Replay Lounge 2026 Olympics | Men

[BlissfulSynergy]

that's a good thing because the judges used to give them away like candy. However, it's also a sign that there is an unbalance with jumps and the rest.

Well, sure. The scoring system doesn't make a lot of sense. The pcs are never credited fairly. They are often manipulated for placements and scored in a particular range across the board. Rather than scoring high when deserved for choreo and lower for skating skills and execution or vice versa.

 

[4everchan]

Because it's better than thinking about how disappointed I've been since the team event. At this point, 2026 is a wash for me. I don't care who wins pairs or women's.

My main disappointment so far is that I keep missing the live skating because of the time difference and well, the need to go to work

I enjoyed the team event very much though I was rooting for team Japan to win it. I enjoyed the dance and savoured every moment of Piper and Paul's last performances. I will miss these two so much. The men showed us once more that one cannot declare an Olympic champion before the event is skated... people never learn... This is funny to me because for once, I thought I knew who was going to win it. It didn't happen. It's not the end of the world. Ilia is still an olympic champion in the team event and when he performed, he knew he had to win it and he did.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Hanyu was only 23 when he won his second gold.

Indicating what, exactly? Nathan Chen was 22 when he won Olympic gold in 2018 2022.

And historically, get a load of these stats:

Oldest Olympic Champion: Gillis Grafström (Sweden, 1928, age 34)

Oldest Medalist (Individual): Martin Stixrud (Norway) won bronze in 1920 at 44 years and 77 days

Oldest Medalist (Overall): Walter Jakobsson (Finland) won pairs gold in 1920 at age 38

I'm sure there are more stats to uncover with more checking. Figure skating history is endlessly fascinating.

 

[Blades of Passion]

And isn't it nice to have a surprise winner?

Not like this. One of the least artistic people winning, after everyone else crashes and burns, is the nightmare this scoring system has been building up to. All of the ugly time-consuming footwork and spins, and removing 30 seconds from the programs, in addition to pushing for as many quads as possible, has killed the ability to give complete performances. Nobody is even trying anymore.

Look at Alexei Yagudin's winning program in 2002. He spends an entire 20 seconds at the start of the program only doing choreography, setting a mood, showing depth of emotion and giving purpose to the music. There are 3 sections in the program like that, plus his footwork sequences have actual rhythm and shape and convey a clear sense of action and storytelling. This SO necessary to have in programs, and it's something that's completely gone now. Programs have no room to breathe and nobody is trying to create these evocative, interpretative passages anymore. It's just boring turns all over the place in the name "difficulty" and random knee slides and backflips thrown into the "choreo sequence" element.

The actual most pleasing display of skating skill is how well the skater caresses the ice with their blades (which nobody does anymore), how well a skater can hold an edge (which also nobody does anymore), and how well people are able to do movement out of standstills and unexpected body positions, which is again not seen much.

 

[TallyT]

Indicating what, exactly? Nathan Chen was 22 when he won Olympic gold in 2018.

Ummm, 2022.

And historically, get a load of these stats:

Oldest Olympic Champion: Gillis Grafström (Sweden, 1928, age 34)

Oldest Medalist (Individual): Martin Stixrud (Norway) won bronze in 1920 at 44 years and 77 days

Oldest Medalist (Overall): Walter Jakobsson (Finland) won pairs gold in 1920 at age 38

I'm sure there are more stats to uncover with more checking. Figure skating history is endlessly fascinating.

You are really trying to use the 1920s data??? For the state of play (and game of quads) in the 2020s???

 

[reader3]

Even if Ilia would still be young age wise come 2030, that ankle may not hold out with the type of jumping that he does.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I liked your post @Blades of Passion because I agree with most of what you said about what's missing in today's skating. Still, Shaidorov skated very well. I just wish he'd had better music and choreo. As the new Olympic champ, perhaps he'll have money to pay for top choreographic help. He has huge potential.

Sato was okay, but not that grreat. The judges gave Yuma too much credit, IMO, as they usually do when he makes mistakes. Just like with Shoma Uno, the judges are mesmerized by Yuma's movement qualities and constantly reward him with mistakes because they are blinded by what he's capable of when he's at his best.

