2022 Olympics

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not her first fall or second but THIRD. That has to be an Olympic record

Oh, please. Three falls in not unheard of. When a skater gets rattled by a fall early in their program, it can throw off their entire performance. Olympic history is full of world class athletes that have catastrophic performances.

[Anonymous]

^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

I thought it was required in the past, but I could be wrong.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

Well, the Russian weapon is that they have a stable of talent. If Valieva falters, her two teammates can step into her shoes (although I would honestly hate it if Trusova wins; sweet kid but not a complete skater). TeamTutberidze brought their A-listers. If you think about it, it's pretty fantastic that they are ALL coached by the same woman.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

Well, the Russian weapon is that they have a stable of talent. If Valieva falters, her two teammates can step into her shoes (although I would honestly hate it if Trusova wins; sweet kid but not a complete skater). TeamTutberidze brought their A-listers. If you think about it, it's pretty fantastic that they are ALL coached by the same woman.

Do they all share the same pharmacists too?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

Well, the Russian weapon is that they have a stable of talent. If Valieva falters, her two teammates can step into her shoes (although I would honestly hate it if Trusova wins; sweet kid but not a complete skater). TeamTutberidze brought their A-listers. If you think about it, it's pretty fantastic that they are ALL coached by the same woman.

Do they all share the same pharmacists too?

Honey, if there was a pharmaceutical that can help you skate the way they do, every skater in the world would be lining up to get it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

I think they wanted to let her be the first woman to land a quad at the Olympics, but they could have just kept her quad in the short and let one of the other ladies to the long. Strategically, it didn't make sense to play her twice, since all three Russian skaters are expected to sweep the podium, and all could have taken the free skate. Plus, they had more than enough margin to lose the FS and still win gold. I also think it was a mistake not to sub for Ice Dance, since the male is recovering from a back injury, and now podium favorites are going into the individual competition after being beaten by both American teams. Russia will still dominate all of the events, but I find their team strategy to be curious, since they had plenty of talent to distribute the competition load.

[Anonymous]

I WOULD LIKE TO BE AN OLYMPIC ICE SKATER

-Janet L.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

Well, the Russian weapon is that they have a stable of talent. If Valieva falters, her two teammates can step into her shoes (although I would honestly hate it if Trusova wins; sweet kid but not a complete skater). TeamTutberidze brought their A-listers. If you think about it, it's pretty fantastic that they are ALL coached by the same woman.

Do they all share the same pharmacists too?

Honey, if there was a pharmaceutical that can help you skate the way they do, every skater in the world would be lining up to get it.

There are pharmaceuticals that help with strength, endurance, and recovery. Their prevalence amongst Russia athletes is why the country is competing for the ROC (that and the IOC's utter cowardice when it comes to following through on threats to ban countries for systematic doping)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

Well, the Russian weapon is that they have a stable of talent. If Valieva falters, her two teammates can step into her shoes (although I would honestly hate it if Trusova wins; sweet kid but not a complete skater). TeamTutberidze brought their A-listers. If you think about it, it's pretty fantastic that they are ALL coached by the same woman.

Do they all share the same pharmacists too?

Honey, if there was a pharmaceutical that can help you skate the way they do, every skater in the world would be lining up to get it.

There are pharmaceuticals that help with strength, endurance, and recovery. Their prevalence amongst Russia athletes is why the country is competing for the ROC (that and the IOC's utter cowardice when it comes to following through on threats to ban countries for systematic doping)

No skaters have been implicated in the doping scandal.

Honestly, the country that gave the world Lance Armstrong has no business getting huffy and puffy about doping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Michelle Kwan - her skating was so gorgeous it made me cry. It makes me so sad that she never got her olympic gold. But even she could be beaten on any given night.

She is one of the greatest (and a new mom, congratulations!)

Yes, even with her famous mental toughness, she said Olympics were just a completely different ballgame in terms of the level of stress and tension.

Yes, like discussed above about the Russians these days, Kwan had the bad luck to run into 15-year-olds suddenly eligible for the Olympics who out-jumped her in 1998 and 2002. I always think that, if she hadn’t pulled out of the 2006 Olympics at the last minute with an injury, THAT was the Olympics Kwan could have won. No young phenom to jump over her to the top. Young Mao Asada, technically brilliant at the time, was a tad too young to be eligible for those Olympics.

+1 ITA When I saw the number and type of clean jumps Arakawa (5 triples and no triple-triple) made to win gold, I knew it. Oh well. It was another time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:^^ DP, but I thought they were still allowed two changes, but optional. Was it actually required in the past? Hopefully ROC’s decision to use Valeiva in both doesn’t backfire- I remember Lipitnitskya just not being the same in the ladies competition after rocking it in the team event in Sochi. Although Valeiva is obviously a much better skater and there’s a decent break before the ladies comp begins.

Well, the Russian weapon is that they have a stable of talent. If Valieva falters, her two teammates can step into her shoes (although I would honestly hate it if Trusova wins; sweet kid but not a complete skater). TeamTutberidze brought their A-listers. If you think about it, it's pretty fantastic that they are ALL coached by the same woman.

