minutes ago, Enero said:

I agree. Kwan was an anomaly as was Witt. 

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. 

I loved the Evan/Johnny rivalry. 

[HartofDixie]

https://www.nbcolympics.com/news/nathan-chen-coach-rafael-arutunian-relationship-olympics-gold

[CeeBeeGee]

34 minutes ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

I think that was Jason Priestley 

Yes, he was a hockey player in his youth.

[Conotocarious]

36 minutes ago, Sarahsmile416 said:

I think that was Jason Priestley 

It was. Jason has a hockey background and knows how to skate.

[Irlandesa]

Just now, Conotocarious said:

It was. Jason has a hockey background and knows how to skate.

And knows how to fall.

[Conotocarious]

Just now, Irlandesa said:

And knows how to fall.

He was really so pretty back in the day. He was perfect in the skit.

[Sarahsmile416]

16 minutes ago, Conotocarious said:

He was really so pretty back in the day. He was perfect in the skit.

He was indeed! 

[Minneapple]

24 minutes ago, Conotocarious said:

He was really so pretty back in the day. He was perfect in the skit.

12-year-old me cutting his picture out of Tiger Beat (alongside Luke Perry's) concurs.

[HartofDixie]

 

[Chaser]

Now it’s one thing to break the rules but it’s another to…..break the rules. SMH I’m just shocked. 

 

[redpencil]

 

2 hours ago, sweeks said:

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. 

Yeah, last night I knew it wasn't Jason and in thinking it was another Team USA skater thought it was Evan, but after watching that behind the scenes video where we see him again taking a photo with Nathan, I think he must be Team USA staff of some sort.

2 hours ago, BitterApple said:

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. 

I wonder if it's not so much the ISU (or whoever) looking for loopholes, but people on the Russian side raising a stink and now all kinds of lawyers are involved holding things up. I don't know if they're communicating with the US/Japan/Canada federations at all, but they should be putting the heat on for sure.

[Minneapple]

 

[HartofDixie]

https://ita.sport/news/beijing-2022-the-ita-informs-on-figure-skater-kamila-valieva/

[Souris]

38 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

 

What. A. Mess.

If she gets to compete, there will be no credibility left with the IOC (what they had left) or the doping regulations. It’ll be “anything goes, the powerful can get away with whatever they want.”

Thread on timeline:

 

Edited February 11, 2022 by Souris

[Crs97]

From the article:  “The International Testing Agency said Friday it will lead an appeal on behalf of the IOC against a decision by Russia’s anti-doping agency to lift a provisional ban imposed on the 15-year-old Valieva for failing a doping test in December.” (Bolding mine)

Why in the world would a Russian agency have any authority, given the country’s complete inability to follow the rules?!?!

[Chaser]

From Jackie’s thread, if I’m understanding this correctly, because of when the test was taken it falls under the Russian Anti Doping agency (pausing to laugh). She received an automatic suspension from them but after asking nicely they lifting it the next day. 

[ShellsandCheese]

I just feel sorry for Kamila. Now she’s caught up in stuff that outside of her control. If she doesn’t compete, the Gold is probably Anna’s to lose but with our luck will end up with Trusova as OGM. 

This whole mess could have and should have easily been avoided. I’m curious as to why everyone else is so quiet about this……

[Chaser]

7 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

https://ita.sport/news/beijing-2022-the-ita-informs-on-figure-skater-kamila-valieva/

The link doesn’t work for me. What does it say?

[ShellsandCheese]

15 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

 

Kind of a silly headline considering she’s already skated and competed….SMH.

[scarynikki12]

So the ROC will say something like she won't compete in the individual as her punishment and everyone will ignore the fact that failing that test means she shouldn't be competing in the first place? Bonus points if they have her claim she got the medication all on her own and Saint Eteri was horrified at the thought that one of her skaters would even consider cheating to win.

[Minneapple]

I swear if she skates none of the other countries should show up. It should be like the basketball medal ceremony at the 1972 Games.

[Lady Whistleup]

1 minute ago, Minneapple said:

I swear if she skates none of the other countries should show up. It should be like the basketball medal ceremony at the 1972 Games.

The issue is ...

And I learned this from several people in the business ...

