#men's free skate interview

[crazykuroneko]

IWTV Figure Skating AU headcanons

Because I miss figure skating and IWTV is my current hyperfixation. Probably only fellow fs stans understand this, but whatever.

Louis de Pointe du Lac:

His most known program is definitely his The Swan. Choreo: Gubanova's The Swan. Costume: Hanyu's Notte Stellata. Strong skating skills as good as ice dancer, deep knee bent, flexible, so he can do layback ina bauer and difficult spins.

Tend to go to brighter music for short program (jazz, hip hop etc) while doing something heartfelt for free skating.

Pretty consistent as a skater. Keep getting high scores on Skating Skills and Presentation. Unfortunately he doesn't have big quads (only 4T to 4F, when he wants to risk it) and he's Black. so USFSA doesn't really support him and doesn't get that American over scoring. Even though he has saved USA's spots at Worlds etc many times with his consistency (just like Jason Brown)

Lestat de Lioncourt:

Typical European showman. Known for his character free skating programs. Reference: Javier Fernandez (second example). Pretty good skating skills, jump technique is decent. Actually pretty stable jumper, has all big quad jumps except 4A, but he can't focus sometimes so his axis is messed up.

Definitely always brings out the most chaotic programs for Exhibition and they always go viral and give you secondhand embarrassement.

Representing France ofc. Complete with French overscoring. at least 3 times European champion in a row. For drama, the president of French federation is still Didier and they have love/hate relationship. Running his mouth like Scott Moir at press conferences. Sometimes do backflips just to send fuck you to judges if he feels they're underscoring him (usually happen at Worlds, thanks to Russia and USA). He gotta continue that French tradition.

Armand:

For drama he is representing Russia. His coach is Marius. And Marius is basically Eteri, and he's his (current) number one girl.

Has all the quads and he'll backload the heck of them for score (that rule still exists here idc). Skating Skills aren't as good as Loustat but he has a huge TES and Russia fed backing. And almost always land his jumps.

Tend to use warhorses in his programs. Known for his long limbs and fast paced transition. Has been skating since novice and gets called the prodigy since the beginning. References: Yulia, Evgenia.

European champions are always between him and Lestat. They've been rivals since junior. But unfortunately since Marius is Eteri, sometimes he has to skip competitions for injury. He's way more relaxed during exhibition programs

Okay, now if they're a team:

De Pointe du Lac/de Lioncourt:

(Not to be biased but) chemistry on Virtue/Moir level. Definitely representing France, because USFSA is stupid and Lestat points a gun on Didier's head to take Louis. Coached by Zueva.

Combining Louis' elegance and Lestat's character by performing classic Hollywood pieces with storytelling. Debuting with this FD by Virtue/Moir. Ofc they go to the Olympics with this Moulin Rogue program as well, complete with the crotch kissing lift 😏

Definitely has a rumor they're secretly married going for them.

De Pointe du Lac/(insert Armand's last name here):

Unfortunately, no choice other than representing Russia. Coached by Tatiana Tarasova (but she likes Louis don't worry!).

Tend to use haunting classical music. Very synchronized, very classy. Reference: (a must watch!) Gordeeva/Grinkov's iconic Moonlight Sonata. Or Torville/Dean's Bolero.

Bonus: Claudia

Definitely best known for her teenage spirit and her Romeo & Juliet program.

Known for her big jumps, 3A, and musicality. That one girl who goes "I'll beat the men as well. Just watch" Reference: Kostornaia

[imhereonthekitchenfloor]

At the end of the men's free skate at the gp Finland, the fire alarm went off and they had to announce not to leave??? They were interviewing the winner with an active fire alarm going off

[bluespring864]

A few short hours ago I witnessed a historic sporting event live and as I saw Ilia Malinin get closer and closer to the end of his free skate with a series of ever more crazy jumping passes (which is saying something, considering he had opened with the quad axel), the prevailing feeling wasn't one of amazement, though that was present as well.

No, the prevailing feeling was dread.

This sport, my favourite sport, has ever been a paradox, of athleticism pushed to the limit competing with unique artistry. It feels like both sides of the sport are forever locked in a sometimes vicious and extreme, sometimes beautiful and strangely harmonious battle that neither can ever win and that neither can ever give up on.

Some of us spectators feel, deep down, that figure skating will cease to exist should one side ever triumph over the other.

Hence the dread.

I saw an amazing athletic feat deserving of the greatest admiration and I felt like this sinking feeling in my stomach was disrespectful to what I was witnessing but I couldn't help myself.

This was a win for the jumps. The biggest one we've ever seen. There have been many in recent years, but never one this extreme.

A series of amazing, incredible and, yes, beautiful jumping passes masquerading as a program. Yes, there were other required elements (spins, a step sequence, a choreo sequence) but still. But still. A series of jumps.

The audience was amazed by the sheer athletic prowess of what they saw.

Did they still see figure skating though?

Technically, yes. But artistically?

Looking back, it seems inevitable, that this kid with exceptional jumping ability, who had been forced to accept in recent years that programs with much lower technical content could still win easily against his own, would snap at some point and throw down a skate the likes of which the figure skating world had never seen before.

By doing so, he has pushed this sport to its limits. Current limits, I should say, because the winner's interview made it clear Ilia Malinin has no intention of stopping there. And why would he. For him, it wouldn't make any sense to stop.

For (men's) figure skating, I'm not so sure.

This seems like a make or break moment and the figure skating world will most definitely be reeling from the implications of what just happened for some time. Or maybe there will be an attempt at business as usual, until the implications finally catch up with everyone.

Like a delayed axel, we might be suspended in the air for a moment longer before we drop.

God I hope I'm wrong.

On the other hand, I'm weirdly looking forward to it.

Maybe we'll stick the landing, somehow.

In any case the question is:

Quo vadis, figure skating?

[shikoos]

A new interview from Turkkila/Versluis with program announcements! Since it's in Finnish, I have translated the highlights below:

They skated in L’Apprenti Sorcier in Champery as the only ice dancers. How this came to be: last year Matthias edited the music for Deniss’s free program, and this year he was asked to edit music for about ten of Lambiel’s students. This brought them into contact with Lambiel, and he asked them to participate in the ice show.

They were amazed by all the Japanese fans at the show and skating to live piano was an amazing experience.

They learned new choreography in Rome in early May, and attended a camp in Czechia for five weeks in July.

Rhythm dance: they chose 60's music since they thought that disco would be too popular. They have an unnamed ”jive-style song” combined with ”I got you” by James Brown for music. Juulia: ”We wanted to have music that the audience will recognise and which has a high level of energy. There’s no slow parts in our rhythm dance, which makes it difficult (to perform).”

