2023 Four Continents Pairs Free Skate | Page 19 | Golden Skate

2023 Four Continents Pairs Free Skate

do you really want to know what I think? :)
I'm asking in general, not just for this season. I can tell what you think of the scoring in pairs at these 4CCs, but I'd also be interested in hearing what you think of the scoring in the other disciplines so far (if you followed them).

For reference, I noticed last season how many of the scores on the SB for the Women (and other disciplines) came from 4CC, while a lot fewer were from Euros, and that pattern seems to continue this season too.
 
General question, but does anyone else feel like the judging at 4CC tends to be a smidge more generous than the judging at Euros (without the Russians)?

Like don't get me wrong, I'm very happy for these skaters but, for example, Chan/Howe scoring 7 points higher for their Free than Ghilardi/Ambrosini, or Anastasia Gubanova and Bradie Tennell scoring almost the same feels a tiny bit unbalanced.🙈
Depends of the discipline. Imo Euros is usually where there is more overscoring in singles. And it isn't just for Russians. See Kostner or even Fernandez during his time who broke 300 for the first time there, with messy skates.
For the fact that many skaters earn their SB at 4CC (compared to euros), i think we should take into account the general level of the field.
 
I'm asking in general, not just for this season. I can tell what you think of the scoring in pairs at these 4CCs, but you're free to also tell us what you think of the scoring in the other disciplines so far (if you followed them).

For reference, I noticed last season how many of the scores on the SB for the Women (and other disciplines) came from 4CC, while a lot fewer were from Euros, and that pattern seems to continue this season too.
It's hard to compare Euros and 4CC this year without the skaters who are not at Euros... because the scores are generally higher when they are there... I think that athletes who are going to worlds often receive a push... as a set up for bigger prizes....and perhaps, because at 4CC with nations being able to send 3 athletes each, the setting up triggers SB escalation. Sometimes, it looks a bit much. I think I have been clearer than clear.
 
Our Technical Specialist: Alexander Koenig
Quite a fine pair skater for his day
Thank you. I saw his name and thought, "Who did he used to skate with?" Was just going to look it up when you answered and saved a senior moment.
 
I didn't see anything, maybe they're trying to rest up for Worlds?
They were there from Australia and New Zealand for dance, but pairs is very hard on the guys in that altitude. When you see in this event (which is over as I type) how many of the male partners collapse on the ice at the end of their programs, you understand how hard it is on them to keep their partners up in the air and *safe* while all their muscles are turning to jelly with exhaustion.
 
From watching live, Chan/Howe had the skate of the day and should have won the FP. We could have accepted them being second overall, but not secpoond in the FP. And I am saying this as someone who likes the Japanese pair A LOT. Starting this year, I also like Chan/Howe a lot. I had them picked as the team that could bump Deanna/Max from the GPF podium. Alas, they both made mistakes and neither got a medal there.
 
From watching live, Chan/Howe had the skate of the day and should have won the FP. We could have accepted them being second overall, but not secpoond in the FP. And I am saying this as someone who likes the Japanese pair A LOT. Starting this year, I also like Chan/Howe a lot. I had them picked as the team that could bump Deanna/Max from the GPF podium. Alas, they both made mistakes and neither got a medal there.
I agree with Chan/Howe having the skate of the evening... but not in the SP :)
 
The lifts are literally insane, and they look very fast on the ice (Question for those who have seen them in person, are they actually as fast as they look?)
Speaking as a pairs skater who kept going at least recreationally for far too many years after retiring (Go, Deanna!), yes. The position changes move quickly. Except for the time my partner put me up in what was supposed to be the start position of a basic press lift. And then drew a blank on what new position came next. Worse, when he decided he'd better just put me down again, he drew another blank on how to do that, after the hundreds of times he'd done that basic lift. So he just kept going, rotating while he thought, and we travelled the full diagonal length of the rink just going round and round and round. Like a good little pairs girl I just hung on, not moving a muscle, and waited, getting more and more annoyed, especially when I could hear him laughing somewhere below me. When he finally set me down I hissed, "What was that all about?!" He was smiling for the rest of the program. I was not.
 
This is truly appalling from the ISU, after Jackie Wong raised the quite obvious issue of why there wasn't oxygen on hand given the way the skaters were struggling for breath...



ps - not surprisingly, they got roasted and it was taken down, here's a screencap.

isu tweet.jpg
 
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Stuffie throw statistics: 3 animals thrown, one picked up. And this was with the disadvantage of throwing from the end opposite the kiss and cry. Lea Periera went out of her way to pick it up and take it to the kiss and cry.
 
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