Figure Skating Research Articles

Hyperathletic Artistry: Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu Performing Asian Masculinities

The Chinese American skater Nathan Chen and the Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu have demonstrated what we call a ‘hyperathletic-artistic turn’: recognizing an almost superhuman, quad-jumping ability along with an equally developed artistic side. This article closely analyses their 2018 Olympic season performances exploring costuming, music, dance choreography, and jumping ability. While Chen's balletic and dancerly choreography – a ‘return of the dancer’ aesthetic – maintains an individualistic maverick instead of commercially recognisable macho hypermasculinity, Hanyu's ‘soft masculine queer turn’ draws from the queer costuming and mannerisms of Johnny Weir and the confidence of Evgeni Plushenko. Through their performances and choreography, we argue that Chen and Hanyu importantly carve out emerging artistic forms of East Asian and Asian-American masculinities in the predominantly white sport of figure skating. These skaters are part of a driving force in an East Asian turn in men's figure skating.

Case in Point: Skating Into Sports Medicine

Patients deserve an opportunity to tell clinicians and researchers their views about how sports medicine could better address their needs. In our “Case in Point” article, we provide an internationally competitive figure skater with a chance to identify her community’s needs and suggest solutions. We then have a clinician who works with skaters provide their perspective on the skater’s call to action. Finally, a researcher shares suggestions based on the views of the skater and clinician. We hope this “Case in Point” article highlights how novel clinical and research ideas can be sparked by creating a forum for athletes/patients, providers, and researchers to share ideas.

Study of humoral immunity indices for assessing physical exhaustion in sports

Studies of real opportunities for physical skills of athletes sufficiently depend on their adaptive potential for increasing physical loads. Extreme physical and psychoemotional loads may lead to overwork and decreased physical ability in professional sportsmen. These adaptation processes are regulated by the main biochemical systems of the body. A special role belongs to the factors of humoral immunity, i.e., natural antibodies, which are a component of innate immunity. They circulate in blood of healthy persons in absence of obvious antigenic stimulation. Analytical techniques for measuring the level of natural antibodies that reflect the state of the system of endogenous bioregulators involved into the molecular mechanisms of adaptation process have been developed. An important role among them is played by the regulators of the opioid system β-endorphin and orphanin. The biochemical and immunological parameters were determined in 10 athletes active in figure skating (Master of Sports), whose average age was 16±0.4 years, and sport experience of 9±1 years. The duration of the study was divided into 5 stages and was 62 days. During the dynamic observations in the course of intensive training, no clear shifts in biochemical parameters were revealed towards adaptation stress and delayed recovery. The level of natural antibodies to orphanin and beta-endorphin was measured in the athletes blood serum by ELISA techique. It is found that each athlete is characterized by individual immune profile. At the initial stage of the examination, the level of antibodies to beta-endorphin was within normal ranges, except for its decrease in one athlete. The level of antibodies to orphanin in majority of cases was higher than normal, probably, due to inhibitory control of the pain signal. Further study in time dynamics revealed that the immunological parameters, natural antibodies to opioid peptides, change in accordance with the state of adaptation resources in the athletes. These indexes reflect psycho-emotional potential and pain tolerance threshold for athletes from the start of training and throughout the entire period. Therefore, from a prognostic point of view, it is important to monitor the content of natural antibodies to beta-endorphin and orphanin in athletes in the course of training. Such individual monitoring of the athlete’s immunological indices allows us to select a more effective, personal training program.

