It was nice to see so much coverage of non-Americans, most of whom were well worth the watch. And it was nice to see the fans from each country cheering their favorites on. Past coverage has been way too much about the Americans. This year the skating coverage was about the sport, not just the American competitors. Lots of us had a favorite between the two Russians. There was a time when they both would have played second fiddle to the American team, and the coverage of the event would have been much shorter because the Americans weren't competitive.
3
She is not competing as a Russian athlete.
Russia and its athletes have a long history of cheating and doping that dates back to at least 1972.
1
Why does the table of scores and NBC's video not show the one-point deduction Braidie Tennell should have received in her long program because she fell? In this story a deduction is noted but I can't see when it was taken. What am I missing?
To reach the pinnacle, athletes need superior physical abilities (suitable genetics) and years of rigorous training. Thankfully, Russian culture comprehends, acknowledges this obvious fact. Conversely (American) athletes largely lack similar physical ability (genetics) to compete with thoroughbred competition. Scientists understand this mongrelization demography as genetic/ethnic devolution.
I was a huge fan of figure skating after 1998, but stopped following the sport closely after Michelle Kwan's devastating loss in 2002. Hard to believe it's been 16 years since. The sport has changed so much. I realized now that skating is so much more enjoyable to watch when you don't have a favorite.
I loved the German pair's oh so satisfying victory, and the men's quad jumping contest, but the women's competition was once again the highlight for me. The two Russian girls were simply amazing. Both were the total package. They blew away every champion we've seen in games past. Alina deserved her gold. I thought she was every bit as artistic as Medvedeva but with much lighter, fluid jumps. Attempting all her jumps in the 2nd half made it an even greater feat. This is a sport after all. I was blown away by her 5 jump sequence in practice.
It's unfair to compare Zagitova to Lapinski. She is miles ahead of Lapinski in every way. She has also hit puberty unlike Lapinski who looked 10 when she won. I hated Lapinski screaming and foot stomping when she won. No such tasteless theatrics from Alina. She smiled, hugged her rival then quietly wiped away happy tears when walking away from the camera. So dignified at such a young age.
I'm so glad the IOC decided to let the Russian athletes compete. These games would've been so much poorer in quality without these two brilliant Russian skaters. Their rivalry was truly one for the ages, best in history. Go Russia!
2
Never mind my question re one-point deduction...reviewed video, she didn't fall.
I was disappointed in the outcome, but both skaters were wonderful. To be an athlete and to be able to perform as they do is a gift and which not many of us possess. We forget the many hours, days, weeks and years they spend learning their craft and expanding their gift. It is a joy to behold.
Both Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva should have received gold medals. They both skated beautifully.
I was rooting for EVGENIA MEDVEDEVA, but ALINA ZAGITOVA's highest Short program score in history supplanting the previous best of all time set five minutes before by Medvedeva was the difference. Talk about guts under pressure! The precision, artistry and daring these two young Russian women brought to the Olympic ice was precisely in keeping with what I have come to expect to see from skaters and dancers from their country since I first watched Lyudmila and Oleg Protopopov win their first pairs Gold at Innsbruck in 1964..
KAETLYN OSMOND winning the Bronze for Canada was magnificent. Japan’s SATOKO MIYAHARA and CHOI DABIN from host South Korea( 4th and 5th) both delivered stirring performances, as did their teammates and first timers from Australia, Slovakia and Kazakhstan, among others.
BRADIE TENNELL? in her first Olympics couldn't hack the pressure, but might in the future. After finishing 4th at Worlds, KAREN CHEN was no match for the big stage, flaming out in the Short and Free. And what of MIRAI NAGASU? AH, earth to Mirai, earth to Mirai, how many of the 10 skaters who finished behind you for the Olympic Team after choking in the Short program would describe “having fun” in the Free program as Doing a SINGLE in place of a Triple Axel and then making no attempt to add it back during the rest of their Free skate to finish 10th. Can you say no one?
After more or less stepping away from this sport for 16 years, I was shocked to come back to a completely different landscape. What happened to the US ladies? Our national champion barely even cracked the top 10. All 3 skated like deer caught in the headlights.
I think as societies get richer, people become less motivated to do anything that requires great effort with uncertain payoff. Our youth are too distracted by social media, social justice to do sports, unless it's team sport prized by college.
The death of pro skating also hurts. It's expensive to train an elite skater. They used to have a longer career where they can turn pro after the Olympics and make a few million. Now with this sport being a jumping contest, skaters' careers are getting shorter and shorter, and pro skating has pretty much died. Now skaters have no place to go after Olympics but college, so they can get a real job.
Women's sports have also changed a great deal. Before it wasn't as acceptable or glamorous for female athletes to ski, snowboard, play hockey, or skate in short track. Now they get just as much media attention, and most of those sports aren't as expensive or cause as much harm to the body.
Lastly, I think the decline of nationalism in America also plays a part. Russians still compete for the glory of Russia. Americans are increasingly competing for individual glory, as Mirai Nigasu's comment about auditioning for DWTS plainly indicates, or simply for college acceptance.
When are the ladies going to change things around? I am so tired of these frilly dresses and same old music. As a 57 year female, I really would like to see these young women get on with the 21st century. Let's end these over the top gaudy outfits and yawn inducing music and put on imaginative outfits and skate to some fun music!
