2024 European Championships Men's Short Program

[Zora]

Deniss, Nika, Kevin, Matteo, they all had the same type of whiny program.

 

[el henry]

We can all stop giving lip service to mental health now.

It was obvious that Kevin needed some time off after the French nationals debacle, but some of his fans were insistent that he had to be named to the Euro team. They wanted to see him skate, evidence that it wouldn't be good for him be damned.

I won't lay the blame on Kevin, even though he's an adult and capable of making his own decisions. I always admire an athlete with a competitive mindset. But there should have been a responsible adult on his coaching staff or the Federation who should have stepped in and pulled the plug.

I am sorry my friend, this does not come across well at all.

"Lip service" to mental health? For real? You can't mean that the way it sounded. Should we all stop giving lip service to Matteo's hip surgery while we are at it?

I thought naming Kévin to the Euros team made sense due to the body of work. I had no idea (and still have no idea) what the issues underlying his collapse are. I have no idea what the issues are underlying the Eagles' collapse in their last five games are either.

IF the French Fed knew something about Kevin's health that we didn't (whether mental or physical), I suppose we could argue whether he should have been sent. By my lights, a mighty big "If".

 

[niks]

He popped his opening jump, fell on his 3A, did a 3Lz with only a single for the combo, and gave up and got no credit on a spin. It was tough watching it live, and I'd advise anyone who hasn't watched it yet to not watch it.

Aside from watching a few clips, I didn't watch Kevin's Nationals FS for similar reasons.

Thank you. I was afraid of this, that it had been a complete falling apart skate such as the Nats FS (which I did watch and can confirm it was heartbreaking). I hope at least that he wasn't so crushed at the KnC (kind of hoping against hope here) or that at the very least his pouring emotions didn't get a crude upfront recording like last time (I've never seen something quite like that and it was devastating; I felt he was completly exposed to the wild world out there in a very vulnerable moment and that was just not right)

Oh Kevin I don't know what is going on, what happenned between Skate America and now that changed things so upside down for him. It doesn't look like he is injured (at least up till the Nats) but something clearly is very very off, and sadly seems to be getting worse. I wanted so much for him to bounce back at this event and get his energy and strengh back!! but unfourtunately it turned out to be another step down the slope

Well, at one point you do have to reach the bottom and bounce back, right? Just hoping then that this is indeed the bottom for him and he can start his way back up again. I'm worried to see him slinding even further down and how he could possibly cope with that. All my positive thoughts and good vibes to him that he can figure out whatever is wrong (if he doesn't know it yet), have all the support and help he needs, and resolve it as soon as possible. That he enters a positive circle of more confidence and internal peace, that translates back into his skating, and this in turn gives him a good emotional boost. And all this even beyond skating actually, because I've the feeling that whatever the issue is, it is at least partially beyond skating, and just ends up hunting him on the ice. The more important thing is that he is well and happy in life. Fingers crossed for him

 

[labgoat]

 

[labgoat]

He has given up. I don't what's going on with Kevin, whether it's injury or mental health, but I think he needs to take the rest of the season off to regroup.

I'm so glad I didn't stay up to see this. I may never watch it...

 

[labgoat]

He has given up. I don't what's going on with Kevin, whether it's injury or mental health, but I think he needs to take the rest of the season off to regroup.

 

[Jontor]

I am sorry my friend, this does not come across well at all.

"Lip service" to mental health? For real? You can't mean that the way it sounded. Should we all stop giving lip service to Matteo's hip surgery while we are at it?

I thought naming Kévin to the Euros team made sense due to the body of work. I had no idea (and still have no idea) what the issues underlying his collapse are. I have no idea what the issues are underlying the Eagles' collapse in their last five games are either.

IF the French Fed knew something about Kevin's health that we didn't (whether mental or physical), I suppose we could argue whether he should have been sent. By my lights, a mighty big "If".

