That isn’t the question we should be trying to answer.
Photo: Matthew Stockman/Getty Images The Olympic women’s-singles-skating competition took place this week at Beijing’s Capital Indoor Stadium, and on the bright side, in the days leading up to the event I didn’t see a single headline heaping expectations on the American entrants Mariah Bell, Karen Chen, and Alysa Liu — at least nothing like the one I read in 2014 that proclaimed, “Gracie Gold Will Bring Glory Back to U.S. Women’s Skating in Sochi.
But if that’s all we’re asking, we’re posing the wrong question, especially in light of the breaking news last week of the failed drug test by the sport’s latest supernova, the 15-year-old Russian Kamila Valieva. In the team event, Valieva threw her light-as-a-feather prepubescent frame into the air and became the first woman to successfully land a quadruple jump in Olympic competition to lead Russia to the gold medal .
It’s not really women’s figure skating anymore. It’s girls’ figure skating. I know it’s not the first time people have said this; I grew up in the wake of Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan winning titles at 15. But while the old 6.0 judging system forced Lipinski and Kwan to be more mature, the current IJS one doesn’t allow girls to ever grow up because their womanly curves make the triple combinations and quads difficult to complete. Now it’s the Russian wonder kids’ world.
I remember watching Adelina Sotnikova, the Valieva of my day, jump through the roof on her way to becoming the first Russian Olympic gold medalist in women’s singles. I had to skate my long program immediately after her, and it honestly felt like the ice beneath my blades was still shaking from the crowd’s reaction to her performance. She was so lithe and yet so energetic I joked that the Russians must have a magic pill.
Today, Russia and the various organizations that have enabled its unfair practices for at least a decade have put us in a tough spot.
How different would my life look now if I had stood on that podium then? It’s unknowable, and that’s part of what makes this whole scenario so heartbreaking. Would the challenges I endured, which I’m only now processing as I write my memoir, have existed if that 2014 competition had played out differently?
France Dernières Nouvelles, France Actualités
Similar News:Vous pouvez également lire des articles d'actualité similaires à celui-ci que nous avons collectés auprès d'autres sources d'information.
Can Anyone Stop the Oscars From Sh*tting the Bed?Anytime there’s rare good news with the Academy—Amy, Regina, and Wanda are fun choices to host!—another decision comes along to prove it has no idea why people watch the Oscars.
Lire la suite »
Sheriff Villanueva demands L.A. County leaders stop using term 'deputy gangs'His cease-and-desist letter to L.A. County supervisors targets the use of “deputy gangs” to refer to secretive, often tattooed groups within department stations.
Lire la suite »
President Biden visits Ohio to boost infrastructure plan with stop expected in Lorain areaPresident Joe Biden is expected to deliver remarks in Northeast Ohio on Thursday regarding his administration’s infrastructure deal.
Lire la suite »
MATIC Price Declines, and Here's What Might Stop It per WhaleStats DataHere's what might curb MATIC further declines according to WhaleStats data PolygonMatic Polygon
Lire la suite »
Jameela Jamil urges people to stop 'meme-ing' Kanye West'I know he's asking for attention, but getting it will create unimaginable sadness for him and mostly his completely innocent kids later,' Jamil wrote.
Lire la suite »