Watching Malinin land his seven quads at the Final was amazing. He did what no other skater has done. But for me personally, this just makes my case that I think limiting quads in order to balance artistry is something maybe to look at. Otherwise, competitions just become a "jump fest".
For instance, how many hours of practice goes into practicing just one quad? What would happen if a portion of that practice was spent on skating skills, edges, footwork, and tweaking choreo?
I loved watching Siao Him Fa and Kagiyama's footwork at the Final!
(First, I would like to say that probably,
@freedomlover doesn't know that you're Administrator and answers you casually in the tone of this conversation, I don't see snark and sarcasm with this in mind.)
I don't know. It was a very impressive skate indeed. And if any skater, why not him, some day manages to jump these 7 Quadruple jumps well done and fully rotated, with other elements good, and gets the Technical score he was awarded at the Grand Prix Final, that is, 146.07. And, with what he exhibited in Components.
Let's start with
Skating Skills. I'm quite impressed by the contrast between his ease on the setting of a jump, just before take-off, and the rest of the step. The first seem to show good skating skills which I don't see elsewhere in the program.
1) Variety of Edges, Steps, Turns, Movements and Directions. I don't see how there could be less? The Step Sequence is an element, so it's not included.
2) Clarity of Edges, Steps, Turns, Movements and Body Control. The body control is medium (very good control of the core, much less of the rest). The rest isn't good but he goes surely?
3) Balance and Glide. His balance seems very good overall, but the program doesn't have time to show it and he must save energy and balance for the jumps? His glide seems average?
4) The Flow seems better although not excellent.
5) Power and Speed. They're good, and power is also shown in his jumps.
Then
Composition.
1) Multidimensional movements and use of space. While he doesn't show a critical lack of ability in this respect, there are very few moves outside of the elements, and no high difficulty is shown either. He goes surely from a jump to another, does the (usual) preceding steps as a mechanic and his crossovers, while not as ugly as "his predecessor's", are always the same. The score wouldn't be zero but still be low there.
2) Connection between and within elements. Is there anything to see? There would be a very low score.
3) Choreography reflecting musical phrase and form. I would say, it does at a very basic level, so the score would be low.
4) Pattern and Ice Coverage. I didn't observe it, it's too difficult for me with the camera changes. Sometimes Japanese TV channels have offered programs maps, as the competition was in Japan I wonder if there are some in circulation? This may not be as poor as the rest of the Composition, unless he needs to jump each Quadruple in a particular place and it wouldn't allow a good ice coverage, but I doubt it.
5) Unity. Very surprisingly, I felt an unity there. Why, it's a jump feat?
Then
Presentation.
1) Expressiveness and Projection. For the little there is to express with this Composition, he does it effectually, expressing the music. How to score this then? It can't be high because expression so little is easy, yet not low either as it is done, and the whole jump feat dynamic brings a good deal of projection.
2) Variety and Contrast of Energy and of Movement. I don't know how there could be less without falling out of the rules for Elements.
3) Musical Sensitivity and Timing. It's not a complex program (if jumps can be jumped...) but he does feel this music and the program is well rhythmed overall. So, the score can be a good medium?
Honestly, except in Presentation I believe that there's so little between the Elements that except in Presentation, I don't see how to consider them average?
A jump feat of 7 Quadruple jumps is a tactic choice over higher Components, and it may be the right choice for a skater who can be impressive in jumps without being able to reach a high level in Components. Here the logic is pulled to the extreme, reaching lows unheard of at this level in deserved Components. Supposing 3.5 in Skating Skills and Composition (more on the lack of matter than of ability), and 5 in Presentation (I'm quite unable to be accurate) it would make 40 in Components, in front of other top skaters who may get 90, a loss of 50, an extreme sacrifice, for which result? Not taking Daniel Grassl because of the usual uncalled errors, the next skater would get 107 in Element scores and he's got excellent Components. "The potential Ilia Malinin" would not get the Gold.
So, I don't see a lack of balance in the IJS as it is written, between jump reward and artistry, as even the most extreme jump feat can't manage to compensate the loss in Components.
And when all or part of the jumps lack rotation as was the case here, the deserved score goes down even more.
For me, as we say in French, the idea of limiting quads per program is what we call a plaster on a wooden leg. I see no example to date of a lack of balance between jumps and skating (even without taking artistry into account, and here there was some), that would lay in the rules. It all lays in the fact that rules aren't respected by Technical Panels and Judges.
If you would allow me, and if indeed such an idea is circulating in Figure Skating circles, I would rather expect that Ilia Malinin would be into orbite for an Olympic Gold followed by retirement, but the next US skaters in line can't jump that much, and some would want to go back to the Lysacek times narrative of "artistry rather than Quads" to promote them.
I'm all in!
).
