Russian Audiences | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Russian Audiences

seniorita

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2008
Audience is supportive of all skaters but they are too loud for Russians, I mean it extreme level and I ve been to many competitions to compare, arena is also huge and when they use drums and make noise with their feet for Russians it sounds like the end of the world is coming. :laugh:
 

hikki

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 18, 2007
Country
Japan
I've attended competitions in France, US, Canada and Japan and while the home bias was more or less there, it was never as obvious or almost cold as it seems here in Sochi! I mean you only have to look at the crowd after each performance. Their hands are not where you expect them to be! The crowd here is almost mute for non Russians, with a few exceptions.

Another thing is Olympics seem to attract more casual audience compared to Worlds and other comps. Nagano '98 vs. Tokyo '07, Vancouver '10 vs. Vancouver '01/London '13, Sochi vs. Moscow '05/'11 (and no I didn't attend all these comps- I wish!!)- the former (Olympics) always a bit more subdued than the latter (Worlds)?? Olympics audience are not as 'sophisticated' I guess.
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Another thing is Olympics seem to attract more casual audience compared to Worlds and other comps. Nagano '98 vs. Tokyo '07, Vancouver '10 vs. Vancouver '01/London '13, Sochi vs. Moscow '05/'11 (and no I didn't attend all these comps- I wish!!)- the former (Olympics) always a bit more subdued than the latter (Worlds)?? Olympics audience are not as 'sophisticated' I guess.

because the Sochi Olympics is catered for the general russian public
nothing wrong with that

not sure what you mean by " not as sophisticated " audience
the same can be said in London, Vancouver etc
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
I have no intention of generalizing about all russians or the whole audience or to make the russians out to be not as good a crowd as who knows which nations crowd is, but I don't like the "Russia! Rissua!" calls at all. Hanyu even warned the other Team Japan members not to get scared, and that the screams would be so loud you can't hear anything else, not even the commentator! That's too much. These athletes have a lot of pressure on their backs anyway, and they have the right to have a calm minute to come down and focus before they skate. Worst thing is, that there was no russian skater in Hanyus warm-up group. I get shouting to support skaters that are on the ice, but what are you screaming "Russia!" for if there is no russian on the ice to support? You can even hear them scream before Chan and Hanyu started to skate, and again, no russian skater in sight at all! IMO, that's disrespectful and disruptive to those skaters, who must feel like they aren't very welcomed. It's even halfway okay if they are more lukewarm about non-russia skaters and won't applaud as much, but if the skaters are getting scared, something is very wrong.

It's even more lovely to see how the skaters, even from different nations, cheered for each other. Ashley and Charlie were cheering for absolutly everyone, everytime I saw them, and not to forget "Team every1".

Hopefully it will be different for the individual events. This audience + the weird scoring must be really disappointing for the skaters (at least what's a lot of their faces looked like in the K'n'C too).
 

TMC

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
I have no intention of generalizing about all russians or the whole audience or to make the russians out to be not as good a crowd as who knows which nations crowd is, but I don't like the "Russia! Rissua!" calls at all. Hanyu even warned the other Team Japan members not to get scared, and that the screams would be so loud you can't hear anything else, not even the commentator! That's too much. These athletes have a lot of pressure on their backs anyway, and they have the right to have a calm minute to come down and focus before they skate. Worst thing is, that there was no russian skater in Hanyus warm-up group. I get shouting to support skaters that are on the ice, but what are you screaming "Russia!" for if there is no russian on the ice to support? You can even hear them scream before Chan and Hanyu started to skate, and again, no russian skater in sight at all! IMO, that's disrespectful and disruptive to those skaters, who must feel like they aren't very welcomed. It's even halfway okay if they are more lukewarm about non-russia skaters and won't applaud as much, but if the skaters are getting scared, something is very wrong.

It's even more lovely to see how the skaters, even from different nations, cheered for each other. Ashley and Charlie were cheering for absolutly everyone, everytime I saw them, and not to forget "Team every1".

Hopefully it will be different for the individual events. This audience + the weird scoring must be really disappointing for the skaters (at least what's a lot of their faces looked like in the K'n'C too).

