Staying Power?

"I can't say anything right now. I'm really excited. It will be very good to compete in my own country."

That quote yesterday from Kim Yu-Na on PyeongChang's successful Olympic bid is now sending shockwaves through the figure skating community.

Did "The Queen" just commit herself through two more Olympics for the chance to compete at home? You must admit...it's tempting, and certainly not unheard of.

2006 Olympic Champ Evgeny Plushenko is extending his career for another go on home soil. In 2006, Fusar-Poli and Margalio and Silvia Fontana did the same. Todd Eldredge in 2002...it's a familiar story.

So does Kim Yu-Na have staying power?

I think yes. When the Olympics roll around in 2018 she'll be 27 years old. Sure, she'd certainly be one of the most "seasoned" skaters on the ice but with age comes experience. And while 27 isn't exactly the norm, it's certainly not unheard of. Maria Butyrskaya won a World Championship at 26. Irina Slutskaya was an Olympic Medalist at 27.

In short...it's doable.

I think she has to take a measured approach to skating and training. I don't think she can press full steam ahead for the next seven years, she'd kill herself. She has to know when to take it easy and know when to train hard. I believe we may be seeing the early beginning's of this with her limited competition schedule last season and a similar plan for next season.

I think Kim Yu-Na has an opportunity here. I don't think figure skating has had an icon like Kim since Michelle Kwan and she can mold the next, well...decade, into the Kim era. This could be big.

What are your thoughts? Does she have staying power?

The Op-Ed: Slippery Slope

Last week, Kim, Lysacek, and Rochette all announced plans to skip the fall skating season and 'hopefully' move right into the big competitions in the back half of the season, namely Worlds.

I always think this is a terrible idea and rarely works out well for the competitors. It seems when competitors do this, if they do manage to show up, they seem woefully under-prepared. Think Sasha Cohen at U.S. Nationals this past season...talent will only get you so far (in her case a stunning short program!), but time in front of the judges and true training is what will always win the day. I just think it's a slippery slope that eventually leads to an unflattering career end. Someone will undoubtedly out-train you, out-skate you, and leave you the champion looking bewildered.

I would urge these competitors to, at the least, consider competing in one Grand Prix Event (I know the ISU frowns upon this for top seeded skaters but in the end hosting federations do have some power to invite competitors) or at least some fall skating competition (Nebelhorn?). Maybe one of those team "Counter-Match" things in Japan. Or if you do a show, make the effort to do a full run through of your competition program as one of your performances (complete with all the jumps!). Wait, do they even have free skates prepared...

I guess I'm just not a fan of the "Go Directly to Go and Collect $200" scenario when others have done their due diligence and gone all the way around the board. I always hate those cards in Monopoly. But here's the thing...the ones that go all the way around the board...they get to buy all the property. Being a Champion affords you the opportunity to pass over the smaller competitions and go directly to the big ones...but is it a smart move? What will you have lost from doing all that skipping? Food for thought.

The Op-Ed: Too Family Friendly?

Every time I'm at the gym working out and listening to my iPod (I'll do a separate post on who I think should skate to what) I find myself thinking, "Oh I wish so and so would skate to this song."

And then I actually listen to the lyrics and think, "Oh but might be a little risqué for figure skating..."

Part of me thinks we need to 'keep it clean' for skating, but another part of me thinks if skaters could use more music choices and be riskier it could give a jolt to the often boring and very PC world of skating.

For example, I keep envisioning Rachel Flatt skating to Not Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera. I think it would be a great piece of music for her to let loose a little and not be so...I don't know...cute? PC? Safe? But the lyrics...too much for figure skating? Take a look (warning...expletives ahead):

Mot Myself Tonight by Christina Aguilera

You know tonight
I am feeling a little out control
Is this me
You wanna get crazy
Because I don't give a...

I'm out of character
I'm in rare form
And If you really knew me
You'd know its not the norm

Cause I'm doing things that I normally won't do
The old me's gone I feel brand new
And if you don't like it fuck you

The music's on and I'm dancing
I'm normally in the corner just standing
I'm feeling unusual
I don't care cause this is my night

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm dancing alot and I'm taking shots I'm feeling fine
I'm kissing all the boys and the girls
Someone call the doctor cause I lost my mind

Cause I'm doing things that I normally won't do
The old me's gone I feel brand new
And if you don't like it fuck you

The music's on and I'm dancing
I'm normally in the corner just standing
I'm feeling unusual
I don't care cause this is my night

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

In the morning
When I wake Up
I'll go back to the girl I used to be
But baby not tonight

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

I'm not myself tonight
Tonight I'm not the same girl same girl

Yah, that feels good
I needed that
Get crazy
Let's go
That's right
Come on
Give it to me now, don't stop

So perfect for Rachael Flatt, right? She has the total good girl image but can through it off for a night and let loose. Problem is I'm envisioning mom's looking at the ice in horror, grabbing their 8 year old, and holding their hands over their ears. I also am envisioning those Sorority Girls from the University of Michigan (shout out to Meryl Davis!) out of their seats loving LOVING skating for the first time.

Which way do you go. Do you spice it up and have a little fun or do you keep doing family friendly?

I call this an Op-Ed by I don't know what my opinion is! I'm so torn. Of course there is a radio friendly version of this song without the F-Bomb...but is it still to risky for figure skating?