 

[yfan1]

Well, nobody else seems to want to come right out and say it (except SmileHappy), so I guess it's up to me. This was the worst men's free skate in Olympic history.

That's unfair to quite a lot of us in the live threads.

 

[4everchan]

Well, nobody else seems to want to come right out and say it (except SmileHappy), so I guess it's up to me. This was the worst men's free skate in Olympic history.

I hope that four years from now the we will see less quading (that is, attempted quading) and more skating. Keep the shiny side down, guys, butts off the ice.

I agree with the need for a better balance between quads and the rest.
However, was that the worst free skate ? I don't know. 2 of the 3 favourites faltered enough to finish in 7-8 place... but there some very good skates in the top 6. When you look at it, how many great skates were performed let's say in 2014... sigh.. I didn't want to go there because of the bad memories... but here I am

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Ummm, 2022.

You are really trying to use the 1920s data??? For the state of play (and game of quads) in the 2020s???

Ah yes, wrong year for Nathan's Olympic win; 2018 was his trial by fire. After 2018, Nathan proceeded to dominate in his pursuit for excellence and Olympic gold.

No. I'm not trying to use anything. Just providing some historical data, which you are seemingly scoffing at. History is something people who follow and participate in this sport truly need to respect and to spend more time learning about. But, yeppers, that's a lost cause. Most fans and commentators only seem to focus on what happened five minutes ago.

 

[yfan1]

My main disappointment so far is that I keep missing the live skating because of the time difference and well, the need to go to work

Well you should have seen the results, said 'welp' and dug your nose in harder - a promotion is more valuable than this!

I am looking to seeing these guys at worlds.

I'm canceling men from my watchlist forever at this stage tbh.

 

[reneerose]

Going back to the old complaint of mine about why they shouldn't have the Team comp at the beginning, because most are really interested in the individual comps and the athletes are fresher for their own individual discipline medals if they don't have to wait so long. I see the Team comps as more "dessert" than "appetizer" but then some see the Gala event as the "dessert", I think Team comps should be moved to after the Individual comps.

 

[4everchan]

Well you should have seen the results, said 'welp' and dug your nose in harder - a promotion is more valuable than this!

LOL... I am not worried about getting promoted.

I'm canceling men from my watchlist forever at this stage tbh.

I think there will be a reaction among the skating world... It often happens after a cycle. I am betting on some cleaner programs in the next quad.

 

[Karoltyna]

I scored 15 in men and I was doing so good, I guess only individual medals for me...

 

[yfan1]

I scored 15 in men and I was doing so good, I guess only individual medals for me...

I didn't participate, but in my mind, it was always going to be Kagiyama silver and Sato bronze and Cha 4th lol. It's the gold that failed, and Shaidorov rocketed to 1st from the 5th place I'd guessed for him.

 

[4everchan]

I scored 15 in men and I was doing so good, I guess only individual medals for me...

I scored 45 I had Yuma and Shun in 2nd and 3rd... I scored 10 points for Cha and 5 for Gumenik. I am worried about the rest of the predictions though because when I dodge a bullet in men, it has always meant that I mess up women

 

[4everchan]

also.. interesting that Ilia's 3 pops were on edge jumps. I guess his timing went way off.

 

[Greengemmonster]

I can’t get over the fact that I was clucking over Shun after the SP at Nationals (worried he would miss out if he botched the free), then worrying that he would tank in the individuals because he was devastated after the team free despite doing amazing. All the while vaguely keeping an eye on Ilia and thinking “He’s going to be fine, seems to be on track despite the jitters”

And then this happened.

Probably the most dramatic Olympics for me and 2022 had a drug scandal and a meltdown! This was harder to process for me!

 

[Karoltyna]

also.. interesting that Ilia's 3 pops were on edge jumps. I guess his timing went way off.

Not me, lacking sleep, coffee and sanity wondering for a second if flip is edge jump pfffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff

 

[sissy7]

https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/videos/figure-skating-press-conference-men-s-free-skate-milano-cortina-2026

Press conference