What are you talking about? What IF? The French Fed was right there a month ago at nationals when Kevin just zoned out, had the worst performance ever, and was loathing himself in the K&C. There was no sense in forcing Kevin to perform here.

 

[labgoat]

Matteo has to undergo surgery after Euros

 

[TontoK]

I am sorry my friend, this does not come across well at all.

"Lip service" to mental health? For real? You can't mean that the way it sounded. Should we all stop giving lip service to Matteo's hip surgery while we are at it?

I thought naming Kévin to the Euros team made sense due to the body of work. I had no idea (and still have no idea) what the issues underlying his collapse are. I have no idea what the issues are underlying the Eagles' collapse in their last five games are either.

IF the French Fed knew something about Kevin's health that we didn't (whether mental or physical), I suppose we could argue whether he should have been sent. By my lights, a mighty big "If".

I thought the K&C meltdown at French Nationals made it evident that whatever was wrong needed some time to mend. You didn't think so?

I like Kevin's skating, and of course I'd have liked to see him skate again, but even a casual observer should have guessed that worst fears were likely to be realized.

Did anyone think he was in a good place? And yet it was "get back up on that horse." Go look at the predictions thread. How many had Kevin in the Top 5? Even medaling? I looked at that and thought those people live in an alternate universe.

 

[el henry]

What are you talking about? What IF? The French Fed was right there a month ago at nationals when Kevin just zoned out, had the worst performance ever, and was loathing himself in the K&C. There was no sense in forcing Kevin to perform here.

what are you talking about?

I have no idea if Kevin "zoned out", and neither do you. If you have the ability to Vulcan mind meld in such a way, so that you can tell what Kévin or anyone else is thinking, there is a vast fortune to be made out there.

From the comfort of my own home, I am not going to diagnose Kévin's issues. Mental health, physical health, combination, other? I do not know. There are issues and I hope they are addressed. His talent is unique and what a shame for skating, if it were lost.

 

[el henry]

I thought the K&C meltdown at French Nationals made it evident that whatever was wrong needed some time to mend. You didn't think so?

I like Kevin's skating, and of course I'd have liked to see him skate again, but even a casual observer should have guessed that worst fears were likely to be realized.

Did anyone think he was in a good place? And yet it was "get back up on that horse." Go look at the predictions thread. How many had Kevin in the Top 5? Even medaling? I looked at that and thought those people live in an alternate universe.

But how were we to know that he would not return to a good place?

I suppose if someone wants to say, aha, I was right, he wasn't going to recover, well, told ya so's feel good. But I was someone who thought Kévin should go to Euros. Because I, personally, had no idea what the issue was and could not predict the future.

I think it is unfair to think that posters who advocated for that selection did not want what was best for Kévin. ETA: It is true that we were wrong. I was wrong to think he could recover. But not from some willful denial of God's only truth.

 

[Jeanie19]

But how were we to know that he would not return to a good place?

I suppose if someone wants to say, aha, I was right, he wasn't going to recover, well, told ya so's feel good. But I was someone who thought Kévin should go to Euros. Because I, personally, had no idea what the issue was and could not predict the future.

I think it is unfair to think that posters who advocated for that selection did not want what was best for Kévin. ETA: It is true that we were wrong. I was wrong to think he could recover. But not from some willful denial of God's only truth.

I follow him on Instagram. His Insta stories looked good since Nationals. I just want him to be happy. I love his skating and I wish him well.

 

[Jontor]

But how were we to know that he would not return to a good place?

I suppose if someone wants to say, aha, I was right, he wasn't going to recover, well, told ya so's feel good. But I was someone who thought Kévin should go to Euros. Because I, personally, had no idea what the issue was and could not predict the future.

I think it is unfair to think that posters who advocated for that selection did not want what was best for Kévin. ETA: It is true that we were wrong. I was wrong to think he could recover. But not from some willful denial of God's only truth.

