- Joined
- Jan 27, 2014
If figure skating is to be a sport, it should move forward, not stand still. I mean, do they limit speed in skiing, in speed skating? It's all dangerous, but such is the way of elite sport.
Plus, this is a slippery slope. Let's cut it down to one quad then! Oh wait, people still get injuries, let's take out the quad! But the triple axel is still a problem, so maybe that should go as well...
I think the rules should just punish falls/step-outs/sloppiness more. That'll encourage people to perform programs they can skate reasonably well most of the time. (I've been saying this a lot, so maybe I shouldn't repeat it, lest people mistake me for having it out for specific skaters...). We don't need to limit quads to have more clean programs.
Plus, I don't see limiting quads as leading to better programs. I doubt someone like Boyang Jin will be a very engaging performer even if he does zero quads.
Yes, I agree with this totally.
The way the current system is, a UR is far more costly than a fall on a fully-rotated jump.
That said, I think clean programs are just more difficult to do given the amount of requirements under COP. And eventually it takes their toll on people. Rachael Flatt skated clean (or nearly clean) programs for years and then got riddled with injuries.
No. The "free skating" already has a lot of restrictions as it stands. Each skater and their coaching team should be free to execute whatever strategy works best for them. If they feel they can gain the most points by doing three quads (even if that means messing up one) then fine.
OTOH, if other skaters, like Jason Brown, want to focus on other aspects and not do a quad, that is fine also.
Agree with you both!