Sochi bids for 2017 World Figure Skating champs - official

Sara · Apr 23, 2014

[email protected] said:
Were you in Sochi yourself or just watched Youtube? I was in Iceberg for men and ladies. After Pluschenko checked out a lot of "russian" tickets were sold to foreigners. Half of the people around me were from Japan what sort of "Russian crowd" are we talking?. We all screamed and supported all. In ladies (I was only at SP) there was some craze when Yulia showed up. And there was some unnecessary Ra-ssi-ya. But at least a third op the crowd (if not more) was not from Russia. Everybody shouted for everyone. Yuna was not in a seeded group. 99% of Russians did not know who she was and greated her same way as all other skaters from the group - polite applause but without ecstasy and standing ovation. Have you been at football games in America? That's were I saw warlike crowds.

Something is terribly wrong with some people here.

I was there and saw what happened. Of course the Russian crowd rallied like crazy for their own skaters. I wasn't surprised by that at all. What I was surprised by was the way they behaved when any foreign skater skated. I sat in different sections of the arena and the crowd around me either started chatting and ignored the performance, or they watched but didn't applaud (there were a few Russians in my section who actually applauded). I would estimate that during the ladies event, more than 80% of the crowd was Russian. I don't even wanna talk about the crazy Rosssiiiiya yelling. It was way worse when witnessed live at the arena than through tv screen. I was sitting next to a family from Japan and talked with them about the behaviour of the audience. They were shocked as well, and told that in Japan this would never happen. And it was not only this family, I talked with many foreigners who felt the same. I did meet some friendly Russian ppl too who were cheering for everyone regardless of the country they represented. But the majority of the crowd was being quite disrespectful. I can only imagine how (especially the last group of) non-Russian skaters felt when they took the ice. Tbh all this had a huge impact on how I experienced the Games. I also found it strange how very few foreigners there were in general in Sochi. Don't know if it was because the tickets were sold to Russian ppl or if foreigners just weren't interested in buying them. I felt like I was attending some kind of huge nationalistic sports event instead of Olympics. :/

CanadianSkaterGuy · Apr 23, 2014

:disapp: Sorry to hear that... sounds like an awful experience, even though you were fortunate to see the Olympics live.

chuckm · Apr 23, 2014

After Plushenko withdrew from the men's SP, the obnoxious rabidly pro-Russian crowd got up and left en masse, and what remained was a normal crowd of people who behaved like any crowd at a skating event. They cheered for all the skaters, regardless of the country they represented. The men's SP and FS at Sochi were the only events with a normal audience, and that was quite refreshing!

The worst event of all was Ice Dance, where the performances of the top two teams (D/W and V/M) were met with icy silence until the skaters returned to the KnC where the crowd shouted "Ross-i-Ya" until the marks were read. There was hardly any applause for the top two teams when they came out for the on-ice podium ceremony---that was reserved for I/K, the bronze medalists. How ironic that I/K broke up shortly after Worlds, which won't help Russia's ice dance hopes for 2018.

YLFan · Apr 23, 2014

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgXKJvTVW9g Cheers for Yuna quite loud at 4:35

Mathman · Apr 23, 2014

Sara said:
I felt like I was attending some kind of huge nationalistic sports event instead of Olympics.

Um…

Sara · Apr 23, 2014

YLFan said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgXKJvTVW9g Cheers for Yuna quite loud at 4:35

For sure the 20% of the crowd (including me) went crazy about her performance

Funny how on tv they often zoomed the athletes' section of the crowd where everyone stood up and applauded for their fellow skaters (they had a full section of the arena only for the athletes to watch the competition). They were cheering like crazy for all skaters no matter which country they were from. Kind of ironic that it was the athletes themselves who were cheering the loudest in the arena (for non-Russian skaters).

karne · Apr 23, 2014

I find it amusing that people are whinging about the crowd...and yet, whose fans are the ones with a reputation for arriving en masse just before their skater, and leaving en masse just after she skates?

Yuna's.

*

I'm also having a good chuckle, because man oh man some of you would never survive, say...a Formula 1 race. I can only imagine the amount of pearl-clutching you would have done in Melbourne, when we went crazy with cheers when Vettel didn't qualify well... :laugh:

AliceInWonderland · Apr 23, 2014

NYscorp6 said:
I hope the bid fails. Nothing that has happened in Ukraine since the end of the Olympic games should be rewarded with another World Championship in Russia until the hostility dies down. There need to be consequences for the actions. Does the ISU have the balls to take a stance?

