CoP or 6.0: Different Podium Finishes?

Bennett said:

I wonder how much her leg wrap mattered. As I look at videos, her leg wrap does not bother me at all, even though I have been picky about Nakano's leg wrap.

I just read an interview of hers in Japanese (a magazine called "Number"). She says that 1988 Olympics was really enjoyable. Ms. Witt was beautiful whereas she was short and not pretty. So she just wanted to do her best to the fullest and was very happy to get the standing ovation. As a result, she placed fifth. Ms. Witt won with two triples.

But then the cohort changes next season and she won the world champs, landed 3A. And then in 90's figures are abandoned, which was lucky for her.

In 92, she went to the Olympics as a favorite. (still under the 6.0 system). ..... She herself also grew performance-wise, she could dance tango well instead of making it into Dango (i.e., "dumpling" in Japanese).

Click to expand...

Interesting. I think Japanese female skaters do tend to get better with age. They seem to have this transition period where they make time some time to mature. While Japan has always been focused on the cuteness in girls, so can't blame them for being girlish well into their 20s. Hopefully, this means we'll see a mature and better Mao in the future. Also Kanako.

janetfan said:

I am not sure what judges thought about Midori's leg wrap but can't imagine it helped her artistic marks.
What about Yukari? Is CoP giving her + goe for leg wrapped jumps?

Click to expand...

Although Yukari has a number of strengths as a skater, I don't really think that Yukari's jumps can be compared with Midori's both aesthetically and technically.

The main things people comment on Midori's jumps are the amazing height, distance, power, and flow, and these elements do create beauty in the performance. Midori's leg wrap was not serious enough to distract the audience from these elements. She starts with a leg wrap, but by the time she lands it, it is not wrapped.

I agree with your point that Midori's 1988 performance did not have much elegance or polish, which perhaps affected her second marks, and that the leg wrap can be perceived as one of the factors that create that impression. But I think that other elements such as roughness in stroking, paucity of stretch and extension, choreos, interpretations etc may have affected more.

Itoi did not "leg wrap" in the same manner as Nakano or other skaters that are generally thought to have poor technique. Interestingly, if you compare, Ito had a figure 4 position in the air (in that if she had pushed down tight her position would be like you see most ladies who are thought to have good air position in the "d" or "h" position). Ito was such a big and powerful jumper, she never had to pull in completely with her lower body and maintained the initial lift off position in her lower body. If you stop a lot of good jumpers just after they leave the ice and are on the acendence of the jump, you'll see a position similar to Ito's. All of her jumps were fully rotated.

Her figures were poor in comparison to others above her in 1988. No one benefitted more from the removal of figures except perhaps Yamaguchi and Harding. If she had skated later in the order, she may have finished higher in both the SP and LP and would have snuck onto the podium, but ber figures REALLY would have had to be better.