DIY: Judging the Ladies in Sochi
Hi everyone,
I decided to score the top ladies free skates from Sochi myself, taking inspiration from our very own Ziggy (who I don't think I saw do this, or anyone else for that matter...if I missed it, let me know & feel free to merge!).
Short Program
Kostner
3F+3T +2
3Lo +2
FCSp4 +1
LSp3 +1
2A +1
StSq4 +3 the judges got it wrong here; I'm not fully trained on the various brackets, counters, rockers, etc. but this was certainly more complex than Sotnikova's. +3 for all of the lovely moments, particularly that back spiral
CCoSp4 +1
Skating Skills 9.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.5
Performance/Execution 9.0
Choreography/Composition 9.25
Interpretation 9.5
38.23 + 36.4 = 74.63
Kim
3Lz+3T +2 lovely
3F +2 fluid steps leading in, raised free leg on landing
FCSp4 +1 good centering, positions a little strained
2A +2 love the outside-inside spread eagle
LSp3 +1 centering and speed fairly good
StSq3 +2 Kim admits to making a mistake here so the level 3 was correct; regardless, this was one of my favorite step sequences Kim has ever done; the part where she clasps her hands behind her back and skates like a little girl fills me with a happy nostalgia
CCoSp4 +1
Skating Skills 9.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.25
Performance/Execution 9.0
Choreography/Composition 9.0
Interpretation 9.5 (one of my favorite performances of the entire Olympics, can you tell?)
37.93 + 36 = 73.93
Gold
3Lz+3T +1 slight struggle on the landing of the lutz but regains control with the toe
LSp4 +3 one of the best in the competition
FCSp4 +2 not the prettiest catchfoot, but great speed and centering, balanced rotations and control even with the deep inside edge that she gets
3Lo +1
2A -1 scratchy landing
StSq3 +2 lots of full-body commitment
CCoSp4 +2
Skating Skills: 8.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork: 7.75
Performance/Execution: 8.25
Choreography/Composition: 8.5
Interpretation: 8.0
37.44+ 32.6 = 70.04
Sotnikova
3T+3T +2
3F +1
CCoSp4 +2
2A +1
LSp4 +2
StSq3 +1
FCSp4 +2
Skating Skills 8.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.00
Performance/Execution 8.25
Choreography/Composition 8.5 certainly preferable to her LP
Interpretation 8.25
36.13 + 33.0 = 69.13
Asada
3A< -3
3F +1 the flip looked rotated on replay, I gave it to her (I actually thought it was a strong landing, similar to how she's been landing it in the SP all season)
CCoSp3 +2
FCSp4 +1
2Lo+COMBO -3
StSq4 +2 once again, I deviated from the official levels
LSp4 +2
Skating Skills 9.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.75
Performance/Execution 8.0 normally it would be higher, but I felt she deflated and lost her conviction after the jump errors
Choreography/Composition 9.25
Interpretation 9.0
26.78 + 35.4 -1 = 61.18
Long Program
Asada
3A +1 big and airy, landed right on the low vibration of piano keys
3F+3Lo +1 it looked fully rotated, nice delay on the 3Lo
3Lz (e) -1 steps in, flutz, but a nice exit position (-2, +1)
CCoSp4 +2 exceptional centering, great positions
FCSp4 0 transition to catchfoot a little shaky
2A+3T +1 fully rotated
3S +1 love how the entry & the jump itself go so perfectly with the swell of the music, along with the little hop as a transition out of it
3F+2Lo+2Lo +2 not only is it effortless throughout and has a delay in the rotation of the loops, but it perfectly matches the three consecutive swells of the music
3Lo +1
FCCoSp4 +1 could be faster, struggled a little on the illusions, good stretch in the Biellmann position and good centering
StSq4 +3 best step sequence of the night, skated with every beat of music
ChSq1 +2
Skating Skills - 9.0 excellent from the ankle down, but I find Asada to be one of the slower skaters - otherwise I would have gone up to 9.5
Transitions/Linking Footwork - 8.75 in the entire program, she never takes more than 3 back crossovers in a row; lots of transitions that are both difficult and musical
