Official 2014 Sochi Olympic Winter Games thread!

[mommasita]

To me it isn't a conflict of interest in this sport.. It happens A LOT

It’s common in figure skating for coaches and choreographers to work with athletes from different countries. Canadian Brian Orser coached men’s gold medallist Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and Javier Fernandez — one night they skated back to back, forcing a quick change for Orser from his grey Japan jacket to wine-coloured Spain coat.

I don't think they used it as an excuse, I think the press are making more out of it, the way they phrased the questions.. just like many other events at the olympics and around the sporting world.

We all have our opinions.. I do believe there was a plan in the works. Read about this a month ago.. Having said that, I watched it all, and I believe the best team won that final night. If nobody thinks this happens, think back to 2004with Sale and Pelletier.

 

[NaLisa]

declansdad, I see what you're saying and have been trying to think of how to try to explain how it's different.

Primarily, it's that the ice dancers of clients of the coach. She is not their employee.

In terms of hours spent--It's highly unlikely that one ice dancing team needs 40 hours a week of their coach's time. They are paying her for a percentage of her weekly workload. They have no say in what she does outside of the X number of hours they pay her for.

Serving as coach of a major sports team is going to require maybe around 60 hours a week in-season, less in the off-season, but there's work to be done year-round (e.g. recruiting, hiring and supervising staff, etc.). They are an employee of the sporting organization they work for, and they pay you to work full-time strictly for them.

 

[Deb in IA]

I coach. My athletes often compete against each other. It's just the way it's done in some sports.

I agree.

Here's another example.
Our son runs track. He runs the 400 and 800 meters. So do several of his teammates. They frequently are in the same heats and run against each other.

They all have the same track coach.

 

[Jennasis]

What do you coach?

Equestrian sports. Hunter/jumper, dressage, eventing.

 

[LJC1861]

I am a former skater who competed in the Adult National system for several years. My coach coached several other adults at my rink, who were my age and therefore in my category in competitions. I shared "ice time" with many of these women. I would have a 20 minute lesson with the coach during the 60 minute skating session and another skater, my competitor would have her 20 minute lesson.

Some of us had two lessons each week, some more. Of course it is much different at the Olympic level when they are having much more intense lessons and spending much more direct time with their coaches and coreographers, but they also just need practice time as well.

I always felt that my coach and coreographer were very fair to everyone that they coached, creating unique programs for each of us. I would hope that coaches at the Olympic level would be as well.

Linda

 

[declansdad]

I am a former skater who competed in the Adult National system for several years. My coach coached several other adults at my rink, who were my age and therefore in my category in competitions. I shared "ice time" with many of these women. I would have a 20 minute lesson with the coach during the 60 minute skating session and another skater, my competitor would have her 20 minute lesson.

Some of us had two lessons each week, some more. Of course it is much different at the Olympic level when they are having much more intense lessons and spending much more direct time with their coaches and coreographers, but they also just need practice time as well.

I always felt that my coach and coreographer were very fair to everyone that they coached, creating unique programs for each of us. I would hope that coaches at the Olympic level would be as well.

Linda

Was the coach with you, acting as a coach during the competitions?

 

[LJC1861]

Was the coach with you, acting as a coach during the competitions?

Yes, and when we competed in Lake Placid....which we did several times....we stayed at the house that she kept there.

Linda

 

[declansdad]

Yes, and when we competed in Lake Placid....which we did several times....we stayed at the house that she kept there.

Linda

Did she coach direct competitors during the same competition? If she did, how did she balance what she told one person compared to the other? Is there strategy involved in coaching figure skating?

 

[Jennasis]

Did she coach direct competitors during the same competition? If she did, how did she balance what she told one person compared to the other? Is there strategy involved in coaching figure skating?

My students are almost always in the same class/division, competing directly with each other.