Free dance: Music is the tango ”La Rubia Mirella”, which is based on a true story. They had an Argentinian tango dancer teach them, both off and on the ice. Juulia will play the role of a woman who is initially strong, but ends up being used/abused by men. Matthias will play an antagonistic role. Matthias: ”The beginning is softer, but the ending is strong. We want to show that we can (also) be strong and fast.”

This season their goal is the GP final and good ranking points for the Olympic season, to skate in the last group (perhaps? I didn’t quite understand this part).

Juulia: ”We want to bring something different from the past few seasons, though we will of course (also) use our old strong points. We are working on a new combo lift for the free dance and the choreographic elements will differ from previous ones, since we want to show the passion of the tango.”

[triptychgrip]

Yuuri's final career interview (and grieving "the end")

There's something so appealing to me about developing in-universe Yuri!!! on Ice social media or interview content, probably because it gives me an opportunity to write about Yuuri's continued success, as well as how others perceive the Viktuuri relationship (i.e. how adorable/supportive they are with one another). This was especially true when I was putting together content for the newest chapter in my 2018/2022 Olympic Games fic, which contains part of a BuzzFeed interview detailing Yuuri/Viktor's mindset a few days prior to the 2022 Beijing Games' Men's Singles Free Skate: the final performance of Yuuri's illustrious career.

(Spoilers ahead around some foundational aspects of my fic)

The world is clamoring to know how Yuuri -- not only the reigning Olympic Champion, but a 3-time GPF and 3-time World Champion as well -- feels about potentially becoming only the third skater in figure skating history to become a multi-Olympic champion. I thought it was pretty cute to be able to highlight that as Yuuri is contemplating defending his gold from the PyeongChang Games, that he's sitting right next to his spouse (and coach), who is a multi-Olympic champion due to winning gold at the 2010 Vancouver and 2014 Sochi Games.

Indeed, their interviewer is quite taken with them, and can barely hold back from gushing at every turn about the power couple that they are.

It goes on to include some quotes about the Viktuuri relationship from Phichit and Yurio's perspective, and also, naturally, touches upon Yuuri's mindset as he approaches the end of his career.

I imagine that Yuuri and Viktor are in a really unique situation when it comes to contemplating "the end", because most coaches and skaters are not as personally/professionally dependent on one another as they are (i.e. having been together for over five years, married for nearly 3). As such, it's not only Yuuri that has a lot of grieving to do around this chapter of their lives coming to an end, but Viktor as well.

Below is an excerpt that captures this sentiment, and I hope it'll pique your interest in checking out my work if you haven't already done so (note: the Viktor of my fic-verse comes out as gender-fluid in the summer of 2021, and is using feminine pronouns in this interview)

------

“I think one of the toughest parts of this is that we don’t really have a “model” to go off of, in the sense that others we know – that is, other coach/skater pairs, aren’t quite so emotionally entangled as we are,” Yuuri responds, his lips quirking a bit. “There was a moment last year when my therapist got me to see that Viktor wasn’t allowing herself to properly grieve because she’d gotten it into her head that she wasn’t allowed to…that as my coach, she had to make room for only my grief.” 

He pauses, bringing their interlaced fingers up to his mouth to kiss Viktor’s wedding ring.

“But the end of my career isn’t just about me. It’s about her, too, because she’s an intrinsic part of my story…the very core of it,” he goes on, his eyes beginning to shine with tears.

“I wouldn’t have made it this far without Viktor, both in the sense of having a benchmark to strive for, but also in terms of having the person I’d looked up to for most of my life demonstrate their steadfast belief in me time and time again.”

It’s at this moment that Viktor wrests her hand away, encircling both arms around her husband’s midsection in a tight hug (which may have prompted me to make a slightly embarrassing swooning sound). 

 “There’s many tools that I use to quiet my anxiety, but on the occasions when I’m able to ground myself in that fact – the fact that Viktor has promised to stay close to me, no matter how I do on any particular day and in any particular performance – it’s on those occasions when I’m unstoppable,” Yuuri goes on, his countenance transforming into that determined one he sometimes adopts, right before executing a dazzling step sequence or setting up for the Katsuki Combo: the quad flip/triple toe-loop that he debuted for the first time in competition at the 2018 Games (note: at the time this interview was conducted, no other skater had managed to land such a jump in competition, but this changed when Phichit Chulanont executed a flawless version during his Short Program).

“I don’t think I’m speaking out of turn when I say that she’s had an insurmountable weight on her shoulders from a very young age…which resulted in this expectation that she must be strong at all times, like some kind of emotionally impenetrable fortress,” Yuuri says, looking to her for confirmation (which she gives with a sobering nod). “So part of the journey we’ve had to go on together in our relationship is one where she’s had to learn how to lean on me, too, and I’ve had to shore up my confidence so that I don’t falter when she does so…or, at least, don’t falter as much.”

[gogogogolev]

Stephen’s interview at 2023 Skate America, published in World Figure Skating Magazine No. 99.

Stephen Gogolev 11th place men

I want to prove it to myself as well

WFSM: Reflecting on Skate America, how was it?

SG: It’s a disappointing result, but it’s a sport so sometimes there are bad times. I want to work harder in practice. The American audience gave me a boost; I think it gave me energy in terms of expression.

WFSM: This season’s free skate is choreographed by Benoît Richaud.

SG: He showed me several pieces of music; I chose three pieces from them that we joined together to create this program. It was very interesting to create a program with him that felt completely different from anything I had ever done before. I couldn’t get used to the music at first but it became fun while practising it, and I started to think I wanted to do my best to skate this free skate.

WFSM: What kind of preparation have you done for this season?

SG: Right now I’m training in California but this summer I went to Toronto and took part in the Canadian National Team Camp.¹ At the camp you skate your short and free in the style of a competition. It’s a way of getting feedback from the judges – there I got advice from the judges about spin positions, choreography, and step sequences.

WFSM: With Mr. Keegan Messing’s² retirement it’s time for a generational change for the Canadian men, isn’t it?

SG: Of course my goal is to become Canadian champion within a few years. But there are still competitions until then, and I want to do my best regardless of the competition.

WFSM: Have you met any of Canada’s retired star skaters?

SG: I see them on various occasions such as at the Canadian Championships. For example: recently when I went to Granite Club in Toronto I met Kurt Browning who congratulated me on my 3rd place finish at Autumn Classic International.

WFSM: Are medals an incentive?

SG: Of course, this is my first medal in senior international competition; I think it gave me confidence that I can do more.

WFSM: Are you currently a university student?

