ISU Team Skating - 2014 Olympics

[Isk8NYC]

The ISU sent out a press release regarding the 2014 Olympic Games:

Team Figure Skating Moves a Step Closer to Inclusion in Sochi 2014

The Executive Board (EB) of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has announced that it is looking favourably at the inclusion of a Figure Skating Team Event in the programme of the Olympic Winter Games in Sochi in 2014:

Before taking a final decision, the EB said it would like to consider the outcome of the next ISU Team Trophy 2011 in Japan in April and has empowered the IOC President to take the final decision on its behalf. 

"The ISU is delighted by this announcement which marks an important moment in Figure Skating history" International Skating Union President Ottavio Cinquanta said. "We congratulate the IOC under the leadership of President Rogge, the Programme Commission chaired by Franco Carraro and we also extend gratitude for the constructive approach and good collaboration provided by the IOC Sports Department representatives Gilbert Felli and Christophe Dubi."

The International Skating Union (ISU) in cooperation with the Japan Skating Federation (JSF) and with the participation of TV Asahi Corporation, launched the first ever international team Figure Skating competition during the 2008/09 season in Tokyo, Japan. The event, a competition between the best national Figure Skating teams, was unprecedented in ISU history.  It immediately met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the skating community, spectators and TV viewers.

"The ISU congratulates the Japan Skating Federation and TV Asahi for their participation in the launch and development of this ISU Event which has contributed significantly to the further development of Figure Skating worldwide" Ottavio Cinquanta said.  He further extended thanks to all ISU's broadcast partners for the excellent exposure of Figure Skating on television and thanked all ISU's sponsors, with a special mention in favor of IMG for their cooperation.

The Figure Skating team event at the Olympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi is expected to have the participation of the ten best national Figure Skating teams each composed of one single skater from the Men's category, one single skater from the Ladies category, one Pair Skating couple and one Ice Dance couple. 

[Isk8NYC]

These are the results from the 2008-2009 ISU World Team Trophy competition: http://www.isuresults.com/results/wtt2009/index.htm

Their 2014 plan is one skater / discipline for each team, 10 countries sending teams.
Are they going to offer the million in prize monies? 

Will it be in addition to, or replacing, the current qualification rules that allow countries to send 1-4 skaters for a particular discipline based on prior year results at Worlds or the Grand Prix? 

If so, it would be less confusing, but the Figure Skating team and event sizes would shrink tremendously.  Maybe that's their goal, but wow, what pressure on skaters to qualify for the single Ladies spot at the Olympics! 

[fsk8r]

I'd think the team event would be considered the lesser event, so the top skater would be going ladies singles and the second place skater would worry about team, or perhaps the ladies singles skaters does both.
It's just a shame that they've added this bizarre team event when there's a perfectly good team skating event which already exists.

And having read the rules about substitute skaters between short and long programs, it's a bit odd. The substitutes don't get accommodation in the Olympic village so would have to be brought in, if there's a switch. Sochi is a little difficult to get to from all accounts so you'll have countries booking up hotel rooms for substitute skaters on top of all the other officials, press and spectators. 

[Schmeck]

Sounds so like a speed skater to come up with this stupid idea!

Can we just have synchro at the Olympics instead? please?

[Isk8NYC]

This idea received some more press today in Bern, Switzerland. 

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/news?slug=ap-olympicteamevent

ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta says the proposed 10-team competition could open the Olympic program over three days, with skaters given one day off before the traditional disciplines begin.

Each team would complete a men's, women's, pairs and ice dance short program. The top-5 nations would advance to free skate rounds to decide the medals.

Cinquanta says team captains could switch two selections between rounds.

The format will be tested at the ISU Team Trophy held April 14-17 in Yokohama, Japan.

The IOC's executive board will then decide whether to approve it for Sochi.

This still sounds wacky, especially if they're holding it before the individual events.  I doubt the skaters would do a different program if they're focused on winning a medal for their individual, so it would be redundant to compete with the same program(s) twice.  A day's rest doesn't seem like enough time to recover and ice time is expensive to use "repeating" programs.  They could just have the skaters skate their programs as normal and have the team captains identify which will "count" towards the team event before the event begins.  Makes more sense.

Although maybe it will be a "B" team made up of the skaters that weren't selected for the existing events.  That expands the roster of skaters.
That would be interesting - I would have loved to see Ryan Bradley at the Olympics, competing with his program from last year, lace cuffs and all.


