Oh.I was interested to have a look at I&B's protocol sheet for the LP, since their total score for that was 125.57, about 15 points more than their previous personal best high score, and would have placed them 2nd in the LP at Euros, just behind T&M. For comparison, T&M scored 127.83 total points, base technical 57.5, total TES 63.66.
And, as you might suspect, yes I&B's PCS was inflated vs. what they had obtained previously in international scoring. (Although, they were faster and smoother than earlier in the year, so not wholly indefensibly so.) They are about ..3 to .5 higher per component than they were internationally.
However, their TES was not inflated, and was an eye popping 66.89.., as their base technical score was 63.5. The only base that was more than that this year was the Zhang's at the GPF, where their base was 64.2. (That's the competition Zhangs landed their 2A3T combination.) So then I dug to see whether the caller gave them unfairly high levels...and that wasn't so either. The levels are consistent with what they got at TEB and SA, with some minor changes:
1. Their spiral sequence got level 2 at Nats, level 4 at Skate America, and didn't count at TEB-sometimes they don't hold some or all of the positions long enough, but there are enough positions, and they are difficult enough.
2. Death spirals. Both were level 4 at Nationals and weren't previously, but they have been changed since the GP-double or more rotations on both of them. I might have had the back outside as a level 3, but they may have picked up the extra level for having it immediately after the previous element, a lift.
In any case, the change on the death spirals would only account for 2 base points.
So it truly was as amazing a technical skate as I had thought.
And by the way, it wasn't shabby as a performance skate. The Professional Skaters association voted it the best pair performance. Considering they gave the best men's performance to Savoie, the Ladies to Rosenthal, and the dance to Navarro/Bommentre, the PSA is not bound to reward the winners. And the pairs event had several wonderful performances, including Nam/Leftheris and Scott/Fein.