#pyongchangolympics2018

RYLAND!

OVERALL: I should have worn a seatbelt. The Olympics were a RIDE this year. Hella crazy!

THINGS I LOVED:

Savchenko winning gold in pairs after FIVE Olympics.

That’s insane and to do it as one of the older ladies in a competition littered with fifteen year-olds was thrilling to watch. The whole scene afterwards where she was crying into Duhammel’s shoulder was lovely too. 

Adam Rippon being Adam. He was just so much fun the entire games, and I’m so thrilled he skated his best. 

Nathan’s comeback long program–while I would’ve loved for him to edge onto the podium, that was a killer, record-setting performance.

Javier Fernandez- I sang Man of LaMancha for DAYS. His exhibition program was also the most entertaining. In a sea of angst, he was a ray of Spanish sunshine. 

Mirai Nagasu’s triple axel in the team competition–STUNNING JUMP. 

The wardrobe malfunctions in ice dance. I know, this sounds mean, but there’s nothing more gripping than watching a program, KNOWING something is clearly wrong and seeing how the skater deals with it. 

The Knierem’s having the skate of their life in the team event. Also, they’re so cute together. #relationship goals.

Carolina Kostner–still slaying it in a field of kids half her age. 

Watching the entire fandom go batshit when the Japanese pair skated to Yuri on Ice...even though they’ve been doing that program all season. The reactions were very entertaining though!

Seeing what level of Ceasar Flickerman vibe we were gonna get from Johnny Weir each night. Those outfits were something. 

THINGS I DIDN’T LOVE:

The strange scoring for some of the events. Some of the scores were suspect to me. There was NO WAY that Kolyada should have outscored Adam Rippon in the team event. Even with the difference in start value, Kolyada barely performed and his PCS was much too high. I also think there was some strange scoring going on in the Ladies’ event. Zagitova’s SP was overscored, definitely on PCS, but maybe a bit on the technical side, too. 

That the classical programs seemed to be better received by the judges. These are SO. TIRED. Skaters shouldn’t be punished for trying to be artistic and do something different in an ARTISTIC SPORT. 

The clear imbalance between the technical side of the sport and the artistic side of the sport. When the new scoring system was put in place, it was meant to keep both sides relatively in balance, so they counted for the same amount. However, the technical side has run rampant, so now it matters much more. Therefore, the sport is rewarding underwhelming performances across the board. I think they need to cap the number of modifications one can do to jumps (arms over the head, etc.) as well as the number of quads you can do in order to make the artistic side count for more. 

Tights over the boots. Yes, we did that back in my day…but no one does that anymore. 

THE TUTU SKIRTS!

The fact that once again, age trumps experience and artistry. Toepick and I think that the women’s competitive age should be moved to seventeen or eighteen to level the playing field in the Ladies’ event. It’s completely impossible to stan a skater because the turnover is so high, since puberty negatively effects female skaters and many quit much earlier because they can’t keep up. 

That NBC only showed American viewers five or six numbers from the Gala and I can’t find a full broacast anywhere else that I have access to. What’s up with that?!

THINGS I LOVED OUTSIDE OF SKATING:

Sean White crying as he won a gold medal.

THE US MEN WINNING THAT CURLING GOLD MEDAL. OMG THAT FIVE POINT END WAS GLORIOUS. I WAS SCREAMING AT MY TV!