2018 Olympic Figure Skating in the Morning | Golden Skate

2018 Olympic Figure Skating in the Morning

The first session of Worlds in Boston earlier this year started in the morning. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me, if that's what they decide.
 
brens78 said:
I've just read a news article about Figure Skating potentially being moved to the morning in South Korea to cater for the US prime time viewing market. Do you think that's fair on the skaters to have to skate earlier? http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics-us-tv-prompts-2018-skating-morning-shift-160630125.html
If it goes ahead then damn! I was hoping to watch them in the evening live in Australia.
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Depends on whether the skater skates best in the morning or the evening? :laugh: I wish they would just show everything live no matter where one is and then replay highlights in the evening...but that's just me. They can't please all time zones, unfortunately! I wonder if that is related to people in the U.S. complaining about not seeing Rio events live on NBC during primetime?

I would much rather prefer that if there was a tape delay, that the figure skating be earlier during the primetime broadcast by NBC, rather than at midnight...they shafted gymnastics that way and hopefully they won't do that again in 2018. Especially for all the aspiring little children who want to someday be on an Olympic podium with their future quintuple lutzes. :)
 
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I think that if NBC is going to go all dictatorial about the skate times, they should be forced to show every single skater live, no matter where they're from or how low their world ranking is.
 
brens78 said:
I've just read a news article about Figure Skating potentially being moved to the morning in South Korea to cater for the US prime time viewing market. Do you think that's fair on the skaters to have to skate earlier? http://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics-us-tv-prompts-2018-skating-morning-shift-160630125.html
If it goes ahead then damn! I was hoping to watch them in the evening live in Australia.
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As much as we would wish that elite sporting events wouldn't be affected by financial considerations, the IOC and host countries have enormous costs to recover.

There are precedents.... Track and Field folks are used to the major events running finals in TV prime time [think Usain Bolt and the 100m final...], but we're not used to hearing it so much for other sports....

Swimmers raced in qualifiers in the afternoons and finals in the evenings in Rio, in contrast to the usual morning heats and afternoon finals as the US networks wanted to bring Michael Phelps historic medal count their viewers. Yes, it did require them to adjust their sleep and training schedules, as it does when they change time zones.

And in Canada, figure skating finals held in the eastern time zone run late into the evening to accommodate not only prime time, but viewers on the west coast....and vice versa when events are held in the west. [Noted the comments about Skate Canada's late schedule this year...]

So it would be great if the viewing audience and TV advertising revenues that the IOC could garner for skating would be as large on other continents.....Not sure why the Japanese and Chinese networks weren't willing/able to outbid NBC on that given their skating fan bases, but it's great that at least one network feels that the Olympic skating audience is that valuable....
 
It's definitely not a big deal. I was part of the Olympic "Entertainment Unit" and I remember being dropped off at precisely 3:45 Am at Lake Casitas which is centered between my former hometown of Santa Barbara and the town of Ventura on the central coast of Ca. I was there to sing the National Anthem for the Rowing Event. I remember hearing the caller's on the teams screaming in different languages but the sun wasn't up so we couldn't see them. Other than the Mosquito's, it is a very happy memory.
 
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Pamigena said:
At Worlds next year competitions start at 10:15, 12:30, 11:00 and 10:50 :shrug: I guess they'll manage somehow
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It also depends on where you're from and how long you're in the country before you perform. For the people who are locals or at least in the same time zone, it won't make a difference. If you arrive early enough, the effects of jet lag will wear off in a couple of days and you'll be fine. Like any event a skater attends, it's all about how you plan. If you plan well, it won't matter what time you perform.
 
Korean are more like short track speed skating so arrange short track at night.
I think it is a coincidence.
 
Most of the skaters are traveling from far and wide and out of their normal time zones anyway. I don't see this making a big difference. They'll adjust. A lot of them arrive there early anyway to get used to the time change, the ice, etc.

Oh, and to answer the question about why do skaters have to sacrifice for the marketing - where do you think the prize money comes from? It's all relative.
 
and the schedule is released ahead of time so skaters and coaches already know and prepare for that.. no big deal.
 
Thanks for the responses guys, I was looking forward to watching it prime time in Australia but oh well, not the end of the world :)
 
yeah ;) that's unfair to people living in that same time zone as the games or more or less, and getting screwed over all the time by north american tv... you will get other events live though if you enjoy other sports... figure skating, gymnastics, swimming and track and field are well known to be in "american time"... but other sports will be offered all day long... so I am sure you will be able to enjoy some of the games live.
brens78 said:
Thanks for the responses guys, I was looking forward to watching it prime time in Australia but oh well, not the end of the world :)
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Yeah, Opening and Closing Ceremonies for one as I don't think fireworks look so great in the middle of the day lol ;)
 
No, it is not coincidence. Yes, it is to cater to the US TV crowds (demanded by NBC, more or less, wasn't it?). And yes, it really annoys me, because instead of getting figure skating during day-time (mornings, early afternoons, that I can live with), now it is during the dead of night in western Europe. Not Funny.

Then again, I already knew I was gonna have to take some vacation days to be able to watch during day-time. Now I have to take vacation days and become a nocturnal creature... *shrug* I sort of managed with Vancouver 2010, I suppose I can manage it this time, too. :laugh:
 
I imagine the problem for the skaters, with morning competitions... is how early the practice sessions will have to start on those days...!
 
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