The Co-Regulatory Coaching Interface Model: A Case Study of a Figure Skating Dyad

Very little research has investigated co-regulated learning (CRL; Hadwin et al., 2011) in the context of sport coaching for skill acquisition. Although research indicates self-regulated learning (SRL) helps elite competitive athletes optimize their skill acquisition (McCardle et al., 2019), coaching literature has yet to examine how co-regulated learning experiences in joint work between a coach and athlete are associated with SRL competencies in an athlete. Thus, the objective of this instrumental case study was to describe the nature of joint work between an experienced female coach (aged 53, national level) and a male figure skater (aged 15, provincial level) in a naturalistic environment. Season-long data collection involved analysis of recorded dialogue at 16 practices and three interviews with each participant. Using inductive reflexive thematic analysis, we developed higher-order themes related to macro- and micro-levels of CRL, and implications of the coach’s progression on the development of SRL. The Co-regulatory Coaching Interface Model, representing micro CRL interactions, outlines contributions from each member and dialogue processes facilitating skill acquisition. SRL was both an expected contributor to, and a consequence of interface interactions. We discuss coach-athlete dyadic processes, what they mean for athletes’ self-practice time, and how the model contributes a new perspective on collaborative work between coaches and athletes that has not been emphasized in the coaching science on talent development.

Slang of Figure Skating Fans in Russian Internet Communication

The article is devoted to the study of the sports slang features of figure skating fans in the modern Russian. The relevance of the study is due to the increased interest of domestic fans in figure skating, which was expressed in numerous author’s materials and comments on the Internet. The research was conducted on the material of the texts published on the Internet platform “Zen” for 2021—2022. The material includes 115 slang units. The main functions of modern sports slangisms in the sphere of “Figure skating” (nominative, expressiveevaluative, identifying, function of language economy) were studied. The main thematic groups of studied slangisms, represented by the names of sports competitions, programs and elements, figure skaters, athletes, coaches, ratings, fans / supporters, sports organizations are established. The main productive wordformation models of lexical elements of modern sports slang in the sphere of “Figure skating"” in Russian-language Internet communication are revealed. Conclusions are made that the most productive way of word formation of slangisms in the field of “Figure skating” are abbreviations of various types.

Analysis of the competitive activity of skaters at the stage of specialized basic training

The stage of specialized basic training is important in the further development of sports skills of male and female figure skaters. At this stage of training, mastering, and improving complex jumps, rotations, jumps in rotation, step paths and spirals, which will form the basis of high sports results in the future. Purpose: determination of the features of the competitive activity of figure skaters and the structure of ensuring the competitive result. Methodology: To solve the set goal and tasks of the research, a complex of interrelated methods was used, including methods of the theoretical level of research (analysis, comparison, induction, deduction, systematization and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, regulatory and legal documents and information resources of the Internet with problems of special training of skaters at the stage of specialized basic training in the preparatory period); empirical research methods (pedagogical observation, pedagogical experiment to determine the effectiveness of the developed program for improving the special physical training of skaters at the stage of specialized basic training in the preparatory period, evaluation of competitive activity, general and special physical fitness); mathematical statistics (factor analysis). Scientific novelty: The results of the factor analysis of ensuring the competitive result showed for the first time that the largest percentage of variance (46.24%) among skaters was attributed to the speed-power factor, 33.25% to the coordination factor, and 18.32% to the flexibility factor. In figure skaters, a slightly different factor structure of ensuring a competitive result was observed: in the first place was the coordination factor, the percentage of the total variance of which is equal to 43.66%, in the second place - the speed-power factor (30.69%), in the third place - the flexibility factor (19.65 %). Conclusions: at the stage of specialized basic training, coordination abilities and indicators of vestibular stability play the most important role in the success of competitive activity in figure skaters, and in figure skaters – speed and strength, which must be considered during the development of an experimental program for improving special physical fitness.

