I haven't been following the skating in recent years, used to watch all the time growing up.
There's a Russian American kid from Fairfax VA who jumped quad axels by the half dozen in his free skate - he almost did 7!! I didn't even realize this revolution in figure skating had occurred - he's a real pioneer. Just won his second in a row world championship.
Some really terrific performances all around, including a brilliant one from the silver medalist from Kazakhstan.
If you didn't get a chance to watch it's worth some time on the YouTube to catch the performances.
Quadruple Axels in Boston!
Quadruple Axels in Boston!
For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring.
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Re: Quadruple Axels in Boston!
It was freaking mesmerizing. I watched Shaidorov's skate and thought, how the fuck do you top that? And then Malinin got on the ice, and I said, oh, that's how.
And the two of them are only 20 years old, how many more years do they have to continue improving, and bringing along a whole field with them. 20 years ago, a male skater could win a world championship or medal in the Olympics without a single quad. Now they need to do six or seven to be a contender.
At the rate these kids are going, will we be seeing the first quintuple jumps in competition in the next few years?
And the two of them are only 20 years old, how many more years do they have to continue improving, and bringing along a whole field with them. 20 years ago, a male skater could win a world championship or medal in the Olympics without a single quad. Now they need to do six or seven to be a contender.
At the rate these kids are going, will we be seeing the first quintuple jumps in competition in the next few years?
Re: Quadruple Axels in Boston!
The eventual quintuple jump wouldn't surprise me; like many other "artistic" sports, the emphasis has become more on strength and acrobatics and less on artistry. There's still some, but it's a smaller portion of the overall performance, in both men's an women's figure skating. Personally, I miss some of the dance elements and emphasis on them, but this is the way the sport is progressing. The same has happened with the Women's Floor Exercise in gymnastics. I think it's giving more of the crowds what they want, and it's inevitable.
That being said, I did see some superior short and long programs this year, and a lot of great jumps , b oth int hese recent broadcasts and the US championships earlier this year.
That being said, I did see some superior short and long programs this year, and a lot of great jumps , b oth int hese recent broadcasts and the US championships earlier this year.