Category: Understanding Sports

All About Ice Dancing

Ice dancing has its roots in ballroom dancing. It was a demonstration event in the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble and then became an official medal Olympic sport in 1976 in Innsbruck. Historically, ice dancing has taken a back seat to pairs figure skating, but this year, there is a lot of buzz about ice dancing at the Olympics because Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the United States are favored to win a gold medal, a feat no American ice dancing couple has ever accomplished.

How Does Ice Dancing Work?

In ice dancing, the man and woman dance together to the rhythm of the music. There is an emphasis on dancing while holding each other or at least being very close to each other (no more than two arm-lengths apart). Ice dancing differs from pairs skating in ice dancing’s different rules for lifts and spins and the exclusion of throws and jumps. For example, in ice dancing, the man, while lifting his partner, may not lift his arms above his head. In ice dancing, “half-turns” are permitted, while in pairs skating, multi-revolution jumps are allowed.

There are two segments in ice dancing: the short program and the free program. In the short program, the dancers must dance a required pattern for half of the program and may use their own choreography with specific assigned elements for the other half of the program. The program’s theme or rhythm is given to the dancers, but they may choose their own music. In the free dance, the dancers choose their own music, rhythms, and themes, and create their own choreography. They are given specific elements, such as step sequences, lifts, dance spins, and twizzles. Usually, dancers try more difficult positions in order to gain more points.

Why do People Like Watching Ice Dancing?

People enjoy watching ice dancing because it combines the disciplines of ice skating with dance. There are many types of music, including 1930s standards, Broadway musicals, traditional folk music, classical music, and contemporary pop music. Ice dancing is romantic, with both partners skating close to each other and totally trusting one another. The costumes that the ice dancers wear add to the artistry of their dances. As the dancers athletically and artistically float along the ice, they create a beautiful visual story for the audience to enjoy. If you are or have been a recreational ballroom dancer or ice dancer, as I have, watching the best of the best ice dancers is a thrill. And if you haven’t ever tried dancing or ice dancing, you still will be drawn into the talents of the athletes along with their graceful movements, lovely costumes, wonderful music, and stories they tell.

How Dangerous is Ice Dancing?

Ice dancing is dangerous because of the proximity between the two partners. If the dancers are not careful, it is easy for one person to trip over another person’s skate or get gashed by a sharp blade. Because of the lifts involved, there is also potential for injury.

What’s the State of Gender Equality in Ice Dancing?

Since each ice dance team involves a man and a woman, we can give a plus to having men and women participate equally in the event. The content of the ice dance itself usually conforms to traditional gender roles and themes.

What are Some Olympic Ice Dancing Stories?

Ice dancing was developed in the 1930s in Great Britain and many of the competitions were won by British teams. In the 1960s, Eastern European skaters changed the style of ice dancing, demonstrating more speed. In the 1970s, the Soviets developed a theatrical style of ice dancing, incorporating ballet and narrative themes. In Sarajevo in 1984, Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean, from Great Britain, won gold with perfect 6.0’s in presentation with a theme danced to Ravel’s Bolero. By the 1990’s the majority of ice dancers were dancing theatrically-styled dances rather than ballroom. Since then, ice dancing has shifted between theatrical dancing and ballroom dancing. Since 2000, ice dancers from North America have been more competitive. Tanith Belbin/ Ben Agosto from United States won silver in 2006 Olympics, and Tessa Virtue/ Scott Moir of Canada won gold in 2010 Olympics.

This year, all eyes are on the American team Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who grew up living within 10 minutes of each other and have skated together since they were in elementary school. When you watch them ice dance, you will see how well they know and respect each other and what an amazing, talented, and compatible team they are. Their closest rivals are the Canadian team Virtue and Moir, another exciting pair having skated together for a long time.

Today I have the distinct pleasure of hosting my Mom’s debut on the blogosphere. Since my Mom was a figure skater for many years as well as being the early influence on me when it comes to sports and Olympics in particular (I believe our family first bought a TV in 1988 just so we could watch the Olympics,) I asked her to write a post on Figure Skating! She came through with flying colors. Straight 10s from the son judge! Thanks Mom!

