More top sportswomen being replaced

[Ingenieur]

More "it never happens" news, Finland has new representation at the 2023 European Figure Skating Championships that could have gone to a woman

Twitter - 2023 Figure Skating Championships

Wow, that is one shit skater!

Another man who’d never have been given the job until he put on dangly earrings, a short skirt and clown-style make up 🤨

The whole thing is just so insulting. “Look at me, I’m a woman!” <clowns around in pantomine costume>

A shame. I would have preferred to watch the woman whose place he stole.

No it was one on Rumble where he starts in a ballet class, then skates dressed as Xena. In the ballet class, he's wearing pointe shoes even though he was clearly sub-beginner. I'm not saying he's good at skating. He's awful, he has no flow or grace. But in both the video you posted and the one I saw, he is spinning reasonably well on one leg, whereas at the European Championship opener, he flubs a three-turn, a significantly easier element.

I think he looks like French and Saunders doing a pisstake

And aptly demonstrates that no, not everyone can skate.

I could do better than that and I have a problem with my inner ear so I have all the balance of a dead duck.

The article from the link up thread.

“The hobby completely absorbed Minna-Maari Antikainen. So deeply that alongside practicing spin kicks and turns, he took on an almost impossible goal, competing. With the new goal, he would be able to work on elements that are important to him, such as program themes, music, performance costumes, masks and hairstyles.”

mmmm….

“program themes, music, performance costumes, masks and hairstyles.”

But not actually focused on figure skating.

To be fair, it wasn't supposed to be showcasing people who can skate. It was something like 'you can be who you are, everyone can skate'. Well, obviously not, but everyone is welcome to try!

But shouldn’t it at least be about people who’ve worked hard to make the most of their abilities? There’s nothing about being a TW that would make a person intrinsically bad at skating.

If there was a disability involved then you could understand showcasing someone who is objectively not very good, if they were pushing some kind of limit of their disability. But this is so odd and patronising. I get that he’s old but there must be more competent older skaters they could showcase!

Especially because figure skating has a reputation for being “LGBTQ” friendly anyway - they’re hardly going to put an incompetent gay male skater on display like that when there are plenty of very talented gay men in the sport, so why do it with a “trans woman?” What do they think the message is?

So odd - I've never heard a female athlete talk about her dream of being 'a princess' before. I wonder why that is.

That 'Japanese' one is fucking racist too.

The thing is, international competition in any sport is not inclusive. That's literally the point of it. If this, then why not other - I dunno, are they saying trans is a disability? Honestly, it's all nuts [baboomtish] and doesn't even make sense on its own terms.

Exactly. Inclusion is about equality of opportunity, not pity points. So yes to an older woman. Or they could have featured a local youngster. Then at least the skating ineptitude would have been cute.

That Geisha costume...oof.

This has a look of "special needs" but without a carer who might intervene and suggest appropriate costumes. It all feels so uncomfortable and odd, without the sympathy and cheer you would normally give an adult who has development disabilities.

Just want to take a minute to celebrate the young female skater who took pity on this lump of a chap writhing around on his knees, unable to get back up.

Like Bambi, if Bambi had been about a portly, middle aged hippopotamus, rather than a spindly, young fawn.

Everyone else continued to gracefully skate around, waving their flags and enjoying the moment they had rehearsed for, whereas she sacrificed her own performance moment in order to shorten Minna-Maari’s misery.

(The two hi-vis blokes in the background are the cherry on top of this exquisitely bizarre Finnish ice skating cake)

If this, then why not other - I dunno, are they saying trans is a disability?

They did have people with intellectual disabilities skating apparently! It’s only the opening ceremony and I think it’s lovely to have an “inclusive” theme.

But by featuring this person it does seem like they are saying being trans is a disability, and it’s almost like mocking the whole idea of inclusive sports. I’ve known Special Olympics athletes. They might not be able to perform at the level of an athlete without disabilities but they weren’t in it for pity points. They’re not clowns. This person on the other hand, presumably not actually disabled… I don’t know.

I’m not sure I’m expressing myself well but this version of “inclusive” is upsetting me. Athletes with disabilities are also doing their best - what the fuck is this person doing and why are other athletes who are doing their best sharing the spotlight with them?