That there's probably NO "clean" athlete at an Olympic medal contending level. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not Nathan, not Michael Phelps, not Usain Bolt. No one.

I also see that in social media, the hatred is depressingly directed towards Kamila and not the adults in her life. It's gross. 

[scarynikki12]

2 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

I swear if she skates none of the other countries should show up. It should be like the basketball medal ceremony at the 1972 Games.

They should all show up but just do figure eights rather than put on a show. If they can change their music to obnoxious* pieces then even better. 

*Not overplayed, obnoxious.

[EllenB]

Oh dear, what if the whole notquiteRussian team gets disqualified? Johnny's head would explode.

[scarynikki12]

1 minute ago, EllenB said:

Oh dear, what if the whole notquiteRussian team gets disqualified? Johnny's head would explode.

The Russians are making the decision themselves so that won't happen. Maybe they'll find a way to claim that the team should win silver and bronze as well.

[ShellsandCheese]

They all need to get their stuff together. Why is a sample taken on December 25th just being tested after the Olympics started on Feb. 8th - it might be the rules but that’s a dumb rule. Also, I want to see what happens with the B sample. Also, if I were a Russian athlete who wasn’t doping I’d be really pissed - and does anyone know if there were any positive cases from ROC athletes at last years summer games? 

Edited February 11, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[Lady Whistleup]

1 minute ago, ShellsandCheese said:

They all need to get their stuff together. Why is a sample taken on December 25th just being tested after the Olympics started on Feb. 8th - it might be the rules but that’s a dumb rule. Also, I want to see what happens with the B sample? 

Apparently a lot of backup because of omicron.

[redpencil]

So this is how I would summarize things:

• Kamila tested positive at Russian Nationals, under the authority of the Russian anti-doping agency (RUSADA), as skeptical as many of us probably are about their effectiveness. That test was not under WADA/IOC jurisdiction.
• RUSADA found out about the positive test from the lab (why it took this long, no idea), and gave her a provisional suspension, which would also be binding for IOC (I assume they honor suspensions given by individual countries' anti-doping agencies).
• RUSADA gave her a hearing, and lifted the suspension (for reasons not yet disclosed).
• The International Testing Agency is appealing their decision to lift the suspension to the international court of sports arbitration on IOC's behalf (basically, IOC probably wants her to stay suspended, but has to abide by the final word since the positive test wasn't one they/WADA administered).

So that last appeal is what we're waiting on now, and no decisions about the team medals or the ladies individual can happen until things are decided about her suspension.

6 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

That there's probably NO "clean" athlete at an Olympic medal contending level. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not Nathan, not Michael Phelps, not Usain Bolt. No one.

I refuse to believe this. Yes, it likely happens on a greater level than we know, probably more in some sports than others. But I 100% believe there are plenty of athletes who truly believe in fair competition and are clean. Nobody "in the business" knows what thousands upon thousands of athletes are doing.

Edited February 11, 2022 by redpencil

[choclatechip45]

6 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

The issue is ...

And I learned this from several people in the business ...

That there's probably NO "clean" athlete at an Olympic medal contending level. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not Nathan, not Michael Phelps, not Usain Bolt. No one.

I also see that in social media, the hatred is depressingly directed towards Kamila and not the adults in her life. It's gross. 

Phelps and Biles would be the only athletes who would genuinely surprise me because they were tested so much compared to other American Athletes. One the things I do when I'm bored is look up how much each athletes is tested during each quarter. 

I don't really get why the USOC isn't putting more pressure on the IOC. 

Edited February 11, 2022 by choclatechip45

[Minneapple]

4 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

That there's probably NO "clean" athlete at an Olympic medal contending level. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not Nathan, not Michael Phelps, not Usain Bolt. No one.

I agree but when they test positive then they should be suspended or banned. Sha’Carri Richardson tested positive for freaking marijuana which she was smoking to relieve her anxiety after her mother died and she was suspended. And she took her punishment gracefully even though everyone agreed it was ridiculous.

[scarynikki12]

1 minute ago, choclatechip45 said:

I don't really get why the USOC isn't putting more pressure on the IOC.

They might be and if the result is better than we're expecting that could be an indicator. We (me at least) haven't really heard anything about Canada or Japan applying pressure and I'm certain they both are.