All About Figure Skating at the Olympics

Figure skating’s first Olympic contest was held during the 1908 summer Olympics! Then in 1920, figure skating was held in conjunction with the Games of the Olympiad. Since 1924, figure skating has been included in the winter Olympics.

There is a quota for contestants in the Olympics figure skating competition: 30 skaters each in men’s and women’s (called ladies’) individual events, 24 couples in ice dance, and 20 in pairs. There are strict rules regarding entry into the Olympics. Using a point system, the number of places per country is usually determined by the results of the previous year’s World Figure Skating Championships. Which skaters from each country gets to go to the Olympics is the responsibility of each national governing body. Some countries rely on the results of their national competition, while others use criteria such as international competitions. If the host country has not qualified, it automatically gets one entry in each event. Skaters have to have turned 15 years old by July of the previous year to the Olympics and must be a citizen of the country that they are representing.

How Does Figure Skating Work?

In top competitions, skaters perform to music two programs, short and long, which may include jumps, spins, lifts, throw jumps, death spirals, step sequences, and other elements or moves, depending on the discipline and its rules.

The ice skate has a blade with a groove in it, creating two edges, an outside and an inside. In figure skating, the skater skates on one edge of the blade, not on both at the same time (known as a flat edge). Singles and pairs skates have a set of toe picks, or pointy teeth, at the front end of the blade. Ice dancers’ skates have blades that are about an inch shorter in the back and have smaller toe picks in the front.

In singles competitions, men and women perform a combination of jumps, spins, step sequences, spirals and other elements in their programs.

In pairs skating, a team consists of a man and a woman. Each team performs elements such as throw jumps (the man “throws” the woman into a jump), lifts (the man holds the woman above his head in a variety of holds and positions), pair spins (both man and woman spin around a common axis), death spirals (the man pivots on his toe while he holds onto the woman, who circles him on a deep edge almost parallel to the ice), side-by-side jumps, spins in unison, and step sequences.

In ice dancing, the pair again consists of a man and a woman. The focus is on intricate footwork danced to the rhythm of music, usually while the man and woman are in a close hold. The man is not allowed to lift the woman above his shoulders.

In skating competitions, elements are based on their base value (level of difficulty) and the grade of execution (how well the skater executes the element), which combines into a technical score.

Why do People Like Watching Figure Skating?

Figure skating engages people because it combines athleticism with artistry, gymnastics with dance, music with storytelling, fun with drama, technique with creativity. People are amazed at the talent of the skaters and the difficulty of the discipline. They enjoy listening to the music and seeing the beautiful skating movements. People appreciate the dedication of the skaters to their sport. People wish they were the ones skating so magnificently on the ice.

How Dangerous is Figure Skating?

Figure skaters don’t wear helmets and, as a result, there is a risk of head injury resulting from falls from lifts. Some skaters in pairs or ice dancing get slashed by their partners’ skates when they skate too close to each other. Some suffer hip injuries from practicing throws and lifts for so many years. Other figure skaters have foot, knee, and back injuries. Some skaters have been injured when colliding with other skaters while practicing on the ice.

Editor’s note: Notice how my Mom doesn’t even mention the merest hint of kneecapping as an endemic danger.

What’s the State of Gender Equality in Figure Skating?

Prize money in figure skating is relatively low compared to other sports. Prizes for men and women in championship competitions are the same as each other. Pairs that win prize money split it evenly.

What are Some Olympic Figure Skating Stories?

In this year’s Olympics in Sochi, team figure skating has been introduced. Each participating team has skaters who represent the four figure skating disciplines: men’s singles, ladies’ singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. This competition in the Sochi Olympics was completed on February 9, 2014. The Russian team won the gold medal, with Canada taking silver, and the United States taking the bronze.

Russia’s 15-year old Julia Lipnitskaia made a splash with the world at Sochi when she jumped and spun into first place in the ladies’ singles short program of the team skating competition. After that, she again skated brilliantly in the ladies’ long program of the team event. Keep your eye on her in the upcoming ladies’ individual skating event as she poses a challenge to 2010 gold-medal winner Kim Yu-na of South Korea.