1
Considering Zagitova did nothing tiring in the first two minutes, why should she get a bonus for jumps in the second-half of her lopsided program?
5
So inspiring, they both deserved Gold! A perfect dramatic performance by Medvedeva, however, she didn't even see the train coming at the end! Bam. Perfection denied!
I was hoping Medvedeva would win. She wasn't helped by the dreary music she choose. Zagitova appeared rather wooden.
4
I thought the Anna Karenina routine was juvenile and ludicrous.
The theme of Medvedeva's performance was Anna Karenina. There is no more beloved character in Russia, where the music is recognizable by all. The familiarity of music raises it out of the dreary. I liked the fact that she was inspired by Tolstoy's great heroine. She evoked the best of Russia when so many others are obsessed by the worst. I liked the way she danced to her music, both on and off the ice. Her positive spirit inspired me. Gold or silver, I don't care. But she exudes personality. That wasn't true of a lot of the competition. I thought her program was fantastic, music and all.
1
I wonder if Trump shifted some of those Miss Universe judges over to the skating competition to make sure the Russians won gold.
White privilege on an international stage. When people with black skin use steroids to compete, I hope they get to compete and win gold too.
Why these people are able to compete when their country was systematically doping their players in beyond me. Either compete as a country or not at all, and no cheaters allowed.
5
Black Olympic medal winners have also failed drug tests. The Russian skaters who took the gold and silver medals competed in international competitions leading up to he Olympics and have never failed drug tests.
These teenage girls were not accused of doping - don't lump in all the russian athletes in one pile. These girls are incredible athletes and have trained as hard as any athlete ever has. They deserve every medal they receive and are true artists. Don't obfuscate the issues. They compete because they deserve to and the sport is 100 times more interesting due to their presence.
2
The judges didn't have the courage to do what should have been done ... award two gold medals.
10
Technically, Russia did not win its first gold medal at these Winter Olympics
---------------
Take comfort in this knowledge
3
Zagitova's program was a snooze through the first half. It felt like warmups and then a short program, all so she could game the system. Medvedeva's was a true free skate program with a beginning, middle and end. Seems to me the judging system needs to revise the 10% backloading so it can't be abused like this, to the detriment of the sport.
19
Your graphic comparing skaters over the years is missing a critical detail - pre-1990, skaters had to compete in compulsory figures, and training for them took 4-5 hours a day. With that commitment to training for figures, the skaters didn't have as much training on jumps as they do today. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compulsory_figures
5
I was lucky to once see them doing compulsories. I was living in Geneva when the world championships were held there and on the day I went down to get tix for the ladies freestyle they were doing compulsories, and for the equivalent of a couple of dollars you could go in and watch. Sat right behind a couple of the coaches (East German I think) and listened to them (but couldn't understand them) scolding their skaters. Generally, at that time, the Europeans, esp. eastern Europeans, were better in compulsories, while the Americans were better in freestyle (more "artistic" etc), so I guess many Americans who had trouble w/compulsories were thrilled when they dropped them and added short program. Peggy Fleming (and some of her American predecessors) were fortunately excellent in both compulsories and freestye. She was a joy to watch.
5
The hoopla was over the two Russians. As a former member of the New York City Ballet who appreciates great technique but focuses equally, if more so, on artistic performance, pointed feet (or skates in this case) and line, the most beautiful performances last night belonged to Kaetlyn Osmund (the most mature performance of the night) and Satoko Miyahara. Medvedeva's performance topped Zagitova for artistry. But both women tend to flail their arms around and don't hold the smooth line. Mirai Nigasu's attitude of "I had fun, who cares?" at the end of her performance was embarrassing. And as usual, jumps are everything these days. Back to ice dancing!
13
As a former figure skater, I agree with your assessment.
1
Totally agree with you. Also, I would have given the 3rd Russian skater (the one who ranked quite far behind for first two) a special gold medal for good taste -- for both her costume and her program.
5
Dick Button would have told them how to do it right!
1
Even when Alina Zagitova failed to make that second jump in her program, she quickly recovered and added another jump in the end, improvising as she skated. She was in complete control, taking command the moment her skates hit the ice. She was the best skater and earned that gold medal. The only thing the other skaters have which Ms. Zagitova doesn't have are excuses as well as silver and bronze medals. She was brilliant, a delight to watch and just looked so stunning in that striking red costume.
9
I think the final standings were the right ones. Medvedeva had a fantastic free skate, but I thought her jump landings were all a bit stiff. On the other hand, I don't think I've ever seen more beautiful performances than Zagitova's short and long programs. The flowing nature of her skating, along with the beautiful lines and hands -- she had an elegance that was unmatched. And of course there's her technical mastery as well. And unlike past Olympics, all three women on the podium skated clean programs.
7
Medvedeva would've made a worthy champion in any other Olympics. These two Russian ladies both laid down two perfect, spot on programs that were technically miles ahead of all past champions and artistically as least as competent, while the spotlight was on them the whole time. Talk about nerves of STEEL. And both came across humble with none of the entitled, excuse laden attitudes of the US ladies. I was blown away.
