This and That: 2022 Olympic Team Event Recap with Meagan Duhamel

[@shantarakelian1998]

Timestamps in progress: 0:00 Introduction with Meagan 0:18 Introduced topic of subject for the video which is about the 2022 Olympic Team event which just had concluded yesterday evening. 0:34 Dave brings up the fact that Meagan has been in 2 team events (2014 and 2018) and asked her about her experiences. Does this diminish the individual results, that was a very good question Dave! What is the significance of the team competition. Meagan said she had no issues competing the team event before the individual event and said the team medal is important. Said it was a different experience 2:46 Meagan haha. Same difference lol 2:55 Team Japan Meagan briefly mentioned it here, they invested in pairs so they could get that medal. 3:45 World Team Trophy and what Meagan thinks of it. Which I find interesting because I’ve always liked it however I do agree with Jonathan with the regards that it isn’t as serious as the Olympic Team event. Dave brings his own insights at 4:44 adds interest and adds noise amongst the fans. 6:14 More on Team Japan 7:24 OMG great Save Meagan lol dying too “real” I’ll stop with my puns 7:52 Kamila Valieva briefly mentioned 8:35 Dave mentioned how in 2018 Tessa and Scott might not have competed in the team FD 12:32 Dave mentions that Meagan didn’t think that Team Canada would make it into the finals in the team event 12:36 Keegan Messing mentioned 12:47 Meagan responding to Dave’s question of what her predictions were. 12:55 Maddie Schizas score versus Anastasiia Gubanova”s score (this is going into the team event) 14:40 more into the progression of Maddie Schizas over the very short period of time from 2020 15:39 Maddie beating Karen Chen 15:50 the impact of Nebelhorn and the spots 15:59 Alysa Liu mentioned 16:12 Vincent Zhou mentioned 17:01 Karen Chen mentioned 17:33 Mariah Bell mentioned 18:03 Meagan created a new word apparently, exspecially 18:48 discussion on the US team entries 19:48 Ashley and Timothy skating 21:31 Pairs Short Program 21:53 Troy Goldstein 22:40 apparently the Canadians have the best death spiral 24:30 Sui/Han 24:38 Mishina/Galliamov 1:02:24 Mens Podium 1:03:03 Yuzuru Hanyu Quad Axel 1:08:20 Nathan Chen, beautiful short program to Charles Aznavour La Boheme 1:09:14 Mark Kondratiuk (ROC) 1:10:48 Roman Sadovsky (Canada) rough performances. Tough to watch 1:14:09 Russian tarot lady thinks a newcomer man will win the event…unlikely but could happen. 1:14:33 Yuma Kagiyama 1:16:27 Ice Dance politics (and maybe some bullshit?)

[@shomaunofan8486]

Yay! Now I can just watch 😅

[@shantarakelian1998]

@@shomaunofan8486 hah! Love it hahah sorry I’m watching as I go and have two different devices (one to watch and one to add timestamps lol)

[@shomaunofan8486]

1:02:24 men podium -1:03:03 yuzuru quad axel -1:08:20 Nathan Chen -1:09:14 Mark K (ROC) -1:10:48 Roman Sadovsky -1:14:09 Russian tarot lady that said an up and coming men will win this title -1:14:33 Yuma kagiyama 1:16:27 politic in dance

[@shantarakelian1998]

@@shomaunofan8486 ooh thank you!!!! I’m so behind lol. I’m listening intensively for anything that is of importance.

[@shomaunofan8486]

@@shantarakelian1998 lol I’m waiting for shoma talk…and it happen for a second 😅

[@fotomagrol]

I read on japan media that Shoma Uno and Yuma were practicing in japan at early hours in the morning to adjust to the schechule at the olympics , and this started since december right after japan nationals, so japan really started to prepare for team events and individuals since last year so to be full ready for olympics.

[@Jaia1011]

Interesting... so they already knew by then that Yuzu doesn't want to skate in the team event (maybe due to stamina issues as he's always had them)? I can't imagine a scenario where the JSF won't want to put Yuzu on the team if he's willing. Or is it in prep for the individual event which is also in the morning in Beijing?

[@VanjaKel]

It’s just what you do! And yes, men’s event will also be in the morning, but since there are 24-30 skaters and not just 5-10, both Shoma and Yuma would expect to skate a bit later in the individual event.

[@stsin7]

I like Meagan’s honesty and passion for figure skating. Thank you, guys.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Thanks for watching!

[@alipattison-bonds8238]

Also- Trusova and Scherbakova’s run throughs today were impressive. They reminded me of like, hungry sharks swimming around in a shark tank. Trusova landing 5 quads and Scherbakova landing 3 quads + one of those quads in combination. Damn. They both want to win this thing.

