Men's Olympic Figure Skating

[Becket]

Yes, it's on television, so I'm probably breaking the rules, but........

 

Enjoying the men's figure skating from the Olympics the last couple of days. A few observations:

 

1. The guys are very appealing. They have cut, fit bodies, (unfortunately covered by neck to toe outfits). But one can enjoy the physiques nonetheless. Strong long legs, muscly athletic butts, and fit upper bodies twirling and spinning in every direction are all a feast to the eyes.

 

2. They have great determination and perseverance. I saw one skater fall horribly and crash into the side boards. (He could have been playing hockey.) He got up and finished his routine, then skated today the best performance of his life.

 

3. Yes, men's figure skating has forever been thought of as a "sissy" sport. But these guys compete with talent and grit. And I have been enjoying the more flamboyant guys simply for what they are. One particular Russian guy, dressed head to toe in sparkles and sequins, danced and flew like Peter Pan. And he was marvelous.

 

4. And then there's Jonny Weir. The retired American skater is now doing color commentary for NBC. He is a sight. Heavily made up, bejeweled and sparkling in a three piece "something," he preciously flaunts his sexuality to every bigoted Russian (and American?) who tunes in. His analysis is precise and on point, adding much to the telecast. I just wish he was on camera more.

 

5. It's a beautiful and competitive athletic event. And the athletes, diverse and determined, come from every corner of the globe just to be on stage for a few minutes. How many hours and month and years have they spent training for this one moment. The pressure must be intense. (My favorite so far is a skater from the Checz (sic) Republic. A beautiful man, with those stunning east European/Russian high cheek bones and blond hair.)

 

cheers

[Frankly Rich]

As much as I want this forum to focus strictly on the Arts, I am not going to set myself up as a self-appointed arbiter of what is a proper post. I have an opinion, and that's it. As to figure skating of this quality, I see it as akin to dance, and thus very much an art form. I am glad to know that it's just not me.

[+ WilliamM]

I was impressed by Javier Fernandez of Spain, both by his looks and his program. The music was a relief from the great Russian composers and Broadway music. He won my vote for best clothes.

[Frankly Rich]

http://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Javier%2BFernandez%2BRostelecom%2BCup%2BISU%2BGrand%2BakRKdGno4Jfl.jpg

 

I saw the Superman performance and was surprised at how effeminate it was.

 

He's apparently straight, and irritated gay groups:

 

• Gay rights groups in Spain criticised the country's flagbearer, the men's figure-skater Javier Fernández, before yesterday's opening ceremony after the two-time European champion said gay people should "lie low" during the Games. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Fernández said: "The Games are about sport and not politics. I have my opinions and I don't get involved in what others think, but I think whether we like it or not, we have to respect the laws of the countries we visit. It's not such a big dilemma. It's better that homosexuals lie low a bit during the Games and then afterwards they can get on with their lives."

theguardian.com

[+ WilliamM]

SPOILER BELOW

 

 

Javier finished 4th missing a medal by a little over one point.

[+ deej]

2. They have great determination and perseverance. I saw one skater fall horribly and crash into the side boards. (He could have been playing hockey.) He got up and finished his routine, then skated today the best performance of his life.

 

That was Jeremy Abbott (from the U.S. team). That crash was one of the most brutal falls I've seen in skating. They often fall on their asses but they don't often fall on their ass and then crash into the side wall of the arena. He probably would have been on the medal podium if not for that unfortunate short program crash on a jump that he has landed reliably in previous performances. But anyone who has ever laced up skates knows that some days the ice likes you and some days it doesn't.

 

Of course he leaves Sochi with a medal around his neck anyway because the US won bronze in the (new this year) team figure skating competition.

 

The other US skater is the exciting one to watch going forward, the teenager Jason Brown. At 19, nobody thought he'd be on the Olympic team. He, himself, hadn't made the decision whether to move from juniors to seniors until he did so well at Nationals a few months ago and scored a spot on the Olympic team. He leaves Sochi #9 in the world and at his age he has a full decade of competition ahead. Two more Olympics before he's considered too old.

 

Or not.

 

Tim Goebbel was the first male skater to land a quad, and was an up-and-comer after his bronze in the 2002 Olympics. Injuries ended his career early. It can be a brutal - and VERY fickle - sport.

[+ purplekow]

There is a men's skelton rider name Daly, i believe John who is quite handsome and in that skin tight nuprene, every muscular curve is readily appreciately even the raher sizable muscle he is lying on when riding down the course.http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQIwB4fLPpEYJpLLE9veq4W1iGx_omitttBLX0jOPGYX6jGCn3HgGY8HN0:attitude.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/jdalylb-4.jpg His roommate is also quite an http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRiCO3gndBK4UT1f6JZVH4wA7F0ITDG472cymjL4RpUdyb_BvRAXQ:www.teamusa.org/~/media/TeamUSA/Skeleton/TeamCamp%2520Steve%2520Langton%2520pushing%2520John%2520Daly%2520during%2520strength%2520training%2520at%2520USBSF%2520Team%2520Camp300x375.jpgeyeful. Here they are doing some foreplay.

[adriano46]

SPOILER BELOW

 

 

Javier finished 4th missing a medal by a little over one point.

 

And yet aside from the skater from Kazakhstan, Denis Ten (who got the bronze) I found the gold and silver medalists (Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu and Canada's Patrick Chan) totally lackluster in the long program (both made disappointing errors); the Americans were also a disappointment in men's figures. As I watched so many falls among the leaders I thought back to the Albertville Winter Olympics and an American skater out of Harvard who had not been on ANYONE's screen, and who managed to score well in the then-short program and who came out on the ice for the long program and gave what I consider one of the BEST long programs ever (granted a few slips). Paul Wylie's program in those Olympics was so well-done I have never forgotten it.

 

 

These were the Olympics that had also for women's figures from the US Kristie Yamaguchi and Nancy Kerrigan, and in a BIG surprise in the gala at the end of the Olympics, where the medalists get to perform, Wylie and Kerrigan stunned everyone with a beautiful pairs program.

 

 

Sadly, not a single performance yesterday left such a memory.

[Frankly Rich]

There was some debate about whether this thread belonged in the Arts Forum. It could have gone either way, and the mods made the choice they did. There are still 2 threads in the Arts forum that clearly don't belong, yet the mods chose to leave them be. It's confusing for the poster, who just wants to make sure that his thread is properly placed. It's be nice to see some consistency.

[thickornotatall]

She really put that out there? Hissssssssssssss...