Why synchro should be added to the Olympics

"Validation.
The first word that comes to any synchronized skater's mind when asked about the possibility of his or her sport finally being recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
We, as synchronized skaters, define ourselves as athletes -- or, more technically, as people who compete in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed and/or endurance. But since certain sports are held in higher regard than others, and because synchronized skating is not a traditional, mainstream sport like soccer, football, hockey or basketball, it gets overlooked, or written off entirely. To even admit we're athletes is hard for a lot of people.
Even within the figure skating community, there's a feeling that synchronized skating is "less" a part of the sport than the other four disciplines. There's often a stereotype that..."

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/10/08/97969782

*This is most likely going to be moved to the Synchronised Skating Pages (which not many people visit) but is it ok if this page can stay here a couple of days as the debate of the inclusion of Synchro Skating has been a topic in skating circles.

Although im not a synchro skater, im really hoping they include it in the Olympics. I think thatits becoming more popular now and i think the USFSA's new president wanting Synchro to be included is an asset. The only thing that i think that could hold them back possibly is that Synchro teams have names, like the Haydenettes, not tea USA, so viewers might be a bit confused on how that works.

Not my cuppa - find it kind of boring. BUT - it would be nice to have another ice skating genre added to the Olys/

Disclaimer: thie title of the thread is the title of the article.

"synchronized skating is "less" a part of the sport than the other four disciplines"

It is. It requires minimal athletic abilities that I also would hardly define it a sport. Like it or not:

Siingles > Pairs > Dance > Synchro

I don't watch synchro, but I support having it included in the Olympics. I don't see it as "inferior" to the other disciplines.

No, no no.

No.

The competition is not deep enough, nowhere close to warrant being an Olympic sport. Finland, CAN, USA/Sweden all locks for medals. But this is not the main issue. After FIN/CAN, there is a drop off after that. Then after 3rd place, another big drop off. Sports in the past have been rejected from the Olympic programme due to lack of depth. I do not want diluted medals given out at the Olympics.

Should IOC reject the event, I hope there will not be court appeals and lawsuits like what the whining ski-jumping women did in 2008-2010. It is not a matter of gender discrimination, but lack of depth in the competition.

I also find synchronized swimming is much more athletic and worthy than synchronized skating.

*shrugs* I find synchro boring as all heck. But I guess some people like it.

Where this whole argument falls down is that, effectively, the demand is to add over 150 additional athletes to the Games - and that would be just under the "Top 10 teams only" structure. I thought the IOC was trying to reduce the overall number, not increase it. It seems very selfish of figure skating to demand such a huge number to be added, especially if it comes at the expense of another sport.

IT would be nice since they have synchro swimming in the summer olympics but it is just too dang expensive with that many skaters and coaches etc. There was a real cost resource issue. That's really the prob. Besides the limited competition (like women's hockey a bit) and limited ice time and venues. maybe the IOC is worried that thismight cause a shortage on spandex and sequins too

Skater Boy said:

IT would be nice since they have synchro swimming in the summer olympics but it is just too dang expensive with that many skaters and coaches etc. There was a real cost resource issue. That's really the prob. Besides the limited competition (like women's hockey a bit) and limited ice time and venues. maybe the IOC is worried that thismight cause a shortage on spandex and sequins too

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Lack of competition aside, I have no idea how the supporters are supposed to explain the difficulty of synchronized skating. If people think ice dance is a joke, I cannot imagine what they think of synchro skating. On an unrelated note, I have a hard time figuring out why teams name themselves, especially with names like Team Unique or Team Surprise or some 60's girl group sounding names like The Rockettes or The Haydenettes. The team from Canada, NEXXICE, sounds like some Donald Trump oil refinery business. Synchronized swimming teams, or rugby sevens teams do not call themselves such things.

