Figure Skating

[absnow54]

1 minute ago, HartofDixie said:

It’s been about a week since he tested positive so he’s got 3 days of quarantine left.

It's only been a week! With all this drama, it feels like forever! 

[proserpina65]

50 minutes ago, redpencil said:

Yeah, this was all on the CAS, who really screwed the IOC and ISU over.

No, a good bit of this is on the IOC for allowing athletes to compete under this Russian Olympic Committee bullshit.  If they had banned Russian participation outright like they should have, none of this would've happened.

[redpencil]

1 minute ago, proserpina65 said:

No, a good bit of this is on the IOC for allowing athletes to compete under this Russian Olympic Committee bullshit.  If they had banned Russian participation outright like they should have, none of this would've happened.

Yes, they brought some of this on themselves, but CAS has definitely overruled them on more Russia things than just this.

[Jeddah]

18 minutes ago, absnow54 said:

It's only been a week! With all this drama, it feels like forever! 

In the US the CDC says you only have to quarantine 5 days if you’re asymptomatic and wear a mask, but I imagine China is much stricter right now. The CDC rules do seem waaaaay too lenient to me.

[Lady Whistleup]

China has a zero covid policy which means quarantine rules are much stricter. 

[kittykat]

This is all just so exasperating.  Everyone loses except Russia who got everything they wanted.  They might as well call them the Russian Olympic Committee of Athletes With Coaches Who Can't Even Dope Good.

The US wins their first silver in team and won't get to celebrate.  Japan gets their first medal in event and won't get to celebrate.  

Don't even know if I'll watch ladies or pairs at this point since THEY are favored to win.  I'll root for Sui/Han and hope Alysa, Mariah, Wakaba or Kaori pull a Sarah Hughes.

Edited February 14, 2022 by kittykat

[choclatechip45]

It was inevitable that Arthur Liu would chime in. I don't disagree with him, but I do think he is a crazy skating parent. 

 

[merylinkid]

3 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

anything else for that matter.  And, if she complains, there are probably unpleasant consequences for her. 

Very much so.   Someone referenced Peng Shui.   Same thing here if she says anything other than "Russia is great.   I am so proud to compete."     It's the gulag for her AND her family.

Yes, let's not let RUSSIA compete but the Committee that KNEW doping was going on (hello it wasn't the Russian STATE, it was the Russian SPORTS COMMITTEES handing out the drugs, also, State = Comiteee) be what they compete under.   I mean SERIOUSLY.   They can't process their own samples but they can determine the punishment which is NIL.   So the samples are really irrelevant.  

Why is everyone so scared of Russia?   Afraid of polonium in their wheaties?

[ShellsandCheese]

Who should I root for in Pairs? Not a fan of either of the top two Russian teams and I don’t like Sui and Han either! What am I to do? Ugh. 

Also, this is exactly the crap show of the Olympics that we’ve building up to for the last few decades. At the same time, the Olympics have survived far worse and I don’t doubt that they’ll survive this as well. In talking to my coworkers today I realized that most people don’t care that much either way and are so used to hearing about doping scandals, they just kind of shrug and move on. One my coworkers recommended a regular Olympics and enhanced Olympics for those that have no problem risking their health for that extra advantage 😂
 

Why is everyone so scared of Russia?   Afraid of polonium in their wheaties?

Exactly! I don’t understand why other Olympic powers aren’t banding together and forcing the IOC’s hand. 

Edited February 14, 2022 by ShellsandCheese

[HartofDixie]

Start list for women’s short. Coverage begins 5am on Peacock app.

https://results.isu.org/results/season2122/owg2022/SEG003.htm

[Minneapple]

I was so excited to watch the ladies program with my daughter. She has recently started figure skating and loves it and was excited to watch the women. Now? My enthusiasm for skating has completely gone out the window. Should I explain to her or should I just leave it, keep quiet and watch with her?

