Papadakis publishes book; Cizeron challenges claims

[readernick]

Could I ask has anyone who is commentating on this thread actually read the entire book or is everyone just reacting to quotes which were likely taken out of context? Personally , I haven't read the book nor do I think I'm qualified to make judgements about a person's mental health after reading a few quotes. Maybe, withhold your judgment until you've actually read the book or if you have no plans to read it ( like me) just acknowledge that and don't jump to conclusions.

So far, it seems to me this thread is mostly just people using this book as an opportunity to discuss their dislike of unrelated individuals or Gabby herself because she dared to share her opinion about a person/ people certain fans have a parasocial relationship with.

 

[TallyT]

You're totally misinterpreting me. I find it sad that she felt she was never going to be as perfect as Tessa, or that she felt the only way for her to be happy would be if her rivals fell. If that's the way she lived her career, then yes I hope she finds her peace because it's not healthy. I'm not interested in labeling anyone. I also do not feel it's ok for anyone to put me or anyone else on this forum in a group of men who are sexist or misogynistic .

I am not misinterpreting you. You did not say 'I hope she finds peace', you labelled her as 'not well'. Those were your words. You read a few scraps of her book about your own idols and reacted in an ugly, demeaning way.

Maybe what she wrote is also ugly, but that doesn't take away from what you said.

 

[4everchan]

I am not misinterpreting you. You did not say 'I hope she finds peace', you labelled her as 'not well'.

I said both these things

Those were your words. You read a few scraps of her book about your own idols and reacted in an ugly, demeaning way.

Who said my own idols are virtue and Moir?

Maybe what she wrote is also ugly, but that doesn't take away from what you said.

And it doesn't take away your haste in judging me

 

[Magill]

But all this stuff about Virtue and Moir is nothing new, they both admitted before to having been sitting together backstage in Pyeongchang, watching their rivals to Olympic gold skate and hoping with every element they would fall on this one. And frankly, I do not think they are the only ones with such thoughts in this and other sports. You can find it here, it was pretty widely discussed then:
https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...very-candid-interview-re-olympics-2018.81547/

Still, there is nothing personal in it. She does not hate them, does not try or wish to hurt them, or make them fall, and frankly I can think of some skaters being much more actively mean and vile about their rivals than this and still getting away with it no problem with fans offering a 1000 excuses.

Gaby is bringing up some really worrisome, ugly and shocking things, like being repeatedly sexually assaulted by a coach, and picking up this sideline bit as a most important topic is really petty.

 

[fsfs1980]

But all this stuff about Virtue and Moir is nothing new, they both admitted before to having been sitting together backstage in Pyeongchang, watching their rivals to Olympic gold skate and hoping with every element they would fall on this one. And frankly, I do not think they are the only ones with such thoughts in this and other sports. You can find it here, it was pretty widely discussed then:
https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...very-candid-interview-re-olympics-2018.81547/

Still, there is nothing personal in it. She does not hate them, does not try or wish to hurt them, or make them fall, and frankly I can think of some skaters being much more actively mean and vile about their rivals than this and still getting away with it no problem with fans offering a 1000 excuses.

Gaby is bringing up some really worrisome, ugly and shocking things, like being repeatedly sexually assaulted by a coach, and picking up this sideline bit as a most important topic is really petty.

And labelling her as "unwell" just serves potentially to invalidate everything she is sharing. I'm not saying that was the intention, but it certainly can be the result.

 

[Arigato]

Wishing your competition to fall is uncalled for and damn ugly.

Is that a personal interpretation or a direct quote from the author?

 

[4everchan]

Is that a personal interpretation or a direct quote from the author?

Quote

 

[TallyT]

I said both these things

Who said my own usual are virtue and Moir?

And it doesn't take away your haste in judging me

You do realise you are continuing do do what every man does when called out - deflect, diminish, pretend it wasn't really throwing shade at a woman's mental health?

As I said, I thought better of you.

 

[Arigato]

Quote

Are you certain? Or is it some nut on the internet claiming it's a quote from her? I don't speak French.

 

[Mathman]

By the way, Guilaume Cizeron has his own book out, "Ma Plus Belle Victoire." And Papadakis and Cizeron together collaborated on "En Or: Les Coulisses de nos Annees Olympiques." (2022)

 

[4everchan]

Are you certain? Or is it some nut on the internet claiming it's a quote from her? I don't speak French.

No idea but apparently it's old news says a poster a few posts above

 

[Lamente Ariane]

But all this stuff about Virtue and Moir is nothing new, they both admitted before to having been sitting together backstage in Pyeongchang, watching their rivals to Olympic gold skate and hoping with every element they would fall on this one. And frankly, I do not think they are the only ones with such thoughts in this and other sports. You can find it here, it was pretty widely discussed then:
https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/t...very-candid-interview-re-olympics-2018.81547/

Still, there is nothing personal in it. She does not hate them, does not try or wish to hurt them, or make them fall, and frankly I can think of some skaters being much more actively mean and vile about their rivals than this and still getting away with it no problem with fans offering a 1000 excuses.

Gaby is bringing up some really worrisome, ugly and shocking things, like being repeatedly sexually assaulted by a coach, and picking up this sideline bit as a most important topic is really petty.

Bolded for emphasis.

From the excerpts which I saw (which were through several layers of fairly poor translation and out of context, so I absolutely yield to anyone who's read the whole book in the original French) she also stated repeatedly how much she admires Virtue/Moir, and shared that on the podium Scott told her "you made it so hard for us" which sounded like a high compliment and a moment of genuine respect between them. I very much doubt either Scott or Tessa would be shocked or horrified to hear Gabriella had thoughts during the event (aka the most high pressure possible moment) of wishing they would fall. I very much doubt either Scott or Tessa has never been guilty of such thoughts themselves from time to time, in the heat of competition. It is after all a competition, and losing hurts, especially when you are young and it is your entire life.