I do not like many points made in that article. What they say is so difficult and Olympic worthy is their edges, spacial positioning/matching free legs, intricate footwork/lifts etc. All these things and more are done in ice dancing (10x harder too). I especially don't like this one: "We will no longer have to describe our sport as the Radio City Rockettes or synchronized swimming on ice, because the general public will see firsthand the unique intricacies and athleticism our sport entails."

Please. Synchronized swimming is very difficult. It is probably the hardest sport in the world.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart...ing-is-really-hard-and-really-weird-15524193/

This upside down maneuvering is both physically challenging, and must be done while the swimmers hold their breath. Sometimes swimmers pass out. Mariya Koroleva, one of the US’s swimmers, explained it to the New York Times this way: “It’s like running a sprint for three and a half minutes while periodically holding your breath. It gets pretty scary. Your mind and body get completely numb, and you lose the ability to think because, basically, you don’t have enough oxygen.”

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http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/08/s...c-meets-the-intricate.html?pagewanted=2&_r=2&

One other thing about synchronized swimming: it has to look effortless, as if it is flowing naturally, as if you are not gasping for breath. And the athletes have to smile the whole time.

Not just smile; they beam like game-show contestants who have just won something. They smile when they have swallowed water. They smile when their teammates kick them in the head. They smile when, as Koroleva said, “our arms are burning, our legs are burning, our buns are burning and we get this strange intense pain and cannot control our bodies.”

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Its not an inferior discipline. It's just young and its still developing but I think it has developed enough to make it an Olympic Sport.

Besides, I have no time for snobs who look down on it.
What can I say...I'm not a 'purist'

Well I don't consider myself a snob looking down on it. I just think the logistics, the selection process, the lack of competition from other countries, and the fact that it always appears to be more of a show piece rather than a challenging sport just doesn't do much for me. Different strokes! I'm sure there is a lot of rehearsal to get the synchronization perfect but.........

@Matt K
Firstly, I don't think everyone sees ice dancing as a joke. Not anymore at any rate. During the Olympics, I've spoken to non-fans who weren't even certain whether our "Canadian couple" were pairs or ice dance, because of all the difficult lifts they were performing.

Secondly,comparing edges, matching free legs, and lifts to ice dance is unfair. Of course it's easier to do all those things when you only need to, er, "synchronize" with one person.

I don't see the negativity at all. The more the merrier! :yay:

I have no problem with the addition of synchronized being added to the Olympics but thinking logically how will it help the host nation pay their bills? The teams seem to be comprised of a dozen or more skaters that all have to be housed & fed along with their coaches. Reading of Norway's withdrawal as a future host because of the costs involved I wonder if the addition of so many more athletes would act as a deterrant for other nations to decide not to bid for a Winter Olympics?

Sandpiper said:

Secondly,comparing edges, matching free legs, and lifts to ice dance is unfair. Of course it's easier to do all those things when you only need to, er, "synchronize" with one person.

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I don't think so. Ice Dance is way harder. Just because there are 15-20 skaters on the ice, I don't think it is harder to synchronize. The truth is, they do a ton of crossovers in side-by-side positions and the hardest thing they do (I think the circle sequence) has nowhere the difficulty of the turns and edges in ice dance, never mind the open holds. Synchronizing with each other is not that hard in that regards. It comes with practice. Also, I am surprised but I find top teams are not always as in sync with each other as I expected. Some don't turn with the same speed.

Ice Dance has closed dance holds, which any ice dancer would probably tell you is the hardest skill to master. I doubt synchro skaters can keep their synchronicity doing midline step sequences with the hand movements and free legs intact and in sync, much less anything in closed waltz hold. And that is not even taking into account the speed factor. The lack of speed in synchro skating vs. other skating disciplines is very apparent.

Heck there is actually no holds at all in synchronized skating, which makes synchronizing that much easier. I believe that if they were to skate in holds, they would knock each other out left and right.

Sandpiper said:

@Matt K
Firstly, I don't think everyone sees ice dancing as a joke.

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I do see ice dancing as a joke.
Let's say it clearly: ice dancing is the last resort for skaters who are not talented enough to succeed in singles.

