Ekaterina Bobrova: “I’m afraid to assume that the trend of the ISU is moving toward making figure skating look like ballet rather than a sport. And I’m very concerned because then figure skating might be removed from Olympic sports.”
Ekaterina Bobrova about changes in figure skating.
original source: “Skating Moves” podcast / Championat
In the “Skating Moves” podcast, former ice dancer and Olympic champion in team event Ekaterina Bobrova and commentator Andrei Zhurankov discussed the current development of figure skating. Here’s a translation.
Ekaterina Bobrova believes that the ISU could turn figure skating into ballet.
“Ekaterina Bobrova: I am afraid to assume, I honestly sincerely do not want to believe that the trend of the ISU (International Skating Union) is moving toward making figure skating look like ballet rather than a sport. And I am very concerned.
I am not against paying attention to more interesting programs, to more flexible skaters, to those who feel the movement and dance. But we must not forget that figure skating is primarily a sport. That is exactly why it is an Olympic sport.
And if the ISU shifts its focus to dance and ballet-like qualities over the next four years, I am afraid that figure skating might simply be removed from the list of Olympic sports.
Andrei Zhurankov: I’m not sure they will remove it, because the IOC wouldn’t want to lose such a popular and profitable sport in terms of advertisers. And if they remove it from the Olympic Games program, then, I think, the viewership of the Games would significantly drop.”
Related topics: Ekaterina Bobrova Dmitri Soloviev
I disagree with them. In my opinion, current rules only allow more healthy skaters.
Figure skating is a beautiful sport and it’s unlikely (impossible) that it will stop being an olympic sport. No reason getting worried…
What I’m afraid is that figure skating as we know it right now, won’t be recognizable in 10 years, with the addition of synthetic “ice” and this overemphasis on the artistic side of the sport. What that will do will make it an art, not a sport. Sure, the artistic side is important, but an overemphasis will basically stagnate it by making it the main primary focus. Leave figure skating as it, don’t change it. There’s a reason why it’s one of the most popular (Olympic) sports besides gymnastics. When you pigeon hole it into a category or emphasis, there will be limited unique programs and ideas, and it will destroy the sport inside out. Stop redefining our sport.