Performance/Execution - 9.0 she skated with such command and conviction (the moment after she lands her final 3Lo always gets me)
Choreography/Composition - 8.75 not as good as her short, and not as many layers to interpret, but still beautifully done to the music
Interpretation 9.0 - a sophisticated and triumphant interpretation of music; can't think of any other lady who would be able to skate this program, apart from maybe Carolina or Michelle
78.66 + 71.2 = 149.86
Kostner
3Lz +1 gorgeous jump but telegraphed
2A+3T +2
3F +2 extremely light
FCCoSp4 +1
FCSp4 +1 Kostner isn't the most flexible or fast spinner, but the positions she hits are aesthetically pleasing; could have held the camel for a few more rotations
3Lo 0 heavy landing
3T+2T 0 unstable on the landing edge of the 3T, dropped upper body
3S +1 good speed, nice height
3S+2T+2T 0 struggled on the last 2T
StSq4 +3 amazing moment, no restraint with every movement done to its fullest, made even more powerful by her long limbs
ChSq1 +3
CCoSp4 +1 slight travel
Skating Skills 9.5 best in the ladies field, great edges and speed
Transitions/Linking Footwork 7.75 lots of telegraphing, and she sacrificed intricacy for artistic integrity, which I'm fine with - I rewarded her in the other components
Performance/Execution 9.5 she sells this SO well
Choreography/Composition 9.0 I would have gone higher but I'm disappointed she replaced the final 3S with a spin (I know, I know, she never landed it cleanly, but it would've been cool to see)
Interpretation 9.25 amazing
68.35 + 72.0 = 140.35
Kim
3Lz+3T +3 the apex of ladies' jumping
3F +2
3S+2T +2 good flow and rhythm throughout the combination
FCCoSp4 +1 excellent centering but her positions and speed are nothing extraordinary
StSq3 +2 beautifully timed to the music, hitting nearly every nuance
3Lz 0 free leg was a little swingy, not secure
2A+2T+2Lo +1 strained between the 2T and 2Lo
3S +1 slightly tilted in the air and landing
LSp3 0 a little slow
ChSq1 +1 okay, but not great - the spiral position isn't nice to look at and yet somehow manages to be unsatisfyingly short at the same time, no relation to the music; however, the steps afterward are full of energy and commitment
2A +1
CCoSp4 +1 went well with the music, but you could see how fatigued she was during the camel positions
Skating Skills 9.25 watching the video from an aerial point of view - her speed, deep edges, and ice coverage are fantastic
Transitions/Linking Footwork 7.75 lacking; she tends to sacrifice intricacy to maintain her amazing speed and power, absolutely her weakest component; does the greatest number of crossovers of all the top 4 free skates and the only notable transition I remember was the ina bauer into the 2A+2T+2Lo
Performance/Execution 8.5 I got the impression that she was somewhat marking the movements as opposed to fully performing them; she did become more engaged later in her program once her jumps were landed and expressed more facially, but the beginning was tense
Choreography/Composition 9.0 although more simplistic than Mao and Carolina's programs, I also felt it was actually more sophisticated as well
Interpretation 9.0 Kim carries herself with a regal sophistication and very well portrays the overall mood and tension of Adios Nonino; extremely well-timed to the music
66.79 + 69.6 = 136.39 - I was SHOCKED by how low I scored her - I'm a big Yuna fan, so I thought I'd have her well into the 140s.
Sotnikova
3Lz+3T< (e) -2 I disagreed with caller and gave her both an underrotation and an edge call, which I thought were fairly obvious in the replays; otherwise, great height (-3, +1)
3F +2 footwork preceding, great elevation
3Lo +2
FCSp4 +2 not really pleasing to me personally but I can't deny the amount of flexibility those positions take; fast and centered
2A+3T +2 good control but...is it just me, or does she have a wild free leg picking into the 3T?
