S
sk8cynic
Guest
Why Bother with Two Programs?
After reviewing tapes endlessly in these weeks leading up to (and after) Worlds, I have a question regarding the scoring for Short and Long programs that are skated.
If the short program is deemed the technical program, why does the artistic mark get equal time? Likewise, why does the technical score in the long count equally in the free with the artistic marks?
I ask this as it seems that many skaters wind up being held up after the short because of the artistic mark (Sasha at Worlds this year is what made me think about this).
If the short program is truly about required elements and execution therein, and the free is more about overall presentation, then why don't the scores reflect this emphasis? I realize there are mandatory deductions for errors, but still, wouldn't it make sense if in the short, the ordinals were determined by having tech scores counting 2/3 towards the score and presentation 1/3, and in the free skate, the opposite happening?
For example, if a Skater A receives a score from a judge of 5.6/5.9 and Skater B receives a score of 5.7/5.7 during the short program, skater A would receive the higher ordinal as the total of the marks is higher than skater B's, even though skater B had a better technical skate. If they split the value of the marks 2/3 and 1/3, then skater A would have a total of 17.1 (5.6+5.6+5.9) and skater B would have a total of 17.1 (5.7+5.7+5.7), but skater B would receive the higher ordinal and be rewarded for the superior technical skate. Same applies for the freeskate in reverse.
Am I way off base here? Or is it the pain meds I'm on? Mathman, help!!! I'm starting to sound like an algebra problem!!
After reviewing tapes endlessly in these weeks leading up to (and after) Worlds, I have a question regarding the scoring for Short and Long programs that are skated.
If the short program is deemed the technical program, why does the artistic mark get equal time? Likewise, why does the technical score in the long count equally in the free with the artistic marks?
I ask this as it seems that many skaters wind up being held up after the short because of the artistic mark (Sasha at Worlds this year is what made me think about this).
If the short program is truly about required elements and execution therein, and the free is more about overall presentation, then why don't the scores reflect this emphasis? I realize there are mandatory deductions for errors, but still, wouldn't it make sense if in the short, the ordinals were determined by having tech scores counting 2/3 towards the score and presentation 1/3, and in the free skate, the opposite happening?
For example, if a Skater A receives a score from a judge of 5.6/5.9 and Skater B receives a score of 5.7/5.7 during the short program, skater A would receive the higher ordinal as the total of the marks is higher than skater B's, even though skater B had a better technical skate. If they split the value of the marks 2/3 and 1/3, then skater A would have a total of 17.1 (5.6+5.6+5.9) and skater B would have a total of 17.1 (5.7+5.7+5.7), but skater B would receive the higher ordinal and be rewarded for the superior technical skate. Same applies for the freeskate in reverse.
Am I way off base here? Or is it the pain meds I'm on? Mathman, help!!! I'm starting to sound like an algebra problem!!