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 Thursday, September 6, 2001
Training routines are key to success
By Peter Carruthers
Special to ABC Sports.com
ABC Sports skating analyst and Olympic silver medallist Peter Carruthers stopped by to answer some of your questions about figure skating courtesy of ABC Sports Online.
Carruthers answered user questions on a variety of topics, including overuse injuries, Michelle Kwan's chances at the Olympics and competitive scoring by judges. Below are those responses to users who emailed their questions.
I noticed that Michelle Kwan added something to her spiral sequence. Usually she performs her signature KWAN spiral (Right Forward inside edge/forward outside edge), but this year she added a Left back spiral also. Is this a new ISU rule?
C. Tang, Silver Spring, MD
If you are talking about the short program, here are the rules for the spiral step sequence and I am taking this directly from the ISU rulebook: The spiral step sequence consists primarily of spirals, either commencing at the end of the ice surface, progressing in bold curves and ending at the opposite end of the ice surface (serpentine) or skated in a complete circle or oval utilizing the full width of the ice surface (circular) or a combination of the two.
At least three spiral positions must be executed. Pushes in order to gain speed are permitted. Connecting steps (including spread eagles and two footed movements with one leg extended and the other bent, or Ina Bauer) turns, small jumps (of not more than one half a revolution) are permitted at any point in the sequence. Except during such pushes, steps, turns and small jumps, the competitor must be primarily in a spiral position, that is with the free leg higher than the hip level and variations of the position are permitted, including holding the knee or skate blade and the position of the free leg is otherwise free.
Why do people say so and so was held "down" because they skated first and therefore they didn't win. Is this as true as fans would like it to be? Don't the judges have the option to keep all the following scores lower than the first skaters if they skated the best?
Jackie Campbell, Springfield, VA
They do and this is the way the system should operate. What the judges do not want to do is box themselves in with a high mark for a skater that skates first in the last group and then have nowhere to go with the marks for the following skaters. That's where the scoring becomes tricky.
Has any ice skating pair ever successfully performed a quadruple twist in which the man throws the woman in the air and she twists four times and then he catches her?
Maggie Phan, Brooklyn, NY
Possibly in practice. This move will require great height and fast rotation and it will be with a pair that has quite a size difference. In all likelihood, the man will be about a foot taller than his partner so that he can throw her high enough so that she can complete the rotation of four turns.
What do you think of Michelle Kwan's chance of winning the Olympic gold? I love her skating but I feel that she might have lost her desire to win? Or is she simply preserving herself for the big push next year?
W. Cook, Rutherford, NJ
Tough question. In my opinion, it will depend on how much she wants to win. She knows what it takes to be a champion. And if that hunger to be the best is still there, her chances are as good as any of her competitors.
What is the single most effective off ice training for competing skaters (not necessarily headed for the Olympics)? And what is the most effective prevention of overuse injuries in figure skaters? Do most coaches in your opinion not take overuse injuries seriously enough?
Annette Thomas, West Bend, Wisconsin
Every skater has a different off ice training routine. Usually one will devise a custom program that works for that individual skater, such as weight lifting, plyometrics, dance (ballet, jazz) or aerobic conditioning. Sometimes it is found that equipment can cause injuries in skating, such as tendinitis. If the boot, for example, is twisted on the skater's foot, than the foot doesn't lie in the correct position within the boot, therefore causing irritation. This can be a major factor.
As far as injuries and overuse goes, it is important for a coach to realize when a skarter is overtrained or making an injury worse. A coach must be sensitive to the skater's overall physical health.
I'm concerned about repetitive overuse injuries like stress fractures and groin pulls that we hear about more and more in top skaters like Naomi Nari Nam, Michael Weiss, and Elvis Stojko. Is the ISU inviting problems by encouraging more quads and triple-triples? Are we just plain over-training, over-scheduling and over-competing eligible skaters?
Rob Moes, Boston, MA
A skater must have a good training program, with good equipment (skate boots and blades) and a schedule that allows them the time they need to recover from both practice and competition. With the popularity of skating this is difficult because the schedule is much more demanding these days. As far as skaters cutting back on rotation in jumps, I do not see that happening. It is human nature to press the envelope in athletic competition, - - to skate faster, jump higher and spin faster.
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