SG: I go to University of California Irvine. My major is political science. I decided on it because it was a field I was interested in.

WFSM: When do you think you are the happiest?

SG: I’m not sure. I think it’s probably when I’m busy. Of course I’m happy spending time with family or playing tennis, but I’m the type of person who feels fulfilled when I’m busy.

WFSM: Your goals for this season are?

SG: I want to fight so that I can properly show what I am capable of. I want to prove to myself that I can do it, prove that I can go beyond my limits. I think it will be good if I can gain experience in international competitions.³

WFSM: Do you enjoy competitions?

SG: I have come to enjoy them over the last few years. I can meet friends as well as new people. It’s nice to cheer on my friends.

(October 22, 2023 interview on the final day of Skate America)

Interview, text: Editorial department Text by World Figure Skating

Photo caption, top: FS “Time Lapse” (Choreographed by Richaud) © Nobuaki Tanaka / Shutterz

Photo caption, left: Born December 22, 2004 in Toronto. At the age of 13 he landed a variety of quads, winning the 2018 Junior Grand Prix Final. After that he went through a period of injury; presently he is training with Arutiunian. 13th place at the 2023 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships

Notes:

High Performance Camp, held at the end of August in Mississauga, ON.

Keegan was named politely with the -san suffix.

This is stated as - he hopes to get more experience competing internationally. Literally translating to ‘pile up experience’.

----

Despite how sad he looks in that photo Stephen answered the questions clearly. That’s good to see.

Stephen never goes in much detail about what is going on with him. But occasionally we get small amounts of info. Here we see that he is addressing his belief in himself. It's never been about a lack or loss of talent for him, he just needs to get his self-confidence back.

Kurt’s continued support of Stephen is invaluable. Kurt mentioned he’s known Stephen since he was 8 years old, before he moved to North America, and he hasn’t forgotten him since. You just have to love Kurt and all that he does for this sport.

Also it's nice to finally hear about what Stephen’s studying. It would be interesting to get his thoughts on current international affairs, but he would not share anything with strangers. I am wondering now what he plans to do after undergrad. Perhaps studying law? Public service, or public office? We got one answer, but more questions have now popped up. He’s a smart guy so I am sure he will succeed no matter what he plans to do.

This interview was over two pages which I have just stitched together in the image above. Here is a bonus image from 2023 Grand Prix de France which was shared as part of a collage from that event on another page. The caption states Stephen was 7th in the men's event. Photo credit: Manabu Takahashi/Shutterz

Thank you to World Figure Skating Magazine for interviewing Stephen. This was an insightful and considerate interview.

---

Disclosure: The content of this interview went from English to Japanese and now back to English. I may have lost something in translation. Though I try to ensure the nuance of the conversation has been captured in the translation, I welcome any corrections. Please link back to this interview if you share it as I may edit it.

If you would like to purchase this magazine with international shipping you may do so through Amazon Japan, CD Japan, HMV & Books, or Honto.

Happy new year to you all, and may 2024 be a fantastic year for all of us.

[rikeijo]

Today's translation #356

Yuri!!! on Life official guidebook, Yokoya Hanae's inteview (skating supervision)

Part 1.

Your were responsible for "supervision of figure skating", but could you please tell us, what kind of work you did, more specifically?

-- First of all, I checked if programs follow the rules. For example, in case of senior men's singles, a free skating program needs to have: max 8 jumping elements, 3 spins, a step sequence and a choreographic sequence, so I had to check if the program contains correct number of each element. Also make sure there aren't any jump repeats. And that the program doesn't have more than three jump combinations. That is what I mainly checked, and [if it was wrong] I explained that in this case, according to the rules, it's going to be 0 points [for that jump], because the same jump is used too many times, so it should be changed [into another jump]. It was difficult with spins - if the first entry is "flying", and the entry to the next spin is "flying", as well, then this next spin needs to be a combination. I was also looking at levels. If we use as a reference skaters that compete at Worlds, all their spins are level 4. But if you repeat the same variations in the same program, then you can't get high levels [for the second one you use the same variation]. In the anime, we see top skaters, so I discussed with the Director how to make all their elements get level 4. Most of my students are girls, so when I was unsure about men's spins, I asked an expert, Okazaki Makoto-kun. So please, write also that he helped with the supervising. I would feel bad, if I got all the credits...

[Notes: YoI has two official "guidebook"-like publications, Yuri!!! on Life and Go Yuri Go!!!, and actually the first one is very focused on skating with plenty of interviews from people involved in skating, so I thought I'll try translating some of them~

I have no idea about skating rules, though, so this translation is supervised by the lovely @thegirlwhorideslikeasamurai, who kindly answered my skating questions✨✨✨

[alexseanchai]

here like fire burning / o tremble not (745 words) by AlexSeanchai

Chapters: 1/1

Fandom: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Katsuki Yuuri/Victor Nikiforov

Characters: Victor Nikiforov, Katsuki Yuuri

Additional Tags: Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, (fictional edition set in Zaragoza Spain because of reasons), Past Christophe Giacometti/Victor Nikiforov, Past Christophe Giacometti/Katsuki Yuuri, Food as a Metaphor for Love, Victor Nikiforov is a Katsuki Yuuri Fan, The Firebird - Igor Stravinsky, Community: fandom_empire, Podfic Welcome

Summary:

At least Yūri chickened out of giving Viktor candy in person before Viktor's free skate. It wasn't the only candy on the ice—of course it wasn't, they scheduled the men's singles free skate on February 14—but at least it got to him. Probably. Maybe even stood out as the only gift from someone who remembers him mentioning in an interview that he likes strawberry cheesecake.

…Yūri is not counting on that.

[kalliopeia]

Daisuke Takahashi - Cutting Edge 2005

Congratulations to Kana and Daisuke for an amazing performance at Worlds! I'm so glad they finally managed to skate a program that they're happy with, in front of the home crowd.

When I first heard that Phantom of the Opera would be Kanadai's FD this season, I was skeptical. But it made for an amazing story. I still remember 2007 Worlds so vividly -- I tuned in to the live audio stream of British Eurosport at 4am (there was no video stream back then!) and cried with happiness when Daisuke won the silver medal. I never imagined that another lifetime later, he'd be skating to Phantom at Worlds again, this time as an ice dancer.

The legacy that Daisuke has left on the sport is undeniable. Mark Hanretty said during the ISU broadcast that so many of the 180 competitors at Worlds cited Daisuke as an inspiration. It's pretty incredible that even after becoming a two-time World Champion, Shoma stated that he still wants to be able to give a performance like Daisuke.