This was fun! Thanks for reading,
Cookie Levine

All About Ski Jumping

Ah ski jumping. Ski jumping is the most fantastical of the sports that are just extreme versions of what we did in the snow when we were kids. I remember building little ramps at the bottom of our sledding or skiing hills so that I could fly over the bump at full speed and for a second, just a second, feel like I was flying. Ski jumping is just like this except the hill is a looming man-made ramp, the bump is the specially designed bottom part of the ramp that sling-shots the skier into the air, and the second in flight extends to what feels like around ten seconds.

How Does Ski Jumping Work?

Ski jumping involves four separate actions: the descent down the ramp, the launch, the flight, and the landing. I just spent about ten minutes trying to find a site somewhere that has the height of the ramp to no avail. Which seems silly because it’s clearly impressive. It definitely looks like it’s somewhere between 10 and 15 stories tall. Skiers follow two ridged trails for their skis down the ramp and duck down to pick up as much speed as possible. At the bottom, the ramp curves up to launch them into the air. To encourage this inevitable physical feat, the jumpers lean forward towards the jump. This gets them into their flying position as quickly as possible — leaning forward, almost parallel to their over-wide skis, with hose skis in a open V. They hold this position as still and for as long as possible. When pesky gravity seems to be about to catch up to them, they straighten up and land in a position that looks like they are about to kiss someone’s hand in an old-fashioned movie. You know what I mean, right? One knee down, truck straight up.

Each hill has a “K point” which is the minimally acceptable landing spot. For normal hills this is around 95 meters down the hill. On large hills it’s more like 125 meters. Jumpers get 60 points for jumping as far as the K point. For each meter more or less that they jump they are awarded or penalized 1.8 points. (Don’t ask me why it’s not an integer, I didn’t make this stuff up.) There are also five judges looking at style and form. They can award up to 20 additional points and the top and bottom judges scores are thrown out before the middle three scores are added to the distance score.

Why do People Like Watching Ski Jumping?

If there’s a more obvious example of enjoying to watch people do something which it doesn’t seem like people were designed to do than ski jumping, I don’t know what it is. THESE ATHLETES ARE FLYING!! Without an airplane! It’s just so cool.

What are the Different Ski Jumping Events?

Ski jumping has three different events in the Olympics. There are two individual events, the Normal Hill and the Large Hill. The large hill is, um, larger. There’s also a team event where teams of four jumpers compete for the best overall score. The individual events consist of a practice jump and then two jumps that count and the team event consists of eight jumps, two for each team-member.

How Dangerous is Ski Jumping

It’s so dangerous. The jumpers are moving really, really fast down that narrow jump ramp. Although injuries at the launch are thankfully somewhat rare, they are usually pretty catastrophic when they happen. More common are jumps that go “a little” wrong and have the jumper hit the ground wrong. Injuries during the landing are very common and still quite damaging. More on this in the gender section.

What’s the State of Gender Equality in Olympic Ski Jumping

2014 is the first Olympics to include women’s Ski Jumping. Of the four events this year, only one is a women’s event. There is a men’s large hill, a men’s normal hill, and a men’s team medal, and only a women’s normal hill one. This is a little hard to believe given the fact that the first recorded women’s ski jump was in 1863, over a 150 years ago! Women ski jumpers had to fight to even get this far. After the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, a group of Canadian ski jumpers sued Canada claiming they were being discriminated against. As often seems to happen, they lost the legal battle but won the actual battle and got their event added to this edition of the Olympics.
There does seem to be a real difference in how men and women jump. Women need to start proportionally higher on the normal hill to pick up the speed necessary to hit the K point of the hill. They also seem to be getting injured at a disproportionate rate. Wikipedia has a devastating list of serious injuries to eight of the “top” female ski jumpers just in the year after the IOC accepted them into the Olympics. I’m skeptical because this is just the kind of post-acceptance fact that people who never thought women should be ski jumping (although apparently a common argument was that women would be at risk for having their uteri fall out… pah) would love to use. It also caught my eye though because of the generally higher incidence of torn ACLs that female athletes suffer.

Either way, I’m glad women are able to compete and I hope no one tears their ACL… except maybe the uteri fear mongerers.

What are Some Olympic Ski Jumping Stories?

I got nothing. I’m sitting in a hotel room in the French town of Arles just 50 feet from an ancient roman stadium and hopefully a couple hours from some steak frites. Plus the Olympics have already started. Turn your tv on and watch some!!