I'm dancing alot and I'm taking shots I'm feeling fine
I'm kissing all the boys and the girls
Someone call the doctor cause I lost my mind

Drug references, bisexuality references, oh my!

I've decided. I think it would be okay to spice it up a bit. No major bad words but I think a little bit of pop culture isn't terrible. What 8 year old is going to be paying that close of attention to the lyrics and pick up on the subtleties of what the lyrics really mean? And what 14 year old isn't already listening to Christina Aguilera or some other pop/hip-hop/rap artist? If you're the parent out there saying "Well mine doesn't," believe me...you're likely wrong, you just don't know it.

I don't know...weigh in. What do you think?

The Op-Ed: Attitude

In figure skating, attitude makes such a big difference in how effective you are as a competitor. I'm not talking "attitude" like if your sassy or if you are quiet. I'm talking "attitude," where your head is.

I was pleased as punch when I read this week that Virtue and Moir will be competing next season. These two represent the perfect example of a great attitude in their approach to skating. You can have all the skills and talent in the world, but if your attitude isn't right, you'll never be as successful as hope to be.

"When I look back on my life, at my skating career, and I won the Olympics and I was fourth at the next one, it’s not going bug me," said Scott Moir. That's a telling statement. For many...if not most...that WOULD bug them. This entire season you could look at Tanith Belbin and see the frustration in her eyes. Olympic Silver Medalist in Torino, she and Ben were supposed to be the Gold Medalists this time...right? Tanith and Ben handled their defeat well this season, always gracious, but you could tell it bugged them.

If I was an Olympic Medalist and continued competing for four more years to finish off the podium...I would be bugged!

Virtue and Moir's expectationless mindset, however, is perfect moving forward. To be a champion, that is in fact the only attitude one should have after a great achievement. It frees you up from personal expectation and allows you to grow. If the only goal is win, win, win...you haven't given yourself much breathing room have you? That mindset caused many Olympians in Vancouver to walk away from great achievements feeling like failures...and that's unfortunate. To learn, sometimes we have to fail.

I'll get off my soapbox and stop expounding upon my like of Virtue and Moir's attitude but one final point. Their attitude shows they are doing what they are doing for the best reason: because they love skating. That's the best attitude of all.

The Op-Ed: Where's the Grand Prix?

There apparently have been some rumors floating around that the yearly Grand Prix event held in Paris (Trophy Eric Bompard) is to be no more. There are further rumors and conjecture that a new event to replace it will be in Korea.

I have no evidence to confirm or deny any of this...this is just what I'm hearing.

This got me thinking about Grand Prix events as a whole. While Figure Skating is certainly booming in Asia, it still seems a bit lopsided to have three events there and only one in Europe should they make that decision. It just doesn't seem fair. On Twitter, one person did remark, "When has anything the ISU has ever done, been accomplished under a 'Fairness' doctrine? Watch them go with Korea!"

Then I thought how unfair it is really that 6 countries get Grand Prix events every single year. They don't do this for the Junior Grand Prix, why do we do it for the Senior Grand Prix?

What do you think of my two year Grand Prix Schedule (this is of course fictional):

Year One
Skate America - Boston, Massachussetts
Skate Australia - Brisbane, Australia
Skate Italy - Milan, Italy
NHK Trophy - Sapporo, Japan
Skate Mexico - Mexico City, Mexico
Skate Korea - Seoul, S. Korea

Year Two
Skate South Africa - Durban, S. Africa
Cup of China - Beijing, China
Skate Canada - Calgary, Canada
Rostelecom Cup - St. Petersburg, Russia
Skate Finland - Kuopio, Finland
Skate New Zealand - Auckland, New Zealand

Every year, six events are chosen that hop around the world giving more global exposure to figure skating. What a prospect.

Of course, I know the answer to my previous question...it's all about money. In order to do a globe hopping Senior Grand Prix where all the big stars are skating, the ISU would need to be sure it could generate some cash flow and sponsorship to do it. Can New Zealand bring in the same kind of cash as say Japan...not likely.

The solution, I think, is to be more privatized and less localized with how events are sponsored. Instead of US Figure Skating looking for a title sponsor for Skate America (such as Cancer.Net), the ISU could name 6 big sponsors each year (say for example Samsung, Visa, RBS, Ferrari, Toyota, and Microsoft) and work with them to find a location capable of supporting an event. You give the sponsor the choice in expanding their advertisement reach while being more flexible and expansive in delivering world class figure skating. Giving the big sponsor a voice in the event location could be a bargaining chip in lowering the price of nabbing such a huge sponsor.

I'm a numbers guy...this could work!

The only hurdle left would be Member Federations fighting to keep their annual events. How much of the proceeds from Skate America make up the annual operating budget for US Figure Skating. Might be hard to get the ISU Congress which is heavily controlled by those nations with yearly Grand Prix Events to give them up.

The Op-Ed: Evolution

After the Olympics there was all this commentary on how the sport of figure skating has regressed.

In 1998, 2002, and 2006...a guy won the Men's Olympic Title with a quad in his free...in 2010 the guy who won didn't even try it.

For the first time a women successfully completed three triple axels in the ladies competition at the Olympics and finished 23 points behind the winner.

So obviously the sport is heading in the wrong direction, right?

I don't think so.

The international judging system has simply shifted importance from being a good jumper, to being an overall great skater.

