There were pictures in which you could see V/M with Zoueva (Shpilband walked in with D/W and Team USA). Non-Canadian skaters who were easy to spot: Cheltzie Lee was near the front of the Australian team, with a jacket at least 4 sizes too big; Belgian flagbearer Kevin van der Perren; Stefan Lindemann in the front row for Germany; Allison Reed and Otar Japaridze with the Georgian team (that got a standing ovation); Stacy Kemp and David King from GB; even as part of a pretty good sized French team, you can see Isabel Delobel, Olivier Schoenfelder and Florent Amodio (the latter jumping up and down next to Schoenfelder); there's also Hungarian skaters Nora Hoffman, Maxim Zavozin and Julia Sebestyen (who was chosen to be the flagbearer in her fourth Olympics); Israeli flagbearer Alexandra Zaretski and brother Roman; Swiss flagbearer Stephane Lambiel (who even did a little spin ); and Turkey's Tugba Karademir got some closeups.
Actually, it wasn't my "implication"; it's what David Dore said at the ISU press conference at 2013 Worlds, as reported by Ice Network. I am inclined to believe that Dore's claim will hold up to scrutiny.I think your implication that a US TV network had much control over the schedule, does not hold up to scrutiny.
Here you goUnfortunately, the DVD version was heavily edited. Each country only received about 5 seconds of marching ie. basically just the announcement of the country as they began to enter the stadium (except for the few extra seconds Canada received with the on track camera shots in which Joannie appeared). I assume the rest of the Canadian skaters must have been somewhere near the inside of the track. At least that is the direction from which Joannie suddenly appeared when she stepped in front of the camera. I will need to check again for some of the people you mentioned. Although the person carrying the country name sign tends to block the view of the athletes behind.
Actually, it wasn't my "implication"; it's what David Dore said at the ISU press conference at 2013 Worlds, as reported by Ice Network. I am inclined to believe that Dore's claim will hold up to scrutiny.
I have been told by athletes who have been part of Olympic opening ceremonies that they have been up to 9 hours on their feet with very little food and water. That is why in the past the pairs skaters and others who compete on the first couple of days will usually opt out of the opening ceremony. I think a lot of skaters who are in the team event will probably skip the opening ceremony. Sad for them as i always thought when i was younger that all the athletes participated in the opening ceremonies. I have been told that it's the closing ceremonies that are the athletes real celebration.
... Presumably, since the Winter Olympics are on a much smaller scale, there isn't as much waiting around during the opening ceremony. ...
It must suck to tell someone that they'd made something up only to be confronted with an actual source, doesn't it?David Dore!?! He's always had his own agenda. If he told me it was raining, I'd go to the window and check for myself. But you go ahead and believe what you want. I guess it didn't occur to you that if NBC wanted to end its coverage of figure skating with the ladies FS event, they would always have the option of not covering any team event that happened to be scheduled later.
I think there is a good chance that the team event will eventually come to overshadow the individuals in terms of viewer interest in the U.S., as it has in gymnastics.
That is very interesting about what television networks want. To me, it should be the opposite. You start off with a bang, not a whimper. The viewer just can't wait for the Olympics to start, so he turns on the TV a day early just for some crumbs. And look! it's a brand new competition, the first ever team figure skating event!
That is very interesting about what television networks want. To me, it should be the opposite. You start off with a bang, not a whimper. The viewer just can't wait for the Olympics to start, so he turns on the TV a day early just for some crumbs. And look! it's a brand new competition, the first ever team figure skating event!
That would be my thinking, too.
When the WTT was first introduced, many of the skaters weren't keen on it however afterwards they said they enjoyed it and it seems now that the skaters enjoy it. It's a new event so no one knows what to expect. I'm a bit surprised they're starting it before the opening ceremonies.
I agree that the skaters really do enjoy the camaraderie of the WTT. (They have so many mutual friendships anyway, plus WTT gives them an opportunity to earn a medal together. )
BTW, Lynn Rutherford had tweeted a while back that the Sochi team event will have ten separate Kiss and Cry areas -- so the idea evidently is for teammates to serve as cheerleaders the same way they do at WTT.
The WTT spirit can be infectious, IMHO, and I agree with Mathman that the team skating could do a lot to get more attention for the sport of figure skating in general.
Whether the Olympians will go as far as they do at WTT -- with silly dances, crazy hats, etc. -- remains to be seen.
In the WTT setting, many skaters seem to embrace "making fools of themselves" ( I say that in a light-hearted, affectionate way) ... but then again, Olympic medals have not been at stake. (Digression: It occurs to me now that for the person who was asking in another thread which skaters fit my description of "life of the party," I should have referred her/him to some WTT videos.)
The more the Sochi team skater/cheerleaders ham it up with props and/or antics, the more the TV cameras will eat it right up -- esp. on the first night, before the Games officially have opened.
^ I don't know about that. Viewers want to see an athletic competition, not slapstick.
Yes, athletics first. But back when I wasn't following skating very closely I always pulled a little more for the ones whose stories got showcased. People like stories, they relate to them.
Of course David Dore has an agenda. However, this would be an easily verifiable statement so telling outright lies would be kind of pointless, and I fail to see how it's in the interest of Dore or the ISU to make such a false claim.
I'm at your suggestion that NBC would consider not showing the team event as a solution to scheduling issues. I am sure that, em, polite suggestions were made regarding scheduling by some of the bigger rights holders.