(Beijing Winter Olympics) Figure skating "Joy and Sorrow"
China News Service, Beijing, February 18 Title: Figure Skating Qunfang's "Sorrow and Joy"
China News Service reporter Zhang Su
On the day of the conclusion of the figure skating women's single skating competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics, countless cameras recorded the tears of the girls: the champion Vallieva hid her face and cried after the defeat, Trusova, who used the highest difficulty but failed to jump on the highest podium, cried and said "I hate skating", and the American player Chen Kaiwen, who fell to the ground, burst into tears...
One side of the ice rink, figure skating crowds of joy and sorrow.
Russian Olympic Committee player Anna Serbakova competes on February 17. On the same day, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics figure skating women's singles free skating competition was held at the Capital Gymnasium. Photo by Mao Jianjun, reporter of China News Service
Although the ending was won by the Players of the Russian Olympic Committee, the plot has been rewritten compared to the Pyeongchang Arena four years ago.
The biggest change is the "difficulty" of the action. In Beijing, women's athletes have also begun to boldly use the "four-sided jump", especially Represented by Trusova. She scored 5 "four-week jumps" in one go in free skating, which is comparable to the action configuration of Chen Wei, the figure skating men's singles champion at the Winter Olympics. In fact, people have seen her holding a translator and asking Chen Wei, "I've always wanted to be a player like him," Trusova said.
Beijing Winter Olympic figure skating women's singles champion Sherbakova did not hesitate to let go, in the free skating cleanly completed two rear inner point ice around the jump. Her overall score could even be in the top 12 in the men's singles.
"I said in Vancouver that in the future, not only boys will have 'jump around', but girls will also have it." Russian figure skater Proshenko analyzed that it is currently at a historic moment in the figure skating project, "I can't imagine what kind of action configuration will be in the 2026 and 2030 Winter Olympics." ”
Russian Olympic Committee player Alexandra Trusova competes on February 17. On the same day, the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics figure skating women's singles free skating competition was held at the Capital Gymnasium. Photo by Mao Jianjun, reporter of China News Service
Even the female players who have not yet conquered the "four-week jump" have begun to attack the ceiling of the "three-week jump". Seven of the 30 contestants who participated in the short show lined Up Axel's three-week jump into the action schedule.
However, "difficult" alone is not enough. Ice fans who can't understand why Trusova has not been able to win with difficulties may be found in the "Referee's Detailed Score for Each Athlete" form published by the International Skating Federation.
This Winter Olympic cycle, the referee further requires the "accuracy" of the action. From short programs to free skating, many contestants' jumps seem to land perfectly, but in fact they are deducted points or relegated due to the lack of weeks in the air. For example, the first jump of the Chinese player Zhu Yi's personal short program adopted a three-week jump on the back inner point ice, and although he did not fall, he was relegated due to insufficient number of weeks.
However, with the change of scoring tendencies, the contradictions that have existed in figure skating for a long time have become more prominent. As Akiko Suzuki, a Japanese figure skater who participated in the Winter Olympics twice, said, "cherishing yourself" and "competitiveness" are incompatible.
Akiko Suzuki, who is 1.61 meters tall, revealed in a recent interview that she suffered from anorexia during her military service, reduced her weight from 48 kilograms to 32 kilograms, "even had difficulty walking", and was "completely menstrual disorders" when preparing for the Winter Olympics.
Coincidentally, The "genius girl" Lipnitskaya, who helped the host win the first team championship in the history of figure skating at the Sochi Winter Olympics, also suffered from anorexia due to weight reduction. American figure skater Gold suffered from "depression, anxiety and eating disorders" and missed the PyeongChang Winter Olympics for this reason.
"Growing up" means endless problems for female skating athletes, but unfortunately, there is less and less time left for them to overcome the "development barrier". From Lipnitskaya to Pyeongchang Winter Olympics women's singles gold medalist Zagitova and silver medalist Medvedeva, all of them retired early. One reason for this is that younger, thinner, and easier to jump younger generations quickly "took over" the baton.
In the past, this Winter Olympic cycle perfectly "replaced" Zagitova and Medvedeva's Serbakova, and was immediately asked whether she would retire after winning the championship. "I haven't thought about the future yet, but I'd love to keep skating, I can't imagine life without skating," said Serbakova, who is only 17 years old. ”
On the other hand, there is a general concern that the age of figure skating women's singles competition is constantly advancing, deviating from the original intention of the sport. After all, figure skating scores have not only technical points, but also artistic expression points. It is obvious that the contestants' understanding of music and the layered sense of performance are often enriched with the accumulation of competition experience and life experience.
In fact, the International Skating Federation has already begun to raise the minimum age limit for adult athletes from 15 to 17 years old, which may be implemented from the 2023-2024 season. According to other reports, Vallieva, who is under the age of 16, was protected as a minor after being exposed to being involved in "doping incidents", which may promote the acceleration of the new regulations.
The female contestants who are in the "fancy year" should have achieved the most beautiful hymn on the ice together. Fortunately, it is not only sadness that stays in Beijing.
Standing on the podium and about to smile at the eyes of the "no" Sakamoto Hanori said that she would use skating to convey freedom, tolerance and happiness, and then she would "slide down more energetically". Hearing this, some ice fans left a message saying that thanking her, "Let us feel the vitality and happiness from skating." (End)