World Championships: Interview with Petra Tyrbo
Synchro has advanced the most throughout the years.
Petra Tyrbo is a judge, member of the ISU Synchronized Skating Technical Committee and ISU-representative in Synchronized Figure Skating. In various forms, she’s been a part of the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships from the very beginning in the year 2000. As a judge, Petra, must be extremely focused to see what’s happening with 16 skaters on the ice at the same time. But in the early days of synchro, the challenge was even greater for those who judged…
“A lot has happened over the years. In the beginning, a team consisted of 24 skaters on the ice all at once. Then it became 20, and today it’s 16.” says Petra Tyrbo.
How has synchro evolved over the last twenty years?
“Incredibly! The biggest difference is the level of technical difficulties and that the stakes for the skaters are much higher today. In the beginning, there was no lifting, for example. But more than anything else, the participants are incredible skaters today. They manage steps with a much higher level of technique and perform increasingly complex elements.”
What makes this discipline so special?
“The power of 16 skaters, the great risk that they take, the passion they share with the crowd and the response they receive. The atmosphere at a synchronized skating competition is amazing! The evolution of this discipline is also fascinating, having been able to see how all the teams develop. They are getting more and more skilled, and nearing one another in points, which makes the competition all the more exciting. Synchro is incredibly fun – and difficult.”
