There’s a prevailing attitude around my household (which includes an ardent and very informed fan) that female skaters are tough as nails and male skaters are prancing, girlish divas. This belief is fueled by Canada’s Emmanuel Sandhu, who makes Maria Carey seem staid. Sandhu’s ready with any excuse when his program goes horribly wrong (as it frequently does). The media generously call him ‘engimatic’.
Consider, on the other hand, Zhang Dan (that’s a female name). Early on in their Olympic long program, she and her partner Zhang Hao (no relation) attempted something never done before in competition: the quadruple Salchow. Hao throws Dan into the air, she spins four times and lands on her skates.
That’s the idea, but unfortunately it went horribly wrong. Here’s a New York Times infographic which illustrates the fall. Even better, here’s a video of their performance–the fall is about 15% of the way in. It’s probably the second worse fall I’ve ever seen in pairs skating, second only to Tatiana Totmianina’s face plant (she went on to win gold this year with her partner Maxim Marinin).
Astonishingly, despite landing spread-eagled, like a newborne fawn thrown off a cliff, Zhang Dan picks herself up and skates to the boards. The commentator remarks “the music has stopped, and this is it”. I think everybody figured she was done, and seriously injured. She takes all of three minutes, sucks it up, and re-starts the program at the point of the fall. They go on to win the silver medal. Mr. Sandhu, I expect, would already be under the willing hands of his Swedish masseuse.
DarrenBarefoot.com 
Ouch. That’s pretty bad…but what about all the knee injuries in the women’s downhill. Those made my stomach turn.
Like a rock!
Girls are tough. When I played softball in grade 6 Mr Creasy said he’d only coach the girls. The boys were too sucky. And his point was proved midway through a boys vs. girls game when one of the boys went down because a ball bounced awkwardly off his foot. He sat out of the game. In the next inning our girl pitcher got a ball batted into her face. Nose bleed explosion. She went to the bathroom, cleaned up, and then won us the game.
For me it is a bit of a crapshoot. I tore my hamstring in a dance competition and carried on despite searing pain, yet a paper cut can cripple me.
That was amazing. I was so impressed by her courage and their program was great too. I haven’t been able to watch many olympic events here in France, because the coverage is seriously lacking if you don’t have extended cable TV.
(program was great…after the fall and they contined, I meant.)
Monique:
either it’s a small world or a big one full of guys with the same name who teach grade six. you didn’t happen to go to forest park school in winnipeg, did you?
based on what you wrote, i’m thinking either i went to school with you or i went to school in the universe beside yours where many things are the same but also a bit different.
I watched the skating competition live, and my reaction to Zhang’s fall was very similar to what guys do when they see another of their kind take a hit to the jewels. Thank goodness she was so flexible. If it was me I’d have torn muscles from the top of my inner thigh to my knee.
I think the whole birth thing predisposes us up to be tougher than the opposite sex.
A couple of items and I feel bad because I sound a little bitter. But really I’m not!
How can you fall so hard you get hurt and then still be awarded a silver? I mean how crappy were the other pairs? You know the ones that did not fall down.
And I know girls are tough, but if a girl could take a hit like this and live, let alone continue the competition I could be swayed:
http://www.youtube.com/?v=BbMLmxv8baM
I feel kind of jerky, because it was an amazing story, but I cant help it!
Anonymous: I don’t have time to find the link right now, but check out the IOC and ISFA rules.
There’s an anology to other sports. In hockey or football (that is, soccer), play is stopped if there’s an injury. Once the injury is addressed, play resumes.
I cannot believe what the Russians said after they have won the gold medal.
Reporter: When Zhang fell, what was going on through your mind?
Totmianina: Actually, nothing special ’cause they was kind of agressive on the warm up, so they didn’t let us warm up very well, I mean…normally…
What on earth?
Any reactions?
Go see the link of the interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1j60Xiw__M&search=Interview%20Totmianina/Marinin
trust me i know what it feels like to be hurt in a recital
im a figure skater to
and even though i got hurt i got 2nd place!
and i was still happy and tough!~*