I rarely watch FS anymore and now I know why. It really is mostly a jumping contest, to be won by tiny young women, with a box in the upper left hand corner of my TV running the numbers and boxes of red, green, and yellow. Tara and Johnny kept talking about the math so along with that box, the math is mostly what I focused on too. I don't get emotionally engaged with FS anymore, and have never heard of most of the women because they come, they win, they disappear. I used to be a big FS fan at the Olympics but these days, I'd rather watch almost anything else. Some of my favorite moments have come from cross-country skiing. I NEVER thought I's say that.
5
Maybe you should have watched then because there was incredible artistry on display. There may be too much focus on jumps but it is a sport after all and records have to be broken. To say Medvedeva or Miyahara or Dobin Cho or Kostner didn't display artistry or emotion is just Daft.
6
I liked the 15 year old better for both artistry and execution. But the 18 year old fully deserved the tie score she got. The 15 year old won it because she was a little better in the short program. The 18 year old who hasn't lost in 2 years was probably not quite 100% having suffered a broken foot in November, but that's life.
5
Stunning! The most superb Olympic figure skating I've ever seen. Any one of the 3 medalists would have been worthy of Gold. If it were up to me, they'd share it.
One might note the ballet artistry of those at the top. It must be unbelievably difficult to master the jumps, but musicality and grace also set these three apart. The music did not seem just an afterthought while they jumped and flailed their arms, they brought the tempo and emotion of the music to life. All three had the strongest ballet presence of all competitors. And especially Zagitova with the poise, grace and confidence of a prima ballerina twice her age!
Many thanks to Zagitova, Medvedeva and Osmond. Each of you is extraordinary. This show was one for the ages!
13
I agree. All 3 of the medalists 'brung it', big time!
5
The Americans, Mirai Nagasu and Karen Chen, may have finished 10th and 11th respectively, but even with their stumbles, their grace and artistry were a joy to watch. I didn't enjoy either of the Russian skaters, whose jumping prowess in no way compensated for their lack of artistry and polish.
2
I think nationalism is blinding you a bit. Medvedeva's performance was perhaps the most artistic of the night, with the Canadian a close second. And frequent stumbling interferes with grace, no?
1
I did seem like two feats at the same time — the artistry and the aerial show. One, only absorbable as a gestalt, creating an aesthetic experience; the other, just a numbers game, with the little blue, yellow and red dots distractingly popping onto the screen. And the commentary, yuk: I’d click the mute button, but that would cut out the music.
1
Many people generously applaud the prodigious talents and grace of the young athletes who compete in ice dancing and skating events while simultaneously denying that their contests are properly sports. Because the judgment of officials is to some degree, how vast I cannot know, personal and therefore 'temperamental' or biased these objections are presumed to be fair. Have the objectors never disagreed with the calls - on the field and off, following delay-of-game video review 'by officials in New York' - made by every NFL referee. And the referees and officials of all our professional teams? It seems a distinction without a real difference.
Any sport comes with risks. Figure skating career may be short but they can sure shine early and find other things to do later in life. Russian athletes probably won't get corporate sponsorship and get rich and maybe that's why American athletes may be rich with sponsor money but may be irrelevant internationally. Figure skating is really sponsored by the Japanese public and companies, who will actually go to international events, and Russian government and other smaller countries that will support this beautiful sport. Americans don't care much for this sport anyways (unless it's Olympics) so of course they will struggle internationally unless they are really good. Olympics is a good time to realize that Americans aren't the best in the world at everything and that's actually okay. Russian doping scandal is sad but at least Russia can produce beautiful figure skaters.
1
It was the one sport where Russian doping couldn't affect the outcome. You can't give people a drug that will let them land a triple triple combination.
16
Then why was a Russian disqualified for curling?
3
For some reason the IOC investigated Adelina Sotnikova, the gold medalist in Sochi, along with other Russian athletes in other disciplines. Though, she was cleared in November, they seem be looking for some kind of banned substance.
Thirty years ago they imposed the Zayak rule. After Elaine Zayak did eight triples of a single type in competition, figure skating officials decided they had had enough. Thereafter, no more than a single type of jump was permitted in competition. It's time to bring this back. Let there be no more than one triple triple combination in a single program. Then up the age for participation to sixteen.
It's time to stop ruining little girl's bodies in pursuit of a jumping on ice competition. When women who haven't even completed puberty are dealing with anorexia and broken bones, this isn't a sport anymore. It's child abuse.
24
I don't necessarily disagree with your assessment Stacy, however, not all young skaters suffer from anorexia. All three of the medal winners look fit with extremely powerful legs.
Also, Alina Zagitova performed ALL of her difficult jumps in the later part of her program, giving her more points in the end. She won the gold because she did the math and was willing to train and work hard in performing the most taxing portion of her program in the second half of her program.
Trust me, if Evgenia Medvedeva had performed all of her difficult jumps in the second half of her program, she would be holding the gold medal and Alina Zagitova would be holding the silver.
3
And why would we do that? Go back? I thought we are supposed to move forward.
2
Marge, I'm thankful Medvedeva didn't do as Zagitova because then her program would have been unbalanced as well, instead of having a proper beginning, middle and end. And why should Zagitova have been tired in the second half, given that she performed nothing that would tax her in the first half?