If not, I'd rather see the skaters competing in a interpretive, spin, jump, or moves competition as individuals.  Or, have a four-person synchro program competition.  Even juggling or artistic numbers would be intriguing and different.

[FigureSpins]

Looks like this is a done deal, even without the planned trial competition in Japan:

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=45988&type=media
(From the USFSA Site)

[Skittl1321]

I doubt the skaters would do a different program if they're focused on winning a medal for their individual, so it would be redundant to compete with the same program(s) twice.  A day's rest doesn't seem like enough time to recover and ice time is expensive to use "repeating" programs.  They could just have the skaters skate their programs as normal and have the team captains identify which will "count" towards the team event before the event begins.  Makes more sense.

Do gymnasts repeat their programs for the team and individual event?

The problem with the figure skating team event is that it appears no new skaters can be added to the team- in gymnastics you have some all arounders and some specialists, and some that are both. But with figure skating, unless they do a "jump" "spin" and "program" component- it's no different from the regular competition. I guess it gives skaters who aren't the top of their discipline a chance to win a medal (US pairs, for example) but really it doesn't seem to add anything.  I also really hope that it does not come before the singles competitions, because I think the top ranking skaters wouldn't want to risk their chance at an individual medal.

What I think is absurd is it has been approved for the Olympics but the details haven't been finalized.

I'm just really sad for synchro- I know that the IOC says no additional athletes, but aren't the woman ski jumpers additional athletes?  It's absurd to make up a competition when one is already being ignored (and a discipline that is dominated by countries who don't dominate the current disciplines- spread those medals around...straight to Finland)

[Nate]

Do gymnasts repeat their programs for the team and individual event?

Yes.

The problem with the figure skating team event is that it appears no new skaters can be added to the team- in gymnastics you have some all arounders and some specialists, and some that are both. But with figure skating, unless they do a "jump" "spin" and "program" component- it's no different from the regular competition. I guess it gives skaters who aren't the top of their discipline a chance to win a medal (US pairs, for example) but really it doesn't seem to add anything.  I also really hope that it does not come before the singles competitions, because I think the top ranking skaters wouldn't want to risk their chance at an individual medal.

In Gymnastics they are still part of one team.  The only difference is that they changed it to 3 Up, 3 Count for Team Finals.  Before, teams had enough routines to eat a fall and make it not count with other good routines. Yes, you can choose your specialists and All-Arounders, but you cannot substitute team members after the event starts.

Figure Skating and Gymnastics aren't the same sports.  It's bad to make this kind of comparison.

There are AA gymnasts who end up competing Prelims-Team Finals-AA Finals and then some Event finals on top of that.

That's a lot more work than what the typical Skater does at the Olympics, TBQH, and gymnasts train just as hard as Figure Skaters.

What I think is absurd is it has been approved for the Olympics but the details haven't been finalized.

They have 3 years to finalize them.  Don't see the issue...

I'm just really sad for synchro- I know that the IOC says no additional athletes, but aren't the woman ski jumpers additional athletes?  It's absurd to make up a competition when one is already being ignored (and a discipline that is dominated by countries who don't dominate the current disciplines- spread those medals around...straight to Finland)

Synchro is too political and I don't think the ISU wants to go there.  It would be Skating's version of Rhythmic Gymnastics...  No loss there...

[Skittl1321]

Figure Skating and Gymnastics aren't the same sports.  It's bad to make this kind of comparison.

I know they are different sports- my question was do they do the same routine.  Their floor routines are set to music and choreographed, just as skating is.  They do the same one for team competition as they do for individual competition.  Their beam/bar routines are meticulously planned out and practiced- and they do the same one.

So in that respect I see it being no different than a skater doing the same program for both competitions.  I know gymnasts train just as hard- actually I know better about how gymnasts train because my sister was an elite gymnast.  I've never lived with an elite figure skater.


As for having 3 years to finalize?  I still think it's a good idea to know what you are approving.  It's absurd to say "yeah a team competition" when they aren't really sure what that competition will be.

Synchro is too political?  But ice dancing is okay?

[chriskater]

I also really hope that it does not come before the singles competitions, because I think the top ranking skaters wouldn't want to risk their chance at an individual medal.

Agree 100%. If I was competing, I wouldn't risk my own chance to win a medal. Look at these girls http://www.olympic.org/figure-skating-individual-women their performances are FANTASTIC, I don't think they would've performed as good as they did if they were focused on winning a Team medal.