Totally agree with everything you say.
 

MidnightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
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.
I did not mention Shen/Zhao or Plushenko who were World famous stars & no threat to a US Gold medal in Washington (Goebel behind).
I did sit behind people who made personal comments about Sokolova & Volchkova while waving the US flag.
Also, do not accuse me of lying. Just because the section you were sitting in was okay does not mean others were the same.
The Ice Dance free in Vancouver 2001 was silent apart from when the US couples skated. Turn that around to Nice in 2000 or Dortmund 2004 or Moscow 2005 & the Non-European couples were given lot's of cheers & support.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
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.

I did not mention Shen/Zhao or Plushenko who were World famous stars & no threat to a US Gold medal in Washington (Goebel behind).
I did sit behind people who made personal comments about Sokolova & Volchkova while waving the US flag.
Also, do not accuse me of lying. Just because the section you were sitting in was okay does not mean others were the same.
The Ice Dance free in Vancouver 2001 was silent apart from when the US couples skated. Turn that around to Nice in 2000 or Dortmund 2004 or Moscow 2005 & the Non-European couples were given lot's of cheers & support.

As I recall, and we were there for both the CD and OD, ShaeLynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz won, and got a standing ovation. They're Canadian, not American.
Lobacheva & Averbukh skated in some of the most appalling costumes I've seen, and the crowd did not take to them at all. There was some Shock and Awe when Wing & Lowe skated to Lennon's "Imagine" on the eve of the Iraq War. The crowd loved Denkova & Staviyski' s great Baroque OD, and they are not American. So I don't really agree.
 

MidnightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
As I recall, and we were there for both the CD and OD, ShaeLynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz won, and got a standing ovation. They're Canadian, not American.
Lobacheva & Averbukh skated in some of the most appalling costumes I've seen, and the crowd did not take to them at all. There was some Shock and Awe when Wing & Lowe skated to Lennon's "Imagine" on the eve of the Iraq War. The crowd loved Denkova & Staviyski' s great Baroque OD, and they are not American. So I don't really agree.
That's a shock (!)
 

qwertyskates

Medalist
Joined
Nov 12, 2013
I really feel disturbed by this Olympics because of all the anti-Russian brouhaha, attempting to upend the games politically, and I'm not even Russian! Perhaps it's not obvious to those who are used to propaganda techniques, but all these troll threads, the terrorism scares, the gay boycotts, the vicious rumors about scores fixing, about guy getting killed for messing up the Opening Ceremony, the uproar over Russian audiences applause, etc, they sound so much like some psyop.:disapp: Just let the athletes shine and have their day, stop the politicking, this is the Olympics!

Maybe I am mistaken but I heard alot of applause for Hanyu, Jason Brown, and even when Mao fell on her triple axel, there was encouraging applause for her as she got up from her fall, and her next jump was loudly applauded too.
 

yuki90

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 8, 2014
I've attended competitions in France, US, Canada and Japan and while the home bias was more or less there, it was never as obvious or almost cold as it seems here in Sochi! I mean you only have to look at the crowd after each performance. Their hands are not where you expect them to be! The crowd here is almost mute for non Russians, with a few exceptions.

Another thing is Olympics seem to attract more casual audience compared to Worlds and other comps. Nagano '98 vs. Tokyo '07, Vancouver '10 vs. Vancouver '01/London '13, Sochi vs. Moscow '05/'11 (and no I didn't attend all these comps- I wish!!)- the former (Olympics) always a bit more subdued than the latter (Worlds)?? Olympics audience are not as 'sophisticated' I guess.