[ShellsandCheese]

1 minute ago, Minneapple said:

I was so excited to watch the ladies program with my daughter. She has recently started figure skating and loves it and was excited to watch the women. Now? My enthusiasm for skating has completely gone out the window. Should I explain to her or should I just leave it, keep quiet and watch with her?

I say let her watch it. There are a few dozen competitors; while the Russians were favored - it’s only three in the field. Plenty of other skaters to enjoy and root for. 

[Dr.OO7]

6 hours ago, Minneapple said:

Sha'Carri Richardson responds. Realize that Richardson was done IMMENSE harm by not being able to participate in the Olympics. She was set to be the next FloJo.

 

Precisely. The--let's face it, racist double standard is as always, absolutely infuriating. A black woman gets booted for using something that isn't banned or a performance enhancer, but a white girl doesn't.

[Dr.OO7]

34 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

One my coworkers recommended a regular Olympics and enhanced Olympics for those that have no problem risking their health for that extra advantage

Years ago, in the midst of the Cold War, when doping scandals were rampant among communist countries, SNL put out this gem:

 

 

 

Edited February 14, 2022 by Dr.OO7

[ShellsandCheese]

3 minutes ago, Dr.OO7 said:

Years ago, in the midst of the Cold War, when doping scandals were rampant among communist countries, SNL put out this gem:

 

 

 

LOL. 115 new world records! Reminds me of some recent Olympic Games 😂😂

[Dr.OO7]

2 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

LOL. 115 new world records! Reminds me of some recent Olympic Games 😂😂

I love the line about the drug use not only being allowed, but ENCOURAGED.

[specialj67]

13 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

I say let her watch it. There are a few dozen competitors; while the Russians were favored - it’s only three in the field. Plenty of other skaters to enjoy and root for. 

That’s certainly what I plan to do. At least I know now I’ll be able to save myself about 20 mins. of watch time tomorrow!

[SophiaD]

Not just Sha'Carri.  Brianna McNeal lost on appeal was banned for FIVE YEARS.  Christian Coleman was banned for a year and a half and missed the last Olympics, where he was expected to seriously contend for a medal.  Both of them missed drug tests, IIRC, they didn't test positively for anything. 

I have to say, I am really disinterested in the women's competition now.  I've been wondering about this for years - why this one coach magically has young woman after young woman who can do quads, but no one else can?  I thought I was just being a jerk for suspecting cheating.  Guess I wasn't.

[Dr.OO7]

Just now, SophiaD said:

Not just Sha'Carri.  Brianna McNeal lost on appeal was banned for FIVE YEARS.  Christian Coleman was banned for a year and a half and missed the last Olympics, where he was expected to seriously contend for a medal.  Both of them missed drug tests, IIRC, they didn't test positively for anything. 

I have to say, I am really disinterested in the women's competition now.  I've been wondering about this for years - why this one coach magically has young woman after young woman who can do quads, but no one else can?  I thought I was just being a jerk for suspecting cheating.  Guess I wasn't.

Strangely enough, it never occurred to me. I just thought that the Russians were driving their singles skaters the way they'd driven their pairs and ice dancers and gymnasts for decades (why the Russians dominated these competitions for years).

[proserpina65]

35 minutes ago, Dr.OO7 said:

Precisely. The--let's face it, racist double standard is as always, absolutely infuriating. A black woman gets booted for using something that isn't banned or a performance enhancer, but a white girl doesn't.

Richardson wasn't going to be the next FloJo and weed is banned but she's not wrong that there's a double standard here.

 

[Lady Whistleup]

31 minutes ago, Dr.OO7 said:

Precisely. The--let's face it, racist double standard is as always, absolutely infuriating. A black woman gets booted for using something that isn't banned or a performance enhancer, but a white girl doesn't.

Kamila Valieva is not white. She's Russian Tatar and Muslim and Tatars are ethnically Turkic, not white.

