As a prelude to the World Figure Skating Championships starting today in Gottenberg, Sweden, the New York Times ran an interesting feature about the ongoing rivalry between the U.S.’s leading contenders, Johnnie Weir and Evan Lysacek. Sadly, we won’t be seeing the rivalry in action in Sweden because Lysacek withdrew from Worlds last week due to an arm injury. Jeremy Abbott, who finished fourth at Nationals, took his place on the team.
Lysacek’s absence puts the American men in a tough spot. The American men must finish well at Worlds to keep three spots on the team for next year. The top two American finishes at Worlds must combine to equal 13 or less or the team will lose one spot. Weir and Lysacek barely hung on last year when they finished eighth and fifth respectively.
What makes things tricky is that Weir is the only skater on the men’s team with any international experience at the senior level, and he has never finished on the podium. The other two men, Abbott and U.S. bronze medalist, Stephen Carriere, are making their first trip to the senior Worlds.
With two rookies in the fold, Weir needs to step up his game and perform better than he ever has. He needs to prove that he is capable of skating two clean and complete programs at the international level, which he has never done. With Lysacek out of the competition, Weir has a chance to perform on the international stage without the distraction of their heated rivalry. And with so much at stake for the men’s team, Weir can prove that he can be a team player.
A third or fourth place finish will probably work wonders for both Weir’s confidence and the future of the U.S. team. It will also take the pressure off Carriere and Abbott, who would need to finish ninth or tenth at the worst to keep three representatives on the team. Weir is certainly capable of it. He’s got the talent, the artistry and the athleticism to compete against some of the top names in the world. The question is – does he want to?
The men’s competition begins Friday.
Showing posts with label World Figure Skating Championships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label World Figure Skating Championships. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Change Is in the Air For U.S. Figure Skating Championships
The Chicago Tribune learned that the U.S. Figure Skating Championships will be spread out over nine days and two weekends in 2010 to provide for live coverage of the sport on NBC leading into the 2010 Olympics in Vancouver. Under the new format, which will only be in effect for 2010 and other Olympic years that follow, the senior men’s and pairs competition would take place during the first weekend and the ladies and ice dance would be the second weekend. The juniors and novice competitions will take place the week in between. In non-Olympic years, the schedule would revert back to its current setup with all four free skate programs taking place on the same weekend.
The move will allow NBC to telecast the short and free skate programs of each of the four disciplines to give figure skating a bigger national TV audience and generate interest in the Winter Olympics. While I can understand U.S. Figure Skating and NBC wanting to capitalize on its recent successful coverage of the national championships in St. Paul, Minn., which increased 65 percent over last year’s coverage on ABC/ESPN, I think this plan is risky and could harm attendance. I know of few people who would be willing to attend an event over two consecutive weekends. For the diehards, it means staying an extra couple of days. For the not-so-diehard, it means choosing one weekend over the other or staying home altogether. With the sport already struggling to attract fans, it can’t afford to lose more of their in-person audience.
In related news, NBC will provide coverage of the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles next year. I would think that this development closes the door on any possible agreement between ABC/ESPN beyond this year when the current contract expires. Furthermore, if NBC’s ratings for these figure skating events continue to rise, look for a longer-term deal with the network after the Vancouver Olympic Games.
The move will allow NBC to telecast the short and free skate programs of each of the four disciplines to give figure skating a bigger national TV audience and generate interest in the Winter Olympics. While I can understand U.S. Figure Skating and NBC wanting to capitalize on its recent successful coverage of the national championships in St. Paul, Minn., which increased 65 percent over last year’s coverage on ABC/ESPN, I think this plan is risky and could harm attendance. I know of few people who would be willing to attend an event over two consecutive weekends. For the diehards, it means staying an extra couple of days. For the not-so-diehard, it means choosing one weekend over the other or staying home altogether. With the sport already struggling to attract fans, it can’t afford to lose more of their in-person audience.
In related news, NBC will provide coverage of the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles next year. I would think that this development closes the door on any possible agreement between ABC/ESPN beyond this year when the current contract expires. Furthermore, if NBC’s ratings for these figure skating events continue to rise, look for a longer-term deal with the network after the Vancouver Olympic Games.
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Cohen Withdraws from Nationals
Sasha Cohen officially withdrew from the 2007 U.S. National Championships and insists that she will be ready for the 2009 competitive season (which I guess means she is also skipping the 2008 season). I know a lot of skating fans are disappointed, but really this is no surprise. Cohen has said all along that she is skipping the 2007 and 2008 seasons to take a break from skating – that’s her official word. But what she isn’t saying is that she wants to focus on her budding acting career.
Cohen is deluding herself if she thinks she will be “ready” for the 2009 competitive season. When young rising stars like Kimmie Meissner, Mao Asada and other Japanese skaters are routinely performing triple axels, three-jump combinations, and triple-triple combinations, Cohen has failed to show me that she is capable of performing a single triple jump without falling on her a** during her free skate program. Does she honestly believe that she will be able to compete with the likes of Meissner and Asada? Don’t get me wrong. Cohen is a beautiful skater, and she obviously loves to perform and entertain. But when it comes to competing, she lacks the mental toughness and desire to withstand the pressures of rising to the highest level on the world stage. She can have all the talent in the world, but without mental and emotional toughness, I doubt she will ever be a world champion.
