As a skater, better to be short or tall?

[MarinHondas]

Is it more convenient to be shorter or taller as a skater? I see girls 5'6, 5"7 or taller who have big jumps but someone told me it is easier to jump as a shorter skater because you have a lower center of gravity? I was wondering what everyone else thought.

 

[TGee]

Is it more convenient to be shorter or taller as a skater? I see girls 5'6, 5"7 or taller who have big jumps but someone told me it is easier to jump as a shorter skater because you have a lower center of gravity? I was wondering what everyone else thought.

The science says that being a late developer in terms of relatively late peak growth spurts and puberty is the biggest advantage.

And while they are on average shorter than their peers from early school age on, late developers in the end turn out with about average height and can be quite tall.

Skating, like gymnastics and diving, is classified as an early specialization sport. That means it is very unlikely to reach the highest elite levels without acquiring a high level of sport specific skill prior to peak growth. At minimum some triple jumps...

So, we are seeing skaters who have late growth spurts doing well, even as seniors, due to their having more time to learn advanced skills before they face peak growth.

The biggest challenge seems to be for the skater, the coaches, the parents, and the federations to keep perspective and support development when late growth and puberty hits skaters who are already successful at the senior level. They seem to often lose their jumps.....Whether it's Yulia Lipnitskaya or Nam Nguyen, riding through this late transition seems to be a risk for career washout...

 

[SarahSynchro]

Speaking from personal experience, I've been 5'10 since I was fifteen years old, and I skated singles in Skate Canada's starskate test steam until I was 20. I got as high as my junior silver freeskate test and had three consistent doubles (toe, salchow, loop).

I would definitely say being tall had some disadvantages, mostly during growth spurts when my legs and arms would grow and I'd be the equivalent of Bambi on ice. Flailing limbs all over. Sure, shorter skaters have growth spurts as well, but length wise they aren't as intense.

Also it's impossible to ever be a pair skater and difficult even for ice dance when you're my height. Some of the current female ice dancers are 5'6 - Kaitlyn Weaver immediately comes to mind - and that's considered tall for a female skater.

Hell, I think the average height for a male singles skater is 5'7, give or take.

 

[Krunchii]

My friend who is a coach told me very simply that the less there is of you to get into the air, the easier it is to do the jumps. It's very simplified and she was saying it in regard to singles only but in general the average figure skater is shorter than the average person.

It probably helps to have a lower centre of gravity but it's not the end all. Really it always depends on a combination of factors. Satoko Miyahara is very tiny but her jumps are her weakness while Polina Tsurskaya is one of the tallest ladies in the game and her jumps are big. YMMV

 

[mrrice]

Well, the best jumper that I have seen in person is Tonya Harding who is listed at 5'1' . However, I think Kristi Yamaguchi, who is also listed at 5'1' was even shorter than Tonya. I was surprised to see how short all the skaters were in 1999 when I went Worlds. I'm trying to think of the tallest good jumping skater I've ever seen and it might be Julia Sebestyen. According to her Bio, Julia is only 5'5" but she seemed to tower over the other skaters in 1999. Jennifer Robinson was tall and beautiful but, didn't have a great event when I saw her in 2001. The tallest good jumper that I can think of off the top of my head is Viktoria Volchkova who is listed at 5'6"

 

[edwinaskater1943]

Well, the best jumper that I have seen in person is Tonya Harding who is listed at 5'1' . However, I think Kristi Yamaguchi, who is also listed at 5'1' was even shorter than Tonya. I was surprised to see how short all the skaters were in 1999 when I went Worlds. I'm trying to think of the tallest good jumping skater I've ever seen and it might be Julia Sebestyen. According to her Bio, Julia is only 5'5" but she seemed to tower over the other skaters in 1999. Jennifer Robinson was tall and beautiful but, didn't have a great event when I saw her in 2001. The tallest good jumper that I can think of off the top of my head is Viktoria Volchkova who is listed at 5'6"

Anna P is pretty tall and obviously had growth spurt issues last season which have rectified this year - she looks about 5ft7. Carolina Kostner also 5ft7

 

[rollerblade]

Maybe it's not the height, but rather the body type/proportion?

 

[plushyfan]

That is better if short.

 

[Tavi...]

Is it more convenient to be shorter or taller as a skater? I see girls 5'6, 5"7 or taller who have big jumps but someone told me it is easier to jump as a shorter skater because you have a lower center of gravity? I was wondering what everyone else thought.

You stated in the "Has Gracie Gold Regressed" thread you started that you skate at the same rink where Alex Ouriashev coaches. Why would you even bother asking a question like this?

 

[MarinHondas]

You stated in the "Has Gracie Gold Regressed" thread you started that you skate at the same rink where Alex Ouriashev coaches. Why would you even bother asking a question like this?

I do, I'm a skater standing at 5'6 but I have asked several skaters and coaches and I get conflicting answers. One coach told me it really doesnt matter but another skater said it is better to be short. Personally I dont have any problems but my jumps also arent the biggest or highest. But then again, I see both short and tall skaters landing huge jumps. So I was wondering what everyone else thought. I dont see the problem?

 

[Tavi...]

I do, I'm a skater standing at 5'6 but I have asked several skaters and coaches and I get conflicting answers. One coach told me it really doesnt matter but another skater said it is better to be short. Personally I dont have any problems but my jumps also arent the biggest or highest. But then again, I see both short and tall skaters landing huge jumps. So I was wondering what everyone else thought. I dont see the problem?

If you're just making idle conversation, there's no problem, but if what you're really asking is whether your height impacts the size of your jumps, it might be more helpful to ask your coach how to improve them.

 

[Sam L]

I'm guessing you don't want to be very tall because you'd want your centre of gravity to be lower. Personally, I think about 5'7 is perfect for men. This is below average for men in western countries. I may be biased because I am also 5'7. lol. But like others have said, it's all about personal talent and many other factors.

 

[karne]

You are all strange. 5'6" and 5'7" aren't tall. I am 5'8" and I am NOT tall.

 

[Sam L]

You are all strange. 5'6" and 5'7" aren't tall. I am 5'8" and I am NOT tall.

Yeah 5'7 is short in the general population but it's a tallish and good height in Figure Skating. These skaters are around 5'7: Patrick, Yuzu, Polina Maria Carolina.

 

[TGee]

Yeah 5'7 is short in the general population but it's a tallish and good height in Figure Skating. These skaters are around 5'7: Patrick, Yuzu, Polina Maria Carolina.

But then look at some of the men in pairs and dance teams that can do incredible things...

Eric Radford: 188 cm or a bit over 6'2 --- SBS 3Lz, no problem

Andrew Poje: 190 cm or about 6'3 ----- elite ice dance steps, got them

 

[rollerblade]

5'8" is not tall?! That's crossing into the giraffe territory for female skaters!

 

[Weathergal]

You are all strange. 5'6" and 5'7" aren't tall. I am 5'8" and I am NOT tall.

I don't know about Australia, but in U.S. average height for adult women is 5'4" and average height for adult men is 5'9". I am 5'4" and often wished I were taller (and definitely thinner!). For one thing, clothing looks much better on a taller person--and no hemming!

 

[TGee]

I don't know about Australia, but in U.S. average height for adult women is 5'4" and average height for adult men is 5'9". I am 5'4" and often wished I were taller (and definitely thinner!). For one thing, clothing looks much better on a taller person--and no hemming!

While the average foe women is going up in younger age groups, it's surprising that even in the 20-29 age group it doesn't get over 5'5.

But it's not exactly nice bell curve on the NHANES US government tables. It looks like it's a bit skewed to between 5'1 and 5'4 with a longer right tail toward greater heights.