Just read Mirai Nagasu's comments about auditioning for Dancing with the Stars, how rough her time at the Olympics was (cold showers), and how she had done her job in the team competition, and the singles competition was just icing on the cake. Most skaters would look at it the other way round. She should be ashamed for not doing her very best job and for making such offensive, entitled comments while representing the USA. What is wrong with US ladies figure skating! The skater that should have been on the team wasn't (Ashley Wagner) and the skaters chosen by USFSA clearly weren't up to the job...missing their moms and losing it mentally. So disappointing. Clearly something needs to change. Other countries skaters don't seem to have these problems. Get it together ladies! Toughen up!
15
I completely agree with you, Ann. I've lost all respect for Mirai. And U.S. Figure Skating needs to do a deep dive to figure out why its top contenders keep falling apart under pressure.
5
Ashley Wagner was a very sore loser when she was not chosen for the 2018 team after coming in 4th at Nationals. She should have been grateful that she was selected for Sochi having come in 4th in the Nationals that year and still put on the team in place of Mirai Nagasu who came in 3rd. Nagasu is the most polished of the US skaters and Tennell just needs to grow up and stop skating to Disney. She said at the Nationals that she "just goes into auto pilot" and that about says in all. The Russians are definitely NOT on auto pilot.
4
By being instrumental in winning the bronze for the team figure skating event, Mirai Nagasu did represent the USA.
And it's not their "job" to win for us. We don't pay them. They're the ones who pay for their own coaches, costumes, choreography, ice time, etc.
2
All Zagitova had to do to win gold was not fall down.
Medvedeva's program blew hers out of the water. One of the most beautiful, lyrical skates I've ever seen.
That said, neither one of them should be competing at all. Watch ICARUS on Netflix...the story is there....
7
Medvedeva did get a higher component score resulting in a tied score with Zagitova for the LP. Zagitova beat her with higher SP score. I think the end result is fair. I enjoyed them both.
I don't think that Zagitova lacks in expressiveness or grace or components in comparison to Medvedeva. Every jump, spin or movement was at exactly the right time to her music. She has incredible control over every muscle in her body. If she weren't a figure skater, she could easily become a principal dancer in a major ballet company.
20
Thank you. She's the best I've ever seen by far. I was comparing her to Muhammad Ali before the long program. 15 is what she is right now and no one can predict the future but she has all the makings at this point to be one of the greatest athletes of all time. Medvedeva was amazing. Zagitova was better. Speaking of jumps, she just seems almost like a genetic leap forward for the species. That near perfect.
6
After Zagitova won the gold medal with her hyperactive-windup-toy routine, the conversation in the broadcast booth was deliciously awkward, since nobody could come out and say "So Tara, you also beat an older skater whose artistry was superior to yours. Talk to us about what that's like."
55
Thank you! Lipinski did the same thing Michelle Kwan, jumps jumps jumps.
....and Medvedeva is old at 18.
5
They should almost just get rid of the music and just jump and spin, a la slope style. Medvedeva had such artistry and musicality to her skating which was totally absent from the winner. Disappointing result.
24
I saw plenty of beautiful artistry from the top 3 ladies. They are the true total package. This is coming from a former Michelle Kwan fan who thought she had it all over Lapinski.
Several Olympics ago, during the Katarina Witt/Debi Thomas era, figures were compulsory and were scored - these were not generally televised, but participants had to do well in order to have a chance at a medal overall. Is this still required?
There were many wonderful performances but the top three were indeed the top three, even if little separated them point-wise. I do miss Dick Button's commentary though. For so many years he was the voice of Olympic figure skating and he taught the tv audience a lot about watching a performance.
17
Thank you! I thought I was the only one on the planet who missed him and his class. He knew so much about figure skating. Tara and Weir are annoying distractions. And are not nearly as qualified.
1
Figure skating scoring is a farce.
3
After stepping away from this sport for 16 years, I think this new judging system is actually better, much more objective. I never liked the "top 3 skaters control their own fate after the SP" system, not only was it pretty much over after the SP, it was also too subjective.
1
Good for Russia. The USA’s primary goal is to discredit and destroy Russia. Regardless of the sanctions it seems Russia is getting stronger. Should the USA initiate a different approach?
8
I thought the poise and elegance of Medvedeva's routine way surpassed Zagitova's performance but what do I know.
14
Actually, the judges placed Zagitova third in artistic performance, but her technical score (including the backloading of all the jumps) gave her a tie in the long program and placed her in first once the short program was added. They need to limit the backloading.
2
The Russians were in a different universe of quality. No one else stood a chance. Really really bad photos chosen of the Americans for this article, though. One is about as awkward a moment on the ice as possible, the other photo appears to be for use by MD's to examine the skater's sinuses. Next time, be more kind.
13
Why are cheating countries being awarded gold medals?! When you compete in the Olympics you are representing your country, not yourself. Why this woman won a gold medal is beyond comprehension. Not a single person of Russian nationality should have been competing. But since the entire Olympic Commission is corrupted apparently beyond redemption, one shouldn't be surprised.
Oh, and whats that? Already two more competing Russians have failed doping tests here? They ALL should be booed back to the boonies they came from.
8
It is not fair to punish all athletes for the actions of a few. These athletes have trained their wholes lives and for many, this might be their only chance to get to the Olympics. I'm so glad the Russians competed. These games would've been so much poorer without their brilliant ladies skaters.
3
She was amazing.
6
Suggestion: how about a separate olympics for adults?
