Current world rankings

[Spirit]

I always find it interesting that rankings are so vital in almost every sport except figure skating, in which hardly anyone seems to care.

So FWIW, here are the current rankings according to the ISU:

(Click here for a .pdf file of how the ISU calculates the rankings. The other links are normal web pages.)

Pairs

Dance

Men

Ladies

Russia holds three of the #1 positions.

In Ladies, the 5 top spots are:

1. Shizuka Arakawa
2. Miki Ando
3. Fumie Suguri
4. Irina Slutskaya
5. Yoshie Onda

Japan holds 4 of them!!!

 

[chuckm]

The rankings are amazingly out of sync with reality.

Miki Ando, Yoshie Onda and Fumie Suguri have never been World Champion. Indeed, Miki Ando and Yoshie Onda have never stood on the World podium at all, and Fumie Suguri hasn't been there since 2003. Onda hasn't even competed at Worlds since 2003, when she was 11th.

Yet Miki and Fumie outrank two-time (and current) World Champion Irina Slutskaya. And 5-time World Champion Michelle Kwan is #16.

The rankings are the way they are because GPs count far more heavily than any other competition. Sasha has been 1st or 2nd for the past 3 years, yet she dropped to 7th this year simply because she didn't do the GP.

 

[soogar]

You have to base rankings on more than one event. The Japanese girls did fairly well in the GP events in the 2003-2004 season and since these rankings are based on a two year cycle, those results are holding over. I still think that you can't base rankings on invitational events b/c there are too many skaters who don't get invited to them.

 

[Mathman]

There are so few high level figure skating events that the ISU really doesn't have much choice but to factor in the Grand Prix events heavily. Plus, the ISU wants to push the GP as the big whoop of the "regular season."

In tennis, the ranking system has been criticized because it gives too much weight to long past results. For instance, Martina Hingis won everything in sight for several years, and this kept her at number one for several seasons afterwards, long after she had been surpassed by the next generation.

In golf, the real ranking system is the money-winners list. That, at least, can't be manipulated.

Mathman

 

[chuckm]

The 2003-2004 season total is counted at only 70%, which contributed to Sasha slipping so low.

I think the GP should count for something, but not as much as it does. Lambiel is #11 even though he's the reigning World Champion and finished 4th at 2004 Worlds, simply because his injuries have kept him out of the GP. It's unthinkable that Dambier, Lindemann and Van Der Perren outrank him.

The reality is that the GP events ARE invitational and it is unfair to overvalue them in relation to ISU competitions. Host nation skaters inevitably have a huge advantage over non-host nation skaters when it comes to getting invitations.

Skaters don't even have to do that well at the GP events to earn enough points to stay high enough on the list to get invitations the next year. Getting two events and finishing in the top 6 each year will do it. The problem is singles skaters from small federations often don't get two events.

 

[Doggygirl]

I still don't understand why they don't use scores (either high scores or average scores at ISU international events). That would seem WAY more meaningful a ranking than the current system that heavily favors those who fully participate in the GP. I realize the ISU wants to place emphasis on GP participation, but I don't think the number of times you compete has much to do with a World Ranking. At least not to the degree that matters under the current formula.


DG

 

[chuckm]

One GP event vs. two GP events means less points accumulated and a lower ranking. Unless you are a top skater, one event also means no chance of making the GPF, which is where you earn the big points (the last place finisher at the GPF gets 550 points, more than a gold GP event medalist).

The GPF champion gets 800 points for the win plus the points from the best GP event (say 400 for gold). So the GPF champion earns 1200 points, the same as the points awarded to a World or Olympic champion.

The GPF bronze medalist gets 700 points plus the best GP event points (say 400 for gold) for a total of 1100 points, or the same points as a World or Olympic bronze medalist.