Anyone thinking about leaving FS fandom?

[lesnar001]

It's hard to guess how these situations will work out. Look at the skier Eileen Gu (Gu Ai-ling). She's a media and popular draling in both countries.

Winning the gold medal is salve for all wounds.

I think it was more than just winning the Gold (although that certainly helps).
NBC had a fairly complete backstory on her the night before (I think?) about her reasons for moving to China.
I think if she had remained in 2nd place and gotten Silver, she would still be very popular because it really was a positive story.

From the USA standpoint, at the very least, she could't be falsely portrayed as a "traitor" or ungrateful opportunist by people with agendas or narratives.

NBC didn't really have much of a story on Zhu Yi other than she moved to and competes for China. They also mentioned something about the 5 competition qualifying process to determine who went to the Olympics. At least that's all I can recall.

 

[yume]

I am very surprised by what you write about Zhu Yu, because I haven’t read Chinese social media (of course!), but I read the facebook comments below a Reuters article about her. The Americans were brutal towards her, she was called a traitor, a sellout, she got what she deserved by failing, how could she leave her town and people for skating, she did it only for money, she should be banned from ever entering the US, etc. Didn’t expect such nationalistic bias, especially from a nation where there are so many immigrants. I don’t know how they treat her in China, but if I was Zhu, I definitely wouldn’t want to go back to the US.

USA have so many skaters of Asian descent that they shouldn't be surprised if some of them switch for the country of their origins. Especially the ones who struggle to get even challengers spots.

 

[lesnar001]

USA have so many skaters of Asian descent that they shouldn't be surprised if some of them switch for the country of their origins. Especially the ones who struggle to get even challengers spots.

I think a lot of what AutumnLeaves was referring to would be from people who don't follow skating but are reacting to the story from a political or nationalistic standpoint. I don't think there would be anywhere near that type of reaction if it weren't for the ongoing issues between the USA and China. When Alexia Paganini skates in the Ladies event, I doubt it will even enter their radar screens, so to speak.

Forgot to add....
I just don't "get" people who have to make every single thing political.
I remember a couple of years ago Alina Zagitova posted pictures of her cat on her IG account.
Because there was a picture of her meeting with Putin after winning the Olympics in the background, she was getting flak online from a few people for being an "obvious supporter of Putin" and stuff like that.

 

[MiraiFan]

I think a lot of what AutumnLeaves was referring to would be from people who don't follow skating but are reacting to the story from a political or nationalistic standpoint. I don't think there would be anywhere near that type of reaction if it weren't for the ongoing issues between the USA and China. When Alexia Paganini skates in the Ladies event, I doubt it will even enter their radar screens, so to speak.

Forgot to add....
I just don't "get" people who have to make every single thing political.
I remember a couple of years ago Alina Zagitova posted pictures of her cat on her IG account.
Because there was a picture of her meeting with Putin after winning the Olympics in the background, she was getting flak online from a few people for being an "obvious supporter of Putin" and stuff like that.

She also made a post on Insta after and went on and on about why she voted for him so there is more to the story.

 

[lesnar001]

She also made a post on Insta after and went on and on about why she voted for him so there is more to the story.

I don't believe she was old enough to vote at the time.
And the post you refer to was something of a standard template that other notable athletes were also posting. At least that's how I remember it. Not like she was pouring forth some personal political manifesto.
I remember she got comments on that post too, although that was political in nature, so it would make sense.

 

[moonvine]

You didn't address me, but I'd like to jump in.

I hate for anyone to be bullied, no matter if it's in person or online. It's natural to feel sympathy for her. I'm also sympathetic to the others you list.

I place great personal value on my American citizenship. It is important to me, but I recognize that's not the same for everyone.

I hold no ill-will towards the skater. I wish her well. I hope she doesn't regret renouncing her citizenship, because apparently there's no going back. She's not an American now, and she never will be. I would think that's a big deal considering where she was born, educated, and grew up, where her friends were, etc etc... but like I said, I understand not everyone values their citizenship to the degree that I do.

She was taken to China by her parents at 15. That’s a really impressionable age. I’m not sure what I would have done. Apparently there are also conspiracy theories that she was given the Olympic spot because of who her father is. I’m not sure I buy that. But maybe the Chinese Fed said hey we are weak in this discipline why not give it to the child of an important person. Not sure what the Chinese Fed would have gotten in return.

