Judges for 2013 ISU Championships

[chuckm]

Even if there are no RUS judges in Sochi, I'm sure there will be plenty of BLR, UKR, UZB, EST, AZE, KAZ, etc. etc. etc.

[janetfan]

Even if there are no RUS judges in Sochi, I'm sure there will be plenty of BLR, UKR, UZB, EST, AZE, KAZ, etc. etc. etc.

Nice to hear a response from a fan who knows the "deal" when it comes to fairness and the "politics" of figure skating.

[heyhey]

Even if there are no RUS judges in Sochi, I'm sure there will be plenty of BLR, UKR, UZB, EST, AZE, KAZ, etc. etc. etc.

Chuckm - this post deserves a +1...

[Macassar88]

Chuckm - this post deserves a +1...

Russian judge gives a -3

[blue dog]

Russian judge gives a -3

All judges give -3, because Alla Piseeva, the Russian judge, is now on the tech panel.

[heyhey]

Russian judge gives a -3

Macassar88- you owe me a keyboard, LOL...obviously block-judging goes both ways but for Sochi, I see it tipping to the East....and seriously how did Alla Piseeva end up on the tech panel...oieee...

[SkateFiguring]

There is a big difference between how the Tech Panel and the judges function. Judges have subjective leeway, though ISU has been issuing more and more bullets points on how GOEs should be rewarded. But basically, judges make qualitative (subjective) calls on executions of elements and components on the performance. The Tech Panel do keen observation of specific verifiable aspects of the execution of elements. There may be occasional fine lines but mostly such calls are either yes and no or counting of numbers, aided by video recording if necessary, i.e. mostly quantitative/objective and almost black and white with occasional grey areas. A tech panelist making errors or questionable calls will not be keeping his/her job for long.

[janetfan]

A tech panelist making errors or questionable calls will not be keeping his/her job for long.

Just curious - I remember reading ISU reviews every event back at headquarters and judges or tech panel members who seem off will be warned and if necessary dismissed.

Do you - or does anyone at GS have the list of judges and tech panel members who have been dismissed from ISU events due to bad or questionable marks or calls?

Or is this kept as anonymous as the judges scores?

I can't ever recall reading about an ISU judge/tech specialist getting suspended in the CoP era.

AFAIK ISU consisders every mark and call in the CoP era to be fine.

[KKonas]

Let's take a few random technical panel members, Judy Blumberg (USA), Maurizio Margaglio (ITA, but runs the FIN program), Mrs. Piseev (RUS) & Shae Zukowski (CAN)

All of them get paid to coach. Some of them get paid to choreograph. If some of their students are skating, how is it possible that they are not in a conflict of interest? And worse, is it not, when there are only 3 members of a panel. And the ISU does not give them a yearly stipend. They live on their coaching/choreographying/TV commentating/Finnish program running businesses, not on the ISU dime.

More, all of them will have their tastes and ideas influenced by the countries they grew up in, that they live in, and that they trained in. This is great when you have a sizable judging panel, but one does not have to postulate any crookedness to see that 3 is too few on a panel, given how wide a world this is, even in the small world of skating.

All ISU Tech Controllers are Judges. Don't think they can coach/choreograph. (Not sure about all Federation Controllers) Tech specialists are all former skaters but cannot judge - (unless they actually become a judge) a distinction with a (perhaps slight) difference.

[Macassar88]

Macassar88- you owe me a keyboard, LOL...obviously block-judging goes both ways but for Sochi, I see it tipping to the East....and seriously how did Alla Piseeva end up on the tech panel...oieee...

Okay I get that you thought it was funny, but why do I owe you a keyboard?

[Tonichelle]

Okay I get that you thought it was funny, but why do I owe you a keyboard?

probably because they were having a beverage while reading and it ended up spewed across the keyboard

[Macassar88]

probably because they were having a beverage while reading and it ended up spewed across the keyboard

Ah that makes more sense. My first thought went to head banging on keyboard repeatedly.

[Mathman]

Do you - or does anyone at GS have the list of judges and tech panel members who have been dismissed from ISU events due to bad or questionable marks or calls?

The ISU does publish every year the list of judges who accrue enough "anomalies' (marks outside the corridor) to be called on the carpet for some sort of discipline. I will try to find the latest such report on the ISU site, but it requires some effort.

Typically about a dozen or so judges face some sort of reprimand each season and some serve suspensions during which they cannot judge ISU events, combined with retraining.

[janetfan]

The ISU does publish every year the list of judges who accrue enough "anomalies' (marks outside the corridor) to be called on the carpet for some sort of discipline. I will try to find the latest such report on the ISU site, but it requires some effort.

Typically about a dozen or so judges face some sort of reprimand each season and some serve suspensions during which they cannot judge ISU events, combined with retraining.

Thanks - but is this like dealing with "state secrets"?
Why is it so hard to find the information?

[Tonichelle]

Thanks - but is this like dealing with "state secrets"?
Why is it so hard to find the information?

If MM can find it others can, too.