[ShellsandCheese]

6 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Apparently a lot of backup because of omicron.

Babytown frolics, and I agree with your previous post. I’ve heard the same thing from elite athletes. Perhaps that explains the lack of real outrage about the situation. Everyone is quiet as a mouse.

I know a lot of people like Tuktamysheva, but she openly admits that she was taking Meldonium back in 2015 when she competed in and won an insane amount of competitions; I guess in her defense it wasn’t banned until 2016……

Edited February 11, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[redpencil]

2 minutes ago, choclatechip45 said:

I don't really get why the USOC isn't putting more pressure on the IOC. 

Sounds to me like it's out of IOC's hands at this point. They did what they could in appealing to the international court, and now they're just waiting on that.

[Lady Whistleup]

2 minutes ago, redpencil said:

I refuse to believe this. Yes, it likely happens on a greater level than we know, probably more in some sports than others. But I 100% believe there are plenty of athletes who truly believe in fair competition and are clean. Nobody "in the business" knows what thousands upon thousands of athletes are doing.

Yes, the last place male singles skater is probably clean. But I'm talking the medal or bust athletes. 

Not all of it is chemical. There's a lot of blood doping that happens on the sly to improve endurance.

[redpencil]

1 minute ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Yes, the last place male singles skater is probably clean. But I'm talking the medal or bust athletes. 

Not all of it is chemical. There's a lot of blood doping that happens on the sly to improve endurance.

Even if you narrow it to the medal contenders, I just don't believe there's literally zero who are clean. Maybe I'm naive in this, but I really don't think I am. I think people are too cynical and think every top athlete does literally anything they can to win. I just don't think that's true for all of them.

[ShellsandCheese]

9 minutes ago, redpencil said:

Even if you narrow it to the medal contenders, I just don't believe there's literally zero who are clean. Maybe I'm naive in this, but I really don't think I am. I think people are too cynical and think every top athlete does literally anything they can to win. I just don't think that's true for all of them.

Fascinating articles about doping:

https://theconversation.com/amp/doping-has-become-inevitable-at-the-olympics-and-who-wins-gold-in-tokyo-might-not-be-certain-until-2031-163881

https://www.livescience.com/61747-how-widespread-olympic-doping.html

”In one anonymous survey of several thousand world-class amateur athletes, up to 57 percent admitted to using performance-enhancing drugs in the past year, according to a study published in the journal Sports Medicine.”

An interesting article about when people have test results that lead to them mistakenly being accused of doping: https://slate.com/culture/2021/07/shacarri-richardson-drug-testing-olympics-doping-shelby-houlihan-brianna-mcneal.amp

At least the Women’s final actually now has the potential to be interesting. Will Anna win? Will Sasha attempt 8 quads, fall on four and still win? Inquiring minds want to know.

Edited February 11, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[selkie]

Because Russia is not currently allowed to do its own anti-doping sample processing, Kamilla's sample was sent to Sweden for screening. Apparently by reindeer of the non-eight tiny variety. And with  every other sample of a Russian athlete at Nationals who just might compete internationally in the next two years so that data can be part of their biological passport. Combine that with a lab that was probably told to prioritize processing for athletes in sports that are seen as higher risk of doping like in the nordic skiing and it seems to just kind of sat in the queue because well, who really expects a figure skater to dope so it's just a formality to run those batches of tests- no rush, right? 

[Minneapple]

I do think many top athletes are doping. Especially in swimming and track. When you see 20-year-old world or Olympic records falling in heats, that should be like a giant flashing red light. Phelps and Bolt might have been clean because they were tested so often, but usually the drugs and the doping methods are far ahead of the tests, so who knows.

Still. If you get caught there should be consequences. Especially for someone from Russia after they received a slap on the wrist.

5 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

Fascinating articles about doping:

An interesting article about when people have test results that lead to them mistakenly being accused of doping or cheating: https://slate.com/culture/2021/07/shacarri-richardson-drug-testing-olympics-doping-shelby-houlihan-brianna-mcneal.amp

Yeah, super fascinating in that all of these people were punished. Imagine that.

