How Would You Pick Your Olympic Team Event Lineup? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

How Would You Pick Your Olympic Team Event Lineup?

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
I think redwing has a sense of justice that focuses on the undeserving, whether for Olympic medals or a treasured citizenship.
 

redwing

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 20, 2012
Well.... not really. No more than I think there's anything inherently wrong about the fact that Stoijko has more Olympic medals than Browning. Ideally, if Canada/Japan win gold in the team event, Cynthia/the Reeds contribute to that. You assert that you view pairs/dance as one unit, but there's rarely a team that's truly equal overall. Averbukh was stronger than Lobacheva. Fusar-Poli was better than Margaglio. Volosozhar was stronger than Morosov.

The thing is, I'm afraid, actually, that the judges might perceive it the way you do - that certain skaters "deserve" the medal more than others. That thought process contributes more to corruption than a lesser light winning a medal elsewhere.

Maybe I'm mistaken you for another poster but aren't one of the fans who feel the WTT is a cheese event ? If so then why should this event be treated any different, because its medals instead of money ? Sorry if not but my feeling is too many fans change views only when it benefits their country or their favorite skaters.

No I don't feel any skater deserves it more than the other, that is why I disapprove of this event in the olympics. It has the potential to reward skaters who are mediocre on their own merit and ability, who could never attain olympic gold based solely on their own abilities. It also punishes skaters who only have control of their individual merit and no fault of theirs if their country or federation is weak.

Giving some skaters multiple chances at a medal while denying others who in alot of cases are better is wrong. That's what makes this event a mockery to me.
 

redwing

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 20, 2012
^^^ How would you feel if the Team medals are awarded to the federations instead of the skaters?

I would feel the same regardless who the medals are awarded to. This event doesn't belong in the olympics. You can't have olympic figure skating with one set of rules to all the entrants then turn around and make another set of rules for only the best nations or strongest federations in a separate event and say it's in the olympic spirit.
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
You do realize the number of participants in the other skating disciplines is limited as well? That countries are limited to the number of entrants they can submit based on their strength in that discipline (so no three ladies for Canada cause we're weak there; no three dance teams for Japan, etc)? That all events have limits on the number of athletes that can enter? That limiting the number of teams that can enter any given event is in no way contrary to the Olympic spirit but a pretty fundamental tenet of any sporting competition?
 

redwing

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 20, 2012
You do realize the number of participants in the other skating disciplines is limited as well? That countries are limited to the number of entrants they can submit based on their strength in that discipline (so no three ladies for Canada cause we're weak there; no three dance teams for Japan, etc)? That all events have limits on the number of athletes that can enter? That limiting the number of teams that can enter any given event is in no way contrary to the Olympic spirit but a pretty fundamental tenet of any sporting competition?

Of course I realize there must be some limits as you mention, otherwise anyone can strap on a pair of skates and state they wish to represent whatever nations and the event would drag on for months. But now you will be placing more limitations on weaker countries than before, and doing it as part of the olympics where the winners are held up to form the ideals of integrity and fair competition is completely worng here.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
The "Olympic spirit" is to see which country can wave its flag more vigorously and patriotically than all the others. This is in contrast to the world championship, which is where athletes complete to see who is the best. Cynthia Phaneuf won't win a team medal, Canada will.

I don't fault Cinquanta for grasping at this straw. Maybe the team ice skating thing will attract television viewers like the team gymnastics event does every four years.

The AP published interesting comments this week from Japan's top male gymnast. He's expected to win the all-around gold as an individual, but the Olympic team event seems as important -- if not more important -- to him.

Excerpt (with emphases added):

TOKYO — When Kohei Uchimura imagines himself collecting a gold medal at the London Olympics, he thinks about collecting one for the team.

An overwhelming favorite to win the all-around gold, the most prestigious event in gymnastics, Uchimura is heading to the Olympics aiming to put Japan first.

