Change in Skater's bodies | Golden Skate

Change in Skater's bodies

sk8tngcanuck

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Every Sunday night, ESPN classic shows past skating competitions, which are so neat to see.

The one thing I have noticed, aside from the huge advancement in jumps, is the bodies of the women. I just watched the 1990 Canadian Nationals the other night, and was very surprised at how "big" the women looked in comparison to todays almost waif like figures. These women, while not fat by any stretch of the imagination, actually had meat on their bones. Their thighs were very muscular and much larger than what we see now. These women looked like well muscled, fit, athletes. I watch skaters now and it looks like a mild gust of wind would easily pick them up and carry them away.
 

Glacierskater

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
So true! Any ideas on this? And which ESPN is this? I am going to make sure that I check it out. Cool topic.
 

KatyaFan

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 17, 2004
i have also noticed this, especially in the singles. if you notice elizabeth manley for instance, she has so much strength in her leggs, but not the petite size as some female skaters like oskana baiul in 94, or sasha, tara, kristi. the are very petite but with the same amount of strength.
but in the same aspect every person, or woman has a unique body shape, i cant even come up with an "opinion explaination". :sheesh: i really dont know why?
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Karen Magnussen was known for her "power house" jumping abilities; her thighs were the typical "skaters' thighs" - very muscular. Yes, it would seem the ladies of earlier days of skating were more solid body types than today's ladies. They look more like the girls one sees in gymnastics now. I guess that's just the modern trend in general. Girls today in general look undernourished.
 

Glacierskater

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Ladskater said:
Karen Magnussen was known for her "power house" jumping abilities; her thighs were the typical "skaters' thighs" - very muscular. Yes, it would seem the ladies of earlier days of skating were more solid body types than today's ladies. They look more like the girls one sees in gymnastics now. I guess that's just the modern trend in general. Girls today in general look undernourished.

Here's some fuel for the fire: Is this becase the "bigger" girls are not getting scored as high, therby being culled from the talent pool, and never getting a chance to "muscle" onto the scene (pun intended)? One has to ponder...
 

Figureskates

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Look at Tonya Harding who was a very powerful skater, in her earlier days of course, who just muscled her jumps. Now you have skaters like Fumi Sugeri who literally float through her jumps.

I look at my 12 year old niece. She falls more in the category of a more "muscular" skater. She powers her way through her jumps and patterns rather than floats and she does not look undernourished.....Mom sees to that!!
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
Those were the days of school figures, when skaters spent hours of practice time slowly tracing those figures. That not only developed edge control, but also muscled up those legs. Slow, controlled exercise builds strength--and muscle.
 

sk8tngcanuck

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
euterpe said:
Those were the days of school figures, when skaters spent hours of practice time slowly tracing those figures. That not only developed edge control, but also muscled up those legs. Slow, controlled exercise builds strength--and muscle.

That is a very good point - I hadn't thought of that!
 

sk8tngcanuck

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 11, 2003
Longhornliz said:
espn in america definately doesnt show that much skating... so jealous of you canuck!!!

We have satellite TV, and I pay an extra $2.00 per month just to have ESPN classic. It's well worth the 50 cents every Sunday. I haven't seen anything past about 98, but they show Worlds, Nationals, Olympics, Skate Canada, and Skate America. It's wonderful!

Canuck
 

SusanBeth

Final Flight
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Since school figures were discontinued, we've been seeing younger girls skating at the elite level also. Sarah, Tara, and Oksana had not finished growing when they won the OGM.
 

euterpe

Medalist
Joined
Sep 4, 2003
It is true that Oksana, Tara and Sarah had not finished growing when they won the OGM. But all three had skated in Senior Internationals and had been on the World podium the year before they won the OGM. They were not brand new on the senior international scene.

