Post Mortem on the Team Event

dorispulaski · Feb 18, 2014

Will it be retained in the Olympics? Will there be a yearly Team Event competition?

I've got to say I enjoyed it, and I found that my non skate fan friends seemed to like it more than the individual events. If I were ever going to the Olympics, it's the Team event I'd like to attend, because you get to see a nice mix of familiar and less known skaters.

However, if it is retained, I wonder what changes we'll see in team event strategy?

snowflakebeautiful · Feb 18, 2014

I really enjoyed the team skating event too!!! (I'm all about more skating events to watch.) And I think like you said, it was a cool competition where we were able to see many different types of skating in a short period, so it was almost like an exhibition. Plus, I love the added element of each skater/pair needing to do their best, not just for themselves but for the team.

CanadianSkaterGuy · Feb 18, 2014

I enjoyed it, but I hate the fact that it's only between 3 teams for medals. The fact that none of Ukraine, Japan, or China's ice dance teams made the free dance goes to show how meaningless it is for those countries weak in a particular discipline or two to even compete. Seems like simply a way for US/Canada/Russia to nab more medals and for lesser skaters in those countries to reap the success of their stronger compatriots. Moreover, the standings get very very predictable, particularly when the final is only 5 in each flight, so there's less opportunity to make up ground on a team you're trailing behind if you had a bad discipline in the 1st round (as we saw with Japan).

snowflakebeautiful · Feb 18, 2014

CanadianSkaterGuy said:
I enjoyed it, but I hate the fact that it's only between 3 teams for medals. The fact that none of Ukraine, Japan, or China's ice dance teams made the free dance goes to show how meaningless it is for those countries weak in a particular discipline or two to even compete. Seems like simply a way for US/Canada/Russia to nab more medals and for lesser skaters in those countries to reap the success of their stronger compatriots. Moreover, the standings get very very predictable, particularly when the final is only 5 in each flight, so there's less opportunity to make up ground on a team you're trailing behind if you had a bad discipline in the 1st round (as we saw with Japan).

Valid points! I think that some revising does need to be done to how they approach the team even if they keep it....because like you said, it's not fair that their strongest skaters didn't even have a chance to help build points for their countries.

Sam-Skwantch · Feb 18, 2014

CanadianSkaterGuy said:
I enjoyed it, but I hate the fact that it's only between 3 teams for medals. The fact that none of Ukraine, Japan, or China's ice dance teams made the free dance goes to show how meaningless it is for those countries weak in a particular discipline or two to even compete. Seems like simply a way for US/Canada/Russia to nab more medals and for lesser skaters in those countries to reap the success of their stronger compatriots. Moreover, the standings get very very predictable, particularly when the final is only 5 in each flight, so there's less opportunity to make up ground on a team you're trailing behind if you had a bad discipline in the 1st round (as we saw with Japan).

Such a good point. Yeah I enjoyed but is it because of purely self fulfilling reasons. I don't think I can honestly or fairly answer this thread. I did find the whole thing fun to watch and it had me watching Ice Dance and Pairs which I usually don't other than the top pairs and sometimes never. In that aspect it grew the sport for me and helped me find new skaters to enjoy with Capellini/Lanotte being standouts. I hope it continues but I can't find anything to change that makes any sense or improves the competition.

blue_idealist · Feb 18, 2014

I liked it and wouldn't mind if they put it in at Worlds too, however, they probably won't because they have WTT. I think maybe they should limit it to the top 5 teams going in though because it was obvious that some of the lower-ranked teams didn't have a chance, and their skaters were just wasting their energy (Great Britain comes to mind, although it did give Matthew Parr, whom I enjoyed, a chance to compete).

pitterpatter · Feb 18, 2014

I think it's a plus for casual viewers, but I don't know if it really belongs as a separate Olympic event. The top competitors have to maintain their focus for a longer duration, and also divide their energy between the team and the individual. Skaters also end up performing the same programs twice, which for me kind of diminishes the gravity of an 'Olympic performance.' The fact that the entries are so ambiguous/determined last minute by the federation makes it lose a bit credibility as well. The Russians really brought it here, but in the future the winner might not be the team that collectively skates the best; it'll be the country that is most willing to sacrifice their top skaters and work them the hardest.

I agree with a lot of points in this article from the Washington Post: http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...0/team-figure-skating-needs-to-be-eliminated/

GF2445 · Feb 18, 2014

It was great! People loved the event. Some of the skating purists like Dick Button want it gone but the fact is that the sport needs change and the team event brought about this. Yes, the IJS still applies but since there is less skaters, there can be more cushioning between skater's scores AND it's all about the ranking points- that was something that so many people understood.

In saying that, they do need to change the weighting of the points between the SD/SP and the FD/FS because, we knew with three segments to go who the medalists were.

