Have the values of figure skating been betrayed? | Golden Skate

Have the values of figure skating been betrayed?

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
Sorry, I couldn't sleep for two nights. I had to register here and share.

My contry doesn't have figure skating celebrities but we have judges. They manly work with children and juniors but still, they have been trained according the new scoring system. One of them is our TV commentator and actually she does very well. For example, she says the score for each element as soon as it's done. For ten years she's been explaining what the component score is about. She normally had Yuna and Caroline Costner as examples: every move has to be done exactly accenting or expressing the music, there must be no preparation pauses between elements. Then Sotnikova skates and she makes a remark that there are big preparation pauses between jumps, that the skater cares little about music and only focuses on doing her elements, and in general characterises it as talented yet "junior" skating style that is not as "mature" and "artistic" as Caro's and Yuna's. Then judges made their score and she added "but it's only my oppinion".

Then, what should we think when we teach kids to skate in a country where this sport is only developing? Are there values or just oppinions? What should Sotnikova think about her own development if she's judged like that?
Or, simply tell me that I'm getting it all wrong and Sotnikova is the new benchmark for the next generation in sport.
 

Juliasochi

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
Sorry, I couldn't sleep for two nights. I had to register here and share.

My contry doesn't have figure skating celebrities but we have judges. They manly work with children and juniors but still, they have been trained according the new scoring system. One of them is our TV commentator and actually she does very well. For example, she says the score for each element as soon as it's done. For ten years she's been explaining what the component score is about. She normally had Yuna and Caroline Costner as examples: every move has to be done exactly accenting or expressing the music, there must be no preparation pauses between elements. Then Sotnikova skates and she makes a remark that there are big preparation pauses between jumps, that the skater cares little about music and only focuses on doing her elements, and in general characterises it as talented yet "junior" skating style that is not as "mature" and "artistic" as Caro's and Yuna's. Then judges made their score and she added "but it's only my oppinion".

Then, what should we think when we teach kids to skate in a country where this sport is only developing? Are there values or just oppinions? What should Sotnikova think about her own development if she's judged like that?
Or, simply tell me that I'm getting it all wrong and Sotnikova is the etalon for the next generation in sport.

Cheating, plain and simple.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Did your commentator give any final comment, or was that it?

Imo, as more and more smaller federations like Korea, Kazakhstan, and Spain, have skaters that succeed at a high level, the power and ability of bigger federations to twist the sport will decline. That is why I am always thrilled to see the influence of small federations growing and growing, and I love to see their skaters finding success.
 

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
She didn't give any final comment. That's why I have such a bad feeling about it.

Smaller federations often get influenced by big federations, unfortunately. That's another thing I have a bad feeling about.
 

sleepymom

Rinkside
Joined
Aug 11, 2009
The thing is, I think it'll be hard to make parents/children to learn FS in South Korea for a while after this. More difficult to persuade people for the importance of ice rink for FS only. etc. What would be the point? Yuna has been trying to change it for the better for FS for long time, but after this... FS seems to be the league of big federations and skaters from small federation need not apply.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
There is no question that figure skating is moving steadily away from Janet Lynn in the direction of X-games. Times change, I guess.
 

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
There is no question that figure skating is moving steadily away from Janet Lynn in the direction of X-games. Times change, I guess.

Interesting that I thought exactly the opposite. I watched aerial - haven't been watching it for ten years or so - and I realized it was less interesting than before. Everybody did standard tricks and it was only about good landing. That was when I thought they were moving in the same direction where figure skating did. There are limits of what people can do phisically and then it's only about details.

Then some people work hard to explain these details to other people on TV only to ditch it all the next time.
Sorry I'm repeating myself but it makes me feel better.
 

skatedreamer

Medalist
Joined
Feb 18, 2014
Country
United-States
Sorry, I couldn't sleep for two nights. I had to register here and share.

My contry doesn't have figure skating celebrities but we have judges. They manly work with children and juniors but still, they have been trained according the new scoring system. One of them is our TV commentator and actually she does very well. For example, she says the score for each element as soon as it's done. For ten years she's been explaining what the component score is about. She normally had Yuna and Caroline Costner as examples: every move has to be done exactly accenting or expressing the music, there must be no preparation pauses between elements. Then Sotnikova skates and she makes a remark that there are big preparation pauses between jumps, that the skater cares little about music and only focuses on doing her elements, and in general characterises it as talented yet "junior" skating style that is not as "mature" and "artistic" as Caro's and Yuna's. Then judges made their score and she added "but it's only my oppinion".