[ShellsandCheese]

2 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

Richardson wasn't going to be the next FloJo and weed is banned but she's not wrong that there's a double standard here.

 

Also, the USTFA absolutely could have fought harder for Richardson after her positive test - but they were like rules are rules and wouldn’t allow her to compete at the Olympic Trials.

[proserpina65]

8 minutes ago, ShellsandCheese said:

Also, the USTFA absolutely could have fought harder for Richardson after her positive test - but they were like rules are rules and wouldn’t allow her to compete at the Olympic Trials.

I actually disagree.  She knew the rules and she violated them.  Her suspension was correct and they were right not to fight to void it.  And she did compete at the Trials but not at the Olympics.

What's wrong is that standard not being applied here and Valieva being allowed to compete after a positive test.  Because rules ARE rules, imo, no matter the sport or the country involved.

21 minutes ago, SophiaD said:

Both of them missed drug tests, IIRC, they didn't test positively for anything. 

For McNeal, it wasn't the first time she'd served a suspension for missing tests, which is why the suspension was so long.

[PepSinger]

10 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

Kamila Valieva is not white. She's Russian Tatar and Muslim and Tatars are ethnically Turkic, not white.

Just want to interject here that although she may be an ethnic minority, she is still racially white. Turkic people are literally from the Caucus region.

[ShellsandCheese]

6 minutes ago, proserpina65 said:

And she did compete at the Trials but not at the Olympics.

Thanks! Sorry, I had read in a few places that she missed the Olympic Trials because she tested positive for weed during a pre-trials competition or meet. I appreciate the clarification. 

[galaxygirl76]

In this sport it doesn't matter what the color of her skin is, what matters is what country code is behind her name. I'm convinced if another white girl not from Russia had this happen to her there would be no problems and she would be suspended swiftly.

[emmawoodhouse]

Just now, ShellsandCheese said:

Thanks! Sorry, I had read in a few places that she missed the Olympic Trials because she tested positive for weed during a pre-trials competition or meet. I appreciate the clarification. 

No, she WON trials, then smoked a bowl and flunked her post-race test.

[CeeBeeGee]

19 hours ago, Souris said:

P/C beautiful but not alien.

I love how "not alien" is now an official judging standard.

 

17 hours ago, Minneapple said:

It’s a complete joke. As if figure skating didn’t have credibility issues as it is. Now you have a skater who TESTED POSITIVE FOR A BANNED SUBSTANCE AND SHE STILL GETS TO SKATE. And the worry is that it will cause her “irreparable harm” if she can’t skate? What about the harm to the other skaters?

Everyone should just dope up then. What’s the point in playing fair?

What about the irreparable harm to her in forcing her to undergo the media gauntlet every day? What about the irreparable harm to the clean athletes? Send her home to her parents because her reputation is now officially toast.

Kamila, get away from that abusive circus and come to the US, or Canada. Or any country that doesn't have Eteri.

 

10 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

As far as Kamila's defense, the Russians are never going to admit she took anything.  Actually, most athletes won't.  They are going to claim that someone tampered with her sample, that some nefarious actor stole into the lab and switched her specimen. That she is a victim of the world's hatred of Russian athletic superiority.  Carrying a chip on the shoulder is a Russian sport, too, the feeling that they are being singled out for persecution runs deep.  And then, somehow, the lab will have to prove it didn't happen.

This is one of my biggest frustrations with Russian sports culture. I am fascinated with Russia, I am studying the language, I have read a fair amount of the literature, history and drama. But Russian sports culture pisses me the hell off. So many (not all) Russian athletes act so entitled and superior--when they are defeated it's always because of favoritism, steroids (I'll never forget Viktorya Komova, after Russia finished off the podium at 2015 Worlds, accusing the American gymnasts of using steroids. YOU FELL OFF THE BEAM, DUMBASS. And pouting because she took AA silver instead of gold in 2011), or something. The Russia media machine came hard for SImone Biles and Serena Williams--they simply couldn't conceive that either of those women were that good. No, no, it was because they were Black--the judges sympathized. Or something. Or because Simone supposedly doped--she took fucking ritalin for her ADHD and her coaches cleared it with WADA! I peeked at Twitter last night and poster after Russian poster was just hammering out SImone Simone SImone.

