Too old for Nationals?

[4everchan]

There’s no easy way to go to the Olympics, but there are some other sports where you can be successful at an older age. A 30 or 40 year old could make it in archery. That’s not going to happen in figure skating. It’s just the nature of the sport.

if they have started early enough...

 

[treblemakerem]

if they have started early enough...

Yes but there's some sports where starting as a teenager is earlier enough as opposed to figure skating. There was a diver at the Olympics this year who started in college.

 

[gliese]

Yes but there's some sports where starting as a teenager is earlier enough as opposed to figure skating. There was a diver at the Olympics this year who started in college.

Were they a gymnast before? Cheerleader?

 

[treblemakerem]

Were they a gymnast before? Cheerleader?

I think that she did gymnastics but I'm not sure what level.
Anyway my point is every sport is incredibly difficult. It takes an insane amount of natural talent and dedication to get to that point, but not every sport has the same age limit as figure skating. It is not impossible for someone to start at 15, train for 15 years and then make it. Some sports (like figure skating) that is just not possible no matter what kind of talent you have.

 

[gliese]

I think that she did gymnastics but I'm not sure what level.

If she did any type of gymnastics higher than level 5 she had a significant advantage to a beginner. That advantage being having full air awareness. Imagine if you put a figure skater on a diving board and a level 6 gymnast on a diving board. The gymnast could throw a dive that would be worth points even if it was executed poorly. A figure skater could triple axel off the diving board but never do a dive worth anything in the sport of diving.

 

[viennese]

Re: late bloomers

There was a skater at my rink who took a long break at a critical age, most of her middle teen years, but I am pretty sure she made it to at least US regionals at 19 or 20.

Though she skated and competed in her pre-teen years, her family was not able to afford to keep her in the sport past the age of 13. She was able to skate a little bit after that but private coaching was too expensive. So she switched to less expensive high school team sports.

When I met her she was about 18 or 19 and paying for her own skating. That's when she was able pass her senior level tests and compete at that level. I don't know how far she got or how long she was as senior.

It must have been incredibly satisfying to come back to the sport and succeed. I am sorry I do not know her name. I just admired her skating.