Lambiel obviously not serious about competiting anymore, fills schedule with shows!

[Joesitz (RIP)]

What exactly is "odd" about it?

Your seem to be saying ALL N.Americans think that and forget that so many Americans wanted Irina to beat Michell and moi, defending Stephane constantly.
He would have won that Euros, imo, even as a cripple, and you can throw in 4CC.

Joe

 

[La Rhumba]

No, I'm not talking about supporting particular skaters, what I get upset about is when posters talk about FS being "in crisis" and "reduced TV viewers" they are always meaning *in North America*. FS is quite bouyant in Europe now, and has been for the past year, ES is increasing TV coverage, we are having fun and generally happy. I just ask for posters to distinguish that the land lies differently *here* compared to there. This is an international board, though accepted I'm in a minority.

 

[hockeyfan228]

I was in Warsaw. I'm not sure the Lambiel at Calgary would have beaten Joubert, and the Lambiel at Victoria wouldn't have been on the podium. It was clear from his demeanor and his interviews from Skate Canada that he never recovered from last season, the end-of-season injury, and the summer tour and that he needed rest. Joubert is a man reborn and on a mission, with a long-term plan for Vancouver, at least at this point. Lambiel does not look or sound like a man on a mission, and perhaps that's why he decided to take a break.

 

[bems]

Remember this is a fourm. We get to discuss our concerns. Those of you who speak of European ratings, do you have stats, can you support your claim?

If you haven't taken a look at it already please click on the link and read this Open letter to Ottavio Cinquanta by Sonia Bianchetti February 2007

http://www.soniabianchetti.com/writings_openletter.html

My friends in Europe and many of us in North America who have been actively involved with this sport for over 20 years are concerned. The sport will always need to grow and change to be relevant. It is because we love this sport that we speak out.

Perhaps our postings need to be more factual than feeling but let us not pretend that all is well.

 

[La Rhumba]

Excuse me, this is a thread about Stephane Lambiel, and I'm aware of that letter, I was actually just forwarded it by email from a skating friend in America, although I already knew of it via the forums, in particluar FSU, where Morry Stillwell, a US Official and former GP big cheese, has been scathing about the letter writer's motives.

The evidence is that Eurosport have TOLD us publicly that their viewing figures for FS are very high, thus they have increased coverage this year. We've just had live coverage of 4CCs.
The general interest in Europe is twofold:
1) Partly created by the Dancing On Ice TV celeb shows all over Europe over the past year - this goes for the Netherlands aswell, where they've just had GP highlights for the first time on mainstream TV as a result of the increased interest in Skating generally.
2) There is a bouyancy and a feeling of well being because the smaller nations are being represented on the podium, as at the recent Europeans, and finally getting a look in. The spread of success and top 10 nations represented in the rankings is wider, and this creates much interest and pride, as in the Czech Republic with the success of Tomas Verner this season.

I think the recent European Championship Dance event was the best Judged overall for years, I mention this as it's usually Dance that gets the most flak from the discontented.

I'm quite aware this is a forum and people wish to discuss their concerns, but don't assume that everyone agrees with you, and demand evidence if they don't!

I'm quite sick of this endless discussion about politics. I, for one, wish to enjoy the Sport and have fun, and appreciate the skating skills on view. I can be cynical and criticise at times ofcourse, but atm, I don't feel there is a deep crisis and we're all heading for disaster. There are other, more positive forums out there, and the views expressed here are not the only views about skating, or the coterie of email friends you say share your views in Europe. And FYI, I've been following the Sport for 27 years, so no, I'm not a newbie, and I find the suggestion that anyone who disagrees with all the negativity is somehow not a "serious" fan to be patronizing.

Thanks very much for keeping me up till 2.20am to reply to this post! I am now in a bad mood and regretting even starting this discussion.

 

[chuckm]

No, I'm not talking about supporting particular skaters, what I get upset about is when posters talk about FS being "in crisis" and "reduced TV viewers" they are always meaning *in North America*. FS is quite bouyant in Europe now, and has been for the past year, ES is increasing TV coverage, we are having fun and generally happy. I just ask for posters to distinguish that the land lies differently *here* compared to there. This is an international board, though accepted I'm in a minority.

The fact is that the ISU receives the bulk of its income from TV contracts in the US. From what I have read on the boards from European viewers, there is even less figure skating on TV in Europe than there is in the US. So it IS a big deal if viewership is down in the US, because that affects ISU income, which in turn affects prize money awarded to the skaters and even can eventually affect the staging of the GP events themselves.

No one wants to see that happen, hence the concern on the part of the US posters.

 

[Sk8harvest]

What exactly is "odd" about it?

I just thought it was odd that in a thread about whether Lambiel will be competing this year, you drew the conclusion that North Americans think that North America is "the world" of FS. I really didn't see anything from this thread, or even this board, that would indicate the North American posters think North American skating is the world of FS. Judging from the lively threads I have read on this board about the European skaters and Asian skaters, I don't think I'm the only North American who is a fan of many figure skaters no matter what country or continent those skaters originate from.

