Cinquanta seeks to test track team competition for Olympics | Golden Skate

Cinquanta seeks to test track team competition for Olympics

visaliakid

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Country
United-States
Success of the recent World Team Trophy competition in Japan has Mr. Cinquanta now considering the addition of a team competition to the Olympics. He invisions such a team event taking place before the individual Olympic events and NGB's could use the same skaters from the team, in the individual events, or possibly other skaters.

Cinquanta told Philip Hersh that such an event would have to be test tracked, most likely at a near-term World Championships before being accepted as an olympic event. 2014 is the earliest that it might be added to the Olympic calendar.

Source - Philip Hersh's latest blog: 'ISU president: Sasha was Santa in 2006'
 

Particle Man

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 23, 2008
``I believe the era of Sasha Cohen as loser when the favorite is over. Now we can have the Sasha Cohen era as a strong skater with more experience. If she wanted experience as a loser, she has enough.''

Remember kids: if you don't win the top gold medals of the sport, you're a loser! :laugh:

I guess Michelle Kwan was a loser as well! :rofl:

I think speedy should do his team skating thing, and while he's at it just do away with any medal other than gold, because obviously they don't matter. He should also expand his focus to berate even more legendary skaters that helped pay his salary.
 
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PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
I haven't seen any hard numbers, but I think the ISU made a fortune with that World Team Trophy event.
 

visaliakid

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Country
United-States
Adding a team event before the individual disciplines in the Olympics will become a fan favorite and rake in much additional income for the IOC for very little added expense.

Reports are that the ISU and JSF made huge profits from the first World Team Trophy, so look for a team event in the 2014 winter games.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Adding a team event before the individual disciplines in the Olympics will become a fan favorite and rake in much additional income for the IOC for very little added expense.

Reports are that the ISU and JSF made huge profits from the first World Team Trophy, so look for a team event in the 2014 winter games.


Logistically it seems to be very possible since the skaters are already there. But Japanese TV money won't cover any added expenses the way they did at WTT.
Interesting to let them use different skaters (a way for bigger Federations to give an Olympic experience to skaters who just miss making their National team).
I particularly enjoy the team competition at Gymnastic events - maybe ISU is hoping for a similar effect with the Team competition.
For TV coverage, wouldn't a skating team event be better than curling or some of the less popular winter events? (apologies to any curling fans :))
 

Wrlmy

Medalist
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Wheee more fs olympic medals!!! Now more skaters can claim they are OG medalists:laugh:

The only problem I see, though, is that there are probably only 6-7 countries eligible to host WTT and probably only one of them has resources to actually host the event.
 

gold12345

Medalist
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
A team event at the Olympics would be amazing! More chances for the skaters to perform in an Olympic setting, more chances for medals, and more chances to increase team unity in what is typically an individual sport. Also, countries would now be encouraged to develop a true team of skaters, rather than focusing almost solely on any one discipline.

I truly hope they follow through with this and we get to see this in 2014. :clap:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
To make this work, they need to come up with some specialty events, so it can be a real team effort. Like gynmastics, where you have one guy who is a whiz on the rings and another guy on the high bar.

If you just have several skaters do a long and and/or a short program, then add up the points, that doesn't have much "team" to the team.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
It's time for the Japanese, Chinese, French and Italian federations to work on the disciplines that need work (JPN: Pairs and Dance; CHN: Ladies, Men and Dance; French: Ladies and Pairs; ITA: depth in Men and Ladies; Pairs).
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
To make this work, they need to come up with some specialty events, so it can be a real team effort. Like gynmastics, where you have one guy who is a whiz on the rings and another guy on the high bar.

If you just have several skaters do a long and and/or a short program, then add up the points, that doesn't have much "team" to the team.

Of course they could do competitions for jumps - also a step sequence - and then the USA could let out our secret weapon - "Sweet Caroline" - for spirals and layback spins.
Atleast we would be sure to see her on our Natl team that way.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I haven't seen any hard numbers, but I think the ISU made a fortune with that World Team Trophy event.
I'm not at all well versed in the financial end of figure skating, and I would like to know more.

While the ISU gave its blessing for the WTT, and the Japanese paid for the entire organizational costs, what percentage of profits (if there were any) would go to the ISU?
 

visaliakid

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Country
United-States
To make this work, they need to come up with some specialty events, so it can be a real team effort. Like gynmastics, where you have one guy who is a whiz on the rings and another guy on the high bar.

If you just have several skaters do a long and and/or a short program, then add up the points, that doesn't have much "team" to the team.

