Thoughts on Ladies' SP at Russian Nats?

[anonymoose_au]

Wuzrobbed: Sofia Samodurova. I don't get this harsh treatment. Her Lz looked border line and would have get a pass with others. Her pcs are too low. I miss 3-4 points. She should have cleared 70.

Exactly! Sofia is being treated like something the judges and tech panel found on the bottom of their shoes! It's so unfair. I love her programs and underscoring her so much is just cruel. It's not like she'd make the podium if she was scored fairly so I don't get why they're doing this to her. Does it give them some sort of sick thrill to break her?

 

[chasingneverland]

She was at 69.02 last year at JGP Final and 74.92 at her peak in Worlds (with no pandemic, and no distinguishable puberty growth spurt). Yes, they are working. It is just quite clear that they are working on musicality, performance, transitions, even more flowier arm positions, and increasing the tech load for 2 Quads and 3A. Nothing bad with that, it's just that proper deep edges and ice flow are the same and disguised as "improved" through the quick little jumps she does for her transitions. Yes, emotion can be conveyed through her arms and upper body extensions but watching just her feet through the entire SP and comparing it with, let's say, someone that has undeniably textbook SS like Yuzuru, is when you see that hers is decent/good SS at best and giving her a 79.99 score is ridiculous. The jump flow in her combos has been suffering as well and sadly that won't be fixed.

I politely agree to disagree. And yes we can talk about "the stories that we want tell" and "how captivating the performance was" but I think Figure Skating should be about narrating those stories with -firstly and foremost- how you glide, flow, and jump with your feet (and can't stress this enough for the sake of the sport), legs, upper body and arms in that order.

Firstly, all three of them - Anna, Alena, and Sasha - had score increases from juniors to seniors. That tends to happen and is why it's silly to compare junior and senior scores - as well as scores across competitions in general. Secondly, her lutz edge is objectively better. It's now flat or unclear as opposed to the edge call it was when she was younger.

Also I didn't say anything about "the stories that we want tell" and "how captivating the performance was". However, performance, competition, and interpretation ARE actually 3 of the 5 components for PCS, which is an element of how a skate is "marked." Another mark, btw, is transitions, so yes, working on "the quick little jumps", "musicality, performance, transitions" ARE just as valuable as improving tech content and skating skills. After all skating skills is only 1/5 components for the all important 2nd score and therefore, everything she is working on - musicality, performance, and transitions - are just as important for her score and improving as a skater as improving her technical content. I also think her skating skills do look improved each year, they just need to keep working. Just because you think - and others - that glide, flow, and jump, should be more important - and you might be right - the fact of the matter is as skating is scored right now, she is improving, drastically, especially in performance and interpretation.

 

[chasingneverland]

Exactly! Sofia is being treated like something the judges and tech panel found on the bottom of their shoes! It's so unfair. I love her programs and underscoring her so much is just cruel. It's not like she'd make the podium if she was scored fairly so I don't get why they're doing this to her. Does it give them some sort of sick thrill to break her?

For all the complaints about Sasha, Sofia is really the one who I think wasn't scored fairly, comparatively.

 

[Amei]

I'm still betting on Trusova. She survived the SP, where she might have fallen behind because of triple Axels. Now, going into the LP, she is the one with the big stick, in base value potential at least.

How so? Based on practice she's been practicing 1 quad type only and her coach is saying she's injured her 2 quads only give her a combined 1 point advantage over Shcherbakova who has a 4.5 point advantage over Trusova after the SP. Shcherbakova may not be in top form but she has a way of showing up and taking care of business at Nationals, she likely beats Trusova in PCS and spins so given that Shcherbakova might not even need a second quad to beat Trusova who has yet to have completely clean competition.

 

[Sweet Dream]

If she did not fall, Valieva's SP would most likely break 90 points, oh my... Those Russian judges are just doing everything to push up the skaters of the same group to the skies! Just keep it in mind: the higher you hold, the worse you fall!

 

[chasingneverland]

If she did not fall, Valieva's SP would most likely break 90 points, oh my... Those Russian judges are just doing everything to push up the skaters of the same group to the skies! Just keep it in mind: the higher you hold, the worse you fall!

Why on earth would you WANT teenagers to "fall"?? It's certainly not their fault. THEY don't give out the scores. Most of them were upset when they came off the ice anyway, for one small mistake or another. Ugh some people. And don't act like others haven't been held up too.

