BEIJING – The Olympic team figure skating event is a quirky invention. Begun just eight years ago as a way to get more ratings-rich figure skating on television during the Winter Olympics and steal a great idea from gymnastics, it is both an opportunity and a hindrance to the people who matter most, the skaters.
It comes first on the Olympic figure skating calendar, before the much more anticipated events many know and love: the women’s, men’s, pairs and ice dance competitions. A medal in the team event pales in comparison to a medal in one of those four traditional disciplines.