Yu-Na Kim of South Korea earned her gold medal. Her free skate was excellent, flawless, and wonderful. Kim is the Olympic champion, and the judges got that result right.However, some critics on the Internet are suggesting that the judges are racists and they did not want an Asian female sweep of the Olympic medals in figure skating. I agree with this cogent assessment.
Since Joannie Rochette is a white Canadian woman, the judges made sure a white female slipped into third place to prevent an Asian sweep.Can you imagine the faces of the white Canadian public if Kim, Mao Asada, and Miki Ando won all the Olympic medals in figure skating?Does anyone honestly think the white figure skating judges would allow Asian women to sweep the medals? Can you imagine the outcry?
There is a subversive issue of racism here that needs to be explored. Black feminist bell hooks reminds us that "race matters" in her incendiary work of the same name, and in women’s figure skating, “racism” was on full display last night.
It is obvious that the white women are not dominating women’s figure skating anymore. The Asian women have taken over.The Japanese women and the Korean woman, Kim, are the best female skaters in the world. They have the artistry, jumps, athleticism, and spins.
However, the silver medallist Asada and Rochette did not skate perfectly. American Mirai Nagasu's free skate was excellent. The judges decided her skate was fourth best. Is this really fair? How can the general public take figure skating seriously when politics influences skating results?
Ando was robbed! She is the sexiest woman in figure skating, and she was treated very harshly by these judges.I thought Ando of Japan deserved the silver medal. I saw her short program and I was shocked at the low marks she received. I also watched Ando’s free skate and she was excellent, yet she ends up in fifth place. Give me a break!
Ando is a graceful, talented, and beautiful skater, yet due to politics she was knocked off of the podium. I know very few people will defend Ando, but I feel I have to.
If Rochette had skated a clean long program with no errors, then there would be nothing to dispute. But Rochette’s free skate was terrible; she was very sloppy, and her skating was not refined.
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