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Ladies Free and Ladies Results

We may be seeing less and less figure-skating on TV. Next season, the USFS contract with ABC expires. If there is another Olympic scandal, even ESPN may cut back on air time for figure skating.
 
Red Dog said:
No she wasn't.

Once again, when you have a weak conference and a strong conference in a league, is it unfair for the 8th best team in the strong league with a winning record not make it in and the 6th best team in the weaker conference with maybe .500 or a losing record get in? It's just the way it works.
Generally, I agree. I would NOT want to see finalists determined through CoP alone. However, it does seem a bit unfair that Elena, with 1 gold and one absolutely dismal placement places ahead of Shizuka with two bronzes.
 
The only GPF placement that is out of place for me is Sokolova. Arakawa should be there instead. Not so bad, all things considered.

However, at every GPF I can remember at least one skater drops out beforehand due to injury or illness and the top alternate(s). I doubt these six will be the six at the GPF.

Rgirl
 
Rgirl said:
The only GPF placement that is out of place for me is Sokolova. Arakawa should be there instead. Not so bad, all things considered.

However, at every GPF I can remember at least one skater drops out beforehand due to injury or illness and the top alternate(s). I doubt these six will be the six at the GPF.
If 1 skater drops out, it will be Rochette, not Arakawa who will be in the final.
 
I agree with Red Dog. I was just watching football and how New England at 6-5 is leading the eastern conference because the other teams are like 4-7. Other teams with better records probably won't make the playoffs. That is just the way it goes. Luck plays a part in it. Elena was lucky Michelle and Sasha withdrew from SA. Alissa wouldn't have been at SA had she not been a replacement for Sasha. Shizuka's bad placement at worlds did her in. She would have to face 2 top 6 skaters regardless of where she went. It was a sure bet she'd have to be against Irina or Sasha or both in her GPs. She actually got lucky that Michelle pulled out of CoC. Carolina had easier GP's because at #3 she didn't have to face either Irina or Sasha but she blew it.
 
LBC said:
I agree with Red Dog. I was just watching football and how New England at 6-5 is leading the eastern conference because the other teams are like 4-7. Other teams with better records probably won't make the playoffs. That is just the way it goes. Luck plays a part in it. Elena was lucky Michelle and Sasha withdrew from SA. Alissa wouldn't have been at SA had she not been a replacement for Sasha. Shizuka's bad placement at worlds did her in. She would have to face 2 top 6 skaters regardless of where she went. It was a sure bet she'd have to be against Irina or Sasha or both in her GPs. She actually got lucky that Michelle pulled out of CoC. Carolina had easier GP's because at #3 she didn't have to face either Irina or Sasha but she blew it.

I agree with this too and find it to be part of what is exciting about the GP's. I'm still wondering about the best way to figure out the tie breakers though...should it be placements or should it be total scores (as the first tie breaker)??? I leaning towards the placements for the same reasons that have been discussed so far, but I understand the 'side' that says it should be points. I guess i'm on the fence on this one.
 
emma said:
I agree with this too and find it to be part of what is exciting about the GP's. I'm still wondering about the best way to figure out the tie breakers though...should it be placements or should it be total scores (as the first tie breaker)??? I leaning towards the placements for the same reasons that have been discussed so far, but I understand the 'side' that says it should be points. I guess i'm on the fence on this one.


I think head to head should be first tiebreaker. That is how it is in other sports.
Shizuka beat Joannie at TEB. She she have the tiebreaker over Joannie. If they don't meet head to head or are 1-1 then total points.

Placements should probably still be used to determine the GPF. It isn't the skaters fault with how hard the competition is. From year to year you never know on paper how good anybody will be. With injuries some can be less competitive and then there are the new skaters you don't know about.
 
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Placements should probably still be used to determine the GPF. It isn't the skaters fault with how hard the competition is. From year to year you never know on paper how good anybody will be. With injuries some can be less competitive and then there are the new skaters you don't know about.

ITA. If skating is a sport...why not set up the rules so it's just like one?
 
Red Dog said:
ITA. If skating is a sport...why not set up the rules so it's just like one?

Are the rules set up just like it is a sport though? :scratch:

In swimming whether you make the next round(heats, semis, finals)is determined by the best 8 or 16 times, not your placing in your own heat. In track there is a combination of heat placings, and time factors, depending on the round, and the competition. In alpine skiing, conditions change, skiing later or earlier could be an unfair advantage, but your final finish is based on how you all compare in times. In team sports, you are often gauranteed a spot by winning your division, but if you are 3rd or 4th in your division, but better than somebody in your conference who is 2nd in theirs, you advance over them typicaly.
 
