Too old for Nationals?

[sandraskates]

Standard. Didn't get the answer they wanted, so flounced off.

. . .which is frustrating and sad when those that reply put so much thought into their responses.

I guess the sticky, "So you want to be a figure skater" has disappeared with this board upgrade?

 

[kolyadafan2002]

I agree that it will never happen. I never said that it is likely that it is likely that the above poster would get to the Olympics. But there is (however unlikely) a tiny chance.

If the person spend next ten or fifteen years training, with a good quality coaching, I don’t think it is impossible to get to the level of Tankova/Zilberberg (24th in the last Olympics), or Mansour/Ceska (23rd) or Wang/Liu (22nd).

Also, your experience is from a country where there is a huge competition, so skaters really have to earn their spot because the country can send someone else. What if the poster with his/her partner were representing a country who just doesn’t have any other skaters? Then it is only about qualifying, not about being selected as the best. Among blind even one eyed has the advantage.

What about all the 5-12year olds spending 20+years with a coach. Who have been taught the best from day 1.

I hate to say it but this is actually not possible. No matter which fed to represent, getting the scores needed just isn't feasible.

In terms of pairs (somebody else out this), this is just as unlikely (or more so due to fear barrier). Besides, if op is female then even less chance in either as males are hard to come by and they'll go with the better girls.
In terms of if op is male he will be massively disadvantaged in strength and lifting technique. Even if he trains 3hours per day those who started earlier will still be superior in skill.

Don't start skating just because you want to go the Olympics. We all want to go to the Olympics, but for many it's not feasible.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

What about all the 5-12year olds spending 20+years with a coach. Who have been taught the best from day 1.

I hate to say it but this is actually not possible. No matter which fed to represent, getting the scores needed just isn't feasible.

In terms of pairs (somebody else out this), this is just as unlikely (or more so due to fear barrier). Besides, if op is female then even less chance in either as males are hard to come by and they'll go with the better girls.
In terms of if op is male he will be massively disadvantaged in strength and lifting technique. Even if he trains 3hours per day those who started earlier will still be superior in skill.

Don't start skating just because you want to go the Olympics. We all want to go to the Olympics, but for many it's not feasible.

 

[MiraiFan]

I know how that feels. but OP if you’re reading this. Don’t give up! Figure skating is not only about medals and competitions. It’s about expression, movement, athleticism, and just pure joy. With or without the competitions, this sport is very rewarding.

Absolutely. I started in my 40s and it's brought me so much joy. I have passed a few tests and am working on various patterns, jumps, and spins... and eventually plan to compete. It's a wonderful sport at any age and you can set and reach goals and achieve them.

 

[davincisoprano]

Technically we all could go to the Olympics.... as spectators.

 

[tstop4me]

Don't start skating just because you want to go the Olympics. We all want to go to the Olympics, but for many it's not feasible.

I never wanted to go the Olympics (as a competitor). What I wanted was to skate with Dorothy Hamill.

 

[glossyskater]

I'm still here guys lol, I've been coming back here I've not disappeared lol , yea the forum was bit heartbreaking but now i skate for fun and do weightlifting and flag foot ball

 

[glossyskater]

Standard. Didn't get the answer they wanted, so flounced off.

still here

 

[glossyskater]

. . .which is frustrating and sad when those that reply put so much thought into their responses.

I guess the sticky, "So you want to be a figure skater" has disappeared with this board upgrade?

still here

 

[glossyskater]

Can you name a few late bloomers who got all their triples at 16-18? And how old they were when they started. I don’t think that olympics is jot a realistic goal for someone who starts skating at 15. Saying that, if one was really, really desperate to get to olympics, there are a few things that it would make it more likely.

@glossyskater, there is no point hoping to represent country like USA, Canada or Russia. To get to the Olympics, one would have to be among the best in the country, and that’s not gonna happen if you are being compared with those who already trained 10 more years longer than you did. So to make it more likely, it would be helpful to represent a country that doesn’t really have any skaters. Then all you need is to qualify. (But you would need to have citizenship of that country).