The first interview I ever read from Daisuke was from Cutting Edge 2005, where he said that he hopes that his skating will remain in people's hearts in the future. It's so heartwarming to know that has come true.

I translated this interview and posted it on FSUniverse in 2006. The site I used to host the original translation is gone now, but sometimes I still see parts of the interview quoted in various places. Here's the full interview and scans of from the original book.

Daisuke Takahashi Surging Brilliance and Passion (Translated from Cutting Edge 2005)

At the age of 16, he obtained the honor of becoming Japan's first men's Junior World Champion. The boy who was expected to become the ace of the next generation turns 20 this season. He has fluid skating, splendid footwork, and a natural spark that captures the hearts of spectators. If he conquers his competitive weakness, he has the ability to become the World Champion. Not a former Junior World Champion, but a true World Champion someday. A firm goal can be seen before his passionate gaze.

Those effortless jumps in exhibitions, those intense steps. If only he showed that energy in shows in competition... Daisuke Takahashi, who always makes people nervous, was even more lackluster than usual in the first half of the 2004-2005 season. In the Grand Prix Series' Trophee Eric Bompard, he was in third place after the short program, but fell four times in the free and ended up eleventh. At the important Japanese Nationals, he finished a nightmarish sixth. What happened to him in the critical pre-Olympics season?

Where did the passion for skating go?

"Last year... I hated skating. I didn't want to do it. I had an injury, but it wasn't very serious, so that wasn't the reason. Why... I don't know, but I hated being on the ice. In practice, I'd think, 'I've already skated for 30 minutes,' but not even 10 minutes had passed... When I skated, time somehow felt longer. My feelings weren't into it at all.

When I got injured in September and took a break for a while, I thought, I've done nothing but skating up until now. All through high school, I had gone from school to the rink. I'd go to school and practice in Okayama, and then go to Osaka on the weekends to practice. ...With that kind of lifestyle, I never had any fun. I didn't know how to have fun.

Then in April I started college and moved to Osaka. My environment changed, and I became more independent. When you can take care of your everyday life and school matters on your own, your perspective changes, right? So then I thought... 'Is it okay for me to only focus on skating?' But even though I thought I'd do other things, in the end I didn't do anything. I still felt that I had to skate. But when I went to the rink, I didn't want to skate at all. I neither skated well, nor had any fun doing other things. If I couldn't participate in the special training camp... I definitely would've quit skating. The reason I didn't quit was because I was at the level where I couldn't quit by my own will. That's all. But anyway, my feelings of hatred towards skating were really strong last year..."

Due to his major environment change, he began to question his life of solely skating. In the 2004-2005 season, Daisuke Takahashi wholly felt the difficulty of the sport of figure skating, where mental doubts show up in one's skating itself. But he did not end his career like this, for he is the man who went as far as becoming the Junior World Champion.

"But those feelings finally subsided when I finished sixth at Nationals in December. I thought, ah, the season is over now. Strangely, when I thought that, the turmoil disappeared. Then after Nationals was the Medalists on Ice show. I was called to participate even though I was sixth, and at first I didn't want to go. 'I'm not a medalist, so I won't go!' I said. But my coach Nagamitsu-sensei told me, 'Go anyway,' so I went reluctantly. But it turned out to be really fun! I skated to Secret Garden's 'Nocturne,' a song I chose myself. The program was a very simple one that I also choreographed myself. Since the shows were right after Nationals, I was tired after the first of the three. But as I skated, they became more and more fun. I skated happily for an audience with a program I chose and created myself! From then on, I was gradually able to think once again that skating really is fun."

Along with his recovered feelings, his skating visibly regained its spark. In Medalists on Ice, he showed unbelievable jumps and skating that made spectators think, "This is the sixth place finisher?" At the beginning of the new year, he placed first at the Universiade, and finished on an international podium again with a third place at the Four Continents Championships. Unable to maintain his good results, he finished fifteenth at the World Championships, but even so, his revitalized expression after the season's end was like a different person's.

"So last season was the season where I grew to hate skating once, but then became able to love it again. Because that happened last year, my feelings this year are different. Of course, practices are still tiresome, but I'll never slog through them reluctantly like last year. I practice decisively now with refreshed feelings. So every day, when I'm done practicing, I feel good. I don't know how that'll turn out in competition, though. (laughs)

But the biggest difference from last year is that I don't just 'wish' in competitions now. My thoughts last year like, 'I wonder if I can land this jump, it'll be nice if I can,' were merely 'wishes.' But this year, I don't wish; I have strong feelings of, 'I'll land it' or 'I won't fail.' I've practiced to have that kind of confidence this year!"

Those new feelings have already appeared on the ice. At the Japan International Challenge in October, he defeated foreign skaters and placed second! The voices of, "I want to see Daisuke in Torino!" continue to build.

Daisuke Takahashi's Craftsmanship

He captivates spectators with his beautiful skating, and excites them with his triple axels and quadruple jumps. When he sends his strong gaze to the audience, his steps have even more force. When he's on, Daisuke Takahashi is almost unrivaled. Many fans had been waiting anxiously for him, thinking, "I wanted to see this kind of male skater!" Just how was this kind of skater born?

"When I was little... I was weak, and I hated going to school. (laughs) My parents were worried about me, so they made me try many different sports. I have three older brothers, and all of them did Shaolin Kung Fu. But Shaolin is painful, isn't it? I hate pain. It's scary! At first I thought about doing hockey, which is also skating, but I couldn't do it because I was scared of getting hit in the chin. I really am a coward. (laughs)

Other than martial arts and hockey though, I originally thought gymnastics might be good. But the gymnastics place was far away in inner Okayama, so it would've been difficult for my mother to drop me off and pick me up there. So I tried skating thanks to a friend's suggestion, and it was really fun!

What about skating was fun... I can't remember anymore. I don't remember what about it was fun at all, but anyway, it was fun. I didn't take skating lessons with the intention of becoming a serious athlete, or because I admired anyone. I just started it normally, without thinking about anything. When I was little, I used to joke around saying, 'I'm going to skate in the Olympics!' but it really was just a joke. I skated really contentedly just thinking of it as a hobby.

But... when I won Junior Worlds in my first year of high school, I thought, 'I have to do this as a serious athlete' for the first time. That I can't just do this as a hobby. I felt that I had to become a responsible athlete. To think that... shouldn't have been so difficult. But after Junior Worlds, I was completely awful in seniors, right? I might've tried too hard to become serious after skating as a hobby for so long... No, I didn't try hard enough to be able say that (laughs), but these past few years, I tried too hard with only my feelings. With those feelings accumulating for so long... last year, I just thought, 'I don't want to skate anymore.'