Let's take a trip down history lane using the men as our example. In 2002, a knuckle-headed French judge decides to hold-up a Russian Pair in exchange for a favor for a French Ice Dance Team, and we all cried fowl. Four years later we are all gathered in Torino for the Olympics with this new judging system. But it was still business as usual since most of the major players where from the 6.0 era. Things started to change in 2007 however. Brian Joubert won the World Title that year, but he was beat in the free skate by two guys who had figured out how to really begin manipulating the point system, Stéphane Lambiel and Daisuke Takahashi. Next year, the scales finally tipped when Jeffrey Buttle, again with a point manipulating program, actually got ahead of Joubert. In 2009, two skaters, Lysacek and Chan, did it again. No quad, just a solid all-around program.

It's clear that not as many men are trying the quad these days. But I don't feel that means the sport has regressed...it's simply evolved. And I think the programs many men are doing today, even without a quad, are so much harder than they were 4 or 8 years ago.

The "code crackers" as I call them don't get enough credit for what they do. Jeremy Abbott for example...what he does going in and out of his jumps and his transitions are ridiculous and so very hard. It's harder for the casual fan to measure that difficulty because it's so quietly interwoven into the program but that certainly doesn't mean we should ignore it or fail to credit it.

As far as jumping goes, I think the sport hit the ceiling between 2000 and 2003 when you had skaters like Timothy Goebel and Takeshi Honda trying upwards of three quads in a program. That is ridiculous wear-and-tear on the body. By 2006, neither of those guys were able to do quads at their respective national championships and make the Olympic Team. At the Olympics in 2002, Elvis Stojko was a far shadow of his former self who landed quads routinely. In Salt Lake City, he was just happy to land a triple. Alexei Yagudin, who wanted to continue after winning Olympic Gold in 2002 had to leave eligible skating because quads had done his hips in. Even Evgeny Plushenko has had multiple knee injuries because of the jump. The women may not be far behind if the triple axel becomes a mainstay for the women. The technical envelope was pushed a bit far I think in the jumping department.

So instead lots of skaters have worked hard at getting points in other areas. Spins, transitions, footwork. And like I said before, some of what these skaters do...all the different spin features and positions, the deep edges, the turns in both directions, just their creativity in general...very difficult.

That's not regression...that's smart.

The Op-Ed: Judging the Judges

I just read one of the most telling interviews anyone has ever had with a judge since the inception of the code of points judging system (Thank you Blazing Blades)!

Tony Wheeler sat down with Patrick Ibens who is a ISU Figure Skating Judge who has sat on several judging panels including the Men's panel in Vancouver. Read this interview...shocking!

So in my discussions with a couple of people in Vancouver I have learned that the judges can be 'greasy scoundrels' as I put it but who could have imagined that many are just downright incompetent! The fact that judges who are improperly trained can 'hide' in those safezone corridors of marks is unbelievable.

The ISU has got to change business as usual here! What is with judges getting 'assessments' if they are outside the safezone. That explains why a skater such as Tugba Karademir gets lower scores versus skaters who skate later in a competition who perhaps perform an element at the same level of competency. Why would a judge risk giving a skater a deserved mark if it means they could be penalized, reprimanded, or even dismissed? God forbid we give a skater a deserved mark. This is a shocking revelation in the scoring system and needs to be addresses now...right now!

Interesting how making the judges anonymous has solved nothing as far as mark-fiddling or coercion from federations. If anything, it makes it easier to veil these attempts and harder to discover fraud as it is happening.

Oy me!

The ISU has to fix this somehow or I'll be the first person to advocate the removal of figure skating from the Olympics! The IOC should put pressure on the ISU because honestly this is just a joke. I'm a fan of drastic measures...people tend to perk up and listen.

A judge shouldn't be penalized for marking outside of a prescribed zone. If someone in the first group skates well, then they should absolutely be rewarded for it, safezone corridor be damned!

The idea that their is national allegiance associated with judges has been a problem for far too long. We may be at the point where Federations should not be allowed to nominate judges but rather the ISU just have a trained pool of trained and qualified judges randomly selected with no attachment to nations whatsoever. Member federations would probably have a cow about this and there is no guarantee judges still wouldn't have national allegiance but it's a start.

Will any of these judges stand-up for these skaters who are pouring their heart and souls out there on the ice and stop trying to cover their own rear end?

The Op Ed: Protocols, Protocols

I sent out a Tweet during the European Championships: "I'm over the code of points judging system."

I followed that Tweet up with another: "6.0 Anyone?"

The second tweet was met with mixed response. I got everything from 'I'm with you' to 'Eeeek...not 6.0!'

I agree that the 6.0 system is full of inadequacies and issues. I also agree that the current code of points judging system is full of inadequacies and issues. We've got two apples and BOTH are kind of rotten.

Phil Hersh recently blogged about the ladies final in Spokane. While I'm not always his biggest fan he made some valuable points (no pun intended). Chiefly among them, he correctly pointed out that somewhere around two years ago the judges began to get ridiculous with using the system in a negative way. Phil Hersh wrote:

This time, the problem was the system, not the judging. And, as I have frequently noted in this Blog since the 2008 Skate America, it isn't as much a fault with the system itself as much as with the decision to use it negatively that took effect two seasons ago.

