You might have been astonished by a bounce spin, backflip, or Detroiter at a professional ice skating exhibition but you won't see anyone do them at the Winter Olympics. Vice looks at four figure skating moves that are banned at the Olympics because they could damage the ice, are difficult to judge, or, y'know, could kill someone. From Vice:
Backflips, when a skater does a somersault on ice, have been banned by ice skating's regulating body since 1976, after the United States figure skater Terry Kubicka performed it at the 1976 Winter Olympics in Austria. Though the exact reason for the ban is unknown, speculations abound.
Some think it's to simplify the judging processes. There are also evident safety risks, as figure skaters wear no protective gear, and landing incorrectly could cause a serious head injury. A wrong landing could lacerate the ice's surface and damage it, making it harder for the next skater to compete.[…]
Drew Meekins, a pairs figure skater and figure skating coach for Team USA, said it was a "magical feeling" to be able to do the Detroiter. "It's another person and you're supporting them with one hand, you know, in this horizontal position. That's incredible," he told VICE.
