Onto the Cold Ice
After watching nearly all of the Summer Games, I have barely seen any of the Winter Olympics, as I have been too busy to tune in and the coverage is limited for free-to-air. However, today while working, I have the figure skating on the laptop screen while I work on two monitors. These girls fall incredibly hard at times and then skate away into a pirouette with a smile on their face like it ain't no thang. If I fell that hard, I would slide into the barrier and stay there until stretchered out, and be recalling the fall every time I saw the color white for the rest of my life. These girls are hard.
They are also young. Which is something that the world has apparently forgotten in the topical case of Kamila Valieva, who returned a positive drugs test and controversially, has been able to continue in the competition. That aside, the problem I see with what is going on is how in a world that keeps saying how online bullying is the devil, the way this 15 year old is being talked about and treated, is pretty disgusting - especially since it has been politicized so heavily - Valieva is Russian, not Russia. It also raises other questions concerning the division of responsibility in many areas, including the way the press presents children.
But, there is another question about responsibility in this case, where with someone so young, is Valieva to be blamed, even if she is complicit and knowingly taking performance enhancing substances? Yes, she should still be removed from competition, but with the incentives so high, the pressure from coaches and media and all of that, it is no wonder that these kinds of things happen, especially to the very young. Should "underage" participants be included in competitions at all, considering that while they will face the wrath of the media, they are ultimately not responsible for their situation.
It could be said that Valieva is a victim herself, as even if she agrees to take the drug, "position of power" comes into play also, in regards to whoever has influence over her. She has her career to think about, something that she has done since a child, is incredibly gifted at and probably loves dearly. If she was a young actress and there was a casting couch, would the world be blaming and punishing her for going along with it?
Gets a bit messy with a reframing, doesn't it?
The Olympics are always an excuse to use sport for political point scoring and creating clicks on scandal, but I think that this case is a good example of how the collateral damage caused is of no concern, especially on the side of the media. All they care about is getting those clicks.
Just a moment ago I watched her skate last in the group, after qualifying first going into the long program and, she didn't skate well - compared to how she normally skates. The disappointment on her face was profound, but I wonder how much relief she feels that at least it is over? In a world where most 15 year old's are worried about having their gaming time cut, how much pressure is acceptable to put on the shoulders of an athlete of the same age?
Valieva came in fourth, missing a medal and therefore, the medal ceremony can go ahead as scheduled, rather than being postponed until the doping situation is sorted out. Should we feel sorry for her, or condemn her because it serves her right?
We want to see the best in the world compete, we want to be amazed by the talent of the young, but while their peers are living a life, these kids are putting their heart, soul and body on the line in order to be at the pinnacle of their skill. The world's eyes are on them and during their most self-conscious years where they are learning who they are, the pressure upon them must be incredible, suffocating and yet, we expect them to be their best, not make mistakes and if they do, we will throw them under the bus, blaming them for when they fail to live up to our impossible expectations.
Who's responsibility is it to look after our children?
Every day children are taking their lives after being unable to cope with the challenges of childhood and we call for something to be done, to stop the bullying and the pressure. But, if this child were to succumb to the pressure of global and very public condemnation - who is responsible? Is it her, her guardians and coaches, or those who bullied a child for clicks?
Whatever happens - I hope she gets up from the fallout.
Taraz
[ Gen1: Hive ]
I think that the age of 15 is too young to join such competitions, however much she is brave, self-confident etc. We see that even experienced competitors fails, make mistake, can't bear the pressure.
So how to blame her? Being fourth is a succes for her anyway.
True but only a few people see things that way... I don't think she sees it that way too..
I don't think she sees it as a success either.
It raises some interesting questions - because if they are good enough to be there, it is meant for the best in the world, so they should be. But, they are kids and also have to be considered and treated as such. If she was an unconvicted murderer, her name and face would have been kept out of the media.
The eyes of the public is dangerous for people who ain't emotionally stable and psychologically fit to handle the fame.
I can Imagine a 15yr old striving to please hungry masses and then to have such happen to her...at such an early age... I am more worried for her mental health.
Eyes of the public or the internet in general it seems.
It's sad.
Really sad.
YEAH I've seen people in football getting hit on the face but they get up and start running again if I would get hit I would probably knockout or at least need time to get to my senses player are hard because they do it almost every day
lol - you reminded me of the first day of school. I was walking across a wet oval and had a half flat soccer ball kicked straight into my face... :D
must have hurt like hell
"welcome to school!"
Children do dedicate their all,souls and the effort to the games they play.
But, there are other issues like bullying that makes the growth narrower. I guess, in this case,they are nicely taught and equipped to handle that.
Hope she improves in the result/rank in the days to come :)
It will definitely be a long lasting memory that can not be forgotten so soon in years to come lol
I guess the parents are responsible, everyone should know as a world class athlete the pressure is super high compared to the normal teenagers of her age. And doping is a thing get caught for it is another, but on the world class level get caught for is just the sign someone used an out of date method / stuff… I belive most of them using something, and they just one step ahead of the WADA.
I assume the same. Maybe not all, but many.
The Winter Olympics are so much fun. And children also really like things like that. Very cool snow
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Children like that are being forced to grow up too quickly. They master the skills and achieve some form of perfection at the expense of truly never knowing their childhood.
Yes and there is immense pressure on them and conditions that force them to mature in some ways, but they are still so young in others.
The pressure to perform actually makes you wonder at what age steroids or performance enhancing drugs are introduced. Being 15 she must have been on it for a few years already and most likely is being used more for recovery time. Where is this going to end as athletes very rarely get caught out these days due to advanced techniques and using a specific program calendar. This is seriously wrong and hope she recovers from this. Her name will always be tainted however.
Not sure what was in her system, but the one that was wasn't a steroid and had questionable links to actually enhancing performance from what I read.
Arnold Schwarzenegger was taking anabolic steroids at 15.
THis is the other weird thing - this particular drug is very easy to test for - so no one would really use it.
Do they do this on purpose I wonder to show the others are legitimate (not), but you know where I am going. Someone taking one for the team as the testers cannot find positive results if taken correctly. I put nothing past anyone today and something is definitely not adding up here.
Sometimes I think they should just let them take what they want and we can see how freaky it can get.
I think that is the answer and where we are with the Tour de France now as they are all doing it.
Just us.
As for Valieva: she's not guilty of anything, it's obvious. I'm from Belarus, we watch Russian news every day. From my experience of playing sports in my youth - you don't have a right to choose. You either do what the coach says, or you don't continue your career in sports. And since for most teenagers in Russia, Belarus and Ukraine and several other former Soviet states it's one of the few legal tickets to life, your own parents will often force you to listen to the coach.
Just now the discussion about young athletes like Valieva has begun. Many before her have already lost their health, and some have received a degree of disability, all for the sake of a medal for the country and the unrealized goals of their parents. Parents who put their child's health and childhood on the line for the world... Too bad. But I see it all around me, I understand them in part. I will try not to let my daughter fall under this rink.
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Great to see you here at Sport Talk Social man.
Ha ha, that makes two of us, they are tough as nails!
You make a very good point about these children though, no-one seems to be looking out for their welfare here at all, which os plain wrong and sad to see.