Please remove Ice Dance from the Olympics! It's not a sport.

[ivy]

I often wonder why ballroom dancing isn't included in the Summer Olympics, since Ice Dance is in the winter. It's athletic, competitive, international. Though doesn't feel like an Olympic sport to me....

As far as the whole judging aspect - many of the new X-Games type of sports - halfpipe, freestyle skiing, moguls are fully or partially judged on criteria I don't fully understand - it doesn't make me enjoy them less or think they should be eliminated.

Truthfully I could go either way with Ice Dance. I'm fine with it being in, wouldn't be upset to see it go. I will say that the IJS has made it feel more like an Olympic sport then it did in the past.

 

[Barb]

True, it is very subjective but what is the problem?, nobody knows or are interested in figure skating, olympics it is a good stage for them, nobody get hurt because ice dance is called "sport" anyway. A lot of fans included me, become fans because some olympic performances that we watched it.

 

[MaiKatze]

Darts, snooker and chess are not in Olympics. And still they are very measurable. There is no sport more measurable than chess. You simply win or lose, there is no judging or controversies. Even in curling. I am not familiar very much with curling, but I think it's the same thing, isn't it? You simply win or lose, there is no subjectivity, correct? So I don't know what your point is, really.
And whether you like curling or not it's your choice, but it is in Olympics because 1. it's a measurable sport and 2. there is enough demand for it.

About the measurement that is true. But in my mind a sport, no matter if it is in the Olympics or not, is a physical demanding activity. And you stated "It's not a sport." If you want it out of the Olympics because it is judged, fine. But I disagree with the statement that it is not a sport. That was my point.

 

[Manitou]

By your argument, then anything that's judged subjectively should be out of the olympics. Let's see, that includes Synchronized Diving, Men's and Women's Aerials, Snowboarding Half-Pipe, Skiing Freestyle... anything that involves subjectivity should be out of the Olympics. That's a dangerous slope.

Not true. Sports have measurable elements - jumps, spins, distance, timing, etc - and on top of those they can be judged and rewarded points. But the judges reward point for elements that are visibly measurable to everyone. I can see if a skier performed an aerial and I can judge it to some degree. And then we have judges giving points to things we all can see. They cannot pull points out of their asses for nothing and the observer won't even notice anything. They cannot reward points for an aerial that didn't exist. And if that thing existed then everybody saw it, even those who watched freestyle skiing the first time in their lives.
I can see who performed well in half pipe. And even though I watch ice dance millions time more often than half pipe, I still know better where points are coming from in half pipe than in ice dance.

Ice dance is a complete obscurity. Yes, you feel somebody is better than others, but very often it's only because you hear it from the commentators. But it's the same as with ballet dancers - some have higher reputation than others so you tend to pay tickets to see them, but it's only because you are told they are good, not because you see it yourself.

Take art: some things you like and buy, but it is not because it's longer or higher or faster, but because you feel emotions for it.
But the sport is not about your emotions, but it's strictly about being higher, faster and longer. And nothing more.

 

[Mathman]

The usual definition of "sport" is something like "an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment." I think the question would be better worded if it were, "should sports that are judged rather than measured be in the Olympics?" As has been pointed out, there are many, many sports that traditionally have had a judging component: boxing, diving, half-pipe, etc.

All of these sports, in common with figure skating, have made a concerted effort to come up with scoring systems that attempt to quantify those aspects of the sport that are amenable to quantification and to publish guidelines to judges as to what factors to take into account in assigning "style points." I think it's great fun to watch, say, diving and listen to the expert commentators tell us why this particular dive deserves a 9, while the other guy had his feet too far apart and his shoulders weren't perfectly parallel to the horizon -- even though my own knowledge of the sport is limited to, did he make a big splash when he hit the water or not.

Conversely, not every strictly measurable sport belongs in the Olympics. What about fishing? It is surely a sport. It is altogether measurable. Take all the fish you caught in an hour and put them on the scale -- you win!

I think Chapis gave the best answer. Who is hurt by calling ice dancing a sport?

 

[Figure 8's]

There was a time when Ice Dancing was not part of the Olympics or Worlds. Does any one remember what year it was included. Quite recent I belive, like the 60s or 70s.

 

[bramweld]

I want Ice Dance to stay, I want it to stay....:yay:

 

[Matilda]

There are pretty clear criteria in ice dance, so I don't understand the argument about it "no being measurable"--that's all in the TES. Yes, there is the more subjective part of PCS, but that applies to many other sports. You don't have to fully understand all the components to be able to assess the speed and unision and to appreciate the difficulty of the lifts. As someone else pointed out, not fully understanding the judging of, for example, aerials does not make it less enjoyable to watch, and I believe that is the case with ice dance too. Plus dance has the added dimension of music and flashy costumes

And anyone thinking these dancers are not athletes needs to get their head checked! It should be obvious to anyone who has ever tried to skate that the kind of speed and precision these skaters have requires insane strength. Did you see the upper bodies of these women in their skimpy clothes? These women are sculpted, but also incredibly flexible. The men have to be strong and skilled enough to twirl the woman around like a rag doll while rotating and balancing on skates.

I love ice dance as much as I love the singles and pairs. They require somewhat different skills, and I think it's great!

 

[sky_fly20]

interesting article of Ice Dance after D/W win:

Olympic ice dancing was amazing, but it isn't a sport:
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/02/meryl-davis-ice-dancing-olympics-not-a-sport/

Ice Dancing isn’t a sport. Sharpen your pitchforks and light your torches, if you must. It isn’t a sport.