But even though I say that, it's not that grandiose of a story! When I talk about it like this, it sounds exaggerated. (laughs)"

Skating fixations, style fixations

The boy who attracted great expectations due to his talent and potential forgot his feelings of "Skating is fun" and "I love skating" somewhere down the line. But now that he has remembered that important something, he is able to laugh away all the hardships he has had. One can also see his relaxed attitude towards skating.

"Truthfully, there aren't really any skaters that I aim to be like. Of course, I like certain parts about skaters; for example, I want Nobunari-kun's flexibility. But this year I've been working on my flexibility, so I've become a little more flexible! Also, I want Jeffrey Buttle's transitions. His transitions between elements and connection to the music are really amazing. There are various skaters whom I want to steal things from like that, but none of whom I think, 'Everything about him is great!' Because Takahashi's ideals are high. (laughs)

But there's the actor Joe Odagiri, right? I love him! I love his atmosphere. He has this mysterious air about him that other people don't have, right?

I admire that mysterious charm, so although I'm not trying to imitate Odagiri-san, I'd like to show that kind of charm that attracts both men and women in my skating. Do I think I'm handsome? I've never been conscious about that kind of thing! No, I don't, I don't. (laughs) I'm trying to become handsome, though! Because out of the four brothers in my family, I'm the plainest. I don't look like my three older brothers at all. Ah, I think the second eldest has gotten a little chubby lately, and has become a little dirty looking?

My brothers never talk about skating. Their attitude is, 'Why don't you just do what you want?' Though they do cooperate with me... Generally, my brothers don't watch my skating. (laughs) But it's easier that way. Isn't it easier to go home and not talk about skating? We talk about completely unrelated things, like they ask me, 'Have you gotten any presents from girls?'

Since I have those brothers, I'm not popular at all. (laughs) I'm bad with girls. Actually, I think girls are scary. (laughs) My skating friends are fine, but... I'm bad with girls I like. I can't talk to them at all. But I look okay with long hair, right? Didn't I look better when I had long hair? My choreographer in America, Nikolai, cut my current hair! Though, I had planned for a better hairstyle...

There's that much of a difference between my normal self and my skating self?

No, there's no difference. I'm always like this. But when I'm on the ice... I like people watching me. I want everyone to watch me. Starting from practice, I want people to watch me, not other skaters. I might really want to stand out! So when I come to Nobeyama, I skate while conscious of people around me. Anyway, I want to become really famous!

I want to become a skater that everyone in Japan knows. So I think of Miki Ando as my rival. (laughs) Though we haven't really become rivals at all. Huh, this interview is going to become a book? The picture you just took will be the cover? Seriously? I'll buy it when it comes out! You'll send me one? Yay!"

To Torino, with Nikolai Morozov's programs!

He says there's no difference between his off-ice and on-ice persona. But when this friendly young man stands on the ice, he turns into the ultimate entertainer who draws all eyes to him. Mysteriously, he shows us a completely different Daisuke Takahashi. But that's probably the Daisuke Takahashi who mischievously thinks, "I want to stand out, I want to attract people's attention." This year, a new choreographer who helps to bring out his entertainer quality even more joined Takahashi's team.

"My choreographer this year is Nikolai Morozov. At first, I thought about asking Lori Nichol. But when Nagamitsu-sensei suggested, 'How about Morozov?' I thought, 'Ah, that might be good...' Right when I heard Morozov's name, I thought, 'That might be good.' Just based on my feelings, I thought Nikolai might be better than Lori. I'd never had choreography done by either of them before. When I was with Tatiana [Tarasova] last year and the year before, Nikolai had already split from her. So that's how I went to Morovoz's place in America for the first time this year... There was no need to give him my opinions at all. I'm plenty satisfied with what he created! Since Nikolai's ideas just came flowing out one after the other, rather than telling him, 'I want to do this,' at first I had trouble trying to see how well I could do what he asked of me.

After Nikolai made my programs in America, he also looked after my practices... Nikolai used to be an ice dancer, so there are a lot of dancers around him like Ukraine's Grushina/Goncharov and Russia's Kulikova/Markov... Besides getting choreography, I learned a lot of things by watching Nikolai's practices with them. In Japan, the rink I used to skate at closed down, and the rink I skate at now is hard to commute to. But I was able to practice in a good environment this year thanks to my connection to Nikolai. Since I was able to practice well in the off-season, I don't want to lose to Nikolai's choreography! My free program this year is Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto, so I don't want to lose to Rachmaninov's music either! I want to show my own interpretation of it."

The Morozov programs he chose by intuition fit him perfectly. They are dramatic and sensational. In 2005-2006, the Olympic season arrives, as if it had been waiting for his mental growth and new choreographer. If he makes it, it will be his first Olympics. What kind of skating does he intend to show us?

"I haven't had many performances that I've truly been satisfied with. The only ones I can say were really good are this year's free program from the Universiade and the short program from the World Championships in Germany. And, well, the performances that I won Junior Worlds with. That's about it. Those are the only ones I think were 'complete' performance-wise, regardless of the jumps.

In competitions, I'm always overwhelmed. When I skate, I don't think about anything. When I receive applause during the steps I'm happy that the audience is cheering me on, but I can only feel like that for a split second during the performance. This is different in shows and exhibitions. Because I can be at ease with feelings like, 'It'd be nice if both the audience and I have fun.' That's why Dreams on Ice wasn't bad.

But this year, I want to have more satisfying performances in competition! My goal is to go to the Olympics, and I'm aiming for... the podium! I want to have a goal that's at least that high. (laughs) Everyone is serious this year aiming for the Olympics, which only one person can go to. Of course, I'm aware of the others. Even if we practice together, I don't dislike anyone. So if someone else goes instead of me, I want to cheer him on. I want to fight everyone without any bad feelings. But of course, other people have nothing to do with my own skating. So even above that, I want to have my own goals. I'll continue working on my flexibility, becoming more flexible little by little over the next four years, towards my final goal of Vancouver. I'm thinking of Torino as a stepping stone... but without abandoning my feelings of wanting to medal. If I'm lucky, that is. (laughs)

In Vancouver... it'd be nice if I could become the Olympic Champion. I want not only the people who watch at that time, but also young skaters way in the future, when I become an old man, to see my skating. My goal is to become good enough so that people will watch videos of me and say, 'Daisuke Takahashi was really good.' So that my skating will remain in the hearts of people who watched the Olympics. So that it will resonate in their hearts, no matter how many years pass. In order to make my skating have that kind of worth... Takahashi skates today!"