Then, what should we think when we teach kids to skate in a country where this sport is only developing? Are there values or just oppinions? What should Sotnikova think about her own development if she's judged like that?
Or, simply tell me that I'm getting it all wrong and Sotnikova is the new benchmark for the next generation in sport.

For what it's worth, I agree with your TV commentator.

My guess is that she was trying to be diplomatic & objective, but also wanted to express her own feelings and knew that she needed to do so politely. She disagreed with the result but it was just her opinion -- one of many. That doesn't make it any less valid. She's entitled to her opinion along with the rest of us.

Values and opinions vary. Some people value artistry above athleticism; some feel just the opposite. I'm not a skater, only a longtime fan, but I believe both are needed. What I hope for above all else is to see technique and athleticism used to serve and increase artistry, as in the case of great dancers.

However, the key values in any endeavor in life are honesty and integrity. No prize is worth anything unless it's won honestly.

And...joy! I hope the coaches and teachers in your country will be able to teach their students to hold on to their sense of wonderment and the pleasure they feel in skating.

All my very best wishes.
 

Ven

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 17, 2013
There is no question that figure skating is moving steadily away from Janet Lynn in the direction of X-games. Times change, I guess.

For some reason NBC and some main U.S. outlets are trying to reduce the competition to this argument.
They say yes Yuna had better artistry, but then they don't mention Adelina's PCS was essentially the same score, 2nd best of all time.

They don't mention Costner did 7 triples too. Mao 8. Both finished way behind Sotnikova.

They don't mention Yuna's harder technical content in the SP over Adelina. Better artistry...again only 0.28 difference.

It's all ex-post-facto ******** to try and squash a controversy and justify rigged results. I have yet to see any so-called "expert" give a detailed point by point breakdown of why they thought the judging was fair and accurate.

There is a code of points, right?
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
Can't say that I feel any sport is worth losing two days sleep over, no matter how invested a fan gets. Maybe if the person is competing in the event I could see it, but as a fan?
 

hurrah

Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
I have yet to see any so-called "expert" give a detailed point by point breakdown of why they thought the judging was fair and accurate.

what expert in his/her right mind would try and explain it? scott what's his face might, as long as the price is right.
 

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
I so agree with Ven. I also wish authorities of figure skating explained that score instead of people just being negative and playing Adelina versus Yuna. It's why they invented the new scoring system, isn't it?
 

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
Can't say that I feel any sport is worth losing two days sleep over, no matter how invested a fan gets. Maybe if the person is competing in the event I could see it, but as a fan?

Eventually I decided it was not because of sport, rather because of the attitude towards values that people display in front of the whole wide world. I hoped you'd say I exaggerate :)

Anyway, I slept a bit during cross-country skiing event, it was just my night sleep that was ruined :)
 

Anna K.

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 22, 2014
Country
Latvia
Yes. Anyone who disagrees with the ladies results is a bot.

I wish my boss considered me working like an AI program. Alas, I can get the compliment I want but not from whom I want :)
I can only say I understand those new posters :) Maybe it looks like spamming but I didn't see the story told from this particular perspective in this forum so I went for a thread and besides, to compare with other sports sites, this forum looks rather calm to me (I mean it as a compliment).
 

Krislite

Medalist
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
I wish my boss considered me working like an AI program. Alas, I can get the compliment I want but not from whom I want :)
I can only say I understand those new posters :) Maybe it looks like spamming but I didn't see the story told from this particular perspective in this forum so I went for a thread and besides, to compare with other sports sites, this forum looks rather calm to me (I mean it as a compliment).

I was being sarcastic with that remark. ;) These boards are generally friendly, but this is the day following the ladies event so it is a bit more heated and caustic than normal. It's only been over a day so some people's emotions are still raw and some fans are naturally defensive. Some of them are now going about labeling everyone who disagrees as a "bot", with no sense of irony. :laugh:

You brought up a very good question but since it is based on an assumption that there was something very wrong about the ladies results, be prepared to take the heat or come back later when the controversy has subsided. It won't take long, I think.
 
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