[@candyc3314]

They can definitely take it. The team event made Kamila vulnerable. If she has a mistake or two and the others are on their game, they can definitely pull an upset on that gold medal.

[@KatieGregoire]

Seeing This and That posted = giddy with excitement. Seeing This and That with Meagan = BEST gift you could have given us!!! 😍🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@nvadqs]

My feelings exactly!

[@suzannefraser4966]

Totally

[@saraschneidman8386]

I've been looking forward to this since the second Kamila's free skate ended. Thank you guys for all your hard work during every competition.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Our pleasure!

[@Fatima502]

Not as much as I'm looking forward to David Spletnikov's story about today's doping saga!

[@gwenr2854]

Nathan’s short was my highlight and thank you Dave for mentioning that. It was a huge step after what happened to him 4 years ago. It has far more meaning than anything else. I loved Maddie Schizas saving Canada as well. Rooting so hard for Nathan tonight 🙏

[@avg18]

Always a treat when Meagan comes to share her pov. Excellent episode guys!!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@ellazub7430]

After seeing the ice dance scores, the individual event just got MUCH more interesting

[@1chienandalou]

I know!!

[@amethyst5512]

Absolutely!

[@annadupont7615]

Yep!

[@nvadqs]

I love how strategic Meagan is. That thing about the Death Spiral was impressive!

[@pablogutierrez4817]

That is why I love her so much. The analysis is insane.

[@specialj67]

Meagan, you are not alone in your love for Kaori-I love her so much!! Her speed and flow are superb.

[@KingJasonSlots]

Meghan is so well spoken! Always a treat when she’s on the show!! 🙏

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@yugiohlegend]

David's face when he and Jonathan start talking at the same time and Jonathan continues LMFAO I hope that coffee was good :)

[@jessicamay952]

I've always thought that the team event should be held alongside Worlds on a four year cycle like the Olympics but that it would be held mid-quad, so that between Olympics and Worlds there would be a team event every two years.

[@kellymoran7001]

Love this idea!!

[@jessicamay952]

@@kellymoran7001 Thanks!

[@PatriciaFredanel]

My moment of the week was Hubble pushing Evan out of the way to hug Chock after the fd score. Thank you, Dave, for all of the content this Olympics!

[@embeth446]

Yes, I loved that too! 😆

[@alisonguild5778]

When thinking about the audience and emotional response - I always think about Shen & Xhao at the Worlds skating to Turandot. I can watch that over and over. Wishing we had more moments like that

[@jjkaykay8552]

I may be one of the few but I don't think Nathan's PCS is so outrageous as people think, he's shown for years he has mad skills for consistently doing what he does and doing it well. He does the transitions he can do and really does perform to the music, people who see him live really love him and his programs may not be elegant but they have come up with a style that really plays to his strengths and that he is able to perform to in a way that fits his personality. They have done a good job of building everything around him to package who he is as a skater and it's really enjoyable to watch him. All my non-figure skating fan friends are blown away by what he does. I mentioned the team event in my workout class and people were like "That Nathan Chen is incredible." I really do think people are too fast to try to discredit him.

[@ChristineC2387]

Re-watching this after the Kamila decision really hits different.

[@user-iw5ou5yo6u]

I’ve been waiting for this! Thanks for bringing in Meagan!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@maria375s]

Have been looking forward to this since the team event ended! Thank you!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Our pleasure!

[@johnseals1986]

Meagan, Dave, and Jonathan are a killer trio! I absolutely loved Meagan's analysis! You guys rock!

[@olgaavdeeva6686]

Meagan ❤️❤️❤️ I could listen to her for hours, so insightful and respectful. Regarding commentary, Tarasova has had a huge impact on the Russian audience and increased the interest of the viewers. She delved into technical nuances, explained why this or that athlete hit or missed a level or a jump. Moreover, she talked about athletes’ journey, coaches, training environment. With so much insight those commentaries were priceless. Unfortunately, these Olympics the commentary in Russia is wow or oh… awful. Plus we have an ancient technical box which does not inform the viewer of the executed elements and the commentators do not bother to throw light on them.

[@topicdel]

Thanks for putting work 24/7 to cover the Olympics

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Our pleasure!

[@Jaia1011]

YES! I've been waiting for this hahaha. So nice that you have Megan. Smashed that like button even before watching.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@Jaia1011]

Ok someone just pointed out I misspelled Meagan's name. I promise that wasn't a shade on Meagan's tendency with names. 😂

[@DesiraeGraham]

Maddie really saved team Canada.There were a lot of shifting placements in the team event and it will be interesting to see how they impact the skaters going into the individual events.

[@rajs7876]

She skated well and great for her individual competition and worlds but face it, team Canada was a bloody sinking titanic

[@oceanle]

Team event is so much fun to watch!