This was the interview he gave during the training camp. After we finished talking, he headed straight to the rink. His extremely serious appearance while skating, and his bright appearance while joking with friends... Hiding his tough heart with a smile, to Torino, to Vancouver. His journey continues. And someday, everyone in the world, not just Japan, will surely know of Daisuke Takahashi.

[myjunkisyuzuruhanyu]

4CC 2023 Men FS - Personal recap

I normally post this on @jennibeultimate but wrote it on the wrong acc 😅 anyway here you go

Catching up on 4CC Men right now.

Last group recap by order:

Shun was phenomenal! 👏👏👏Very well done! 4Lz!!! The free skate really is his strength this season! So happy for Shun! 🥳🥳🥳(now Shun only a bit work on steps and PCS and you'll can get on top) So cute in the leading corner not knowing what to do 😊 Congrats on the Bronze 🥉!

Jun is just amazing. Every time I see him I love him more! ❤️ Love this program, one of my favorites! It just wasn't his competition but he fought hard for everything! (Also one of the few 4CC champions that really tried to defend their title, last one was Boyang in 2019)

Welcome back Boyang! Missed you! What a fighter. 👏👏👏You can see him still not being 100% back on track, but it's a start. I am happy locating to a new training base is working out for him. 😊

Jimmy Ma is always enjoyable to watch, sadly he hardly ever gets it together in both segments of the competition. His SP was great and his FS sadly a disaster. Anyway he has come far for where he started years ago.

Keegan will be missed so dearly when he retires! 😭😭😭

Will I cry tears everytime now Keegan skates until his last comp? I think I will! What a loss this will be for Team Canada! Keegan proves that you can get better with age! He was brilliant! Magical! ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ And what a perfect music and program for the last season of his career! What a fighter through out all these years! And what a score!!! ❗❗❗Medal at his last 4CC! Beyond happy for Keegan! 🥈

Kao the champion! 🥳🥳🥳🥳

Kao Miura is the discovery of the season for me! The speed is amazing, the jumps - just wow! And you will always get a bonus point from me for using Disney's Beauty and the Biest! @JSF And then you send your 4CC champion to JUNIOR Worlds???? You must be kidding me! (I mean Kao will win this without a doubt but what a step back for his phenomenal senior season!)

Some honorable mentions from the groups before:

Koshiro Shimada 's feel for the music is extraordinary. This program is such a joy. I think for the first major international competition it was fine. I hope to see him more often in big events in the future. (but on a sidenote it also proves that JSF did the right decision to not send him to Worlds, even when it's very cute that he said in the interview zone that he does better with his best friends around)

I also enjoyed both other Korean skaters Siyeong Lee (finally a good free skate!) and Jaeseok Kyeong. Jaeseok especially for the shining personality and fun he sparked on the ice. 👏👏👏

One thing I hope ISU considers next time is the high altitude for the skaters in Colorado Springs, especially when you have skaters competing there that don't have good training conditions daily and now way to get used to an environment like this. (not adressing the absolutely unnecessary and tone deaf comment from ISU's social media about it, did that in a separate post before)

This was fun to watch! Thank you!

[project1939]

200 Films of 1952

Film number 193: De VI Olympiske Vinterleker Oslo 1952 (aka, The VI Winter Olympics, Oslo 1952)

Release date: October 31st, 1952 

Studio: Norsk Film 

Genre: documentary 

Director: Tancred Ibsen 

Actors: Hjalmar “Hjallis” Andersen, King Olav V 

Plot Summary: This is a documentary about the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, Norway.  

My Rating (out of five stars): ***¼  

If you’re looking for an artistic documentary about the Olympics with in-depth coverage of specific athletes and their stories, this is not the film for you. It is a rather dry and straightforward overview of the proceedings and events that occurred in Oslo in 1952. It’s wonderful as a historical record, but a thrilling watch it is not. 

The Good: 

The print I saw was in great condition. You can find it for free online on the Olympics website. 

This is priceless as a history of the event.  

It was fun to notice the differences in the ceremonies. There were only 30 countries competing! 

The glimpses of the crowds were probably my favorite part. I loved seeing details like some people wearing extra knitted foot warmers around their boots.

The speed skating sprints were the most exciting event for me. 

I was impressed with the athleticism of the men’s figure skating. The sport has certainly become more difficult today, but the difference wasn’t as big as I imagined. 

The way the compulsory figure skating routines were judged was trippy to me. All the judges stood on the ice close to the skater while they performed, and afterwards, part of what they judged was the marks the skater left on the ice! 

The bob sled races were really entertaining- it looked like the entire chute was made of ice. 

The ski jump finale was probably the highlight. The soaring athletes were watched by a crowd of 140,000 people! 

The Bad: 

The narrator was pretty monotone. 

It often felt like an extended newsreel. 

It got kind of repetitive after a while, probably because it felt so much like a newsreel. It also didn’t help that every event was either some kind of skating or some kind of skiing. 

It was clearly shot silently, and sound was added in later. The film did a decent job making the audio feel realistic, but it was still obvious it wasn't the authentic sound. 

It would have been nice if we had gotten to know some of the athletes. There were no interviews, and we were given no information about them other than their names and if they had won anything before.

There was a moment of ick when the narrator was describing a Japanese ski jumper- “An Oriental performance by Japan’s Kawashima shows us that the Children of the Sun can now jump too.” 

Was there also a stereotyping dig at North Americans in there? When speaking of hockey players, the North Americans were described as being especially prone to fights and violence on the ice, compared to their European competitors. This probably has truth in it, but the narrator's tone made it feel like a dig about how unrefined Americans and Canadians are!

[dandanreads]

[TBR] The Ice's Crown Jewel

by: Zhu Yuan (Blessed Kite) 

Link: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=5760452 

冰尖美玉[花滑] (Literal TL: The finest jade on ice //smth like top ice beautiful jade) 

作者：祝鸢 

Synopsis: 

Figure skating beauty with thousands of fans shou x Appears cold but is inwardly fiery Champion skier gong 

Once standing on the pinnacle of the world, the crown jewel of the ice fell from the champions’ podium due to an injury. When he opened his eyes again, he had transmigrated into the rightful young master who was neither daddy’s darling nor mommy’s dearest1 and was eventually driven to ruin by the false young master. 

Feeling his young, flexible, injury-free and innately talented body, Ji Heyu cast an insipid glance at his deadbeat parents: Sorry, what are you yapping about? 

Why bother with familial conflicts when he could get back on ice and win the world championship? 

Ji Heyu: Not familiar, won’t interact, [waiting to kneel and lick].jpg 

---- 

Figure Skating is a weak sport for China and they have always been suppressed by the west.  

