Canadian Figure Skaters Get Gold, Judge Banned

Yahoo ^ | 2/15/02 | Adrian Warner

[ST.LOUIE1]

Maybe they'll all stop crying and go home now.

On with the Olympics!

[mewzilla]

FYI, she hasn't been banned, she's been suspended, at least for now. She theoretically could be re-instated. There is a Ukranian judge at the ice dancing tonight who's been suspended before. Great sport, ain't it?

[TC Rider]

Anyway, one of the announcers explained that she couldn't take the gold because she was too athletic to appeal to the judges.

Man, if tennis was judged this way, I guess the Williams sisters would be looking for work.

About the only Olympics we've been watching is the kurling, while we wait for 'Imus in the Morning' on MSNBC. Why Kurling is on a 6AM is beyond me, I'm assuming it's taped and they aren't out there at 3AM in Utah with their little brooms.

[randog]

That'll work!

[Jaded]

Saraya Bonaly... the only female who could do a back flip and land it one-footed. At the worlds that year, she stepped down off the podium (she got bronze) in protest, it upset the judges. Then at the last olympics in Nagano, after she fell during triples in her long program, she knew she had no change to medal so she skated for the crowd. Yes, the backflip, that's not allowed because all those little blonde girls can't do it, and when she finished she faced the audience and the Emperor not the judges. When you have nothing you have nothing to lose. Oh, she had, IMO, weird music very new age-ish, the judges didn't like that either but it suited her skating.

To post #8. Why is that sort of disparity okay in mens?

[SauronOfMordor]

The only way to put an end to it, would be to ban the judge, and also send the judge's country's team home. Do that once, and it won't happen again anytime soon.

[Frohickey]

I want to see some tar and feathers.

[Lumberjack]

Saraya Bonaly... the only female who could do a back flip and land it one-footed. At the worlds that year, she stepped down off the podium (she got bronze) in protest, it upset the judges. Then at the last olympics in Nagano, after she fell during triples in her long program, she knew she had no change to medal so she skated for the crowd. Yes, the backflip, that's not allowed because all those little blonde girls can't do it, and when she finished she faced the audience and the Emperor not the judges. When you have nothing you have nothing to lose. Oh, she had, IMO, weird music very new age-ish, the judges didn't like that either but it suited her skating.

She sounds like a character out of an Ayn Rand novel. I immediately have an instant liking for her after your history in brief of her. :) Thanks for sharing!

[truth_seeker]

Who can do the most or most complicated turns, jumps, etc., who can skate the fastest, the farthest, whatever...things that are measured or scored. Forget style points in skating, and skiing, gymnastics...let these events evolve and let people be as ugly as they want at achieving the goal.

I cannot agree. The standard is known going in, and the standard for ice skating has always been a combination of athleticism, and artistic grace. In no way are they mutually exclusive. In the past, the most artistic and graceful were often also the best at difficult jumps.

I do not equate ice skating pairs with the NFL, in the slightest. Evidence can be found whereby music is played for ice skating, but not for football.

[Redbob]

Sport?
Dancing around to music is a 'sport'?
Entertainment, maybe, but surely never a sport!

[carmody]

Very true. And considering that these scores are subjective as well as political, the original results should be accepted by all. Why bother awarding a meaningless gold medal to the Canadians? It's a consolation prize.

If I were the Canadians I would give both medals back to the IOC and leave immediately to join the Ice-Capades. And my theme song as I entered the rink would be "We Are the Champions" by Queen. I would make sure wherever I went that song was played as I entered the room. I would commission someone to make me a huge gold medal...three times the size of the IOC medal. I would construct my own podium and design my own flag and declare myself the winner of my own personal olympics. That's what I would do if I were the Canadians. But I am not the Canadians.

[TracyPA]

Surya Bonaly skated for France. The judges never liked her. Not artistic enough. She was very good at jumping and of course that famous back-flip. Surya now lives in Las Vegas. She turned pro and tours with Champions on Ice.

[grania]

Thanks for the information. I really enjoyed her performance and spunk. I hope she ended up with a successful career.

[uncle_ebenezer]

Notice the country for which she skated, which country is at the center of this scandal, and the country she got the h*ell out of as fast as possible when her amateur career was over.

[Light Speed]

Just off the cuff here..not entirely alligned to the main body of the thread.
A few months ago..a French diplomat was heard to say..."Israel....that Shitty little country".
No appologies or retractions noted by me in followup to this.
The Almighty does tend to exact fair rebuttal to "National Intentions"...clearly France Humiliated Israel publically and did not see fit to redress.
Now France is humiliated publically..and to a far greater extent
The Abrahamic covenant in action..."I will Bless those that Bless you..and Curse those who cursed you"
Enjoy your meal France...you ordered it!

[sissyjane]

I heard a report on TV the other day that the French judge who was just suspended used to be the coach of that French skater.

[grania]

The standard is known going in, and the standard for ice skating has always been a combination of athleticism, and artistic grace. In no way are they mutually exclusive. In the past, the most artistic and graceful were often also the best at difficult jumps.

We disagree. Judging the gracefulness of the moves sets an unnatural boundary on innovation and artistry. Let the skaters do what it takes to complete the maneuvers; a natural beauty will evolve out of the attempt for perfection. And if some of it gets klutzy, it'll be interesting.

As far as your comment that skating can't be equated with the NFL; that's true. But a good NFL game doesn't need music to be interesting.

All that being said, I do enjoy watching ice skating; I'm just not sure the judging is an asset.