Physical complaints and participation habits in female artistic roller skaters

Introduction: Educational and health professionals need to acquire knowledge about the specific needs of figure skaters, aiming at their effectiveness in training and preventing physical complaints (PC) or injuries. Thus, it is essential not only to characterize the participants and participation habits but also to understand how associations between the characterization and the practitioners' participation habits can influence the frequency of PC or injuries. Objective: To associate the different participation habits and frequency of PC in female figure skaters in the last 12 months. Methods: A web-based survey was developed to gather epidemiological details on female artistic roller skaters. The self-response questionnaire covered participant details, participation habits, injury history, and PC within the last 12 months. Participants were invited through official and informal communication channels devoted to artistic roller skating. Results: This study included 143 female artistic roller skaters. Sixty-seven (46.9%) participants experienced 175 episodes (injuries or PC) within the last 12 months, an average of 2.61 complaints per skater. Significant relationships between chronic health conditions (CHC) with category and level of tournaments were found. A higher percentage of skaters with CHC (77.8%) participated in national-level tournaments. Older athletes with previous injuries were at greater risk of injury. A significant relationship was found between previous injuries and PC. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that artistic roller-skating PC are frequent. Changing coaches throughout the athlete's career, increasing the number and hours of training per week, and changing equipment such as boots, or chassis are more likely to have PC. Keywords: artistic roller skating; injuries frequency; participation rates; physical complaints; web-based questionnaire.

Disablement in figure skating: Media, celebrity, spectacle

Blood on the ice. Cheers when the injured athlete stands and limps off the field. Comebacks, backflips, and back injuries. Celebrity athletes are punished and rewarded for their abilities, including their ability to perform while injured or work through pain. Injuries, illness, disablement, and even death are not uncommon in celebrity culture broadly and the field of competitive sports more specifically. While critical disability studies often attends to disabled celebrities, less research and critical attention has been paid to the disablement of celebrity and the expectation and performance of injury or illness understood through the lens of ablenationalism. Focusing on international figure skating and the 2022 Winter Olympics, this paper offers a supercripping of athletic celebrity by interrogating how gender, race, age, and nationality impact a global audience’s view of vulnerability, risk, and harm. Analyzing media coverage of the event alongside popular discourse uncovers the impact of nationalism, white supremacy, and patriarchy on sports narratives and celebrity cultures of debilitation and disablement.

MANAGERIAL STUDY ON PERFORMANCE LEVEL WITHIN CSS - SPECIALIZATION IN WINTER SPORTS (HARGHITA COUNTY)

ABSTRACT. The study of management research of the educational system of performance in winter sports in Harghita County presents a spreadsheet situation for an Olympic cycle period with medal results for winter sports – biathlon, ice hockey, figure skating, cross-country skiing. The goal of the research consists in identifying the most valuable results in the given sport through SWOT analysis. The hypothesis of the research starts out from the presupposition that through a sport management analysis based on a progress rate, according to the evolution during the Olympic cycle, there can be chosen from the CSS M-Ciuc young athletes who can reach the III-IV stage of training at national and international performance level. We believe that on the basis of results, through the use of a specially proposed, age-adapted training program optimal high level performance can be reached. We propose a SWOT analysis for every winter sport apart in order to identify the strengths and weaknesses within the activity of organizational structures, as well as opportunities and the causes that threaten from the outside the activity conducted by the managers of the ISJ Harghita.

Attitudes towards LGBTQ+ Inclusion in Canadian Figure Skating

Background: As part of an examination of the current climate regarding gender and sexual diversity in figure skating, this paper reports on a 2019 pilot study examining the attitudes of athletes, coaches, officials, and administrators at Skate Canada (the national figure skating organization). Objectives: To describe attitudes towards LGBTQ+ inclusion in figure skating; to assess whether attitudes vary by gender, sexual identity, or level of participation in skating; and to examine the impact of contact with LGBTQ+ people on attitudes towards inclusion. Methods: We conducted an online survey of 106 Skate Canada members in 2019, including attitudinal, demographic, and inter-group contact questions. We employed factor analysis to summarize the attitudinal questions, and multiple regression analyses to examine the effects of demographic and contact variables on attitudes. Results: Four main factors emerged, reflecting a continuum of passive to active support for diversity and inclusion in skating. Although all respondents’ attitudes toward LGBTQ+ inclusion in figure skating were mostly positive, athletes and coaches were significantly less likely to believe that skating is an inclusive environment than volunteers and officials. Additionally, those who identified as gender and/or sexually diverse scored significantly higher on the personal advocacy factor. In the multiple regression analyses, more frequent contact with LGBTQ+ individuals was associated with significant increases in both passive and active support for inclusion. Conclusion: Gender and sexually diverse respondents, and those with more frequent contact with LGBTQ+ individuals, demonstrated higher levels of both active and passive support for inclusion in Canadian figure skating. We recommend that sports organizations should conduct ongoing attitudinal surveys of their membership to monitor progress towards LGBTQ+ inclusion, and should remain attuned to the unique experiences of LGBTQ+ athletes and coaches.

