Massot told The Associated Press: “It is always more difficult when you have an early practice and then the competition takes place two hours later. Maybe that schedule is good for the TV, but not for the athletes.”

The general response among skaters and coaches, however, has been to acknowledge that while the start times are not ideal, they should not be used as an excuse for rickety performances. The schedule has long been known, and everyone has had time to plan accordingly.

The Japanese ice dancers Kana Muramoto and Chris Reed have been turning on lamps that mimic sunlight as soon as they awaken to rev up their bodies.

“I think it’s working,” Muramoto said. “I feel awake and great.”

The Russian ice dancers Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev traveled to South Korea from Moscow last month to begin adjusting to the six-hour time difference. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada, the 2010 Olympic ice-dance champions and 2014 silver medalists, have long embraced sports science. They have their sleep patterns monitored, they said, and use wearable technology to have such functions as their breathing patterns scrutinized while on the ice.