 

[moonvine]

USA have so many skaters of Asian descent that they shouldn't be surprised if some of them switch for the country of their origins. Especially the ones who struggle to get even challengers spots.

I saw people on FB complaining and said “I bet y’all didn’t complain when Tanith Belbin switched her citizenship to US from Canada to compete for the US.” And crickets. I’ve found most of them not only aren’t skating fans they aren’t even sports fans. Nothing like people sounding off about something they know nothing about.

 

[jeb]

I have a problem with that women's skating has become. It's tragic that beautiful skating like the Kaori's or Wakaba's, Karen's or even Kostornaia's is not rewarded anymore. Those who win these days are too young to develop a mature, smooth style. Ugly skating wins if it has quads. Not the sport I fell in love with.

I so….. agree with you. I understand pushing the athletic envelope, but what about the artistic one? I personally prefer skatings from previous years (could be a sign of getting older). I miss the simplistic grace of Dorothy Hamill, Sasha Cohen and Gracie Gold. Tai and Randy, Jeni and Todd, etc.-I could go on and on. Love spirals and an across ice Ina Bauer.

 

[Mathman]

Why wouldn't Alina Zagitova say patriotic things about Putin? He is the president of her country. He no doubt was supportive of her skating endeavors (unless he was a big Medvedeva fan). We do not look to teenagers to jump up and foment a revolution (unless they are Joan of Arc).

 

[ladyjane]

Why wouldn't Alina Zagitova say patriotic things about Putin? He is the president of her country. He no doubt was supportive of her skating endeavors (unless he was a big Medvedeva fan). We do not look to teenagers to jump up and foment a revolution (unless they are Joan of Arc).

Totally agree on this. Why do we want 15-year-olds (kids to me) to be critical in that sense while they've only ever been supported by the ones under critique. I suspect she was overwhelmed by the president being interested in 'little her'. This is not about any politics, just the normal way of things with kids, unless they are Greta Thunberg and then be passionate about a certain issue. I admire both.

 

[Mauvedreamer]

No. I love the sport far more than I do any individual skater.

Ridiculous drama is created when people become so enamored of particular athletes that it skews their perspectives. I'm always amazed at fools who take to the internet to disparage or defend skaters. The fact is that none of these skaters know you, they'll never know you, and while they are polite and professional - they're not laying awake at night worrying about your opinions.

As much as I enjoy their skating, today's stars will fade. Federation fortunes will shift. There's always someone new clawing their way to the top or breaking new ground technically and artistically, and that is inspiring. Enjoy the skaters, I certainly do. But society will improve and you'll be a better person if you focus your energies on your family, or building rewarding new personal relationships, or feeding the hungry, or etc etc.

Squabbling with strangers on twitter or other social media is degrading.

Great Post. Good perspective.

 

[Joekaz]

I think it was more than just winning the Gold (although that certainly helps).
NBC had a fairly complete backstory on her the night before (I think?) about her reasons for moving to China.
I think if she had remained in 2nd place and gotten Silver, she would still be very popular because it really was a positive story.

From the USA standpoint, at the very least, she could't be falsely portrayed as a "traitor" or ungrateful opportunist by people with agendas or narratives.

NBC didn't really have much of a story on Zhu Yi other than she moved to and competes for China. They also mentioned something about the 5 competition qualifying process to determine who went to the Olympics. At least that's all I can recall.

I think the fact that Gu actually competed for the US, where she was born, until a couple of years ago makes her look not so good. Unlike Naomi Osaka, for instance, who also grew up and lives in the US, but has always competed for Japan where she was also born. So some skepticism is logical.

 

[Amei]

She was taken to China by her parents at 15. That’s a really impressionable age. I’m not sure what I would have done. Apparently there are also conspiracy theories that she was given the Olympic spot because of who her father is. I’m not sure I buy that. But maybe the Chinese Fed said hey we are weak in this discipline why not give it to the child of an important person. Not sure what the Chinese Fed would have gotten in return.

The rumors that I heard was that basically her Olympic spot was included in her father's compensation package go back to China vs. staying in the US, so the skating Fed was basically told, she's your girl (if the rumors are true)

USA have so many skaters of Asian descent that they shouldn't be surprised if some of them switch for the country of their origins. Especially the ones who struggle to get even challengers spots.

Well a lot of the casual only watch around the Olympic time fans probably don't realize/grasp the country limits and how prevalent it is that skaters change countries for the easy assignments. I wonder what some of the people's reactions would be to Europeans this year where 7 of top 10 ladies were Russians by birth and a I think most of them still train in Russia as well.

