If you could change one rule in any discipline

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

It depends. Polina Edmunds used to do a COE Biellmann - that's certainly extremely hard, and needs additional consideration, not less.

Similarly, holding a Biellmann for 8 revolutions is harder than holding a crossfoot upright for 8 revolutions.

You're right - they do need to get granular about what is harder and deserves extra feature/bullets/etc. and what is easier. I get right now though it's for ease that they just make each of those features one increase in level. But yeah - a COE Biellmann is hella scary and tough!

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Make any fall count the element as 0.

I'm inclined to agree for step sequences and spins and death spirals.

But for jumps and twists/lifts, those are high-ticket items and you're going to see risk removed from programs if skaters are worried about falling - no point even trying a quad lutz for 13 points that could be 0 points, when a triple lutz is way easier/safer and bags you 7 points.

 

[4everchan]

I'm inclined to agree for step sequences and spins and death spirals.

But for jumps and twists/lifts, those are high-ticket items and you're going to see risk removed from programs if skaters are worried about falling - no point even trying a quad lutz for 13 points that could be 0 points when a triple lutz is way easier/safe and bags you 7 points.

hey, it's my rule change . I don't agree with your rule changes but I am not raining on your parade . So... let me be .

Okay . just teasing you. How have you been ?

I exactly want people to take risks where it's not a Hail Mary type of risk. I won't name anyone but there have been some people doing quads in programs, even at the Olympics, they have never landed... give them 0.

I respect skaters who aim to perform beautiful program which are clean. That's a huge amount of pressure to undertake. I feel that when skaters go for big BV, they have a cushion and can make mistakes, and do make mistakes and still win... why should they ? Is this sport about what you try or what you succeed to perform ?

 

[gkelly]

I'm inclined to agree for step sequences and spins and death spirals.

But for jumps and twists/lifts, those are high-ticket items and you're going to see risk removed from programs if skaters are worried about falling - no point even trying a quad lutz for 13 points that could be 0 points, when a triple lutz is way easier/safer and bags you 7 points.

A big part of the definition of executing a jump is landing it successfully (with penalties for only partial success). If a skater falls on a solo jump, they have not comleted the element. (If they fall on the last jump of a jump combination or sequence, they have completed part of it, so the partial credit is more defensible.)

On the other hand, step sequences, spins, and death spirals (usually in that order) occur over a longer period of time and a fall at the end of the element does not invalidate everything that was successfully executed before the fall to the same degree that a fall on a solo jump landing does. You of course can make your own rule changes, but I personally would oppose a rule that penalizes a 99% or even a 50% successful element that is interrupted by a fall after it has accomplished the minimum requirements for the element.

Falls at the beginning of such an element already result in the element getting no value. Falls in the middle may or may not cancel what was already accomplished, depending how much was actually accomplished before the fall, in relation to the rules for what's required of that element in that program type. Personally, I think this is fairer.

In addition, especially with step sequences, what causes a fall is likely to be either 1) high attempted risk, e.g., in the depth or complexity of edgework of a step sequence or a difficult flying entrance in a flying spin; or 2) (especially for step sequences), a flaw in the ice such as a hole or foreign object most likely left by a previous skater, that is bad luck for the current skater but a reflection on the quality of their own technique. For different reasons, I don't think either needs to be punished so harshly that all the successful parts of the element the skater accomplished before the fall receive no credit.