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That's not what I was actually asking. All I was asking is if I could compete in the Olympics. That's what I meant. I know you can start.
Am I too old to start ice skating?
- Thread starter sickcanary
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That's not what I was actually asking. All I was asking is if I could compete in the Olympics. That's what I meant. I know you can start.
The chance that you will compete in the olympics is so close to zero that it’s not even worth finding a number to represent it.
Sorry if this seems rude (I'm really not trying to be), but why are you so focused on the Olympics? You say you're interested in the sport, which is more than enough reason to take some group classes to see if you actually like the sport or are just interested in the idea of it. I started skating at 25 and I have vague dreams of making it to adult nationals, but I'm not fretting over it because I genuinely enjoy skating. After about ten months of practice I'm realizing that there is a huge mental aspect to the sport as well as the physical, and in pushing myself to overcome that I think I will turn out as a better person.
So if you're interested, skate, and skate for yourself! Don't worry about the Olympics or competitions. Decide if it's really for you, first.
So if you're interested, skate, and skate for yourself! Don't worry about the Olympics or competitions. Decide if it's really for you, first.
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Well, for what it's worth, it's not completely unheard of. Chafik Besseghier started skating at 13, Johnny Weir at 12, I think. Competition is pretty stiff in the US though.
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Can you use the quote function of these forums so we know who you are even directing these statements at please?
It will make things a lot easier for you and everyone else around here.
Thanks.
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Or you could stop being such a drama queen and get over yourself.There is more to skating than the Olympics.
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I started skating three years ago (although I've watched for many years - since 1984), and it only made me respect the athletes who could get to the olympics, Worlds or Nationals even more than I did before. No, You won't get there, but so what? You can still enjoy the skating, getting to comprehend how difficult simple looking Mohawks, Threes, and other transitional moves are. It's good to learn them, I know how I felt when I landed a - single - loop for the first time or do a simple spiral. Hahaha... I admit to being 51. But still....
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Television and internet videos are the reason people think all skating is about is big competitions, big jumps, and fancy spins. I had only seen ice skating on TV momentarily, maybe once or twice, before I started ice skating (no such thing as cable or home computers). Hence my only goal for skating was that it was fun and made me feel like I was in a different world from the one in a little house with a bunch of bratty siblings. Figure skating is so amazing to me, that even at my meager level as a returning older adult, I keep wanting to do it even after the breaking of multiple bones. It has nothing to do with showing myself off or being better than other people. It has to do with me and the ice facing each other in an ongoing negotiation of muliple variable factors, in such a way that most days I can leave the rink feeling happy about the relationship and the benefits I take from it.
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- Aug 30, 2017
The thing is, you could go to a basketball forum and ask them if you could get to the NBA league starting with 13 years, and the answer would probably be the same: it's very improbable. It's also improbable if you start with 6, but even more so the older you start. And that's even in sports than don't require your body to have been trained since young to reach a level of flexibility and muscle memory that skating requires.
Improbable means "out of 100 chances, less than one". Think of this, out of 100 skaters that started training with 6, how many make it to Olympics? Very little of them. And if you start changing the question to 7, 8, 9 years, even less.
Yes, Johnny Weir started at 13. He started skating with Quad-Skates a year before that and taught himself how to jump. And he also had an axel in his first week in the ice —I don't recommend trying that. That's a one-in-a-million kind of talent.
Yes, it's pretty improbable (as in 99% improbable) you will make it to Olympics —I'm sorry. It also requires an amount of money and dedication that most families can't afford at any age. But that doesn't mean you can't try, see if you like it, compete in other circuits. Being your age means you can get actually pretty far —and who knows if you'll be one of those talents at the end.
I don't think they have ice rinks at a dumpster, though, so don't regret your existence yet.
Improbable means "out of 100 chances, less than one". Think of this, out of 100 skaters that started training with 6, how many make it to Olympics? Very little of them. And if you start changing the question to 7, 8, 9 years, even less.
Yes, Johnny Weir started at 13. He started skating with Quad-Skates a year before that and taught himself how to jump. And he also had an axel in his first week in the ice —I don't recommend trying that. That's a one-in-a-million kind of talent.
Yes, it's pretty improbable (as in 99% improbable) you will make it to Olympics —I'm sorry. It also requires an amount of money and dedication that most families can't afford at any age. But that doesn't mean you can't try, see if you like it, compete in other circuits. Being your age means you can get actually pretty far —and who knows if you'll be one of those talents at the end.
I don't think they have ice rinks at a dumpster, though, so don't regret your existence yet.
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- Jan 11, 2014
I started skating three years ago (although I've watched for many years - since 1984), and it only made me respect the athletes who could get to the olympics, Worlds or Nationals even more than I did before. No, You won't get there, but so what? You can still enjoy the skating, getting to comprehend how difficult simple looking Mohawks, Threes, and other transitional moves are. It's good to learn them, I know how I felt when I landed a - single - loop for the first time or do a simple spiral. Hahaha... I admit to being 51. But still....[/QUOTI
I think this is incredible.
If you were a man I'd say you might have a very slim chance. But as a girl it's even more difficult. Your body is going to change in the next years and make your progress in the sport very unstable (might not affect it or might prevent it wholely). So by the time you start mastering the skating skills you will already be close to 20, which is older than the average female competitive skater age. However, many female skaters thrive in their mid to late twenties, and some of them even went to the Olympics this year (e.g. Carolina Kostner, Mirai Nagasu).
