Replay Lounge 2026 Olympics | Ice Dance

[TontoK]

Sorry you feel this way. I doubt that's true though.
Nobody really cares about Canadian athletes. Some people think Piper and Paul should be higher on the podium, yet most of the talks you see mention being so happy they finally got their medal... who cares about the colour...

Dude. Give me a break. If Chock and Bates were Canadian and all other things were the same, you wouldn't shut up about this for years.

This forum is American. I follow figure skating from the other side of the border too. After the initial uneasiness, it died down quickly. The media didn't bite. Nobody is talking about ice dance anymore. It is really too bad for the American fans and media that Ilia Malinin didn't win gold. It would have diverted the banter.

Ilia Malinin has nothing to do with these ice dance results. And I don't see any Americans trying to spin his sloppy skate into anything other than what it was. And I certainly don't see anyone celebrating Misha's win as an "Anyone but Yuma" victory, implying that he had it coming because of perceived overscores from other events.

I suggest you follow speed skating. Jordan Stolz is a one in a generation talent and it's too bad he is not getting more attention.

Thank you for this recommendation. I have semi-followed his exploits - it's really not a sport I keep up with very much. I'm happy for him, of course. But I'm also happy for the Italian skater who won a gold medal in front of her home fans. I think she might have won two - As I said, I don't follow the sport too much. And I'm not a sporting nationalist.

 

[Cutting the ice]

Media loves a controversy (as was mentioned "click-bait") and Olympic controversy is one of their favourite things. My worry (and I have said this a few times) is that this sport can't afford anymore figure skating controversies at the Olympics. I think the media coverage of the Olympics has damaged the reputation of the sport far more than it has drawn in new fans. The Olympics seems to be one of the few times the media pays attention to the sport and they do like to glom on controversy and blow it up to get those advertising clicks.

ISU needs to promote the good news stories and us knowledgable fans need to support that. Or the public will only think of judging controversies, doping, etc. when they think about figure skating, and won't be interested in following the sport in other years. We can't afford more half-empty or empty stands at ISU competitions because people have written off the sport.

Upset results in of themselves aren't bad - everybody loves an underdog rising when the big dogs stumble. Meltdowns are understood (without blaming the coach, athlete, judges, parents). People can be sympathetic and still appreciate the incredible talent of the athlete who didn't deliver at the Olympics. That person needs support - not just from family and colleagues but also from the public. I remember that when Kurt didn't medal at the 1994 Olympics, Cdn fans donated gold jewelry, melted it down and made a gold maple leaf medal for him as their way of showing their appreciation of what he has given to the sport.

Our media in Canada didn't even mention figure skating in its lead-up advertising of the Olympics - that is how bad it is getting. That being said - the coverage they have given in the first week has been good, the commentating has been really good IMO. Not snarky but intelligent (mostly) and balanced. And not entitled or offended by results.

Let's promote more positivity for the sake of the sport that we follow as dedicated fans, or that is our lives. WRT to the ISU and "fixing" the sport (and we know there is lots to fix) - there is so much knowledge on this forum - lets use that knowledge for good to help the ISU and not tear the sport or people down.

 

[Mathman]

Are we watching the same Johnny and Tara? I’m pretty sure I haven’t watched them in at least 10 years. Maybe they have improved.

I agree with @skylark (post 222 above) -- yes, Johnny and Tara have improved immensely. Being a sports commentator is like any other profession -- you have to grow into it.

When they started out, the impression I got was that Johnny was more into establishing his identity as, "This is me. I am authentic, and I have a closet full of outrageous hats to prove it."

Meanwhile, Tara mostly sat back and waited for Terry Gannon to feed her a cue about, "So, Tara, who was the youngest this and that in skating history? Oh, was it you?"

(I was actually reminded of Peggy Fleming when she first started commentating. She was deathly afraid of Dick Button -- and said so in her autobiography The Long Program.)

Johnny and Tara have gotten steadily more and more comfortable and confident. And they do manage to find something kind to say about every performance that they comment on. (They were struck dumb at Ilia Malinin's LP at Milano, though -- who wasn't?)

 

[TontoK]

I agree with @skylark (post 222 above) -- yes, Johnny and Tara have improved immensely. Being a sports commentator is like any other profession -- you have to grow into it.

