So many of the points I have been thinking have been so well said already by JCoates.
The use of the words "fluke" and "backlash" with regard to the Shibutanis seems simply insulting. Implied is the notion that they somehow did something "weird" or "inappropriate" to place 3rd at a major championship.
The Shibutanis came up with really smart programs. They were ready to compete at every competition and showed improvement throughout the season. They delivered when it counted. They did not fall. They did not make anyone else fall. They did not make anyone else make mistakes which cost crucial points.
They faced some huge pressure skating at their first world championship in front of an audience that I cannot imagine was supporting them to any genuinely helpful extent given who else was in the running for medals. To handle themselves the way that they did has to be a huge confidence boost.
As a teacher for talented-gifted students, I come in contact with kids Maia's age (16) just about every day and I can tell you that I am profoundly impressed by her poise both on and off the ice. Both she and Alex strike me as so much more mature than their years. They seem plenty astute as athletes and competitors, and have surrounded themselves with the kind of people who make more smart decisions than "dumb" ones.
Having been a fan of figure skating for over 4 decades, I for one am thrilled to see ice dance go through the evolution it has over the past decade with its emphasis on blending "dance" with athleticism, occassional flashes of recognition for diversity in its various forms, and competition results which give some hint that it is actually a sport as well.
Backlash seems the kind of phrase warranted when athletes show cringe-worthy immaturity, show a lack of sportsmanship by publicly bad-mouthing others, or revelations are uncovered proving manipulation of results. Just my opinion, but "fluke" and "backlash" both seem like words, even if just carelessly used, which suggest resentment over things that the Shibs didn't anything to deserve.
The use of the words "fluke" and "backlash" with regard to the Shibutanis seems simply insulting. Implied is the notion that they somehow did something "weird" or "inappropriate" to place 3rd at a major championship.
The Shibutanis came up with really smart programs. They were ready to compete at every competition and showed improvement throughout the season. They delivered when it counted. They did not fall. They did not make anyone else fall. They did not make anyone else make mistakes which cost crucial points.
They faced some huge pressure skating at their first world championship in front of an audience that I cannot imagine was supporting them to any genuinely helpful extent given who else was in the running for medals. To handle themselves the way that they did has to be a huge confidence boost.
As a teacher for talented-gifted students, I come in contact with kids Maia's age (16) just about every day and I can tell you that I am profoundly impressed by her poise both on and off the ice. Both she and Alex strike me as so much more mature than their years. They seem plenty astute as athletes and competitors, and have surrounded themselves with the kind of people who make more smart decisions than "dumb" ones.
Having been a fan of figure skating for over 4 decades, I for one am thrilled to see ice dance go through the evolution it has over the past decade with its emphasis on blending "dance" with athleticism, occassional flashes of recognition for diversity in its various forms, and competition results which give some hint that it is actually a sport as well.
Backlash seems the kind of phrase warranted when athletes show cringe-worthy immaturity, show a lack of sportsmanship by publicly bad-mouthing others, or revelations are uncovered proving manipulation of results. Just my opinion, but "fluke" and "backlash" both seem like words, even if just carelessly used, which suggest resentment over things that the Shibs didn't anything to deserve.
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