For the past two weeks we’ve watched the Olympics in Turino, Italy; and it’s all been about performing – or not performing — for a medal. Last night, the champions of figure skating’s various events put on an exhibition of what they do when they’re on their own ice time.
This was no competition, so there were no judges. Nor were there any medals in the offing. Rather, it was entertainment, pure and simple. Bronze medalist Irina Slutskuya skated to American music; American Johnny Weir skated to Sinatra’s “My Way,” which – if you know anything about Weir – was classically appropriate.
No other sport in the Olympics offers a free exhibition at the end; I think figure skating does so because, of all the sports, it is the most akin to dancing and the interpretation that accompanies a dance. I also think it is a way of alerting judges of what might be acceptable down the road, as the exhibition routines seem to push boundaries and be ahead of what the judges currently consider worthy of medal recognition.
The exhibition performances were wonderful, and I think it was because they were devoid of this tension of competition. Which makes me wonder if we actually see the best that our athletes have to offer when they’re penalized a point here and a point there for working so hard. Last night’s exhibitors worked just as hard and were just as graceful, maybe even more. They might not have a medal to show for it, but they certainly won my heart.
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