Jimu News trainee reporter Huang Jiaqi
In the beijing winter olympics, figure skating is a very popular and highly artistic sport. When watching the competition, we can't help but wonder why black athletes are rarely seen on the field of figure skating at such a large international event.
Physique is not the main cause
Figure skating has a history of hundreds of years, starting as a form of sports in England around the Middle Ages in the 18th century, and becoming popular in Europe and the United States a century later. In the early days, figure skating was mainly played by Europeans, and until the 1990s, it was almost exclusively white.
In recent years, Asian athletes have also shined on the figure skating field, and more and more athletes from Asian countries such as China, South Korea and Japan have become the favorites to win in figure skating events.
But "black butterflies" are rarely seen on white ice.
It is generally explained that other races tend to be smaller, more flexible and softer than blacks, and are more suitable for figure skating, but experts tend to reject this claim.
"Every race has a body shape that can succeed in figure skating." Christina Chan, who teaches the sociology of sport at California State University Fulton, said in an interview with the BBC that "it is cultural acceptance, social pressures or opportunities, structural forces and institutions that make it possible." ”
In addition, figure skating is expensive, and many black tropical countries are difficult to participate in ice training and competition due to climate and economic reasons.
How do black figure skaters themselves see this?
Elladj Balde, a former Canadian competitive figure skater, said that in the early days of the sport, "black skaters were not allowed to enter figure skating clubs (or) compete in figure skating competitions." "Whether it's the blonde European figure skating standards or the apartheid period of the U.S. ice rinks, it's hard for black skaters to break through the barriers in the sport.
Ellad Balder
"It doesn't leave too much room and time for black skaters to innovate." "Especially when a sport limits everyone to a particular style," Bald said. ”
In recent years, Balde has used his fame to drive change and diversity in figure skating. He founded the Foundation last year to build or repair ice rinks to involve Black, Aboriginal and other people of color in Canada in figure skating.
Black idols are absent on ice
Canadian-born athlete Vanessa James, a rare "black butterfly" on the figure skating field, represented France at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver and Pingchang before representing Canada at her fourth Winter Olympics in Beijing.
James competed in pair skating with teammate Eric Radford, the only black figure skater to represent the national team at the Beijing Olympics. She carries the hope not only of Canadian skaters, but also of black people around the world who are playing on ice, eager to see their representation on the ice and slopes of the Winter Olympics.
James and teammate Redford
James believed that the power of black idols was important. In an interview with The Associated Press, James said, "If you can't see yourself in the sport, how can you believe you belong to it, how can you believe you can be the best, how do you know you can be creative, or that you're going to be accepted because of your uniqueness?"
At the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary, Debi Thomas became the first Black American to win a medal at the Winter Olympics, one of the black figure skating trailblazers.
But after her, almost no one else has been able to stand out in the Olympic games.
(Jimu News)