Following your logic, the US shouldn't be allowed to host major events either after the things they did in Serbia, Iraq, Libya, etc.

samkrut@mail.ru · Apr 23, 2014

Sara said:
I was there and saw what happened. Of course the Russian crowd rallied like crazy for their own skaters. I wasn't surprised by that at all. What I was surprised by was the way they behaved when any foreign skater skated. I sat in different sections of the arena and the crowd around me either started chatting and ignored the performance, or they watched but didn't applaud (there were a few Russians in my section who actually applauded). I would estimate that during the ladies event, more than 80% of the crowd was Russian. I don't even wanna talk about the crazy Rosssiiiiya yelling. It was way worse when witnessed live at the arena than through tv screen. I was sitting next to a family from Japan and talked with them about the behaviour of the audience. They were shocked as well, and told that in Japan this would never happen. And it was not only this family, I talked with many foreigners who felt the same. I did meet some friendly Russian ppl too who were cheering for everyone regardless of the country they represented. But the majority of the crowd was being quite disrespectful. I can only imagine how (especially the last group of) non-Russian skaters felt when they took the ice. Tbh all this had a huge impact on how I experienced the Games. I also found it strange how very few foreigners there were in general in Sochi. Don't know if it was because the tickets were sold to Russian ppl or if foreigners just weren't interested in buying them. I felt like I was attending some kind of huge nationalistic sports event instead of Olympics. :/

I am also sorry to hear about that. And I guess it happened during the ladies' FS. It did not happen during the SP - people supported everyone applauding to everyone since the very first group. In my sector which was among the better ones about a third was foreigners. The Japanese guy next to me (in fact he did not have a proper ticket and had to move among the temporarily empty seats - I wonder if it were possible in "friendly to skaters countries") used a rattle and raised the flag only for Japanese skaters - looked quite normal same as extra support to home skaters by the majority of the crowd. I did not hear a single complaint around including about "Rassiya".

What could have happened during the FS (again, I did not attend it) has nothing to do with disrespect to foreign skaters. It was only a manifestation of the lack of proper education in figure skating by russian spectators. The majority of the crowd treated the competion as one act of a single team event called Olympics where it was a citizen's duty to support its country especially after the previous fiasco in Vancouver. You can even treat it as the respect to foreign skaters who are so strong that "we need to do something in order that our sportsmen win". This lack of education means that the majority of the crowd treated figure skating same as a hockey match. Where on Earth does the local crowd cheer the teams competing with the home one? May be in Japan - but they do not play hockey.

As for the tickets, I will tell you the thing you might not know. There was a small percentage of the foreigners not because all the tickets had been bought by the Russians. It was because the foreigners did not come in planned numbers partially because of the anti Sochi propaganda in the West. So, whom to blame? How do I know it? Easy - there were no FS tickets as they started the sales - Russians used up the quota immediately. During the second wave I bought men. During the third wave already in January - women. Foreign countries gave up their quota. Yes, Russia is so "scary", it will not be safe (I guess it was the safest Olympics in recent history), the games are "not prepared", stupid hotel pictures and so on. Once again, whom to blame for the composition of the crowd?

With such, Sochi Olympics is a one time event. The next winter games in Russia will hardly come before 2050. Many of us - I am for sure - will not see it. But it is outrageously unfair and dicriminatory to make far-fetched generalizations about all future FS events in Russia where the majority of russian spectators go to see the sport they like and not to shout Rassiya. And it is stupid and abusive to bring up Ukrainian mess to the FS forum.

AliceInWonderland · Apr 23, 2014

[email protected] said:
I am also sorry to hear about that. And I guess it happened during the ladies' FS. It did not happen during the SP - people supported everyone applauding to everyone since the very first group. In my sector which was among the better ones about a third was foreigners. The Japanese guy next to me (in fact he did not have a proper ticket and had to move among the temporarily empty seats - I wonder if it were possible in "friendly to skaters countries") used a rattle and raised the flag only for Japanese skaters - looked quite normal same as extra support to home skaters by the majority of the crowd. I did not hear a single complaint around including about "Rassiya".

What could have happened during the FS (again, I did not attend it) has nothing to do with disrespect to foreign skaters. It was only a manifestation of the lack of proper education in figure skating by russian spectators. The majority of the crowd treated the competion as one act of a single team event called Olympics where it was a citizen's duty to support its country especially after the previous fiasco in Vancouver. You can even treat it as the respect to foreign skaters who are so strong that "we need to do something in order that our sportsmen win". This lack of education means that the majority of the crowd treated figure skating same as a hockey match. Where on Earth does the local crowd cheer the teams competing with the home one? May be in Japan - but they do not play hockey.