A cross-sectional study of anxiety and depression caseness in female competitive figure skaters in Sweden

ObjectivesLittle is known about figure skaters’ mental health. This study aimed to describe anxiety and depression caseness (defined as a screening condition qualifying for psychiatric examination) in competitive figure skaters...

Жанр интернет-комментария: аксиологический аспект

The article presents the analysis of evaluation in the speech genre “Internet comment” and focuses on the ways and means of its expression. The research is based on the comments on Instagram (organization banned on the territory of the Russian Federation) posts about sports, namely figure skating. The authors of the article define two relevant factors determining axiological characteristics of the Internet comment: anonymity of Internet communication and the desire of many users to stand out from other commentators. The anonymity factor leads to a more frequent use of negative evaluation and more explicit ways of its expression: online communication gives users more freedom in expressing their opinions. Since for many people expressing their opinion is equivalent to expressing disagreement with an opposite point of view, negative evaluation in the analyzed Internet comments significantly prevails over positive evaluation. Furthermore, anonymous and remote communication in cyberspace provides a suitable environment for criticizing other people’s ideas neglecting etiquette rules obligatory for face-to-face communication. The general tendency towards rather negative attitudes in the analyzed Internet comments results in more various means of expressing negative evaluation compared with the ones of expressing positive evaluation because users criticizing an Internet post may try to find more original ways of articulating their views. Thus, the research revealed that positive evaluation is mostly expressed with the help of evaluative vocabulary whereas negative evaluation in the analyzed comments can be also expressed by means of specific vocabulary as well as rhetorical questions, rhetorical exclamations, metaphors, neologisms. Indirect means of expressing evaluation can draw more attention to a comment, foster linguistic persuasion which finally helps the author of an Internet comment stand out from the crowd.

The effectiveness of the program for improving the physical fitness of skaters at the stage of specialized basic training

The professionalization of the sport of the highest achievements determines high requirements for the special preparation of skaters, sets new complex theoretical and practical tasks, which in turn causes the need for further search for perfect means and methods of training in figure skating in order to achieve victory on the world stage. The purpose of the research is to determine the effectiveness of the program for improving the physical fitness of skaters at the stage of specialized basic training. Research methodology. The work used the methods of the theoretical level of research: analysis, comparison, induction, deduction, systematization and generalization of scientific and methodological literature, regulatory and legal documents; empirical research methods (pedagogical experiment and pedagogical testing of the level of physical fitness of figure skaters). The results. According to our experimental training program for male and female figure skaters, within the mesocycles of the general training stage, it was stipulated that in the engaging mesocycle, 60% of the time is allocated to general physical training, 20% to special and choreographic training; in the first basic mesocycle - for the corresponding training sections of 50%, 30% and 20%. Within the second basic mesocycle, 50% of time is allocated to general physical training, 20% to special training, 20% to choreographic training, and 10% to psychological training. Conclusions. Based on the results of the research, the effectiveness of the experimental training program in improving the results of the general (p<0.001) physical fitness of male and female skaters in the preparatory period at the stage of specialized basic training was established.

Effect of increased protein intake and exogenous ketosis on body composition, energy expenditure and exercise capacity during a hypocaloric diet in recreational female athletes.

