Russian Audiences | Golden Skate

Russian Audiences

sgsmozart

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 12, 2014
Have you noticed how biased the audience has been during the team competition? Yes, it is in Russia but even when a skater from a different country excels in his performance, they are very muted. Compare that with American or Canadian crowds who really cheer when they witness great skating regardless of country. I think it has to do with the innate Russian sense of insecurity.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Have you noticed how biased the audience has been during the team competition? Yes, it is in Russia but even when a skater from a different country excels in his performance, they are very muted. Compare that with American or Canadian crowds who really cheer when they witness great skating regardless of country. I think it has to do with the innate Russian sense of insecurity.

no, this thread is a sense of insecurity
another troll account that should be rmeoved
 

MaiKatze

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 4, 2012
I hope it'll be a bit fairer in the individuals. The team competition is new and so they were cheering for the home team. That's ok. I kind of think though that it is influencing the judging a bit too much, but I hope I'll be proven wrong in the individuals. I wouldn't exactly call American and Canadian Crowds much fairer, like I wrote, the team competition is new, so we wouldn't know.
 

amateur

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
One thing I do like - and I'm not sure I've ever seen this before in a competition setting - is how they sometimes applaud right after the music starts, seemingly in appreciation of the music choice. They did this for (I think) I/K with Swan Lake, Kostner with Ave Maria, at least and one other one (I think another Russian competitor), and I even thought I might have heard more faint rumblings of this with a few other skaters, though I might have just imagined those. Anyway, I thought that was nice, and they did do it for at least one non-Russian, FWIW.

I wonder if they'll still do it when it gets to the 6th or 7th Swan Lake program over the course of the games? ;-)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I think it would be a great gesture if Putin himself led the applause for non-Russian skaters a bit more. It would convey the idea that part of Russia's job at this Olympics is to be a gracious host to the world.
 

Manitou

Medalist
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Have you noticed how biased the audience has been during the team competition? Yes, it is in Russia but even when a skater from a different country excels in his performance, they are very muted. Compare that with American or Canadian crowds who really cheer when they witness great skating regardless of country. I think it has to do with the innate Russian sense of insecurity.

Right! Because American public is not bias. Because Japanese public is not bias. Because Italian public is not bias!
I love Russian public. Great support, great crowds and great spirit. This is what it should be. To me it's absolutely fantastic. In contrast to several snotty snobs on this forum.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
I think it would be a great gesture if Putin himself led the applause for non-Russian skaters a bit more. It would convey the idea that part of Russia's job at this Olympics is to be a gracious host to the world.

:laugh: And another pig flies by.

You'd be likelier to have seen Hitler have the crowd cheer on Jesse Owens.

Home ice cheers are to be expected, though. It's immensely louder than the cheers for other skaters, and notably distracting as followup skaters take the ice. That being said, the Russians have also delivered pretty solid performances, which lead to those cheers.
 

Antilopa

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
All Russian skaters say the support was very helpful. From this point of view the audience was absolutely right. If you don't like this, buy ticket and go to Sochi and support your favorite athletes.
 

yelyoh

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I thought the audience was supportive of the skaters. They cheered madly for their own skaters but that's natural
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
One thing I do like - and I'm not sure I've ever seen this before in a competition setting - is how they sometimes applaud right after the music starts, seemingly in appreciation of the music choice. They did this for (I think) I/K with Swan Lake, Kostner with Ave Maria, at least and one other one (I think another Russian competitor), and I even thought I might have heard more faint rumblings of this with a few other skaters, though I might have just imagined those. Anyway, I thought that was nice, and they did do it for at least one non-Russian, FWIW.

I wonder if they'll still do it when it gets to the 6th or 7th Swan Lake program over the course of the games? ;-)

Kostner and Yuzuru Hanyu are non Russian favorites

Virtue/Moir, Chan... not so much
 

Big Deal

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
As I already menioned that in another topic, it was VERY strange.
Usually figure skating audience is supportive with all the competitors when they are professional and know how difficult to land even a double jump.
It was the case in Budapest European and most of the big figure skating event.
Asian audiences can wave French, Canadian or Russian flags all over the World cheering with enthusiasm.

This atmosphere -sadly- was TOTALLY missed in the team event.

Or the audience was only Russian or very occasional outsiders. Or both.

Olympic spirit? ?? sic!
 

amateur

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Kostner and Yuzuru Hanyu are non Russian favorites

Virtue/Moir, Chan... not so much

I remember V/M's Carmen being very well received at COR (in Moscow?) last season. Maybe that program could have helped them here with the audience connection.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
As I already menioned that in another topic, it was VERY strange.
Usually figure skating audience is supportive with all the competitors when they are professional and know how difficult to land even a double jump.
It was the case in Budapest European and most of the big figure skating event.
Asian audiences can wave French, Canadian or Russian flags all over the World cheering with enthusiasm.

