Figure Skating

[Grace]

Anyone remember the World's in 1973 - Rodnina & Zaitsev? The music stopped, but they kept on skating.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

I am also rooting for Shen/Zhao, the Chinese pair. They have always been technically great but have also learned to relate to each other and show emotion in their performances.
I have seen them during their tour with Stars On Ice. They have grown so much in their performing.

Bolero by Torvill & Dean is wonderful. There will never be another dance pair like them.

I was not following skating in 1973, didn't start til '94.

[Grace]

I was not following skating in 1973, didn't start til '94.

Too bad. You missed something very special. Their music stopped suddenly in the middle of their program. They completed it without music and won the gold. That performance earned a standing ovation. Actually, they did have to skate it again, with the music. But they were perfect, with or without.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Their music stopped suddenly in the middle of their program. They completed it without music and won the gold. That performance earned a standing ovation. Actually, they did have to skate it again, with the music. But they were perfect, with or without.

I do believe I have seen footage of that on television as part of 'specials' about skating, or possibly it is on one of my purchased video's that tell some of the history of skating. Definitely amazing.

[smokey the elder]

I remember seeing the Rodnina and Zaitsev on Wide World of Sports, which carried a lot of figure skating back in the day.

The new system is kind of lame; it has good intentions but fails in the execution, IMO. Skating is nothing more than "tricks on ice". It might as well be half-pipe snowboarding.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

The new system is kind of lame; it has good intentions but fails in the execution, IMO. Skating is nothing more than "tricks on ice". It might as well be half-pipe snowboarding.

I agree about the scoring system.
Even as the choreographers, coaches and skaters start learning to put some "moves in the field" in the programs, there isn't enough time to hit all those point making moves AND do a lovely classic spiral or Ina Bauer move.
And I hate that catching the foot on spirals and death spirals garners more points...some of the positions the pairs ladies were using to get into the death spiral were down right ugly in the pairs competition. A catch foot here & there with a spin or spiral is okay, but not seeing, especially a female, skater glide across the ice in a beautiful spiral position(i.e., Cohen, Bobek, Kwan, Hughes) takes away from the programs, IMO.

[Momto4FemaleFelines]

Congratulations to China, Zhen/Zhao and Pang/Tong!
What a night for pairs skating!
Zhen/Zhao didn't skate a perfect program but were still wonderful to watch and the work they put into returning to Olympic eligible skating paid off. They have realized their dream of an Olympic Gold Medal.
Pang/Tong were wonderful. Had they not been in 4th going into the long program, they would've easily over-taken Zhen/Zhao. Pang/Tong are SO improved over their earlier years of skating...they now have the grace, beauty and emotion to go with the technical aspect.
The Russian Reign in pairs Olympic Gold Medals is finally at an end. (not that many of the Russian skaters didn't deserve their medals, it's just nice to see a different country be victorious)