Figure Skating is not a sport!
I’ve had this argument with my wife lately. She is an artistic type who happens to enjoy figure skating.
But it is not a sport! Any activity that winning or losing is based on the opinion of someone else does not qualify to me as a sport.
In freestyle skiing, style points are awarded but the tangible element is also speed. In bobsled or the luge, whoever gets to the bottom in the fastest amount of time is the winner. Speed skating is a sport too.
Figure skating is not a sport. It requires athletic ability, no doubt, but then again so does getting out of bed in the morning.
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POSTED IN: Figure Skating
19 opinions for Figure Skating is not a sport!
Bald Man
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:16 pm
PREACH IT!!!
The need for strength, agility, and skill do not make something a sport. Objective scoring standards do. Artistic merit is NOT objective.
brem
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:21 pm
Is Golf a sport?
Is Archery a sport?
In both cases, you can be morbidely obese and still be quite good at it :)
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:23 pm
Yes and in both cases there is an objective way to win. Not some half-ass judging that awards the win to one person or another. In golf, a score is kept based on number of shots. In archery, points are kept for where the arrow goes.
brem
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:27 pm
okay, then what is your definition of an athlete?
HART
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:29 pm
Unfortunately, then you’d have to get rid of a lot of Summer Olympic sports too .. like gymnastics, diving, and um… there must be more subjective events …. I think it would be different, if they had an hour or so to review everything in detail with slow motion replay. It’s even worse for me, when they not only are subjective - they do it in 2 minutes .. it’s like speed dating.
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:30 pm
Defining athlete is beside the point. I think we all agree figure skating requires athletic ability. I think the question should be what is a sport.
The only thing I’m challenging is figure skating as a sport! ;)
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:31 pm
Hart: I’m okay with losing those as “sports”. :p
brem
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:35 pm
according to wikipedia:
A sport consists of a physical and mentally competitive activity carried out with a recreational purpose for competition, for self-enjoyment, to attain excellence, for the development of a skill, or some combination of these. A sport has physical activity, side by side competition, self-motivation and a scoring system. The difference of purpose is what characterises sport, combined with the notion of individual (or team) skill or prowess.
Unless you find me another definition of sport. (and I want it to be that well written too!), Figure skating is a sport, Aaron ;)
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:36 pm
Who cares about Wikipedia? :-) This is about my opinion! :-)
brem
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:39 pm
oh okay.
so that’s like a non-argument.
You know, some people think the earth is flat and that God exists.
Are you telling me that sport is a matter of faith over facts? :)
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:42 pm
The earth is flat. Duh.
brem
Feb 20, 2006 at 5:43 pm
ROTFLMAO
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 6:18 pm
Any joker knows that.
Bald Man
Feb 20, 2006 at 6:52 pm
Wikipedia is clearly wrong. Come on:
* The performances are set to music
* They’re called programs
* Choreography is a factor in judging (Didn’t the old scoring system have an “artistic interpretation” component?)
* It’s sister is Ice DANCING!
And if that doesn’t persuade you…
THE SEQUINS!!! LOOK AT ALL THE SEQUINS!!! CAN IT SERIOUSLY BE A SPORT IF YOU WEAR SEQUINS!!!! THE INHUMANITY!!!
Aaron
Feb 20, 2006 at 6:56 pm
Hahahaaaa
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