2010 Olympics

[CathyAnn31]

I think Rachael Flats score should have been a little higher.

Apolo tonight.

 

[Nakamova]

I agree, the figure-skating judging seemed a bit off in some cases. My sister-in-law (who used to be a professional figure skater) says that the judges routinely overscore the big names and underscore the lesser ones.

 

[Inaara]

Skating has always seemed to me to have the most bizarre scoring. I swear, Katarina Witt, Peggy Fleming and Dorothy Hamill could all go out and skate in Vancouver today against these young girls and still break the top ten just because of what their names are, not because their technical program was top-notch (could Fleming or Hamill land a triple jump? I saw Witt do it one time, but she struggled). It's a bit silly the way these judges score sometimes.

 

[RobinN]

Yes it is odd. The scoring has change in the past two years though. There are points now for difficulty, and changes of edges, and spin quality, speed etc. 50% is still subjective, as how do you judge the quality of artistic ability. If you have a distaste for the music, you will most likely not score as high, or if you hate the color red. All subconscious but it does happen.

It is something I have seen in my daughters competitive history, but one must go out on the ice because they love it, and not because of a score. Of course you want to be rewarded for your technical and artistic ability, but it needs to be first and foremost because it is your passion.

As with any sport the bar continues to rise. When Katarina, Peggy, and Dorothy were skating, the women were not expected to have the athletic ability that they need to have today. Knees and hips are being replaced now due to the stress put on them. Especially when they are expected to do them at such a young age. Axels at 5, double axels at 10. There is a great book that I read years ago, called Little Girls in Pretty Boxes. Put it all into perspective for me.

There is a bit of "Paying Your Dues", in the sport as well.

 

[BuckeyeFan]

Girls and women have came so far in the last 30-40 years. We had our first varsity girls basketball team in our school when I was a freshman. Now, the ability of female athletes is amazing.

To expand on Robins comment, my knee surgeon and a sports trainer both have told me that they are seeing more joint injuries in young girls than boys. The girls have increased their strength and are pushing themselves harder and the joints have not changed as fast. That is no reason to stop in my opinion. My oldest daughter was a runner and I can't wait to see my granddaughter run.

 

[Nakamova]

There are studies that show that using special training and strength exercises can prevent a lot of the knee injuries that girls are suffering. The exercises are very targeted to develop the muscles that stabilize the joints (boys already have different muscle mass and distribution on their frames, so they're less vulnerable to certain injuries at that age).

 

[McGill]

Not only that, the trainers have been using computer technology to assist the athletes in their kinesiology and movements to get better results. Did you see the clip about that on the TV?

 

[BuckeyeFan]

One simple exercise that ALL can use, I learned after a bad knee injury years ago. Simply stand on one leg, holding the other foot only slightly off the floor for safety. Do not lock your knee into position. You will feel how all the muscles around your knee are working to keep you balanced. When you are comfortable with this exercise, do it with your eyes closed. That really works the knee muscles. Hold it for at least a minutes or as long as you can. So easy and quick to do. Certainly helped me after my ACL surgery.

 

[RobinN]

Our girl Mirai, is in First Place, after the Short Program at WORLDS!

 

[Nakamova]

She was great at the Olympics! I hope she does well at the Worlds.