Figure skating... A sport?
Discussion
Just had figure skating on TV, and I can't for the life of me see how it is a sport. Ther eis no particular quantifiable item that you can measure a performance from, as such it is down to the opinion of some judges. As such, is it not an artistic performance, and thus art, not sport? Will we see Ballet in the summer olympics? Gymnastics has a thread of this, where they do the tumbles, and bits with balls, and so on and so forth. Long jump.. Longest distance. 100m.. Fastest time, and so on... So could someone explain to me how something that is down to an opinion is sport?
los angeles said:
Moleamol, Andy, don't you think its the Olympic committee giving into political pressure, sponsorship deals, and plain corruption, to dare justify some of those silly categories as a "sport"?
Absolutely,
Sync Swimming was the death of the Olympics for me.
But evidently sponsers loved it because it doubled their audience.
los angeles said:
Moleamol, Andy, don't you think its the Olympic committee giving into political pressure, sponsorship deals, and plain corruption, to dare justify some of those silly categories as a "sport"?
I'm not sure. Who do you see advetising figure skating, or who sponsors it? Can you name a skater? Does it only appeal to a female audience? I think they are skillful, certainly, but how you can base a sport on opinion is beyond me. I think Everton should win every match, but it doesn't, it's down to quantifiable figure, ie goals. All this 'I'm a celebrity get me off this ballroom, and onto the ice rink' type programs probably don't help...
IMO it is only sport if the winner wins by achieving something tangible, higher, faster, longer, more etc.
These 'sports' were points are given for style are a load of old bollox, even long jump, surely it should be whoever goes furthest and lands on his/her skis that is the winner, style my arse !
Boxing - I like the amateur points scoring where the judges have a button the press if a legitimate punch is landed, though it too is open to abuse, I would prefer if one boxer knocks the other out he is the winner, or whoever knocks the other down most wins, if there are no knockdown or knockout then it is a draw.
Syncronised swimming, no I am not going there !
Show jumping and dressage, WTF !!!!!
These 'sports' were points are given for style are a load of old bollox, even long jump, surely it should be whoever goes furthest and lands on his/her skis that is the winner, style my arse !
Boxing - I like the amateur points scoring where the judges have a button the press if a legitimate punch is landed, though it too is open to abuse, I would prefer if one boxer knocks the other out he is the winner, or whoever knocks the other down most wins, if there are no knockdown or knockout then it is a draw.
Syncronised swimming, no I am not going there !
Show jumping and dressage, WTF !!!!!
I think there are some elements of quantification in every sport, some more than others. Figure skating does have "objectives", like how certain movements need to be performed within a particular performance. I think to us lay men, it can appear to be totally arbitrary, but I think there is some scientific basis to the scoring.
Not a whole lot though, as this article would suggest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_s
In principle I guess it is no different from the football referee who doesn't call the handball in the penalty box because his vision was obscured by another player - there is video footage, but it isn't used and his decision is final, hence open to some degree of human error and interpretation.
I enjoy watching figure skating, and after a few even though you can't really put a finger on how or why and properly articulate it, you know a good one from a bad one (the "form" is just different) and in my experience the judging consistently reflects the order of my own opinions of the performances even though the scores themselves seem arbitrary. But as long as the one who wins Gold was the one who I thought was best (or second best), then the actual numbers don't matter.
Not a whole lot though, as this article would suggest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Figure_s
In principle I guess it is no different from the football referee who doesn't call the handball in the penalty box because his vision was obscured by another player - there is video footage, but it isn't used and his decision is final, hence open to some degree of human error and interpretation.
I enjoy watching figure skating, and after a few even though you can't really put a finger on how or why and properly articulate it, you know a good one from a bad one (the "form" is just different) and in my experience the judging consistently reflects the order of my own opinions of the performances even though the scores themselves seem arbitrary. But as long as the one who wins Gold was the one who I thought was best (or second best), then the actual numbers don't matter.
I am split on this one: on one hand, its good to see new sports represneted and giving them a chance to show. On the other hand, I have always believed the Olympics should be about the absolute best.
You know; fittest, strongest, fastest, most committed, etc etc. Not really about poetic movements. Or skill for that matter (although this naturally comes into it, not not pure skill).
You know; fittest, strongest, fastest, most committed, etc etc. Not really about poetic movements. Or skill for that matter (although this naturally comes into it, not not pure skill).
Yugguy said:
Wouldn't you say there's a skill involved in making a technically difficult move look graceful? You should watch dancing on ice, some of those 'celebs' such as David Seaman can actual skate, but the skill they lack is making it look graceful.
Oh god yes - to think that David et al had not skated before, and just had six weeks training before they started filming - its amazing the standards that they have got to - it took me years to learn some of the skills they are doing!!
Bear in mind, that for the dancing in the Olympics, skaters like Torvil and Dean will practice their routine every day for 12 months to get it perfect, having spent months before that deciding what music, what to put in it etc etc etc - these 'celebs' get a week for each routine!
Figure skating is bloody hard work, and dangerous as well - the blades are just that, sharp blades. We have all slipped and fallen over on ice/snow - legs go everywhere, imagine that with a couple of blades on your feet.......not to mention the fact that the ice is a bloddy hard landing!!
I suppose figure skating is to ice what scales are to piano. It's a techincal exercise and you try to get as close to 100% as possible. 'Test of skill' might be closer than 'sport' but it's still a competition.
Never mind, at the rate they're inventing new winter 'sports' every year ('now we're going to try it backwards on a triangular board while clapping our hands above our head') it will soon get squeezed out as too boring.
Never mind, at the rate they're inventing new winter 'sports' every year ('now we're going to try it backwards on a triangular board while clapping our hands above our head') it will soon get squeezed out as too boring.
Not sure if I'd call it a sport,but it can be dangerous, this photo is what happens when your skating partner forgets to catch you!!
www.strangedangers.com/content/item/113465.html
www.strangedangers.com/content/item/113465.html
Yugguy said:
Wouldn't you say there's a skill involved in making a technically difficult move look graceful? You should watch dancing on ice, some of those 'celebs' such as David Seaman can actual skate, but the skill they lack is making it look graceful.
David Seaman played Ice Hockey when he was a young kid, and also took part in the BBC's 'Strictly Ice Dancing' a couple of years ago. So he is no new comer to the ice.
flemke said:
IMO it is only sport if the winner wins by achieving something tangible, higher, faster, longer, more etc.
But if you were just going skiing, then no, it would be skiing.. If it were against the clock, and other spectators, then it would be sport...
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