Since you live in the USA I'd say it's better to set some different competitive goals first, say, Nationals. That's still tough, but might be doable! And then Olympics, why not? But you'll literally gonna have to sell your soul. Give everything you have to the sport. Blood, sweat, tears, and a whole lot of moola. It'd be harder than getting into Harvard Law and being top of your class. Sticking with the American theme here, I'm going to quote Kim Cattrall's character from Ice Princess:
"You have to want it. You have to want it more than anything else. It's not something you do on a whim."
Since you live in the USA I'd say it's better to set some different competitive goals first, say, Nationals. That's still tough, but might be doable! And then Olympics, why not? But you'll literally gonna have to sell your soul. Give everything you have to the sport. Blood, sweat, tears, and a whole lot of moola. It'd be harder than getting into Harvard Law and being top of your class. Sticking with the American theme here, I'm going to quote Kim Cattrall's character from Ice Princess:
"You have to want it. You have to want it more than anything else. It's not something you do on a whim."
Not in figure skating, you can't. At the very least, you need to attain the minimum TES scores. You also have to earn the Olympic spot for your country (assuming we're talking about a single-entry country) either at worlds or at Nebelhorn. Not easy at all.
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No.
Bad line. Do not make puberty an enemy.
No. Neither of those things are realistic goals, unless by "Nationals" you meant "Adult Nationals".
Quad no from me.
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- Feb 1, 2018
Okay, the people on this thread are trying to tell you that you won't make it to the Olympics which is true. It's incredibly difficult especially for women to make it into the highest levels of competing, even if you start at age 5 and train for hours every day. Furthermore, it's incredibly time and cost-intensive to skate and train at a competitive level and it requires homeschooling or a very flexible school schedule. Serious competitive skaters have multiple lessons a week, maybe even daily. There is testing involved. There is skate purchasing and maintenance. Practice clothes and competition wear. Coach fees, testing fees, competition fees, club fees, ice time, travel expenses, gas money to get to the rink. Do you have parents willing to make this a reality for you? Even if you do, you aren't going to make it to the Olympics. Mirai Nagasu and Carolina Kostner are competing at that level in their late twenties/early thirties and are thriving, but they have already BEEN at the level since they were in their mid-teens. They have several Olympics and multiple Worlds under their belts at SENIOR level, and have been skating since they were small. Carolina Kostner also lives in Italy where there are less skaters to compete with (although she is exquisite).
Many skaters do skate for other countries in the Olympics if they have dual-citizenship, that is true. They are still qualifying to be there.
HOWEVER.
DO NOT CRAWL INTO YOUR HOLE. If you want to skate, give it a try. There are many options for you. My former coach started skating at 13 and she tested and competed into senior level. She now coaches for a living and skates at Adult Nationals. She is one of the most beautiful skaters I have ever seen. So. If you want to skate and your parents are on board, do it. It teaches you so many things. Confidence, dedication, athleticism, artistry. And it's FUN. Or it should be fun. If you work hard and push yourself, you can accomplish many things and continue skating until you are an old lady! There are synchronized teams, there is theater on ice, there are a few professional ice shows - Disney on Ice, cruise ships, etc - you could make your goal (although you have to be a VERY GOOD, CONSISTENT HIGH-LEVEL SKATER WITH A CERTAIN LOOK), and there is competition. You will make friends, you will accomplish things you never dreamed of. I really hope you can get past the olympic dream disappointment.
Many skaters do skate for other countries in the Olympics if they have dual-citizenship, that is true. They are still qualifying to be there.
HOWEVER.
DO NOT CRAWL INTO YOUR HOLE. If you want to skate, give it a try. There are many options for you. My former coach started skating at 13 and she tested and competed into senior level. She now coaches for a living and skates at Adult Nationals. She is one of the most beautiful skaters I have ever seen. So. If you want to skate and your parents are on board, do it. It teaches you so many things. Confidence, dedication, athleticism, artistry. And it's FUN. Or it should be fun. If you work hard and push yourself, you can accomplish many things and continue skating until you are an old lady! There are synchronized teams, there is theater on ice, there are a few professional ice shows - Disney on Ice, cruise ships, etc - you could make your goal (although you have to be a VERY GOOD, CONSISTENT HIGH-LEVEL SKATER WITH A CERTAIN LOOK), and there is competition. You will make friends, you will accomplish things you never dreamed of. I really hope you can get past the olympic dream disappointment.
It's never too old to start, but no, most skaters don't make it to the Olympics. Olympic skaters start really young, train very hard, etc. Like Ic3Rabbit said above, roller skating and figure skating are very different. You could still learn to skate though, even if you won't make it to the Olympics!
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You could probably Swaney your way to nationals as a pair/dance skater IF you can pass the corresponding tests. I noticed this year there was a dance couple where the female had never competed in ice dance. Ever. She passed the free dance test right before regionals. They had no competition so went straight through to pacific coast sectionals. Same thing there no competition so they advanced to nationals without ever competiting together.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_ilaEyDehA
Maybe that's not the goal your aiming for but it's something that's doable. Oleg started at 18 I believe.
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Yeah but it's easier to have delusions when your 13. Reality can come into play later. Maybe next month. At 13 I took up the flute thinking I could be the next James Galway with no real talent. Did that happen no. But I did become a very proficient player, got to play at some international competitions and worked through college playing wedding gigs in a jazz combo. You can start out with some crazy goal and just reset as you go. That's a basic life skill.
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Yes but it’s unrealistic and will only make one feel like a failure or loser later in life when they don’t make it. I highly recommend people not taking the unrealistic delusional route in anything. YMMV.
