Figure Skating 2020 - 2021 Discussion Thread

[dcro 10,210]

[Olympian1010 7,976]

ISU Junior Grand Prix becomes the first winter event (tour) cancelled due to Covid 19.

[Olympian1010 7,976]

 

[Monzanator 4,502]

I read some news that ISU considers upping the minimal age for international senior championships from 15 to 17. Sigh. Like that will make all these female soloists extend their careers all of the sudden. No offense but ladies is the only category that provides international competitors at age 15-16 so I wonder what's up other than trying to hamper the Russian teenagers. It feels like even USA doesn't bring up prodigies like Kwan or Lipinski anymore (dare I say the US teens discovered they can break through in other disciplines and figure skating isn't considered truly elite in USA anymore)?

[NearPup 3,051]

21 minutes ago, Monzanator said:

I read some news that ISU considers upping the minimal age for international senior championships from 15 to 17. Sigh. Like that will make all these female soloists extend their careers all of the sudden. No offense but ladies is the only category that provides international competitors at age 15-16 so I wonder what's up other than trying to hamper the Russian teenagers. It feels like even USA doesn't bring up prodigies like Kwan or Lipinski anymore (dare I say the US teens discovered they can break through in other disciplines and figure skating isn't considered truly elite in USA anymore)?

17 seems way too old as a minimum age.

[Olympian1010 7,976]

7 minutes ago, NearPup said:

17 seems way too old as a minimum age.

From what I’ve read, it’s about athlete health.

[dcro 10,210]

29 minutes ago, Monzanator said:

Like that will make all these female soloists extend their careers all of the sudden.

It would. If nothing else, it would add two more years before they are eligible for championships.

 

Though it's unlikely to pass because it goes against Russia and their overtraining methods. Their influence is so big that there is not even a chance of this passing, actually.

[Monzanator 4,502]

7 minutes ago, Olympian1010 said:

From what I’ve read, it’s about athlete health.

I read this on a Polish website. Now I found an explanation and it's linked to Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya's death. A total overreaction indeed. Like people at age 25 can't commit suicides because they only participated in senior champs two years later than they could have.

 

https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1097741/isu-to-discuss-figure-skating-age-limit

[Monzanator 4,502]

1 minute ago, dcro said:

It would. If nothing else, it would add two more years before they are eligible for championships.

 

Though it's unlikely to pass because it goes against Russia and their overtraining methods. Their influence is so big that there is not even a chance of this passing, actually.

Yeah, Russia is one country that still reigns supreme in figure skating. Just look at all the naturalized Russians competing for other nations. USA has sure given up on the Cold War in figure skating in the last decade or so.

 

Once Simone Biles retires the same probably happens in gymnastics especially in wake of the Nassar scandal.

[dcro 10,210]

Just look at what happened to the Russian team from Pyeongchang in just two years.

 

Medvedeva deflected from her coach Tutberidze to Canada. She can no longer win medals (or even make Russian team for that matter), but at least she matured as a skater and certainly has few more seasons of high level (Grand Prix) competitions ahead of her.

 

Zagitova is basically retired at this point. Her consistency has gone completely, partly due to a growth spur.

 

And finally Sotskova retired this summer. Last two seasons she basically under rotated 80% of her triples. Growth spur also influenced her too. Come to think of it, this is a strong argument for the minimum age increase.

 

And now they have some 16 year olds doing quads. But in all honesty, they will probably be just as expendible as those that came before.