4
great idea! and let's separate not healthy athletes with therapeutics exclusions too, how about an Olympic tournament for asthma patients, or for the olympians with attention deficit disorder and so on?..
2
But where would someone like you compete?
How about an Olympic skating event where washed up doesn't mean you've passed puberty?
It seemed like a metaphor, Medvedeva, as Russia’s timeless soul, literary, lyrical, poetic, emotional, rich with sorrow (as much a part of their culture as hare-brained self-confidence is of ours) deep and solemn and holy as Lake Baikal, performed to Anna Karenina, with Black Eyes (Очи чёрные), soft but unmistakeable in the background.
Alina Zagitova was Russia now, Putin’s Russia, slick, opaque, precise, skillful, energetic, determined. And she won. But it feels like the world lost.
42
It's figure skating. Alina Zagitova is 15 years old. Must everything concerning Russia be about Putin? She skated beautifully. Medvedeva skated beautifully. The scoring system is what it is. Again .... she is just 15.
Nice metaphors, but I don't agree with you....I thought Zagitova was just as beautiful, so skilled, so lovely.
1
Evgenia Medvedeva had so much artistry, I was hoping she would win the gold. Still, Alina Zagitova's jumps are amazing and she's a very powerful skater, so I can see the argument for her to win.
10
I've been watching Medvedeva for the past few years, but always had a bit if trouble buying what she was selling.
Her "9/11" routine last year was tasteless: a figure skating routine featuring sirens and the sounds of chaos, and Medvedeva over-emoting to express sorrow and fear. (Though it wasn't quite as bad as Katarina Witt skating to "Schindler's List" while wearing a red dress...)
The train whistles in her Anna Karenina routine are cheesy, but at least it's based on a work of fiction.
But she won me over by the end of last night's performance. What had once seemed calculated now felt truly heartfelt, and the fortitude to skate perfectly under so much pressure is extraordinary. When she broke down in tears at the end it was incredibly moving.
10
Another German skater used "Schindler's List" last night as well. Good Grief.
2
Too much gaming of the system here. The latest gimmick is to defer jumps to the second half for a 10% bonus. Nagitova's first jump came 2 seconds into the second half of her routine.
There's also the ability to compensate for mistakes by adding jumps, or just adding jumps to amass points (Nathan Chen). I prefer old-fashioned elegance, and perfection.
27
I loved watching Alina and Evgenia but I must admit I am concerned about the attitudes surrounding youth sports in general. Of course I hope to see US women’s skaters on the podium again but I would go farther to hope we can do it without all the heath concerns that have plagued young athletes increasingly over the years. Seeing quads from women would be fantastic—as long as they don’t have to stop eating completely to get maximum air time.
5
"Medvedeva was forced to confront a sobering reality on Friday at age 18: Experience and artistry and expressiveness did not prevail over mathematics."
I loved watching Alina Zagitova skate. She had such confidence, flair, grace and elegance - she truly resembled a brilliant ballerina on blades. But what I thought was the most impressive decision on her part was performing all of her complicated jumps in the second half of her program to ensure higher scores. I have never seen any skater do that. The degree of practice and endurance and dedication on her part is astounding. In the end, it's the math that really matters which wins the gold.
I thought Kaetlyn Osmond's performance was outstanding and close to flawless. Too bad none of the American skaters were in her league. The saddest comment I heard was that this winter Olympics was the worse showing by U.S. women figure skaters since the inception of the Olympics.
All I know for certain is that figure skaters must have legs of lead to endure such hard work and practice on a daily basis. I am in awe of every figure skater.
8
A third Russian skater--whose name unfortunately escapes me--but who wore a beautiful grey outfit and skated in the second to last group, also turned in a stunning performance. Extraordinarily graceful, with visual sense that exceeded both of the medal winners, I thought. She was magnificent! Unexpected little moves, beautifully landed jumps, just gorgeous.
I did think the gold was awarded correctly; the silver also, glad the Canadian won bronze, but actually, the bronze should have gone to that third Russian skater, whose performance was stellar.
8
Wasn't she a delight? If nothing else, she should have been awarded a special gold medal for dressing with some taste -- not in one of those gaudy feathered jobs that look like burlesque outfits. I am surprised the NBC commentators never comment on the apparent total lack of taste in many of the skaters -- both wardrobe lack of taste and lack of taste in how they carry themselves on the ice and do (or in most cases, do not) actually dance to the music that is playing. Somebody ought to send these kids to the ballet to find out how good choreography is supposed to be done (and danced to).
Although I didn't like her costume, I thought the bronze medal Canadian skater did a much more mature performance that acknowledged the music she was dancing to. She also made much better use of her arms, more like a real dancer, instead of just flailing them all over the place.
2
This skating was not about Russia or politics it was about virtuosity. The thing I love about these Olympics is that the world came together.
Funny how the skate of these 2 ladies brought back Lipinski's victory over Kwan and here Lipinksi was covering the skate. I remember when Kwan lost I was very sad because she had so much incredible skating history and Lipinski seemed to have just stolen the gold medal from Kwan with technical over artistry. Kwan continued to skate after that and Lipinski stopped soon after.
It did seem like Zagitova's routine gamed the system. The first half was fluff and then boom, boom, boom, jumps for points. Skating needs to decide how much artistry counts versus jumping and how to stop skaters from gaming the system. Both ladies were good in their own way and stood up to the pressure.