Second, to be able to qualify, one needs to have certain level of technical difficulty. I can’t imagine someone getting all the jumps when they are starting at 15. I am not saying it is impossible, but I have never seen anyone who achieved that, so it is very unlikely. I wonder if ice dance would be easier to be able to get the skills. I am not saying that you could get to a medal level at the Olympics in ice dance, but to a level where you could compete at worlds and earn the spot for the country for the Olympics. But doing ice dance one needs a partner. And that’s hard to find. Especially when you want the partner to be from a country where there is not much skating tradition and not many skaters (the partner needs to have the citizenship of the country he/she would represent, same as you).

Very, very helpful would be to have a family member who is a skating coach. Looking at Annabel Morozov, how much progess she made, and Davankova, who was coached by her husband and managed to transition from pairs to ice dance, having someone who can give you unlimited lessons without financially ruining you is a huge plus. But considering that you are 15 and only now starting with skating, it is unlikely that you have a skating coach within your family. Unless you marry one...

I understand thank you, i wanted to compete honestly for my dads home country but i realized that wasn't possible, i don't really see myself as and ice dancer but honestly thank you so much !

 

[glossyskater]

I know how that feels. but OP if you’re reading this. Don’t give up! Figure skating is not only about medals and competitions. It’s about expression, movement, athleticism, and just pure joy. With or without the competitions, this sport is very rewarding.

I haven't don't worry I haven't I do it purely for fun

 

[gliese]

I'm still here guys lol, I've been coming back here I've not disappeared lol , yea the forum was bit heartbreaking but now i skate for fun and do weightlifting and flag foot ball

How's the skating going? Are you enjoying it?

 

[kolyadafan2002]

I'm still here guys lol, I've been coming back here I've not disappeared lol , yea the forum was bit heartbreaking but now i skate for fun and do weightlifting and flag foot ball

I'm so glad that you are enjoying skating still! I'm sorry you had to go through this forum, but I thought it was best to be honest.
Don't compare yourself to the Olympic skaters (They are on another level to most of us here )
Keep doing what you are doing and keep loving the sport - do it for yourself, not for medals or for others,
and keep up the good work!
So happy you are enjoying the (sometimes infuriating sport), and are getting a lot out of it,
and wish you best of luck for the future!

 

[eclipse]

I started in last year in my early 20s and I had the same dream that I can make it into the Olympics. But reality hit me hard. Learning all of this is quite difficult as a teen/adult. Im not saying that it can't be done but it's almost impossible and realistically, the odds are not in the favor of the people who started late. Also some people who started really young don't even get their triples at all.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but 12 years old is the oldest age I know that started in the sport and got triples. Johnny Weir from US and Andrea Astrain from Mexico. Who knows, maybe someone who started later than 12 would make it big and get triples maybe even a quad.

The sport is very welcoming and there are adult competitions and testing. Not to mention it's a great workout and it's fun.

I, too, would also like some names of girls who didn't get their triples until 16+ and then also learned 3A or a quad. There are so few ladies in the world who can do them, pretty sure we can count them on two hands.

I know of a couple of adult skaters who started at 18 and 19 who have managed to achieve triples but both are men and of the correct build and have put in substantial amounts of ice time and off ice training.

One of which already had a dance background and has good body awareness so, the other is built like a pencil so can rotate incredibly well.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Glad you're enjoying skating!

Figure skating is just so expensive and so very complex in terms of not only skills, but developing artistry, elements, maintaining flexibility, etc. And of course nowadays, the standards to be elite skaters are just insane. Even if you represented a lesser skating country to get to the Olympics easier, you'd still need to qualify via Nebelhorn, get minimums to compete, etc.

I will say that if you're looking to go to the Olympics, there are MUCH easier ways to get there through other sports. Figure skating is arguably one of the hardest.

Also a note, some Olympians have started relatively late in their career. Two Canadian Olympic gold medalists from Tokyo, Maude Charron (weightlifting - started in 2013-ish after doing Cross fit) and Kelsey Mitchell (sprint cycling, only started in 2017 at the age of 23) started relatively late as far as experienced athletes. Of course, the important thing is that they're incredibly talented athletes, and they dedicate themselves to it. So that really is something you can train for, but you need inherit talent/genetics/etc. and of course you need support too. Very few people become Olympic athletes, but becoming an Olympic (or even National) level figure skater is really tough.