[@rebekahquinley8093]

I love Meagan’s insightful commentary.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@harrietteloise3481]

If I was a skater or coach, I would be taking notes on the great advice and strategies Meagan gives in these recaps.

[@pwetty4r4]

I LOVED the team event, way more than I thought I would...maybe do it after the individuals next time

[@carolineh4606]

I really enjoyed Meagan's thoughtful and informative commentary! Thanks -- looking forward to your next one.

[@bonniedavidson3639]

Another excellent episode with insightful commentary. Thank you for posting. I greatly appreciate all the time, effort and hard work that goes into each episode of The Skating Lesson.

[@ddjr6673]

I do love that you have Meagan again - thank you so much 🙏

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@shelbykite5772]

When Elisa Brezinova came out in the women’s short I thought she was giving off some really strong Ashley Wagner vibes. I almost fell over with laughter when I heard her music.

[@missj794]

Same!

[@b.reamsnider1328]

I had the same exact thoughts!!! I'm so glad I wasn't alone!

[@marcgalvan9360]

The trio we deserved. I’m biased but Japanese team gave me all the moments, I wanted.

[@freedomlife3623]

Same here. All the beautiful skating skill, artistry and personality, love it.

[@suetavakoli]

I love it when Megan talks with facts 🤗 One thing that couldn't understand was the Russian Team's choice for pairs and ladies in the free. They could have any of the other girls/pairs in the free as long as Diana Davis wasn't skating.🤔

[@66bayouboy]

My guess is that a Kamelia wanted to do the free so should could be the first female in Olympic history to a quad. It's just a guess because I thought the same thing

[@abbibrophy7671]

Jonathan seriously Valieva totally grips me I have watched her programs a million times she is magical she brings tears to my eyes

[@1chienandalou]

Yeah, that was the only thing I differ with him about in this

[@sheila4692]

I’ve been checking KZbin all day for this! 😂

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@sunshinesmile94]

As a viewer who is a non-expert in ice-skating I find the commentary from Tara and Johnny 96% drivel and occasionally by mistake they will actually provide some insightful/technical information that is of actual use to the average viewer. I much prefer the European/British guys (don't know their names, so sorry, but they are really enjoyable). The Australian Olympic ice skating commentary is the best though... The female commentator gives GREAT technical insight.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Yessss I’m able to watch the Australian one and I LOVE her, never watching any other commentary again, and definitely not NBC

[@iamsoverybored878]

Actually gotten use to no commentary. Since Peacock doesn't seem to have any.

[@1chienandalou]

What I don’t like is that they talk about things that are nonessential and during parts of the program that are important like often the beginning when the music and the skater is trying to draw you into the program and set the mood, especially Tara. Like Meagan said one should talk judiciously to inform and/or to build a narrative. Tanith is better in ice dance. The world broadcast has commentary most of the way through the program, but that is a different style and they do give great technical information so it’s a choice to watch that commentary versus no commentary version such as Peacock. I usually do both. The Australian lady whose name I forget is indeed very knowledgeable.

[@theprinceoftides6836]

@@1chienandalou Her name is Belinda Noonan and has been commentating on figure skating since the Lillehammer Olympics. She is always precise, informative, objective and very fair to all skaters, she's great.

[@freedomlife3623]

@@theprinceoftides6836 how do you watch Australia channel figure skate in Canada?

[@luyumi9568]

About TV broadcast, I just need to say that I am very proud of the brazilian broadcast (thanks to Isadora, now we have one). Well obviously most of brazilian know nothing about Figure Skating, so they had a little video explaining the 6 jumps and why it is so hard do quads + during the broadcast they explained transitions, interpretation, edges, skating skils etc.

[@msmollyyyyy]

Thanks for keeping me entertained until skating resumes tonight!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Any time!

[@marycoyne1889]

Great re-cap guys, thank you for all this insider knowledge Meagan!

[@mainaalmeida4246]

I feel exactly like johnathan watching Mishina and Galliamov' short. Also, they give me junior vibes. I respect Meagan's opinions, but I don't think they come close to S/H in terms of performance and interpretation

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Absolutely agree, she’s a little bit biased to them, their short program is full of pantomime, they really look like a junior team, even boikova and kozlovski have better programs.

[@jjsmith4829]

agree. M and G lack polish like Tarasova and Morozov. M and G do not have balletic grace, no beautiful lines, and no full extensions. they just go through the motions.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

@@jjsmith4829 yes absolutely, even my mum who knows nothing about skating said T/M looked very clean and polished and more mature on the ice, she said especially Vladimir, has very nice posture and is a beautiful skater and partner. m/g are a bit sloppy

[@1chienandalou]

Me too. I also agree with Dave that Sui/Han are more the Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze type poetic kinda pair you’d associate more with Moskvina and I am partial to that. I hope they skate clean and win in the individual.

