The level in Ladies skating is lower nowadays then 20 years ago in relation to jumps. Even Elizabeth Manley could do 4 different triples (including a very good Lutz).
But she didn't repeat any, so she only had 4 triples in the program -- which was a lot for the time, but not likely to win medals today.
There were other young jumpers in the 1980s, some of whom made it into medal contention in the early 90s ("20 years ago") who were doing 5-6-7 triples including the harder ones, with Ito at the head of that trend.
It seems that in the 80s skaters tended not to include jumps that were likely to end up underrotated or worse (although sometimes they did anyway and got some credit for the attempts). By the 90s, with figures out of the picture and jumps suddenly much more important, there were more attempts at harder triples and at 7-triple programs (planned if not executed) and also more failures and underrotations that were only mildly penalized. It seemed that attempting all the jumps and coming close was necessary to be taken seriously in the 90s -- and the skaters who succeeded or came closest to doing so were usually the ones who got the medals.
However, most of those 7-triple programs used 7 jump passes to fit them in and also included a double axel or two, for a total of 8 jump passes or maybe 9.
Once the IJS came in, there were [strike]two[/strike] three rules that made it less valuable for ladies to include all the triples and to repeat two of them:
*An axel jump is required, and only 7 jump passes are allowed. So it's impossible to fit 7 triples and a double axel into 7 jump passes without including a combination or sequence that contains two triples or a triple and a double axel. (And the sequences don't earn full base value.) The best jumpers can plan and often execute a 3-3 combo or 2A+3T or something of the sort. The just pretty-good jumpers risk downgrades, falls, etc., if they attempt those kinds of combos, so strategically it makes more sense for them include only 6 triples and a double axel in 7 jump passes, with a better chance of positive GOE and full credit for rotation.
*At the beginning of the IJS, any triple underrotated by 90 degrees or more was downgraded to the value of a double, with negative GOE. It would be more valuable just to do a double on purpose. This is especially true of combinations, where the second jump is often underrotated. Under 6.0, the fact of trying a 3-3 combo and standing up on one foot was rewarded. Under early IJS, without full rotation it was worth less than a clean 3-2 combo. Similarly, just attempting a triple that gives the skater trouble and is more likely than not to end up with a downgrade and -GOE is poor strategy, unlike under 6.0 where the attempt could be made without giving up anything else (except perhaps transitions) because the total number of jump passes was unlimited.
In the last couple years the 70% base value for jumps underrotated 90-180 degrees has somewhat mitigated this effect.
*Under 6.0, wrong-edge takeoffs on lutzes may have been penalized, but in long programs the penalties were invisible. Wrong edges on flip takeoffs seemed rarely to be noticed or to have any effect on the scoring. Under IJS, there are clear penalties for these errors. So skaters who habitually change edges on one of these jump takeoffs and consistently earn -GOE have less incentive to do that jump than to use that spot for a repeated lower-value triple or another double axel that can earn positive GOE.
Many Ladies that place themselves in the top 10 at Worlds have max 4 or even 3 different triples.
This was also true in 1992, starting to change in 1993 and 94. I'm not sure if there was ever any year in which
every lady in the Worlds top 10 attempted 5 different kinds of triples. But the medalists usually did before the rules mentioned above and other ways to earn points under IJS made it less necessary.
I don't blame COP for the fall in quality,
Is it really a fall in quality? I'd say it's more a fall in quantity or difficulty. But for the most part the jumps the skaters are leaving out are the ones that would be lower quality.
IMO there should be a 2.00 point deduction if you don't do all the 6 different jumps. You can't do a triple Salchow, OK do a double one.
Yeah, we've talked about this sometimes, more often in terms of bonuses for skaters who do include all 6 takeoffs.
Would you want to make the rule something like, instead of requiring "an" axel jump of some sort, to require at least one jump from each of the 6 major takeoffs? With a deduction for leaving one out?
Or maybe lose all credit for the last jumping pass if it doesn't include whatever takeoff(s) haven't been attempted yet? That could often be a harsher penalty than a 2.0 deduction. But that's what happens now if a skater doesn't include any axel.
Since skaters do sometimes pop jumps, would it be acceptable to avoid the deduction if the skater attempted a takeoff once but ended up with a sloppy single? At least the intention to comply was demonstrated.
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