 

[Dogo]

Just because you think - and others - that glide, flow, and jump, should be more important - and you might be right - the fact of the matter is as skating is scored right now, she is improving, drastically, especially in performance and interpretation.

Well, as her supporter, I'm not worried about her present scores. It is quite a fact that she is being generously rewarded by everything (and anything) she does right now. I just think that the story will repeat again post Beijing olympics and it would be a shame to loose such a talented skater because of lack of motivation once her edges start to being called compared to the new younger (and probably again favored by the judges) skaters, physical overexertion and injuries, as well as not being able to make her current technique work for her when she is older.

In the great scheme of things, this also hurts other great Russian skaters for the sake of only having skaters from one school being overscored, instead of leveling-up (through constructive criticism and fair scoring) the entire Russian field. Which, even though is very deep, it is analogous to me to 'many candles burning bright and dying fast' for the sake of getting results. Rather, what I hope it can happen in the future for the Russian ladies: ALL of them burning strong and for as much time as they can/want (and getting results!).

 

[readernick]

First, I agree with many about the unfair judging. However, it has already been discussed in detail and I have nothing to add besides reminding people that it is never a skater's fault if they are extremely overscored and based on the tears we saw the overscored are still under a whole bunch of pressure.

In terms of performances, only Anna Liza N. ( My favorite performance of the night) and Sasha were close to their best. Anna landed the best and most rotated 3lz3lo we have seen from her all season, and Sasha really is making huge improvements. Liza N. is always beautiful and her jumps actually looked pretty close to rotated. So, happy for her. Other than that, I was pretty underwhelmed.

Valieva is amazing, but I thought the fall completely took her out of the performance. Her 3A was definitely UR, but her spins and SS are great. Daria also wasn't at her best. I am a fan of Daria but I thought she seemed off throughout her amazing musicality and performance didn't shine here. Maiia' looked good, but her jumps still scare me and the packaging is so bad for a lovely 14 year olds girl. Happy she was clean.

I love Liza T. She wasn't at her best here. There were many 3As tried between JN and RN in the SP, only Rika managed to land a clean one. However, I believe Liza will do it in the free.

 

[Greengemmonster]

Just caught up on the skates I missed.

Trusova was gorgeous! I love her SP this season but this was honestly one of the best renditions of it imo.

Her upper body movements and commitment to choreography had me completely sold. Really very lovely.

I won't comment on scoring because if it doesn't involve my chosen child I tend to be quite zen but I did thoroughly enjoy Trusova's skate so much.

 

[Skatefan15]

Why on earth would you WANT teenagers to "fall"?? It's certainly not their fault. THEY don't give out the scores. Most of them were upset when they came off the ice anyway, for one small mistake or another. Ugh some people. And don't act like others haven't been held up too.

What I took from the original poster is that that comment was directed more towards the judges than the skaters. The idea that I got from the comment was that the more pressure the judges put on these girls through obvious overscoring in TES and PCS, the more pressure they put on themselves to the point where they could stress themselves out and not skate to their full potential.

 

[yume]

Exactly! Sofia is being treated like something the judges and tech panel found on the bottom of their shoes! It's so unfair. I love her programs and underscoring her so much is just cruel. It's not like she'd make the podium if she was scored fairly so I don't get why they're doing this to her. Does it give them some sort of sick thrill to break her?

I think she and the fans are frustrated because of her first senior season which was good, better than expected. She got good scores. So there is material for comparison.

But, ahem, she would have been in these waters if her GP assignements had been different and that Tuktamysheva hadn't fell ill. Her consistency wouldn't have lead her to GPF then to euros and worlds, then her scores wouldn't have risen so much. She probably would be stuck up at 60+ and 130+ for clean programs like at skate America and Rostelecom (and i think that much less people would argue that she should get 70+).

I think fed knows all that. And since they have other skaters with better chance to medal at intl competitions, they don't need to give her candies.

 

[anonymoose_au]

I think fed knows all that.

I suppose...but they should come right out and admit it rather than make us think we were all hallucinating in 2018-2019. It's like they're gaslighting Sofia and that really messes with your head.

 

[yume]

I suppose...but they should come right out and admit it rather than make us think we were all hallucinating in 2018-2019. It's like they're gaslighting Sofia and that really messes with your head.

That's their way to admit it i think.