Do they all share the same pharmacists too?

Honey, if there was a pharmaceutical that can help you skate the way they do, every skater in the world would be lining up to get it.

There are pharmaceuticals that help with strength, endurance, and recovery. Their prevalence amongst Russia athletes is why the country is competing for the ROC (that and the IOC's utter cowardice when it comes to following through on threats to ban countries for systematic doping)

No skaters have been implicated in the doping scandal.

Honestly, the country that gave the world Lance Armstrong has no business getting huffy and puffy about doping.

I wasn't aware the USOC directly was involved with doping in cycling.

As far as Russian skaters go, this isn't even a year old https://www.reuters.com/article/us-sport-doping-russia-figureskating/russia-announces-10-year-doping-suspension-for-olympic-figure-skater-sotskova-idUSKBN2AV1QN

Unsurprisingly, they manage not to catch their top skaters

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The only medals the US took in 2018 were ice dance and team. So a half dozen of those people standing there would not be Olympic medalists otherwise. Be sure to let them know someone on DCUM thinks their once in a lifetime Olympic Bronze medal is inconsequential but just showing up for vibes is amazing!

You know in your heart if they were good enough they'd have actual solo competition medals.

I can’t say this is good enough to win the toddlers competition…she can barely stand upright

You're being utterly ridiculous.

She fell four times. FOUR. TIMES. Her team score is a 1 and that’s because negative doesn’t exist on the scoreboard.

I’ve never seen anything that bad. And she still has to compete in the ladies single.

Why do you dislike her so much?

Are you this angry at Jin Boyang? He is a world bronze medalist and was 4th in the team event. In fact, the only reason he wasn’t last was that Keegan Messing from Canada couldn’t clear his covid tests. He was capable of placing higher and couldn’t pull through.

Honestly, there was absolutely no one else the Chinese could have sent that could have done better than last place in the free skate. They just don’t have any strong women’s skaters. Plus ANYONE China could have sent would have been in last place. Kamilia Valeiva is other worldly. Kaori Sakamoto was 6th at the last world championships and Karen Chen placed 4th there. Admittedly, Madeline Schizas was an under the radar newbie that has improved drastically, but considering she beat Karen last night she would have also beaten anyone else China could have sent.

The nature of the team event is that almost all the 10 countries competing only have strength in 2 disciplines. 3 gets you in medal contention like the US and the US this time around and all 4 gets you a gold like Canada in 2018 and ROC in 2014/2022. That means for most countries at least 2 of their disciplines are weak. For China that is dance and even more so, women’s. Some countries had skaters in the team event that are so weak they didn’t qualify to the olympics on their own. They are ONLY there for the team event like the Italian ladies skater and the German mens skater. The team event means some of these really weak skaters are being aired on US tv for the first time ever. It’s not like NBC is going to air the 30th best mens skater tonight. They tend to only air the top 10-12 (if even that many) so most American viewers aren’t used to seeing bad skates.

You are clearly a very new skating viewer. Watch Anna Pogorilaya at the 2015 worlds. Now that was BAD.

Yes, every time people say the Chinese girl’s program was bad, I think back to that Pogorilaya program. Bad, bad, bad - almost laughably bad!

Can you answer a question I have about the team event? I seem to remember that, in the past, countries had to switch up skaters in 2 of the disciplines from short to long. And the US did that - men and dance switched, ladies and pairs skated both. But all the Russians skated the short and long. Did they change that team event rule? Or am I misremembering? That requirement created some interesting strategic decisions in the past.[/quot

Good question. Countries could switch out in 2 events. The US chose to switch out. Japan switched out for Mens and Women's. They only had one Olympic pair and dance team. I’m surprised didn’t Canada didn’t switch out for Ice Dance and rest Piper and Paul once they were out of medal contention.

The ROC was trying to send a clear message by only having their absolute top skaters in the Team Event. With the men skating tonight it would have been nice to rest Mark, but the other 2 men are soooo inconsistent it could have cost them the Gold. For those that follow skating closely it was clear there was also some politics going on behind the scenes within the Russian Fed. Both Anna and Sasha could have easily won the free skate as well with their quads, but then their coach, Eteri Tubretzi, would have had to choose between them. I think they should have switched out for Pairs, but the Russians probably worried that Sui and Han would skate the free and it would be a bad look for them of Sui and Han beat 2 of their pairs teams. That said, since Peng and Jin skate Russia really should have had Tarasova and Morozov (3rd and Russian Nationals, but 2nd at Europeans and 4th at the last olympics) skate since they are likely to get 4th again this year and this would have been their path to a medal. Ice Dance is the biggest shocker. Nikita Katsalapov has a bad back and not switching him out risks them not medaling in the individual event. Russia didn’t even bother to send their 2nd best dance team, Stepenova and Bukin ( top 6 in the world)to China yet so that meant it HAD to be Sinitisna and Katsalapov in Ice Dance after the US had a great day 1. I firmly believe if the ROC was further ahead in day 1 Eteri would have gotten her daughter, Diana Davis, who is on the significantly weaker 3rd place team to skate so she could have a gold medal, but it was just too close after day 1.

