Winter Olympics 2010

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Not Afraid

The ISOU set the rules for figure skating, not the IOC.

True, but the ISU makes changes in response to pressure from Olympic exposure to the sport. The ditching of the 6.0 system in favor of the current system (which now puts more emphasis on technical execution over artistic presentation) is a direct result of the Canadians losing in Salt Lake City in '02. When an aesthetic sport is put in the context of Olympic athletic competition, the expectations change.

I'm not disagreeing that there is merit to the sports, or that there are reasons to admire their participants or enjoy the competition. I just don't think they fit within the context of the Olympics, and I think it does a disservice to the sports to have them there.