Sadly, the US women, some with bad, prima donna attitudes have so much baggage hoisted on them via media and publicity, I think it is very hard to have a light, beautiful performance with all those expectations. No wonder they all cratered to the pressure no matter how they excuse it.
These Olympics have given me hope for the world again and reminded me that it is not about good or bad countries, these Russians were beautiful skaters and deserved the honors but it is about terrible, evil leaders and how they got there and how to contain them.
These Olympics were not about leaders of the countries it was about the spirit of the people and the athletes.
6
I agree with most of what you said.
As many others have said, Evgenia should have won. She has so much more maturity, passion, plus the technique. But I like silver better than gold anyway.
8
I’ve been watching Olympic figure skating for 40 years and that was the best women’s final I’ve ever seen. All 3 medalists were essentially flawless, showed incredible athleticism and sewed it all up with artistry. Having seen many finals marred by skaters falling apart, it was a huge pleasure to watch a final come down to a tough call between equally great performances.
6
Figure skating has always been interesting to watch, and I have been following it since the eighties. Unquestionably, younger skaters are winning because the requirements have gotten complicated, and the older one is, it is less likely that one can pull it off. However, it is best that the skaters retire early and not hurt themselves, or move on to entertainment skating. To have an Olympics with just an entertainment based program would make it a charade and not a competition. While the past was interesting to watch, the present era is a real meaningful competition worth watching.
1
As close as it was, the judges were correct in their determination of the champion. Sad as it is to say at only age 18, Evgenia Medvedeva peaked a little too early for this Olympic cycle; there was no one who could have competed with her one or two years ago. It's startling to realize that a entire potential Olympic roster of Russian women's skaters have come and gone since the 2014 games: Elena Radionova, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and Anna Pogorilaya. Somehow it doesn't seem right that a skater's grasp for the gold depends on how much your age is in synch with the Olympic cycle, but that is the cold reality. In order to compete, the Americans must not only insist on greater technical ability in their junior skaters, but also dramatic maturity. The U.S. national champion, Bradie Tennell, can jump (usually), but her artistic expression lagged far behind competitors who are younger than she. Even if she had completed all her jumps, her placing wouldn't have put her in medal territory.
4
I've been a figure skating fan for decades. And I actually like the technical aspect of it, that's what makes it a sport. Traditionally, the skater who successfully balances both the artistry and technical would be rewarded with success. Unfortunately, this scoring system is just tilted far too much to the technical jumps. Putting all the jumps after the half point makes scoring sense, but the program was very bad presentation wise. Yevgenya loosing the gold last night was probably right score wise, but very bad for the sport. The system needs some modifications if skating is to stay relevant.
6
Medvedeva's performance was superior in my mind because of her personality and sensitivity to the music and choreography. Zagitova is a wonderful jumper with beautiful posture and movements, but lacks sabor. Medvedeva chose to make her jumps part of the story, while Zagitova reeled them off in the latter half of the program to score points. Medvedeva deserved the gold.
31
If an attitude like Mirai Nagasu’s is any indication, U.S. figure skating is in a deeper hole than we thought. This was not an audition for a competitive reality show. The job was not done after the team event. Training is hard. Living in shared quarters is hard. Having no hot water to shower is hard. Yeah...so??
She phoned in her long program, and her excuses are beyond lame.
As someone who was firmly in her corner after her Sochi snub, I am extremely disappointed. Maybe Nagasu should have been the alternate rather than Ashley Wagner — no great fan of Wagner’s, but at least she wouid have competed.
It will be interesting to see how the organizing body responds after this sad show. I think it’s fair to say the U.S. is no longer a world contender, and this is one more setback to a rebuild.
25
In the USA, sex is what brings down powerful figures. What’s wrong with this culture? where we have more child molesters, sexual harassers, rapists, pedophiles more than any other nation on earth?
@RBR: What? How in any way does this relate to my comment?
2
Let's train like the Russian/OAR skaters. Win a medal for your country, then make way for the next crop of late tweens.
*Pending passing her drug test. It’s a joke that any Russian athlete is allowed to participate, which is why I’m not watching.
4
Amen, brother! Even if they do pass the test, they are part and parcel of an country and society that systemically encouraged cheating and deceit. You are right, it is a joke and somehow a odd case of the emperor's new clothes how so many here are not more outraged by it.
5
Maybe this result is in part due to the renaming of the “artistic” score to “component” score. Makes it technical, dry, a little less beautiful... As amazing as both top skaters were technically, I would have given the gold to Medvedeva, hands down. It was a riveting performance.
27
Fabulous effort by the two Russian skaters! Now, if someone would please tell Tara Lipinsky to SHUT UP, skating would be a pleasure to watch once more.
Ms. Lipinsky is way too impressed with her own expertise. When our American skater Mirai Nagasu made history with her triple axel, Tara talked constantly in the moments leading up to, and through, the dramatic moment. Weir is not much better.
The flowered headsets are precious. The constant chatter is not.