 

[Seruleane]

Thank you for starting this thread! I would never leave figure skating fandom, and Golden Skate is my safe place where I can appreciate figure skating with fans all over the world. Having said that, I have been disappointed with some of the media coverage of the Olympics, and I can understand the OP's sentiment. As an American, I know our fans can get very nationalistic around the Olympics, or even Worlds. There is such an obsession over US winning or beating other countries, and I don't understand why, since I have always rooted for my favorite athletes regardless of country. I remember being at the 2016 ISU World Championships in Boston and the guy sitting in front of me was loudly proclaiming he hoped "the Russian girls all fell on their butts." I gave him dirty looks the whole time and made sure to cheer extra loudly for all the Russian ladies. Having said that, I can think of some other countries that are just as nationalistic as the US, maybe even more so.

I was also incredibly uncomfortable and angry seeing all the hateful comments and coverage of Zhu Yi. Not only did she have to deal with the negativity on Weibo, but US media kept highlighting her falls and the negative coverage in China, I think to make a point that China is an evil country and why did she ever leave the US to represent China? Many US posters were calling her a traitor to the US, and she deserved to fail. It's not like she was even a major athlete who was expected to do well at the Olympics! They focused on her simply because of her China connection. I think because US/China relations are at an all time low, any athletes originally from the US who are representing China are going to have to deal with a lot of backlash, and it's not necessarily fair. They are just athletes (and in many cases, still children), not politicians expected to account for their actions. I have no doubt a big part of why Eileen Gu is representing China is for the lucrative deals she is getting, and yes, that is opportunistic. However, as an Asian American myself, I can understand feeling that connection to the country of your ancestral origin, especially since there is a history of quiet and not so quiet racism against Asians in the US, where we are often not made to feel we belong. So I think her identity as a Chinese-American is complicated and played a role in her decision, so why not represent her mother's home country, if she thinks that will get her the better deal? In any case, the amount of shade and semi-negative coverage she is getting for this is ludicrous. I really wish US media focused more on Nathan Chen and how amazing his short program was. Wouldn't that be a much more positive way to highlight Asian American contributions to the US sporting world? Instead, I feel like this is all being overshadowed by the politics of this Olympics, and that is very unfortunate.

 

[Putina]

Imagine there had been social media during Nancy and Tonya's time.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Thank you for starting this thread! I would never leave figure skating fandom, and Golden Skate is my safe place where I can appreciate figure skating with fans all over the world. Having said that, I have been disappointed with some of the media coverage of the Olympics, and I can understand the OP's sentiment. As an American, I know our fans can get very nationalistic around the Olympics, or even Worlds. There is such an obsession over US winning or beating other countries, and I don't understand why, since I have always rooted for my favorite athletes regardless of country. I remember being at the 2016 ISU World Championships in Boston and the guy sitting in front of me was loudly proclaiming he hoped "the Russian girls all fell on their butts." I gave him dirty looks the whole time and made sure to cheer extra loudly for all the Russian ladies. Having said that, I can think of some other countries that are just as nationalistic as the US, maybe even more so.

I was also incredibly uncomfortable and angry seeing all the hateful comments and coverage of Zhu Yi. Not only did she have to deal with the negativity on Weibo, but US media kept highlighting her falls and the negative coverage in China, I think to make a point that China is an evil country and why did she ever leave the US to represent China? Many US posters were calling her a traitor to the US, and she deserved to fail. It's not like she was even a major athlete who was expected to do well at the Olympics! They focused on her simply because of her China connection. I think because US/China relations are at an all time low, any athletes originally from the US who are representing China are going to have to deal with a lot of backlash, and it's not necessarily fair. They are just athletes (and in many cases, still children), not politicians expected to account for their actions. I have no doubt a big part of why Eileen Gu is representing China is for the lucrative deals she is getting, and yes, that is opportunistic. However, as an Asian American myself, I can understand feeling that connection to the country of your ancestral origin, especially since there is a history of quiet and not so quiet racism against Asians in the US, where we are often not made to feel we belong. So I think her identity as a Chinese-American is complicated and played a role in her decision, so why not represent her mother's home country, if she thinks that will get her the better deal? In any case, the amount of shade and semi-negative coverage she is getting for this is ludicrous. I really wish US media focused more on Nathan Chen and how amazing his short program was. Wouldn't that be a much more positive way to highlight Asian American contributions to the US sporting world? Instead, I feel like this is all being overshadowed by the politics of this Olympics, and that is very unfortunate.