Personally I would love such a competition to include a first round consisting of a Jump Off, and Spin Off and Footwork segments, and a second round that is a free skate. But I don't think Speedy has any different form of a team comp in mind other than the model patterned after WTT.

I think that it will consist of a maximum of top six qualifying teams (how TBD) with a short and long program from each skater, singles pair and dance team as done in the first World Team Trophy.

I also think that what he has in mind for the future is that testing tracking it at Worlds to get it accepted into the olympics, successful or not, will lead to inclusion of a team comp at all future World Championships, to replace the World Team Trophy event. jmho!
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I wonder if skaters would prefer it to come after their individual events. If it's before, they might be too focused on what they need to do for their own events, instead of working on the team event.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
It's still a long way off before all the organizational problems are resolved. Maybe Cinquanta could look to Gymnastics for advice. Gymnastics do have team medals as well as individual medals.
 

tae04

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 27, 2005
I think the skaters would be too wore out to do a team competition then focus for a singles competition. Stick with tradition.
 

backspin

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 30, 2003
If they do it they should either use other skaters or else do it after the individual events are done. No one will want to wear themselves out & risk losing an individual medal.

Regardless of what the head twits think, skating is not a team sport. (synchro excepted, of course)

Isn't sychro supposed to be a test event in 2014?
 

Bruin714

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 11, 2004
In gymnastics, the team competition scores are used to determines who gets to compete in the individual all-around.

If I had a say:

Using the same format for figures skating, the US for example would still have the US Nationals to qualify for the Olympics, but instead of just 2 or 3 ladies/men/pair goes from each discipline, 6 ladies would get to attend and compete in the Olympics. :love: Based on how they compete, 2 or 3 from each nation who qualify in the top _______ gets to compete individually their sp & lp.

For the team though, I think it'll be best if athletes just compete their short program. Maybe 6 compete and the high and low is thrown out from each team. If 6 laides, 6 men, 6 pairs, and 6 dance teams would be too many, maybe just 4 then.

I hope the ISU does follow through with this team concept. It'll really be an inclusive move. Plus, if you're great at your Nationals doesn't mean you're in your top shape at the Olympics 1-2 months later. Same for Worlds.

Just to see more figure skating, more athletes the opportunity to compete, and more opportunity for medals would be wonderful. :clap:
 

gold12345

Medalist
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
If they do it they should either use other skaters or else do it after the individual events are done. No one will want to wear themselves out & risk losing an individual medal.

Regardless of what the head twits think, skating is not a team sport. (synchro excepted, of course)

Isn't sychro supposed to be a test event in 2014?

I wouldn't want to see them use other skaters... To make it legit, the top skaters from each of the qualified countries should compete. Perhaps they could keep it LP only so that the skaters wouldn't be as worn out for their individual events. It would be no different than a qualifying round, except this time, they can get a medal out of it if they skate well! Also, maybe the pressure of their individual event will be a little less if they've already competed on Olympic ice in the team event.

Yes, I think it would be better if the team event was after the individual competition, but either way, I think it's a great idea!
 
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enlight78

Medalist
Joined
Nov 2, 2005
I think if they have the team event before individuals they can keep the WTT format but cut it down to short or long programs only and not both so the skaters wont be worn out. What would be cool and add extra tension to the event is if that in each discapline one skater skates a short program a different skater must skate the long which will force the team captian to make real decisions.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
I'm having real trouble imagining how this will work.

Either:

A: A group of b-list skaters have a chance for medals by doing the sort of performances they can give.

B: The favorites have yet more competitions to wear themselves out in and worlds and olympics become even more grueling marathons featuring skating that's even less likely to win new fans than in 2006 (if that's actually possible).

C: Some unholy mixture of A and B....

If it's B, then let's say US lady number one (whoever that'll be) is supposed to perform her SP and LP twice in the same competition? What sort of horrible masochist wants that? or is she expected to have two LP's (as in the GP final a few years ago?). What sort of horrible sadistic person wants that?

How is this not going to make the injuries pile up?

And what country can field a credible team in four disciplines? Especially for more than a few years in a row?

I do not get it.

The obvious way to create more competitions (of the kind that can create stars) is for new singles formats that aren't as punishing physically as single skating has become.

Solo dance is an obvious choice (and I note that USFSA is starting to take that seriously).

I'd also like to see a competition with less jumps (but with jumps) that was still demanding technically that more mature skaters with better overall technique but without the biggest jumps (anymore) could excell in.
 
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