[greyhorse]

I don't believe for a second that just because she's 15, she doesn't know what she was taking.  But that's obviously going to be the explanation.  It shouldn't matter who gave it to you.  If you compete as an adult against other adults - which is essentially what these teenagers are doing - then you abide by the same rules.  Which means knowing what goes into your body and making sure it's not a banned substance.

[Jeddah]

34 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

The issue is ...

And I learned this from several people in the business ...

That there's probably NO "clean" athlete at an Olympic medal contending level. Nada. Zip. Zilch. Not Nathan, not Michael Phelps, not Usain Bolt. No one.

I also see that in social media, the hatred is depressingly directed towards Kamila and not the adults in her life. It's gross. 

I hope your contacts in the business become whistleblowers then if they know that for sure. If they don’t have enough evidence to be whistleblowers, well, then tell them to quit slandering hard-working athletes without proof.

[ShellsandCheese]

8 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

Yeah, super fascinating in that all of these people were punished. Imagine that.

I posted all three to illustrate a point. Point being that the system is broken and current guidelines are more likely to ensnare someone who’s not cheating than actually catching the cheaters because they are 10 moves ahead…..

[choclatechip45]

11 minutes ago, Minneapple said:

I do think many top athletes are doping. Especially in swimming and track. When you see 20-year-old world or Olympic records falling in heats, that should be like a giant flashing red light. Phelps and Bolt might have been clean because they were tested so often, but usually the drugs and the doping methods are far ahead of the tests, so who knows.

Still. If you get caught there should be consequences. Especially for someone from Russia after they received a slap on the wrist.

Yeah, super fascinating in that all of these people were punished. Imagine that.

The Slate Article had me rolling my eyes Brianna McNeal conveniently missed 3 drug tests.  Don't get me started with  Shelby Houlihan. 

[Domenicholas]

I'm confused...

If Kamila was suspended due to a doping violation during the Russian Nationals, and IOC respects the results of a country's own anti-doping organization, why was she allowed to do Euros?

 

Although, finding out that Russia did their own tests and took advantage of the IOC not wanting to expose a minor involve in an investigation to send her to the Olympics anyway explains a lot.

[legaleagle53]

20 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

At least the Women’s final actually now has the potential to be interesting. Will Anna win? Will Sasha attempt 8 quads, fall on four and still win? Inquiring minds want to know.

AND what does this mean for OUR ladies' chances of at least making the podium? I'm not watching for the Russians, you know!

[Jeddah]

I just got around to watching Olympic Ice. Brian Boitano said all the American gold medalists were texting each other while watching Nathan. The fact that there is a group text for all the gold medalists is hilarious to me.

[ShellsandCheese]

11 minutes ago, Domenicholas said:

I'm confused...

If Kamila was suspended due to a doping violation during the Russian Nationals, and IOC respects the results of a country's own anti-doping organization, why was she allowed to do Euros?

Although, finding out that Russia did their own tests and took advantage of the IOC not wanting to expose a minor involve in an investigation to send her to the Olympics anyway explains a lot.

She was not suspended back in December. The sample was taken during Russian Nationals BUT not tested until after the team competition at the Olympics. She was suspended on Feb. 8th when the sample was finally tested. Or at least that’s my understanding based new stories and comments here. 

Quote

AND what does this mean for OUR ladies' chances of at least making the podium? I'm not watching for the Russians, you know!

I have no ladies in this race and I’m not sure what you mean by our. 

Edited February 11, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[redpencil]

Just now, ShellsandCheese said:

She was not suspended back in December. The sample was taken during Russian Nationals BUT not tested until after the team competition at the Olympics. She was suspended on Feb. 8th when the sample was finally tested. Or at least that’s my understanding based new stories and comments here. 

 

Yeah, she was suspended on the 8th, then had a hearing with the Russian agency yesterday (the 9th) and the suspension was lifted. Now ITA/IOC is appealing that to the Court of Sports Arbitration.

[Chaser]

You have to marvel at the audacity of Russa. You get “banned” for cheating, your athlete gets caught cheating and you lift the automatic suspicion after a day in clown court. All on the worlds biggest stage. It’s just WOW.

[selkie]

If she is given a non-provisional doping suspension, then those are normally backdated to the date of the doping offense and any results during that suspension time including  her European title would then be vacated.