Readers Respond: What Changes Are Needed in Figure Skating?

Responses: 8

I believe the TV networks program according to the viewers they expect to get. If people are not watching figure skating or going to shows in the same numbers, the TV networks won't cover as many competitions. It creates a downward spiral. You must fix the innate popularity of the sport before you can fix the coverage issue.
—Guest Interested Bystander

Don't leave out lack of coverage. You get to see very little coverage unless you have Universal Sports which is not very available.
—Guest Dorothy Simmons

Not so much the changes, but televised competition is so limited and to channels where you have to have your own TV Dish. We loved F.S., but hard to find competitions on TV. Used to be we would start in October and go thru the Wordls in March. The competitions are still there, we just don't get to see it televised. Sad. (: Thus, viewers give up and don't try to follow the winners, etc.
—Guest Linda

The new system was necessary to hold judges accountable. Scandals were destroying the sport. That said, it is a work in progress. Grade of execution is the method used to reward superior technique in jumps spins, etc. Grade of artistry needs to be added as an additional qualifier. Changes are difficult to assimilate for skaters and coaches both, but many athletes are up to the challenge as demonstrated by the superior skating by the likes of Yuna Kim and Mao Asada, leading to a new level of excellence.
—Guest Guest BF

as the mom of a former sr lady skater who basicaly quit because of the new judging there needs to be a change that rewards skaters that actually can express themselves on the ice and be athletic at the same time. no more carbon copy programs with the same bad, ugly spins and rewarded under rotated jumps. Better to fall on a totally rotated jump than stay up and get credit for a cheat( quarter turn on the ice is still cheated0
—Guest mom

The problem now with figure skating is NOT the judging, but rather the value given to Jumps. All that needs to be done to get grace back in skating is to make max points given for jumps to be the amount given for doing it as a double, and make the max points no greater then good spins are given... very simple. JimD
—Guest JimD

It must allow for the Free Skate to return. It should stop all those restrictions.
—joelayback

On a personal note, I do miss school figures. I enjoyed creating designs on the ice. Moves in the field just don't give the skaters of today the same experience.
—figureskating

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