Honestly i don't find it surprising. Despite her winning euros i knew she had basically 0 chances to be in top 6 unless some bombings.
I think most of people are surprised because they look at the results and not the competition. Like when some were surprised by her 8th place at worlds. Or when she finished last at jgpf with clean skates while she won two jgps, beating 2 Eteri's skaters (Tarakanova, Kostornaya) + Kihira. Not noticing that she beat them because they made mistakes (and she was clean), not because she had a potential scoring that outscore them when they are clean.

She can say she beat worlds, euros, gpf champs at least once tough (Zagitova, Kostornaya, Kihira).

 

[anonymoose_au]

That's their way to admit it i think.

Isn't that just typical of the Russian Figure Skating Fed, I hate them so much. They screw over athletes, treat them like commodities, disregard a worldwide pandemic and then act all surprised when people think they're a bunch of crooks?

They should tear that whole organisation down and rework it from the ground up.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

I'm still betting on Trusova. She survived the SP, where she might have fallen behind because of triple Axels. Now, going into the LP, she is the one with the big stick, in base value potential at least.

She could do 6 quads and a triple axel- triple axel sequence but Kamila could fall on every jumping pass and still beat Sasha. Yes I'm exaggerating before anybody attacks this statement.

 

[kolyadafan2002]

Exactly! Sofia is being treated like something the judges and tech panel found on the bottom of their shoes! It's so unfair. I love her programs and underscoring her so much is just cruel. It's not like she'd make the podium if she was scored fairly so I don't get why they're doing this to her. Does it give them some sort of sick thrill to break her?

It's like the cat dragged in something not nice and the judges don't want to look at it. That's how they are treating her.

 

[Blades of Passion]

1.) Alexandra TRUSOVA -- 73.48 points -- 40.28 TES, 33.2 PCS

2Axel +3, very clean
3Flip +2, arms over head, too spinny of a takeoff, not enough amplitude, clean landing but ideally would flow out more and not break at the waist -- shut up about the edge because mechanically a flip being on the flat creates the ideal trajectory arc, it shouldn't be on a deep inside (but if you can do it that way it's fine), as opposed to the lutz where you should press on the edge to generate the jump. It's incorrect how the scoring system tries to treat Lutz/Flip mechanics as the same thing.
FCSp4 +3, pleasant in all regards
3Lz+3T +4, best she has ever done it, good distance and body position on both parts, maintains good speed, doesn't overly pre-rotate the toeloop here and lands it completely backwards, although the lutz isn't ideally executed in that regard
CCoSp4 +2, too plain on camel position and a bit slow, not a perfect transition between feet, second sit position is very nice
StSq3 +3, good flow and usage of arms for the most part, some of the edges could be better and the body positions more dynamic. However, a sequence like this is an example of what's wrong with the rules right now, it goes on for 42 seconds and is quite shapeless. There isn't a clear enough idea or feeling created by the sequence, and because it goes on so long you're left trying to evaluate so many different things within 1 element. The rules would be SO much better if step sequences required less content and if the SP required 2 step sequences (with the option of 1 being a spiral sequence).
LSp4 +3, nice entrance and centering, nice arms, pretty good speed, not the best free leg position, especially on the "haircutter" position I'm borderline about if it should count as a difficult variation like this

Skating Skills - 8.25 - nice flow and comfort of using the edges, although they could be deeper, pretty good speed but could get more out of the blade strokes
Transitions - 8.75 - they are all over the place, could show greater extension to reach the next level
Performance - 8.25 - a confident performance but not an overly radiant one
Choreography - 8.25 - the combo spin and especially the footwork sequence don't have enough purpose with the chosen movements, but there is a softness to the arms throughout and sense of unforced strength that is conveyed by the movement
Interpretation - 8.0 - a cantilever with this music? why? That's like wearing a leather dominatrix outfit to a baptism. Some of the other movements were too severe or non-descript for the music as well, but she generally followed its contours and the gentle crescendo