3F+2T+2Lo -2 the judges were WAY too lenient on this stumble
3S +2 right on the music
2A +2 good control
LSp4 +2 slowed down a bit in the Biellmann position; lovely, but she's no Czisny
StSq3 +1 I disagreed with the callers once again - her step sequence has been receiving Level 3 all season long, including at Europeans which was only a month prior and is notorious for being one of the more generously scored competitions of the season; the upper body movement as she was finishing the sequence seemed contrived
ChSq1 +2 I found the waving disingenuous and juvenile but I can't deny that gorgeous extension; a little unstable in her second spiral position
CCoSp4 +2
Skating Skills 8.25 excellent for her age; she is nearing Kim's stratosphere but is not there yet
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.25 nothing particularly memorable or choreographically interesting
Performance/Execution 9.25 she performed the heck out of this program, good for her
Choreography/Composition 8.25 it disturbs me that this was a program that she had won Junior Worlds with...as previous threads mentioned, there was no underlying theme or triumphant, thought-provoking moments; it was simply movement for movement's sake
Interpretation 8.0
68.53 + 67.2 = 135.73
Gold
3Lz+3T +1
2A+3T +2
3Lo +2
FCoSp4 +2
StSq3 +2
3F e -3
3Lz +1 nice entrance from the back spiral
3S+2T+2T +0
CCoSp4 +2
ChSq1 +1
2A +2
LSp4 +3
Skating Skills: 8.5
Transitions/Linking Footwork: 8.0
Performance/Execution: 8.5
Choreography/Composition: 8.0
Interpretation: 8.25 the powerful music suits her style of skating more than the delicacy of the short, but still not my cup of tea
68.94 + 66.0 - 1 = 133.94
GOLD Kostner 74.63 (1st) + 140.35 (2nd) = 214.98
SILVER Asada 61.18 + 149.86 (1st) = 211.04 (what?! I have to look over my calculations again...)
BRONZE Kim 73.93 (2nd) + 136.39 (3rd) = 210.32
Fourth Sotnikova 69.13 (4th) + 135.73 (4th) = 204.86
Fifth Gold 70.04 (3rd) + 133.94 (5th) = 203.98
Hi everyone,
I decided to score the top ladies free skates from Sochi myself, taking inspiration from our very own Ziggy (who I don't think I saw do this, or anyone else for that matter...if I missed it, let me know & feel free to merge!).
Short Program
Kostner
3F+3T +2
3Lo +2
FCSp4 +1
LSp3 +1
2A +1
StSq4 +3 the judges got it wrong here; I'm not fully trained on the various brackets, counters, rockers, etc. but this was certainly more complex than Sotnikova's. +3 for all of the lovely moments, particularly that back spiral
CCoSp4 +1
Skating Skills 9.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.5
Performance/Execution 9.0
Choreography/Composition 9.25
Interpretation 9.5
38.23 + 36.4 = 74.63
Kim
3Lz+3T +2 lovely
3F +2 fluid steps leading in, raised free leg on landing
FCSp4 +1 good centering, positions a little strained
2A +2 love the outside-inside spread eagle
LSp3 +1 centering and speed fairly good
StSq3 +2 Kim admits to making a mistake here so the level 3 was correct; regardless, this was one of my favorite step sequences Kim has ever done; the part where she clasps her hands behind her back and skates like a little girl fills me with a happy nostalgia
CCoSp4 +1
Skating Skills 9.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.25
Performance/Execution 9.0
Choreography/Composition 9.0
Interpretation 9.5 (one of my favorite performances of the entire Olympics, can you tell?)