When they started out, the impression I got was that Johnny was more into establishing his identity as, "This is me. I am authentic, and I have a closet full of outrageous hats to prove it."

Meanwhile, Tara mostly sat back and waited for Terry Gannon to feed her a cue about, "So, Tara, who was the youngest this and that in skating history? Oh, was it you?"

(I was actually reminded of Peggy Fleming when she first started commentating. She was deathly afraid of Dick Button -- and said so in her autobiography The Long Program.)

Johnny and Tara have gotten steadily more and more comfortable and confident. And they do manage to find something kind to say about every performance that they comment on. (They were struck dumb at Ilia Malinin's LP at Milano, though -- who wasn't?)

I've been watching the main NBC feed, just because it's the easiest for me to access.

I agree with you. They are certainly better than they used to be. I just have to remind myself that they're really here for the casual fan, and that makes some of the banter nonsense a little more bearable.

I also agree with you about Johnny. He seems to have figured out that he's not the main attraction, although he's better to listen to than to look at. I prefer Dick Button's tuxedos to whatever clown costume Johnny is likely to show up in.

 

[yfan1]

These Newsweek writers ought to be ashamed of themselves. What Madison's mother said was that, "whatever the score, our children are "golden" to us."

What did we expect her to say? "Our daughter sucks at ice skating and I never did like that Evan guy she hooked up with!"

Newsweek used to be a respected periodical. Now it’s just clickbait

There's been an influx of engagement farming articles from this website during these Olympics. It's ridiculous.

 

[4everchan]

Dude. Give me a break. If Chock and Bates were Canadian and all other things were the same, you wouldn't shut up about this for years.

you give me a break there are many cases where I believe our underestimated Canadian skaters have been marked lower. I will mention it but I don't care ultimately. The sport is a judged one and the judging is flawed.. It's up to me to accept this as a fan if I want to continue watching the sport... otherwise, I wouldn't watch it anymore. I react strongly when things don't go my way but I let it go. I have never written nor signed a petition about judging scandals. For me that crosses the line and it's not even good for the sport.

Ilia Malinin has nothing to do with these ice dance results.

Of course. That's not what I am saying. What I am saying is that a victory puts a balm on the wound and diverts attention. Mikaël Kingsbury just won dual moguls gold and now everyone is celebrating and nobody is bitter about him not winning the gold earlier this week : he lost the gold not because of his score but because of the tiebreaker which decorticates the scores further... Can you imagine how frustrating that may be ? Well.. no petition. Nobody looked at which judges were responsible for scores included in the tie-breaker.. (not even me ) ETC...

And I don't see any Americans trying to spin his sloppy skate into anything other than what it was. And I certainly don't see anyone celebrating Misha's win as an "Anyone but Yuma" victory, implying that he had it coming because of perceived overscores from other events.

I have on this seen this on this same forum

Thank you for this recommendation. I have semi-followed his exploits - it's really not a sport I keep up with very much. I'm happy for him, of course. But I'm also happy for the Italian skater who won a gold medal in front of her home fans. I think she might have won two - As I said, I don't follow the sport too much. And I'm not a sporting nationalist.

She won her two events indeed. Francesca Lolobrigida ... as a figure skating fan, I have made sure I watch many other sports, many of which are not judged . Another recommendation for all figure skating fans

 

[Mathman]

I am now settled into the view that, as time goes by time goes by.

Despite the (mostly half-hearted) efforts of the news media to keep the fires burning, I think that -- in the U.S. at least -- both the Ice Dancing and Men's events were one-day wonders. Some people thought that gold and silver went the wrong way in ice dance? OK, on to the men! The men's favorite had a bad day? Bring on the pairs!

 

[moonvine]

I am now settled into the view that, as time goes by time goes by.

Despite the (mostly half-hearted) efforts of the news media to keep the fires burning, I think that -- in the U.S. at least -- both the Ice Dancing and Men's events were one-day wonders. Some people thought that gold and silver went the wrong way in ice dance? OK, on to the men! The men's favorite had a bad day? Bring on the pairs!

