2012 GPF Free Dance FD

[rvi5]

..Tessa is sitting on his shoulders, not just on/over his shoulders...

Sitting would likely involve Tessa's rear end in contact and supported by Scott's shoulders..like this. When you sit in a chair, your butt is in contact with the seat. What is the ISU's definition of sitting? If the lift position was reversed, you could argue her rear end was also supported by Scott's back. However, I don't see anything in the rules about the forward position. In your photo, Tessa's thigh is on Scott's shoulder, while her buttocks were on/over his chest. I suspect it may be impossible to get your buttocks onto someone's shoulder from that frontal position (without breaking his neck).

 

[rvi5]

I have to agree with you-his hands are clearly over his head, and by the rules, the lift should have been judged an illegal element, if his hands were there over 2 seconds.

I can't be certain from that angle. The hand in question would be Scott's right hand, since that appears to be the supporting hand. His left hand appears to be just a loose hold on Tessa's wrist, which Scott may have been in the process of moving at the time the photo was taken. However, I agree they are taking risks which could catch up to them one day.

 

[icedinn]

They should take that lift out.

 

[CassAgain]

I would expect some team (not Zoueva obviously, to bring this up, because the total free dance deduction for an illegal lift on a combination lift, drops the lift to at best level 1
with a -2 deduction. At GPF, it earned 5.43. A level one lift is worth 1.50 and a level 4 is worth 4.00, for a drop of 2.5 points, -4.5 with the penalty. .

A good argument for not sharing a coach with your closest rival.

 

[Ice Diva]

I like the final lift in V/M's Carmen - it goes perfectly with the crescendo of the music and increases the drama in this modern dance version of Carmen. The Russian audience loved it. Doubt that they would ever do a reverse lift - not their style.

 

[dorispulaski]

I certainly hope they won't do a reverse lift..I really don't like them very much, most of the time.

 

[ImaginaryPogue]

I'm officially worried about that lift now. Man, I love it and I'd hate for it to be declared illegal (especially since they were running into that problem during the Olympic season). I'd be interested in seeing the physical mechanics of that lift.

 

[rvi5]

So far, the judges have not had a problem with Scott's hands in that lift. As long as he is consistent where he places his hands on Tessa's hips, they may be safe. Does the rules say anything about how much of the hands must extend above the head before it is illegal? ie. any part including fingers, the palm, up to the wrist, etc.

As Doris mention previously in post #156, I am more concerned about the choreographic lift. If Scott leans back too far, his head may drop below the level of his hands. Unlike placing his hands on a predetermined location on Tessa's hips, it would be more difficult for him to estimate how far he can lean back before it becomes a violation of the rules.

 

[leafygreens]

Linichuk took one look at the 5-foot-6, 105-pound Belbin and said, “You need to gain 10 pounds.” She said more muscle would help Belbin skate faster and more fluidly. ...

Belbin began reading books about nutrition and eating lunch at the rink. She learned to eat foods that would best sustain an athlete’s body.
She also began training harder off the ice, lifting weights, doing push-ups and participating in Karponosov’s boot camps, which involve hard-core skating drills to strengthen the legs.
​

What surprises me is that she could reach the level of Olympic silver medalist without knowing this stuff? Did they get taught nothing in Canton? It's common knowledge, even to non-athletes, that skipping lunch is bad!