2026 Olympics: Free Dance

[CoyoteChris]

In Evan's head: will she force me to pull a Cong Han? I love her but...

I dont see a cong han happening here...you have two OGMs and a silver individual. And a body that still functions hopefully without pain....

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I wonder if those slating that British judge's scoring of Gilles and Poirier in the RD have anything to say about how the Canadian judge scored the Italian team and Carreira and Ponomarenko..

Well, the Italian team messed up their twizzle, and C/P also had a stumble and balance check, so it's not like they were pristine or beyond deduction on the components. Ice dance usually has not many visible errors, so I do think that when it does happen a team needs to be hammered, otherwise what's the point.

In the case of P/P in the RD they were basically flawless and the British judge put them 6TH (and lowballed them in the team RD too).

 

[Janice4th]

No. He didn't make a mistake. He was just out of sync. And he was marked down for it. That was the superior skate. If the judges were honest, P2 would be 2nd in the FD.

Any other team would have been crucified for that mistake. That got a light slap. This was just wrong.

 

[Heather T]

Thank you all. I'm at work. I'm trying to focus. I'm

Good luck with that. Lol

 

[museksk8r]

The French and British judges here should face lifetime bans.

 

[Alfa]

Cizeron clearly had mistakes on the twizzle and the lift, sorry but I just don't understand how they won gold. I may also add that their twizzles in the RD also looked slightly off.

Chock/Bates really delivered a magnificent performance.

Feels like Medvedeva/Zagitova all over again.

 

[ManyCairns]

I can't speak to the French team's technique but their performance left me cold. That's not my US bias, either. Honest! IMO, both C/B and Charlene/Marco brought much more artistry and emotion to their programs.

I missed P/P and will have to catch them on replay.

You are in for a treat when you see them!

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

LFB is better - for him because she is easier to tame and she will do things his way

Okay, let's not tear down LFB as some tameable woman who will do things Cizeron's way.

I don't think she likes the drama either, but she's just trying to do her best, do her job, and is a strong woman and talented skater.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I wish there was a way to give away the empty seats. I realize that it defeats the purpose of supply and demand, but it sucks to see them empty.

Yeah, like a standby list. Would love to see a curve over the years of seat price vs occupancy. I remember a time when people who went told me there was no way for them to buy a seat at all the skating events as they were sold out unless it was on the secodary market.

 

[Janice4th]

Tonight the art and blade mastery won and creativity and perseverance got recognized with silver and bronze.

This podium is so right.

I respectfully disagree. This program had music that never brought any highs and lows. It wasn’t ice dance.

 

[apgold]

Piper and Paul, Z/K and S/D were my favorites tonight, all skated flawlessly. Felt C/B should have won but their performance in the team event was better, IMO.

I can't get into the FB/C programs this season. They are beautiful skaters but leave me feeling nothing.

 

[amc987]

Of the final group, I most enjoyed Gilles/Poirier. I liked Chock/Bates as well. Theirs is a more theatrical style, but I think it worked for the Spanish-style dance they were doing.

Fournier Beaudry/Cizeron were precise, but one-note and boring. I think Cizeron was better with Papadakis -- the programs were more interesting, original, and impactful then. This "Whale" program is meticulous and difficult and lyrical, but there's little tension or variation or climax. And that's even if you take the grossness about FB/C's association with and defense of Sorensen out of it.

Disappointing result.

 

[yelyoh]

Well, the Italian team messed up their twizzle, and C/P also had a stumble and balance check, so it's not like they were pristine or beyond deduction on the components. Ice dance usually has not many visible errors, so I do think that when it does happen a team needs to be hammered, otherwise what's the point.

In the case of P/P in the RD they were basically flawless and the British judge put them 6TH (and lowballed them in the team RD too).

The Brit judge has some serious anger issues.

 

[readernick]

I have been thinking of all the empty seats all week. I think there are people in Europe not too far away that could have afforded them, but even if you have the money, you still have value decisions to make...seems funny but its true.

The cost of tickets for the figure skating events are just absolutely ridiculous. Most people and certainly most families can't afford to spend thousands of dollars on tickets to one event. Other sports had more reasonable ticket prices and they sold out.

 

[thatdarncat]

The French and British judges here should face lifetime bans.

A bit late now, the British judge was not there tonight. the french one should have been pulled.

 

[freedomlover]

Okay, let's not tear down LFB as some tameable woman who will do things Cizeron's way.

I don't think she likes the drama either, but she's just trying to do her best, do her job, and is a strong woman and talented skater.

"Drama" and its about her partner being an alleged.... you know?

 

[luvsasha]

Oh gosh Madison is close to tears

Oh no, Madi, please don't be sad You both did four amazing programs in a matter of days and you couldn't have done any more. I know silver is disappointing, but please know we're all still so proud of you!!

 

[Skater Boy]

It shows that the judges got it wrong. That seems to to be the consensus on here. Is it so hard to believe the judges got it wrong? Even experts aren’t perfect.

Well I do think the bronze team should not have been so literal with their dress. Fine for a cocktail party but their actual FD and RD were both undermarked. They showed to me what we saw in the past they were up there with chock and Bates and could beat them. The FD in particular - was a combination of emotion, sublim and ech. They had smoothness which for some reason with lack of speed Chock and Bates didn't hae especially today. And the French to me had th emost sublime program on paper but the execution today were there were errors. But I am a nobody and not a judge so what do I know. I jus think they were the the Canadians were the winners but probably were thrilled just to be on the podium. Sorry Brits when for entertainment but technically not good enough. The reconcilliation side of me says 3 gold medals shared (hopefully they don't fall apart as has been an issue.)

 

[shan22044]

If the French judge was the deciding factor on the gold medal today it's even more proof that the judges themselves need to be overhauled, rather than focusing on so-called transparency and objective elements in scoring (which really hasn't happened especially with PCS).

They need to have judges scores selected randomly and/or have the judge from the athlete's home country automatically not included in their score.

For ice dance in particular, a Four Weddings style scoring system would work. Three categories (dance elements, storyline/dramatic, skating skills/artistry) each get a designation of favorite to least favorite in the particular skating group, and maybe an overall impression score that's numeric but would not hold as much weight.

 

[Olibritt]

My problem with this is, that it is akin to watching Rafael Nadal win his 9th French Open. Yea good for him, he is the greatest, but I can't get excited about it anymore, getit? I have seen him do it before and do it better, and all of it just starts to feel like glorified victory lap.

Nadal won 14 times the french open. It was exciting every time, because, as impossible to believe as it was, he still fought till the end each time. There was was no discussion after the match about who should have won.