Should figure skating be removed from the Olympic games? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Should figure skating be removed from the Olympic games?

BlackPack

Medalist
Joined
Mar 20, 2013
I propose that all topics about removing figure skating from the Olympics be removed! :biggrin:

There's always one that sprouts like clockwork, like a teenage acne problem...
 

[email protected]

Medalist
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 26, 2014
There is a difference in that snowboarding is actually judged appropriately, usually based upon the merit of what each athlete does. If an athlete messes up, it doesn't matter how "popular" they are.... In Sochi, Shawn White would have podiumed instead of placing 4th in snowboarding if it were judged the same way as figure skating.

Did not he fall? There were alternative opinions that for such a performance the 4th place was a courtesy.
 

sinless69uk

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 2, 2014
NAH..Without Olympic, FS would lose popularity far more. FS will die.

Not sure about that.
ISU would find it much harder to control the sport without the sanction of loss of Olympic eligibilty for skaters. There would be strong moves for a breakaway.
 

aschiutza

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Think what would that mean for FS to be removed from oly.

The most sport ministeria give money for the oly sports. If you are a niche sport, forget about money. Many childrem comes to this sport because they saw the oly on TV toghether with their parents and want to win a gold.

If FS would have have an existence as an art like ballet has, i can understand for this question. But it hasn't. People get to exhibitions to look at the champions and not to an art program (a couple of exceptions exists, but not enough to keep FS alive). Look how the pro-FS struggles in America.
 

GF2445

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
If this pressure keeps on building, maybe change will happen. Imagine if figure skating got its ownunion....
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
If we threw away everything that was not perfect, we'd have to discard most of the Olympics. I'm a great believer in mending, patching, and repairing rather than tossing into the trash.

Anyway, what would we replace it with? I like watching half-pipe snowboarding once every four years, but I wouldn't join a snowboarding fan site like GS and follow it eagerly season after season. And face it, if figure skating were not an Olympic sport, it wouldn't be televised very often at other times of the year either. So it would be snowboarding or nothing for many TV viewers.
 

yelyoh

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
There is a difference in that snowboarding is actually judged appropriately, usually based upon the merit of what each athlete does. If an athlete messes up, it doesn't matter how "popular" they are.... In Sochi, Shawn White would have podiumed instead of placing 4th in snowboarding if it were judged the same way as figure skating.

Our sport is beautiful and very watchable but in terms of legitimacy as fairness we have got a LONG way to go.

I so agree with this!!!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
If we think that figure skating does not belong in the Olympics because it is a judged sport, then the same argument applies to any figure skating competition. Why should there be a world championship, a national championship, or a local cub competition if it just comes down to the whims and biases of the judges?

People like to compete. Whatever the activity, someone will be eager to show that he can do it better than someone else. We who undertake to become fans of a judged sport know what we are signing up for. We will not always agree with the judges. It took me, oh, about ten years, before I could force myself to say, "OK, OK -- Tara skated pretty good, too." If the IOC had decided not to include figure skating in the 1998 Olympics, who would that decision have benefitted?
 

pec0

Match Penalty
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
For other categories using judges, and unfair results happen all time, it might be good idea to remove those too.
Expected merit in addition to increased value of medals, records, and ranking is lower budget required to the host country to build vast facilities.
According to the other thread, Olympic figure skate is the most important event. But the difference from the other international competitions seems(to me) is the participation/absence of the Queen.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
But the difference from the other international competitions seems (to me) is the participation/absence of the Queen.

Oh, I don't think so at all. Many, many sports have a king or queen that attracts most of the media attention and draws in the viewers. Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, for instance.
 

pec0

Match Penalty
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
Oh, I don't think so at all. Many, many sports have a king or queen that attracts most of the media attention and draws in the viewers. Usain Bolt or Michael Phelps, for instance.

I meant the appearance of Kim Yu Na, the Absolute Greatest Queen of figure skating is the only difference between Olympic and the other international figure skate competitions.
For sports, what matters should be the performance record and not the name of the event. However, the Olympic record of figure skate is often too offensive and insulting.
 

pamela

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 27, 2014
It wont happen in a million years. If the sport is popular and/or someone from the IOC backs it up, the sport should remain as an olympic discipline.
This 2 things were what greco-romam restling lacked and got them out of Rio 2016 (I didnt follow the news but this were the reasons IOC gave when they released it in march 2013)
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Pec0 said:
I meant the appearance of Kim Yu Na, the Absolute Greatest Queen of figure skating is the only difference between Olympic and the other international figure skate competitions.

I am still not understanding your position. You don't like Yuna Kim, so any competition that she participates in should be cancelled?

If that is what ails figure skating as an Olympic sport, then relief is at hand. Kim has retired.
 
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Tompson

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 15, 2014
I meant the appearance of Kim Yu Na, the Absolute Greatest Queen of figure skating is the only difference between Olympic and the other international figure skate competitions.
For sports, what matters should be the performance record and not the name of the event. However, the Olympic record of figure skate is often too offensive and insulting.
Sacarsm?
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
I think the OP is being a bit subversive in posing this question.

We get the original question, and then... a few pages in... we get some fawning commentary about Yuna Kim, whom I quite like, but refuse to refer to as "the Queen" except in the snarkiest of moments.

This leads me to believe this is just another thread complaining about placements at the Olympics, and it smacks of sour grapes.

Without getting into the merits of the argument, one has to admit there are more than enough threads discussing the ladies event in Sochi.

I really dislike the whole "If my skater didn't win they should cancel the Olympics" tone.
 

pec0

Match Penalty
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
I am still not understanding your position. You don't like Yuna Kim, so any competition that she participates in should be cancelled?.

I did not say that.
There is a number of distinguished international competitions. Currently one of them is imposed by IOC to invalidate any other achivements in any other competitions. It is a kind of monopoly. If all international competitions are equal, then current problem, buy the strongest card to name youself as the Absolute Greatest, will be solved.
 

Sandpiper

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 16, 2014
NAH..Without Olympic, FS would lose popularity far more. FS will die.
This, basically.

The decline in the pro scene is worrying enough. Removal from the Olympics would be the final nail the coffin. Figure skating's recognition as an "art" is directly related to its presence on the competitive scene (and it seems like even that hasn't been enough, sadly).

And, as everyone pointed out, too many subjective sports out there. Should they all be removed?
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
I think that ultimately (thinking in decades rather than years) being dropped form the olympics could be the best thing that ever happened for the integrity of figure skating.

NB I didn't say 'popularity' or 'visibility' but integrity which is an entirely different issue.
 
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