Social media has opinions. Many opinions. Mostly by every 4 year fans who have no idea how teams are picked, how things are scored, etc

 

[freedomlover]

Media loves a controversy (as was mentioned "click-bait") and Olympic controversy is one of their favourite things. My worry (and I have said this a few times) is that this sport can't afford anymore figure skating controversies at the Olympics. I think the media coverage of the Olympics has damaged the reputation of the sport far more than it has drawn in new fans. The Olympics seems to be one of the few times the media pays attention to the sport and they do like to glom on controversy and blow it up to get those advertising clicks.

ISU needs to promote the good news stories and us knowledgable fans need to support that. Or the public will only think of judging controversies, doping, etc. when they think about figure skating, and won't be interested in following the sport in other years. We can't afford more half-empty or empty stands at ISU competitions because people have written off the sport.

Shun's coach going viral made me happy for that reason- because let's be real, coaches also haven't had the best rep these past Olympic cycles.

 

[saine]

There won't be an appeal of the results.

U.S. figure skating will not appeal Chock and Bates ice dance results

The Olympics ice dance scoring controversy has gripped figure skating since Team USA's Madison Chock and Evan bates lost gold to France duo.

www.usatoday.com

 

[el henry]

I have on this same forum

The posters I have seen with "Anybody But Yuma" are not American. . I as one American adore Yuma, or at least his SP, and I think it is the best program, period, this year. Better than Jason, Andrew, Anthony, Donovan, Kevin, because I can appreciate a program even if it's not from my favs. (as I know you do too).

Back to the subject at hand, the problematic comments that I have seen;

1. Karma is a bitch, because Madi and Evan were so overscored in past years.

Really??? I mean really? How does anyone past the age of 15 think that?

2. Madi and Evan thought they were entitled to gold.

Again really? I mean really? The fact that you (not you, the universal you. We do not have a colloquial equivalent of "On" in English, sadly) as a fan were upset by the scores in the past has JB Squat to do with how Madi and Evan felt approaching this event. You don't know them, and you don't know how they felt.

here's a little thought I have harbored over the years listening to Piper and Paul fans talk about the unfairness of Madi and Evan's scores. compared to P and P. Is that what Jason fans sound like to non fans?

And think about it Psquared fans....a Jason fan thinks you sound like us

 

[4everchan]

The posters I have seen with "Anybody But Yuma" are not American. . I as one American adore Yuma, or at least his SP, and I think it is the best program, period, this year. Better than Jason, Andrew, Anthony, Donovan, Kevin, because I can appreciate a program even if it's not from my favs. (as I know you do too).

Back to the subject at hand, the problematic comments that I have seen;

1. Karma is a bitch, because Madi and Evan were so overscored in past years.

Really??? I mean really? How does anyone past the age of 15 think that?

2. Madi and Evan thought they were entitled to gold.

Again really? I mean really? The fact that you (not you, the universal you. We do not have a colloquial equivalent of "On" in English, sadly) as a fan were upset by the scores in the past has JB Squat to do with how Madi and Evan felt approaching this event. You don't know them, and you don't know how they felt.

here's a little thought I have harbored over the years listening to Piper and Paul fans talk about the unfairness of Madi and Evan's scores. compared to P and P. Is that what Jason fans sound like to non fans?

And think about it Psquared fans....a Jason fan thinks you sound like us

I adore Yuma.

comment 1 has been said in a whole range of ways. I disagree with implying Karmic tradition in it... but it is indeed quite possible that at times, Madi and Evan have been overscored .

comment 2... yeah... I agree.. this is not cool. All athletes want to win and all athletes know how hard everyone works.

LOL.. I am okay if I sound like a Jason fan... but I think the comparison is a bit off. Piper and Paul have the same technical elements as the other top teams. Actually in the ice dance event, two teams reached the highest levels and that was Piper and Paul and the French. Should they be ahead of Madi and Evan because they beat them in BV ?

I think that there are many different kinds of fans ... I am the kind of fan who reacts strongly in the spur of the moment, especially during live-streaming and then, I calm down and I go do my laundry or watch a movie There are fans who seem to hold grudges for years.

 

[Mathman]

Here's a little thought I have harbored over the years listening to Piper and Paul fans talk about the unfairness of Madi and Evan's scores. compared to P and P. Is that what Jason fans sound like to non fans?

