2014 Olympics Ladies Free Skate

[Becki]

So I rewatched the LP, this time with more patience. I think Yuna deserved the win, followed by Kostner then Adelina. Mao should've been in fourth, then Gracie.

Just my opinion. If Mao didn't bomb the SP, I would've had her first overall. I think Mao deserved to win the LP.

 

[mjspideygrl]

Yeah, to say that about Mao and the Reeds... terrible.

 

[AsadaFanBoy]

Kim Yuna and Carolina Kostner gave dazzling, beautiful performances.

For me the best of the night was Mao Asada. Her free skate was breathtaking. It told the story of her journey and career as a figure skater. And she hit all the triples. It felt like it was over too soon when she finished, and right after I saw what she gave, I knew it would be one of those moments that will stay with me.

I find issue with the judging. Most who have posted on here would agree with those sentiments. Where do I begin? It just leaves a sour note in the air.

 

[Artistry]

Not to mention Sotnikova's jumps are NOT controlled, and are in fact sloppy. There is really no impressive aspect to them besides the height, but they arent even the highest jumps either. She also doesnt carry much distance or flow out.

Exactly. They are fugly. And isn't good exit one of the criteria of GOE?

 

[Globetrotter]

Here is how to make judging more transparent. After each competition, the judges appear publicly at a press conference to explain why they gave who what scores. Anyone who has questions will be allowed to ask the judges at that time. Unfortunately this will not happen because the governing bodies would take it as a personal slight to their secret club rules and would be offended to have to prove their integrity. They just expect respect without having earned it.



It still doesn't explain the PCS/GOE. I don't think anyone is arguing that Adelina didnt have the hardest jumps but her technique is wild and swingy, combined with no finesse which should be reflected in lower PCS/GOE.

I can agree on the lower PCS for the lack of finesse but not GOE. There are specific bullet points describing what must be present to get +/- GOE levels. Just because you think the jumps are ugly, it does not mean that the big ht and coverage and footwork into it can be ignored. Overall, I think Sots TES and GOEs are fine. I will agree though that the PCS is too inflated.

 

[Meoima]

This guy is just a jerk.

What the F***? If I were Mao, I would punch him in the face. Anyone do this for Mao, please!

 

[pangtongfan]

I'll let the picture do the speaking - http://cdn.theatlantic.com/newsroom/img/posts/2014/02/2014_02_20_14_15_34/5e0be99f9.gif

What does that show? Nothing extraordinary about that jumps. Good height but nothing out of the world, sloppy air position and almost leaning, and not much flow out or distance like I said. Do you really think anywhere but Russia Sotnikova would get more GOE on jumps than Kim or even Kostner. Of course not. Had the event been in Korea with as much corruption as here Kim would get all +3s and Adelina all 0s (not saying that is what would be deserved, note I said as much corruption as here).

 

[jehan215]

Petition update: over 750,000!

Re-visiting 2002 Salt Lake City, are we?

 

[Jewels]

Kostner's jumps in some places looked scratchy. Yu-na got higher GOE for her lutz. and her Adelina were almost tied on the 3flip.

In terms of the 3salchow, many have commented that Kim's 3sal is not a particularly great jump for her. And there's the notes between the New York Times between Yu-na's easy double axel/2toe and Adelina double axel/3toe. Not only easier but said it was an easy entrance. Adelina has the best double axel/3toe in the world.

Once again both Kim and Sotnikova are going to get high GOE on the jumps. However Sotnikova is also going to get high GOE on her spins.

You mean 3s/2t. Yuna did ina bauer before 2a/2lo/2t and I don't think that's an easy entrance. And why's Adelina's 3s better than Yuna's 3s?

 

[Icey]

Could YU-na not have done her flip as a 3/2 combo and earned enough points to win?

Caro owes her lucky stars bronze to Mao's short disaster.

 

[Ophelia]

What does that show? Nothing extraordinary about that jumps. Good height but nothing out of the world, sloppy air position and almost leaning, and not much flow out or distance like I said. Do you really think anywhere but Russia Sotnikova would get more GOE on jumps than Kim or even Kostner. Of course not. Had the event been in Korea with as much corruption as here Kim would get all +3s and Adelina all 0s (not saying that is what would be deserved, note I said as much corruption as here).

It shuts up the people who keep saying that Sotnikova's jump quality is exceptional and that she skated cleanly.

 

[sk8in]

Here is how to make judging more transparent. After each competition, the judges appear publicly at a press conference to explain why they gave who what scores. Anyone who has questions will be allowed to ask the judges at that time. Unfortunately this will not happen because the governing bodies would take it as a personal slight to their secret club rules and would be offended to have to prove their integrity. They just expect respect without having earned it.



It still doesn't explain the PCS/GOE. I don't think anyone is arguing that Adelina didnt have the hardest jumps but her technique is wild and swingy, combined with no finesse which should be reflected in lower PCS/GOE.