The judging system is beginning to really work against the sport. At the recent U.S. Nationals, scores in the three of the four events came under attack because of this judging system and the protocols. In the Pairs event, Inoue and Baldwin slammed the judges on their protocols after landing a throw triple axel in the free yet getting the Olympic Team snub. In the Men's competition their was bickering about who should be ahead of who after the short, Johnny or Evan. The biggest fallout has been the ladies competition where Mirai Nagasu seemed to pull off an easy victory in the free skate only to find herself hanging on to second because of those tiny little downgrades that absolutely no one saw until the slow-mo rewind.

This isn't a problem contained to this event. There was bickering about protocols after Joubert lost the 2008 World's to Buttle who didn't do a quad. There was bickering about protocols at the Grand Prix Final this season with Kim Yu-Na's jump landings (and another added chapter of the mini war between Korea and Japan that we are all so sick of). At last season's European Championships, Carolina Kostner went as far as to appeal her silver medal on the belief that the protocols were wrong and she deserved the title, not Laura Lepisto.

Protocols, protocols, protocols...I'm sick of them! Anyone remember the days when you won a medal in competition, was happy about it, and had a parade down Main St. in your home town?

Now we pour over the protocols and find ways to complain about the judging and how the skater we 'thought' should have won or our favorite skater was wronged. It seems more and more often we aren't happy about the winner.

Phil Hersh also correctly points out (I know, right...he was actually on point in this article) that Mirai Nagasu's loss made absolutely no sense to the majority of people watching the Ladies Final that night at home or in Spokane Arena. Sure us die-hard skating fans get it but that is NOT the majority of the people who are watching. Most tune in to see who lands the most jumps with a nice outfit, a little sparkle, and a little pizazz...and to the common public, that was Nagasu, not Flatt (can I just say, however, I love Rachael Flatt and I think she was also deserving of the title).

All I could think about Saturday was, "Wow...because Sasha Cohen is in the competition we have all these eyes on these girls who will represent us in Vancouver and we blew it once again with the judging system." So much for making skating appealing to the masses...

Maybe a return to the 6.0 (with some tweeks of course) wouldn't be such a bad idea...I think it would, at the very least, be better than this constant bickering over protocols. In the end we have to ask, is the Code of Points Judging System doing more harm than good?

The Op-Ed: Down But Not Out!

I'm fed up with the American women being written off in this Olympic Cycle!

Of course we all know that Kim Yu-Na as well as team Japan are expected to clobber everyone in Vancouver with only Joannie Rochette possibly putting any kind of stop to it...right?

WRONG!

Well...maybe? But can we see what happens next weekend in Spokane before we just write off the American women all together...can we? They may surprise us yet!

I seem to remember Rachael Flatt winning the Free Skate at Cancer.Net Skate America over...OMG...Kim Yu-Na! Two-thirds of our ladies Torino Olympic Team is competing in Spokane...expereince! I think these ladies, whomever makes the Olympic Team, go into Vancouver in the best possible situation. All the world will be focused elsewhere and while other competitors are dealing with ridiculous pressure, cameras in their face 24/7, and spectators criticizing every little detail, two American women will have the opprotunity to go for broke, hold nothing back, and maybe...just maybe...produce a star.

We don't have an 'it' women right now (ala Lipinski, Kwan, Hughes, etc.). That doesn't mean we are out of it! I dare anyone out there to put the enormity of the Olympics into perspective and reach the conclusion that I do, that's it's a big deal! Olympic pressure is not easy and haven't we learned that the skater with nothing to lose and everything to gain amongst the women has recently faired better. Consider '94, '98, '02, and '06 if you will. Who won? I'll help you with those answers...not the person who was supposed to!

Are you really ready to write off the American women so quick?

The Op-Ed: This Feud MUST End

I'm calling for an immediate cease fire! As head of the Axels, Loops, and Spins International Council on Skating Affairs...I have such authority to do so...

Those in Japan...Those in Korea...anyone else that is feeding into all the conspiracy theories about Japanese skaters attempting to block Kim Yu-Na on warm-ups, or Korean news agencies purposefully being asked to write negatively about Japanese Skaters, or Japanese news agencies being accused of writing negatively about Kim Yu-Na, or any of this hulabaloo...STOP!

The ugliness of this fight is getting in the way of the beauty of their skating. Yes, BOTH OF THEM skate beautifully. We are all devoted to our favorites and want them to win and succeed, but when we resort to this pettiness it doesn't help them or motivate them at all...it just makes the person making these accusations look like an idiot.

So just enjoy skating, stop making unfounded accusations, stop tagging Jeremy Abbott in bogus You Tube videos, just stop! The world will then be a much happier place.

I have a feeling I'm going to get pummeled in the comments of this post...I don't care. BRING IT!

The Op-Ed: Don't Be the Crazy Skating Fan!

Xan, who writes the blog XanBoni! sent me a blast from the past this week; an article published Sunday, January 9th, 1994.

Need a history refresher? Tonya Harding had just won U.S. Nationals in Detroit, Kerrigan was sidelined because of a mysterious attacker, and we were in Kerrigan/Kwan limbo as to who would represent the U.S. in Lillehammer (aside from Harding).

The article discusses the drama and intrigue often associated with figure skating and how, to may fans, that is as as interesting (if not more so) than a skaters performance on the ice.

The part that really got me thinking was the part that correctly notes that fans of figure skating have ridiculous access to figure skaters. We greet them at the boards after a performance, hand them gifts, hug them sometimes!

