Figure Skating at 2006 Olympics

[Chimera]

The best female figure skater won't be at the Olympics because she is too young. Read about it here.

I just saw the competition on ESPN this article is talking about, and Mao Asada was absolutely amazing. It's been awhile since I've watched a figure skating competition, but I remember when Tara Lipinski won the 2002 Olympics. At the time, I was upset, because I felt Michelle Kwon did a better job--I was angry at the young upstart. I don't know how to compare Lipinski with Asada, but Asada's performance was amazing. She had such grace and enthusiasm, and she hit all the jumps head on, doing far more daring combinations than any of the older figure skaters. Now I'm wishing that this very young skater could compete in the 2006 Olympics.

It seems a shame that because of her birthday she will not be able to participate. She missed the deadline by months! Yes, I understand the importance of rules and sticking by them. But still. I think she would have been amazing--and who knows what can happen in four years. Hopefully, she will improve and come back to blow us all away.

[MsFish]

If she's that young she can compete in four years, and she'll be even better.  I'm not a fan of child fame.  Let her get a little older and earn it.

[Shrain]

Yeah, I think that's a good way to look at it. Kids have to grow up lickety-split nowadays anyway. Plus, I guess I feel like fame is hard enough for -adult- stars to handle. So at least she can have more of a childhood this way, right?

[Fellfrosch]

I'm of the opinion that they should raise the Olympics age a bit, and give a lot of these kids (figure skaters and gymnasts especially) their lives back.

I'm very excited about the Olympics, though. It kind of snuck up on me, and I suddenly realized that they were only a few months away.

[Chimera]

I'm of the opinion that they should raise the Olympics age a bit, and give a lot of these kids (figure skaters and gymnasts especially) their lives back.

See, that's how I usually feel in this situation. So I don't know why I'm feeling sad that Mao won't be at the Olympics. Except she really *was* breathtaking. And it seems that sometimes, in these sports (figure skating and gymnastics), people reach their prime at a young age. Maybe that is just flawed thinking though. Because I agree that I am not a fan of child fame. But I think a child can choose to want to compete in the Olympics, and choose to work for it--sacrificing other things. It's the same as a child actor/actress. That's his or her choice--as long as the child is behind it, not the parents.

I don't know. Competitive sports can do all sorts of screwy things to your head, just like anything highly competitive. So perhaps she should have to wait to compete until she is older. Or she's just been confined to four more grueling years because she didn't get it out of her system at this Olympics.  

The really stupid thing is to have a different age limit for the competition just below the Olympics. If they both had the same age limit, this controversy wouldn't have even come up. Be consistent, people! Then I wouldn't have seen this awesome girl and be feeling sad that she isn't going to be at the Olympics, raising the bar of performance.

[MsFish]

I do agree that they should have the same age for the olympics and the qualifiers.  That only makes sense.