At worlds that year, Mao's 3f+3L was downgraded. That competition was where she had that heart stopping fall on the 3ax.
Different time, but both of Hughes triple triple combos in her winning Olympic long program were +3lo combos, 3 salchow and 3 toe loop. Let's not get into the ever ending argument about the quality of her jumps, but has anyone since done 2 triple/triple combos in the long program. That is an amazing 6 triples right off the bat. I thought I had read that Polina was going to do that at nationals, but she didn't.
Different time, but both of Hughes triple triple combos in her winning Olympic long program were +3lo combos, 3 salchow and 3 toe loop. Let's not get into the ever ending argument about the quality of her jumps, but has anyone since done 2 triple/triple combos in the long program. That is an amazing 6 triples right off the bat. I thought I had read that Polina was going to do that at nationals, but she didn't.
Shizuka Arakawa. 2004 Worlds. One of which was a 3-3-2.
So...if her program layout is so technically difficult and has a much higher BV than her competitors' programs, does that mean she's potentially a lock for gold now?
So...if her program layout is so technically difficult and has a much higher BV than her competitors' programs, does that mean she's potentially a lock for gold now?
No, it doesn't. She still needs to skate the program nearly perfectly which has never happened in her life. She can beat a perfect Kim with it but she can't afford any landing errors or pops/UR.So...if her program layout is so technically difficult and has a much higher BV than her competitors' programs, does that mean she's potentially a lock for gold now?
So...if her program layout is so technically difficult and has a much higher BV than her competitors' programs, does that mean she's potentially a lock for gold now?
No. Base value is only points on paper. You have to actually execute them and pass the exacting standards of a tech panel to get those points. Mao needs to skate clean to "lock-in" gold. Any flaws and the judges will readily place Julia or Yuna above her. I suspect the judges are most favorable to a clean Lipnitskaia, so if Kim or Asada make mistakes she'll vault ahead of them. My 'worry' podium is a lot like SLC 2002, where Julia gets way overscored in the SP and goes clean in the LP to beat both Kim and Asada (the two heavy favorites).
While I agree with almost everything here I'm compelled to respond to a "worry podium". Why worry? I say being heavy favorites shouldn't be enough. When asked about judging being fair or too strict Julia said"we shouldn't give the judges anything negative to deduct and present only clean skating". I see nothing wrong with holding the favorites to these standards too. It might make some of them skate better and some may change up there programs to try and skate better results!!
Even though Julia is my #1 I see no reason not to root on Mao. Especially with changing up the back to back 3a which I was perhaps a bit over critical of. I say go get em girl and make history while doing it!
Judges may not like +3Lo combos but they want to be the part of "history". She won't lose because of UR(s) which only slow motion can detect. When she loses, it must involve multiple visible errors.