How can one country have been a major post-World War II player and still have such a deep and unfounded sense of persecution? YOU GUYS invaded Afghanistan. YOU GUYS enforced the Iron Curtain.

Despite Russia's behavior the past eight years, the entire skating world was excited for Kamila's prowess--we were all happy to cheer for her. Then this shitshow happened. YOU GUYS did this. No one's out to get you--you fucked up. As someone said, you can't even dope right.

 

9 hours ago, blackwing said:

This is why Russia should be banned from the Olympics completely.  I still don't understand how Russia the country can get banned but they still get to compete as ROC.  That doesn't make sense.  If the country was banned because of state-sponsored systemic doping but they don't want to punish the individual clean athletes, then those individual clean athletes should all have to compete as independents.  Just like those refugee athletes who compete under the Olympic flag.  These Russian athletes shouldn't be able to use a ROC name and Russian colours AT ALL.

YES. Ban their asses completely. The non-dopers can move to another country. There's a Russian saying "Russia loves the knout" (a kind of whip). The only response Russia will respect is a total ban. They have clearly learned nothing from the past 8 years. Honestly the only thing that surprises me is that they've resorted to doping the figure skaters. I guess they figured they couldn't outright hand it to Valieva like they did in Sochi. (UGH. What an utter joke.)

 

7 hours ago, Rootbeer said:

While they both placed blame on Valieva, they both did it from the perspective of having been competitors at her age.  Tara was 15 when she won the gold and she said that, from early on, she knew about banned substances and was always afraid she'd break a rule.  She even mentioned avoiding things like cold pills because some have banned ingredients, that she had the list and very carefully checked before taking anything, even at 15.  From her point of view, Kamila was more than old  enough to know that there are banned substances and to be very careful before putting anything in her body.  After all, she's been competing and doing drug tests for years.

But Tara was competing for a country that didn't tolerate doping, so all the responsibility was on her. Russia herself is sponsoring the doping, like East Germany did in the early '70s. I doubt the athletes themselves were told what was happening.

I will say, as much as I'm defending Valieva rn, she needs to shut the hell up with excuses. But she's 15.

What a fucking SHITSHOW. Trust Russia to fuck it all up. I'll watch tomorrow--I want to support Mariah, Alysa and Karen--but damned if I'm watching the three Russians. I really like Scherbakova too. But it's all gone wrong.

[Lady Whistleup]

3 minutes ago, CeeBeeGee said:

This is one of my biggest frustrations with Russian sports culture. I am fascinated with Russia, I am studying the language, I have read a fair amount of the literature, history and drama. But Russian sports culture pisses me the hell off. So many (not all) Russian athletes act so entitled and superior--when they are defeated it's always because of favoritism, steroids (I'll never forget Viktorya Komova, after Russia finished off the podium at 2015 Worlds, accusing the American gymnasts of using steroids. YOU FELL OFF THE BEAM, DUMBASS. And pouting because she took AA silver instead of gold in 2011), or something. The Russia media machine came hard for SImone Biles and Serena Williams--they simply couldn't conceive that either of those women were that good. No, no, it was because they were Black--the judges sympathized. Or something. Or because Simone supposedly doped--she took fucking ritalin for her ADHD and her coaches cleared it with WADA! I peeked at Twitter last night and poster after Russian poster was just hammering out SImone Simone SImone.

How can one country have been a major post-World War II player and still have such a deep and unfounded sense of persecution? YOU GUYS invaded Afghanistan. YOU GUYS enforced the Iron Curtain.