How to know? Well, just look. LOOK! At nationals, no one in their right mind can watch that and think "ah well, he had a bad day, this guy will be alright".

I find this nonchalance quite upsetting really. People seem to be all about, "the show must go on". Are people blindfolded? Or is it just that "mental health is nothing that we talk about"..."because its bad and we just don't talk about it".

 

[cheerknithanson]

I thought the K&C meltdown at French Nationals made it evident that whatever was wrong needed some time to mend. You didn't think so?

I like Kevin's skating, and of course I'd have liked to see him skate again, but even a casual observer should have guessed that worst fears were likely to be realized.

Did anyone think he was in a good place? And yet it was "get back up on that horse." Go look at the predictions thread. How many had Kevin in the Top 5? Even medaling? I looked at that and thought those people live in an alternate universe.

I apologize if I seemed like I was living in an alternate universe to you. I thought maybe he would be fine then. But I was wrong. I'll admit I was wrong.

 

[Jeanie19]

How to know? Well, just look. LOOK! At nationals, no one in their right mind can watch that and think "ah well, he had a bad day, this guy will be alright".

I find this nonchalance quite upsetting really. People seem to be all about, "the show must go on". Are people blindfolded? Or is it just that "mental health is nothing that we talk about"..."because its bad and we just don't talk about it".

I don't think the show must go on. I just want Kevin to be happy.

 

[el henry]

How to know? Well, just look. LOOK! At nationals, no one in their right mind can watch that and think "ah well, he had a bad day, this guy will be alright".

I find this nonchalance quite upsetting really. People seem to be all about, "the show must go on". Are people blindfolded? Or is it just that "mental health is nothing that we talk about"..."because its bad and we just don't talk about it".

I am in my right mind, and that is what I thought. I'm sorry you find it to be an alternate universe, but I'm doing fine right here in the real world.

Where in any of my posts do you find nonchalance? Where, in any posts, did you ever find an unwillingness to talk about mental health?

Since I don't see any reason to discuss these mischaracterizations of what I, or other posters have said, or certanly any incorrect assumptions about posters' mental states (speaking only for me, because I, sitting at a laptop screen, don't know anyone else's mental state unless they tell me), I will leave off here.

 

[Jontor]

I don't think the show must go on. I just want Kevin to be happy.

That's what we all want.

 

[FlossieH]

I think we perhaps need to be mindful that not all posters here are writing in their main language. I suspect there may be some differences between what is being said/intended and how it is being understood here.

 

[Kris135]

How to know? Well, just look. LOOK! At nationals, no one in their right mind can watch that and think "ah well, he had a bad day, this guy will be alright".

I find this nonchalance quite upsetting really. People seem to be all about, "the show must go on". Are people blindfolded? Or is it just that "mental health is nothing that we talk about"..."because its bad and we just don't talk about it".

I am tired of you thinking Kevin is somehow mentally unstable because of his recent performances. He had bad GPF and then less than week later he skated in his Nationals and it was worse. I always thought that he had no time process what had happened at GPF to ensure that it would be better next time. So I considered the events of that week a fluke which a lot skaters go through because almost every skater has events that they would rather forget. I do wonder if sending him to Europeans was a mistake though. it not an event that he done well in the past. In 2020 edition he did not make the free skate either. He has several weeks before worlds and I think he needs to do is take week or two off from skating and get his head in a better place, and something else that also makes him happy and after that come with a renewed purpose and fix the technical issues and prepare for worlds, if that means that he needs a minor competition to get there then he can do it. He was fourth in world last year so we know can do well at this he just needs to figure out what he needs to do to get there.

 

[TontoK]

I'm sorry I started this. I'm upset at what we've witnessed, and yes, I admit I'm angry. Not at any GS posters, whom I consider cyber-family, but at on-the-scene individuals who actually are in a position to have greater insights that we do.

But let's unite in wishing Kevin happiness and future success in all his endeavors.