Not to mention the psychological trauma this can have on young and vulnerable girls. They're children. They're not going into this with the full understanding of risk versus reward, and they aren't planning for life at 17 or 18 without skating. When the glory starts to dwindle, many of these girls will deal with eating disorders, depression, etc.
Fans recall Yulia Lipnitskaia's triumphs, but how many remember her dejected, tearful face at her last competition, COR 2016, where she finished dead last. She continued to skate despite having injured herself, knowing that her career was over at 18.