 

[LJC1861]

I always felt that both my coach and choreographer coached all three of us that competed in the same age category fairly. Both of them always told me to skate MY program.....and not worry about the others. The skate order always changed and there might be 10-15 in one age category, broken down into "flights'' of 4-5, so generally all 3 of us were not in the same flight, allowing both coach and choreographer to be with each of us. On the few occasions that more than one of us was in the same flight, we took turns coming back to the side for advice during the 5 minute warm up before we skated.

One of the 3 was a bit better ability wise than the other two of us, but was still at the same 'test' level and age level, so allowed to compete in our group. While it bothered me a bit, it made me work harder. I generally placed in the middle of the pack but on two occasions did medal and it was OH sooooo sweet to beat her. LOL

Linda

 

[declansdad]

My students are almost always in the same class/division, competing directly with each other.

Do you have to devise a strategy or game plan in relation to each other?

 

[declansdad]

I always felt that both my coach and choreographer coached all three of us that competed in the same age category fairly. Both of them always told me to skate MY program.....and not worry about the others. The skate order always changed and there might be 10-15 in one age category, broken down into "flights'' of 4-5, so generally all 3 of us were not in the same flight, allowing both coach and choreographer to be with each of us. On the few occasions that more than one of us was in the same flight, we took turns coming back to the side for advice during the 5 minute warm up before we skated.

One of the 3 was a bit better ability wise than the other two of us, but was still at the same 'test' level and age level, so allowed to compete in our group. While it bothered me a bit, it made me work harder. I generally placed in the middle of the pack but on two occasions did medal and it was OH sooooo sweet to beat her. LOL

Linda

Thanks for answering my questions. Congrats on beating her.

 

[Jennasis]

Do you have to devise a strategy or game plan in relation to each other?

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're asking if I coach them on how to beat each other?

No. You go out there and you do YOUR ride. You don't worry about beating anyone. I coach each rider to encourage the best out of each of them based on their strengths and weaknesses. All I ask is that they do their best each time. If their best is THE best, then that's great.

 

[NaLisa]

Wondering why Scott Hamilton didn't call the ice dancing competition. Anyone know?

 

[declansdad]

If I'm understanding you correctly, you're asking if I coach them on how to beat each other?

No. You go out there and you do YOUR ride. You don't worry about beating anyone. I coach each rider to encourage the best out of each of them based on their strengths and weaknesses. All I ask is that they do their best each time. If their best is THE best, then that's great.

Yes that's what I was asking, thanks for the answer.

 

[PrincessInOz]

I've had a busy couple of days at work and haven't been able to catch any of the Olympics.

Hope to catch up with the spectacle of sports tomorrow or so. Have a great day all.

 

[LJC1861]

Wondering why Scott Hamilton didn't call the ice dancing competition. Anyone know?

Scott Hamilton and Sandra Bezic are calling the singles and pairs events.

Tracy Wilson from Canada, an ice dancer, called the ice dancing event.

Linda

 

[soccerdad72]

I'm curious how everyone else feels about athletes switching countries in order to compete. I don't know, something just doesn't sit right with me.

Take the South Korean speedskater. He is now a Russian citizen and skates for the Russian team (and brought them a gold medal). There have been a number of mentions of athletes who previously competed for one country and now compete for another.

I thought I read something the other day that said that South Korea had given up on Ahn -- essentially telling him that he was done in their speedskating program. Ahn thought otherwise and found citizenship in Russia to prove that he still could win. I don't blame him.

Most of the time, though, you hear of folks who are not at the same level as athletes in their home country, so they compete with a country that they have some bloodline with that doesn't have as strong as athletes in that sport. Baseball is a good example -- there were a fair amount of Major League players who did not make the US Olympic team one year go play for the country that their parents/grandparents/etc. were from.

 

[Geoff_M]

Wow... Russia bounced from Ice Hockey medal round by Finland.... Vladmir will NOT be amused!

 

[cabanafrau]

Wow... Russia bounced from Ice Hockey medal round by Finland.... Vladmir will NOT be amused!

Really? Whoa.

Must have been some more poor officiating. Yep, that must have been it.