As for the tickets, I will tell you the thing you might not know. There was a small percentage of the foreigners not because all the tickets had been bought by the Russians. It was because the foreigners did not come in planned numbers partially because of the anti Sochi propaganda in the West. So, whom to blame? How do I know it? Easy - there were no FS tickets as they started the sales - Russians used up the quota immediately. During the second wave I bought men. During the third wave already in January - women. Foreign countries gave up their quota. Yes, Russia is so "scary", it will not be safe (I guess it was the safest Olympics in recent history), the games are "not prepared", stupid hotel pictures and so on. Once again, whom to blame for the composition of the crowd?

With such, Sochi Olympics is a one time event. The next winter games in Russia will hardly come before 2050. Many of us - I am for sure - will not see it. But it is outrageously unfair and dicriminatory to make far-fetched generalizations about all future FS events in Russia where the majority of russian spectators go to see the sport they like and not to shout Rassiya. And it is stupid and abusive to bring up Ukrainian mess to the FS forum.

I felt like the Sochi audience was mostly made up of hockey fans. I agree, it's not fair to generalize

samkrut@mail.ru · Apr 23, 2014

One more thing about education. Tennis was uknown in Russia before the mid 90s. It took several years before people understood that in this sport it is not appropriate to applaude when a player against a Russian one misses a serve. It has not been an issue for quite a long time now. But I would suppose that should the summer Olympics be held in Russia the crowd could be once again different and could applaude at least at first. So the idea is to shut down the Kremlin Cup if it were to happen? Come on guys, get over it.

GF2445 · Apr 23, 2014

Apparently now its in doubt because the head of Russian Figure Skating did not ask the government's approval first.

Sara · Apr 23, 2014

[email protected] said:
I am also sorry to hear about that. And I guess it happened during the ladies' FS. It did not happen during the SP - people supported everyone applauding to everyone since the very first group. In my sector which was among the better ones about a third was foreigners. The Japanese guy next to me (in fact he did not have a proper ticket and had to move among the temporarily empty seats - I wonder if it were possible in "friendly to skaters countries") used a rattle and raised the flag only for Japanese skaters - looked quite normal same as extra support to home skaters by the majority of the crowd. I did not hear a single complaint around including about "Rassiya".

What could have happened during the FS (again, I did not attend it) has nothing to do with disrespect to foreign skaters. It was only a manifestation of the lack of proper education in figure skating by russian spectators. The majority of the crowd treated the competion as one act of a single team event called Olympics where it was a citizen's duty to support its country especially after the previous fiasco in Vancouver. You can even treat it as the respect to foreign skaters who are so strong that "we need to do something in order that our sportsmen win". This lack of education means that the majority of the crowd treated figure skating same as a hockey match. Where on Earth does the local crowd cheer the teams competing with the home one? May be in Japan - but they do not play hockey.

As for the tickets, I will tell you the thing you might not know. There was a small percentage of the foreigners not because all the tickets had been bought by the Russians. It was because the foreigners did not come in planned numbers partially because of the anti Sochi propaganda in the West. So, whom to blame? How do I know it? Easy - there were no FS tickets as they started the sales - Russians used up the quota immediately. During the second wave I bought men. During the third wave already in January - women. Foreign countries gave up their quota. Yes, Russia is so "scary", it will not be safe (I guess it was the safest Olympics in recent history), the games are "not prepared", stupid hotel pictures and so on. Once again, whom to blame for the composition of the crowd?

With such, Sochi Olympics is a one time event. The next winter games in Russia will hardly come before 2050. Many of us - I am for sure - will not see it. But it is outrageously unfair and dicriminatory to make far-fetched generalizations about all future FS events in Russia where the majority of russian spectators go to see the sport they like and not to shout Rassiya. And it is stupid and abusive to bring up Ukrainian mess to the FS forum.

Thanks for clarifying the ticket issue. It's a pity.. I was hoping to experience a more international atmosphere in Sochi.

What comes to your last 2 sentences I've never commented anything like that, so I assume you were referring to other ppl's comments...

Mathman · Apr 23, 2014

It's funny how different sports have different rules of etiquette. In golf it is a no-no for spectators (or commentators) to speak above a whisper. But in basketball one expects the rowdies in the seats behind the basket to shout, play their noisemakers, and wave distracting streamers and balloons when the opposing team is attempting a free throw.

Sam-Skwantch · Apr 23, 2014

Mathman said:
It's funny how different sports have different rules of etiquette. In golf it is a no-no for spectators (or commentators) to speak above a whisper. But in basketball one expects the rowdies in the seats behind the basket to shout, play their noisemakers, and wave distracting streamers and balloons when the opposing team is attempting a free throw.

True but if you watch golf's Ryder Cup the crowd is much louder, rowdy, and both sides fans have been known to heckle. Coincidentally it's not held every year like the Olympics. Sochi crowd...meh. Generalizing a whole populace based on one event....disappointing!! I have always thought GPF in Sochi was fine.

