Maybe I'm the only one, but I have always wondered why pairs skating seems to be the most unpopular event of the different individual competitions. Of course I realised Aljona and Bruno together have raised it's popularity again (for a while), but on the whole? I mean, generally there are less impressive crowds (in numbers) watching the Pairs competitions, people remember individual skaters but more often than not pairs winners pass them by, and so forth. I suspect we'll all remember Aljona and Bruno (yeah, that Free Skate won't ever be forgotten), and probably some of the other Olympic medalists too. But what boggles me, is that single skaters (both female and male) and ice dancers seem to be so much more popular. And, presumably, more watchable.
To me the pairs discipline is the most difficult of all - SBS jumps, throw jumps, dangerous lifts, synchronised spins, pair spins, choreography - and yet it's a discipline that few want to buy a ticket for. They'd rather see ladies, men or dance. While pairs are just so fascinating, falls can be really very dangerous = even more so than in singles - but it's not just the spectacularity to me. I've been following pairs for so long, loved the development in the discipline, enjoyed the Chinese revolution, but also the Russian domination in the discipline for many years, and just don't 'get' why it isn't admired more. Thoughts?
To me the pairs discipline is the most difficult of all - SBS jumps, throw jumps, dangerous lifts, synchronised spins, pair spins, choreography - and yet it's a discipline that few want to buy a ticket for. They'd rather see ladies, men or dance. While pairs are just so fascinating, falls can be really very dangerous = even more so than in singles - but it's not just the spectacularity to me. I've been following pairs for so long, loved the development in the discipline, enjoyed the Chinese revolution, but also the Russian domination in the discipline for many years, and just don't 'get' why it isn't admired more. Thoughts?