Commentary on Worlds from Sonia Bianchetti

[gsrossano]

http://www.iceskatingintnl.com/current/content/lights_and_shadows.htm

 

[sillylionlove]

Thanks for posting the article. I really enjoy her writing. She really writes what I am thinking....and she tells it like it is!!!

 

[Spun Silver]

I'm surprised that she had so little to say for Joubert. He made so much improvement and did such a powerful FP.

I don't think one has to praise Buttle OR Joubert. Jeff won rightly, but this was the first time I've ever really admired Joubert. He improved a lot and it should be recognized.

 

[myasada]

She really writes what I am thinking....and she tells it like it is!!!

ITA

 

[dlkksk8fan]

The music is just background noise to most skaters and the multitude of restrictive boundaries kill choreography as well as the development of a personal style and creativity in a sport where such elements are essential.

ITA.

 

[Antilles]

Interesting article. Can someone remind me, what is her background with skating?

 

[Mathman]

Interesting article. Can someone remind me, what is her background with skating?

I don't know whether Mrs. Bianchetti was a competitive skater in her youth, but she served in the hierarchy of the ISU for three decades. She was a judge, referee and important committee member. She was the force behind the abolition of school figures and also campaigned against corruption and politics within the ISU.

There was a big fight between the Figure Skating side of the ISU and Speed Skating as to who would rule the roost. Bianchetti tried to run against Cinquanta for President, but they hoodwinked her and got Cinquanta in. I don't remember the exact details, but somehow the outgoing President (a speed skater) managed to get Cinquanta's credentials approved first, and then Bianchetti was out because you can't have two people from the same country (Italy) on the board of directors, or something like that.

When the World Skating Federation movement came along, Bianchetti supported it and was subsequently expelled from the ISU. (Her son, Fabio Bianchetti, is still in the ISU's good graces. He was the referee for the men's event at the recent Worlds.)

Bianchetti is a foe of the CoP, feeling (as in this article) that it has taken the artistry out of the sport.

Here is her web site.

http://www.soniabianchetti.com/about_sonia.html

 

[waxel]

I almost always concur with her opinion.

Does anyone have any positive intuition regarding CoP improvement? This season we did see fewer Biellmann positions. What will be the token fix this year?

 

[Pia]

"Even the programs of the top skaters were filled with errors" writes Sonia Bianchetti.

I don't have her experience at all, as I have ever only watched firgure skating on TV. But I do remember seeing errors in the programs of the top skaters even before COP. When women started to have triple jumps there was hardly a clean program for years. The winner usually was the one who fell less than the others.

I am not saying she hasn't got a point. Just that exaggerations like that make me less amenable to her arguments.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Quote -
There was a big fight between the Figure Skating side of the ISU and Speed Skating as to who would rule the roost. Bianchetti tried to run against Cinquanta for President, but they hoodwinked her and got Cinquanta in. I don't remember the exact details, but somehow the outgoing President (a speed skater) managed to get Cinquanta's credentials approved first, and then Bianchetti was out because you can't have two people from the same country (Italy) on the board of directors, or something like that.

I kind of think there was some Federations making a deal to push Cinquanta to win the Presidency provided he listen to them. (Just your run-of-the-mill theory, but so possible.)

Joe

 

[Vicky458]

Sonia's Thoughts

I have been waiting for some comments about the World championships from Sonia Bianchetti. Here it is (excerpt).

The 2008 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the wonderful Scandinavium. The arena was packed every day with an enthusiastic crowd and the atmosphere for the skaters could not be better...

With the World Championships the skating season comes to the end. As a general remark I would say that it is just depressing to see all these talented skaters, some of whom are real marvels, who are unable to perform at their best because they are required to execute elements beyond their capabilities just to get the highest possible number of points...

www.soniabianchetti.com

.

 

[SkatingAnalyst]

SONIA's REAL PODIUM !

1. YU-NA KIM
2. MAO ASADA
3. YUKARI NAGANO

 

[Kinga]

I often agree with Sonia B, in this article she hits the same points as she normally does.
However, I don't exactly agree about her estimation of ladies event. I agree that Yu-Na had a nice FP, but, due to her injury, she did not shine as she used to, therefore her performance could not bring the house down and reward her with gold. Apart from that, she had a fall in the SP, and I think that this sort of mistake should be punished more in the SP, and it is not under current judging system. After SP she was 5th, and, in my opinion, she should have been 7th, behind Meier and Rochette, with more points behind. Therefore, to climb for a medal she would have to deliver great FP, which she did and she finished 3rd. I guess that is fair.
If Sonia is looking for choreography and feeling, there was only one winner on that evening. Yukari... If someone should have won it should be Yukari. She has few flaws when it comes to jump technique, but come on, her programme was clean and difficult, and, first of all, was simply beautiful and complete. Isn't it what Sonia wants from a skater to win a medal?