2.) Kamila VALIEVA -- 72.8 points -- 39.0 TES, 33.8 PCS

3F +2, too much pre-rotation and lacking amplitude, but clean and flowing
3A< -5 and fall, too ambitious doing it with arms over the head? or actually the only way she's able to generate the rotation somehow?
CCoSp4 +3, gorgeous position changes in the second half of the spin, nice acceleration and free arm in the donut, but she should try to not have a bent leg when going into it, and she needs to change arm position during the camel edge change, because it creates a disjointed look otherwise
3Lz+3T +3, I love the height she gets on the second part and the extended leg on exit, but the lutz is too low and pre-rotated, and the flow between the two jumps could be a little better
FCSp4 +3, it's a bit unbalanced to show just half a revolution of normal camel position before reaching for the free leg to do a new position, and again there is a bent leg in the transition; the upside-down position is gorgeous though and the upward catch-foot is well maintained
StSq4 +3, good edges and flow, could be more dynamic; she has a sideways leg raise in here that is too low and useless, and one of the hops was a little wonky, it almost looked like she caught a rut
LSp4 +4, the sideways position could be more sideways; choreographically I'm not a fan of her last position here - it would make more sense to do that in a combo spin rather than a pure layback, but the position itself is well executed and fast and very difficult

Skating Skills - 8.5 - good all around, not amazing
Transitions - 8.5 - many transitions, but falling disrupts this
Performance - 8.75 - she skates like a faster, more extroverted, more compact version of Alissa Czisny. She even graced us with a Czisny splat here. I'm into it.
Choreography - 8.25 - watching these again, it's blatant how similar Trusova and Valieva's programs are. People are definitely doing some copying of each other. Valieva has some better extended moves than Trusova, but she also fell here, so it's even for me
Interpretation - 8.25 - she follows the music well, but there are some useless CoP-isms happening here, and the fall didn't help, and also she could be moving faster after coming out of the combo spin to keep up pace with the music, and add a touch more maturity

3.) Daria USACHEVA -- 72.05 points -- 38.45 TES, 33.6 PCS

2A +4, super clean and flowing and good distance, could be higher
3Lz! -1, definitely not a clean edge, not a big jump or ideally rotated, slightly unsteady landing
FCSp4 +2, not the cleanest opening position, leg gets too bent during the edge change, could use more speed
3F+3T +3, she doesn't have great jump technique, but this has good flow and distance covered
CCoSp4 +4, very good speed and positions, could still transition between a couple positions better though
StSq3 +2, the ina bauer bobble wasn't really part of this sequence, but it leaves an aftertaste, I'll use it as the tiebreaker between a +2 and +3
LSp4 +4, really wish the system required an actual layback position in the layback (no sideways or catchfoot), but technically this one is strong

Skating Skills - 8.0 - generally good flow, but some edges were overly wobbly or shallow
Transitions - 8.5 - messed up the ina bauer and small problem on lutz exit, but the most variety and extension of anyone, I love that spiral position going into the jump combo
Performance - 8.5 - beautiful expression, elegant and radiant, could still project more
Choreography - 8.5 - the best of this competition, still a bit vague in that CoP kind of way, but the most coherent movement
Interpretation - 8.5 - very good embodiment of the repressed delicate dreamer, longing to break free, to leave the cruelty of society; she should try to hold that ina bauer longer on the crescendo to create a moment (even besides the mistake, she doesn't plan to hold it long enough)

4.) Anna SHCHERBAKOVA -- 71.68 points -- 38.88 TES, 32.8 PCS

2A +3, very clean but doesn't have the amplitude to deserve higher
3F +2, the current top Russian girls are so identical here, the same problems of pre-rotation and lacking amplitude and sometimes breaking at the waist when landing
CCoSp4 +3, very pleasant but not the best or fastest positions out there
3Lz+3Lo +3, her best execution ever of this element, but that lutz is still not the ideal
FCSp2 -2, very sloppy start and loses speed as a result
StSq4 +2, she hits the requirements fine enough, but several parts are rather shallow and don't feel natural, and nothing here is special
LSp4 +3, the illusion turn entrance could dip down better, leg on the sideways position is too bent

Skating Skills - 8.25 - very competent, not the strongest and most effortless
Transitions - 8.5 - she does plenty, the same "base mark" as Trusova, but I noticed a step going into the 3Flip that was a little rushed
Performance - 8.25 - mostly very polished, but a bit disconnected
Choreography - 8.0 - not enough standout moves, too montone
Interpretation - 8.0 - pretty generic refinement on display, it's respectable, not inspired