Yep, the Olympics are catnip for nationalists in many countries. I don't think many of those passing judgements are really interested in the actual sports. Looking forward to the global limelight moving away from skating in a couple of weeks, hopefully taking some of this jingoism with it.

And spot on description of the unfortunate situation faced by Zhu. Even in the best of times, being a third-culture kid has its challenges (as I'd know). It must feel awful, not only to have roots in two countries currently at odds with one another, but also to receive public hate in both countries.

 

[DreamSkates]

I don’t usually post new threads, but I have been a huge figure skating fan for almost 50 years. It used to be fun. And I even enjoyed a bit of drama and intrigue, always about the feds and coaches and media, never about the skaters. But now it’s become too much, especially with social media. The fan wars, the cruelty toward skaters for disappointing fans—it just seems all so entitled to me. I couldn’t believe some of the things I read about Karen and Zhou yesterday. Even USA Today “journalist” Christine Brennan, who should know better, piled on. Someone who first reported evidence of allegations of abuse. And now a new skating Cold War seems to be re-emerging. I think this team event has been a horrible influence on the sport. It used to be about admiring skaters from all over the world, not just your own country. (I hated the USA! USA! chant for the stupid hockey game when I was a teen. It seems everyone just needs to grow up and get a grip. It’s no fun either when the results are a foregone conclusion. Nothing is fun about this anymore.

I don't plan on leaving fandom but I don't get on social media and read what everyone thinks. I form my own opinion. I go directly to a skater's official website and leave a positive message. I ignore some posts and use the "ignore" function in another board if a poster says too many inappropriate or critical things. Figure Skating is not all positive, and if you are a competitor you have to learn to take some heat especially with so much of what you do put on display for the world to see. At the end of the day, competitors can form a tough skin and create their own bubble of confidence and safety.

If you are on social media of any type, you already know how much people put out there that is exaggerated, misleading, false or overly dramatic because they don't say it face-to-face. No accountability or responsibility. I will read only those who have a sense of the latter. I do not want to be a part of the drama just to get attention.

 

[labgoat]

I would not dream of leaving the fandom, but there are places in social media that I do avoid due to their impulsive toxicity. I have been more quiet than usual this Olympics as I have been working nonstop up until today. I am choosing to keep my posting positive in order to respect the efforts of the athletes from all countries great and small as they continue a journey that has taken many years. Thankfully GS is a mostly positive place to get together with others from all over to root for our faves and commiserate when our faves struggle. I have learned so much from others of different cultures and can't imagine giving this up. I wish the best to my faves and their rivals and hope that when these games are done that we remember that these events are only a part of life and that there is more to life than the medals. It's about the journey and the skaters and fans we meet along the way. May we continue to give peace a chance.

 

[Shutomei]

I am a lurker but thought to respond to this thoughtful thread.

I'm in my 60s, and have become accustomed to watching skaters through their career. This run of Russian woman is different for me, because I am concerned that they are retiring to young and gone too soon. This should be a warning signal, and it is this aspect of the sport that frustrates me the most. I think adults continually yet young talent down, and this is another example of it. The ISU might have enjoyed the female quads, but it turned a blind eye to the system that brought them there, which is the same system that is destroying them.

I'm also Japanese, so I enjoy the Japanese skaters. I don't always like the Hanyu fan comments, or even the snipes at Japanese fans.

But I think it's worth remaining part of a community, even if it is fairly inactive as I am. I just saw a whole bunch of comments by people who state that they will no longer watch the rest of Olympic skating because of the potential doping scandal. That seems crazy. One skater(s) should not remove your love of an entire sport. So many of these kids work so hard to get to this point. Even if no skater reads these boards, at least we're plugged in enough to watch. To read. To protest when we think something is wrong with the system. Keeping skating alive is important, and I think connecting with others who share the passion is a good thing. You just don't have to listen to everything, especially if it comes from Twitter.

 

[millie]

I’m back again after 4 years. Wow, I didn’t expect this controversy in figure skating. It breaks my heart to see all those young women in figure skating working so hard to do their best. That’s all that matters is their best and with the speculation of someone cheating (not proven yet), it makes me mad. The bodies of those little girls, that’s what they are girls) to be put through this strict regimes and whatever. Where are their parents to allow this. All it takes is one bad apple to spoil the whole bunch…Some of these girls skate as if they are robots…