37.93 + 36 = 73.93
Gold
3Lz+3T +1 slight struggle on the landing of the lutz but regains control with the toe
LSp4 +3 one of the best in the competition
FCSp4 +2 not the prettiest catchfoot, but great speed and centering, balanced rotations and control even with the deep inside edge that she gets
3Lo +1
2A -1 scratchy landing
StSq3 +2 lots of full-body commitment
CCoSp4 +2
Skating Skills: 8.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork: 7.75
Performance/Execution: 8.25
Choreography/Composition: 8.5
Interpretation: 8.0
37.44+ 32.6 = 70.04
Sotnikova
3T+3T +2
3F +1
CCoSp4 +2
2A +1
LSp4 +2
StSq3 +1
FCSp4 +2
Skating Skills 8.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.00
Performance/Execution 8.25
Choreography/Composition 8.5 certainly preferable to her LP
Interpretation 8.25
36.13 + 33.0 = 69.13
Asada
3A< -3
3F +1 the flip looked rotated on replay, I gave it to her (I actually thought it was a strong landing, similar to how she's been landing it in the SP all season)
CCoSp3 +2
FCSp4 +1
2Lo+COMBO -3
StSq4 +2 once again, I deviated from the official levels
LSp4 +2
Skating Skills 9.25
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.75
Performance/Execution 8.0 normally it would be higher, but I felt she deflated and lost her conviction after the jump errors
Choreography/Composition 9.25
Interpretation 9.0
26.78 + 35.4 -1 = 61.18
Long Program
Asada
3A +1 big and airy, landed right on the low vibration of piano keys
3F+3Lo +1 it looked fully rotated, nice delay on the 3Lo
3Lz (e) -1 steps in, flutz, but a nice exit position (-2, +1)
CCoSp4 +2 exceptional centering, great positions
FCSp4 0 transition to catchfoot a little shaky
2A+3T +1 fully rotated
3S +1 love how the entry & the jump itself go so perfectly with the swell of the music, along with the little hop as a transition out of it
3F+2Lo+2Lo +2 not only is it effortless throughout and has a delay in the rotation of the loops, but it perfectly matches the three consecutive swells of the music
3Lo +1
FCCoSp4 +1 could be faster, struggled a little on the illusions, good stretch in the Biellmann position and good centering
StSq4 +3 best step sequence of the night, skated with every beat of music
ChSq1 +2
Skating Skills - 9.0 excellent from the ankle down, but I find Asada to be one of the slower skaters - otherwise I would have gone up to 9.5
Transitions/Linking Footwork - 8.75 in the entire program, she never takes more than 3 back crossovers in a row; lots of transitions that are both difficult and musical
Performance/Execution - 9.0 she skated with such command and conviction (the moment after she lands her final 3Lo always gets me)
Choreography/Composition - 8.75 not as good as her short, and not as many layers to interpret, but still beautifully done to the music
Interpretation 9.0 - a sophisticated and triumphant interpretation of music; can't think of any other lady who would be able to skate this program, apart from maybe Carolina or Michelle
78.66 + 71.2 = 149.86
Kostner
3Lz +1 gorgeous jump but telegraphed
2A+3T +2
3F +2 extremely light
FCCoSp4 +1
FCSp4 +1 Kostner isn't the most flexible or fast spinner, but the positions she hits are aesthetically pleasing; could have held the camel for a few more rotations
3Lo 0 heavy landing
3T+2T 0 unstable on the landing edge of the 3T, dropped upper body
3S +1 good speed, nice height
3S+2T+2T 0 struggled on the last 2T
StSq4 +3 amazing moment, no restraint with every movement done to its fullest, made even more powerful by her long limbs
ChSq1 +3
CCoSp4 +1 slight travel
Skating Skills 9.5 best in the ladies field, great edges and speed
Transitions/Linking Footwork 7.75 lots of telegraphing, and she sacrificed intricacy for artistic integrity, which I'm fine with - I rewarded her in the other components
Performance/Execution 9.5 she sells this SO well
Choreography/Composition 9.0 I would have gone higher but I'm disappointed she replaced the final 3S with a spin (I know, I know, she never landed it cleanly, but it would've been cool to see)
Interpretation 9.25 amazing
68.35 + 72.0 = 140.35
Kim
3Lz+3T +3 the apex of ladies' jumping
3F +2
3S+2T +2 good flow and rhythm throughout the combination