Despite Russia's behavior the past eight years, the entire skating world was excited for Kamila's prowess--we were all happy to cheer for her. Then this shitshow happened. YOU GUYS did this. No one's out to get you--you fucked up. As someone said, you can't even dope right.

I think that many Russians are still like Elizabeth Jennings of The Americans. Love of country and duty to the Russian government is still what drives many Russians, especially the ones who did not pack up their bags and move to the west. 

With that being said, my therapist is Russian and she says on Russian discussion boards there are a lot of debates about Eteri's coaching methods. She says most Russian parents say they could not send their child to Eteri, gold medal or not.

[Chit Chat]

8 hours ago, ChicksDigScars said:

I about fell off the couch when Johnny declared the ruling wrong, stating that Kamila should NOT be allowed to skate, and backed up Tara.

I appreciate their well thought out response.  No knee-jerk reaction.  It's good to hear from them on what it's like to be a skater at this level and how much you, as an individual, have responsibility for what you do and take on a daily basis.  

[CeeBeeGee]

2 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I think that many Russians are still like Elizabeth Jennings of The Americans. Love of country and duty to the Russian government is still what drives many Russians, especially the ones who did not pack up their bags and move to the west. 

With that being said, my therapist is Russian and she says on Russian discussion boards there are a lot of debates about Eteri's coaching methods. She says most Russian parents say they could not send their child to Eteri, gold medal or not.

Okay, please tell me that this is your mental therapist and that you spend sessions on the couch bemoaning the state of US figure skating and its toll on your mental health. "How is Mariah ever going to medal when she's so inconsistent? And don't even get me started on Sasha Cohen back in the day. [heavy sigh] I shouldn't come here the day after Worlds."

[proserpina65]

13 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

With that being said, my therapist is Russian and she says on Russian discussion boards there are a lot of debates about Eteri's coaching methods. She says most Russian parents say they could not send their child to Eteri, gold medal or not.

Maybe there's some hope for the future of skating.

[Lady Whistleup]

1 minute ago, CeeBeeGee said:

Okay, please tell me that this is your mental therapist and that you spend sessions on the couch bemoaning the state of US figure skating and its toll on your mental health. "How is Mariah ever going to medal when she's so inconsistent? And don't even get me started on Sasha Cohen back in the day. [heavy sigh] I shouldn't come here the day after Worlds."

Actually my therapist is a huge fan of figure skating and ballet, and I am as well. Probably whu she's my therapist lol. 

[Enero]

What would be great is if Kamila took responsibility for her part in this mess, no matter how minor, acknowledging that her problem is resulting in all in the competition to be punished and withdraw from competing. If Eteri and team won’t allow her to do that because it’d be essentially admitting guilt, then she should get out there and skate. And what I mean by that is skate around the ice to her music without doing any jumps or spins. 

I bet Eteri’s head would explode, along with the heads of those who are members of the ROC. Kamila would then have to face the harsh backlash from not only her coach but fellow countrymen and ladies. So of course she won’t do either of these things for the reasons previously mentioned. Or probably because she really doesn’t think she did anything wrong. SMH. 

Tara, Brian Botiano and Scott Hamilton interviewed Phil Hersh today about this whole mess and he stated what we’ve all been saying that this should be the end of the road for Russia and the IOC should ban them from competing at the Olympics for a period of time. It was strange that Johnny wasn’t apart of this interview. Wonder if he was somewhere crying in his cornflakes. After coming out against this decision and essentially Eteri, I doubt he’ll be invited into their inner circle of Russian figure skating again. 

[Chaser]

Johnny posted on his IG that he was getting hate. Maybe that’s affecting him. 

[Lady Whistleup]

Another thing is Eteri's methods are not necessarily "Russian." Yes maybe the strictness and sternness is a Russian trait, but I know Russian ballet teachers and they say their commitment to students is lifelong. A Russian ballet teacher is supposed to be available for coaching and mentoring years after the student graduates. 

