Chinese pair partnership "sparks" debate

[gsk8]

Towering teenage boy and girl, 9, in China figure skating partnership spark debate

Commentators consider contrast in height and seven-year age gap to be ‘uncomfortable’, raise questions over safety, ethics.

"The duo, Li Xinze, a nine-year-old girl, and Li Mingda, a strapping 16-year-old boy, competed in the senior pairs at last week’s China National Figure Skating Championships."

"Under International Skating Union (ISU) regulations, the age difference between pair skaters cannot exceed seven years, meaning the partnership is compliant, yet it has still fueled intense discussion about aesthetics, safety and ethics."

What are your thoughts?

 

[jersey1302]

My safety concern would be how her body would hold up in major throw and twist elements because she’s not even at a development physically and a muscle mass of a teen, the mismatch in that with a 16 year old male is very large.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

I think that the ISU should revise the rules. Pairs skaters that young, or 12 and under should not be paired with anyone more than two or three years older. I'm not terribly comfortable with a 13 year old being paired with a 20 year old for that matter. The partner imo should be no more than three or four years older.

 

[4everchan]

my concern would be that 5 years should be the norm for all skaters under 18.

 

[ladyjane]

It's why I enjoyed the YOG pairs so much last time with the real baby pairs and no such big differences. Especially so young. 7 years may be okay when it concerns adults (the difference may even be bigger then, no problem), but to couple a child (who may not even skate juniors internationally) with an almost full-grown 16-year-old goes against the grain. The age difference may be compliant, but the age of one of them certainly isn't.

 

[Mathman]

Soviet pairs skaters Marina Cherkosova and Sergei Shakhrai were 12 and 18 when they won the bronze medal at 1977 Europeans. She was 138 cm (4 ft 6 in) tall and he was 173 cm (5 ft 8).

They were the first pairs team to do a quadruple twist in competition -- he was so much taller and she was so tiny that they could easily get the necessary height. By 1981 she had grown so much that he could no longer lift her.

 

[Diana Delafield]

Soviet pairs skaters Marina Cherkosova and Sergei Shakhrai were 12 and 18 when they won the bronze medal at 1977 Europeans. She was 138 cm (4 ft 6 in) tall and he was 173 cm (5 ft 8).

They were the first pairs team to do a quadruple twist in competition -- he was so much taller and she was so tiny that they could easily get the necessary height. By 1981 she had grown so much that he could no longer lift her.

I remember how scathing the TV commentators were about them, the first of the "1 1/2 pairs"that were a brief fad.

Added later: Exchanged emails with my partner after posting this and he reminded me we were learning pairs at that time, and our clubmates were teasing us as a 1 1/2 pair. We're the same age (he's one week to the minute older than I am ), but that year I was still 4'10" while he was 6' tall. Then I had a growth spurt of almost 6" in a year, and he "in retaliation" he says, grew another 3". We had to go back to the beginning and learn everything all over again.

 

[DancingCactus]

Nine? In seniors? Ew on so many levels.

 

[SubRosa]

I remember how scathing the TV commentators were about them, the first of the "1 1/2 pairs"that were a brief fad.

Visceral memory of Debbi Wilkes calling them "ragdoll pairs"

 

[TallyT]

Nine? In seniors? Ew on so many levels.

And the thing is, they look simply ridiculous.

 

[NanaPat]

Visceral memory of Debbi Wilkes calling them "ragdoll pairs"

I recall her calling them "gorilla and flea" pairs.

 

[dorispulaski]

Visceral memory of Debbi Wilkes calling them "ragdoll pairs"

One of the US commentators at the time referred to them as "Gorilla & Flea" pairs.

The girl should not be competing in Junior or senior pairs at all, considering that a nine-year-old's bones and growth plates are still changing. A child can develop a good deal of damage just doing jumps, let alone throw jumps.

Overuse Injuries in Children - OrthoInfo - AAOS

Because young athletes are still growing, they are at a greater risk for injury than adults. The consequences of overdoing a sport can include injuries that impair growth, and may lead to long-term health problems.

orthoinfo.aaos.org

 

[4everchan]

Even in singles, Skate Canada doesn't allow kids under a certain age to compete in senior anymore domestically. In the past, if you had won junior nationals, you would be promoted to seniors... not the case anymore. This is why Lia Cho isn't able to complete domestically as a senior this year (and not yet internationally as a junior) .

 

[gr8sk8srus]

Marina Cherkosova and Sergei Shakhrai were not the first to do a quadruple twist. Back in the day, Gordeeyva and Grinkov did this. They stopped because they didn't feel they were getting adequately rewarded for it.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Marina Cherkosova and Sergei Shakhrai were not the first to do a quadruple twist. Back in the day, Gordeeyva and Grinkov did this. They stopped because they didn't feel they were getting adequately rewarded for it.

Gordeeva / Grinkov didn't pair up until 1981, at which point Cherkasova / Shakhrai had already done the 4Tw in competition 4 years prior and were mere months from splitting.