When a slender figure with a beautiful face and oriental features suddenly appeared on Ice, the whole world waited for him to make a fool of himself. 

Foreign athletes: Tch. It’s only a Chinese with inferior skills. Winning a medal is simply a pipedream. 

Western Media: A newcomer thinking too highly of themselves just because they’re a pretty face dares to compete in the renowned men’s singles? 

Even local ice-skating fans don’t dare support Ji Heyu: Ai, patriotism is good but don’t be cocky and disgrace China! 

Ji Heyu: ? 

Thanks for the query, the skater in question here, I just won the gold medal. You all did very well, next time, try to stop me. 

That is, if you have the ability to stop me c: 

--- 

From basic skills to difficult maneuvers, from the winter games to world championships, from being unknown to a world champion; 

Smashing the oppression on China’s figure skating and bringing Chinese music on to the world stage, transcending the limits of physical prowess and beauty--- 

Dancing on ice, shining on the rink, everyone cheered for him: 

The beautiful oriental face emerged, eclipsing the entire world with its splendor. 

After all, Ji Heyu’s goal has never been to become world champion. 

His goal was 

To become this era’s most brilliant wonder. 

--- 

Sweat and wounds on a covered hide 

Worn best as laurels in pride 

With the red of the flag slowly raised high 

Burns the heart that will never die 

--- 

[Getting the gong to sneakily appear in the little theatre] 

On the highest ski resort, 5400m above sea level, Yun Che, who donned China’s first gold medal in high-altitude skiing, answered in an interview: 

“What I want to do most right now? I want to wear my medal and kiss the person I love the most.” 

“Right, we haven’t seen each other for seven days.” 

“The last time we met was on the day of the men’s singles final in figure skating.” 

-----

Translation is subjective and may not be accurate.

[chefediaboiv]

This is what Devante Diaz, Aaron, Tyron, unfortunately Chase Smith and a few other think should be on my page. The line pinned to the top I came up with, after a get together with a couple of these homeless new Haven community members. Gadget who I call Gidget, looks like a 50 something skating ninja turtle with dreads. (Bald Men still have to take care of there hair😴) Anyways I asked him about Aaron McGruder, after hearing a young voice bring his name up. I know first hand about the comic clipping that ran in the New Haven Register.

These are images of some of my work. I've already produced. Now the reason my other Twitter account is not up is because of the aforementioned disruptive involvement. Shizu is a young woman, I was flirting with that works at the library in New Haven, Connecticut. Liberty Safe Haven has a partnership with them also as well as 22@66 state. Where I hit William Wayne Hutton/Braymond in the face with coffee a year ago, after an interview with Amazon. For certain purposes I'm not using her real name. After flirting with her, I got banned from the NEW HAVEN FREE PUBLIC LIBRARY. Yes chase I was indeed already calling you shitty. Remember those sore loser's. I would like to add that I did ask her age.

I've been smart not to even try to continue my story of Samael, considering it's a project I've had in mind for a while. Told Kate, who used to volunteer at the sunrise kitchen. Also another Liberty Partner, who has partnership with the Parking Authority as well. Free all day parking included in the Non profit salary. 🧐

They didn't like being out done with little effort is the only reason they don't like me.

The Bandicoot Variant or the Triple H's

Hell used to be right next to the catwalk in New Haven, CT. People that transport both are triple H. The fourth H however can lead you to the door, but has a permanent no entry to Hell. The triple H's are powerless to the fourth H's special abilities. They work in alignment.

Those triple H's. The Bandicoot variants. Be careful hooking fish, cause the banned H is usually the Money Shot.(MS) unless it's the Real Ruby Red Bandicoot. This variants come once in a blue moon, if at all. He plays the Enders Game.

Most women that want to be kept women interested in the authentic Ruby Red bandicoot, know and understand the issues.

There is Monogamy, Polygamy, Polyamory.

One of my logo Designs before being banned from the library. The iii is for the three formats of relationship. The forth ii!i is about that money shot. Mythical big brother. Either you need the bank or the offset. The center is about duality. And you can see how they all work in tandem.

Usually ladies I don't brag but I'll be damned if I don't.

[sparkles-oflight]

WAY TO GO!

HE’S SO CUTE I CAN’T

I tend to forget he’s literaly my age

[figure-skating-confessions]

“In an interview Deniss said he was looking into prepping two SP and two FS for each season. I’d honestly love to see that because I didn’t see a quality drop this season when he did two SP.”

[wtficedance]

On the definition of team: gender, power, and equality in skating

Skate Canada made waves this week by announcing that it is updating the definition of 'team' with regards to pairs skating and ice dance to no longer refer solely to a partnership composed of a man and a woman, but to include two skaters regardless of gender identity. Skate Canada president Karen Butcher said on the revision, "This change is about removing barriers to participation in skating, and we believe it will have a significant impact in ensuring all gender identities are recognized and accepted equally and without prejudice."

For skaters who identify as non-binary or queer with a gender identity outside of the gender binary, this allows them to compete with lessened gender dysphoria if previously competing under their sex assigned at birth, such as non-binary pairs skater Timothy LeDuc who made history as the first out non-binary Winter Olympian in Beijing. But it also makes history as the first skating federation--and one of the three traditional skating powers--to allow for same-sex partnerships in pairs and ice dance.

It comes at an interesting time in international ice dance where elements have very recently been gendered where they weren't previously, with step sequence and twizzle levels now designated to the woman and man separately. And where in the past year, the ISU's big strides towards equality has consisted of revising communications to say "women" instead of "ladies" and allowing ice dance women to wear pants in the free dance. How progressive. (Men who wish to wear anything other than pants, like John Kerr's kilt for his Scottish OD in 2008, will still need an exception or face a costume deduction).

Gender in Ice Dance

Previously, the only gendered element was the spin, with men able to get a difficult position credit for a basic camel while women had to choose another variation. This change will likely affect dance far more than it will pairs due to the lower barrier for entry and due to far more mirrored elements than in pairs where the skillsets developed for lifting and throwing vs. twisting and balancing and landing are more highly gendered. Especially as only 4 lifts are required across two programs for dance--in comparison to eras where it was 7--ice dance’s brute strength and endurance requirements have evolved greatly in the last decade.