Now in this world of Web 2.0 that access goes even further than it did in 1994. We tweet directly with top level skaters. I just created a Facebook devoted entirely to this blog and figure skating and the skaters have graciously accepted me into their lives...their personal Facebook accounts!

As much as things have changed over the last 15 years they've stayed the same. Local news reporters, columnists, and yes...even Bloggers can get press credentials to cover events such as Nationals, show fundraisers, and meet and greets. The figure skating world has been very generous with granting access...such access is virtually unheard of in other sports.

And as a skater becomes more successful and popular, it means there are more and more people willing to do anything they can to get to them! Think about it...it's kind of scary.

That means, as fans, we have a responsibility. Don't be the crazy skating fan! Don't be the person that tries to grab Katarina Witt off the ice (I had no idea that even happened!), don't abuse the access you've been granted to your favorite skaters. Be appreciative of what they do, cheer for them, champion them, congratulate them, but don't stalk them or go crazy to meet them!

Most importantly, understand, just like you and I, they are just regular people too.

The Op-Ed: Don't Blow Off the Grand Prix Final

I get really irked when skaters withdraw from the Grand Prix Final!

If there is a legitimate reason to do so (such as Joubert)...I get it. But it seems, at least to me, for the past several years, the number of skaters taking a pass on the Grand Prix Final for....cough cough...injury has increased quite a bit.

After we had a list of competitors set for the Grand Prix Final, people began tweeting me...who do you think is gonna withdraw first? It's become expected. I remember way back when they created the Grand Prix Final (then the Champion Series Final) this was a BIG event. If you made it...you didn't withdraw.

When did the Grand Prix Final become so dispensable to competitors?

I'm not a competitive skater so I don't know how their brain thinks and works when it comes to competition; but as a well-informed spectator, I'd think that the Grand Prix Final is an invaluable opportunity. Even more valuable, I think, in an Olympic year. The Grand Prix Final will be the deepest field you'll have the opportunity to compete in prior to the Olympics. Even without all the top competitors, it still affords skaters their best "Olympic Dry Run." Four Continents Cup and Europeans offer a second shot but those are regionally constrained and, unlike the Grand Prix Final, find themselves inconveniently jammed between National Championships (for many competitors) and the Olympics.

And what if a skater goes despite the fact they may feel ill prepared? Can't as much be learned from the failure? If you go to a competition and lose...the judges have available for you a beautiful road map, called a scoring sheet, that tells you exactly what you need to do to turn that frown upside down. If I was a competitor and there was someone I wanted to beat, you better believe I would compete against them every possible chance I could. In the end, it's bound to pay dividends.

I get that skaters are always weighing the pros vs cons for going to these fall competitions. Is it smarter to expend the energy here as opposed to there. I get that in an Olympic year especially, it's a marathon, not a sprint. But from my perspective, what a competitor can gain from this particular competition is too valuable to pass up.

But that's just me.

The Op-Ed: 210.03

I've been grappling with this for a couple of weeks. 210.03, the record breaking score Kim Yu-Na achieved at Trophy Eric Bompard...am I crazy for thinking that was high?

First I took a Quick Poll and asked: "Do you believe Kim Yu-Na's record breaking score was appropriate for her performance at Grand Prix Paris?" Overwhelmingly (71%), respondents thought the score was appropriate. Of course the poll is unscientific, bias obviously plays a part, and my blog hits from Korea where up 247% during the time the poll was available. Nontheless, it became clear that many supported the score.

I poured over the judges score. As far as technical elements, there is no fault in the judges score. It was judged accurately and the appropriate marks given. You cannot fault the technical mark at all.

So I then took a look at the program components. While the judges were, um, a bit generous with the performance, choreography, and interpretation scores, on the whole they looked fairly in line with "what" she skated. Perhaps a bit padded but she is clearly the cream-of-the-crop as far as women skaters.

The math adds up. When you combine it all (add in the short program) you get 210.03. Yet, I still feel that wasn't a 210.03 performance. For me...the "what" she skated didn't equal the "how" she skated. Kim Yu-Na's short program blew me away. Oddly, the judges were somewhat less generous with the aforementioned component scores, in that short program where I felt she knocked our socks off (Kim Yu-Na could get a job as a Bond Girl anyday!). But her free skate, which was beautiful, didn't get me to that wow moment I would expect of a world record breaking (shattering?) performance.

Kim Yu-Na's free skate didn't include a triple flip or a triple loop. While the program is beautifully choreographed and skated with precision like perfection (despite all my flounderous nitpicking here, I think she's a pure gem!), it didn't pull me out of my seat like her Scheherazade program did. So I'm left with a dillema here.

I think my biggest beef here has nothing to do with Kim Yu-Na. She skated a lovely program, she was well deserving of the title, and I think if she continues to skate like that she IS unbeatable. My beef is with the judging system.

While the technical mark gives little room for wiggle aside from the GOE's judges assign, the component marks do give the judges a little room to play with. I know I've brought this up before, but the judging system as it exists, doesn't give a mark for "wow." We break it down and give individual marks for this and that and add it all up. But even if a skater scores high in all the component scores...does it equal "wow?" Is it possible to skate everything to almost the highest point total possible and it still not equal ridiculous amazing? I have more questions. Should a program be granted the highest total ever, despite the clear absence of two triple jumps? Was Kim Yu-Na's TEB program the finest program anyone has ever seen under the international judging system...ever?