Since winning the silver medal at the Beijing Olympics, the stylish Uchimura has been unbeatable. He won his third straight title at the world championships last fall in Tokyo, joining Svetlana Khorkina as the only gymnasts to win three. With Beijing gold medalist Yang Wei of China retired, it will likely take a colossal blunder for Uchimura to miss out on adding the Olympic title to his glittering resume.

But in the lead-up to the games, the soft-spoken 23-year-old Uchimura prefers to focus on doing what he can to help Japan end a drought in the team competition.

“I’m fed up with being second in the team event and that’s what we have to overcome,” Uchimura said. “The team is a special event and winning it is in many ways more rewarding that the individual event.”
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Thanks for the post, golden411. I agree, there is certainly a different vibe at the Olympics. Patriotism comes to the fore for both the athletes and the viewers.

I do agree with redwing to a certain extent, though. It seems funny to try to make a "team" event out of a discipline where each person just goes out and skates as an individual, then they add up the points. It is hard to see where the "team" part comes in. Even in gymnastics, at least there is a tiny bit if strategy as far as the possibility of sending up specialists on the different apperatuses, mixed in with all-around performers.

Still, I think its cool. The bottom line is the bottom line. If fans like it, who am I to throw water on their parade?

As for the World team Trophy, cheesefests rule! :rock: Michelle Kwan used to have a standing contract with USFS and ABC television that required her to show up for the five major events of the skating season: Skate America, U.S. Nationals, and the October, December, and April cheesefests. Worlds? Who cares about that? :laugh:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I do agree with redwing to a certain extent, though. It seems funny to try to make a "team" event out of a discipline where each person just goes out and skates as an individual, then they add up the points. It is hard to see where the "team" part comes in. Even in gymnastics, at least there is a tiny bit if strategy as far as the possibility of sending up specialists on the different apperatuses, mixed in with all-around performers.

Still, I think its cool. The bottom line is the bottom line. If fans like it, who am I to throw water on their parade?

As for the World team Trophy, cheesefests rule! :rock: Michelle Kwan used to have a standing contract with USFS and ABC television that required her to show up for the five major events of the skating season: Skate America, U.S. Nationals, and the October, December, and April cheesefests. Worlds? Who cares about that? :laugh:

When Michelle skated regularly in events, there were huge audiences and lots of TV coverage. Cheesefests, cheesefests, rah, rah, rah!
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Well Canada might have Rochette back for the Olympic games and Phaneuf if she can get her act together could still re emerge as a top ten skater though top 5 is doubtful.

I thinkit would be odd to see Japan win - they'd have to get a lot of good breaks - ie. Tsquared get a break with imigration then they have the Reeds - oy, who would ever thinkt he Reeds might not even qualify for the freeskate. Maybe the Shibutani's can switch countries lol. Actually Italy isn't looking too bad - they are developing in pairs, goldmedal inladies (for now), a decent guy skater and maybe even a bronze medal in dance. Canada though should really try hard to get Rochette back in the game and hope V and M and Chan do really well. The Americans also look really strong but I have to admit though life isn't fair I am not sure about Abbott. I think he is a great skater and deserves a world medal but his lack of consistency doesn't "warrant in a just world" OGM at least as a singles skater. IMHO :) Picking the teams really is strategy - sving themselves for the other events and best chance in the team. It seems that in pairs and dance they will want to send their best team to do the SP or SD and LP. However, in singles the nations in general will have more choices. Italy will be stuck with Kostner; but Canada and the USA definitely would be tossing up a coin really as to which skater will do their best. Because several top nations have several good or bad singles skaters in the case of Canada they can gamble with splitting who skates what program. Oddly that is more in singles right now than in pairs or dance. I think the US has one of the stronger teams depth wise though Russia by 2014 will be interesting to watch with V and T on the rise, who knows about K and S in pairs, the baby ballerinas in ladies and possibly Plushy back and some movement up in dance they could really be a huge threat for OGM..
 
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