2018-19 Ladies' power ranking

[rachno2]

Actually, Kaori had a clean competition at Skate America. She's definitely been undervalued in terms of her PCS - but her scores are rising - IMO, she should have PCS higher than Rika K's.

Thanks! How could I forget about Skate America?

Agree Kaori’s PCS is undermarked. Sadly, it looks like the judges saved all the candies for the last two ladies. It’s frustrating.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

A reality check for some of what the real ranking among the top ladies is, after this weekend's big competition. In retrospect, it's slightly amusing how some of us had already predicted this 'shuffling' in the ranking weeks ago and were met with such resistance. Well the judges have finally confirmed it. Some may still be skeptical but really merit had a small triumph here over status.

In my opinion, Alina did pretty darned well for being so injured that she was almost withdrawn. Talk about determination, perseverance, and skill right there.
Rika absolutely deserved her win but Alina earning silver while injured is an accomplishment, not a setback.

 

[Roast Toast]

Not to mention all the pressure is now on Rika at worlds. I'm not the biggest fan of Alina but it's never pleasant to see someone so visibly stressed out on the ice so hopefully now she'll be able to let loose and relax a little bit. It's okay to lose sometimes!

 

[chopinskate]

Not to mention all the pressure is now on Rika at worlds. I'm not the biggest fan of Alina but it's never pleasant to see someone so visibly stressed out on the ice so hopefully now she'll be able to let loose and relax a little bit. It's okay to lose sometimes!

Some of them are still kids but with insane drives. I do wonder when these lessons of maturity are made available to them

 

[Joekaz]

Back then the scoring was way less reflective of the actual efforts put forth by the skaters in relation to the full scale value provided by CoP. It also allowed for PCS to save the anointed ones much easier. You’d see errors in TES eclipsed by a wall of PCS only a few could obtain. I don’t miss that at all.

The main problem I see is that PCS was supposed to replace the presentation mark which rewarded artistry, gracefullnes and musicality. But it seems to being used now to mainly reinforce the TES score and or consistency. This trend hurts graceful skaters like Satoko and Marin and helps athletic yet awkward skaters like Sakamoto. Under this system Slutskaya would have beaten Kwan everytime in the old days. They need to balance out the scoring system to fairly reward both aspects of skating.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Awkward? Sakamoto? She's one of the most graceful skaters I've ever seen...

 

[chopinskate]

The main problem I see is that PCS was supposed to replace the presentation mark which rewarded artistry, gracefullnes and musicality. But it seems to being used now to mainly reinforce the TES score and or consistency. This trend hurts graceful skaters like Satoko and Marin and helps athletic yet awkward skaters like Sakamoto. Under this system Slutskaya would have beaten Kwan everytime in the old days. They need to balance out the scoring system to fairly reward both aspects of skating.

Here we go again

 

[Shanshani]

The main problem I see is that PCS was supposed to replace the presentation mark which rewarded artistry, gracefullnes and musicality. But it seems to being used now to mainly reinforce the TES score and or consistency. This trend hurts graceful skaters like Satoko and Marin and helps athletic yet awkward skaters like Sakamoto. Under this system Slutskaya would have beaten Kwan everytime in the old days. They need to balance out the scoring system to fairly reward both aspects of skating.

Huh? I don't think Kaori's skating is awkward at all, she has excellent flow and grace and solid interpretation. Nor do I think she's being helped by how PCS is currently scored--if anything, she deserves higher PCS than she's currently getting, for her artistry and skating skills. She might not be quite as polished as Satoko and Marin, but I hardly think she's lacking either. I think you're going too much off her body type and too little off her actual skating.

 

[[email protected]]

My ranking after GPF - one replacement in the list and some notable changes:

#1 Rika Kihira +1 With the acquired 3A confidence and vastly improved pcs Rika has overthroned Alina in the top spot. The question now if she can maintain her consistency in the second half of the season.

#2 Alina Zagitova -1 She was reportedly injured at GPF so that she was 5 points off her SB in SP and she missed the opening combo. If 100% clean she can still beat Rika with 1 fall. But it is unlikely that she can beat now clean Rika with 3 3As

#3 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva +0.5 Liza has moved into the firm #3 ranking position. With 2 clean 3As and her GPF jump content she can get scores in a comfortable 220+ zone. This means that she is just in the middle between the first 2 skaters and whoever is the current fourth.

#4 Kaori Sakamoto +1 Kaori does not have tech issues and has a good pcs level. Without new jumps she will never surpass clean those who are above her. But she has everything to compete for big podiums: it is safe to assume that not all of the top 3 will be always 100% clean

#5 Satoko Miyahara -1.5 Satoko is at big mercy of tech panels. GPF sent such a strong signal that I am worried about her motivation now


#6 Bradie Tennell I simply enjoy Bradie's skating this season. She needs consistency - stop falling, for one thing. Then she could aim at #3-#4 positions

#7 Sofia Samodurova +1 Beating Satoko and clearing 200 for the first time is a huge boost to Sofia. Unless Medvedeva comes to her senses and does not make her usual array of mistakes this season Sofia is the main contender for the third spot. She is consistent and she is not called - this is very good news for a prospective team member. Last season 3 spots were in danger. With all due respect to Stasya it would be insane to pick her rather than Sofia no matter what scores they have at the Nationals

#8 Mai Mihara -1 Mai is in the similar position to Sofia. But she is more vulnerable. Because her equivalent of Medvedeva is Satoko. And unlike Zhenya Satoko made the GPF not Mai. Hence, her team spot is a very big if now.

#9 Loena Hendrickx No news The only non-Russian European with some placements ambitions.

