Free Republic

The quadruple jumps that sent Russian world champ Anna Shcherbakova to the gold medal and teammate Alexandra Trusova to the silver — much to her chagrin — along with the failed attempts that dumped 15-year-old Kamila Valieva out of the medals altogether could be a thing of the past by the 2026 Milan Olympics. That's because more and more people are pushing for the age limit in figure skating to be raised above 16 following Valieva's monumental collapse Thursday night. While some young women skaters can land the jump earlier in their teens, it becomes far more difficult as they...

To explain Russian figure skating drama in the simplest way possible. I oversimplified and skipped over a bunch of details just wanted them to grasp the main points. So don't take it too seriously and enjoy!!

Barring a minor miracle, three Russian teenagers would have battled it out for the podium places: 16-year-old Alena Kostornaia and a pair of 15-year-olds, Anna Shcherbakova and Alexandra Trusova. The trio have revolutionized figure skating. What makes them so good? Well, owing to their remarkable jumps, they maximize the technical points on offer. Trusova and Shcherbakova have both mastered skating’s holy grail: the quad, an exhaustive element – and up until recently an unheard-of feat for ladies, which is four full rotations in the air. However, there are concerns. First, rather than a skating competition for women, are we now...