This atmosphere -sadly- was TOTALLY missed in the team event.

Or the audience was only Russian or very occasional outsiders. Or both.

Olympic spirit? ?? sic!

92% tickets sold have been for Russians
but nothing wrong with that, the more national support, the better it is their Olympics held event after all

Chan isn't liked obviously because many think he is a threat to Plushenko
Yuzuru Hanyu is well received in Russia, also Carolina Kostner is the favorite non Russian among most Russians
V/M have some sort of coldness for some reason that is not much appreciated

overall they will cheer for everone
but watch Carolina and Yuzuru if they deliver in individuals they will also get loud cheers and response
 

MidnightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
I was at both the Worlds in 2001 in Vancouver & the Worlds in 2003 in Washington.
The US crowd were awful to most non-North American skaters.
The crowd reaction in 2003 to Elena Sokolova made me cringe.
Also to many of the Ice Dancers. Silence for many.
So I think it's a bit rich to be on Russian skating fan's backs because they want to cheer their own skaters.
Let's face it people are looking for a stick to beat Russia with on these boards.
Russia have the Olympics & they are supporting their own skaters. It happens at every Olympics.
Get over it.
 

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
I was at both the Worlds in 2001 in Vancouver & the Worlds in 2003 in Washington.
The US crowd were awful to most non-North American skaters.
The crowd reaction in 2003 to Elena Sokolova made me cringe.
Also to many of the Ice Dancers. Silence for many.
So I think it's a bit rich to be on Russian skating fan's backs because they want to cheer their own skaters.
Let's face it people are looking for a stick to beat Russia with on these boards.
Russia have the Olympics & they are supporting their own skaters. It happens at every Olympics.
Get over it.

I was at both world championships. Michelle Kwan (USA) won in Washington, but I don't recall an "awful" audience reaction for Elena who finished with a silver medal. Plushenko beat Goebel - no awful reaction there, and Shen & Zhao got a standing ovation. So don't know what competition you were watching but it wasn't an accurate report on the US audience in 2003 Worlds.
 

aschiutza

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
92% tickets sold have been for Russians
but nothing wrong with that, the more national support, the better it is their Olympics held event after all

Chan isn't liked obviously because many think he is a threat to Plushenko
Yuzuru Hanyu is well received in Russia, also Carolina Kostner is the favorite non Russian among most Russians
V/M have some sort of coldness for some reason that is not much appreciated

overall they will cheer for everone
but watch Carolina and Yuzuru if they deliver in individuals they will also get loud cheers and response

I remember at the Vancouver time what a bad press did Plushenko have, he was seen only as a joke. Most of it from the canadian Press. And the debacle with the video for the judges where Plushenko was given as a bad example (i find that not good to do with high profile figure skater, regardles their name and country, as that gives prejudgement). If i remember that, and i am not russian, isn't it quite possible that a lot of russian remember that too?

I don't think that Chan is not liked because is a main rival of Plushenko. Lambiel was too,Joubert was too, Yuzuru as well and they are very liked by the russian. I don't know what Chan has so unlikeable about him, but somehow it doesn't charm the ocasional figure skating whatcher. He miss something, i cannot put my finger on it. When i watched him i can admire his qualities and i am still very cold towards him. When Yuzuru skates is all there: charisma, spark, dynamic. He gives the image of a complete sportsman, while Chan give the image of an artist. I Think that the most occasional FS fans want to see a sportman as they are whatching a sport and a competition.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Plushenko has always been well received by US audiences. I've been to competitions where he got a standing ovation even before he started to skate. US audiences are a little stingy with standing ovations---they don't give them for US skaters unless they turn in an outstanding effort. But they will stand up for a great skate by anyone, regardless of nationality.

OTOH, in Canada, all the Canadian skaters get standing ovations before and after they skate, no matter what kind of performance they gave. Non-Canadian competitors have to be truly exceptional to get anything other than polite applause.
 

Silvia451

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 6, 2014
Country
Romania
He gives the image of a complete sportsman, while Chan give the image of an artist. I Think that the most occasional FS fans want to see a sportman as they are whatching a sport and a competition.

Lambiel was an artist too and the crowd loved him.

I appreciate Chan, but I can't say I like him. I usually expect him to win, but he never impressed me. But this is just my personal opinion. However, I can say I can't forget how he won the WC last year, with two (let's say two and a half) falls, compared to Denis Ten's almost perfect program.
 

aschiutza

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Yes, Lambiel was an artist too (and Yuzuru is also), but what i mean is that they have as well what i think to be the best qualities for a sportsman: charisma, dynamic, spark , athletics qualities. They all have power. I don't feel power from Chan (well, it may be a cultural thing how we feel the power and what we call power).
 
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