I was at Worlds 2003. I'd routed for L&A's routine all year, it was the one and only time I ever loved a routine of theirs. On the other hand, while I loved B&K, I loathed their routine that year. Then I went to Worlds, L&&'s routine was awful in person and B&K's was great. It's always amazing how much seeing a program in person changes your perceptions.
I remember reading an interview with Kurt Browning where he said Surya had the most natural talent of any skater he had ever seen. He really blamed her mother for constantly changing coaches and training her in an echo chamber where she never got honest feedback or was encouraged to fix her flaws.
Carmen may have been headstrong and somewhat promiscuous, but she was NOT a prostitute. She worked in a cigarette factory and traveled as a gypsy.
This American was at 2003 Worlds and still rooted for L & A; at least they looked like they were dancing on ice. B & K might have been as voidy as hell but not for one moment did I think they were ‘ice dancing.’ That was the moment I decided skating needed 5 disciplines, not 4. Traditional old-fashioned ice dancing can stay for those of us that love it and all the modern out there voidy programs can have their own discipline where they fight against each other. Everyone wins.
So helpful and informative.
I met Surya after a Champions on Ice show once. She was delightful! She spent lots of time talking with the fans and was super friendly.
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No, they should not. Valieva is entitled to due process, like every other athlete, and nobody else's desire for a medal should overrule that.
Awarding the medals has nothing to do with Valieva's due process. The U.S. and Japan teams won medals fair and square. They should have been awarded them at the Games. At this point, the only thing that's going to change the result is if RUSADA suspends Valieva for more than 30 days and given what we know about RUSADA and the current political climate, it's highly unlikely that's going to happen, and certainly not anytime soon.
The reason for the IOC not awarding the TE medals in Beijing was b/c they, as usual, wanted to bend over backwards for Russia. If Valieva were from a country with an anti-doping agency that functions like it should, she would have been suspended and not sent to the Olys (see Sha'Carri Richardson). The IOC likely wanted to avoid the negative publicity of giving a PED-using athlete a medal and figured they'd just kick the can down the road and hide behind RUSADA's 'investigation' and give Russia their gold medal quietly. Of course, publicly claiming they need to wait for the investigation to finalize the results (when they knew full well what would happen).
Yep. Silver and bronze. Couldn't do anything different until the Valieva issue is resolved. American team members seemed to be okay with that in Beijing. They may be okay with that at Worlds, too, especially since it probably is the last time that all those skaters will be at the same competition and the team members seem to value their relationships with each other as a team. If they would prefer to wait then that it is a different story. Somehow, I doubt that they care that there won't be an anthem for the Russians or whatever term they are going by as "punishment" for their systematic doping.
Ok. Sounds like a fair plan. For the raising of flags, there would be no music…or just the Olympic hymn.
Yes, at the IOC’s expense.
Now that I like! Serves them right for not doing it at the Olympics.
Oh, but that might "do irreparable harm" to Valieva!
What?