[edited to add] But you are right about one thing - most of us North Americans watch television in North America. Most of us don't have access to European television (although my cable subscription now has BBC on it). I don't even have access to Canadian stations. If your point was that we are uneducated about how popular FS might or might not be in other countries, you are probably correct, (at least I don't know.) But to generalize it to say that we are only interested in North American FS is not true.

 

[bems]

Dear Larumba

Chill out it is a forum!

You did attack North America so North America attacked you.

All of us who blog here have our sources and all of us love the sport and want to see it continue with a high profile. We are all striving towards the same purpose. Many of us are very well connected. Let us debate and move forward.

You have answered my challenge and I am sorry if I offended you.

 

[Mathman]

Huh? I don't see anything in LaRhumba's posts where he/she attacked North America, said that Americans are interested only in American skaters or denied that television revenue from America is important.

The point was that we can't necessarily extrapolate from declining interest in the USA to conclude that figure skating is on the ropes world wide.

 

[Linny]

back to Lambiel

Lambiel may very well be disappointed in the fact that he had the best spins in the sports and was given level 1's for them. He had to change to bizarre twisting things that weren't as fast and - let's face it - reduced the amount of personal satisfaction he got in performing them. So, he's doing shows instead.
Linny

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I was in Warsaw. I'm not sure the Lambiel at Calgary would have beaten Joubert, and the Lambiel at Victoria wouldn't have been on the podium. It was clear from his demeanor and his interviews from Skate Canada that he never recovered from last season, the end-of-season injury, and the summer tour and that he needed rest. Joubert is a man reborn and on a mission, with a long-term plan for Vancouver, at least at this point. Lambiel does not look or sound like a man on a mission, and perhaps that's why he decided to take a break.

I can not judge a skater on one competition as this is the way he will be for all eternity. I do recall the two year slump and moody Joubert who pulled himself together to get back to his metronome style of skating. Bravo for him, and let Lambiel find his way either in skating or whatever without negating his two World Championships which Joubert could have won but didn't. He has has none.

Joe

 

[mitzi]

Stephane apparently is bulking up his schedule with a bunch of shows. He has 4 shows planned in the next 4 weeks alone:

It is extremely obvious he has no intention of returning to compete this season at all.

And what about Sarah, she takes part at the same shows as Stephane, is something obvious about her future as well?

 

[hockeyfan228]

Bravo for him, and let Lambiel find his way either in skating or whatever without negating his two World Championships which Joubert could have won but didn't. He has has none.

Joe

Lambiel's two World Championships are there for as long as records are kept on the planet and can never be negated.

He did not just have a bad technical Skate Canada. He had, self-admittedly, a bad mental Skate Canada, and made it clear that he did not want to win by default. Default can only happen if everyone else had the meltdows they did at like at SC. (Neither Joubert nor Verner did at Europeans.) It makes sense that he decided not to skate Europeans if his head was not in the right place.

 

[hockeyfan228]

Lambiel may very well be disappointed in the fact that he had the best spins in the sports and was given level 1's for them.

Lambiel had the best sit spins in the world, but his upright spins, like his camel spins, were in the average range. He tended to save the best for last, which makes sense since the judges remember the last thing they've seen the most. (Suguri used to do the same under OBO, closing with fast circular footword and a blazing scratch spin.)

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Lambiel's two World Championships are there for as long as records are kept on the planet and can never be negated.

He did not just have a bad technical Skate Canada. He had, self-admittedly, a bad mental Skate Canada, and made it clear that he did not want to win by default. Default can only happen if everyone else had the meltdows they did at like at SC. (Neither Joubert nor Verner did at Europeans.) It makes sense that he decided not to skate Europeans if his head was not in the right place.

I can definiitely agree to that.

Joe

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I'm all for blazing scratch spins for the finish much more than travelling convoluted combo spins.

Joe

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I'm all for blazing scratch spins for the finish much more than travelling convoluted combo spins.

Joe

 

[Julie79]

He is going to World's with a new short program to "Blood Diamond." I am pleased!

 

[Kasey]

He is going to World's with a new short program to "Blood Diamond." I am pleased!

Ditto. So much for amateur cyber-psychologists deciding whether he is "serious" about eligible skating or not.

 

[slutskayafan21]

Worlds last year was a low scoring event in the mens discipline, and Lambiel lost 4.2 points unfairly by a very questionable choice by the technical specialist to downgrade his triple axel to a double in the free skate. Even with all of that his short-long combined score from Worlds last year was still higher then Joubert's combined short-long score from Europeans this year, and Europeans was quite high scoring by comparision in the mens discipline as Verner scoring a 77+ in the short is not possable otherwise. So hockeyfan228's comment that the Lambiel from Calgary would not have beaten the Joubert from Warsaw is completely false, but then again he is the same individual who was arguing last year a clean Weir would beat a clean Lambiel with the same jumps(ROTFL!). Joubert from Calgary was much better then Joubert from Warsaw, yet Joubert from Calgary would have been outscored by Lambiel in the combined short-long there even had Lambiel's triple axel not been downgraded by a questionable tech. specialist. The Lambiel from Victoria still would have won atleast bronze at Europeans since there wasnt anybody else that good.