[@arthurtheaardvark13]

I’m quite surprised Meagan thinks M/G are even close to Sui/Han in any of the PC categories

[@themangochannel]

Only just starting this, but already excited that it's Meagan! Yay. More Meagan please. Always!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@msmo2060]

I’m so nervous for Nathan!!! I’m really hoping he stays covid free & wins the gold medal!!!

[@embeth446]

Great discussion. Love when you have Meagan on, thanks!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️❤️

[@ChristieLily35]

I've been watching skating on Peacock without the commentary. I don't entirely know what I'm watching, I'm not that good with skating yet, but I've been able to just watch and enjoy the performances. It's been lovely

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@Sophia-dnbetyt]

I could feel the tension radiating off Valieva in both programs. She did amazing btw but still she seemed very tense

[@evanperilstein5308]

Love Meagan's hair! I'm really worried about all of the skaters who shared the ice with Vincent or were in the team box with him. I'm particularly worried about my son, Yuma. If I were one of those skaters, I would probably be freaking out about possibly being exposed to COVID when I should be concentrating on my skating. I really hope it doesn't distract or cause extra anxiety for Yuma and the other skaters, and I hope none of them test positive! Everyone, please manifest positive energy for them and light candles if you think they will help!

[@pwetty4r4]

Yayy, I can listen to this while I wait for the men's short tonight 🥂🤗

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️❤️❤️

[@benbailey159bb]

Oh I have sooooooo been looking forward to this!!!!!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@shelleyc853]

Thanks for all your hard work, on here and on Patreon! My first Olympics following it with you guys and it's been a pleasure!(I started watching your content for the 2018-19 season)

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️❤️❤️

[@xiangnibian8473]

Russian team is the most serious on team event, as they used their No. 1 skaters for all four disciplines for both short and long, which I think is unnecessary at all. For example, their 3 girls are certain to beat down all other girls. Poor K crashed on the ice after her long program finished, obviously she was emotionally burnt out. And Galliamov has wide bandages all over his left arm, yet he and Mishina must compete on both short and long in the team event, which might jeopardize their individual competition given the existing severe injuries.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Yes I’ve noticed galliamov and his arm bandages, he’s had them since the beginning of the season. They could have picked B/K to do the free, they are still quite consistent and even a small mistake would not have hurt them. But they had M/G compete and poor guy hit his head on that nasty fall. Even if he has 2 weeks to physically recover, that will be in the back of his mind in the pair event.

[@xiangnibian8473]

@@toxic-low-key-ghost7934 agree. I think Both Mishima+ Galiiamov and Boikova+Koslovskii have the highest capabilities on the top of the podiums.

[@12pretzels1]

Thanks so much for this episode. You guys were so informative and professional. Excellent commentary.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@mai3334]

Some of y’all act like you’ve never done a group project and/or assume you’re the Nathan Chen of said group project 😂

[@evanperilstein5308]

My son, Yuma, actually smiled during his short program and performed his heart out this time, so much so that he tripped or lost balance once during the step sequence! He was even lip-synching the words! I hope you give credit where credit’s due when you recap the men’s individual event!

[@flywings111]

One judge gave him a 10 on this juniorish performance. LMAO

[@evanperilstein5308]

@@flywings111 I wouldn't have given him a 10, but you're just a bitter Fanyu who doesn't like Yuma because he has overtaken Yuzu.

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

Jonathan's discussion of how the commentators are really pushing the narrative of Valieva being the best of all time was right on. I also feel so removed from all the discussion the general public seems to be having about how great she is for the exact same reason, the lack of emotion. (Not that I don't she is excellent on so many levels and deserves to win.) Also agree completely on the vacuity of Tara's and Johnny's commentary.

[@anthonydolio8118]

Finally! You know we have all been waiting for you with bated breath! A figure skating event is not over until we hear your comments and assessment.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@jensofficehours]

Really enjoyed y’all’s commentary on “commentary”- most people I know do not get anything from the Tara/Johnny NBC broadcast, and I feel like in addition to the personality, they’ve become figures who push narratives that I consider inappropriate…have never really considered the more in-depth ideas of how to commentate to create a moment that’s rewatchable!

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Yes absolutely, they are acting like kamila is a god who is just 6 thousand points better than the rest of the field. But the more they do it, the more viewers and money they get.

[@wendy5725]

I prefer knowledgeable in-depth broadcasting. Jonnie and Tara just plain suck at commentating.

