2018 Europeans Ladies SP

I don't for the life of me understand Zagitova's Performance PCS scores. At least Caro got some 10s and 9.75s. Medvedeva also has lovely performance skills, very nice expression, and deserves her 9s. Zagitova, however, has virtually zero expression on the ice, and also got 9s. In the end, Caro had only a 0.57 point advantage over Zagitova for her massively superior performance skills. That is shameful, and part of what is destroying this sport. To the average viewer, and even to many experienced viewers (like myself), performance is about 40-50% of the total viewing experience. People with zero expression on the ice like Zagitova and so many others should be getting 5s and 6s for Performance, not 9s.

[email protected] said:

As a comic relief, that's me writing something on GS while others are watching and even clapping.

http://uploads.ru/TKAjD.jpg

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Nice! What brand is your laptop computer?

crazydreamer said:

Zagitova, however, has virtually zero expression on the ice, and also got 9s. In the end, Caro had only a 0.57 point advantage over Zagitova for her massively superior performance skills. That is shameful, and part of what is destroying this sport. To the average viewer, and even to many experienced viewers (like myself), performance is about 40-50% of the total viewing experience. People with zero expression on the ice like Zagitova and so many others should be getting 5s and 6s for Performance, not 9s.

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Zagitova's performance yesterday was extraordinarily striking, in my opinion. My husband ("average viewer") thought it was riveting as well. In his words: "Her swan is very strong." I really wonder what you mean by "expression"? [emoji848] Facial expression?

crazydreamer said:

I don't for the life of me understand Zagitova's Performance PCS scores. At least Caro got some 10s and 9.75s. Medvedeva also has lovely performance skills, very nice expression, and deserves her 9s. Zagitova, however, has virtually zero expression on the ice, and also got 9s. In the end, Caro had only a 0.57 point advantage over Zagitova for her massively superior performance skills. That is shameful, and part of what is destroying this sport. To the average viewer, and even to many experienced viewers (like myself), performance is about 40-50% of the total viewing experience. People with zero expression on the ice like Zagitova and so many others should be getting 5s and 6s for Performance, not 9s.

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I was getting vibes of Irina Slutskaya's Tosca while watching Alina's "performance" in the first part of her program.

Mista Ekko said:

I only now realise Kostner did a 3F-3T here

So yeah, She wuzrobbed

Could've been first even

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Don't know what happened to me while watching her, but, like you, I missed she did a 3F/3T and for some reason I thought her loop was a double. Good you and I weren't judges!!!!

largeman said:

Nice! What brand is your laptop computer?

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Sony Vaio Z 15th anniversary collector's edition enhanced with an extra battery for 5 hours work at full power.

https://fransgoesblog.files.wordpress.com/2012/08/vaio_z_mid2012-collectorsedition.jpg

[email protected] said:

As a comic relief, that's me writing something on GS while others are watching and even clapping.

http://uploads.ru/TKAjD.jpg

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Sharp eye.

Who was performing at the time of that screenshot?

rollerblade said:

Sharp eye.

Who was performing at the time of that screenshot?

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That was after Medvedeva finished and after the ovation.

Kostner is still basic and of course very lucky with the 3-3 call.

chairmanmao said:

So not buying this Kostner should be number one BS. Ever since that diabolical 2014 result at Worlds Kostner should be more than glad the judges are still propping her despite her junior level programs. TBH today's juniors have way more difficult than her.

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Seriously, what are you talking about? Have you even watched her program? She executed the same content as Evgenia.

jiggs said:

Seriously, what are you talking about? Have you even watched her program? She executed the same content as Evgenia.

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Connecting steps are very basic. We see 8-year-olds with more difficult transitions.

jenaj said:

Adelina did a 3Lz-3t in her long program at Sochi.

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Triple Flutz + 3T <. None of them called.

Upgraded 2 (generous 3) lvl step sequence to lvl4.. You can watch video analysis and she clearly does not fulfill criteria for level 4, even level 3 is generous.

rain said:

What's most sad for the sport is not Medvedeva's PCS, but Zagitova's. The absurdity continues at this competition. She's within two PCS points of Kostner and Med? Not in a million years. She's the only former junior that's gotten this mega-boost this year, too. It's almost enough to make me believe in conspiracies — she's clearly being set up to win Olympic gold, whether she'll deserve it or not.

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Those crazy high PCS for Med make me upset maybe due to consistent miming / gaping mouth and identical programs - the last argument though admittedly is not concerned by this scoring system so it's more like personal frustration. Medvedeva's skating skills are quite lovely often enough but her general artistic side is not that compelling for me certainly not as much as what Carolina creates on the ice which is profound and full of musical continuity of movement. But I liked this program more than before, she took her time to finish movements actually. All in all I'd give slightly lower marks to Carolina as well but she was breathtaking ... Medvedeva not so much and don't even get me started on muscled combo and axel but that's TES issue - I thought they overscored her combination), but I also find Zagitova's PCS even more absurd. They basically tell Alina that she has almost nothing to improve on which is faaaaaar from truth. But she impressed me yesterday (despite disliking certain moments in this program).

