Povilas Vanagas: “Ice dance is becoming a very strange discipline in figure skating. I had to force myself to watch the rhythm dance – it’s just not interesting anymore.”

2000 World bronze medalist Povilas Vanagas believes that ice dance has become a strange discipline within figure skating.

original source: MatchTV

2000 World bronze medalist Povilas Vanagas criticized the current state of ice dance, saying new rules have made it less artistic and less appealing to audiences. Here’s a translation of his comments.

At the Milan Olympics, the French pair Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron won gold, Madison Chock and Evan Bates from the USA took silver, and Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier won bronze.

“Povilas Vanagas: If I were a judge, I would have placed the top three about the same. But ice dance is becoming a very strange discipline in figure skating because of all the new rules and restrictions imposed on athletes. I had to force myself to watch the rhythm dance – it’s just not interesting anymore. Even in the free dance, there are so many constraints. Ice dance used to be the most interesting discipline in figure skating; now, unfortunately, it’s one of the least entertaining. It’s sad to see.

Q: What do these artificial constraints for skaters look like?

Povilas Vanagas: In the past, programs were created that touched the soul. They weren’t as technically difficult, but they were art, they were figure skating. Now there’s a lot of acrobatics, and very few pairs manage to build a composition that moves the audience despite the complex elements.

Ice dance used to be beautiful, moving, and spectacular, with pairs always matched so that the man and woman harmonized with each other.”

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