[@finethings2281]

@@toxic-low-key-ghost7934 because she is 6 thousand points better

[@novascotiaskater1868]

I’m curious what they’ve said that you feel is pushing inappropriate narratives? What are some examples so I can see what you are saying? I definitely think Tara gets lost often or maybe overrun by Johnny Weir who’s commentary does assume that everyone watching is an idiot. I think they can be biased and when they love a skater is really obvious and when it’s someone that is new or they do t like it’s really obvious….I feel that they need to be way less obvious about their excitement when someone like Nathan Chen skates….as a Canadian living in the US I definitely noticed and felt that their overjoyed exuberance at Chen’s program was over the top….they also need to learn more ways to commentate/..they seem to say the same thing every single skater. And this is just a pet peeve but jW needs to lose the “ bobbing for apples” description of the skater breaking in the middle of a jump…..it’s called breaking when they don’t stay completely upright in a jump….

[@jensofficehours]

​@@novascotiaskater1868 What I was referring to by saying "inappropriate narratives" goes particularly with the way Russian skaters are discussed by commentators in a few ways. The way NBC talks about the quads with such excitement is misleading to audiences that don't understand technique of quads and the damage the quads do to these young girls who shouldn't be doing them (at least at the training rate they are) for their bodily safety. And then I think it's inappropriate the way that, since 2014, they describe the Russian skaters as these new legends and all time greatest athletes without contextualizing what happens to them afterward- it brainwashes people who don't watch skating regularly into believing something about their careers that will just not ever be true (and the commentators know that and don't share that context).

[@tranquilitytranquility1407]

I’m devastated for Vincent! Of course he at least got an Olympic silver medal, but that’s obviously not the skate he wanted to win it with! And now he doesn’t get a redemption skate. His Instagram video is heartbreaking. I hope he doesn’t have to stay in isolation too long and can go home asap. Being in a covid quarantine in a foreign country is mentally hard at the best of times and in his case it must be unbearable. All the more surreal how peoples dreams are being crushed by the virus that has been downgraded to a seasonal cold/flu in my part of the world (UK).

[@sunshinesmile94]

That downgrade probably was hastily ushered forth by your prime minister to try to get some public brownie points in order deflect away from the covid party palava and calls to step down...

[@1chienandalou]

It is really sad. Hope he has a complete recovery soon.

[@edukid1984]

That disease your country now calls a "seasonal cold/flu" is nothing of the sort. Unlike your fellow citizens, some people in the world prefer not to lie to themselves, especially when lives and long-term health (there is a wealth of evidence on the debilitating effect of long covid) are at stake.

[@marycoyne1889]

Heartbreaking. I cried watching that Instagram video.

[@mempto]

Wow I REALLY disagree with Meagan's assessment of Sui/Han vs Mishina/Galliomov. The fact that she thinks the Russians have superior presentation and emotion when they skate compared with the Chinese pair is straight up ridiculous.

[@jamiejoonks]

Yeah it’s a lot of facial expression but not as genuine

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

It’s because she sees herself as M/G. everyone knows her and Eric were an athletic pair with next to 0 artistry and were NEVER polished. Their skating was messy but athletic. M/G aren’t messy like her but they also aren’t as artistic as Sui and han so she sees herself as the Russians. But I agree as someone who was a pairs skater, she should know more and not make such stupid remarks. Sui and Han are 10 million times better than M/G and their pantomime junior programs

[@ruthimuu]

Re the commentary: I'm from the UK and have been watchin the BBC commentary, with Robin Cousins and Katherine Downes. I have no idea how others perceive our commentary but I'm really enjoying it. Downes is a commentator who isn't a figure skater, whilst Cousins is an ex-pro and it's a good dynamic for me as she asks questions I'm thinking too as a non-expert. They mention the levels of spins and jumps and comment on which elements are under review and what could be the issue, as well as commenting on the performance marks. It's been really enjoyable to watch and informative, and luckily the BBC are showing all the skaters even if it's on the 'Red Button' (off-chanel) :) (edit: this is my 4th Olympics I've watched, and despite the time difference, enjoying it all)

[@benbailey159bb]

Wow Dave I can't believe you had the balls to ask Meagan if the Team Event medals diminished the othe medals! You are amazing. She gives a politically correct answer but then we see the truth. The first thing she'd say is she won an Olympic Bronze medal in pairs rather than I'm an Olympic Gold medalist says it all, so does referring to the 'real' events . . .

[@TheSkatingLesson]

I try to ask the real questions.

[@nvadqs]

@@TheSkatingLesson and we love you for that!

[@1chienandalou]

@@TheSkatingLesson and she gave a very real answer! I love it when she’s on

[@bx7146]

She’s so real. I love it. I have even more respect for her after that answer

[@dariakukhar1595]

That's exactly what Yagodin said while commenting the Team event, and it immediately rose so much heated discussion and almost like hatred from different commentators

[@biggestgymfan7230]

I am so upset that ROC didn’t submit Anna or Sasha they could of easily won the free yesterday

[@dkeinow]

I guess they want Mila to go down in history as the first female to land the quad on Olympic ice?

