ISU VP Lakernik: № of quads may be limited | Golden Skate

ISU VP Lakernik: № of quads may be limited

Tyranid

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 29, 2014
For the benefit of those, perhaps newer members, who do not know Alexander Rafailovich Lakernik: he has been appointed as vice president of the International Skating Union, the governing body of figure skating, in 2016. He is also one of the main architects of the new judging system (IJS/COP). He has judged and has been a member of technical panels for many years. From 2010-2016 he was the vice president of Russia’s skating federation (FFKR). Given this, he should be the most influential man in figure skating today .

Here is his interview for TASS.ru

http://tass.ru/opinions/interviews/5078235

Q: What changes will be made to the element grade of execution (GOE) starting next season?
A: The range of the grades will be expanded. If now an athlete receives marks in a -3 to +3 range for a poor to excellent element execution, then from next season it will be go up to a -5 to +5 range. This change was one of the concrete decisions during the last ISU congress. Therefore, athletes will now chase after element quality instead of element quantity. Now an excellently done element can get up to +5 yet, of course, can also lose those 5 GOE points given a serious mistake. If a jump is of average quality, the marks will remain as they are now.

Q: So now athletes will make a serious consideration before stuffing their programs with difficult elements?
A: They must understand that a poorly done element will be punished more severely than before. Yes, before there was reason to go for a difficult element [e.g - any quad jump], and get a -3 for a fall because you still decent points. This is why we commonly hear phrases “I fell but rotated”. If you fall now, you will only get half value for the element. This is more of a question for the coaches - should we go for a full set of quads or should we reduce their amount so that we have something left of the program.

Q: That exact decision that Kolyada made during the world championships, simplifying his short program?
A: Yes, and it was the correct decision. He skated cleanly, everyone liked the program and therefore it was scored rather well. During the long, the question is more towards Kolyada’s head which he, to be fair, correctly knocked one after the skate.

Q: There were a lot of falls during the world championships in Italy, especially in the Men’s. As I understand, it is due to the number of quads?
A: During the ISU congress in June, we will discuss an offer for limiting the number of each type of quad jump to one per program instead of two which we have right now. Yes, this is unfavorable for men who have few quads. However, the already mentioned Kolyada has a lutz, a toeloop and a salchow. Even though the salchow is unstable, that is already three types of jumps.

Q: What if a figure skater has only one in his arsenal?
A: Well, this is why many countries, especially European where people preform just one quad, may not support such decision. However, the next competitions will already have changes that were announced during our last congress in Croatia’s Dubrovnik.
Also, starting with this new season, men and pairs will have their long program length reduced form +/- 4:30 minutes to +/- 4 minutes. The programs will be constructed minding this change. Same goes for the change GOE range.

Q: Will base values remain the same.
A: It will be just slightly reduced. The reason is such because on one hand - it is necessary to have quality skating, on the other - we don’t need element attempts just for the sake of attempting.

Q: How will this affect women’s singles? Look at, for example, Alexandra Trusova’s two quadruple jumps.
A: Several days ago, Alena Kostornaia landed a triple axel during training and I saw the video myself. The GOE for that jump would be +4/+5. One of the ideas of Eteri Tutberidze’s group, where today’s leading women train, was the relocation of jumps into the second half of the program. Our congress could limit the value of such jumps. They will still cost more, just not as much as now.

Q: And how to beat competition then?
A: with clean skates.

Q: What if everyone else also skates cleanly?
A: Keep working. If boys can do quads then why can’t the girls. They’ve landed, although rarely, the triple axel. Midori Ito was the first. Then there were Ludmila Nelidina, Mao Asada, Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Logic will push development in that direction.
Learning this is much easier at a younger age while the body is small and agile. Yet if one learns it correctly, they have a chance to maintain the ability through the growth of body. Take a look at Mirai Nagasu who jumps the triple axel. She is not at all young or small, therefore the question lies in technique.

Q: What about threat of injury? The more difficult the jump, the higher such threat.
A: I compare this to throw quads in pair skating and see no danger. People just have to properly warm up, prepare, not attempt jumps if you are not yet ready. You can get injured doing anything. Anna Sherbakova jumps the quad toe, yet she broke her leg on a triple loop. She has returned to skating but has not tried difficult jumps in competition, as far as I remember.
In sport, injuries are inevitable, but we have true and tried methods which help reduce the risk of injury. Avoiding them completely is impossible. Nathan Chen had a serious leg fracture two years ago but look at how he jumps now. Returning to pair throws, they are much scarier than single’s quads. Practically everyone who practiced throw quads got injured one way or another. Even the slightest misstep during takeoff on a throw, and your body flies who knows where. A twist is less dangerous as the female partner is supported throughout.
Remember the amplitude of Stolbova and Klimov’s quad throw salchow. Remember Natalia Zabiyako’s crash on a throw triple axel where she hit her head against the ice.

