Higher, Faster, Stronger, Prettier

Nevermind what I think about figure skating for just a moment and go read the funniest thing I've read in a few weeks of reading silly, over-the-top, crapola about figure skating. Mind you, its not as creepy as the second half of this earlier piece by the same writer. If I were Mao Asada, I'd be looking into a restraining order.
Look, I won't deny that figure skating is very popular and major draw for the olympics. It draws a huge number of television viewers and that means moneny. I would never deny it is very athletic and requires a huge amount of skill, discipline and talent.  So does synchonized swimming. So does rythmic gymnastics. So does ballet. None of these are sports, they are artistic endevours which are for some reason forced into competition and judged on subjective criteria.
Anything in which your chances of winning can depend on the music you choose, the costume or make-up you wear and whether you smile while competing is not a sport.