Is it athletic? Yes.

Is it difficult? Yes.

Could anyone do it? No.

Does it require flawless technique? Yes.

Hours of training and dedication? Yes.

Do I respect it? Yes.

Is it a sport? Absolutely, positively, unequivocally no.

You could point to the crazy outfits and thematic music as strikes against — it’s hard to argue that this man is dressing the part of a sportsman. A librarian? Sure. Athlete? No chance.

 

[cinnamon]

There was a time when Ice Dancing was not part of the Olympics or Worlds. Does any one remember what year it was included. Quite recent I belive, like the 60s or 70s.

It joined the World Figure Skating Championships in 1952 and became a Winter Olympic Games medal sport in 1976.

 

[Mathman]

interesting article of Ice Dance after D/W win:

Olympic ice dancing was amazing, but it isn't a sport:
http://ftw.usatoday.com/2014/02/meryl-davis-ice-dancing-olympics-not-a-sport/

Ice Dancing isn’t a sport. Sharpen your pitchforks and light your torches, if you must. It isn’t a sport.

Is it athletic? Yes.

Is it difficult? Yes.

Could anyone do it? No.

Does it require flawless technique? Yes.

Hours of training and dedication? Yes.

Do I respect it? Yes.

Is it a sport? Absolutely, positively, unequivocally no.

You could point to the crazy outfits and thematic music as strikes against — it’s hard to argue that this man is dressing the part of a sportsman. A librarian? Sure. Athlete? No chance.

Charlie White says to USA Today sportswriter Mike Foss, "Show me your Pulitzer Prize for journalism and I'll show you my Olympic gold medal for athletic achievement.

 

[Kitt]

Ice dance is a complete obscurity. Yes, you feel somebody is better than others, but very often it's only because you hear it from the commentators. But it's the same as with ballet dancers - some have higher reputation than others so you tend to pay tickets to see them, but it's only because you are told they are good, not because you see it yourself.

If you can't see who is superb in ballet -- then you don't have eyes. Perfection can be seen, it is absolute.....and it is the same in ice dance.

 

[Manitou]

If you can't see who is superb in ballet -- then you don't have eyes. Perfection can be seen, it is absolute.....and it is the same in ice dance.

Probably it's true - I don't have artistic eyes. Or maybe I do, but I can recognize that we don't bring ballet into Olympics. But the sport is not for "artistic eyes". The sport is for being faster, stronger, higher and for scoring more points. You can apply simple math to all of that. The sport should be governed by simple math.
Actually, I think I made a good point: if simple math cannot be applied to an activity then the activity is not a sport. Period.

 

[Barb]

Well CezarMart if suddenly emerge a mysterious proposal to retire ice dancing from olympics, I will propose you to be exiled immediatly from this forum

 

[Olympia]

I suspect we're safe. Russia will never allow one of their favorite sports to be deleted from the Games, and now we've got the U.S. and Canada on our side too. Add France and Italy, and the purists who don't think that ice dancing is a sport will just have to found their own Olympics and stock it with the sports they approve of. They can't have their way with our Olympics.

 

[Matilda]

Well CezarMart if suddenly emerge a mysterious proposal to retire ice dancing from olympics, I will propose you to be exiled immediatly from this forum

http://www.slate.com/articles/sport..._not_a_sport_but_it_is_quite_a_spectacle.html

 

[blue dog]

These people crying for the removal of ice dance from the Olympics have never tried brackets or twizzles for the first time...and missed.

 

[Barb]

http://www.slate.com/articles/sport..._not_a_sport_but_it_is_quite_a_spectacle.html

Well, it is not a formal proposal, I will give her/him another chance
By the way, it is incredible to think that people going to university to study "journalism" or "comunication" to the end to write this

 

[Manitou]

Well, the bottom line is that whether or not it stays at OG, the ice dance IS NOT a sport. It may stay because of a popular demand or Russia's nuclear threats, but it still doesn't change the simple fact that it's an artistic show, not a sport. A really beautiful one, but still a show.
I don't think I have any impact on IOC so I don't need be exiled from here! I am safe for everybody!

 

[KKonas]

Not true. Sports have measurable elements - jumps, spins, distance, timing, etc - and on top of those they can be judged and rewarded points. But the judges reward point for elements that are visibly measurable to everyone. I can see if a skier performed an aerial and I can judge it to some degree. And then we have judges giving points to things we all can see. They cannot pull points out of their asses for nothing and the observer won't even notice anything. They cannot reward points for an aerial that didn't exist. And if that thing existed then everybody saw it, even those who watched freestyle skiing the first time in their lives.
I can see who performed well in half pipe. And even though I watch ice dance millions time more often than half pipe, I still know better where points are coming from in half pipe than in ice dance.

Ice dance is a complete obscurity. Yes, you feel somebody is better than others, but very often it's only because you hear it from the commentators. But it's the same as with ballet dancers - some have higher reputation than others so you tend to pay tickets to see them, but it's only because you are told they are good, not because you see it yourself.

Take art: some things you like and buy, but it is not because it's longer or higher or faster, but because you feel emotions for it.
But the sport is not about your emotions, but it's strictly about being higher, faster and longer. And nothing more.

Just because you are too lazy/uninterested to learn more about ice dance, doesn't mean it should be out of the Olympics. That's your problem.