Thanks for reading,
Ezra

All About Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating

Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating are two separate events but since they are somewhat similar and more importantly we’re running very low on time to write previews before the games start, let’s double up!

Speed Skating (long track) and Short Track are very similar to track and field in the Summer Olympics, Athletes race each other around an oval course. The fastest one wins! The only real difference is that there are skates and ice involved. Which, really when you think about it, is a pretty big difference. Running is natural and most everyone can do it to some extent. Skating is learned. Speed skating is more foreign than running and because of that, very impressive,

How Does Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Work?

Both sports are contested on oval shaped skating rinks but, as their names suggest, the tracks are of different sizes. Short track tracks are 111 meters around. They fit in an international sized hockey rink which is just a bit bigger than an NHL rink. Long track tracks are 400 meters around, so basically the same size as a running track. The skates are different too. Long track racers have long skates and short track racers short ones, Full stop.
One important difference between the sports is that long track racers race primarily against the clock while short track racing is a bit more like a roller-derby, full of collisions and wipeouts.

Why Do People Like Watching Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating?

Both events are a joy to watch but they’re very different. I enjoy watching short track because it is so incredibly tactical. Racers lurk behind one another waiting to make a quick move to pass the leader and get to the front of the race. Move too fast and you could open the door for someone else to do unto you what you just did unto them. Move too late and you might not have the energy or speed to get to the front. There’s also the question of how teammates will react to one another in the individual events. Sure, there’s only one Gold medal, but athletes from the same country often help each other to a point. Watching where that point is when fellow countrymen or women turn from cooperation to competition is always fun. Long track is enjoyable in a different way. The skaters’ movements have a majestic quality to them. Every movement is powerful and efficient. Their strides are long and although they are moving insanely fast and putting out incredible effort, they look relaxed.

What are the Different Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Events?

Long track has seven events, five for men and women and two that are single gender events. Six of the events are simply different distances of the same kind of race. In the 500, 1,000, 1,500, 3,000 (women,) 5,000, and 10,000 (men) meter races, two competitors start next to each other and proceed around the track in the same direction. So that they travel the same distance, on the back straight-away the two riders switch lanes — outside and inside around the curves. The last long-track event is a Team Pursuit. In the Team Pursuit, two teams of three racers each start on opposite sides of the course. They are allowed to stay on the inside track the whole time and if one team passes another the race ends. Usually this doesn’t happen and the clock ends up deciding who has won.
Short Track has five events, three for men and women and two that are just for one gender each. There are three individual races of different distances: 500, 1,000, and 1,500 meters. And there are two relay races of different distances: 3,000 meters for women and 5,000 for men. Short track races use heats to qualify for the medal races.

How Dangerous are Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating?

Not that dangerous. The only real gory danger comes from the blades of the skates which are razor sharp. In the unlikely crash during a long track race or the quite common crash during a short track race, you don’t want to see someone cut by a skate. Luckily these are Olympic athletes with Olympic reflexes and they are almost always able to avoid calamity.

What’s the State of Gender Equality in Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating?

As you saw up in the section about events, these are two of the sports that set themselves up believing that women can’t or shouldn’t race as far as men. In Short Track it’s the difference between a 5,000 meter relay and a 3,000 one. In long track the men get the brutal and brilliant 10,000 meter race and the women instead get a 3,000 meter race squished in between the 1,500 and the 5,000 which both genders compete in. It’s time to change this — let the women race the 10,000.

What are Some Fun Speed Skating and Short Track Speed Skating Stories?

One thing I love about sports is how some nations can become so tied to a single sport and dominate it even or especially if they are nations you wouldn’t expect. Both of these sports have that element.

In long track, it’s the Dutch that are dominant. The Dutch have a long history of speed skating. There’s an awesome race called the Elfstedentocht that is run on frozen canals that connect eleven towns in the norther province of Friesland. It’s only run when the ice is good enough, so many, even most years go by without an Elfstedenotcht which makes it even more special.

In Short Track, South Korea reigns supreme over nearly everyone with 17 Gold medals. The other countries that are good at Short Track are China, the United States, and Canada. You can make up a good natural rivalry story between almost every pair of these four countries and the combative nature of the sport accentuates this. It’s really fun!

Thanks for reading,
Ezra