Should there be a separate Olympic competition for compulsory figures? | Golden Skate

Should there be a separate Olympic competition for compulsory figures?

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
Compulsory figures were eliminated from the Olympics after 1990. Does anyone think it would be a good idea to bring it back as a separate event in future Olympics? I know it doesn't make for great television but perhaps they could spice it up a bit. Add new parts like a speed stage where the objective is not to etch the most perfect figure on the ice but to draw a required figure on the ice within specified boundaries fast as possible.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I lurve figures (note avatar) and think just dumping them as if they were worthless was unutterably stupid/greedy.

My dream preference would be separate figures and free skating competitions and a combined. Roughly like rollerskating.

Chances of that happening are next to zero, but I still think it would be a good idea.

And if curling can be interesting tv (which I think it is) then figures could be made interesting for tv (overhead cameras, computer enhancement of tracings etc)
 

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I lurve figures (note avatar) and think just dumping them as if they were worthless was unutterably stupid/greedy.

My dream preference would be separate figures and free skating competitions and a combined. Roughly like rollerskating.

Chances of that happening are next to zero, but I still think it would be a good idea.

And if curling can be interesting tv (which I think it is) then figures could be made interesting for tv (overhead cameras, computer enhancement of tracings etc)

That's sounds good to me. I'm tired of all these skiers, speed skaters and swimmers being able to win multiple medals at Olympics but a figure skater not being able to earn more than one medal (unless they also partiicipate in another sport at the game but that would be pretty difficult.) Perhaps even award a medal seperately for short program and the free skate plus the combined. Medal bonanza!
 

gourry

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
And maybe jump competition as well? Like ski jumps or divings, skaters try like 5 times and add up the points? But there will be still some buzz because judges will give GOEs...
By the way, since I don't follow either ski jumps or divings, can they repeat same element or do they have to try different tricks each time?

Anyway, it would be fun if there is a competition where skaters can do something like backflip-3T combination or 4T-3T-3T-2T-2L combination or 2A-2A-2A-2A sequence or something like that.
 
Last edited:

Phoenix347

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 24, 2009
And maybe jump competition as well? Like ski jumps or divings, skaters try like 5 times and add up the points? But there will be still some buzz because judges will give GOEs...
By the way, since I don't follow either ski jumps or divings, can they repeat same element or do they have to try different tricks each time?

Anyway, it would be fun if there is a competition where skaters can do something like backflip-3T combination or 4T-3T-3T-2T-2L combination or 2A-2A-2A-2A sequence or something like that.

I think the main trick in ski jumping is not doing a face plant in the snow. I don't know the rules about diving but they do seem to do different "tricks" for different dives.
 

ManyCairns

Medalist
Joined
Mar 12, 2007
Country
United-States
I would love that!

As an aside, I have to smile and even shake my head in amazement when I read Noel Streatfeild's _White Boots_ aka _Skating Shoes_ because the protagonist, relatively new to skating, proves to be a prodigy at figures, the pinnacle of "competition skating" at the time of the story, whereas her best friend and benefactor ends up having to become a show skater because she is "ONLY" the far superior free skater, and that is seen as something of a disgrace! Skating sure has evolved, from emphasis on figures to dumping them altogether and becoming all about free skating!
 

BigJohn

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 22, 2008
By the way, since I don't follow either ski jumps or divings, can they repeat same element or do they have to try different tricks each time?

Anyway, it would be fun if there is a competition where skaters can do something like back flip-3T combination or 4T-3T-3T-2T-2L combination or 2A-2A-2A-2A sequence or something like that.

In diving you do somersaults forward or backward, starting facing the water or the diving board. This applies to the platform as well where you can also start a dive from a hand stand position. There is a lot of twisting going on. Twits are performed the body straight, somersaults are performed in either a pike or tuck position. Depending on the number of twists and somersaults, each type of jump has a degree of difficulty that is multiplied by the judges scores.
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
That's sounds good to me. I'm tired of all these skiers, speed skaters and swimmers being able to win multiple medals at Olympics but a figure skater not being able to earn more than one medal (unless they also partiicipate in another sport at the game but that would be pretty difficult.) Perhaps even award a medal seperately for short program and the free skate plus the combined. Medal bonanza!

