[CondoleezzaProtege]

To be fair, I find the title (referring to them as "dolls") rude...Some of these skaters are objectively incredible in their own right. But I do sense there is a sort of formulaic-ness..given the gimmicky signature elements they all share...Like the arms over the head during jumps, etc...similar music...It is sort of like they're being churned out...And I think the country has a lot of control over the judging panels too...

[CondoleezzaProtege]

Ping!

[TigerClaws]

Anti-white hatred going over to sports coverage now.

Imagine them doing such a story on, say, Simone Biles? Never happen.

Part of the propaganda effort to create white hatred.

[KC_Lion]

They all seem like very accomplished young women.

We need to make sure that Female competitive sports do not become an endangered species.

Thank you for the article C.P.!

[outofsalt]

"Puberty can vastly change how a skater performs"

In a world with "trans" athletes I find this refreshingly quaint

[KC_Lion]

For your interest.

[Cecily]

It's just branding or a gimmick, like the Fierce Five and the Fighting Four in Olympic women's gymnastics.

[jimfree]

Reminds one of the evolution of women’s gymnastics in prior decades.

[Tennessee Nana]

Some male will manage 5 in the woman’s competition and those girls will come in 2nd ...

[Scarlett156]

*groans*

[simpson96]

“what’s the cost of success – physically, emotionally and psychologically – for this collection of raw, developing children?”

The Russians don’t care, it’s all about medals and glory.

These girls who do quads are just that - girls, not women. By age 17 or 18 at best, they’re washed up, either from injuries, or from nature taking its course with their bodies finally developing beyond a pencil shape.

[BenLurkin]

What exactly is this article complaining about?

Sports change. Women’s balance beam and floor whatsit changed.

Heck..if they want something to complain about they should be griping about the Designaged Hitter.

[Chauncey Gardiner]

Bill Clinton says four rotations is no big deal.

[SuperLuminal]

We have a granddaughter, now 22, who has been competitively figure skating since she was 6... She is still, as a pre-med student, competing and, part time, teaching young figure skaters...

By the time she was 16, she had skated in the Nationals, gotten her pilots license, and loved training in the gym with her grandfather...

[Bigg Red]

I think “Russian Dolls” is a cute title for them.

[LouAvul]

a skating community that can border on the incestuous

That's a curious statement. Incestuous the way champion dog breeders breed a line too closely in order to reproduce champion traits? Or is there a dark secret among figure skaters?

[Varsity Flight]

Jealousy

[Shery]

For years one had to pass the special figures in the ice...perfect circles, figure 8s, etc. Many really great skaters lost out because they missed one of these figures. Tragic, really!

[FreedomForce]

The Guardian’s woke readership probably won’t like that title.