Introduction: Since low body weight is an important determinant of success in many sports such as gymnastics, martial arts and figure skating, athletes can benefit from effective weight loss strategies that preserve muscle mass and athletic performance. The present study investigates the effects of increased protein intake and exogenous ketosis on body composition, energy expenditure, exercise capacity, and perceptions of appetite and well-being during a hypocaloric diet in females. Methods: Thirty-two female recreational athletes (age: 22.2 ± .5years; body weight: 58.3 ± .8kg; BMI: 20.8 ± .2kg·m-2) underwent 4 weeks of 30% caloric restriction and were randomized to receive either an increased daily amount of dietary protein (PROT, ∼2.0-2.2g protein·kg-1·day-1), 3 × 20g·day-1 of a ketone ester (KE), or an isocaloric placebo (PLA). Body composition was measured by DXA, resting energy expenditure (REE) by indirect calorimetry, exercise capacity during a VO2max test, appetite hormones were measured in serum, and perceptions of general well-being were evaluated via questionnaires. Results: The hypocaloric diet reduced body weight by 3.8 ± .3kg in PLA, 3.2 ± .3kg in KE and 2.4 ± .2kg in PROT (Ptime<.0001). The drop in fat mass was similar between treatments (average: 2.6 ± .1kg, Ptime<.0001), while muscle mass was only reduced in PLA and KE (average: .8 ± .2kg, Ptime<.05), and remained preserved in PROT (Pinteraction<.01). REE [adjusted for lean mass] was reduced after caloric restriction in PLA (pre: 32.7 ± .5, post: 28.5 ± .6kcal·day-1·kg-1) and PROT (pre: 32.9 ± 1.0, post: 28.4 ± 1.0kcal·day-1·kg-1), but not in KE (pre: 31.8 ± .9, post: 30.4 ± .8kcal·day-1·kg-1) (Pinteraction<.005). Furthermore, time to exhaustion during the VO2max test decreased in PLA (by 2.5 ± .7%, p < .05) but not in KE and PROT (Pinteraction<.05). Lastly, the perception of overall stress increased in PLA and PROT (p < .05), but not in KE (Pinteraction<.05). Conclusion: Increased protein intake effectively prevented muscle wasting and maintained exercise capacity during a period of caloric restriction in female recreational athletes. Furthermore, exogenous ketosis did not affect body composition, but showed its potential in weight management by preserving a drop in exercise capacity and REE and by improving overall stress parameters during a period of caloric restriction.

Asian sporting masculinities in figure skating: media representations of Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu as rivals

In sport and sport media, figure skating is often perceived as ‘feminine’ and male skaters frequently occupy an ambiguous position, especially for Asian (American) athletes in a historically White-dominated sport. Based on discourse analysis, this article compares how English- and Japanese-language news narratives represent elite male figure skaters Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu, who are close rivals and skate for the United States and Japan respectively. We demonstrate how English-language media reinforce (U.S.) nationalism by portraying ‘Quad King’ Chen as hypermasculine for his athleticism and ‘Ice Prince’ Hanyu as feminized for his exceptional artistry. Despite being pitted against each other, we argue that in Japanese media narratives, their convivial rivalry and sportsmanship reveal what we call ‘Asian sporting masculinities’, alternative constructions of masculinities complicating monolithic stable understandings of masculinity in or congruous with the West. This study advances critical media and cultural studies by rethinking masculinities in Asian sporting bodies.