FCCoSp4 +1 excellent centering but her positions and speed are nothing extraordinary
StSq3 +2 beautifully timed to the music, hitting nearly every nuance
3Lz 0 free leg was a little swingy, not secure
2A+2T+2Lo +1 strained between the 2T and 2Lo
3S +1 slightly tilted in the air and landing
LSp3 0 a little slow
ChSq1 +1 okay, but not great - the spiral position isn't nice to look at and yet somehow manages to be unsatisfyingly short at the same time, no relation to the music; however, the steps afterward are full of energy and commitment
2A +1
CCoSp4 +1 went well with the music, but you could see how fatigued she was during the camel positions
Skating Skills 9.25 watching the video from an aerial point of view - her speed, deep edges, and ice coverage are fantastic
Transitions/Linking Footwork 7.75 lacking; she tends to sacrifice intricacy to maintain her amazing speed and power, absolutely her weakest component; does the greatest number of crossovers of all the top 4 free skates and the only notable transition I remember was the ina bauer into the 2A+2T+2Lo
Performance/Execution 8.5 I got the impression that she was somewhat marking the movements as opposed to fully performing them; she did become more engaged later in her program once her jumps were landed and expressed more facially, but the beginning was tense
Choreography/Composition 9.0 although more simplistic than Mao and Carolina's programs, I also felt it was actually more sophisticated as well
Interpretation 9.0 Kim carries herself with a regal sophistication and very well portrays the overall mood and tension of Adios Nonino; extremely well-timed to the music
66.79 + 69.6 = 136.39 - I was SHOCKED by how low I scored her - I'm a big Yuna fan, so I thought I'd have her well into the 140s.
Sotnikova
3Lz+3T< (e) -2 I disagreed with caller and gave her both an underrotation and an edge call, which I thought were fairly obvious in the replays; otherwise, great height (-3, +1)
3F +2 footwork preceding, great elevation
3Lo +2
FCSp4 +2 not really pleasing to me personally but I can't deny the amount of flexibility those positions take; fast and centered
2A+3T +2 good control but...is it just me, or does she have a wild free leg picking into the 3T?
3F+2T+2Lo -2 the judges were WAY too lenient on this stumble
3S +2 right on the music
2A +2 good control
LSp4 +2 slowed down a bit in the Biellmann position; lovely, but she's no Czisny
StSq3 +1 I disagreed with the callers once again - her step sequence has been receiving Level 3 all season long, including at Europeans which was only a month prior and is notorious for being one of the more generously scored competitions of the season; the upper body movement as she was finishing the sequence seemed contrived
ChSq1 +2 I found the waving disingenuous and juvenile but I can't deny that gorgeous extension; a little unstable in her second spiral position
CCoSp4 +2
Skating Skills 8.25 excellent for her age; she is nearing Kim's stratosphere but is not there yet
Transitions/Linking Footwork 8.25 nothing particularly memorable or choreographically interesting
Performance/Execution 9.25 she performed the heck out of this program, good for her
Choreography/Composition 8.25 it disturbs me that this was a program that she had won Junior Worlds with...as previous threads mentioned, there was no underlying theme or triumphant, thought-provoking moments; it was simply movement for movement's sake
Interpretation 8.0
68.53 + 67.2 = 135.73
Gold
3Lz+3T +1
2A+3T +2
3Lo +2
FCoSp4 +2
StSq3 +2
3F e -3
3Lz +1 nice entrance from the back spiral
3S+2T+2T +0
CCoSp4 +2
ChSq1 +1
2A +2
LSp4 +3
Skating Skills: 8.5
Transitions/Linking Footwork: 8.0
Performance/Execution: 8.5
Choreography/Composition: 8.0
Interpretation: 8.25 the powerful music suits her style of skating more than the delicacy of the short, but still not my cup of tea
68.94 + 66.0 - 1 = 133.94
GOLD Kostner 74.63 (1st) + 140.35 (2nd) = 214.98
SILVER Asada 61.18 + 149.86 (1st) = 211.04 (what?! I have to look over my calculations again...)
BRONZE Kim 73.93 (2nd) + 136.39 (3rd) = 210.32
Fourth Sotnikova 69.13 (4th) + 135.73 (4th) = 204.86
Fifth Gold 70.04 (3rd) + 133.94 (5th) = 203.98