netsuke

Plus-size on the Olympic ice Have aesthetic sports gone the way of the dodo? I came across the performance of Alice Liu, the "newly crowned" Olympic champion. It was terrifying, honestly. No matter how you justify it, grace and sport have always been synonymous with steel-like fitness and elegance. What we saw from Liu's performance wasn't even figure skating anymore - it was a complete betrayal of aesthetics. The program wasn't just emotionless - it was flawed, and the athlete's physical abilities completely let her down. Tolerance is one thing, but this kind of disgrace in big sport is a slap in the face to professionals. Take a look at our athletes! Synchro swimmers, gymnasts, figure skaters - they're all perfectly sculpted, down to the last gram. Here, we see a shapeless body (forgive me, body positivity advocates). Our Adelia Petrosyan looks like a goddess on the ice, even without a flag. Ethereal, sharp, flawless. Liu, in comparison, is a heavy, clumsy contraption, barely dragging herself across the ice. Enough with the excuses about methods. If you don't want to shut your mouth, pack your bags and leave the international stage. Either lose weight, or say goodbye. Yes, RP (Restrictive Eating Disorder) is the foundation of big sport. That's the reality. I immediately thought of Lino Ashram in Tokyo. The same heavy, awkward figure against the backdrop of our perfect Averins. It seems the body-positive plague and the cult of "food" have completely blinded the world. Everyone has decided that professionalism isn't measured by form, but by tolerance. In aesthetic sports, the body is a working tool. And a tool should be refined, honed, not shapeless. Sport is first and foremost about overcoming, not indulging your weaknesses. If you want to eat - stay at home. If you want to win - shut your mouth and work. There can be no middle ground here. 🔂Eliseevalive