5.) Elizaveta NUGUMANOVA -- 70.37 points -- 37.97 TES, 32.4 PCS

3Lz 0, barely makes the rotation when looking at how much she pre-rotates, lacks good amplitude or any special quality
3Lo+3Lo +3, nice and lovely, could be bigger and faster
FCSp4 +3, very good but not extra special
StSq3 +3, very smoothly delivered, could be more dynamic
2A +2, clean but small and unspectacular
CCoSp3 +3, solid and great speed on that last position, but it's not the most elegant position, same for the bent leg in the sit
LSp4 +3, good all around but on the last position she isn't able to stretch it out without losing speed

Skating Skills - 8.0 - very steady but needs to get more power out of the blade usage
Transitions - 8.25 - smooth movement throughout, but does less with connecting the jumps
Performance - 8.25 - very nice, but could show more flourish
Choreography - 8.0 - cute, not extraordinary
Interpretation - 8.0 - we've seen this so many times, it's a perfectly acceptable rendition, but lacks anything different

6.) Elizaveta TUKTAMYSHEVA -- 69.36 points -- 37.96 TES, 31.4 PCS

3A -3, bad step out on landing
3T+3T +3, very solid but could be more explosive, and her technique here is a bit flawed, she's sneaky pulling that picking foot around on takeoff
FCSp4 +2, nice until that last position, debatable if it should count for level credit
3Lz +4, excellent but could still jump higher if wanting a max score
LSp3 +2, that entry isn't enough to count for level credit, sideways position is weak but barely acceptable, could use more speed, the one-handed position is good though
StSq3 +1, some nice touches, also some weaker steps, and a little stumble
CCoSp4 0, mediocre positions and speed, I'm assuming she lost level credit on the second position, but I will call it as decent enough

Skating Skills - 8.0 - a solid amount of power, some edges are quite strong but others are a bit unfinished, could show more range
Transitions - 7.5 - clearly less than the others
Performance - 8.0 - a nice performance, lacked a bit of energy and needs to be more commanding
Choreography - 7.75 - lacks great enough highlights, and some weaker positions create a less pleasing picture, but pretty good
Interpretation - 8.0 - showed quite good attention to the music actually, taking her time to utilize the arms appropriately, but she misses a key climax in the music and needs to further refine the form and add more energy to make it truly stand out

 

[chasingneverland]

1.) Alexandra TRUSOVA -- 73.48 points -- 40.28 TES, 33.2 PCS

2Axel +3, very clean
3Flip +2, arms over head, too spinny of a takeoff, not enough amplitude, clean landing but ideally would flow out more and not break at the waist -- shut up about the edge because mechanically a flip being on the flat creates the ideal trajectory arc, it shouldn't be on a deep inside (but if you can do it that way it's fine), as opposed to the lutz where you should press on the edge to generate the jump. It's incorrect how the scoring system tries to treat Lutz/Flip mechanics as the same thing.
FCSp4 +3, pleasant in all regards
3Lz+3T +4, best she has ever done it, good distance and body position on both parts, maintains good speed, doesn't overly pre-rotate the toeloop here and lands it completely backwards, although the lutz isn't ideally executed in that regard
CCoSp4 +2, too plain on camel position and a bit slow, not a perfect transition between feet, second sit position is very nice
StSq3 +3, good flow and usage of arms for the most part, some of the edges could be better and the body positions more dynamic. However, a sequence like this is an example of what's wrong with the rules right now, it goes on for 42 seconds and is quite shapeless. There isn't a clear enough idea or feeling created by the sequence, and because it goes on so long you're left trying to evaluate so many different things within 1 element. The rules would be SO much better if step sequences required less content and if the SP required 2 step sequences (with the option of 1 being a spiral sequence).
LSp4 +3, nice entrance and centering, nice arms, pretty good speed, not the best free leg position, especially on the "haircutter" position I'm borderline about if it should count as a difficult variation like this

Skating Skills - 8.25 - nice flow and comfort of using the edges, although they could be deeper, pretty good speed but could get more out of the blade strokes
Transitions - 8.75 - they are all over the place, could show greater extension to reach the next level
Performance - 8.25 - a confident performance but not an overly radiant one
Choreography - 8.25 - the combo spin and especially the footwork sequence don't have enough purpose with the chosen movements, but there is a softness to the arms throughout and sense of unforced strength that is conveyed by the movement
Interpretation - 8.0 - a cantilever with this music? why? That's like wearing a leather dominatrix outfit to a baptism. Some of the other movements were too severe or non-descript for the music as well, but she generally followed its contours and the gentle crescendo