That's true. This is not a World Cup or Foot ball game. The Russia call is soooo annoying when skaters have to be ready before the music start. Japanese journal said that Mao couldnt control herself when the audience call Russia when she's on the ice
 

Barb

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 13, 2009
Well today we will see if the audience change, I think it is true, the team event was sold to russian general audience, not figure skating audience so they think it is ok support just for their team even when other skater of another nationality is on the ice or in k&c. By the way why Argentina or Chile dont host winter games?, it would be great, they get enough snow right? :scratch:
 

MidnightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 20, 2013
? Did you think B &K got a substandard standing O?
http://m.youtube.com/index?&desktop_uri=/#/home

The British Eurosport guys even commented on home much the crowd got into it.
B & K are North American, I was talking about European skaters.
I'm not going around in circles with you.
The hate directed to Russia over these Olympics is scary.
Threads started every day in order to make out that Russia is doing a bad job.
I have two sisters & a friend out in Sochi. The events they have gone to have been amazing (Including the opening day of the team event). ALL nations have been welcomed & supported by the Russian people.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
L&A got a very nice applause. They are Russian. Navka and Kostamarov got a better applause, even, but I can't find a vid on YouTube to jog your memory,but they are Russian. Denkova and Staviyski are European, if not Russian,and their od, was the absolute highlight of dance for me that year. Navka' s OD was a close second

Canadians and Americans would both feel insulted if you said we were identical, which you just did. Do you think all Canadians are going to be happy if D&W win in Sochi? Do you think all Americans are going to be happy if V&M win in Sochi?

But I'm glad your family is having a great time in Sochi. I wish I could be there!
 
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sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
I have no intention of generalizing about all russians or the whole audience or to make the russians out to be not as good a crowd as who knows which nations crowd is, but I don't like the "Russia! Rissua!" calls at all. Hanyu even warned the other Team Japan members not to get scared, and that the screams would be so loud you can't hear anything else, not even the commentator! That's too much. These athletes have a lot of pressure on their backs anyway, and they have the right to have a calm minute to come down and focus before they skate. Worst thing is, that there was no russian skater in Hanyus warm-up group. I get shouting to support skaters that are on the ice, but what are you screaming "Russia!" for if there is no russian on the ice to support? You can even hear them scream before Chan and Hanyu started to skate, and again, no russian skater in sight at all! IMO, that's disrespectful and disruptive to those skaters, who must feel like they aren't very welcomed. It's even halfway okay if they are more lukewarm about non-russia skaters and won't applaud as much, but if the skaters are getting scared, something is very wrong.

It's even more lovely to see how the skaters, even from different nations, cheered for each other. Ashley and Charlie were cheering for absolutly everyone, everytime I saw them, and not to forget "Team every1".

Hopefully it will be different for the individual events. This audience + the weird scoring must be really disappointing for the skaters (at least what's a lot of their faces looked like in the K'n'C too).

again the Olympics have been catered for Russian general public
it is reported 92% of tickets sold to Figure Skating were to russians, nothing wrong with that that shows good support for the games
also we must respect other cultures. expect more russians to be in individual events

here is also what BBC has said recently for the rest of the Olympic Games and events sold tickets

http://www.bbc.com/sport/live/winter-olympics/25886926
Sochi organisers say ticket sales are "significantly above expectations", with a total of 924,802 sold so far. Dmitry Perlin, the head of Sochi's ticketing department, says 70% to 75% of tickets have been bought by Russians.

He also stated that Japan and Germany sold out of their allotted ticket quotas which range in price from $15 up to $1,500 for the best seats at the opening ceremony. The average cost of a ticket is approximately $115 (£70).
 

amateur

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Some reporters on the Canadian coverage have said that even during the Opening Ceremonies (which you can say were quite well done, in most people's opinion), that the audience was quieter and more reserved than one might expect.

Maybe they are simply as a culture not as effusive in their praise, except for those who reach them the most, along with their home team who of course they are going to support at this rare opportunity to do so - and who also happened to skate extremely well.

Here where I live, when I go to (non-skating, non-sports) shows with my friend, he is always rolling his eyes saying that people give standing ovations far too easily, as if they feel they always are supposed to.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Out of curiosity I just googled "sochi olympics empty seats" and got back "About 25,500,000 results." It is not going unnoticed.
 

elif

Medalist
Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Out of curiosity I just googled "sochi olympics empty seats" and got back "About 25,500,000 results." It is not going unnoticed.

Out of curiosity I just googled "sochi olympics crazy fans" and got back "About 83.400.000 results." :laugh:
 
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