2021 Worlds: Ladies' Short Program

[gliese]

I'm sorry but i find hard to believe judges gave +5 to a steps sequence with this, and 9.50 skating skills.

If I did that in competition + any other minor mistake I'd lose any chance at medaling. Crazy.

Edit: and in a tryout? would not be anywhere near making the cut...

 

[Fluture]

This one is more subjective, but I don't even see the so-called "artistry" her stans credit her with. Flailing arms, bland and boring skating. Maria Sotskova #2.

I‘m no Anna fan but I couldn‘t disagree more. She‘s been given mostly dark, tragic programs, so she couldn‘t show all she can do but her musicality, imo, is remarkable. Look how she interprets every note with both face and body, how she manages to catch up effortlessly even when she makes mistakes by slightly and subtly altering the choreography... I don‘t think you can teach that. Only problem is that she literally never stretches her toes and, of course, the skating skills that hold her back in fully expressing herself on the ice.

 

[Shayuki]

I'm sorry but i find hard to believe judges gave +5 to a steps sequence with this, and 9.50 skating skills.

Yeah, like I said, the StSq GOE you could argue about the most when it comes to this skate's scoring.

But as far as I'm concerned, if I just watch, say, the beginning of Shcherbakova's skate(everything before the first jump) and concentrate on just the basic skating and then watch Rika Kihira's program right after, it's impossible for me to not get the impression that Kihira's just skating in mud in comparison.

 

[pete]

My highlight was Yelim's 3Lz+3T! Definitely the best combination of the event!

 

[gliese]

I‘m no Anna fan but I couldn‘t disagree more. She‘s been given mostly dark, tragic programs, so she couldn‘t show all she can do but her musicality, imo, is remarkable. Look how she interprets every note with both face and body, how she manages to catch up effortlessly even when she makes mistakes by slightly and subtly altering the choreography... I don‘t think you can teach that. Only problem is that she literally never stretches her toes and, of course, the skating skills that hold her back in fully expressing herself on the ice.

100% teachable at an elite level. Intermediate, not so much.

Agree with the rest.

 

[ancientpeas]

I'm sorry but i find hard to believe judges gave +5 to a steps sequence with this, and 9.50 skating skills.

I haven't looked the protocols but giving that a plus 5 with an obvious mistake should be noted and corrected.

 

[readernick]

I‘m no Anna fan but I couldn‘t disagree more. She‘s been given mostly dark, tragic programs, so she couldn‘t show all she can do but her musicality, imo, is remarkable. Look how she interprets every note with both face and body, how she manages to catch up effortlessly even when she makes mistakes by slightly and subtly altering the choreography... I don‘t think you can teach that. Only problem is that she literally never stretches her toes and, of course, the skating skills that hold her back in fully expressing herself on the ice.

Agree with this post completely.

 

[gliese]

I just don't see how an elite skater who can land tons of quads can stumble on a counter. It's not even a rocker. It's a counter which is objectively easy to not mess up (and save) once you know how to do it.

 

[Fluture]

100% teachable at an elite level. Intermediate, not so much.

Agree with the rest.

Are you an elite skater/judge/coach? That‘s very interesting regardless, thanks for your insight!

Can I ask what your ranking overall would have been of the top ladies today? Just in broad strokes (no scores or anything) to get an idea.

 

[jenaj]

Just one thing.. Canada usually doesn't support the US very much. They tend to be rivals in ice dance and men's. However, block judging does still happen and I will have to look at the judging panel but my guess is that there were a lot of European judges on it this time.

The US and Canada do not vote in blocks (or is it blocs?), as far as I can tell. Canada only supports Canada.

 

[labgoat]

I agree with whoever said Kailani needed the peppier version of Heart of Glass.

 

[rollerblade]

And she received level 3 for the mistake, so she was penalized.

And equally penalized with those +4 and +5 GOE.

 

[Tolstoj]

If I did that in competition + any other minor mistake I'd lose any chance at medaling. Crazy.

Edit: and in a tryout? would not be anywhere near making the cut...

While getting the big components mark anyway isn't a huge surprise for the top skaters (sadly cause i think this should be reflected, it's not a big mistake but it is still a mistake), the +5 GOE is pure nonsense.

We always used to see negative GOE when you make a stumble like that in the middle of the steps sequence, and a drop in the level. Maybe we saw the drop in the level since it was counted level 3 (she got level 3 stsq in the past with no mistakes tho), but the GOE was high as if it was all good.

 

[Seven Sisters]

My highlight was Yelim's 3Lz+3T! Definitely the best combination of the event!

Agreed—absolutely outstanding. That, and Liza’s 3A, stole the show, jumping-wise.

 

[icybear]

I think that's more of an awkward introvert's smile (I giggle every time I see her doing it lol) that is planned like a choreo element

Still out of place with the theme of the music. The music is called "The fire within" It completely kills the mood of the program.

 

[gliese]

Most of my posts have invoked objective criteria. For this one, I did make the disclaimer that the artistry part is more subjective, so I understand if other posters have different perceptions. The weak skating skills, the poor jumping technique, the incorrect lutz edge, and the blatant stumbles on the steps that I and others mentioned before are clearly objective, not subjective criteria.

I agree with you about the flailing arms of mine. Pet peeve of mine because it reminds me of my skating when I first started.. ew. The rest of it is certainly subjective.

Are you an elite skater/judge/coach? That‘s very interesting regardless, thanks for your insight!

Can I ask what your ranking overall would have been of the top ladies today? Just in broad strokes (no scores or anything) to get an idea.

I've landed a 2a in the past before injury so judge the level of that how you will. I've skated at multiple elite clubs and have seen elite coaches teaching how to get back on time if slightly behind or ahead. It's very difficult. But that's where that comment came from.

I likely would have put Rika over Anna but that's all the criticism I really have.

 

[macy]

have there been any updates on Mae's injury? i hope its nothing super serious.

 

[xabia]

Judges vote in blocks often. Russia as the former soviet union also tends to still have the former soviet union countries judging with them. The US and Canada tend to too. Also there is a lot of you judge my skater favourably in this discipline and we'll judge your skater favourably in this one. Then there is also figure skaters with coaches from different feds, etc. Also Lakernik is VP of the ISU - the highest ranked official.

So basically it's a corrupt sport? Perhaps judges should take a lie detector test, or better still, there could be UN judicial review into the chicanery involving officials at all level.

 

[ancientpeas]

I just went and looked at the protocols. Don't know who judge 1 is but they aren't seeing the same skater as the other judges when Satoko is on the ice.

Anna was definitely overmarked for that step seq. I'd have her and Rika within a point of each other. (And I'm not even that big of a fan of Rika's to be honest).

 

[gliese]

While getting the big components mark anyway isn't a huge surprise for the top skaters (sadly cause i think this should be reflected, it's not a big mistake but it is still a mistake), the +5 GOE is pure nonsense.

We always used to see negative GOE when you make a stumble like that in the middle of the steps sequence, and a drop in the level. Maybe we saw the drop in the level since it was counted level 3 (she got level 3 stsq in the past with no mistakes tho), but the GOE was high as if it was all good.

I would have expected a 1 or 0. Not a 5...
Her skating skills component should be lower mistake or no mistake. Flexed feet, flailing arms, sometimes uncontrollable posture. Usually a small mistake like that doesn't affect skating skills much (though it should) but GOE should have taken a beating for sure.