 

[Mathman]

I think the this is an accurate rendering from the current book (I don't speak French either):

"Papadakis does describe the return of her idols, Virtue and Moir, in 2022 as a source of immense pressure and a feeling that she had to 'become better than my idols.'

 

[Magill]

I think the this is an accurate rendering from the current book (I don't speak French either):

"Papadakis does describe the return of her idols, Virtue and Moir, in 2022 as a source of immense pressure and a feeling that she had to 'become better than my idols.'

She's also remembering quite a few warm and meaningful personal moments between them.

 

[TontoK]

I read only bits about Virtue and Moir. I cannot say I can support her words. She doesn't seem well.

Oh dude. I'll leave you to fight the "unwell" part on your own.

But seriously, c'mon. Don't you think that Virtue and/or Moir might have wished misfortune on Davis and White at one time or another? We're not talking a death wish, just "we can't win if they skate clean, so...."

It's a similar situation. Friendly rivals. Closely matched. Training mates. Fiercely competitive. Top of the heap, no other teams even close. But only one can win. It's human nature.

As you know, I'm an excellent human being, and yet I once cracked a smile when a work rival botched an assignment just before I got the promotion.

 

[Mathman]

Oh dude. I'll leave you to fight the "unwell" part on your own.

But seriously, c'mon. Don't you think that Virtue and/or Moir might have wished misfortune on Davis and White at one time or another? We're not talking a death wish, just "we can't win if they skate clean, so...."

It's a similar situation. Friendly rivals. Closely matched. Training mates. Fiercely competitive. Top of the heap, no other teams even close. But only one can win. It's human nature.

As you know, I'm an excellent human being, and yet I once cracked a smile when a work rival botched an assignment just before I got the promotion.

I am following the NFL playoffs that will lead to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. The Chicago Bears just eliminated the Green Bay Packers to advance. Definitive post-game quote from the Bears head coach;"F--- the Packers!"

 

[Arigato]

I very much doubt either Scott or Tessa has never been guilty of such thoughts themselves from time to time, in the heat of competition. It is after all a competition, and losing hurts, especially when you are young and it is your entire life.

Yes. It is. Which is why your comment is so puzzling. When you are competing in sport, you're not thinking about losing. You want your competitor's best game. Not their worst. Which is why I so appreciated recently hearing the following quote from a U.S. skater:

"Let it all come down to the free skate, best man wins."

Do you really think skaters are secretly a bunch of kitty cats who can't hold their own and can only eke out a win should someone else fail? Certainly not.

 

[4everchan]

Oh dude. I'll leave you to fight the "unwell" part on your own.

But seriously, c'mon. Don't you think that Virtue and/or Moir might have wished misfortune on Davis and White at one time or another? We're not talking a death wish, just "we can't win if they skate clean, so...."

It's a similar situation. Friendly rivals. Closely matched. Training mates. Fiercely competitive. Top of the heap, no other teams even close. But only one can win. It's human nature.

As you know, I'm an excellent human being, and yet I once cracked a smile when a work rival botched an assignment just before I got the promotion.

I always think that winning against a competitor who is at their best is the way to go as @Arigato has mentioned as well. So no, I don't think it's a good thing at all... and also, there is a difference about maybe wishing that a competitor may miss their twizzles and saying it out loud.

In any case, I'm not here to fight. I'll let the mob judge me if they are so incline to do so. I stand by what I said and that's the end of it for me.

 

[4everchan]

I am following the NFL playoffs that will lead to the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks. The Chicago Bears just eliminated the Green Bay Packers to advance. Definitive post-game quote from the Bears head coach;"F--- the Packers!"

That's just a vulgar way to say " we won, boo yeah". Nothing wrong with that unless coarse language is an issue for you, which I don't think it's a problem at all in NFL

 

[Lamente Ariane]

Yes. It is. Which is why your comment is so puzzling. When you are competing in sport, you're not thinking about losing. You want your competitor's best game. Not their worst. Which is why I so appreciated recently hearing the following quote from a U.S. skater:

"Let it all come down to the free skate, best man wins."

Do you really think skaters are secretly s bunch of kitty cats who can't hold their own and can only eke out a win should someone else fail? Certainly not.

You need to remember that this was after the Short Dance had already happened, in which a costume malfunction caused Papadakis/Cizeron to do much worse than anticipated. They were going into the Free Dance with a deficit of points, for reasons completely beyond their control. That is why Gabriella Papadakis was thinking "we can't win unless they mess up." In that specific context, in that specific moment, in which she herself had been subject to a freak accident that altered her own ability to perform. In fact, Papadakis/Cizeron had already beaten Virtue/Moir at the Grand Prix Final when there was no such mishap, so she knew damn well that clean and at her best, she and Guillaume were capable of beating Virtue/Moir at their best.

What is puzzling to me is that you and others are ignoring the very specific, completely chaotic and unusual circumstances in which Papadakis confesses to having such thoughts, and are instead pretending that she was always thinking that. She was upset, and it was one moment. Athletes are human beings, and human beings are going to have emotional reactions to shit like having your top almost fall off midway through a program at the Olympics! And after that moment passed, she went to the victory ceremony and medal ceremony, behaved in a perfectly sporting way and put her own disappointment aside, which is all anyone could ask from her.

For the record, I was rooting for Virtue/Moir in 2018, and I certainly would have preferred them to win without Gabriella's costume almost falling off. But all this shock and horror at the mere possibility that someone admitted to THINKING "if only they would fall" is ridiculous, especially when said team very much did not fall.