[@TheReneex]

They were pitching for Valieva to maintain a historical achievement by becoming the first woman to land a quad and triple axel in the first competition of the figure skating discipline.

[@user-iw5ou5yo6u]

And Margarita Mamun said Anna and Sasha were waiting for Rusfed’s final decision till yesterday evening, hoping for the best😔 But I saw notes from today’s practice where both Anna and Sasha killed it and you can tell they’re upset and want to fight in the individual event

[@nvadqs]

@@dkeinow I didn't think of this and it does convince me

[@sunshinesmile94]

@@nvadqs Yes, the label of "first" is a big deal and will stay with her forever. It was very deliberate for her to be "the chosen one" to get that honour.

[@arthurtheaardvark13]

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this video all day long! I am really interested in how different tech callers look for different things so that was a conversation I’m grateful to have heard. I wonder why the ISU doesn’t standardize the tech calling more?

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@diasigimbayev6865]

I WAS WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO THANK YOU

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@kevinnelson8728]

Why doesn't NBC replace Johnny and Tara with the 3 of you? You're all so insightful!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️❤️❤️

[@latetoi]

“Olympic only fans” has such a different meaning in 2022! Lmao

[@genzwithcommonsense7811]

😂😂

[@almourie]

Definitely agree that they should have it at worlds as well , so that it starts to gain that reputation!

[@vakuolya1019]

Can you share in the next episode why do you think Russia didn't make any substitutes? I still don't get it! They could have swapped a pair and give M/G some rest for sure. And Sherbakova or Trusova could have easily skated and come first as well in free.

[@sunshinesmile94]

You can't do a quad in the SP, only the free... and they probably wanted Kamila to be "the first" woman in Olympic history to successfully complete a quad

[@1chienandalou]

I know it was kind of odd that they didn’t split anything. It’s not like they couldn’t have afforded the points.

[@kittymarch8455]

My guess is that they didn’t want to put Davis in, so they said no substitutions in any discipline to preclude it. I was really surprised when Dave brought this up in late summer, shocked when it began to seem obvious. But it seems like there was real pushback from within Russia and at Europeans. OK for.a coach to push ethical boundaries on behalf of their athletes, but not their kid. Nobody wanted to see it. So Diana got on the team, but thwarted beyond that.

[@biggestgymfan7230]

Yay what a treat before the individual event

[@TheSkatingLesson]

[@NG-ue4th]

My random favourite moment from the team event was in the men's short program after Michael Brezina's sp when he came off the ice and went "stupid", to which Rafael Arutunyan replied "that's right word" 😂😂😂

[@Blue-dc3rh]

The national Silver medalist who scored +300 last month is sitting at home, while Vincent only scored 171 points in the T.E. free skate and Brown is downgrading his only quad in practices. It's ABSURD enough that Ilia wasn't given an Olympic spot, and even more infuriating that he's not allowed to replace Zhou in the individual event. These criterias and rules are an unfair mess. I feel sorry and fed up for Malinin's sake, he deserved to have this first olympics experience.

[@1chienandalou]

Why isn’t he allowed to replace him? What is the point of an alternate if he’s not allowed to replace him? Is it because he doesn’t have the technical minimum? Then why put as an alternate?

[@amethyst5512]

@@1chienandalou he can’t because Vincent already skated in the team event and on top of that the draw for the mens short had already happened. Both of those independently excluded replacement. Plus, even if they were allowed to, they had no time to get ilia to China and processed into the bubble.

[@amethyst5512]

I hated that the selection criteria made Vincent such a sure bet for selection. People hate on Jason because he doesn’t have quads, but he’s consistently finishing top 10 at worlds and making or almost making the gp final almost every season. Vincent’s record is a joke compared to that. He can’t rotate his jumps and is somehow so over rated because he once lucked into a bronze at worlds like three years ago. Oh, and he trains in Colorado, the under rotation & under performance capital of the world, and the USFS has not yet figured out that our best skaters never come from that training center. And the national judges made it worse when they pretended he rotated his quads at nationals. International judges aren’t going to ignore all of those, he doesn’t skate for Eteri after all. If the judges had scored him correctly at Nationals, he would’ve been 4th or 5th. That would have made it a little easier to leave him home and take ilia along with Nathan & Jason.

[@youarestronger]

I love Meagan but I am so going to need Elena Bechke for the pairs recap, please and thank you.

[@SunflowerCat333]

🙏🙏🙏!!!

[@coreyadkins8775]

Totally agrees with Meagan. Figure skaters should be awarded short program and long program medals. Then the over-all medal. It's not fair reflecting on how other sports earn more plus each program is a competition!

