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Art or sport? A gold medal in figure skating may ride on the answer By
Jen Burnett Figure skating has long been one of the favorite sports events at the Winter Olympics. But before you go buying a ticket that can be anywhere from $200 to $1,500 -- that's how much they are going for -- maybe you should brush up on the basics of the sport. Then, not only will you be more educated than most of the audience, but you will also get your money's worth. Ever heard of "The Great Skate Debate?" In the sport of figure skating, artistry and athleticism have always waged a nasty tug-of-war beneath a surface painted in grace and elegance. So a constant argument over artistry or athleticism is fought and the winner changes from night to night. According to William Murray and Doug Miller who wrote an article called The Great Skate Debate, it all depends on the judges of that particular night. They explain that some of judges prefer a lot of technically perfect jumps, while others give high marks for a good demonstration of artistry, even if the technical side of the performance wasn't that clean. Five-time U.S. national champion and 1996 world champion Todd Eldredge explains that this is why there are two sets of marks: the technical mark and the artistic mark. This debate has been around almost as long as ice-skating has and the argument evolves with the skaters. Every year, the bar is raised and this year, the big challenge is landing a clean quad. Since this is a jump that hasn't been mastered by many of the athletes yet, it is what most will consider the key to winning the gold. So the focus is on athleticism rather than artistry this year. "King of the Quad" Timothy Goebel, the reigning U.S. men's figure skating champion, is quick to point out that reality is reality. "I'm sure in the future when people are putting in more quads and doing harder things, that the artistic is going to suffer a little bit, but it is still an Olympic sport," Goebel said. "It's not Olympic art. So that's the way it goes." Figure skating fans planning to attend the competitions should also be aware of the rivalries and match-ups taking place this year. Since 1996, Michelle Kwan and Irina Slutskaya have competed against each other, both finishing in the top positions, but with Kwan always scoring just a bit higher than Slutskaya. At the 2002 Winter Olympic Games, they will face each other again, this time with a more intense rivalry. In addition, Alexei Yagudin and Yevgeny Plushenko have had a long run of dominance on the men's skating competition. Nearly completely equal, these two men have dominated and their rivalry will surely reach a climax on the Olympic stage in February. If this is the first skating competition that you have the privilege of attending, it would be a good idea to find out what the jumps and tricks are called and what they look like. On the website, Iskater.com, click on "Education" in the top box and you will be led to a dictionary, complete with videos. With about 34 jumps and tricks that can be performed, it would be beneficial to check out this site. Another good idea would be to get to know the U.S. team. You can find a brief introduction, headlines, and a lot of extra information that you probably won't need, but will seem really smart if you can recite, can be found on the team's website. According to the director/producer of the Olympics Figure Skating competition, Meg Streeter, "If you are one of the few lucky ones who can afford, and were able to get a ticket for this event, get the most for your money and come with a knowledge of the sport. You'll be glad you did your research." So do your homework and be ready for one of the greatest shows the Olympics has to offer!
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