final thoughts on Olympic figure skating
It's been over a week since it ended, and now I've had some time to digest the whole experience and let the emotions settle, I think I can say with certainty that this was the one of the best Olympics ever. Especially after Torino was a spectacular disappointment on almost every level, the awesomeness of Vancouver will stick with me for a long time. It's pretty rarely that all the gold medalists really deserved it AND were my favorites too! That's a great feeling! And I really got into the whole Olympic spirit, I watched the Opening and Closing ceremonies, which I usually don't do, and soaked up as much Olympic hoopla as I could, and overall it was a really amazing experience, and I'm so proud of all the figure skaters, and our American team in particular. I'm not nationalistic at all when it comes to skating, but we had so many great US skaters do so well, and I'm just so happy for them!
Things I'll never forget about Vancouver:
Evan Lysacek won! Every Olympics you hope to have one of those perfect moments where a skater you love has a wonderful skate and miraculously upsets the favorite to win the gold, and then when you find out you're so surprised and happy that you scream until you're hoarse, clap until your hands hurt, and cry until you can't cry anymore. No Olympics is a success without that moment, and Evan's win was that moment this year.
The ICE DANCE! OMG THE ICE DANCE! It was the turning point in the history of Ice Dance. Two young, non-Russian, non-European teams in their first Olympics, topping the podium based on pure merit. The promised land of a free and equal Ice Dance world has come! And more than that, the skating was fantastic! Davis & White's Bollywood Original Dance was my favorite skate of these Olympics. It's so fresh and original, and so intricately detailed, but they just make it look fun and effortless. I love them. (Seriously, if you haven't seen it, go check it out on YouTube, it's awesome.)
The pairs skating didn't suck! I've been bored to death by the last eight years of pairs, but my expectations were far exceeded in Vancouver. Savchenko & Szolkowy's short program is my second favorite skate of the whole Olympics. And the young Canadian pairs, especially Dube & Davison, give me such hope for the future, I hope they'll be medal contenders in Sochi.
They used "Bad Romance" in the Ice Dance promos! I don't know why they're making a fuss about Johnny Weir because his exhibition this year is "Poker Face"; obviously Lady Gaga is NOT beneath the dignity of the Olympics if they're trying to get people to watch Ice Dance! Johnny should have been on that podium, and we would have had one big, happy, Gaga Olympics! *gigglesnort*
Just the fact that figure skating actually becomes headline news during the Olympics is memorable; seeing jokes about my skaters on The Colbert Report was such a moment of glee and pride! Awww!
But the biggest moment of pride was seeing my skaters in the Olympic montage. Slow motion footage of their hour of glory, with the John Williams music swelling in the backround... there is no surer recipe for making me dissolve into a weeping mess. My babies!! I have a very familial love for them all. (Which honestly borders on the possesive; when I found out Nicole Kidman was at the Ice Dance final, I'm like "what's SHE doing there? She's an actress, what does she know about figure skating?!" until I reminded myself, "wait, I should be happy when figure skating wins fans, that's what I've been campaigning for my whole life!" ;-D )
But in general, I have to say that never have I been prouder to be a figure skating fan than at these Vancouver games. Our sport was beautifully represented by a talented young generation of skaters who are skating to beautiful new heights, and all I know is that if they keep developing in this same direction, the next four years are going to be one heck of a ride, and I've never been more hopeful or excited for what the future holds. :)
Things I'll never forget about Vancouver:
Evan Lysacek won! Every Olympics you hope to have one of those perfect moments where a skater you love has a wonderful skate and miraculously upsets the favorite to win the gold, and then when you find out you're so surprised and happy that you scream until you're hoarse, clap until your hands hurt, and cry until you can't cry anymore. No Olympics is a success without that moment, and Evan's win was that moment this year.
The ICE DANCE! OMG THE ICE DANCE! It was the turning point in the history of Ice Dance. Two young, non-Russian, non-European teams in their first Olympics, topping the podium based on pure merit. The promised land of a free and equal Ice Dance world has come! And more than that, the skating was fantastic! Davis & White's Bollywood Original Dance was my favorite skate of these Olympics. It's so fresh and original, and so intricately detailed, but they just make it look fun and effortless. I love them. (Seriously, if you haven't seen it, go check it out on YouTube, it's awesome.)
The pairs skating didn't suck! I've been bored to death by the last eight years of pairs, but my expectations were far exceeded in Vancouver. Savchenko & Szolkowy's short program is my second favorite skate of the whole Olympics. And the young Canadian pairs, especially Dube & Davison, give me such hope for the future, I hope they'll be medal contenders in Sochi.
They used "Bad Romance" in the Ice Dance promos! I don't know why they're making a fuss about Johnny Weir because his exhibition this year is "Poker Face"; obviously Lady Gaga is NOT beneath the dignity of the Olympics if they're trying to get people to watch Ice Dance! Johnny should have been on that podium, and we would have had one big, happy, Gaga Olympics! *gigglesnort*
Just the fact that figure skating actually becomes headline news during the Olympics is memorable; seeing jokes about my skaters on The Colbert Report was such a moment of glee and pride! Awww!
But the biggest moment of pride was seeing my skaters in the Olympic montage. Slow motion footage of their hour of glory, with the John Williams music swelling in the backround... there is no surer recipe for making me dissolve into a weeping mess. My babies!! I have a very familial love for them all. (Which honestly borders on the possesive; when I found out Nicole Kidman was at the Ice Dance final, I'm like "what's SHE doing there? She's an actress, what does she know about figure skating?!" until I reminded myself, "wait, I should be happy when figure skating wins fans, that's what I've been campaigning for my whole life!" ;-D )
But in general, I have to say that never have I been prouder to be a figure skating fan than at these Vancouver games. Our sport was beautifully represented by a talented young generation of skaters who are skating to beautiful new heights, and all I know is that if they keep developing in this same direction, the next four years are going to be one heck of a ride, and I've never been more hopeful or excited for what the future holds. :)