2.) Kamila VALIEVA -- 72.8 points -- 39.0 TES, 33.8 PCS

3F +2, too much pre-rotation and lacking amplitude, but clean and flowing
3A< -5 and fall, too ambitious doing it with arms over the head? or actually the only way she's able to generate the rotation somehow?
CCoSp4 +3, gorgeous position changes in the second half of the spin, nice acceleration and free arm in the donut, but she should try to not have a bent leg when going into it, and she needs to change arm position during the camel edge change, because it creates a disjointed look otherwise
3Lz+3T +3, I love the height she gets on the second part and the extended leg on exit, but the lutz is too low and pre-rotated, and the flow between the two jumps could be a little better
FCSp4 +3, it's a bit unbalanced to show just half a revolution of normal camel position before reaching for the free leg to do a new position, and again there is a bent leg in the transition; the upside-down position is gorgeous though and the upward catch-foot is well maintained
StSq4 +3, good edges and flow, could be more dynamic; she has a sideways leg raise in here that is too low and useless, and one of the hops was a little wonky, it almost looked like she caught a rut
LSp4 +4, the sideways position could be more sideways; choreographically I'm not a fan of her last position here - it would make more sense to do that in a combo spin rather than a pure layback, but the position itself is well executed and fast and very difficult

Skating Skills - 8.5 - good all around, not amazing
Transitions - 8.5 - many transitions, but falling disrupts this
Performance - 8.75 - she skates like a faster, more extroverted, more compact version of Alissa Czisny. She even graced us with a Czisny splat here. I'm into it.
Choreography - 8.25 - watching these again, it's blatant how similar Trusova and Valieva's programs are. People are definitely doing some copying of each other. Valieva has some better extended moves than Trusova, but she also fell here, so it's even for me
Interpretation - 8.25 - she follows the music well, but there are some useless CoP-isms happening here, and the fall didn't help, and also she could be moving faster after coming out of the combo spin to keep up pace with the music, and add a touch more maturity

3.) Daria USACHEVA -- 72.05 points -- 38.45 TES, 33.6 PCS

2A +4, super clean and flowing and good distance, could be higher
3Lz! -1, definitely not a clean edge, not a big jump or ideally rotated, slightly unsteady landing
FCSp4 +2, not the cleanest opening position, leg gets too bent during the edge change, could use more speed
3F+3T +3, she doesn't have great jump technique, but this has good flow and distance covered
CCoSp4 +4, very good speed and positions, could still transition between a couple positions better though
StSq3 +2, the ina bauer bobble wasn't really part of this sequence, but it leaves an aftertaste, I'll use it as the tiebreaker between a +2 and +3
LSp4 +4, really wish the system required an actual layback position in the layback (no sideways or catchfoot), but technically this one is strong

Skating Skills - 8.0 - generally good flow, but some edges were overly wobbly or shallow
Transitions - 8.5 - messed up the ina bauer and small problem on lutz exit, but the most variety and extension of anyone, I love that spiral position going into the jump combo
Performance - 8.5 - beautiful expression, elegant and radiant, could still project more
Choreography - 8.5 - the best of this competition, still a bit vague in that CoP kind of way, but the most coherent movement
Interpretation - 8.5 - very good embodiment of the repressed delicate dreamer, longing to break free, to leave the cruelty of society; she should try to hold that ina bauer longer on the crescendo to create a moment (even besides the mistake, she doesn't plan to hold it long enough)

4.) Anna SHCHERBAKOVA -- 71.68 points -- 38.88 TES, 32.8 PCS

2A +3, very clean but doesn't have the amplitude to deserve higher
3F +2, the current top Russian girls are so identical here, the same problems of pre-rotation and lacking amplitude and sometimes breaking at the waist when landing
CCoSp4 +3, very pleasant but not the best or fastest positions out there
3Lz+3Lo +3, her best execution ever of this element, but that lutz is still not the ideal
FCSp2 -2, very sloppy start and loses speed as a result
StSq4 +2, she hits the requirements fine enough, but several parts are rather shallow and don't feel natural, and nothing here is special
LSp4 +3, the illusion turn entrance could dip down better, leg on the sideways position is too bent