[@slipperyhardandcold7740]

I was expecting more comments about Yuzuru's problem in the short. He said there was a hole in the ice. I'm sure Yuzu doesn't make excuses, so the hole must have been there, and I know holes made by toe jumps can be pretty bad. It was hard to see from the replay, but his foot definitely slipped. I guess one of the things you need to do in the final warm up is check the ice, especially in the areas where you do your jumps.

[@flywings111]

This video was made before men's SP this is why they don't comment on Yuzuru. There are many pictures of the hole sadly it was really big.

[@slipperyhardandcold7740]

@@flywings111 I haven't seen videos of Yuzuru's skate (perhaps understandably). Many comments have been posted here after the SP, so I expected something. I guess they will be on the next TSL video.

[@fotomagrol]

All the best for team japan today and also Donovan Carrillo from mexico...all the best to them all

[@gabriela2377]

The mishina/galliamov crash is slightly less frightening in the Olympic channel transmission because through the different angle you can see they didn't really hit their heads but the way her spine bent was still scary

[@kazh1536]

I squeaked like Kevin A in the KnC (good for him) when I saw that Megan was a guest. Loved this analysis. Thank you.

[@Donamtrx]

Mmk..in “PChang” with Roxanne…remember when they came out of their twizzles & people LOST THEIR MINDS!! That’s just one I’ll always remember. I’m not even their #1 fan but I still get goosebumps when I see that. I cannot imagine it without that ROAR! I wonder if someone could make a clip of that with the crowd cut out. That would be very interesting to see.

[@seashellez]

Thanks for getting this out today!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

Our pleasure!

[@Powerof923]

At this point I'm not sure Yuzuru has the goal of winning. I'm not saying he doesn't want to but I think the quad axel is actually his goal and that's why he's so fixated on it. Like he's not dumb, he knows points wise it's not worth it, but if I were him a third gold medal is like 'eh is a third one' but a quad axel would make history. There's so much fixation on the showdown between him and other OGM contenders but I think it's missing the point he's trying to make. To me I don't care if he medals or not, I just want him to land it as a result. That would be the career finish he seems to care about the most

[@ManuelPabloArnao]

Sui and Han should have been scored much higher than the Russians in the short in their PCS. At least 3 points higher...

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Yes absolutely, how are their short programs even comparable? But Russian politicking at its finest.

[@jamiejoonks]

Agreed. And the Russians had the nerve to say that it was biased judging! Like guys that gap should’ve been wider than it was

[@1chienandalou]

I agree, like Meagan implied The Russians should feel fortunate they got scored so close. And that is considering she prefers them in general.

[@junglesuperstar9270]

@@toxic-low-key-ghost7934 we bought the Chinese judge .

[@benbailey159bb]

I've been watching all the skating on Eurosport 4 - coverage has been fantastic!

[@gracemyer2148]

So fun to watch these predictions for the men’s individual after already seeing the short program

[@katieguinn1612]

On the Beverly Zhu issue, personally I don't understand how she even made it through the free skate. Dear China, It really makes sense to destroy someone on social media right before she has to go out and compete for your team again. Really gets the confidence up.

[@grisgris6908]

Roman needs new coaching. He seems like he’s had no opportunities because he shows up unprepared, novice like. There’s no reason he shouldn’t be skating relatively clean w two quads, HE has to believe he is of international senior caliber and I don’t believe he does. He has to uplevel his mental game

[@JordanT711]

I feel like Johnny has gotten a lot better commentating on technical content in a program, such as explaining why a jump went wrong and explaining how a skater has weak artistry and isn’t going to score as high even though they are executing their elements. And I do like when he mentions a fun fact about a skater because he knows them and used to tour with them.

[@Powerof923]

The comments about streaming versus broadcasts were very relatable. In the UK it's difficult to watch the figure skating as it's such a non-priority sport. BBC coverage favours where we have a better chance (i.e curling skiing or skeleton) and when it does switch almost comes in half way through the event. Or if it shows the whole event it shows it hours later. The men's "live" stream happened 6 hours later to try and maximise some audience cos of time zone differences (9am in Beijing is about 2am here). It really leaves no other option but to stream

[@vanessafreitas1000]

Here in Brazil, TV decided to focus on figure skating and extreme sports, like snowboarding, because they appeal to a youth audience. The ratings of Winter Olympics are not as good as Summer Olympics where we always have some real medal contenders. Last time, we had Isadora Willians making history for the country. So it was all about her. Now, they're doing the same as the US TV. They're creating this big narrative about Valieva, not she doesn't desearve it, but you can see that they're making an extra effort to capture the audience's attention. I don't know about the other countries but here we can watch the Olympics live at Olympic Channel. We even had the choice to watch with or without commentators. It's great because TV sometimes cut to show other sports.

