- Joined
- Dec 7, 2022
I think the op is disingenious about their motives and the conclusion that the excessive quads amongst youngesters in Russia stem from the ban and the raise of the age limit is totally nonsensical.
However, maybe rather unrelated, I do think that the change of the age limit does not go far enough because it is not accomponied by enough other measures and that this sport continues to have a problem with its attention towards very young adults.
I don't think "it was like that in the past and it hurt nobody" is a good argument.
Because society has moved on, and this is actually a topic where I can see positive development.
There is now more care about these issues, more awareness that children and young teenagers (sorry for the stiff term, I don't know how to phrase it better) need more protection in some areas. We can see that well in bigger sensitivity when it comes to sexual exploition in movies, and yes, also in figure skating programs- what seemed cute in the earlier decades is now not seen as innocent anymore, because we know that it did indeed actually come with exploition behind the camera.
Also in sports there is a general bigger sensitivity to what sports and its accomponying aspects can do to people and their bodies. There is more awareness about long term health consequences in football, soccer, regarding brain damage, but also for instance eating disorders just happened in earlier times...
Also children were allowed to be beaten until not so long ago in many countries where it is now forbidden... etc.
But somehow there is not really a big discussion about the actually terrible consequences that all these jumps on ice have on the body. Here and there's some talk, but there is no huge resistance, no big discussion, and while I don't want to just forbid all quads and triple axels, not for everyone and not just for juniors, without thinking about other possibilities, it would be nice to see more experts actively working on solutions and measures. Because no, it is not normal to have like 30% of athletes with serious hip injuries once they are in their mid 20s. I struggle to find another sport I watch with such an amount of serious chronic injuries, that is not even injuries from accidents, but simple overuse.
However, maybe rather unrelated, I do think that the change of the age limit does not go far enough because it is not accomponied by enough other measures and that this sport continues to have a problem with its attention towards very young adults.
I don't think "it was like that in the past and it hurt nobody" is a good argument.
Because society has moved on, and this is actually a topic where I can see positive development.
There is now more care about these issues, more awareness that children and young teenagers (sorry for the stiff term, I don't know how to phrase it better) need more protection in some areas. We can see that well in bigger sensitivity when it comes to sexual exploition in movies, and yes, also in figure skating programs- what seemed cute in the earlier decades is now not seen as innocent anymore, because we know that it did indeed actually come with exploition behind the camera.
Also in sports there is a general bigger sensitivity to what sports and its accomponying aspects can do to people and their bodies. There is more awareness about long term health consequences in football, soccer, regarding brain damage, but also for instance eating disorders just happened in earlier times...
Also children were allowed to be beaten until not so long ago in many countries where it is now forbidden... etc.
But somehow there is not really a big discussion about the actually terrible consequences that all these jumps on ice have on the body. Here and there's some talk, but there is no huge resistance, no big discussion, and while I don't want to just forbid all quads and triple axels, not for everyone and not just for juniors, without thinking about other possibilities, it would be nice to see more experts actively working on solutions and measures. Because no, it is not normal to have like 30% of athletes with serious hip injuries once they are in their mid 20s. I struggle to find another sport I watch with such an amount of serious chronic injuries, that is not even injuries from accidents, but simple overuse.