- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
I doubt than any skater, no matter how long they compete, can achieve worldwide fame just for athletic performance. Most athletes can't actually - famous athletes compete mostly in football, basketball, tennis or martial arts. There are exceptions obviously, but figure skating hasn't reached mainstream popularity yet, maybe because its rules are overall not easy to understand and the sport is not always taken seriously. Longevity adds up too of course, especially for a growing sport that is figure skating.
In general, I don't think figure skaters are particular global superstars. The sport is not globally played ie Africa and S. America have few if nay competitors. The constant changing scoring system among inconsistent or questionable judging, Certain Asada, Kim, Plushenko, Lipinskaya, Kwan, Hamill and Fleming had huge domestic following but internationally not so much and then again more limited to the skating community. The ave person who might watch skating if at all during an olympic year might know the name Tonya Harding for the wrong reasons. I see the names Torvill and Dean but they are very limited to the skating community. In part because back the ice dancing sort of was a situation of inheriting your spot. And in part because ice dancing especially back in 1984 was seen as more dance and not athletic and in part Torvill and Dean read as old. remember seeing that in some marketing class. Jayne Torvill had a very matronly old look. Again marketing. I am not sure martial arts will get you int'l recognition but the point is well taken about other sports. This is not to put down Torvill and Dean or anyone. Sadly skating isn't the most popular sport or where skaters get the most money compared t say tennis, golf, ,basketball, football/soccer (European/intl), hockey. I don't think martial arts woudl make a ss ome don't even consider i really a sport.