Actually, I do think that there is a similarity. For Jason, EVERYBODY appreciates the uniqueness of what he brings to the sport (well, maybe there are a couple of mean old scrooges out there grumbling about this and that.) This does not necessarily translate into, "Therefore he should be scored higher than Nathan Chen."

For Piper and Paul, everybody loves the originality and entertainment value of their programs. Season after season we eagerly look to them to come up with something fresh, and they never disappoint.

 

[TontoK]

I am now settled into the view that, as time goes by time goes by.

Despite the (mostly half-hearted) efforts of the news media to keep the fires burning, I think that -- in the U.S. at least -- both the Ice Dancing and Men's events were one-day wonders. Some people thought that gold and silver went the wrong way in ice dance? OK, on to the men! The men's favorite had a bad day? Bring on the pairs!

I've settled into the view that Chock and Bates were robbed in an act of political chicanery by the grossest pairing I can ever remember. They make my skin crawl.

But, I'll be nice and offer my congratulations to those fans who can stomach them.

 

[4everchan]

I've settled into the view that Chock and Bates were robbed in an act of political chicanery by the grossest pairing I can ever remember. They make my skin crawl.

But, I'll be nice and offer my congratulations to those fans who can stomach them.

Well my friend, some of the best athletes in the world are not necessarily the nicest people on Earth.

Are we now judging them also on every single action of their lives ?

I feel terribly sorry for Laurence. She is not responsible for her former and current partners actions. She just wants to do the sport she loves.

 

[TontoK]

Well my friend, some of the best athletes in the world are not necessarily the nicest people on Earth.

Are we now judging them also on every single action of their lives ?

I feel terribly sorry for Laurence. She is not responsible for her former and current partners actions. She just wants to do the sport she loves.

But she is definitely responsible for failing to report the sexual assault allegations against Ivan Desyatov to SafeSport, as she assured victim Solène Mazingue that she would. It was only after the victim discovered that MFD had not taken any action that Solene filed a report herself and went public.

She seems to take a fairly casual approach to these things. So no, I don't feel sorry for her.

 

[Arigato]

I suggest you follow speed skating. Jordan Stolz is a one in a generation talent and it's too bad he is not getting more attention.

Nah, a tenth of a second difference and some would scream:

 

[4everchan]

But she is definitely responsible for failing to report the sexual assault allegations against Ivan Desyatov to SafeSport, as she assured victim Solène Mazingue that she would. It was only after the victim discovered that MFD had not taken any action that Solene filed a report herself and went public.

How is Laurence responsible for that ? That was Marie-France.

She seems to take a fairly casual approach to these things. So no, I don't feel sorry for her.

 

[ladyjane]

As @TontoK says it's a gross pairing, and I think we agree on that. Alas not on the outcome because to me this gross pairing did have the best FD. Not because it was flawless (it wasn't) but because it just mesmerised, the flow was great, and Madi/Evan's just wasn't and needed a kind of prop skirt (whose FD happened to be flawless in many ways). In ID other points than flawlessness count. I was one of the people noting the overscoring sometimes in the WC in the years before, but I suppose it's not the point here. In fact, in these years, I always came back to how they were unlucky in the last OG (except for the Team Event) and could use a bit of propping up.

Actually, I felt sorry for Madi and Evan, who take three WC titles along and - in my view, because obviously I don't know them personally - seem to be much nicer people than the ones in the gross pairing. And, although I agree with Christine Brennan that this pairing only occurred because of a victim speaking out, and it's not encouraging in that sense, I have to see that separately from the skating. Regrettably. I wish Guillaume did not just have a lower level on the twizzles or a bouble later on, but had just fallen down, like Laurence did in the GPF. But that didn't happen and the flow just was so good.

Piper & Paul? That's a different story. After being underscored many times through the years and at the last GPF (also in relation to Madi and Evan in Montreal), they actually got a medal. I can't help but be pleased and happy for them. They went through a lot to get here. Their emotions were so heart felt.

The OG have no pewter medals though, as the USA has. Another alas, because Charlene and Marco deserved a medal too!

 

[TontoK]

How is Laurence responsible for that ? That was Marie-France.

You're correct. I retract that, but nothing else.

But their common defense of predators likely contributed to their obvious bond.