Q: So quads in women’s skating will appear, and not just as a one-time thing?
A: Yes, and relatively fast. Right now they are landed in Tutberidze’s group. But pretty soon, others will see that it is possible. If an athlete has good amplitude and fast rotation, anything is possible. I also don’t see why girls are any less capable than boys.

Q: For the men, quads were considered something extraordinary before.
A: Figure skating continues to develop. Today quads are learned by people for whom they were seemingly impossible before. The German, Paul Fentz, does triple axel and quad toe. Given his size (his height is 179 cm) and relative lack of agility compared to, for example, Moris Kvitelashvilli. Nontheless he jumps cleanly.

Q: What about the artistic side? With a large amount of elements, may it be relegated?
A: Correct. When you have a lot of hard jumps you need time to prepare them. So the programs of some skaters start to remind the “run up - jump” situation. This is why, on one hand, the need to be more than two types of quads, on the other - the skate must remain a complete program. And te further development of figure skating will be formed by a conception of uniting the athletic and artistic components.

Q: This will prevent skaters from “running themselves into the ground”?
A: This is a philosophic question/ Some criticize Alina Zagitova and her coach for having 6 second half jump elements in a row. Yet it is incredibly hard, not just physically but also psychologically. When just one card flies out of this card house, the whole construction goes dow. This is exactly what happened at worlds. People chose such a path to victory and it doesn’t always work. Do not consider that everything is easy.

Q: Why reduce the long program time? [men and pairs]
A: There is a tendency for reducing the time of lengthy competitions. Instruments for that may be reduction of program time, judging time, warm-up time. For example, we’ve raised a question that 16 pairs in the long program is too little of a number given the fact that the level of pair skating, in part thanks to the work of the ISU, has risen. As a result, during these worlds we had 28 pairs all skating on a worthy level. But if we ourselves block their passage through SP qualification, how do we help them out.
Another dilemma: we get offers to raise the number of singles in the long program form 24 to 30. In that case, the competition schedule will be so loaded, that it’ll become completely inflexible. We must weigh all pluses and minuses, then decide in what direction do we continue moving.
Then there are more prosaic things than time, they are TV ratings and sponsors. This is the money that keeps figure skating alive. If we are to make changes, we must also must get mutual approval. Many questions remain regarding objective reality. Yet we cannot stand still because our main goal is raising the entertainment value of the sport and, as a result, viewer interest.

 

Mista Ekko

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 9, 2009
I feel like i can't stress this out enough times:

It doesn't matter how many changes you implement in a system, Or if you change it altogether,

If it's still the same people using it, The results will always display the same nature :bang:
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
Thanks for sharing this! :thumbsup:

I do feel like they have been at least listening to some of our (skating fans) concerns. It will be interesting to see what they actually decide to do.

I do feel badly for Paul Fentz though. Well.. at least he's been noticed. As Oscar Wilde says "It's better to be talked about than not talked about."
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
So I understand that they want to raise the number of competitors in the long program for Worlds but aren't pair programs already so jam packed with the number of elements as it is in 4 and a half minutes? They have 12 required elements including 3 lifts, 2 SBS jumps, 2 throws, and 1 twist.
 

Miss Ice

Let the sky fall~
Medalist
Joined
Apr 16, 2006
Mhmm, exactly what RSU wants. That way, guys like Hanyu and Nathan who have multiple beautiful quads can brace themselve for a new era of Mikhail Kolyada, 5-time world champion! :hap57:

I'm calling it now! :slink:

Also, who cares that 2nd half jump values will be limited -- we have now the power of +5 GOE!! :yahoo:
 

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
boy..you all a bunch of negative nellies. I will be over here in Pollyanna land hope that there is a serious desire to improve skating for all of us.
 
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
Won't pass, unless RSF and SC pull something. USFSA and JSF won't let it happen.

And SC has Gogolev. ;)

But LOOOL at this coming right after a 6-quad victory. I wonder what spurred this on? :think: Also don't think the limit would ever go below 4 in FS, given the OLY champ victory, and precedent for past three years.