And then of course in skating you do have rare examples of skaters who are able to be competitive even late into their career, a la Deanna Stellato, but they are extremely rare.

 

[moonvine]

I never wanted to go the Olympics (as a competitor). What I wanted was to skate with Dorothy Hamill.

Hey she used to have a Fantasy Adult Figure Skating Camp.

 

[moonvine]

I'm still here guys lol, I've been coming back here I've not disappeared lol , yea the forum was bit heartbreaking but now i skate for fun and do weightlifting and flag foot ball

You might be able to do Collegiate Figure Skating.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Yes but in order to do collegiate championships in US, you'd have to be at least intermediate competitive level and have passed those tests IIRC.

 

[4everchan]

Glad you're enjoying skating!

Figure skating is just so expensive and so very complex in terms of not only skills, but developing artistry, elements, maintaining flexibility, etc. And of course nowadays, the standards to be elite skaters are just insane. Even if you represented a lesser skating country to get to the Olympics easier, you'd still need to qualify via Nebelhorn, get minimums to compete, etc.

I will say that if you're looking to go to the Olympics, there are MUCH easier ways to get there through other sports. Figure skating is arguably one of the hardest.

Also a note, some Olympians have started relatively late in their career. Two Canadian Olympic gold medalists from Tokyo, Maude Charron (weightlifting - started in 2013-ish after doing Cross fit) and Kelsey Mitchell (sprint cycling, only started in 2017 at the age of 23) started relatively late as far as experienced athletes. Of course, the important thing is that they're incredibly talented athletes, and they dedicate themselves to it. So that really is something you can train for, but you need inherit talent/genetics/etc. and of course you need support too. Very few people become Olympic athletes, but becoming an Olympic (or even National) level figure skater is really tough.

And then of course in skating you do have rare examples of skaters who are able to be competitive even late into their career, a la Deanna Stellato, but they are extremely rare.

well... i wouldn't even go that road... the two athletes you are mentioning where extremely fit and talented athletes in other sports. Maude was a gymnast and Kelsey a football player who did the RBC training ground to transfer her competences to another sport... and that is the thing, there are very few sports that would give you the skills needed for figure skating... we are not talking here about a great swimmer moving to waterpolo or a runner taking up triathlon...or what is common, a cyclist taking up speed skating or vice versa. Some were even joking about curling when it first started... but even there it takes a lifelong of training.

There is no magic .... anything, whether it is an art form, a sport or even a very difficult academic career requires early training and LOTS of work. I find it a bit dismissive to talk about easy ways to get into the Olympics... whatever the flag, the sport or anything, the athletes who qualify have dedicated themselves to it and reached minimum requirements.... I would like to know how anyone is hoping to get tech minimums without years and years of training...

As many mentioned already, doing things for fun, is the right kind of approach.

 

[treblemakerem]

well... i wouldn't even go that road... the two athletes you are mentioning where extremely fit and talented athletes in other sports. Maude was a gymnast and Kelsey a football player who did the RBC training ground to transfer her competences to another sport... and that is the thing, there are very few sports that would give you the skills needed for figure skating... we are not talking here about a great swimmer moving to waterpolo or a runner taking up triathlon...or what is common, a cyclist taking up speed skating or vice versa. Some were even joking about curling when it first started... but even there it takes a lifelong of training.

There is no magic .... anything, whether it is an art form, a sport or even a very difficult academic career requires early training and LOTS of work. I find it a bit dismissive to talk about easy ways to get into the Olympics... whatever the flag, the sport or anything, the athletes who qualify have dedicated themselves to it and reached minimum requirements.... I would like to know how anyone is hoping to get tech minimums without years and years of training...

As many mentioned already, doing things for fun, is the right kind of approach.

There’s no easy way to go to the Olympics, but there are some other sports where you can be successful at an older age. A 30 or 40 year old could make it in archery. That’s not going to happen in figure skating. It’s just the nature of the sport.