That is what makes skating so special though. You do not have a second chance, no round robins, no multiple qualification runs, etc. You have four minutes to lay it down - this is what makes the sport so dramatic and what draws people in. It is a cruel sport but that is what draws people in - the human interest stories and drama of it all.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Yes!!! I really like that idea. And I'd also add a compulsory dance competition to that for the dancers :)

Yes, since they are talking about dumping the CD's, I'd love to see there be a CD competition. 3 CD's to be competed, 3 repititions each pattern (as in the old days). CD's to be drawn 1 from the hardest dances (GW, TR, and Finnstep) and 2 from the others. No more than one waltz in the set, the hard dance must be drawn first. TV from higher up so you can see whether the patterns are shallow and whether the patterns overlap. Costumes to be designated by ISU (only color up to the skaters) to keep cost down to the skaters-should be like practice costumes for the lady, but I've got to admit I'm a sucker for the standard tail coat dancing costume for the man in the waltzes!

I'd love to see a figures comp too.
 

Sk8n Mama

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
No. Compulsory figures were always subjective because only the skater and the judges (not even the coaches) can really see what happened on the ice. Kataria Witt missed her center repeatedly (big no-no for figures) in '88 and still won the figures portion.

Also, keep in mind that no skating clubs really have figures anymore. Skate Canada has gone to "skills" tests. There is no ice time for compulsory figures, and they require more practice time than freeskating. I doubt any of the major clubs are going to want to give up ice time for figures as that would hurt their other competitors.

On a personal note, I hated them & struggled with them my entire skating career. As to the dance, I'd rather they dump the OD and keep the CD. It's important for the judges to see one dance done by every pairing. Compulsory figures, though everyone was doing the same figure, weren't as relevant to singles skating as CD is to ice dancers. The ISU threw a bone to the figures lovers with the footwork requiring turns that singles skaters used to ignore before CoP (loops, rockers, counters).
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
If there's an Olympic medal in it, I would be very surprised if clubs & federations didn't find a way--there would be no need to find patch ice for all skaters, because not all skaters would be interested.

OTOH, without any international event and without any national championships, there are still figures competitions being held.

Today, figures would be more verifiable and less subjective, given that cameras are so good these days that they can take a picture of the ocean from space and see a swimmer in the ocean (check out Google Earth). You could show how close the patterns were. There is software used in modelling that could measure the diameters of the circles, check whether 3 turns etc were at the correct position in the circle, etc, verify the rounds, check whether circle had the same diameters, etc. The entire technical grade could be completely done by software, with only a PCS grade for flow & body position & such done by subjective judges. Heck Speedy & Rogge would Love it.

BTW I loved figures :)
 

Sk8n Mama

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
OTOH, without any international event and without any national championships, there are still figures competitions being held.

At the clubs in this area (in Ontario, Canada) there are no figures at all anymore.

Today, figures would be more verifiable and less subjective, given that cameras are so good these days that they can take a picture of the ocean from space and see a swimmer in the ocean (check out Google Earth). You could show how close the patterns were. There is software used in modelling that could measure the diameters of the circles, check whether 3 turns etc were at the correct position in the circle, etc, verify the rounds, check whether circle had the same diameters, etc. The entire technical grade could be completely done by software, with only a PCS grade for flow & body position & such done by subjective judges. Heck Speedy & Rogge would Love it.

I brought up the subject of figures to my husband and he said the same thing about the cameras. Who the heck would watch it though?

Of course, as I said, I'm not an unbiased opinion. LOL
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Who would watch it?

I would.

Heck I watched the curling and the biathlon-
Figures would be more interesting than that.
 
Top