#10 Maria Bell New She is not consistent but her good performances are more and more frequent now. I think that her place in the US team is almost guaranteed.

To watch:

Russia: Medvedeva, Konstantinova, Gubanova - now that Maria Sotskova is done score wise those 3 will compete with Sofia for one remaining team spot. Medvedeva will have a big pcs cushion at the Nationals. But she has to deliver the tech content - then she is in the team and in the top-10 ranking again. I am so excited to go to Saransk in 10 days to see this epic battle first-hand!

Japan: Mako and Yuna S - average good skaters with occassional strong performances. Marin is a terrific skater with stellar skating skills. Just needs the jumps. No news about Wakaba. In any case, I see very few chances for any of them to replace Satoko in the team. Hence, they all will stay off the list.

Korea: Eunsoo Lim - one of my favorite skaters this season.

Kazakhstan: Elizaveta Tursynbaeva - she had a very strong start but then put on the brake a bit. I am not sure if momentum is still there. But I saw very good potential for improvement and top-10 placement in the WC.

[/QUOTE]

 

[madison]

My ranking after GPF - no replacements in the list but some notable changes:

#1 Rika Kihira +1 With the acquired 3A confidence and vastly improved pcs Rika has overthroned Alina in the top spot. The question now if she can maintain her consistency in the second half of the season.

#2 Alina Zagitova -1 She was reportedly injured at GPF so that she was 5 points off her SB in SP and she missed the opening combo. If 100% clean she can still beat Rika with 1 fall. But it is unlikely that she can beat now clean Rika with 3 3As

Alina Zagitova was 2-3 points less off her SB in the SP which was earned at Cup of Russia. The so called injury was reported after the short program, more exactly just before the free program, but Kogan said it wasn t something major.
She would have lost even with a the combo in the free... It is true that the difference would have been very small, less than a point, but how the scores look like she would have lost it.
I also question Rika s consistency, but also neither Alina is better in this respect at least this season (she had in every important competition UR or a pop).

 

[chopinskate]

#4 Kaori Sakamoto +1 Kaori does not have tech issues and has a good pcs level. Without new jumps she will never surpass clean those who are above her. But she has everything to compete for big podiums: it is safe to assume that not all of the top 3 will be always 100% clean

I was going to say Kaori could even beat Tukt in the LP because she fell and had a flutz but was only a little behind (and was ahead on PCS), but she escaped the flutz call... There should be a larger gap between her PCS and Tukt's, but yeah, looks like Tukt will trump Kaori when both clean.

 

[[email protected]]

Alina Zagitova was 2-3 points less off her SB in the SP which was earned at Cup of Russia. The so called injury was reported after the short program, more exactly just before the free program, but Kogan said it wasn t something major.
She would have lost even with a the combo in the free... It is true that the difference would have been very small, less than a point, but how the scores look like she would have lost it.
I also question Rika s consistency, but also neither Alina is better in this respect at least this season (she had in every important competition UR or a pop).

Alina had 80,78 and 158,50 this season so that her total scoring potential of 239+ is safe enough to beat Rika with 1 fall. But I think it won't be enough if all 3As are deliverede and no major other mistakes made.

 

[madison]

Alina had 80,78 and 158,50 this season so that her total scoring potential of 239+ is safe enough to beat Rika with 1 fall. But I think it won't be enough if all 3As are deliverede and no major other mistakes made.

She earned these scores at Cup of Russia and in a Challenger (where scores were inflated). You cannot expect to receive the same scores (very inflated) in every competition she enters.

 

[yume]

Even Rika knows that Alina stills dangerous for her https://mobile.twitter.com/Iron_Klaus/status/1071682204261117953

 

[BillNeal]

She earned these scores at Cup of Russia and in a Challenger (where scores were inflated). You cannot expect to receive the same scores (very inflated) in every competition she enters.

I wish Alina well and full recovery from her injury.

At the same time, I'm also glad that it's beginning to look like program delivery and the skating justifies the placements and not the other way around.

 

[chopinskate]

At the same time, I'm also glad that it's beginning to look like program delivery and the skating justifies the placements and not the other way around.

...The placements justify the program delivery and the skating? :think:

 

[Osmond4gold]

I think what Bill meant is, program delivery and quality of skating justified the placements and not reputation scoring.

 

[[email protected]]

She earned these scores at Cup of Russia and in a Challenger (where scores were inflated). You cannot expect to receive the same scores (very inflated) in every competition she enters.

Alina lost 5.5 points on her 3Lz-3T combo. This covers most of 6.5 point difference between her and Rika's scores. The last remaining point would easily come from pcs as clean performances of OGM winners are usually valued by judges. She recived here pcs equal to those in Finland where she fell, 1 point lower than at Cup of Russia where she had messy jumps, and 2.5 points lower than at Nebelhorn where she was perfect. Hence, the potential for at least 1 extra pcs point was there.

But after all Rika won and Alina lost here. That's the fact. If both are clean at WC Rika is going to win with 3 triple axels. To me it's the fact as well. The rest is just wishful thinking from all involved parties.

 

[theharleyquinn]

This is why two clean programs were most important for Rika at GPF. It could very well come down to a PCS fight between her and Alina by the time we hit Worlds. It's one thing to skate knowing you have a PCS cushion. It's another thing to know your PCS is neck and neck with your competitor and you must be clean at all costs, and that hasn't happened a lot at the top of senior ladies in the past few years.

 

[yume]

Agree. There is no doubt that if both cleans, Rika will win. She can even maybe afford a fall (not sure because we didn't see a clean free from Zagitova in GPs. But if we add the points she lost she's on an average of 155 i think).