Figure skating-Kim unable to lift sagging interest at worlds

[drivingmissdaisy]

My understanding was that the arenas were full for the short programs. Apparently I was wrong...

http://news.yahoo.com/figure-skating-kim-unable-lift-sagging-interest-worlds-184113043--spt.html

 

[ForeverFish]

"Tracie" Gold? Are you kidding me? :disapp:

I could understand getting one of the Russian girls' names wrong, but the level of skating journalism seems to be on the decline everywhere. Do your research, people.

 

[sky_fly20]

"Tracie" Gold? Are you kidding me? :disapp:

I could understand getting one of the Russian girls' names wrong, but the level of skating journalism seems to be on the decline everywhere. Do your research, people.

at least the propaganda was minimal

 

[Whitneyskates]

Tracie Gold, huh? Maybe she can do a free skate to the Growing Pains theme song

 

[ForeverFish]

I dearly hope that Mr. Steve Keating is never in a position where he has to spell "Elizaveta Tuktamysheva," "Adelina Sotnikova," or even "Kaetlyn Osmond."

 

[Ziggy]

Why haven't USFS and SC addressed this yet?

What they need to do:

1) Hire a producer responsible for The Hills/Kardashians/etc.
2) Have them come up with some kind of ridiculous fake controversy that has a chance of getting picked up by the media outlets
3) Pay some skaters to play along with it. For example, make sure Tracie Gold 'accidentally' knocks over her main rival during the warm-up (or practice) at US Nationals.
etc.

= profit.

 

[Krislite]

Wait for the LP on Saturday evening. Thursday afternoon wasn't a good time for many who were working. I'm sure the arena will be more full for the LP.

 

[jfdw]

Perhaps some of the reasons for the less than full arena at this year's World's is financial. An all event ticket is over one thousand dollars and you can count on the hotels raising their rates for the few days the world's are held there.

It certainly deterred me. I only live three hundred miles away and 3-4 thousand dollars for five days at World's was too rich for my blood. I am a die hard figure skating fan. So I am watching from my living room and reading this board. Perhaps it is time for the World's organizers to take into account the world financial situation.

jfdw

 

[Robeye]

I agree with the diagnosis given in the article, that the North American viewing public wants a homegrown star and Olympic [ladies] champion to lure them back into the viewing fold.

-If Gracie Gold won gold, skating's visibility would explode in the US.

-I wonder, would Kaetlyn Osmond winning Olympic gold translate into a similar North American bonanza, and not just in Canada?

 

[lavender]

I'm a Yuna fan I genuinely don't remember seeing ads or much of anything in U.S. on Yuna.

I think you have to have a lot of fans before the Olympics to maintain that interest over time. At least that seems to be the case for the past few U.S. champions.

I agree that Canada is usually packed and I'm sure it will be a lot of people in the stands over the weekend.

 

[Icey]

It's not Kim's place to lift sagging interest in worlds.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I'm a Yuna fan I genuinely don't remember seeing ads or much of anything in U.S. on Yuna.

After Katerina Witt won her first OGM she stayed in the spotlight by winning multiple World titles and then another OGM. Yuna has remained relatively low profile in the skating world and IIRC has competed in two televised competitions in the last three years. It's understandable that casual fans have completely forgotten about her.

 

[ranjake]

I agree with the diagnosis given in the article, that the North American viewing public wants a homegrown star and Olympic [ladies] champion to lure them back into the viewing fold.

-If Gracie Gold won gold, skating's visibility would explode in the US.

-I wonder, would Kaetlyn Osmond winning Olympic gold translate into a similar North American bonanza, and not just in Canada?

Here- in the US- I think it's because they show next to NOTHING on TV; and really nothing in real time. So far from the days of Kwan when we had figure skating almost every weekend. Yes- there were cheesefests, too- but we could watch this stuff a lot more; we could even get to know and cheer for skaters from other counties. They show the most obscure college sports far more in the US than they do figure skating, I don't understand it.

 

[wallylutz]

The rink was packed tonight, both upper stands and the lower. It was difficult to even walk during the Zamboni breaks to get anywhere without being stuck in human traffic. This article is poorly written and misleading. I wish I had taken a picture of the packed arena tonight, so much for "sagging interest".

 

[EricRohmer]

"The arena wasn't as full as I expected," lamented Kim after winning the ladies short skate on Thursday. "I just kept trying to think that this was another practice session and I focused on that."

Yuna did not lament. Rather, Yuna felt a relief or less pressured from not-full arena because she was nervous before SP.

I wish Yuna's words are translated rightly.
In an interview, Yuna said "Except a spin mistake, I did 100% that I can do at this point. So no regret."
But a few foreign reporters translated this into "I will give me 100 points(or perfect scores)."

 

[Mathman]

If Gracie Gold won gold, skating's visibility would explode in the US.

That is not so clear to me. Skating's decline started at a time when we had multiple world champion Michelle Kwan front and center (and well before the Salt Lake City judging controversy and the CoP).

Look at what's-her-name -- the girl who won the gymnastics all-around in the last summer Olympics.

 

[delray1977]

Skating was still popular enough during the SLC games. It was when the cop system was introduced that it started to decline.

 

[skateluvr]

Heres to Gracie's grace and huge jumps. May she win in Sochi a la Sarah Hughes!

 

[Whitneyskates]

Skating was still popular enough during the SLC games. It was when the cop system was introduced that it started to decline.

I don't think COP is the main problem, I think burnout was also an issue. Speaking from a U.S perspective, it seemed that, beginning in the 90's up untill the early 2000's, skating was everywhere in the winter. Nearly every weekend there was some type of show and/or a competition. And all those shows got boring after a while because it was usually the same skaters doing the same programs.

 

[dorispulaski]

The fact that the skaters were doing the same programs was a problem; it made it feel like the events were reruns somehow. I don't think there is any real solutions for that.