I have some personal opinions here. I think a skater can earn high marks in every category and fall short of "wow." So many skaters do that these days. How many times have we heard commentators (see Dick Button) say "Well that's an unattractive position, but it gets the points." I do think a program can achieve the highest total without every triple...but it shouldn't be easy nor happen often. These days it's becoming common place for skaters to remove triples from their programs. Take out a lutz and try a triple axel (see Asada), remove a loop and do a double axel combo (see Kim). Didn't someone suggest giving a bonus to skaters who complete every triple in their program (women would of course be exempt from the axel). That, I think, would be an awesome change. And on the topic of axels, pray tell why a triple axel/double toe combo is worth less than a triple lutz/triple toe combo? At the very least, they should be worth the same.

Finally, I don't think Kim Yu-Na's performance in Paris was the finest ever under IJS, which ultimately, was my biggest beef with the score. I've seen far superior performances from her. Her World's performance from L.A. I think easily was better than what she did in Paris despite the recent edition of the triple lutz/triple toe combo. I think Kim Yu-Na would even agree with that. That program was and really felt like a world record breaker. That program had "wow!" And even that program was missing two triples!

I don't know if this is a problem that can be solved. Logic tells us (I am going to go all Vulcan on you!) that 1 + 2 = 3. But in skating that doesn't always hold true. The judging system tries to make it true but I think that's where this judging system's greatest weakness lies. But how do you fix that?

The Op Ed: O Canada!

Last week when I created the Quick Poll on which nation would have the greatest success in figure skating at the Vancouver Olympic Games, I had a sneaky suspicion that Canada might come out ahead.

So will Canada be the cream of the crop in Vancouver? They do have medal hopefuls in all four disciplines. Patrick Chan is easily one of the favorites among the men. Dube and Davison must be considered a threat in pairs. Virtue and Moir will challenge in ice dance. Joannie Rochette looks solid for Canada amongst the women. Past their nationals champions, however, the medal prospects tend to thin out.

The nation that had the second amount of votes would bank on it's dominance of two fields rather than it's prospects in all disciplines. Japan looks super solid in singles. You could rattle off names forever: Asada, Kozuka, Ando, Oda, Suguri, Takahashi, etc., etc., etc.

What about a nation like China that only looks strong in one field? However, their strength in pairs alone could lead to a complete sweep of the podium.

I was surprised Russia only got two votes and France didn't get any! What about the French men and ice dancers? What about all the Russian's out there? Plushenko, Domnina and Shabalin, Mukhortova and Trankov, Kawaguchi and Smirnov, Alena Leonova? One could argue France looks as good as Japan and Russia looks as good Canada...where's the love?

Then there's the U.S. Like Canada and Russia we look well rounded. We're especially plump in our men's and dance fields. So plump we can't say definitively who'll be on the Olympic Team quite yet (although most of us have some strong opinions on who it SHOULD be). We look 'okay' amongst the women and 'okay' in pairs too, although those Olympic spots are somewhat in question as well (even more in question given the news of this past week). Wonder why the U.S. wasn't given the same consideration Canada was? I checked my blog stats...Americans visited this blog more than twice as much as Canadians this past week so it wasn't a battle of nations...Canada won the vote fair and square.

Perhaps given that the Olympics are in Canada, we perhaps think their skaters will have that little bit of extra motivation, a little extra spark, and rise to the occasion and bask in the glory that winning an Olympic Medal at home brings. Don't we all love a feel good story?

Want to know my opinion on who the cream of the crop is? I haven't a clue! We'll just have to wait and see.

The Op-Ed: Intimidated?

"I don't know about you guys, but I think that it's a little intimidating that an Olympic silver-medalist is coming back to compete against us."

This weekend all the who's who of would-be U.S. Olympic Vancouver competitors are in Chicago for a media summit (think of it as a pre-Vancouver Press Junket) and Mirai Nagasu said she was 'intimidated' by the return of Cohen...

Now I'm no sports psychologist but I don't think you should approach a competitor from a compromised position. If I were Nagasu, I would think Cohen should be intimidated, having not competed in a major international competition since March of 2006. Nagasu is giving Cohen the high ground and it makes Mirai's Olympic quest that much more difficult. If she's intimidated by Cohen, we can only assume that she's also intimidated by the likes of Kim, Asada, Rochette, Ando, etc...can't we? All of a sudden, one remark, and we're second guessing Nagasu's ability to compete.

I'm guessing that most if not all of the crew...Czisny, Flatt, Zhang, Wagner, Meissner, Hughes...are a bit uncertain about their Olympic prospects given Cohen's return. But unlike Nagasu, they're not making it the sound bite on the evening news.

Word of advice...sound and act confident, even if you're not.

The Op-Ed: NBC...More Skating Please

I haven’t talked much about the big news this week.  That of course being the contract inked between U.S. Figure Skating and NBC over Skate America and U.S. Nationals.  With this being an Olympic Year, I’m sure there will be heightened interest in figure skating this season, and the two weekend format adopted for Nationals specifically for this season will allow NBC to show an unprecedented amount of live coverage.
 
This is a good thing for our favorite sport.
 
But, call me greedy, I want more.  I’d like for NBC to make a commitment to the World Championships too.  From there, I’d like NBC to think about broadcasting, if even in a truncated or shortened form, the Grand Prix Series.  I’m not done…how about some coverage of Four Continents Cup and Europeans?
 
