i am not a big sports guy. If anything i'll jump on a bandwagon here or there for rivalries, championships, or an event with something out of the ordinary, something on the line. There are few contests i will make an effort to watch, one of which is Olympic figure skating- the reasons may surprise you Dear Reader. The instance, the very decimal point of a second that an Olympic figure skater falls and hits the ice is the only instance in life where the death of a dream is loud enough for you to hear. It is for those very moments that figure skating is my favourite Olympic sport. i have been making that brutal statement since i was seventeen years old. Let me assure you that while there is some truth within that confession, it is merely the dot of Yang within my Ying of captivation with the competition (besides as of 2002 there was major overhaul of the scoring rules due to how bias the system was... so, to my honest disappointment, thats no longer a thing[1]). It was easier to hide my insecurities of love for a sport cruelly judged as effeminate, or soft, with one of the darker, yet most compelling aspects of the contest. Despite my lack of enthusiasm towards athletic competitions, there are many things about Olympic figure skating which I find both magnetic and transcendent.
It’s the complexity of the craft draws me in. These competitors blur the lines between athletic ability and artistic expression more than any others participating in the Olympics. The figure skating contests are some of the most dynamic of all the games, hiding a labyrinth of depth to those willing to look below their frozen surfaces. An exquisite combination of ballet, and gymnastics, performed at high levels of speed, balanced on thin blades of steel, requiring massive levels of strength, nimbleness, timing, flare, oscillating between grace and recklessness, and fuelled by hungry tenacity. Watching these athletes throw themselves over the slick, precarious, and unforgiving ice is an absolute thrill. The risk of injury is towering, the probability of failure is higher still.
Stakes take a dramatic rise during the pairs contests. The addition of a partner causes an exponential increase in variables. Synchronizing two athletes to the rhythm of a dance is difficult enough, when you add speed, ice (and lets not forget that despite best efforts in regulation, arena ice differentiates from rink to rink, and worse still country to country[2]), and aerial acrobatics into the mix, you’re playing with a recipe for disaster. The strength of the partner, the lifts, the flips are dangerous to both parties (though the risks women face remain unparalleled by their male counterparts). As if the spins performed by individual skaters weren’t fast enough, the added assistance from their partners brings an inconsistency of torque (at times too much, others too little), along with an increase in height that requires much more preparation, and good grace from the fates. Tiredness, weight fluctuations, improper stretching before an event, or unhealed minor injuries can add a considerable amount of risk to both partners when attempting these maneuvers. Don’t forget both parties are performing mere centimeters from one another, spinning around with knives attached to their feet[3]. Real injuries are a real possibility. When you combine nerves at the most prestigious competition on the planet, the added pressure of all your fellow countrymen and women's hope placed on you, whilst facing the greatest representatives of each other country, that is a tremendous amount of distracting stress when concentration is paramount.
The scoring is another beast altogether, a far cry from the simple indications of victory like a puck or ball passing a goal line, an arrow striking the bulls eye, or the ticker tape of finish line wrapping itself around the victor. Until 2002, the contests were judged by the 6.0 system[4], in which the official categories were skating skills, transitions, performance/execution, choreography, and interpretation of chosen music pieces. All of which balance on the ambiguities of each judge’s bias. Whether we deny it or not, musical choices, make up, and costume preferences come into play, despite the judges best efforts to remain objective they are as faulted human beings as we are, and we know that objectivity is far from possible. This was used until failure, causing the 2002 Olympic scandal where two pairs were award gold medals[1] in couples skating. This has resulted in the invention and application of ISU scoring. A complex system of checks and balances, with a combining of separate scoring systems. One technical panel awarding points for attempts, errors, and difficulty within maneuvers. This score is then applied to the points of a far more regulated panel of judges, which includes a referee solely for the judges themselves[5].
There is still the brutalizing reality that a single fall or misstep can shatter the whole performance. Regardless that you can still win with the new scoring system, it takes a tremendous amount of moxie to get back up and finish a run. Yuzuru Hanyu's Gold win Japan [6] despite falls is a fantastic example of an exception that makes the rule (though a fall would cost him the gold in 2022 [7]). Despite being better, the contest is still far from fair, and is as cruel as it is beautiful. The proximity to chaos and almost immediate failure is one of the most compelling aspects of the sport. Sure there’s other events where ambiguity is a factor in scoring, but not in anything with as many hazardous, and unpredictable variables. While it is far from the most dangerous of the games, it's the amalgamation of all these factors that makes it the most exciting- especially in pair’s events. It’s not like other team sports, where there are a myriad of influences can steer towards failure, in skating it’s generally down to one’s mistakes. Often the falls happen when skaters aren’t even trying to land a difficult maneuver, it could be a simple misstep that destroys a competitors confidence, and with it months of training and sacrifice.
Outside of the intensity, i love that the real heroes of this sport are the women. Don’t get it twisted, the men definitely play an important role, and have their talents, but the women are by far the bravest. The women take the biggest risks, pull off the greatest feats, and pull the audience in. As much as I am drawn to the sport itself, the women's performances are a dash more elegant, and better encapsulate the duality between grace and intensity.
