Talking about Sochi 2014 again? Interesting topic. Let's see, when it comes to free skates:
In terms of jumping layout, Sotnikova's was much stronger than either Yuna's or Kostner's. She did 7 triples and 2 2As. Yuna did only 6 triples and Kostner didn't do a second 2A, also Kostner repeated only 3T and 3S, while Sotnikova did both 3Lz and 3F. Kostner did not even perform a single 3+3 combo, and had massively stalked entries into just about every jump. Probably should have called Sotnikova's +3T UR on the first combo, though.
In terms of skating skills, Yuna was well ahead of everyone else. IMO Kostner's skating skills have been very overrated, and watching Sochi 2014 free skates now, she doesn't IMO come even close to Yuna. Extremely dry crossovers and zero transitions. Step sequence also far weaker than Yuna's to me. Yuna's was on a completely different level, but Yuna did seem to cheat on at least one turn, which should cost a level(And it did). Now, when it comes to Sotnikova, I think her skating skills were quite good overall. Certainly more involved than Kostner, better transitions than Yuna's but she overall doesn't come even close to her. The one thing though, IMO her step sequence was a total mess there. I don't get how that can possibly be lvl 4 with massive GOE. She totally 3-turn cheated at least two steps quite clearly and that's at least a level reduction. Probably 2 levels in this case, to be honest.
When it comes to spins, Sotnikova was the best... very clearly. No contest whatsoever.
Transitions, Sotnikova the best quite easily. Kostner worst very very easily.
In terms of performing, I think Sotnikova's overall was very strong, actually. At least until the step sequence. Not my type of performing at all, to be sure, but I think it was quite good. Then I don't get what she started doing after the step sequence begun, I guess she just couldn't hold her joy due to skating her first clean-ish skate of her career. Yuna's performing I guess one could call mature, but I felt it was quite empty, definitely nothing like 2010 where I think she was absolutely incredible. Kostner's performing also was essentially nonexistent to me, apart from a couple of shrugs in between her empty skating.
So overall, I'd say Sotnikova deserved to be the first out of these three skaters, though her margin of victory should have been smaller. I think Kostner was overscored the most out of them, her PCS should have been nowhere near as high as it was.
However, the strongest free skate in Sochi 2014 was clearly by Mao Asada. It's a shame she totally bombed her short program, because with that free skate she'd have been a well-deserved winner if she just had been in contention after her short program. I also think she'd have been judged far more favorably if she actually was a victory candidate, for example her UR call isn't even close to being as clear as Sotnikova's UR was, and these IMO wouldn't have been called if she had had a chance for victory. Both Yuna and Kostner had similarly tight landings.
I think Sotnikova's situation was a little unfortunate, she probably got too much too soon. It was her only clean skate, after all. It'd too bad, too, since I think that she had quite some qualities that might have made her an interesting skater to have around. Perhaps things would have gone differently if she'd been born a day earlier, perhaps in that case she'd have been a more accepted Olympic champion as well. Although I have a feeling a lot of it is people just not understanding the difference between 6 triples vs 7 triples etc.