I know it’s a numbers and money game.  NBC Executives are asking themselves right now; Would we pull a lot of viewers for figure skating events outside of the U.S?  Are these events something we would make a profit on?  The answer, at least to begin with, is probably…no.  We all know skating has slumped a bit in the ratings recently.  But the even bigger question I would ask if I were an NBC Executive; Is there future value in figure skating coverage?  The answer is most definitely yes.
 
I have many good reasons why I think that NBC should expand coverage of figure skating: This season is going to generate renewed interest in the sport.  We have the opportunity to have our best dance and men’s finishes ever in Vancouver.  The U.S. Nationals showdown amongst the women may indeed be epic.  The field this season is super thick this season which means the competition will be good.  What better time to hook peoples’ interest when the skating is top notch?  NBC can capitalize on the economic downturn by expanding coverage.  People are taking more ‘staycations’ rather than vacations.  People are sitting in front of their televisions more than ever; let’s attempt to sell them figure skating.  Recognize the cash cow your sitting on NBC; if you can expand viewership, you stand to benefit.
 
I’ll leave all my ideas on how NBC might market figure skating to another post…
 
When I bring this up many people are quick to point me to Ice Network.  Ice Network is amazing!  And to be quite frank, has been the saving grace for hardcore figure skating fans here in the United States.  But it’s just that, a great benefit to hardcore fans.  Suzy Jo Average who likes to watch figure skating here and there when it’s on television is not going to buy a subscription to Ice Network.  But if we put skating on more often, she may become more interested in the sport and make a point to tune in (she may then buy a subscription to Ice Network!).
 
The ISU could do their part too.  Can someone please tell me why we don’t regard the highest scores in International or Olympic competition as World and/or Olympic Records?  Look at what World and Olympic Records (and a guy like Phelps who could easily beat them) did for swimming?  The same for Track and Field (think Usain Bolt!).  Giving people (and skaters) the high mark to shoot for will help people better understand the scoring system and help add a dose of drama to the sport (figure skating viewership always spikes if there is drama).  If people understand the scoring system (or at least understand what a great score is) they’ll begin to tune in more.
 
Alright, I’ll get off my soap box.  But it’s certainly some food for thought for NBC. 

The Op-Ed: Rebirth of the Pro

What an exciting year of figure skating we have before us! As we approach the ever closer Vancouver Winter Olympics, there is such a deep field of talented skaters vying for a shot at Olympic glory. Many have been working hard the last four years to achieve this, some are coming back for another chance at Olympic fame, all of them amazing contenders.

As I look at the landscape of figure skaters I see this season, something hit me. "Wow, a lot of these skaters are going to retire from eligible skating this season...a LOT of them." Sure I can't say conclusively which ones, no one at this point can; but I think if you give it some thought you'll come to the same conclusion as me...Olympic Glory or not, some of these skaters will more than likely call it quits (that is until the Sochi run-up when some will undoubtedly attempt a comeback! Plushenko, 2014?).

My mind wandered to past Olympic seasons and it hasn't been since 1998 since we had a good sweep of the eligibles turn pro. In 2002, many of them kind of so so retired but many ended up in Torino. And after Torino, there were hardly any retirements. I mean, Michelle Kwan just retired two weeks ago!

But after Vancouver, I am foreseeing a huge swath of eligible skaters go 'pro' if the term still exists. The 'pro' ranks have been rather thin over the past few years. We held on to the big pros from the late 80s and the 90s for as long as we could and the precious few that retired this decade have seen little attention. Even tours such as Stars on Ice have had to augment their casts with Olympic eligibles. I saw Stars on Ice last season and the cast included Evan Lysacek, Belbin and Agosto, and Sasha Cohen.

The demise of the pro skater contributed to (along with the most confusing judging system known to man) skating's rather dismal ratings here in North America over the past few years. Remember all those pro competitions that were on what seemed daily? When the Kristi's, and the Brian's, and the Kurts, and the Katarina's of the skating world decided to have lives (or reality show appearances...or cooking shows) away from the ice, there was this void of professional talent left.

But with the conclusion of the Vancouver Olympics comes the prospect of rebirth. A professional skating renaissance if you will! All signs point to the fact that people are beginning to watch skating again. While the ratings numbers for World's weren't stellar, they did beat expectations. Also, both Canada and the U.S. have major contenders for Olympic Gold in Vancouver in all four disciplines. In Asia, audiences have gone skating berserk with the likes of Asada, Kim, Takahashi, and others. If a large number of these skaters that I feel people will no doubt tune in to see in Vancouver turn pro, I think viewers will follow them, and a whole new generation of professional skaters, competitions, and shows will be born.

Maybe Michelle Kwan had this planned all along! She wanted a place in professional skating but why turn pro when the sport was dry. Looks like things are starting to get a bit more wet and all of a sudden she's performing in Korea with, presumably, many of those skaters that will form this new generation of pro skaters. Coincidence? Probably, I just like to create skating theories!

I think professional skating has a chance at getting it's 'second wind' after Vancouver. There is so many different faces, personalities, and styles that have the opportunity to contribute to this professional renaissance...let's see if it actually happens.

Don't forget I'm compiling a list of the Greatest 1000 Moments on Ice. Be sure to let me know what should go on that list!