NHK scores : not bad at all, even pretty good!

Even though the highest scores were not what Slutskaya or Arakawa have used us to, scores at NHK were very good in terms of density. Just for a summary I counted the number of scoress over 150 and 140 pts in all the Grand Prix events.
America : 3/3
Canada : 2/5
China : 4/5
France : 6/6
Russia : 2/3
Japan : 5/7
So only Trophee Bompard was arguably better in term of density!
I would still support the placement system vs CoP scores to pick the 6 skaters for the final. The issue for the ISU is to balance the entrance lists betwwen the different events ... but I guess more skaters are willing to begin their season a little later than sooner, so that may be a reason why Skate America and Canada were weaker competitions this year.
 
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Joesitz said:
Yes it does appear to be a B field but it ain't over till it's over. BTW, neither of these Ladies have any kind of discussion claques. Maybe they won't podium at the Olys but they just may make a statement and then the boards will be full of pro and con Nakano and Czisny.

Joe

It is amazing to think of the depth in Japan-Arakawa, Suguri, Ando, Onda, Asada, Ota, Nakano; all come to mind as quality skaters who have to fight each other for only 3 spots on the team(some years perhaps 2). It makes me wonder if anybody is a lock for the Japanese womens team, even with Asada not eligable.

I definitely think you are right on Czisny, she could easily have her own claque in a few months, and Meisnner vs Czisny debates will ensue as ferocious as the Kwan vs Slutskaya, Slutskaya vs Cohen, and Kwan vs Cohen ones currently.
 
Distribution

The distribution of the skaters over the events is really the secret to having exciting competitions. There are so many variables, though, that much as the ISU tries to distribute skaters evenly, some uneveness can occur. Injuries, for example, mess up the pattern. Using past performance is also rather unpredictable, especially when you have a skater who can win Worlds one year and place in double digits the next.

Methinks contraversey is good for ratings. ESPN drudged up the citizenship contraversy to improve ratings, not because they have some overriding interest in seeing a skater from the USA medal at the Olys. I hope their strategy works. I'd obviously love to see more skating, not less.

And I disagree with those who don't think Solkalova belongs in the final. I love seeing Cupcake fit and enthusiastic. Plus, those pants are, like, oohhh la la.

Arakawa has simply not grown on me. Personal preference.

Linny
 
tripleflutz said:
...Under COP its the points that count, so the GP Final slots should be given using total points to rank the skaters, not the placings at each event. . Using the placings is a holdover from 6.0 and should be dumped ASAP
... Funny, I used to think that the 6.0 Place Holding system was just fine, but here's definate proof of its inaccuracy.

Shizuka was robbed!!!!!
ITA and singles sports are not like team sports. The six BEST skaters from the GPS are supposed to make to the GPF so that out of these six BEST skaters the final two BEST can skate head to head.

The whole idea of a weaker division makes perfect sense in team sports--this from summer softball shortstop from 3rd to 5th grade. You just get some tank teams sometimes, whether it be money, or money, or money.

But in individual sports what's the point in having divisions and on what do you base them? World ranking? Whoops, can't because so-and-so was out with an injury last year during her GP event. Best event point total? Whoops, can't because Sasha still holds some best totals from when the CoP was first used in fall '93 and the judges were handing out TCS points like penny candy.

Nope, the only one that makes sense to me is point totals. Also, I think a skater who misses a GP event because of illness or injury should be able to petition the ISU to be able to go to a second GP event. The ISU can say no, of course, but unless the illness/injury happens late in the GPS, I think it's fair to at least allow the skater to petition.

A and B skaters for the GPF. Don't waste my time, thank you very much. If I want to see B skaters I'll watch the GPS. For the GPF, I want prime skating. I'm assuming ESPN won't show Sokolova but I'd rather be watching Arakawa or someone who deserved to be there because of the quality of her skating, not who was sick or injured during her event. Same goes for all disciplines, natch.

Rgirl
 
I would much rather Arakawa in the final than Sokolova, that is for sure!
Sokolova did nothing to earn a spot over Arakawa except be lucky enough to be assigned to Skate America and its modest field.
 
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