Which is Worse? Figure Skating or Racewalking?

Tell you what - go racewalk a 50k, then learn a figure skating routine and then come back and tell us which one was worse. At least then you'll be talking about something you know instead of blowing hot air out your backside.

Racewalking at least has a racing aspect to it. Figure skating is pure judging.

Your soooo great! wrote:

Tell you what - go racewalk a 50k, then learn a figure skating routine and then come back and tell us which one was worse. At least then you'll be talking about something you know instead of blowing hot air out your backside.

I don't need to. They are ridiculous looking. Do you also want me to become the next Hitler so I can tell you Hitler is bad?

Fair point. I was going to post something similar. To be fair though, you have to be damn fit, strong, flexible and put in hours and hours of practice for the figure skating, so although we may express a preference for one over the other, you have to show the figure skaters themselves some respect, regardless of the criteria used to pick the winner. Those 50k race walking guys (and gals now apparently) are absolute endurance beasts. Some may not like the event, but the training these guys put in is horrendously hard. I'd challenge any of the the self proclaimed lets run track gods to train for a week with a word class 50k race walker and see if they're laughing then.

As far as watchability? Dude watching figure skating in the olympics, it is incredible. You couldn't pay me to watch the whole Olympic 50k racewalk.

Figure skating is dangerous. Particularly for your knees.

Wise One wrote:

This is a tough choice. Both figure skating and racewalking are pretty bad. I don't think I could make a choice. I think both should be banned from the Olympics for being so ridiculous.

Typical narrow minded runner.... Get out of your little shell, not in this lifetime or the next you would be able to hold these skaters jock strap.... these are amazing athletes that work their axxes off six/eight hours a day... and you cant

Synchronized swimming and diving, equestrian, golf, sailing

I was never interested in participating in Racewalking but a friend of mine switched from distance running to that event because he discovered that he was pretty good at it. He trained as hard as any distance runner. Executing this in the proper manner raises the heart rate the same as in distance running. In addition a good segment of the public has no respect for this event as it "looks ridiculous." But watching my friend compete gave me much respect for the event. Would I at least try it? Never

Figure skating also takes much ability and practice. I was glad when they took out the required figures, but like dance it is great to watch.

Race walking. It becomes even more silly when you search the sport in google images and see just how many of the participants frequently cheat by having both feet off the ground.

I got no problem with WOMEN'S figure skating. There shouldn't be a dude's equivalent, though.

As a father of a high level skater (hockey player) and the $$$ we've spent on skating we gained a new level of respect for figure skaters. We can also a appreciate more the finer details with the edges and other footwork than we could prior.

Now as for figure skating being a sport, that is another discussion entirely. I think in a sport there should be a clearly defined winner that all people can agree on. In sports like figure skating the judges themselves can not even agree who the winner is. That is a problem to me. I will however argue just as hard for them being athletes. Many of the best athletes are in subjective sports.

"these are amazing athletes that work their axxes off six/eight hours a day..."

And then they offer themselves up to a group of dubious judges who cynically devalue that effort because of nationalistic biases. It happens almost every time. I can't imagine working as hard as ice-skaters & gymnasts do while knowing full well that their effort to perfect their skills may be short-changed, ignored, devalued. It's much better to race actual opponents with the clock serving as an impartial arbiter than to seek validation by "expert" opinion.

The thing is, you can cry all you want about figure skating and how it shouldn't be a sport or in the Olympics because it's subjective.

The simple fact it that cross country is not going to get added because it's boring and nobody watches it, and figure skating is not going to get removed because it's entertaining and a lot of people watch it.

This goes for a lot of judged sports. Very good to watch. I would stop wasting your tears on the fact that they're in the Olympics, your pathetic sobbing isn't going to change anything.

trollism wrote:

The thing is, you can cry all you want about figure skating and how it shouldn't be a sport or in the Olympics because it's subjective.

The simple fact it that cross country is not going to get added because it's boring and nobody watches it, and figure skating is not going to get removed because it's entertaining and a lot of people watch it.

This goes for a lot of judged sports. Very good to watch. I would stop wasting your tears on the fact that they're in the Olympics, your pathetic sobbing isn't going to change anything.

so we are on the same page then?

Racewalking by far. Anyone can walk. Not everyone can do a single axle, let alone a triple or quadruple.

Which is Worse? Figure Skating or Racewalking? - Synchronized Swimming.

Figure skating is in the Winter Olympics, which are not the real Olympics, so it can stay. Everything in the Winter Olympics is basically a joke.

Race walking should definitely be banned though.