 

[Mathman]

SONIA's REAL PODIUM !

1. YU-NA KIM
2. MAO ASADA
3. YUKARI NAGANO

Mrs. Bianchetti loves beautiful and well-executed skating.

But the CoP loves big point-getting technical elements. The reason that Carolina Kostner got second place is starkly clear from the protocols.

Base value for technical elements (LP)

Kostner 64.28
Kim 58.51
Asada 56.40
Nakano 53.63

Number of triple jumps rotated

Kostner 7
Kim 5
Asada 5
Nakano 5

Kostner just creamed the other three in the most important (point-wise) category (not to mention already being ahead in the SP).

I totally agree with your assessment on the other thread: Points, schmoints, the judges just could not force themselves to award the championship to the kind of performance that Carolina produced.

They really had no choice but to inflate the PCS for Asada to give her the title. (Bianchetti should be happy about that. )

 

[NatachaHatawa]

I always love reading Sonia's article! She speaks about skating in such an intelligent and truthful way! If every ISU official were like her, things would be much easier.

However, I don't agree with her on Tomas Verner's components. Despite his mistakes, Tomas still has a gorgeous LP whiwh he did interprete, even though technicly his performance went pear-shaped.

 

[SkatingAnalyst]

Mrs. Bianchetti loves beautiful and well-executed skating.

But the CoP loves big point-getting technical elements. The reason that Carolina Kostner got second place is starkly clear from the protocols.

Base value for technical elements (LP)

Kostner 64.28
Kim 58.51
Asada 56.40
Nakano 53.63

Number of triple jumps rotated

Kostner 7
Kim 5
Asada 5
Nakano 5

Kostner just creamed the other three in the most important (point-wise) category (not to mention already being ahead in the SP).

I totally agree with your assessment on the other thread: Points, schmoints, the judges just could not force themselves to award the championship to the kind of performance that Carolina produced.

They really had no choice but to inflate the PCS for Asada to give her the title. (Bianchetti should be happy about that. )

Who doesn't know how CoP works ? Sonia ? Me ?

The point is ... The Judges inflated PC scores ...
About 2 points for Carolina ... to boost the European Champ
About 3 points for Mao ... to make sure Carolina not be the winner

While they low-balled Yu-Na's PCS by 2 points for the painful INJURY !!!

 

[Kinga]

However, I don't agree with her on Tomas Verner's components. Despite his mistakes, Tomas still has a gorgeous LP whiwh he did interprete, even though technicly his performance went pear-shaped.

Totally agree with you. He did deliver, in spite of those horrible mistakes. There was some magic left in this programme due to his interpretation and feeling. He was properly punished for his mistakes. No less no more!

 

[Kinga]

Who doesn't know how CoP works ? Sonia ? Me ?

The point is ... The Judges inflated PC scores ...
About 2 points for Carolina ... to boost the European Champ
About 3 points for Mao ... to make sure Carolina not be the winner

While they low-balled Yu-Na's PCS by 2 points for the painful INJURY !!!

Injured or not, if you don't shine as you always do, why should you get the same PCS? Due to injury she did not leave the same impression, so why inflating her score? Her score was fine, Mao's inflated, Kostner's inflated. Yukari underscored.

 

[SkatingAnalyst]

Program Component Scores is MEANT ...

How Well... How Smoothe... How Beautiful... How Musical... and Overall Performance...
Truly... Very Very SUBJECTIVE... to the eyes of BEHOLDERS !

BUT ...

Yu-Na was OUTSTANDING that night like Sonia mentioned !!!

 

[Skye]

I always love reading Sonia's article! She speaks about skating in such an intelligent and truthful way! If every ISU official were like her, things would be much easier.

However, I don't agree with her on Tomas Verner's components. Despite his mistakes, Tomas still has a gorgeous LP whiwh he did interprete, even though technicly his performance went pear-shaped.

Well I agree with Sonia on Verner, because no matter how well he sold that program, it was just too much mistake-ridden. Compare his PCS (69.92) with the likes of KVDP (67.00) and Voronov (67.50) who had squeaky clean performances, or Carriere (67.72) and Chan (67.62) who made a couple of errors but have as excellent basics, if not better than Verner. I also agree that Kostner should not have been rewarded with PCS on par with Kim when their performance level was not even close. As Dick Button mentioned, there was a world of difference in the jumping alone.