In case you haven’t been following the events that have tainted figure skating at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, let’s begin with a brief summary of events.
15-year-old Kamila Valieva from Russia was favored to win Gold in the ladies figure skating competition due to her spectacular artistry and textbook jumps. However, on December 25th, Kamila tested positive for a heart-enhancing drug – one that is illegal in competition. Despite this positive result, the IOC voted that Kamila could still skate in the competition, but if she medaled, no ceremony was to be had.
Besides Kamila’s positive test result, the Russian silver medalist was left in tears, despite a quad-filled, record-breaking skate, for she only chased that gold medal. The Russian gold medalist was left to relish in her win alone, since her teammates needed to be cared for too. This is the legacy of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics for women’s figure skating. The favorite left off the podium altogether, a disappointed silver medalist, and a gold medalist standing alone. This should not be how figure skating is. Young girls are left heartbroken, damaged, and under pressure that no one should be under.
It begs the question: what needs to be done to heal women’s figure skating?
The issue with figure skating, and how it is today, is that the judging system allows for jumps to dominate the points, leaving the grace and artistry as something great to have, but not pivotal to success. I don’t believe that is how it should be. I fell in love with figure skating when I was a young girl because I loved the magic of it. How beautifully their dresses flowed along the ice, how their power graced them from one end of the rink to the other, and how much internal strength it takes to get up after falling time, and time again. As someone who has been skating for nine years, although only for fun these days, I know just how much this sport has changed. I believe it is for the worst.
The beauty of skating is in the music, the connection, the elements, it should not be only focused on one. Women’s figure skating will forever be left with the legacy that was left at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of time to change. Girls are more powerful and compete with fierceness and strength in ways we never have seen. We need to honor those skillful enough to compete with difficult jumps, but also give credit to footwork, music connection, and artistry. They should be on the same scale. With a change in rules, raising healthy athletes, and making sure those in the competition are mentally well enough to handle the pressure of competition, this beautiful sport can be reformed.