That article is a farce. The salchow is more difficult than the toe loop. A double axle does not explain how Adelina's two foot landing on her tripple flip should count for more than a clean triple lutz. Yuna jumped one less time, and that is the one thing people can hone in on, aside from the spins---which yes, is a legitimate technical feature of Adelina's skating (although not nearly as good as Julia's). You can see in the diagram how Yuna gets much more distance across the ice in her jumps as well. Her technique is MUCH more clean than Adelina's. Yuna's jumps flow in parabolic form. Adelina's jumps spike up in the center, like a bipolar girl on diet pills.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

It shuts up the people who keep saying that Sotnikova's jump quality is exceptional and that she skated cleanly.

No one said THAT JUMP was exceptional and clean. Just every other one she did

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

You can see in the diagram how Yuna gets much more distance across the ice in her jumps as well. Her technique is MUCH more clean than Adelina's. Yuna's jumps flow in parabolic form. Adelina's jumps spike up in the center, like a bipolar girl on diet pills.

Height and distance are both positive attributes, even though one is "like a bipolar girl on diet pills".

 

[Darnella2005]

You know.. I got the same impression when I watched. The comments did sound as though they were taped after the results.

This is easy to do. Once the competition is over they go through the tape and edit/change their commentary. These so-called analyst are a Joke - especially Scott. He is such a hypocrite:sarcasm:.

 

[jenaj]

I haven't checked over the last 144 pages to see if anyone has posted this yet, but here is an interesting article that identifies the judging panel:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/s...e-figure-skating-judges.html?smid=tw-sochinyt

The technical controller was Russian. Don't forget what that Russian skating coach told me (in jest, I think): before you had to bribe nine judges; now you only have to bribe one. Also, as others have noted, one of the judges was also Russian (married to a member of the Russian federation) and one was caught cheating for the USSR, and is now reinstated and with the Ukraine. Another was from Estonia, another former Soviet republic.

Having watched the replay in prime time, I do have to agree that it's a travesty that Adelina won. I think she probably deserved the bronze, but her PCS was way too high. Was she really better than Mao and on the same level as Carolina and Yuna? I think giving her 8's for around 64 would be generous but probably more in the ballpark for this particular skate.

 

[wordsworthgirl]

I watched again tonight and I feel the same way I did after watching earlier.

Mao should have won the free skate. Best long program- most complete. Performance of the night. BY FAR. She deserved a 150 for that performance. or even higher.

Carolina was extraordinary and had the most poetic, lyrical skate of the night. I would have given her the highest PCS. But she gave away the gold medal by not going for a triple triple. The last few jumps were also barely squeaked out. I am so proud of her but it was not her best ever performance and it was not up to the level she was at in the short.

Yuna was clean, but uninspired. She just lacked dynamism, spark, heart tonight. and I didn't love the program. Just not nearly as inspired as in Vancouver. I truly don't see this as a great program or performance for the ages.

I am no Adelina fan- in fact, leading up to the Olympics, she was on my "nightmare" podium, but I just don't see any way she doesn't win tonight. She was much much more technically difficult than Yuna and her jumps were performed better. She had energy, flair, and charisma. She was overscored in the short, and she was overscored here, but I still would have had her ahead of Yuna and Carolina in the long, although behind Mao.

Gracie was wonderful. Sad abt the one fall. Amazing she held it together as well as she did given that she had to skate after Adelina. She has boundless potential and will medal at worlds very soon, if not this year.

Ashley was SO great tonight, despite some two foots/urs. She attacked and performed with great energy and commitment and flair. She was gloriously theatrical.

Polina Edmunds was such a refreshing surprise. Much much better than at US Nationals. She was underscored.

 

[sms2000]

And regardless the pointless truth and mediocre level of objectivity the Mother Russia is the only having all 6 OGMs in the history:

1908 Nikolai Panin, special figures
1964 Belousovsa-Protopopov, pairs
1976 Pakhomova-Gorshkov, dances
1994 Alexi Urmanov, men
2014 Team event
2014 Adelina Sotnikova, ladies

The rest of the world may cry and Rest In Pieces. Try to add synchro event to Olympics, Russians have no team to compete.

 

[Darnella2005]

I haven't checked over the last 144 pages to see if anyone has posted this yet, but here is an interesting article that identifies the judging panel:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/21/s...e-figure-skating-judges.html?smid=tw-sochinyt

The technical controller was Russian. Don't forget what that Russian skating coach told me (in jest, I think): before you had to bribe nine judges; now you only have to bribe one. Also, as others have noted, one of the judges was also Russian (married to a member of the Russian federation) and one was caught cheating for the USSR, and is now reinstated and with the Ukraine. Another was from Estonia, another former Soviet republic.

Having watched the replay in prime time, I do have to agree that it's a travesty that Adelina won. I think she probably deserved the bronze, but her PCS was way too high. Was she really better than Mao and on the same level as Carolina and Yuna? I think giving her 8's for around 64 would be generous but probably more in the ballpark for this particular skate.

They just reported this on our local channel 9 news (NBC) in Colorado about the judging problem in the ladies figure skating. They also quoted what Ashley stated. I'm hoping there is an investigation in the corruption in judging in figure skating. Yuna is still the Queen.

 

[sk8in]

Height and distance are both positive attributes, even though one is "like a bipolar girl on diet pills".

Yes, height AND distance are positive attributes. Adelina only has height. She has no control or grace.