Graceful, statue-esque figures; beautifully orchestrated music; carefully practiced routines; all of these and more may come to mind when discussing the art that is Olympic figure skating. However, behind this veil of elegance and splendor is an unbelievable amount of pressure, vitriol and controversy, enough to sweep fans off their feet.
Fans seemed to be especially drawn to Ilia Malinin’s performance at this year’s Olympics, and for more reasons than one. As part of his routine, the young athlete successfully executed the first legal backflip in an Olympic figure skating competition since the move was banned in 1976. This action was significant because the move stands as a rebellion against Olympic figure skating tradition, but the events that would follow would be equally as shocking.
Throughout the course of his routine, Malinin–national, international and world champion figure skater, known as the “Quad God” because of his unrivaled quadruple jumps–would go on to fall not once but twice onto the rink. Onlookers speculated that this may have been due to the condition of the ice on the rink, which was described by skaters and other athletes to NBC Chicago as “soft and slushy,” not ideal for the competition. However, Melanin himself explained the reason(s) behind his falls in various interviews and on his own social media.
In a statement recorded on the official Olympics website, Malinin noted that “[The pressure] all builds up, resulting in an inevitable crash.”
Olympic coaches and organizers of the event have and continue to make efforts toward caring for athletes’ mental health, especially leading up to their performance. However, no amount of preparation could ever prepare an individual for the type of scrutiny that comes from performing solo on a world stage; it’s important to remember that as a viewer watching from the comfort of your own home before you go online to leave hateful or negative comments about an athlete’s performance.
Aside from Malinin’s unexpected performance, this year’s winter olympics was also awash with controversy, and the figure skating competition was no exception. When French athletes Laurence Beaudry and Guillaume Cizeron were awarded gold in the figure skating pair category of the competition, there were complaints that judging was biased, seeing as the panel of judges were French themselves. Most of the grumbling came from the US competition, mainly skaters Madison Chock and Evan Bates who narrowly placed second. While the US Olympic figure skaters would go on to appeal the scoring, there would be no action taken to repeal the judgement call, which frustrated some US fans.
It seems as though every Olympic event has its own set of controversies. While these may make the viewing experience more exciting for sports fans worldwide, it’s important that we also shed light on these athletes’ achievements, many of which get overshadowed by flashy headlines depicting failure and lack of sportsmanship. Four years of preparation for a single event can cause unimaginable amounts of pressure for these individuals, interfering with performances, mental health and more. Make sure to keep this in mind when speaking on this year’s winter Olympics and appreciate them for what they are: a display of peak human performance in the athletic field.