The Op-Ed: The Comeback

This Olympic turn has had one of the biggest comeback swings since like 1994. And even then, it was only because the ISU felt generous enough to allow pros to comeback because they stuck in an extra Winter Olympics to begin alternating them between Summer and Winter.

First it was Sasha, then Plushenko followed quickly by Shen and Zhao. Now it's Lambiel.

We're still holding on the line for Kwan...

I for one also think Buttle should consider...but I digress.

And more so than the fact that lots of skaters have decided to 'give it another go,' they're all previous Olympic medalist...like 'the cream of the crop!'

Many have expressed their feelings that they believe these skaters have had their turn...their 'shot,' and now it's time for them to step aside and let the skaters who've been working at this for the last four years have their 'time to shine.'

A part of me feels that way. I think it's the part of me that doesn't want to see, for example, a devastated Caroline Zhang finishing third at Nationals and missing the Olympic Team to a skater that's been twice before, such as Cohen. The thought of someone missing out on their dream kind of breaks my heart.

However, a much larger part of me, thinks that figure skating is sport, and to be the best you have to compete against the best. I tend to think that having these guys comeback will make those who are currently competing up their ante. And if the comeback class of 2010 is fit and ready to compete, why shouldn't they go to the Olympics? Isn't the Olympics supposed to be the very best...the pinnacle of sport?

So I say, if they want to comeback...comeback! If you can be physically ready to compete with the best...bring it (sorry...I couldn't resist)! I for one can't wait to see the clash between today's champs and yesterday's biggest stars.

May the best one win!

The Op-Ed: How Dangerous are the Russians

Jumping Clapping Man has inspired a blog post…

Also, I’m trying out the Windows Live Writer interface to see if I like it.

But back to the Russians.  It’s Pairs skaters I’m talking about and we all know of their storied domination of Olympic competition.  Since 1964 in Innsbruck when the Protopopov’s won, the Russians have killed it going on an amazing 12 Olympic Games winning spree (yes…we still count 2002)!

However, it would appear that the tides are changing, and any betting person would put their good money on the Chinese or German's in Vancouver.

But, somehow, Russians always seem to get to the top of the podium at the Olympics (a little shady in 2002…but still there), fate just falls their way.  In 1997 if you had told me Kazakova and Dmitriev and their compatriots Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze would go 1-2 in Nagano I would have said…not a chance.  That four years later Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze managed to share a Gold Medal…a miracle.  The first time I saw Totmianina and Marinin in Olympic competition (2002), I thought them awkward and uninteresting…four years later I thought them well worthy of their Olympic Gold.

So I say fear the Russians in 2010 and do not count them out under any circumstances!  As per usual, there will be three, no doubt talented, teams to contend with in Vancouver.  Russian teams often have roles (not actually...just seems that way)at the Olympics and this is how I see it playing out…

There is always the team that is good, has had some success in International Competition, but don’t seem to have  the best Olympics.  In the past this role has been played by such skaters as Eltsova and Bushkov, Obertas and Slavnov, Petrova and Tikhonov…you know the type.  This I think will be Mukhortova and Trankov.  Wildly talented but I feel unprepared for the realities and pressures that Olympic competition will bring.

There’s often the young ones that have little experience that we barely, if at all, know.  This team will definitely be around but who knows who it will be?  Ozerova and Enbert?  Iliushechkina and Maisuradze?  Martiusheva and Rogonov?  Sheremetieva and Kuznetsov?  Rest assured one (or more) of these teams will burst on the scene next season and make the Olympic Team.  The young team often surprises all and has a much better result th an expected at the Olympics…think Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze in  1998.

Then there is ‘the’ team.  Maybe we didn’t expect them to do so good…but they do.  And I have a feeling this may turn out to be Kavaguti and Smirnov.  Also on their side is their coach, Tamara Moskvina who has a knack at turning out Olympic Champions.  Her teams seam to come alive on Olympic ice and I have a hunch this team will do the same.

Disclaimer: Of course I could be wrong about all of this!  Just using past history as a gauge of what may come.

The Op-Ed: Fair vs Ferocious

Three cheers for Jenny Kirk for standing up for all the skaters out there! Guess what, they are people too!

One of the main reasons I began this blog (in 2005...wow!) was because I hated the divisiveness I found on so many web boards and forums. I wanted a place where I could voice my opinion in a fair, honest, and open way without being bombarded with crude, nasty comments. You'll find no link on my blog to all the web boards that exist out there...that's by design.

Jenny Kirk writes a blog at True/Slant and her current topic discusses the content found on the message boards about the skaters. She puts you in the seat of the skater and asks that you look at it from their point of view. Can you believe on a particular web board, Jenny Kirk was said to look like a "starving Auschwitz survivor." Did someone really write that? Jenny, should you stumble across this, I think you are a lovely skater and are just wonderful!

There is a fine line between being critical of skater and being down right out-of-place. We all watch skaters and like or dislike a performance, or choreography. We may think that a skater makes a poor music choice (just recently I've mentioned my dislike of Mirai Nagasu's music choice for this season) or we might just think they have been of the rails recently. This is okay, but attacking someone personally, or going after their character, or just being downright mean is uncalled for.

I'm proud that the figure skating community I support is not the 'unfriendly' one Kirk writes about. The links on this blog won't take you anywhere that would speak of a skater in such a way. If there are any skaters out there reading this, welcome to Online Figure Skating Fans Version 2.0...some of us are trying to change the mold!