In other skating news, Cleveland may have lost out to Los Angeles for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, but the city got a door prize instead – the 2009 U.S. National Championships, according to the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
Cohen is deluding herself if she thinks she will be “ready” for the 2009 competitive season. When young rising stars like Kimmie Meissner, Mao Asada and other Japanese skaters are routinely performing triple axels, three-jump combinations, and triple-triple combinations, Cohen has failed to show me that she is capable of performing a single triple jump without falling on her a** during her free skate program. Does she honestly believe that she will be able to compete with the likes of Meissner and Asada? Don’t get me wrong. Cohen is a beautiful skater, and she obviously loves to perform and entertain. But when it comes to competing, she lacks the mental toughness and desire to withstand the pressures of rising to the highest level on the world stage. She can have all the talent in the world, but without mental and emotional toughness, I doubt she will ever be a world champion.
In other skating news, Cleveland may have lost out to Los Angeles for the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships, but the city got a door prize instead – the 2009 U.S. National Championships, according to the U.S. Figure Skating Association.
Monday, October 30, 2006
Skating on Thin Ice
Last March, I had an opportunity to watch the 2006 World Figure Skating Championships in Calgary, Canada. I saw some great skating on the ice, but also a lot of empty seats in the stands. The Saddledome has a capacity of 11,000, but only half the seats were filled for the events I attended.
The World Championships and the 2006 Skate America event, which was completed this weekend in Hartford, Conn., are the latest events that have drawn small audiences in what has become a downward spiral for the sport of figure skating. The trend has been happening for several years, but it’s become more noticeable within the past few months. With the Olympic year over, many of the top skaters have either turned pro or taken a timeout to pursue other interests. And that may have turned away many fans.
Tommy Hine of the Hartford Courant writes that figure skating is now “in intensive care” and needs something or someone to resuscitate the sport. Looking back through sports history in general, there are periods of high interest followed by periods of low interest. What prompts the sport to pull out of its tailspin is usually a dominant athlete or a controversy that puts the spotlight back on the sport, for better or worse. For example, in the early 1990s, we saw the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding fiasco, followed by the emergence of Michelle Kwan as the queen of the ice who saved the sport and brought fans out to see her.
Baseball experienced a similar decline in fan interest following the 1994 strike-shortened season. Fans vowed never to return to the game after than, and in fact, attendance was low for several seasons after 1994. What brought fans back to the sport was the homerun derby that escalated between the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGuire during the 1998 season. Fans came out in droves to watch those two players hit. Never mind that their power may have been jacked up by steroids at the time. Their home run hitting rivalry captured the imagination of the entire nation, and baseball was popular once again.
Notice the pattern in these two scenarios. First comes a controversy, followed by the emergence of an athlete (or two) who renews fan interest and brings the sport back to life.
Figure skating may be in a coma at the moment, but there may be hope for it yet. A controversy may be brewing in the wings, which may put a harsh spotlight on the sport for a short while. But the controversy will also be followed by a rising star, rivalry or team that engages fan interest once more.
Stay tuned for part 2: Is Controversy Brewing in Figure Skating?
The World Championships and the 2006 Skate America event, which was completed this weekend in Hartford, Conn., are the latest events that have drawn small audiences in what has become a downward spiral for the sport of figure skating. The trend has been happening for several years, but it’s become more noticeable within the past few months. With the Olympic year over, many of the top skaters have either turned pro or taken a timeout to pursue other interests. And that may have turned away many fans.
Tommy Hine of the Hartford Courant writes that figure skating is now “in intensive care” and needs something or someone to resuscitate the sport. Looking back through sports history in general, there are periods of high interest followed by periods of low interest. What prompts the sport to pull out of its tailspin is usually a dominant athlete or a controversy that puts the spotlight back on the sport, for better or worse. For example, in the early 1990s, we saw the Nancy Kerrigan-Tonya Harding fiasco, followed by the emergence of Michelle Kwan as the queen of the ice who saved the sport and brought fans out to see her.
Baseball experienced a similar decline in fan interest following the 1994 strike-shortened season. Fans vowed never to return to the game after than, and in fact, attendance was low for several seasons after 1994. What brought fans back to the sport was the homerun derby that escalated between the Cubs’ Sammy Sosa and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Mark McGuire during the 1998 season. Fans came out in droves to watch those two players hit. Never mind that their power may have been jacked up by steroids at the time. Their home run hitting rivalry captured the imagination of the entire nation, and baseball was popular once again.
Notice the pattern in these two scenarios. First comes a controversy, followed by the emergence of an athlete (or two) who renews fan interest and brings the sport back to life.
Figure skating may be in a coma at the moment, but there may be hope for it yet. A controversy may be brewing in the wings, which may put a harsh spotlight on the sport for a short while. But the controversy will also be followed by a rising star, rivalry or team that engages fan interest once more.
Stay tuned for part 2: Is Controversy Brewing in Figure Skating?
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