40
I agree, she was quite annoying. I lost count how many times I yelled at the TV "Shut up Tara!" She has a knack for jinxing athletes. Everytime she says so and so is "rock solid" or "reliable" in their jumps they immediately fall. At least Johnny Weir was entertaining and humorous. Lapinski doesn't add much except being annoying. NBC is further inflating her ego by having her, Weir and Gannon host the closing ceremony. I guess that's one reason to skip that broadcast altogether.
Congratulations to Alina and Evgenia for winning well-deserved Olympic gold and silver medals. They deserve many thanks for sharing a truly memorable competition with all of us.
Both of these young women skated with superb skill and artistry. And they both performed their best when it counted the most. Each of them deserves a place among the greatest figure skaters of all time. It is a shame that there can be only one winner.
This was not like the 1998 Olympic competition between Tara Lipinski and Michelle Kwan, where the gold medal was decided by a poor decision on the part of one competitor. It was more like 1994, when Oksana Baiul and Nancy Kerrigan both performed outstanding programs to decide a winner.
Yet even better because of the lovely friendship between these rivals. I will long remember the picture of Alina and Evgenia embracing one another immediately after the the results were announced. What a great example they set for all the young people around the world. That's the best sports has to offer.
19
The medalists were obviously better than the rest of the field, and it is perhaps not by chance that each of them chose better music. Good wishes to the Russian women, who put each other under enormous pressure. I enjoyed Medvedeva's program more but as we see, they were equal.
13
The 2 Russian skaters were 2 of the best that I can recall. They both skated with such passion, truth and beauty. In the end, Zagitovas seamless elegance and innocence won the day.
13
In the end -- the one point difference was a result of how points are assigned.. and perhaps it's time to get rid of thhe extra 10% in the second half. I thought the older girl -- teenager was more aesthetic but she did wobble-- and had one very ugly jump. It was ONE and a bit point difference. All three medalists were wonderful skaters.. and Tschaikowsky should be applauded as well... (I liked the little nod to the swans the Canadanian's arms-- and wish Zagitova had had a fan. (Ballerinas playing Kitri typically leap about trying to touch their food to the back of their head. )
Russia was banned because there was such a widespread, systemic, cultural doping regime. Just because some Russian athletes were deemed clean (enough) to compete as "Olympic Athletes from Russia" (a difference without a distinction), doesn't meant that they never doped before. The fact that OAR athletes are still being outed for doping during this Olympics puts a cloud over the whole affair. If the IOC is going to punish Russia, then don't let them compete at all, under any flag.
12
Medvedeva should've taken the gold. She's the whole package: technical brilliance, emotion, artistry, and grace--I couldn't tear my eyes away from her performance during last night's free skate. Zagitova appears to go through the motions, landing difficult jump after difficult jump, with a technical brilliance that nonetheless lacks warmth. I'm no skating expert, but was disappointed by last night's result.
56
Funny, I did not get that sense at all from Zagitova, whose performance to me was the winner between the two.
However, there was a third Russian who skated in a grey outfit whose performance was absolutely stunning, graceful, and with a lot of small moves that were visually refreshing and executed perfectly. I wish she had also been on the podium...I totally enjoyed her performance.
2
Like you, I also prefer Medvedeva's performance. But there is no reason to be disappointed. Zagitova was no less brilliant in her own different way. She was born to be a ballerina with those long legs. And she had fabulous presence in front of the audience.
Not convinced? Looked her up on the internet this morning and was surprised to learn that she is small, just 5'1" in height. Yet she filled up the TV screen and the stadium. Magic!
...brings back memories of Lipinski and Kwan.
Exceptional performance by Alina Zagitova, ballet on ice as it should be... Most of the others just flailed their arms around pretending to interpret the music, as they were working up to the triple jumps and such... Athleticism has its place but artistry should not take 2nd place... Serious question though, why is it MEN'S figure skating but LADIES' figure skating, please change to WOMEN'S figure skating, it's not the 50's anymore!
25
Maybe they think of themselves as ladies. You should ask them.
1
want to know more about the broken bone in medvedva's foot. was it a stress fracture? as slight as she is, perhaps her eating puts her health at risk--inadequate nutrition, hormonal disruption, amenhorrea, and reduced bone density. was this the case? it's too frequent with young women where weight is a major factor in their athletic success: running, gymnastics, figure skating.
7
Medvedeva was clearly the more artistic of the two Russians. I wish that counted for more, They were both wonderful, but I believe she deserved to win.
61
WHich isn't saying much in my opinion. Personally, I thought the most "artistic" (though that still isn't saying much) was the Canadian, who at least wasn't throwing her arms all over the place w/no relationship to the music.
5
Oops, the medal was not won for Russia but by a Russian. No mention of the country, Russia, was allowed at the Olympics. I'm sorry the NYTimes failed to respect that.
8
You are incorrect--and the "Olympic Athlete from Russia" moniker, which is printed on Russian competitors' uniforms, on the official countries list (alphabetized under "O"), etc., and includes the word "Russia," proves my point! These athletes were brought to the Olympics as a team by the International Olympic Committee as their home country's Olympic committee is under suspension (national Olympic committees send teams, not countries or governments themselves). Moreover, INDIVIDUALS win Olympic medals--they are never awarded to a country. The IOC, after investigating systematic Russian doping, decided: "To suspend the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) with immediate effect. To invite individual Russian athletes under strict conditions (see below) to the Olympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018." (https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-suspends-russian-noc-and-creates-a-path...! Media statements to the contrary, Russia was never "banned" from the Olympics—the situation is more complex and nuanced.