MLA-LSTM: A Local and Global Location Attention LSTM Learning Model for Scoring Figure Skating

Video-based scoring using neural networks is a very important means for evaluating many sports, especially figure skating. Although many methods for evaluating action quality have been proposed, there is no uniform conclusion on the best feature extractor and clip length for the existing methods. Furthermore, during the feature aggregation stage, these methods cannot accurately locate the target information. To address these tasks, firstly, we systematically compare the effects of the figure skating model with three different feature extractors (C3D, I3D, R3D) and four different segment lengths (5, 8, 16, 32). Secondly, we propose a Multi-Scale Location Attention Module (MS-LAM) to capture the location information of athletes in different video frames. Finally, we present a novel Multi-scale Location Attentive Long Short-Term Memory (MLA-LSTM), which can efficiently learn local and global sequence information in each video. In addition, our proposed model has been validated on the Fis-V and MIT-Skate datasets. The experimental results show that I3D and 32 frames per second are the best feature extractor and clip length for video scoring tasks. In addition, our model outperforms the current state-of-the-art method hybrid dynAmic-statiC conText-aware attentION NETwork (ACTION-NET), especially on MIT-Skate (by 0.069 on Spearman’s rank correlation). In addition, it achieves average improvements of 0.059 on Fis-V compared with Multi-scale convolutional skip Self-attentive LSTM Module (MS-LSTM). It demonstrates the effectiveness of our models in learning to score figure skating videos.

The role of self-perception in figure skating

The role of self-perception in figure skating

EFEITOS DO TREINO DE ALONGAMENTO SOBRE A FORÇA DE EXPLOSÃO NOS MEMBROS INFERIORES DOS ATLETAS DE PATINAÇÃO ARTÍSTICA

ABSTRACT Introduction Figure skating is characterized by a high degree of flexibility, balance, and technical precision. It belongs to the sports group that combines high speed and endurance. Therefore, it is very important for athletes to correctly master these techniques and physical strength and execute precise movements in their performances. Objective Explore the effect of stretching training on the lower limb explosive strength of figure skating athletes. Methods 20 outstanding male figure skaters from the Chinese team were selected as volunteers. The experimental method was used using the OPTOJUMP test system, among other instruments, for comparison of pre and post-intervention results. Results Through scientific observation, it was found that skaters have less requirement for upper limb strength training, minimizing its importance because upper limb strength training can assist in motor coordination of athletes’ lower limbs and help them stabilize to perform dynamic movements. Therefore upper limb strength training is also emphasized in the proposed training. Conclusion The stretching training on the lower limb strength of figure skating athletes proved to be useful for the improvement of performance and execution of the intrinsic movements of the sport. Level of evidence II; Therapeutic studies - investigation of treatment outcomes.

Using an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Approach for Fear of (Re)Injury With a Competitive Figure Skater

This case study outlines the sport psychology service delivery provided to an 18-year-old competitive figure skater. The client reported fearing (re)injury in training following her return to sport, which hindered her performance and concentration in training. An acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) intervention was implemented over six sessions across a 3-month period. The ACT matrix was used to conceptualize the client’s “stuckness” and provide a foundation for the strategies and techniques implemented. The aim of our work was to increase psychological flexibility, helping the client sit with, rather than change or remove, her unhelpful thoughts, moving her toward the athlete she wanted to be. This case reports how psychological flexibility was achieved through exercises to help the client “unhook” from her thoughts around fear of injury. Reflections from the client and practitioner capture the evaluation of the service delivery process.

Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for Unhelpful Thinking Toward Body Image With an Elite Figure Skater

We outline the sport psychology service delivery provided to a 23-year-old elite figure skater who reported unhelpful thoughts about her body image that hindered her performance and concentration in training. An acceptance and commitment therapy intervention was implemented over 12 sessions across a 6-month period. The acceptance and commitment therapy matrix was used to conceptualize the client’s “stuckness” and provide a foundation for the techniques implemented. The aim of our work was to increase psychological flexibility, helping the client sit with, rather than change or remove, her unhelpful thoughts, moving her toward the athlete she wanted to be. This case reports how psychological flexibility was achieved through exercises to help the client “unhook” from her unhelpful thoughts about body image. Reflections from the client were obtained to monitor and evaluate the service delivery process. The trainee’s reflections on practice highlight the unpredictability of presenting problems disclosed during service delivery, the isolating and challenging nature of working with elite athletes in private practice, and the need for practitioners to understand the theoretical orientations of their approach.