It's definitely not in the assembly line method of Eteri.

[Rootbeer]

2 hours ago, choclatechip45 said:

It was inevitable that Arthur Liu would chime in. I don't disagree with him, but I do think he is a crazy skating parent. 

 

Arthur is the prototype overinvolved skating parent, but he ain't wrong about this.  It seems the only person who gets to escape 'irreparable harm' is Valieva.  Everybody else is just SOL.

[HartofDixie]

TSL recapping dance with Sandra Bezic. About the first 30 minutes is discussing the doping scandal.

 

[ShellsandCheese]

30 minutes ago, Enero said:

Tara, Brian Botiano and Scott Hamilton interviewed Phil Hersh today about this whole mess and he stated what we’ve all been saying that this should be the end of the road for Russia and the IOC should ban them from competing at the Olympics for a period of time.

I love their wishful thinking but if everyone has been able to overlook all of their issues - this isn't going to be the thing that finally makes the IOC be like you are banned. Less we forget that the Olympics themselves are happening in China right now. 

[Rootbeer]

38 minutes ago, Enero said:

What would be great is if Kamila took responsibility for her part in this mess, no matter how minor, acknowledging that her problem is resulting in all in the competition to be punished and withdraw from competing. If Eteri and team won’t allow her to do that because it’d be essentially admitting guilt, then she should get out there and skate. And what I mean by that is skate around the ice to her music without doing any jumps or spins. 

I bet Eteri’s head would explode, along with the heads of those who are members of the ROC. Kamila would then have to face the harsh backlash from not only her coach but fellow countrymen and ladies. So of course she won’t do either of these things for the reasons previously mentioned. Or probably because she really doesn’t think she did anything wrong. SMH.  

If Valieva was to do that, she'd have to have a plan to defect.  No way she can do that and not risk bad things happening to her and her family back in Russia.  Since the Olympics are being held in another authoritarian nation, she isn't really in a position to defect- and she probably doesn't want to, anyway.  I think it is quite possible that Kamila is absolutely buying what her coaches are selling and believes that she is being persecuted and abused by jealous non-Russian skaters and their minions who have not worked as hard and are not worthy of the gold as she is.  She is surrounded by people who have undoubtedly fed her that narrative day and night since the story broke and probably even before that.

I expect there will be major celebrations and parades for her when she returns to Russia, it seems that her story is getting major press there and it is all about the poor innocent girl being persecuted by the hateful West..

Edited February 15, 2022 by Rootbeer

[Lady Whistleup]

Yeah, I think a lot of people are underestimating how much control authoritarian countries have over athletes. For instance, Nadia Comaneci was repeatedly raped and tortured, and she was like the pride of Romania. 

No doubt if Kamila withdraws, she might be signing the death warrant of her relatives.

[Chit Chat]

As I said in my earlier post, I appreciate what Johnny & Tara have to say about the doping issue, but there is still a part of me that feels somewhat sorry for Valieva.  I know how strict things are in the U.S. as far as athletes and doping, but I don't know what goes on in a country like Russia.  I wouldn't doubt if Valieva didn't know what they were giving her.   I haven't heard her side of it yet, so I do need to look into it a little more.    

Either way though, the rules are the rules, and everybody needs to adhere to them or be barred from competition.  What a mess! 

[Lady Whistleup]

So apparently there's some confusion about whether "my grandpa" was really the defense. Seems as if the only source is a Russian tabloid? This is exhausting.

If she did use gramps as an excuse, that has to be the weirdest use of a grandparent since this immortal tv moment:

Edited February 15, 2022 by Lady Whistleup

[choclatechip45]

2 hours ago, SophiaD said:

Not just Sha'Carri.  Brianna McNeal lost on appeal was banned for FIVE YEARS.  Christian Coleman was banned for a year and a half and missed the last Olympics, where he was expected to seriously contend for a medal.  Both of them missed drug tests, IIRC, they didn't test positively for anything. 