[Anonymous]

I remember her announcement - I think I saw it live because I was hugely pregnant at the time and not really sleeping well. I cried with her.

To be fair, though, Sarah Hughes absolutely positively KILLED it in her 2002 free skate. It still gives me chills to think about it. It was crushing what it meant for Kwan (because we were still doing that weird ordinal system), but there was no doubt that Sarah won the night.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

The only medals the US took in 2018 were ice dance and team. So a half dozen of those people standing there would not be Olympic medalists otherwise. Be sure to let them know someone on DCUM thinks their once in a lifetime Olympic Bronze medal is inconsequential but just showing up for vibes is amazing!

You know in your heart if they were good enough they'd have actual solo competition medals.

I can’t say this is good enough to win the toddlers competition…she can barely stand upright

You're being utterly ridiculous.

She fell four times. FOUR. TIMES. Her team score is a 1 and that’s because negative doesn’t exist on the scoreboard.

I’ve never seen anything that bad. And she still has to compete in the ladies single.

Why do you dislike her so much?

Are you this angry at Jin Boyang? He is a world bronze medalist and was 4th in the team event. In fact, the only reason he wasn’t last was that Keegan Messing from Canada couldn’t clear his covid tests. He was capable of placing higher and couldn’t pull through.

Honestly, there was absolutely no one else the Chinese could have sent that could have done better than last place in the free skate. They just don’t have any strong women’s skaters. Plus ANYONE China could have sent would have been in last place. Kamilia Valeiva is other worldly. Kaori Sakamoto was 6th at the last world championships and Karen Chen placed 4th there. Admittedly, Madeline Schizas was an under the radar newbie that has improved drastically, but considering she beat Karen last night she would have also beaten anyone else China could have sent.

The nature of the team event is that almost all the 10 countries competing only have strength in 2 disciplines. 3 gets you in medal contention like the US and the US this time around and all 4 gets you a gold like Canada in 2018 and ROC in 2014/2022. That means for most countries at least 2 of their disciplines are weak. For China that is dance and even more so, women’s. Some countries had skaters in the team event that are so weak they didn’t qualify to the olympics on their own. They are ONLY there for the team event like the Italian ladies skater and the German mens skater. The team event means some of these really weak skaters are being aired on US tv for the first time ever. It’s not like NBC is going to air the 30th best mens skater tonight. They tend to only air the top 10-12 (if even that many) so most American viewers aren’t used to seeing bad skates.

You are clearly a very new skating viewer. Watch Anna Pogorilaya at the 2015 worlds. Now that was BAD.

Yes, every time people say the Chinese girl’s program was bad, I think back to that Pogorilaya program. Bad, bad, bad - almost laughably bad!

Can you answer a question I have about the team event? I seem to remember that, in the past, countries had to switch up skaters in 2 of the disciplines from short to long. And the US did that - men and dance switched, ladies and pairs skated both. But all the Russians skated the short and long. Did they change that team event rule? Or am I misremembering? That requirement created some interesting strategic decisions in the past.[/quot

Good question. Countries could switch out in 2 events. The US chose to switch out. Japan switched out for Mens and Women's. They only had one Olympic pair and dance team. I’m surprised didn’t Canada didn’t switch out for Ice Dance and rest Piper and Paul once they were out of medal contention.

The ROC was trying to send a clear message by only having their absolute top skaters in the Team Event. With the men skating tonight it would have been nice to rest Mark, but the other 2 men are soooo inconsistent it could have cost them the Gold. For those that follow skating closely it was clear there was also some politics going on behind the scenes within the Russian Fed. Both Anna and Sasha could have easily won the free skate as well with their quads, but then their coach, Eteri Tubretzi, would have had to choose between them. I think they should have switched out for Pairs, but the Russians probably worried that Sui and Han would skate the free and it would be a bad look for them of Sui and Han beat 2 of their pairs teams. That said, since Peng and Jin skate Russia really should have had Tarasova and Morozov (3rd and Russian Nationals, but 2nd at Europeans and 4th at the last olympics) skate since they are likely to get 4th again this year and this would have been their path to a medal. Ice Dance is the biggest shocker. Nikita Katsalapov has a bad back and not switching him out risks them not medaling in the individual event. Russia didn’t even bother to send their 2nd best dance team, Stepenova and Bukin ( top 6 in the world)to China yet so that meant it HAD to be Sinitisna and Katsalapov in Ice Dance after the US had a great day 1. I firmly believe if the ROC was further ahead in day 1 Eteri would have gotten her daughter, Diana Davis, who is on the significantly weaker 3rd place team to skate so she could have a gold medal, but it was just too close after day 1.

I meant to add that one can assume the Russian Fed didn’t send Stepenova and Bukin to Russia before the team event so it would have HAD to be Diana Davis skating if Nikita couldn’t skate. I think this is a huge mistake. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirer were really under scored and I think Stepenova and Bukin may have beaten them. Russia could have afforded to lose one point by by sending Stepenova and Bukin and now it looks worse for Sinitsina and Katsalaopov that they were beaten by both americans when they came into the Olympics attempting to challene Cizeron and Papadakis for the gold.