So in the SP/SD keep the 1st=10pt, 2nd=9pts etc.
and in the FS/FD have 1st=10pts, 2nd=8pts, 3rd=6pts, 4th=4pts etc.

ice coverage · Feb 18, 2014

dorispulaski said:
Will it be retained in the Olympics? Will there be a yearly Team Event competition?

I've got to say I enjoyed it, and I found that my non skate fan friends seemed to like it more the individual events. If I were ever going to the Olympics, it's the Team event I'd like to attend, because you get to see a nice mix of familiar and less known skaters.

However, if it is retained, I wonder what changes we'll see in team event strategy?

FWIW, World Team Trophy 2015 already is on the ISU schedule.

Ven · Feb 18, 2014

Russians liked it because they won another gold medal.

Canadians liked it because they won another silver medal.

Americans liked it because they won a medal in something besides D/W.

Everyone else probably thought it was boring and pointless.

Antilopa · Feb 18, 2014

Ven said:
Russians liked it because they won another gold medal.

Canadians liked it because they won another silver medal.

Americans liked it because they won a medal in something besides D/W.

Everyone else probably thought it was boring and pointless.

I'm sure Japanese think, they need to develop their pairs and dances. And they will.

sky_fly20 · Feb 18, 2014

scrap it,
or at least do it every alternative in every other Olympic years

draqq · Feb 18, 2014

Either double the value of points in the free skate or don't cut down the field to five in the free programs. Or both!

Ven · Feb 18, 2014

I posted earlier that the real big problem with the team event is all the low-level skaters getting olympic medals.

Some argued that players of all different abilities earn medals in team sports. But figure skating is not a team sport where all the competitors compete at the same time as their teammates. It's an individual sport with individual scores added up. It's not the same thing.

Some argued that it's the same as swimming relays in Summer Olympics. But it's not the same either, as the relay racers have to finish in the top of their heat to advance. You can't finish 8th out of 10 in your heat and the team still advance to win a medal. But in team figure skating, you can finish dead last, and still win a medal. It's not the same.

That's the real problem with this competition, there are a lot of skaters now who are mediocre and not deserving of Olympic medals, but the federations have basically manufactured one for them.

bartlebooth · Feb 18, 2014

draqq said:
Either double the value of points in the free skate or don't cut down the field to five in the free programs. Or both!

+1

Put it AFTER the individual events. If it may be a less-pressure way to "break the ice" (no pun intended) for someone, it may as well be risky: ask Stefania Berton, who got injured.
Yes, lower ranked teams don't stand a chance (so, maybe, they can just relax and enjoy the thing), but whenever somebody can play spoiler, they usually get hosed (a trend that started with last year WTT): Coomes&Buckland, Japanese singles in the final.

WTT is just more fun in my opinion, and I'd like countries to choose TWO entries for two categories and one for the others, to play their strenghts: Japan would choose 2 men, 2 ladies, 1 pair 1 dance team, USA 2 ladies, 2 dance teams, 1 pair 1 man, and so on. A bit chaotic, but more strategic. I'd have only the FP/FD to skate, just to keep it less superabundant.

dorispulaski · Feb 18, 2014

I love the idea of making it more strategic/chaotic.

Totentanz · Feb 18, 2014

Team event was really fun. There is another opportunity for the skaters to reach medals by this way. There is always team events in running and swimming, why not skating? But I think there must be some changes next time. I think every team should be consisted of 8 skaters/couples. This will reduce risks of injury. And it will measure the overall talent more than the last way.

MasterB · Feb 18, 2014

The more skating the better, I say. I think that if we are going to move foward with it then we have to reconfigure some aspects of it. Because the individual titles carry more prestige then it would make sense to leave it at the end fo the event. However, at worlds the event usually ends on a Saturday so there wouldn't be enough time to rest and compete all over again so soon. For the last couple of seasons Japan has been hosting it and they are the only country that can pack the arenas to the rafters.

Near · Feb 18, 2014

I like the concept, but the format really needs work. We where lucky this time that the three best teams where clearly the gold, silver and bronze medallists respectively, but this format could easily create really arbitrary results.

Sam-Skwantch · Feb 18, 2014

dorispulaski said:
I love the idea of making it more strategic/chaotic.

Me too but how is this accomplished without sacrificing the integrity of the skating. I don't want to take away from that just so that I am entertained. I think I just liked seeing the team factor brought into a very individualistic sport. It definitely brought the best out in some people and as pointed out earlier it may force federations to strengthen their weaknesses they may otherwise overlook. This should improve the sport as a whole but has nothing to do with strategy or chaos really which was my goal when I stated to post. I shouldn't post when I just wake up but I can't resist.

Post Mortem on the Team Event

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

snowflakebeautiful

CanadianSkaterGuy

snowflakebeautiful

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

blue_idealist

pitterpatter

GF2445

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605

Ven

Match Penalty

Antilopa

sky_fly20

Match Penalty

draqq

FigureSkatingPhenom

Ven

Match Penalty

bartlebooth

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl

Totentanz

Ursula Gumennik

MasterB

Near

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

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