I have to say, I am really disinterested in the women's competition now.  I've been wondering about this for years - why this one coach magically has young woman after young woman who can do quads, but no one else can?  I thought I was just being a jerk for suspecting cheating.  Guess I wasn't.

McNeal missed 3 tests in one year which people  fail to mention. 

[choclatechip45]

47 minutes ago, Rootbeer said:

Arthur is the prototype overinvolved skating parent, but he ain't wrong about this.  It seems the only person who gets to escape 'irreparable harm' is Valieva.  Everybody else is just SOL.

I do love the fact Alysa is just having snowball fights and built a snowman while Arthur is calling all of his reporter friends to find out who wants to put him on the record talking about this. 

[Lady Whistleup]

I get a weird vibe from Arthur Liu. It seems as if he wants to be part of the story. And I don't like that. It's not him that's accomplished, it's his daughter.

[choclatechip45]

9 minutes ago, Lady Whistleup said:

I get a weird vibe from Arthur Liu. It seems as if he wants to be part of the story. And I don't like that. It's not him that's accomplished, it's his daughter.

Me too between that and all the coaching changes gives me weird vibes. Sort of like how Gabby Douglas's mom gave me weird vibes until we found out that Jordyn Weiber's mother let Steve Penny be her daughters agent and then my views on Natalie softened. 

[Lady Whistleup]

1 minute ago, choclatechip45 said:

Me too between that and all the coaching changes gives me weird vibes. Sort of like how Gabby Douglas's mom gave me weird vibes until we found out that Jordyn Weiber's mother let Steve Penny be her daughters agent and then my views on Natalie softened. 

I think the whole Larry Nassar thing might give us an insight into why Kamila doesn't say anything. I remember when the scandal first came out a slew of a-list gymnasts defended Nassar as a swell dude. It wasn't until more and more people came forward that the very gymnasts who defended him also admitted that they too had been abused. 

Abuse is not just physical. It's psychological. I think all of Eteri's girls are in a psychological prison. 

[choclatechip45]

Just now, Lady Whistleup said:

I think the whole Larry Nassar thing might give us an insight into why Kamila doesn't say anything. I remember when the scandal first came out a slew of a-list gymnasts defended Nassar as a swell dude. It wasn't until more and more people came forward that the very gymnasts who defended him also admitted that they too had been abused. 

Abuse is not just physical. It's psychological. I think all of Eteri's girls are in a psychological prison. 

Yup Rita Weiber (Jordyn's mother) was one of the people who I remember was one of his biggest defenders. 

Speaking of Jordyn and the Kamila situation I read Start by Believing it's a book about the USA gymnastics scandal (it has a whole host of info that I didn't know and I have followed Nassar situation very closely) they talk about John Geddert and they interviewed who Jordyn who was still trying to figure out how she felt about Geddert because on one hand he helped her achieve her dreams in getting a Gold Medal, but on the other hand he was clearly a horrible person who also ruined her dream of getting All Around Gold. She still gave him the benefit of doubt when it came to certain situations. 

I imagine Kamila is going through a similar situation right now when it comes to Eteri and her coaches. 

[Chit Chat]

I finally got caught up with the Pairs free dance from last night.  Out of the top skaters, I enjoyed Hubbell & Donohue's performance the most.   There was such a lightness and delicate nature to their performance.  It was really beautiful to watch.

Even though Papadakis & Cizeron are fantastic in their own right, I really didn't like their routine.  It seemed too stiff and almost robotic in spots.   

Chock & Bates are great too, but the battleship gray outfits just didn't do it for me!  

I found the artistry and athleticism most to my liking with H&D.  The overhead lift was as smooth as butter!  Congrats to all of them though for such wonderful performances. 

Edited February 15, 2022 by ChitChat