The personality of each piece is another aspect that enchants me. From the songs, to the costumes, to the accompanying choreography, there is so much said. Even if the skater despises the outfit, or the choice of music, that in itself is also a piece of a much larger, fascinating story. The push of their home country, of the government's influence over the choices (and how tyrannical that may be), the athlete's willingness for collaboration or direction in order to pursue their dream, the identity of a nation trying to distil itself down to one single person. It’s a lot, its heavy, and you can see the weight of it resting on their shoulders, or over their forced smiles as they make their graceful glides over the unforgiving ice. We are talking about beauty, interpretation, communication, and skill. This isn’t as simple as "let's decorate someone in our countries colours, slap some skies on them rip them down the side of a mountain off an enormous jump and hope they land further than everyone else, and not die in trying to do so."
No.
Figure skating is duality, fragility, strength, dangerous jumps, spins, and serene landings. This is frills, this is make up, hair, this is styled skating, this is lifting someone above your head and holding them balanced on a single foot, attached to a knife sailing across a frozen indoor pond in an arena trusting yourself that you’re not going to let your friend fall while they are in a completely vulnerable position somewhere between six to eight feet off the ground, with no helmets, no padding, just tights and some sort of aerodynamic body suit with a mandatory short frilly skirt [7], and potentially sparkles.
The triumphant plight of the individual gets more fascinating with the addition of another. The communication, sacrifice, trust, and patience that pairs must practise to compete both in such prestigious contests, and as well in trials that come with such an intimate partnership is stirring. The origin stories behind the pairs only add to their novelty. At its most romantic, it's love that brings the pair together (one of the only sports in the Olympics with the possibility that this could be a factor). Usually these small teams have been brought together by an aspirational coach with a keen eye for talent. Sometimes, it's between a pair that loathes each other. Maicon Hubbell and Zachary Donahue ran the gamut, hating each other as rivals before being paired together, falling in and out of love with one another only to continue onwards to victory [9]. There is something so inspiring about people coming together despite past frictions. We see it in many sports teams, hockey, football, etc. Contending adversaries working together for a shared glory, showcasing the foundational human drama of the Olympics at its best.
While nationalism is certainly a scary and loaded word, at the Olympics we get to see healthy (not always the case, but lets pretend) competition, and the communal unity it brings. The world dropping (the majority of) its issues to come together in sport, with an idealized (likely unrealistic) frame of objectivity. The event's ideals attempt to bring our global community closer together, and showcases our collective awe in humanity. i like to think that figure skating opened my eyes (and the eyes of others) to the beauty of other cultures, through dance, through daring, through grace.
Now sure, i attempted to brand the beauty of the sport with something dark, the thrill of watching dreams die. That’s just a poor sense of humour. The real joy is the redemption stories. Watching athletes not only pick themselves up during the remainder of their run, but recalibrating, and doing their best to not let it phase them (outside of Yuzuru Hanyu [6], other notable redemptions include Nathan Chen’s comeback from failure to fifth in 2018, then gold in 2022[10]. Evan Lysacek couldn't regain composure after a fall in 2006 only to come back in 2010 for the gold[11] to name some of many). Beyond outstanding, the determination and courage of these individuals is inspiring. It’s a beautiful thing, dreams.
The momentary redemption is also astounding, however tragic it may be. The forced smile, the lack of hesitation to catch up to the next bit of choreography, it is through the juxtaposition of tragedy that we see the highlighted beauty and charming dignity that defines the sport. We see the will of the athlete, and indeed within us all, attempting to maximize they're abilities in a high risk scenario with added elements of chaos and complexity. The amount of effort, practise, and skill to make something look both effortless and elegant, is almost incomprehensible.
Thrilling is too limited a word to describe the excitement of these events. The shimmering echo of the skaters' gentle glides, the violent thrashing sounds of their blades carving the ice as they cut in, and the paralyzing silence as the athletes jump while packed arena's hold their breath. The shared humanity of collective sighs and gasps, the shocking grief of falls, and the unadulterated euphoria of success. Three minutes of the human drama on ice, scored; it's absurd, unique in its composition, and stands alone balanced between art, athletics, and dreams. While the jumps take my breath away, the glory of other’s success enthralling, i have the most admiration for the skaters who fall taking leaps of faith, (perhaps beyond their ability, risking injury to chase glory), pick themselves up, and chase momentary rebirth, and redemption. I am astounded. I am inspired. I am unashamed to say: Olympic figure skating stands at the top of my favourite sporting events to watch.
Thanks for exploring with me,
Mr. Write
[1]
https://people.com/sports/olympics-figure-skating-pairs-scandal-salt-lake-city-2002/
[2]
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9198633/
https://www.si.com/media/2017/02/28/concerns-about-nhl-ice-conditions
despite such standards:
https://www.eyeontheice.com/documents/olympic%20ice%20making.pdf
[3]
[4]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/6.0_system
[5]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISU_Judging_System
[6]
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/02/14/sports/olympics/mens-figure-skating.html
[7]
[8]
https://www.bustle.com/p/whats-the-dress-code-for-olympic-figure-skating-7858146
[9]
[10]
[11]
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/most-memorable-moments-in-olympic-figure-skating-48693972