For me Kostner should be above Medvedeva by few points at least as for Alina ... first place perhaps is correct even if lower components that I'd give personally. Like 5 points lower in PCS at least and 2,5 in TES would seem appropriate after my calculation. Kostner's score was the most appropriate of them all as she clearly overshadowed the Russians in Interpretation, Skating Skills etc. But on the other hand there's that bonus for 2nd half so it helps your score even though I disagree with it making any sense in SP so here's that.

Little bit sad for Sotskova ... I wanted her to mix in for the podium after SP to make things more exciting but alas it is not likely to happen after trailing 10 points behind 3rd place.

Laurine Lecavallier - my heart started aching when I saw her cry ... in K'n'C. But she's actually above Mae-Berenice Meite which she contends with for Olympic Spot.

chairmanmao said:

So not buying this Kostner should be number one BS. Ever since that diabolical 2014 result at Worlds Kostner should be more than glad the judges are still propping her despite her junior level programs. TBH today's juniors have way more difficult than her.

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Russian juniors have more content then pretty much everyone other than Zagi. Though I am curious to see these juniors landing 3F-3T combos in their 30's

Ares said:

Triple Flutz + 3T <. None of them called.

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FINALLY someone calls it out.

Med and Alina both have flutzes, yet no one seems to call it out.

Jump entries are just as important as under-rotated jumps...

SimplyLex said:

Nobody has a vendetta against her. She seems like a nice girl. It's just that people are frustrated with the blatant overscoring. You think she'd be getting those scores if she represented, say, Bulgaria? The answer is no. That's why people complain.
She's a great skater, but not a very good artist. Her technique is pretty sloppy, her moves lack refinement. I could name a couple 13-15 year old Russians who move more gracefully and have better control of their body while skating. Her PCS is laughable, especially when you watch her back to back with Carolina. There's just no comparison. And yet she gets the same PCS.
Evgenia could very well still be a successful competitor without the score inflation. It's the unnecessary overscoring that irks people.

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Sorry, but I disagree. Much of the complaints against her seem so over the top and vitriolic that it seems like some people are projecting their anger at her 'overscoring' onto her personally. It's always the same people hounding every thread for each of the competitions she's in and that bring her up just to complain about her in completely unrelated threads. Sometimes this has led to people insulting her personality as well, saying she's too arrogant or too ambitious, or some saying they hope she retires. It's just nasty and goes beyond typical complaints.

And yeah, you're right, she probably wouldn't be getting the scores she gets if she represented Bulgaria. But I don't think, say Nathan Chen would be getting the scores he gets if he represented Blugaria either, or many other skaters from larger federations. Yet it's just constant complaints about Medvedeva as though she alone is ruining the sport.

Disagree completely about her not being a good artist or that her PCS are laughable. I've watched her skating back to back with Carolina and think they're both wonderful.

Hope Zhenya wins here

I've never ever wrote about Kostner on this forum, but it's time for a short statement aka moment of truth.

Carolina may be the most overrated skater ever. For me, personally, the only elements she performs, that give me any aesthetical pleasure are her spins. Most of the rest is just good/average, sometimes even mediocre. :confused2:

ps. Thanks god, there are no "thumb down" buttons...

tars said:

I've never ever wrote about Kostner on this forum, but it's time for a short statement aka moment of truth.

Carolina may be the most overrated skater ever. For me, personally, the only elements she performs, that give me any aesthetical pleasure are her spins. Most of the rest is just good/average, sometimes even mediocre. :confused2:

ps. Thanks god, there are no "thumb down" buttons...

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Watch your back )

tars said:

I've never ever wrote about Kostner on this forum, but it's time for a short statement aka moment of truth.

Carolina may be the most overrated skater ever. For me, personally, the only elements she performs, that give me any aesthetical pleasure are her spins. Most of the rest is just good/average, sometimes even mediocre. :confused2:

ps. Thanks god, there are no "thumb down" buttons...

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Carolina is the most overrated skater ever?

Carolina is certainly not the most overrated skater.

No, i'm not Italian, but anyone can see that she feels the music and skates gently on the ice. She skated that SP beautifully. (Not to mention she's almost 31) She's had a good and well-deserved career.

kevinVchicago said:

Zagitova's performance yesterday was extraordinarily striking, in my opinion. My husband ("average viewer") thought it was riveting as well. In his words: "Her swan is very strong." I really wonder what you mean by "expression"? [emoji848] Facial expression?

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Zagitova skates over the music. She doesn't move with the music or give any impression that she feels the music or has any idea to express the nuances and meaning of the music. She performs the elements superbly and the composition of the program is good but so crammed and rushed that it doesn't allow much of the feeling of the music itself to be conveyed to the audience through the skater. YMMV.

Facial expressions can be part of the overall expression of a program, but they don't have to be, IMO. When Zagitova skates well, she does communicate happiness and elation at landing her jumps. That can add to the performance value of a program, but it isn't enough for me. Just speaking personally ... but it's an opinion shared by many.