synchrosk8er

[synchrosk8er]

My Olympic Journey...Just Kidding

“Synchro is not a sport.”

“Is there a time element? How do you score?”

“No, it is an art. That’s why it’s not included in the Olympic games.” 

The Synchronized Skating community bends the already stiff boundaries of how a sport is defined. I was curious as to what the internet had to say on this matter, so I looked it up: 

...and got this. Thanks, Merriam-Webster. 

Unfortunately, the “sport” I currently participate in and have dedicated so much of my life to is not even defined in one of the largest dictionaries the world has to offer. Ladies and Gentlemen, I welcome you to the struggle of being recognized as an Olympic sport in Synchronized Skating. 

Defining Synchro

Because Merriam-Webster was unable to define it, Synchronized Skating, or more commonly known as “Synchro”, is a branch of skating tailored for people who do not fit the stereotypical “ice skater” look. Teams recruit long (we’re talking 5’10”+), lean women (and on occasion, men) over the typical short (usually 5’), more muscular freestyle skaters. 

The difference between freestyle skating and synchro is all in the numbers; freestyle is a one-man show. Synchro contains up to 20 people per team, 16 of which skate in a synchronized fashion on the ice at once. We all dress the same, we all have similar body measurements and some teams even have their skaters dye their hair the same color (I’m looking at you, Team Canada).

(I’m the girl farthest to the right, in what we call a “death spiral”.)

My Story

I’ve skated since age two, but I’ve also been in the synchro community for a hot minute. I started when I was in first grade in Philadelphia. I grew a lot by the time I hit middle school, and was recruited in 6th grade to skate with the collegiate girls of the University of Delaware. I skated there for five years, until I got a very special email.

That email was from Team USA. I could not believe my eyes when I opened it. I clicked on the email, and it was a formal recruitment letter. As anyone would, I dropped my contract with the University of Delaware and headed for Stamford, Connecticut to practice with my new team. 

I trained like an Olympian in my Junior year. 40 hours of practice per week in Connecticut for Skyliners synchronized skating was the equivalent of holding down a full-time job along with keeping up in the most difficult year of high school. It was grueling, and at times it felt like it would never end. I lost 30 pounds that year, and was eerily thin, yet built with lean muscle. My friends did not see me for a while, as I was away every weekend, and my social life back home was gone before I knew it. To say this was a miserable year for me would be an understatement. 

That being said, the prior year, my team was ranked third in the country. If we moved one place up, we would go to the World Championships; my dream ever since I first got on that ice fifteen years prior. We competed across the globe together; we beat anyone who attempted to step in our path.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3HZRgwdV2M&t=443s

(Here is the video of us from Austria.)

Then, the qualifying competition happened; formally called the U.S. National Synchronized Skating Championships. 

 That year, we went on to be the first year my new team attended a World Championship. Ever. 

(Here’s the world team roster, and me after we won gold abroad in Austria.)

Here’s the catch: this all happened in 2018, a Winter Olympic year. Yes, we attended a World Championship and I am very grateful for that. But imagine putting in all of that work, and all of those hours, and all of that practice, only for the Olympic committee to tell you straight to your face that your craft has no place in the Olympics. 

I could have been an Olympian.  

Inclusion in the Olympics

Now. I have a lot of passion for this sport. Obviously, I put a ton of effort into it and it was my life for a while. But, for the sake of writing a factual argument, I am ready to set those thoughts aside (for the moment). 

Public Enjoyment

The public loves this sport; it is fresh, and entertaining. There is no other sport quite like it; 16 girls on the ice at once is a pretty cool thing to witness. Stephen Murray, a male synchronized skater (and friend of mine) from Team USA in Boston says, “When you see 16 skaters on the ice doing the exact same thing at the exact same time, there’s nothing like it,” Mr. Murray said. “I’ve been competing in this for 12 years and there are still programs that I’ll watch and get the chills because it’s just that incredible what you can do with that depth of skill and what stories you can tell and what feelings you can portray. When you get the music right on the note with the lifts or the pivoting block, it’s something you can’t describe, unless you see it for yourself.” (Rogers, 1). One of the reasons excuses as to why the sport is not in the Olympics yet is because people will not want to watch it; this is honestly the least of our problems. 

Swimming? 

Synchronized swimming is a relatively popular Olympic sport. It is so popular, that when I accidentally tell people I do Synchro and not Synchronized Skating, they ask me how long I can hold my breath for. Awkward. Instead of 16 girls, swimming uses 8. The IOC says that synchronized skating should not be in the Olympics because there are “double the girls”. *eye roll*. 

To note: Synchronized skating is not to be confused with 

team skating; an event where solo skaters compete separately, but

with their home country’s other competitors.

Athleticism

When I first started skating synchro, I saw it as the sport that was for people who were not good at the other four disciplines of skating. As the sport became less new and more developed, it started to attract the athletes that you see now; long and lean people. As the sport has evolved, it started to incorporate the skills that you would normally see in those other disciplines. Because of the difficulty of this, the sport should receive some sort of recognition. Which leads me to my next point. 

The Odd One Out

“The summer Olympic Games have synchronized swimming, even synchronized diving. But the winter games are once again taking place without the inclusion of synchronized skating...It is the only skating discipline not included in the Olympics.” (Rogers, 1). As I mentioned previously, synchro is the only discipline in the skating community that is not in the Olympics. There is a stigma around the sport and this does nothing but throw more fuel to the fire. Why is this? 

Synchronized skating is a sport of power, will, and perseverance. I don’t think my (or a lot of people’s) life would be anywhere near where it is now without it. My dream is to one day, have the sport that I cherish so dearly in the Olympics.

I think that is ready to be shared with the world. 

(OK, we have a few years before this sport is truly “shared with the world”. But for now, take action and share it with your friends! Just use:

#WHYNOTSYNCHRO?