1
The Russian girls are spectacular. Yes, Zagitova "gamed" the system, but everyone else was also free to do so. She is an exceptionally talented skater - did you see the NBC footage of her practice doing a triple-triple-triple-triple-triple?
Medvedeva was wonderful and it's hairsplitting to differentiate them. I really wish they each could have won. Their coach is clearly amazing.
Now I hope that the Russian system does not spit them out into the cold in favor of some new 14 year old, as seems to be the culture over there.
30
"Now I hope that the Russian system does not spit them out into the cold in favor of some new 14 year old, as seems to be the culture over there."
Of course it will, just as we would here. That's the nature of figure skating, a sport that eats its young.
1
"Her friend and training partner, Evgenia Medvedeva..." Based on the looks in her [Zagitova's] eyes while waiting for her "friend's" scores, I'm not sure how genuine that "friendship" is; Ms. Zagitova is very much a young lady of STEEL.
14
Well, they are both made of steel. A mini Darwinian environment over there with those Russian women who skate for a living. They carry on the classical Russian ballet tradition, with choice of music as well. Though, if I hear Don Quixote one more time....I will break a spear.
4
Despite all the negativity about Russia, I am happy they won a gold. The Russian people should not be punished for their thuggish leader's behavior.
The two Russian skaters were amazing, and the level of competition was very high.
I do feel that the Evgenia Medveva should have won the Gold, but then what do I know. By definition judging in skating is all very subjective.
86
Medveva should have absolutely taken gold, what a captivating performance! But for the favorable scoring rules, Zagitova would likely be wearing silver right now.
3
Richard: it was individual Russians that doped themselves up...and somehow I doubt Putin himself who was pushing the hypodermic.
3
There are a few great ones at the top then everyone else just trying to land jumps. I can't say whether or not the current scoring system is fair, but it certainly applauds jumping over art. Zagitova is a brilliant skater, but her program was lopsided due to the 10% bonus for jumping in the second half. Medvedeva's showcased technical virtuosity with an artistic fluidity; beautifully choreographed story telling. Considering all the jumps required to win, it's no surprise that Medvedeva broke a bone in her foot. Sadly, a similar fate is probably awaiting Zagitova as these skaters are pressed to land a quad to maintain competitiveness.
77
They strive for quads because they must keep up with the men whether or not they want that.
1
Glad the Russian anthem was not played. They won so many medals in Sochi because they were all doped up on whatever to give them the edge. No glory for Russia.
15
I'm sure you were saying the same thing for the Sydney Olympics when the US was doing the same thing...
10
Beautiful to watch. There was no Russian interference here. Just hard work and perfection. Lovely.
67
Outstanding athletics, beautiful artistry, thoughtful and insightful coverage from the NYT these last few weeks, for all the sports I've followed. Thank you, all. Tara Lipinski and Johnny Weir's commentary and presence have been illuminating, engaging, and entertaining. Before the next Winter Olympics I'd love an online tutorial, pairing Tara and Johnny with NYT sports writers and dance critics and including pertinent video and graphics, so the sometimes-fan can head into the immersion event of Winter Olympics knowledgeable as possible. An added bonus of this year's games, and post game journalism, is the distraction from Super Bowl post mortem blabber for this New England fan.
31
i have been very disappointed in Tara, Johnny and that other guy. When are are they going to call out all these skaters who dress like burlesque stars and maybe give some credit to the ones who dress with taste (like the 3rd Russian last night).
Also would like to hear them comment on the fact that practically none of these skaters seem to be making much attempt to dance to the music they play. Like have any of these people ever been to the ballet?
I attend all ABT performances and refuse to set my foot at the NYC Ballet, after watching a prima's foot wobbling. In my opinion, the top three skaters have excellent choreo training and their "flailing" arms as mentioned by some experts were so expressive, I had tears in my eyes. Every finger was charged with an emotion that was palpable at the rink, as well. These ladies are champions of the sport!
Sorry, but any 'sport' that requires a judge to tell me who won is not a 'sport' and doesn't belong in the Olympics. Not that talent isn't involved in figure skating, because it surely is. But when winners and losers -- and ranking them -- becomes a matter of opinion, this isn't the Olympics -- its "American Idol."
24
So you'd also eliminate the half-pipe events, and anything that doesn't depend on a single measurement?
16
Ugh. The judges have trained eyes to see which edges are being used. There actually is a technical factor in the sport. It is not the corrupt cess-pool it was in the 70's, and there is much more accountability now.
And judgment calls are made in football, baseball, and other "dude" sports. Please.
34
Oh boo hiss.... Go save a squirrel from global warming and just try to enjoy the tradition and beauty of the sport.
7
It saddens me to see that such a well-respected media outlet is complicit with Putin’s russia by flaunting the IOC reporting standards and persistently using "Russians" and "Russia" rather than the mandated OAR. This behavior gives tacit approval to the doping regime and once again lauds nations that cheat over honest athletes.
25
They are just acknowledging the reality. The "ban" was nothing of the sort. The OAR is just repackaging, just like Sears appliances are made by Whirlpool (among others). Too bad the IOC suffered a spinal failure.
8
I thought Russia was banned for doping.
8