Should team competitions be the Olympic sport?

[let`s talk]

Yes or No?

After the meeting with Chiquanta, the president of the Russian Olympic Committee Alexandr Zhukov said that FS team competitions might be the Olympic sport in Sochi for the first time. The list of new sports for Sochi will be announced after the IOC General Assembly in Acapulko 22-28 October. The FS team competition is supposed to be held for one day, each country has one skater/pair in each 4 discipline: men, women, pair and ice-dance. (from news.sportbox.ru, October 15th)

I personally don't see it as a realistic project. The pressure and tiredness of leaders are too high during the OG. I doubt the leaders will be actully able to compete one more day after the event in their discipline. On the other hand the countries could send the "second team" skaters who couldn't have qualified for the main team. And the audience will see newbabies and newbabies will have a chance to challenge a big internation event.

[JJH]

Why do the powers-that-be want this? What's the agenda?

[soogar]

I'd rather see synchronized skating as a team sport in the games.

[Skate Talker]

Phew - I originally thought the proposal was to replace individual with team - got very upset as that is a totally ludicrous idea. Adding team comp is not a bad idea out of hand. I think it is time that figure skating got a chance for more than 4 sets of medals since it is such a high profile Olympic sport. After all gymnastics has a whole plethora of them with some competitors having a shot at a whole handful of gold medals if they are good enough. I don't think it would be too arduous for the skaters to do just their free programs one more time provided they reschedule the other comps so that there is at least a day or two of no comp before the team event.

The main problem I see at the moment is the small number of countries that could really field a top-level team in all disciplines. Even the Japan Open which has no pairs or dance has to group Europe as a team and North America as a team to have half a chance at matching the Japanese singles teams. For all 4 disciplines what countries beside Russia, USA and Canada could even put together a decent team at the moment.

Of course if this pushes other countries into better development of skaters in all disciplines that would be great. Otherwise we are looking at a second rate comp imho.

Hmm - I will think on this a bit more.

[oleada]

The main problem I see at the moment is the small number of countries that could really field a top-level team in all disciplines. Even the Japan Open which has no pairs or dance has to group Europe as a team and North America as a team to have half a chance at matching the Japanese singles teams. For all 4 disciplines what countries beside Russia, USA and Canada could even put together a decent team at the moment.

Italy?

I'm not sure if I like the idea.

[MR-FAN]

I'd LOVE for this to happen!

1) More Olympic skating routines! what fan wouldn't want that?!?
2) More chances for skaters to win medals! and more chances for multiple skaters in the same discipline to win the Olympic gold. The skaters would like it, and so would us the fans!
3) It actually may take some of the pressure off, instead of it being a 1-shot deal, at the back of skaters' heads they'll know there's another chance
4) Countries and federations will have an insentive to fully develop their skating programs across all disciplines *cough China and Japan cough*
5) So many skaters in so many sports in both the summer and winter Olympics have multiple competitions with multiple chances for gold, if they can cope with it I'm sure our skaters will too.

I really hope it's happens!

[Skate Talker]

I'd rather see synchronized skating as a team sport in the games.

Now there is a logical idea - so obviously they won't consider it

Actually I wonder if the numbers of skaters per team wouldn't be a bit more budget than they want to consider? Perhaps if they were to change the synchro sport to much smaller teams (ack) it would be considered. They probably thought it would be cheap to add this team concept as many of the skaters could already be entered in the individual events and still get more mileage out of the glamour sport of the Winter games?

[kwanfan1818]

I'd rather see synchronized skating as a team sport in the games.

Yes.

[PDilemma]

If the skaters are just repeating the same free skates, would it really get much in terms of ratings? I know gymnasts repeat routines, but without the effect of music and costuming, I doubt that it seems as repetitive to the casual once-every-four-years viewer as a repetitive skating comp might.

I have thought for a long time that it seems unfair that skaters have one shot at a medal at the Olympics when so many other sports are structured with multiple chances. But I'm not sure how realistic adding more competition is for them, either.

[MR-FAN]

For all 4 disciplines what countries beside Russia, USA and Canada could even put together a decent team at the moment.

Come Sochi, I can at least see Japan, China, Italy, France, Germany fielding a decent team if the federations focus on supporting their skaters.

And I think for this to work, countries will have to qualify for the event, possibly 8-10 countries tops

[AliasJohnDoe]

I've always liked the idea of a team competition at the Olympics. But as others have said, would there be enough viable candidates? And can a country have more than one team? Russia, USA and Canada could probably fill 3 teams each with great skaters.

[maija]

I'd rather see synchronized skating as a team sport in the games.

I agree.

[nro]

double post, sorry

[nro]

I agree with those above who think skaters should get more than one chance at a medal. I think a team competition is something to consider but the ISU should also consider giving separate medals for the short and long program, in addition to the "overall" result.

[ChibiChibi]

I'd rather see synchronized skating as a team sport in the games.

I agree 100%!!

[Erica Lee]

Yup, I'll agree with those of you that have already said it... if they want a team event, I'd much rather see synchro.

[Asli]

Yup, I'll agree with those of you that have already said it... if they want a team event, I'd much rather see synchro.

That would be ideal for the sport, but it would mean enormous expense for the organizers. The number of synchro competitors would probably equal or exceed the total of the other four disciplines.

If a team competition were held, however, the teams will be much smaller and we can assume most of the competitors will already be at the Olympics for the individual competitions.

[SamuraiK]

Its a nice idea.. but the format will have to be very well thought..

Maybe Im alone in this but I would prefer a team competition for each category separated rather than that mess of a combo called World Team Trophy that is having dancers and singles skaters adding up points in the same event. . Perhaps at first it can only be done in singles since for Pairs and Dance only 3 or 4 countries in the world have enough depth.

For example, a team competition of lets say 3 skaters per team, with 8 nations competing. Only the LP will be skated like in Japan Open. Thats 24 programs, the same of a regular LP event. top skaters from each country dont necesarily have to take part because they will be fighting for the gold in singles. This way we will have many talented enough to be in the olympics skaters competing there instead of leaving them at home and suffer for them..

Imagine what would have been in Vancouver : Ahsley, Sasha and Czisny against Yukari, Fumie and Akiko (Suzuki wasn´t a contender for the podium in singles so she could had competed in both events)..

Ok I´ll stop daydreaming

[victoriaheidi]

I just don't think it's necessary or helpful to do this. One, it's going to be incredibly expensive. Think about all of the extra athletes who'd need lodging and whatnot for their time in Sochi. Second, doesn't bringing in more skaters take away some of the "specialness" (so to speak) of actually qualifying for the Olympics? It's like having a B-team, which no other sport I can think of has.

I think there's been some discussion of something similar for the YOG in 2012, but the proposal was a little different and it made no sense to me. :/ Not sure what the deal will be there.

I would LOVE to see synchro at the Olympics, but it would also be logistically difficult.

[overedge]

Hell to the no.
Since the ISU hasn't had much success running its own team event - and IIRC has encountered some of the problems noted above, like tired skaters not wanting to add another event to their schedules, a limited number of countries/areas with enough skaters to be competitive, etc. - I have no idea why adding a team event to the Olympics is going to make those problems magically go away.

And sorry, but the sport of international skating has managed to survive for more than 100+ years with the vast majority of skaters only getting one medal per competition. I don't find the "but athletes in other sports can get more than one medal" to be a compelling argument at all. I would even dare to say that the saintly aura of the Olympic Gold Medal in skating would be diluted if skaters were able to win more than one medal.