Personal Best

[Mathman]

I just discovered that the ISU is keeping a running record of each skater's "personal best" score under CoP judging.

http://www.isu.org/vsite/vcontent/p...60279-177495-33138-139933-custom-item,00.html

There is also a cumulative score of the "best score overall." (Sahsa Cohen and Evgeny Plushenko are the leaders.) Comparing 2003 to 2004, 7 lady skaters (Cohen, Arakawa, Kirk, Suguri, Sebestyen, Liashenko, and Corwin) had free skate scores in 2003 better than the best so far in 2004 (Phaneuf in Skate Canada, 101.9).

This will be fun to watch.

Mathman

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

They kept mentioning that in Pittsburgh. Nice touch. Interesting that B&A, I think, did not get personal best scores although they won. So, like all those swimmers and other athletes who look up at the score board see whether they beat their personal best to date. If they did, that has to make them feel good even if they lost the meet. Bottom Line: You did your best.

Joe

 

[RIskatingfan]

Right now those personal best scores don't mean much because COP changed since last season (some different rules), the values of elements changed... so it's not like we can really make comparisons. I think it's going to take awhile until we can do them, I'm pretty sure adjustments will be made to the new system for some time more.

But when COP is well settled, I think this is a way to motivate skaters, just like receiving 6.0 was in the old system. There is the concept of personal best in many sports (best time, for example), why not in skating.

 

[RealtorGal]

Now THAT is very interesting. The glaring omissions are, of course, Michelle and Irina, who have NEVER skated and been judged under this new system.