dirac

I can only imagine the pressures exerted upon Valieva and others, and I'd say the same if Valieva were several years older than she is. Should she have been allowed to skate? No. Should she face consequences? Yes. But focusing on her as an individual makes little sense in this context. As the official reception in Russia reflects, all the positive reinforcement is in the wrong direction. I was a mite amused by Thomas Bach saying that he was shocked, shocked, by Tutberidze's callousness as caught on camera. As Travis Tygart said in an article posted earlier on this thread, the IOC has done much to "incentivize" this behavior. Sure is..... https://www.rt.com/sport/550043-tutberidze-valieva-jackals-beijing/ I certainly hope not.

The athletes often feel the same, or as Brian Orser once put it, "The gold medal is it. It. It," and no man is better situated to know. If you are in contention for the gold, of course second place will be disappointing, even crushing in some cases. As Helene notes, if you a a dark horse you'll be well pleased with second or third - Elizabeth Manley was delighted with her silver in 1988 and so I imagine was the Canadian press. But your main point is correct. I do think that many athletes are pleased just to be there and call themselves Olympians.

I felt the same. Tutberidze.....I have no words.

Unfortunately, in Russia the super awareness goes all the other way. As the Longman article points out, they face an additional set of pressures. I have no idea what the dynamic is within Valieva's family and her team and what kind of influences are at work on her, although I'm guessing they're not good. I don't want to suggest she's entirely without responsibility but based on the information I have this really isn't a matter of individual agency. The presence of three drugs suggests a sophisticated plan. IMO, the main culprits are the Russian doping culture and system and the IOC for failing to deal with the Russians effectively. (And no, she shouldn't be skating.) That said, she skated beautifully, all things considered. Head and shoulders above the rest. She probably doesn't even need the damn stuff, unless she has some underlying health problem we don't know about. A Slate article on Tutberidze's methods:

Agreed. An article by Jeré Longman in the NYT on the dilemma facing athletes in countries with systematic doping: Obviously it's rougher when someone as young as Valieva is involved, but an 18-year-old is just as vulnerable in such a system, potentially. But in any case, after testing positive they should not skate, regardless. Related:

If there was any question about raising the age limit to at least 16 I expect this episode will remove it. However, this debacle has less to do with age limits IMO than the failure to ban all Russian athletes outright from competition in the first place during the period of the two-year "ban." I realize that would have been unfair to the Russian athletes not doping, assuming there are any, but this is unfair to everyone. Of course, it's idiotic that Valieva's age is being used as an excuse to allow her to remain in the competition. I actually hope for her sake that she does not compete regardless of this foolish decision, although I will be sorry not to see her. I also hope that this leads to consequences of some negative kind for Tutberidze, but not holding my breath for that.

Hundreds of Melbourne dads prepare for a ballet performance with their daughters this weekend.

Noelani Pantastico gives her final performance this weekend.

A review of Washington Ballet by Lisa Traiger for DC Metro Theater Arts.

Chen was terrific in the short and really good in the long. Outstanding Olympic performance and a well deserved gold. I've seen Brown do better - that Biellmann was not so pretty - but he was fine. Very good showing by the men. We learn Valieva's fate on Sunday. Did anyone see the rhythm dance?

A review of Orlando Ballet's "Giselle" by Matthew J. Palm in The Orlando Sentinel.

A TV news preview of Ballet Austin in "A Midsummer Night's Dream."

The Louisville Ballet announces the schedule for the remainder of its season.

A review of New York City Ballet by Faye Arthurs for the Fjord Review.

Aspen Santa Fe Ballet presents a performance by Complexions Contemporary Ballet.

A review of Washington Ballet in "Swan Lake" by Sarah L. Kaufman in The Washington Post.

A review of the Russian State Ballet of Siberia in "The Snow Maiden" by Lyndsey Winship in The Guardian.

A $10 million settlement in a class action suit against the Royal Winnipeg Ballet is approved by the court. Related.

The West Australian Ballet presents "Ballet at the Quarry." Limelight Magazine

A review of San Francisco Ballet by Janice Berman for San Francisco Classical Voice.

A 2017 article on the ballet background of figure skater Nathan Chen is republished following his gold medal victory at the Olympic Games.

Stephanie Selby, the subject of Jill Krementz's "A Very Young Dancer" has died at age 56.

An article on the closure of the Kirov Academy in The New York Times.

Wheeldon is interviewed by Sarah L. Kaufman in The Washington Post. "Not in any way judgmental." Yeesh. Nary a mention of Jackson's collaborators, either.

Nathan's always had quite the fashion sense. Not. :)