Can ISU official say this?

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Angela had a perfect layback. It is so much harder to do a layback in the Attitude position because you have to make sure your hip doesn't rise and open up to cheat for the position. To do that takes a lot of strength and control. Same as in dance. AN's Attitude position was perfect and the spin was centered and the momentum consistent. Letting the foot just dangle there is unattractive and much less challenging.

yelyoh - Everything you say is true but what is working to improve all about? Irinia S. with her club foot spiral eventually got it into arabasque-looking.

Actually, Medusa mentioned the important question: Do you think the judges consider these points?

I believe the accepted Tech definition is just to bend from the waist, and nothing about the body position. (correct me, please, if there is more to the definition of a lay back)

The Attitude position is optional and for me should carry a +3 if performed properly.

I noticed a lot of Attitude straight up spins being used as part of the combo spins
and they add a nice touch to the combo. Difficult? I dunno, never tried one.

 

[steyn]

Yu Na, and I do think she is a great competitor needs to turn the knees out and point those toes not just in spirals but in overall skating. The Attitude position in her layback does need a lot of work. Someone tell her to look at Nikidinov's on tape.

I suspect that Yu-Na is not flexible enough to learn a good attitude position. Moreover she has suffered from hip injuries and practicing the attitude position may be even dangerous.

In an interview some time ago, when asked what she envies Mao most, her answer was Mao's stamina and flexibility. So she knows that her position is not best. Brian Orser also mentioned that she needs to improve spiral and spin positions and they keep working on it. As a result, her spiral position is much better than before as most agree although it still needs more work. I think however they have to be very cautious because Yu-Na's hip is one of the weakest parts of her body.

I believe she has been doing her best and her spiral and spins are now excellent enough to satisfy most of the conditions for high GOE as gourry explained.

 

[yelyoh]

yelyoh - Everything you say is true but what is working to improve all about? Irinia S. with her club foot spiral eventually got it into arabasque-looking.

Actually, Medusa mentioned the important question: Do you think the judges consider these points?

I believe the accepted Tech definition is just to bend from the waist, and nothing about the body position. (correct me, please, if there is more to the definition of a lay back)

The Attitude position is optional and for me should carry a +3 if performed properly.

I noticed a lot of Attitude straight up spins being used as part of the combo spins
and they add a nice touch to the combo. Difficult? I dunno, never tried one.

Well to arch the back and keep the leg up and parallel to the ice and the hip down in position while spinning on a skate blade is indeed hard and I agree that's worth the +3. But I guess the judges don't consider that.