What It Is: You already know exactly what it is, based on the television ratings from the Olympics. Figure skating is arguably the most visible Olympic sport, and routinely draws the highest ratings. Turin in 2006 was no exception, as the women’s finals drew 25.7 million, the biggest night of the Games (compared to just 14 million tuning in to the Closing Ceremonies).
Better Know A Winter Olympics Sport: Figure Skating, The American Idol Of The Games
It all began with Jackson Haines, an American who founded modern figure skating in the 1860s. Before him, the sport was rigid and required certain moves be performed in each competition (like the figure eighth). It was boring. So Haines introduced music, added costumes and skated spins and pirouettes. He took his new routines to Austria first, where naturally they loved it, because Europe is ahead of the curve on everything.
Interestingly, figure skating was an Olympic sport before the Winter Olympics even existed, making its debut in the 1908 Summer Games.
What To Watch For: The Men’s Free Skate will be a tightly fought battle ... for the silver medal. Because Russia’s Evgeni Plushenko all but has this thing locked up already. The 2006 gold medalist is the odds-on favorite to defend his title in Vancouver ... but that’s why they play the game skate the routine, right? Among his three closest threats for the top of the medal stand, two are American: Evan Lysacek and Jeremy Abbot. Lysacek is described as “the most dangerous hurdle for Plushenko to get over ... Lysacek is trained, healthy, and hungry,” while Abbot enters the Games having won the past two U.S Championships. And don’t forget about Johnny Weir, who has said he is ready to skate the best program of his life in Vancouver. While he may be somewhat of a long shot to medal, he most certainly still entertain just by being his fabulous self.
On the women’s side, Yu-Na Kim of South Korea “is the undeniable gold medal favorite in the ladies competition in Vancouver,” writes our figure skating blog, Required Elements. Simply, she is the best skater in the world right now, and if she does not win a medal, it would a true implosion has occurred. The two most likely to join her on the medal podium are Canada’s Joannie Rochette and Japan’s Mao Asada. America’s hopes are riding on the shoulders of 17-year old Rachael Flatt, a technically sound skater who just last month won the U.S Championships.There is little hype surrounding her, but the pressure is there, as she hopes to maintain the U.S. medals streak in ladies’ figure skating, which began in 1968.
When To Watch: There are just four medal events, but the two must see nights are Feb. 18 -- the Men’s Free Skate -- and then one week later for the biggest night in Vancouver, the Women’s Free Skate.
Why To Watch: So many reasons, really: the personalities; looming cloud of judging controversy; strength and flexibility on display in unbelievably graceful movements, all while skating on a sheet of ice; to hear an arena full of anxious onlookers who just realized they were holding their breath release a collective exhale as the skater sticks the landing on a triple Axel. And don’t underestimate the fact that everyone watches this -- you won’t want to be left out of the office water cooler talk on Friday mornings.
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For more on figure skating through the 2010 Winter Olympics, visit our figure skating blog, Required Elements.
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