That said...has anyone considered Barcelona? It would be cool to reconnect with friends made at the GPF this season and maybe help bolster Spain's interest by revisiting with another major event. :slink:

AliceInWonderland · Apr 23, 2014

Sam-Skwantch said:
True but if you watch golf's Ryder Cup the crowd is much louder, rowdy, and both sides fans have been known to heckle. Coincidentally it's not held every year like the Olympics. Sochi crowd...meh. Generalizing a whole populace based on one event....disappointing!! I have always thought GPF in Sochi was fine.

That said...has anyone considered Barcelona? It would be cool to reconnect with friends made at the GPF this season and maybe help bolster Spain's interest by revisiting with another major event.

That's true. And Barcelona would be very interesting!

MiRé · Apr 23, 2014

karne said:
I find it amusing that people are whinging about the crowd...and yet, whose fans are the ones with a reputation for arriving en masse just before their skater, and leaving en masse just after she skates?

Yuna's.

*

I'm also having a good chuckle, because man oh man some of you would never survive, say...a Formula 1 race. I can only imagine the amount of pearl-clutching you would have done in Melbourne, when we went crazy with cheers when Vettel didn't qualify well...

Wrong, they're Kwan's fans :rolleye:

Alba · Apr 23, 2014

bara1968 said:
@sam No people are in general talking about ladies LP at Sochi. While Yuna waited for her score after her performance, people shouted Russia like crazy, rather than applause in respectful way. (Of course by this time Russians knew who she was-the leader after the short program). And not to mention the cold reception foreign skaters got from the audience. There was undeniable big contrast between Canadians at WC2013, Japanese atWC2014 and Russians at Olympics 2014.

Well, if I remember well when D&S were waiting for their marks the crowd was shouting Canada, Canada. They skated last, exactly like Yuna.

[email protected] said:
One thing is the particular situation in women's LP (I cannot fully relate now - I watched it on TV). And the other is the generalization for the whole event which is way off as I was at 2 events (men LP and women SP) and felt nothing dramatic. Also cannot remember that people complained about pairs and dances. And as for that specific one we will see what happens in Korea if any Russian skater leads after SP and some Korean skater closely trails - how friendly the Korean crowd will be to the Russian. Again, I cannot defend that particular case - I just did not remember the crowd's reaction to Yuna's LP - may be will take a look at youtube. But if the crowd was really nasty, I agree it is lamentable. But one more time it is over the top to spill one case over the whole country and its fans with all the hate this thread showed.

No, the crowd was not nasty at all. At least from what I could hear from the TV.
There was not an overenthusiastic response but they were polite and applaud her.
They did chant Russia, Russia, but that's not strange at all. Yuna was the last skater and of course they wanted their own skater to win.
Maybe I'm used with football (soccer) :biggrin:

but this is not what I would call a nasty response.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hgXKJvTVW9g

Miss Ice said:
Well the atmosphere there has changed, and it is evident even in news events unrelated to figure skating...

How did the atmosphere changed there? And how the events in Ucraine could effect a supposed WC to be held in 2017?
Does it disturb you that the WC next year is in China? Better not bring Ucraine subject here.

Miss Ice · Apr 23, 2014

Sara said:
Thanks for clarifying the ticket issue. It's a pity.. I was hoping to experience a more international atmosphere in Sochi.

Do you really believe that anti-Sochi propaganda in the West BS? If the Olympics in Sochi had not been a corrupt, closed-off, and power-mongering scheme in the first place, there would be no such, er, "propaganda". Someone is also forgetting about the admission process of the audience in Sochi...

Alba said:
And how the events in Ucraine could effect a supposed WC to be held in 2017?
Does it disturb you that the WC next year is in China? Better not bring Ucraine subject here.

I never said that they would directly... I said that the change in the atmosphere is manifested as well through events like that.

Sara · Apr 23, 2014

Miss Ice said:
Do you really believe that anti-Sochi propaganda in the West BS? If the Olympics in Sochi had not been a corrupt, closed-off, and power-mongering scheme in the first place, there would be no such, er, "propaganda". Someone is also forgetting about the admission process of the audience in Sochi...

No but I'm not going into such discussion, there will be 10 pages of arguing here about Russian politics etc. I believe it was mainly the security situation that kept many foreigners from going to Sochi. At least here in Europe that was the case.

Sochi bids for 2017 World Figure Skating champs - official

Sara

CanadianSkaterGuy

chuckm

YLFan

Match Penalty

Mathman

Sara

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode

AliceInWonderland

[email protected]

Medalist

AliceInWonderland

[email protected]

Medalist

GF2445

Sara

Mathman

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”

AliceInWonderland

MiRé

Match Penalty

Alba

Miss Ice

Let the sky fall~

Sara

Similar threads

Connect with us