In the case of Tara, she never did grow taller or fill out. But both Oksana and Sarah were bitten by the puberty bug shortly after their Olympic wins. If the Winter Olympics had been in 1996 instead of 1994, Oksana would not have won the OGM--in 1996, she had grown four inches taller and gained more than 20 lbs from her 1994 size and was having major problems with her jumps. Sarah grew at least an inch and a half and had noticeably filled out only a year after SLC. She was unable to do her 3/3s and had to settle for 6th place at 2003 Worlds.
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
I disagree with you on the puberty monster. Puberty can be delayed through nutrition (this is done in gymnastics all the time). I think that if the Olympics were two years later, Sarah and Oksana would not have succumbed to the puberty monster then. They would have delayed it through nutrition and exercise. Note that Oksana and Sarah grew once they stopped the intensive training. I also feel that Tara is small because of her diet and she probably works out a lot (if not skating then something else).

Nancy Kerrigan "delayed" puberty well into her 20's when she maintained a weight of 110 pounds on her 5'4 frame. Once Nancy stopped training, she put on weight.
 

Antilles

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I attended 4cc's this year, and was interested to notice that ladies from some of the lesser known countires were bigger than the standard aldy today (especially those from South Africa). I've also notived a lot of synchro skaters still fit the "bigger" mold. I'm willing to bet the increased technical difficulty and training methods are the reason for the body shape change.
 

dr.frog

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
soogar said:
Nancy Kerrigan "delayed" puberty well into her 20's when she maintained a weight of 110 pounds on her 5'4 frame. Once Nancy stopped training, she put on weight.

I first saw Kerrigan in 1990, when she was 20, and she definitely already had an adult body by that time. The idea that she didn't go through puberty until she was "well into her 20's" is ridiculous. In fact, she's a prime example of a skater who had all her success *after* she finished growing. She was definitely lucky to have grown into a slim-hipped body type, though.

Kerrigan put on some weight when she had her baby, but the last couple of times I've seen her, she looked very fit for a woman in her 30's.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
Glacierskater said:
Here's some fuel for the fire: Is this becase the "bigger" girls are not getting scored as high, therby being culled from the talent pool, and never getting a chance to "muscle" onto the scene (pun intended)? One has to ponder...

No, I don't think so. Skaters have always had to keep their weight in check. When some of the ladies moved on to ice shows like Ice Capades, they were fined for every pound they gained. So really, nothing has changed that much. That is what happened to Elizabeth Manley. She had a battle of the bulge when she competed and later in her pro career. I saw her on a program "Life and Times." She said she finally decided to teach and not worry about the rest of it. Karen Magnussen as well always had to watch her weight and now she is teaching.

I think perhaps now there is so much media coverage the skaters are more concerned with how they look on tv. Also as someone pointed out many of these girls are young when they burst onto the Sr. level. They are still developing.

It's an interesting observation on your part though!
 

bleuchick

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
ladskater - hey :) ..good question.

in addition to that, the men today are alot less buffier than those of the 80s or early 90s...perhaps that is why we have more advancement in the twists and throws but none in lifts. It is easier to throw a lighter woman than lift her.
 
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soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
Re Nancy's body:

When Nancy competed in 1994, her breasts were nonexistent and she was slim hipped. After her competitive career and before baby, she got breasts and hips. Nancy is not naturally slim hipped.
 

dr.frog

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
soogar said:
When Nancy competed in 1994, her breasts were nonexistent and she was slim hipped.

Kerrigan was that thin in 1994 because she'd gone on a serious diet and training regimen that season, not because she hadn't gone through puberty yet. In previous years her figure had been a little more rounded.
 

soogar

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 18, 2003
I didn't mean to imply she didn't go through puberty - however her diet kept the obvious changes that occur with puberty at bay. Her figure was rounded in previous years, however she still was training intensively for events so her figure wasn't fully developed (even when it was rounded). We're all aware that puberty doesn't all occur at one shot. Puberty does take longer in athletes because of the low bodyfat (high bodyfat triggers puberty) delays the onset of puberty and it takes longer to develop. One gymnast (I believe it was Kathy Johnson in Pretty Girls in Boxes) grew an inch after her 18th birthday.
 
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