Hello, long time lurker, infrequent poster.
I have a question for all the experts here. I know there's a rule that skaters aren't allowed to compete to music that has vocals on it (although I believe that ice skaters are an exception to the rule in one phase of competition, and some humming can be allowed, a la Katarina Witt's last Olympic program).
I'm curious, is there an official reason or explanation for the rule? I assume it's so judges don't get influenced by the song's lyrical content, but I wasn't sure.
Also what do people think about the rule? Could you ever see yourself supporting the rule being repealed? What would you think about a program where Johnny Weir skates for an Olympic medal to "Poker Face" (like in his exhibition, but with all the necessary technical elements)? I'm not sure how I'd feel about it myself, but it would sure be interesting; that's for sure...
Oh, and one more question: what's the reasoning behind the ban on backflips? Is it because they're too dangerous, or is it because they're considered mere "tricks" and not really skating moves??
I have a question for all the experts here. I know there's a rule that skaters aren't allowed to compete to music that has vocals on it (although I believe that ice skaters are an exception to the rule in one phase of competition, and some humming can be allowed, a la Katarina Witt's last Olympic program).
I'm curious, is there an official reason or explanation for the rule? I assume it's so judges don't get influenced by the song's lyrical content, but I wasn't sure.
Also what do people think about the rule? Could you ever see yourself supporting the rule being repealed? What would you think about a program where Johnny Weir skates for an Olympic medal to "Poker Face" (like in his exhibition, but with all the necessary technical elements)? I'm not sure how I'd feel about it myself, but it would sure be interesting; that's for sure...
Oh, and one more question: what's the reasoning behind the ban on backflips? Is it because they're too dangerous, or is it because they're considered mere "tricks" and not really skating moves??
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