I find synchro fascinating. I think if it were an Olympic sport, more high level skaters would consider it instead of quitting when they don't make nationals as a singles skater. Why should they put all their money and time into such few skating opportunities? I do wish that synchro televised better. Being in a competition with some of the top synchro teams, is crazy fun - it is hard to see the energy on the screen though. So it it was an Olympic sport I think teams would be stronger. I do think synchro skaters are athletes. They do conditioning, training, long hours and hard work. Lastly, they have the skill to be part of a team and you don't get to see that side of figure skating in the Olympics.

Just wow. Although I'm quite used to the fact, that synchro still isn't that appriciated in the figure skating world it still came as a shock how strongly some of you feel about synchro.

I'm a former synchroskater, but I'm also a huge figure skating fan. I see all the disciplines have their own strengths and it's hard to compare one to the other. For me for example the article didn't try to bash the other disciplines, it just tried to make people to consider synchro as a real sport, what is truly is!

Every synchroskater knows how hard the jumps and spins are. They also know, how hard skating in a close hold right next to other skater is. They know how hard pairs lifts are. But they sure as hell know also, how hard is is to skate next to 15 other skaters. Pivoting a block with 4 turns on one foot. to do a weawing while traveling a circle.
It doesn't make a discipline easy even though you don't know the requirements. Some people think every figure skater can jump a triple axel. It's the same thing.

To say that the field is not deap enough. That is somewhat true, but the sport is still growing. And I think when the sport get's it's olympic status, countries like China, Russia and Japan will put more effort to it. And even in Hockey it's quite clear which countries will be competing for medals...

I challenge everyone of you to watch Team Finland 1( yes, they do use these names in Worlds) freeprogram from last Worlds.
Freeprogram "Spirits"

They first do Whip intersection. Lines must form a half circle before the lines starts to straighten up, and then just before they intersect, they have to do a one 360 rotation, and then atleast other 360 to pass through. Timing is important, and many teams in worlds didnät get their levels in this element.
Next element is Block. One of the hardest elements to master. The Block has to pivot 270 degrees, change ends while pivoting, and all this have to be done with 4 difficult turns that must be correctly executed. Diffuculty is the correct turns, they are really hard to do while the lines are pivoting. To maintain the speed during the hold pivoting is also difficult to most of the teams.
THen there's creative element, quite similar as the choreo seq in singles.
Last year Wheel element was quite easy, that's next.
After wheel comes Moves in the Field. First they do a spiral with 2 changes of edge, and during 2, they do a change of position, which increases difficulty.Must have a hold before and after they go under each other. After that they do to moves at the same time, spread eagle in both directions and spiral 135 degrees.
Angled Intersection. When the lines meet, they have to be 2,5 meters apart. rotation must start 4 spaces before they intersect, and the rotations must be done similarly as in whip intersection. The difficulty is the timing, they move diagonally to their spaces and must start the rotations quite early.
Circle. Traveling in a no hold and in two directions. for level 4, you have to weave while traveling. difficulty is to maintain the shape and to travel between the weavings.
No Hold Element. step sequence is included in this element. Quite much the same features you have in singles step sequences, and then also in the element you have to use different axises, chance places and do some extra features. Step quality is the same as in other disciplines, and they are also evaluated accordingly.
Line. Little different this season, but in this program the lines have to interact with each other while they also pivot. angle must be 90 degrees and the lines must be close to each other. Difficult element to get level4.
Group lift. THe team is doing to most difficult one, the balancing position. They also use difficult entry and exit to the lift. the lifters are in one line during the lift, and they have to rotate 360 degrees.

For me, the teams have done quite good job, if that looks too easy for you.
For me, singles, pairs, ice dance and synchro belongs to the same family. It's shame, that within the family there is still so much negativity towards synchro.

"but the sport is still growing." And being an Olympic sport can only help it grow. I think it would be very exciting for figure skating to have more events. I really don't see a negative. Give it a chance at the Olympics for a couple years and just see how it plays out.