Might get limited to 1 in SP, in which case -- bad 4Lzs will become the norm!
 

frida80

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 13, 2014
Mhmm, exactly what RSU wants. That way, guys like Hanyu and Nathan who have multiple beautiful quads can brace themselve for a new era of Mikhail Kolyada, 5-time world champion! :hap57:

I'm calling it now! :slink:

Also, who cares that 2nd half jump values will be limited -- we have now the power of +5 GOE!! :yahoo:

I guess that would be possible if he was actually landing his quads. If anything, Kolyada sounds like his days of getting medals with three fall programs is over.
 

echeveria

3a-1/2lo-3f
On the Ice
Joined
Mar 10, 2018
Sorry if this question has already been answered, but is there a reason why only men and pair free skate time is being shortened and not ladies?
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Sorry if this question has already been answered, but is there a reason why only men and pair free skate time is being shortened and not ladies?

Ladies LP time limit is already 4 +/- minutes.
 

discode

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 27, 2018
It seems kind of off to just be so blatant as to say this would hurt men with only one quad and some countries are against it because of that, but it's all right since his boy Kolyada has more than one quad. I mean really.

Actually reading again it makes sense. It hurts people with a lot of quads or 1 quad, but helps those with a couple. Well, so it's perfect for a few chosen skaters.
 

cruzceleste

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
That makes sense, but why are they suddenly becoming the same length? Is it because women are now landing quads more consistently?

This is just my theory, but maybe to cut the "telegraphing" of the jumps, you have less time to do you steps sequences, but I think there are people with more tech knowledge that would have better ideas.

Also maybe because of the effort physically that is need it to do a 4 1/5 min program
 

MajaHled

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 27, 2018
I still have absolutely no idea what purpose there is behind forbidding quad repetition. It won't make people limit the number of quads they attempt much, rather it will force them to attempt quads that are not stable. And we'll just get a bunch of Kolyada 4Lz situations, like 2 clean out of 19 attempts. It won't benefit skaters with only one type of quad, obviously, but also not skaters with many types, like Nathan, who won't be able to do 6 quads in the FS anymore. So it only benefits skaters with no quads and the ones with like 2-3 stable quads...? So why do it? I just don't see the point.
 
Joined
Dec 9, 2017
I still have absolutely no idea what purpose there is behind forbidding quad repetition. It won't make people limit the number of quads they attempt much, rather it will force them to attempt quads that are not stable. And we'll just get a bunch of Kolyada 4Lz situations, like 2 clean out of 19 attempts. It won't benefit skaters with only one type of quad, obviously, but also not skaters with many types, like Nathan, who won't be able to do 6 quads in the FS anymore. So it only benefits skaters with no quads and the ones with like 2-3 stable quads...? So why do it? I just don't see the point.

Because they're crazy and proud of it?


I will say... At least they heard about the pair qualification number. That one's good.
 

BillNeal

You Know I'm a FS Fan...
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 10, 2014
Because they're crazy and proud of it?


I will say... At least they heard about the pair qualification number. That one's good.

Ya, but they are cutting down program times to make that happen and keeping the same number of elements. Many pair programs look rushed as they are now.
 

Rissa

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 11, 2014
Mhmm, exactly what RSU wants. That way, guys like Hanyu and Nathan who have multiple beautiful quads can brace themselve for a new era of Mikhail Kolyada, 5-time world champion! :hap57:

Kolyada has 1relatively stable quad. The limitation may increase his chances slightly if he actually stabilizes his 4Lz or learns another quad, but if his jump content remains as it is, he won't be any nearer the gold than he is now. The limitation may hurt Nathan since his schtick is the number of quads, but it won't hurt Hanyu since his schtick is quality of jumps. It may actually help Hanyu because it will be easier for him to go clean due to lower number of quads and at the same time handicap his rivals.

But if they do go through with it and limit the number of quads, there's hope skaters such as Nathan and Vincent will be actually able to arrange to have a program in between those quads. That would be a win for me.

It seems kind of off to just be so blatant as to say this would hurt men with only one quad and some countries are against it because of that, but it's all right since his boy Kolyada has more than one quad. I mean really.

Guys, really, how many times did Kolyada actually land his 4Lz in competition?

That makes sense, but why are they suddenly becoming the same length? Is it because women are now landing quads more consistently?

???

How many quads were landed by women at Worlds? Olympics? Europeans? Grand Prix? How can we even talk about consistency when there has been 1 junior girl landing quads in competition?
 
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