Sez who? The way the rules have been written, the positive GOE bullet points are intended to reward both quality and added difficulty of the sort that cannot be captured in the base values of the element.
When done well, I think it does make the jump better -- if nothing else, in a similar way that a good triple is "better" than good double.
Sometimes the variations in takeoff/air/landing positions, or the specific transitions in and out, have choreographic meaning in relation to the concept of program as a whole, in which case they can be rewarded in the Choreography (and Transitions) component, as applicable.
If they make the jump harder, they can be rewarded in the element score. Unlike, say, pair lifts, jumps don't have "levels" to earn higher base values. Instead, since the beginning of IJS these variations to jumps have been rewarded in the GOEs, although the document outlining how to reward positive GOEs went through a significant change between early and later IJS.
Exactly.
This is a sport. Difficulty is to be rewarded.
Difficulty is not the only thing to be rewarded. Element quality counts. Program construction and overall performance quality also count.
There are multiple options for how to earn points. Skaters who can take advantage of the most of them will earn the most points.
Many skaters have maxed out on the level of difficulty they are able to incorporate. So if they're going to improve their own scores or become/remain competitive against others at their level who are doing higher-value elements, they need to find other ways to make up the points.
Skaters who can't or don't attempt the highest difficulty will have a relative deficit in base value or in those areas of difficulty (jump variations, the difficulty-related aspects of the Skating Skills, Transitions, and Choreography components), which they may or may not be able to make up in quality aspects of the GOEs and in the various program components.
Skaters who attempt greater difficulty may end up sacrificing some quality.
Many skaters may have plateaued on the level of quality they're currently capable of. They can keep working on quality, and on consistency, but a skater whose natural body type does not lend itself easily to huge jumps and/or beautiful positions is not going to compete with the best of the best in those areas. And improvements in those areas may be a slow process over many years. So when putting together this year's program they'll find other ways to try to earn points.
They may find it easier to add certain kinds of difficulty that, if executed adequately, will guarantee higher TES than leaving it out (rotating a harder jump, earning a higher level on a non-jump element) than to make significant improvements in the quality areas of GOEs and PCS.
They also may choose to add jump variations or transitions in hopes of increasing the GOE that way and increasing the Transitions component score.
If they end up making errors on the jump, or if the jump is slow, scratchy, small, telegraphed, etc., they may lose more points that way than they gain by any enhancement. One enhancement to the jump (difficult entry, variation to air position) is only one positive bullet point. The guideline is that it takes two bullet points to earn each positive GOE. If the enhancement is not done well, the mere fact of its existence does not guarantee a higher GOE. And even if it is done well, a significant error on the jump will require negative GOE.
If the transitions are repetitive and/or of poor quality, the negative effect on the Variety and Quality criteria of TR may outweigh any positive effect of Difficulty or Intricacy and may also have a negative effect on Performance/Execution and Choreography.
So throwing in a couple of shallow choctaws before a lutz, or throwing one's arm overhead during the jump by itself is no guarantee of higher scores. I think most judges would rather see and reward higher quality.
But for any given skater who has already maxed out quality at his/her current skill level, including such variations is their best hope, albeit not guaranteed, for higher element scores.
And then there are probably some coaches who don't understand the system quite as well and believe that jump enhancements do guarantee extra points. Or, at lower levels, believe that attempting variations now that don't interfere with landing the jump will serve the skater better in the future when she is able to add more speed and size to the jump and is already comfortable with the variation.
