- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
I think that the core of the problem is the direction that figure skating has taken over the last couple of decades. The emphasis now, at least for ladies, is on skills that children can do better than adults. Fourteen-year-old girls can, as the Russian ladies proved, do quads. Grown women can't. This creates a tension within the ranks of the powers that be. Should a national skating fereration try to develop and protect children (and lose) or exploit them and win?The age needs to be 18 minimum for seniors. 17 is inadequate.
I think having young children competing has become so normalised that the involvement of young children in adult events, or wild age discrepancies in pairs skating is not alarming to anyone. Instead adults work to manipulate the system to their federation's advantage.
Seriously, this is out of hand. No other sport would this be tolerated....
If they cannot find a 17 year old to match with a 17 year old, or 18 year old to match with an 18 year old, maybe the discipline needs to be abandoned.
Same with pairs. Little girl + adult man = win. Same age = lose. To me, the only solution is to redefine the scoring system to place more value on what adults can do well (blade-to-ice skills, [dare I say it?] artistry, unison for pairs) and less on what children can do well (flexibility moves, ladies quads).