[@QQ-wl6yt]

Wish it was Mark Hanretty commenting on the Olympics channel/website broadcast (which is the same broadcast for CBC and I think also BBC).

[@PeiwenTanbassoon821]

Overly patriotic audiences during the Olympics are the worst 🙄 The commentators overly hyping US athletes doesn’t help either. So far I’m enjoying the NBC commentator for ski jumping the most who makes really clear where each athlete have placed in recent major competitions in a positive way instead of only mentioning their highest placement from forever ago.

[@matthewhines9787]

It's weird to hear how Beyer is streaming this Olympics more than in the past because I was attached to CBC streaming for most of Sochi, Rio, Pyeongchang, and Tokyo...now I am suddenly watching NBC every night from 7-midnight.

[@dkadkins6545]

Should the team event be moved to the end after the individual competition has finished? After watching the Chinese pair, the Russia pair was a snoozefest. Technically great, artistically meh.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

I don't think it really matters. They would have to move the individual events before the opening ceremony. I think it makes the most sense where it is.

[@1chienandalou]

I really loved Sui/Han’s short. That was the major thing I disagreed with Meagan about though i prefer them in general too. I also agree about boring program. Like Jonathan, I find myself kind of spacing out at some point in the middle of if.

[@dkadkins6545]

@@1chienandalou The Chinese program is a work of art.

[@anastasiaignatyeva8687]

I didn’t know Chinese girl was attacked by social media. If I had to compete with top skaters knowing that im not top-10 I would be terrified. I think only Kaori and Madeline were very courageous by going to the ice and giving everything. It would take a lot of strength, sure she can improve

[@suzannefraser4966]

I really love Megan as a commentator and actually wrote CBC hoping they will use her more!

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@BillyWhaler]

Pairs & Concussions: with the adrenaline pumping athletes feel no pain in the moment which is why they need to take the protocols seriously. You don’t need head on ice contact for a concussion. It’s the jarring, whiplash motion.

[@toxic-low-key-ghost7934]

Agree, I broke my arm once skating, but I was on so much adrenaline I didn’t realise till 2 days after when it swelled up, he really needs to get it checked out, from the camera angle I saw, he hit his head HARD and it bounced off the ice

[@amethyst5512]

That’s part of what makes it so dangerous. You may not feel anything wrong until all of a sudden you have a really big life threatening situation. Concussion protocol should be taken much more seriously than it is in skating.

[@mjamitche5245]

I found the insight from Meagan to be interesting, especially her education regarding the different levels and grades of execution. Although, I disagree with her that the Russian pairs skaters are better because personally I prefer Sui and Han. Also, I liked that you discussed the need for more education for viewers about how the various skills are judged and how the current skater is doing. I have appreciated the primetime NBC broadcast showing the full spelled out element, the level, the score given and the maximum score allowed for the skill in real time. It's been the most helpful box they've done all season. I'm realizing the commentators are not as good as I thought, though a far cry better than in gymnastics. I also want to say, thanks for broaching the subject on Russian women's jumping technique with Meagan though it's clear she didn't want to go there! She also seemed to be in favor of the number of reps team T is doing, though that has been a subject of ridicule regarding the healthiness of it. It makes me think of how Chow is a big believer of huge numbers of reps for gymnasts, and his gymnasts were some of the most injured who rarely made it to seniors without being injured beyond repair. Shawn and Gabby were his strongest gymnasts and Gabby's ankle was perpetually taped. It makes me think of the story Betty Okino told about how her workout was finished right before one World champs event and Bela told her to go do more reps, and she was injured doing those last few reps and couldn't compete when she was the most prepared she'd ever been to win. Whereas Ali Raisman talked about working out smarter not harder for her 2nd olympics and she looked better than she did for the first. How many is too many reps? I guess we'll never know unless we get some repeat olympic skaters who can tell us!!!

[@suzannefraser4966]

For all Canadians I read that Donald Jackson had never really successfully landed a triple Lutz in practice before he became the first person to land it to win the World Championships and became a Canadian hero for years.

[@mainaalmeida4246]

Great episode! Always nice to hear Meagan's insightful commentary

[@TheSkatingLesson]

❤️

[@dkeinow]

1:06:06 Agree with Dave. I really think Hanyu is aiming for the quad axel because he might be thinking that his chance to medal is not as good as before

[@evamasters5028]

I don't think it is about his chance to medal. It is about making history. I certainly wish him best of luck ❤❤❤

[@flywings111]

Sure. Yuzuru is a smart cookie he knows that in the past years Nathan was propped up to the level on both GOEs and PCS to the that Yuzu can't fight against it. When he tried to up his BV in the fall of 2019, technical panels found underrotations and whatnot. He then started to challenge 4A and decided it's not worth fighting against the system. Good for him!