For now, by the nature of this ruling by Skate Canada as opposed to the ISU, unfortunately for the most elite level of skaters this change for young girls will result in partnerships between two women being seen as transitory as a stepping off point to a partnership where they can compete on the international level. But in a sport where young girls often retire due to lacking number of boys to partner with, this provides a massive developmental pathway where these young female athletes can continue growing with one another and increasing their skill levels. While the decision from Skate Canada (IMO) seems to be primarily motivated out of a desire for inclusion of queer athletes, it also could have a massive impact on improving the quality of training and experience for young girls. Whether it encourages them to challenge themselves by choosing a partnership with a stronger peer as opposed to sticking with a stagnant partnership that they are afraid to leave because it means giving up a chance at competing internationally, or just renewing their love of skating by doing it with a friend, this is a massive step forward for young athletes.

Madison Hubbell gave an interview to Russian media about her desire to do a show project with fellow Olympic medalist Gabriella Papadakis specifically about what skating between two women looks like.

"people have to see it. There are so many solo girls that want to do ice dance. And so many that spend years and years searching for a right guy, and I am sick of them sitting there searching. They need to find a way to perform, explore, express themselves, and share what they love about the sports. What would be a better way for two women than to skate together? But many of them are not used to the idea; they have not seen it, and for them, it’s almost like a lower tier. If I skate with a woman, maybe it means that I will never find a boy; it’s almost like admitting the fact that they might never be in competitive ice dance, which is too much to take on. We want to show them that there is no difference and that you can create amazing things – maybe even more amazing than what we are used to see."

Hubbell went through a transition early in her career after her brother Keiffer first split and then retired in 2012. Hubbell proceeded to pair with Donohue, and went on to a very successful career debuting at worlds in the same year. Most successful ice dancers are in fact not partnered since childhood, with the exception of sibling teams and the rare Virtue/Moir or Papadakis/Cizeron who go onto partnerships long enough that they can drive a car or drink. Many young girls spend half of their young careers waiting and wasting their talent because they don’t see another option, or settling for a partnership with a poor personality and/or skill fit.

"Of course, it’s only one aspect of this, but we are both very excited about this initiative to have a non-gendered event, more than creating a female-female event or male-male and then mixed. We think that everyone should be allowed to compete with everyone."

From a body image standpoint, skating has long denigrated and devalued women and girls seen as "too muscular" or "too tall" or "not feminine" enough due to their strength as skaters. Ranging from disgusting comments made to Kaitlin Hawayek this year, to Madison Hubbell and Tessa Virtue speaking about body shaming during their careers, this decision stands to empower young girls to lean into their strength as opposed to being shamed for it. While women have been permitted as lifters since 6.0 rules, very few teams have taken advantage of it in the last decade. The only team to do so being the Brown siblings during their first junior season. Many women in ice dance are afraid of challenging themselves in more athletic or reverse lifts that showcase their strength for fear of seeming less feminine.

"So many things worked really easily right away: transitions, skating skills, twizzles, one-foot, footwork, to track each other close – all have been really easy for both of us. But obviously lifts and tricks – things that we are used to do in one part of it – we have to learn how to be the base or to do a slightly different skillset."

In ice dance particularly, often there is a false gendering of strength in lifts that stems from the traditional mindset of stem and flower presentation: the woman is simply there to be lifted by her partner in a pretty position. She is simply a burden and any extra weight from muscles is not useful because the strength comes from the person lifting her. Incredible lifts like the stationary position achieved by Laurence Fournier Beaudry below involve the most power from the liftee, and are not possible without exceptional core strength.

Image taken by Ronda Churchill/AP Photo

Olympic Silver Medalist Tanith Belbin credits a switch to the coaching camp of Natalia Linichuk for forcing her to confront the toxicity of this regime in ice dance where young women are pressured to lose weight to make their partners' lifts easier. Linichuk ordered to her gain 10lbs and make an nutritionally informed diet to sustain her energy levels and improve her performance on ice. In the 2010 New York Times article on the subject, her partner Ben Agosto said he noticed a huge difference in her skating, "during lifts, she was no longer a sack of potatoes, holding on for dear life. She could hold her positions much better, and that made it easier for Agosto because she did not move around as much."

Hubbell alludes to this change in thought and challenging the notion that men need to lift because they are generally taller and stronger by noting the work that the IAM camp does with Cirque du Soleil acrobats: "often, acrobatic partners are almost the same size and height, so it’s all about leverage and technique."

Challenging this mindset is essential to valuing the amount of work that women in the sport do as incredible athletes and skaters. We see a large culture that values the strength and quality of men in ice dance and pairs, often at the expense of their female partners, where even in partnerships that are equally matched in talent and execution technical panels and officials will value male partners higher levels. We see this especially in reputation evaluation when it comes to individual step sequence levels. Of the top three teams last quad looking at OfSt levels, only S/K had the majority of their unequal level calls favor the lady. Despite for significant portions of that quad, all women were the stronger skater in their partnership looking at edge quality and control. Yet reputation or simply officiating bias, caused phantom no calls for clear mistakes made by men or simply attributed them to their cleaner female partner.

One Foot Step Sequence Level Calling Distribution

While culture changes at the officiating level are unlikely to happen on a scale faster than glacial, challenging the traditional gendering of technical strengths can only be seen as a step forward and potential at the skating community level to challenge the even unconscious bias that we all hold.

Community Reaction

Comments on the announcement have a varied mix of comments from full-throated support, to general trans and queerphobia, and a fair number of Blades of Glory references, but a strikingly common theme was that this change by Skate Canada is pointless because the ISU won't similarly follow--likely for years if at all. And while this is just my two cents on the matter, I truly believe that this is maybe the most positive change in skating in the past two quads. Momentum to make changes does not arise from nothing, this shift by a major federation, and one of the two currently non-sanctioned powers in the sport, provides a template for other federations to follow going forward. The ISU and the Olympics are highly important, what starts most dreams in the rink is thinking about that Olympic podium. But the fuel for the work put in is enjoyment of the sport at all levels. The vast majority of skaters will not see the Olympics or Worlds or international competition at any level. Their largest governing body is their domestic federation and it dictates what skating clubs they are apart of, what goals they work towards, what tier of development they can test into, and where they compete. This change is a massive step forward for not only the most elite tier of skating but those who lace up twice a week just to have fun doing something they love.

I would challenge everyone to view this change with as much idealism as possible. With the events of the past quad it is easy to fall into sheer hopelessness and despair at the state of the sport when it comes to the sheer amount of abuse and mistreatment of athletes, to feel the sheer scale of harm done. But this change provides a massive step forward when it comes to inclusion and equal treatment: for queer athletes and for the sport as a whole.

Lag time by the ISU for follow up is truly not the worst thing either as time is needed for partnerships with same-sex and gender non-conforming skaters to be developed at the domestic level to be ready for international competition. I truly hope we can see massive evolution in the sport, with athletes free to bring new new styles, new techniques, and new modes of expression that allow them to be their most authentic selves.