Skating Skills - 8.25 - very competent, not the strongest and most effortless
Transitions - 8.5 - she does plenty, the same "base mark" as Trusova, but I noticed a step going into the 3Flip that was a little rushed
Performance - 8.25 - mostly very polished, but a bit disconnected
Choreography - 8.0 - not enough standout moves, too montone
Interpretation - 8.0 - pretty generic refinement on display, it's respectable, not inspired

5.) Elizaveta NUGUMANOVA -- 70.37 points -- 37.97 TES, 32.4 PCS

3Lz 0, barely makes the rotation when looking at how much she pre-rotates, lacks good amplitude or any special quality
3Lo+3Lo +3, nice and lovely, could be bigger and faster
FCSp4 +3, very good but not extra special
StSq3 +3, very smoothly delivered, could be more dynamic
2A +2, clean but small and unspectacular
CCoSp3 +3, solid and great speed on that last position, but it's not the most elegant position, same for the bent leg in the sit
LSp4 +3, good all around but on the last position she isn't able to stretch it out without losing speed

Skating Skills - 8.0 - very steady but needs to get more power out of the blade usage
Transitions - 8.25 - smooth movement throughout, but does less with connecting the jumps
Performance - 8.25 - very nice, but could show more flourish
Choreography - 8.0 - cute, not extraordinary
Interpretation - 8.0 - we've seen this so many times, it's a perfectly acceptable rendition, but lacks anything different

6.) Elizaveta TUKTAMYSHEVA -- 69.36 points -- 37.96 TES, 31.4 PCS

3A -3, bad step out on landing
3T+3T +3, very solid but could be more explosive, and her technique here is a bit flawed, she's sneaky pulling that picking foot around on takeoff
FCSp4 +2, nice until that last position, debatable if it should count for level credit
3Lz +4, excellent but could still jump higher if wanting a max score
LSp3 +2, that entry isn't enough to count for level credit, sideways position is weak but barely acceptable, could use more speed, the one-handed position is good though
StSq3 +1, some nice touches, also some weaker steps, and a little stumble
CCoSp4 0, mediocre positions and speed, I'm assuming she lost level credit on the second position, but I will call it as decent enough

Skating Skills - 8.0 - a solid amount of power, some edges are quite strong but others are a bit unfinished, could show more range
Transitions - 7.5 - clearly less than the others
Performance - 8.0 - a nice performance, lacked a bit of energy and needs to be more commanding
Choreography - 7.75 - lacks great enough highlights, and some weaker positions create a less pleasing picture, but pretty good
Interpretation - 8.0 - showed quite good attention to the music actually, taking her time to utilize the arms appropriately, but she misses a key climax in the music and needs to further refine the form and add more energy to make it truly stand out

Anna gets a 34/35 on PCS internationally lol. She's not getting 32 nationally. And no I don't think you're right where international judges are wrong. Kamila gets 32 in PCS internationally as a junior. She's going to get much higher (not just a point) as a nationally senior as juniors are "capped". Also even internationally Anna and Kamila aren't getting below 34/35.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Anna gets a 34/35 on PCS internationally lol. She's not getting 32 nationally. And no I don't think you're right where international judges are wrong. Kamila gets 32 in PCS internationally as a junior. She's going to get much higher (not just a point) as a nationally senior as juniors are "capped". Also even internationally Anna and Kamila aren't getting below 34/35.

Once they get over reputation scoring and paying her dues Kamila's PCS marks will likely rise very fast. Perhaps not as quickly as Alina's (Evgenia's unfortunate short withdrawal from competition helped speed it up) but by GPF time there is likely to be little to no difference. If she performs well she perhaps might be on top.

I wonder what Anna would have gotten internationally this season. She paid her dues last year as a debutante and since it was a pretty successful season chances are she might have seen a small boost. And now that she's a 3-time national champion (and depending on worlds) she's likely to see herself as the #1 Russian lady heading into the Olympic season. So a boost will certainly come with that. Question would be does she hold off her fellow countrywomen and enter the Olympics themselves even bigger then before, its possible.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Anna gets a 34/35 on PCS internationally lol. She's not getting 32 nationally.

So what? That has nothing to do with an objective analysis of what a '10' on each component should be and where a given competitor deserves to score in relation to that. PCS and GOE grades are too high and not being used properly by judges most of the time. There is a ton of room for growth and refinement in skating programs, but when they are already getting such high PCS, guess how much effort anyone will put into advancing their artistry. Ditto for the way elements are executed. Either way, Trusova was comparatively lowballed at this competition.