2018 Pyeongchang Olympics | FIGURE SKATING | Feb 9th - 23rd

[TheBeastCoast]

Wow really? I find her just beautiful. Her spins, dynamic jumps, graceful movement, a joy to watch.

Eh I don't really see it.

 

[Satan'sIsland81]

Zagitova simultaneously represents the best and the worst of the current scoring system.

She represents the best in that it's a sport and if you're able to achieve the best score you should receive the best score - no matter how old you are or what your experience is. If this was the skiing downhill event and you finished with the fastest time you would win the gold - no one would dock you marks or prefer others just because of your age or experience.

The "worst" aspect is she shows how you can (completely correctly!) use the judging system to create a cringe worthy program - do little the first half, pack everything into the second half picking up extra points - and become the winner.

On the one hand this is what the detractors of judged sports point to - well, you have the judging system and now you complain it doesn't fit what you subjectively like about the sport...but...it's also a really popular sport because of the aspects which lend themselves to the subjective evaluation.

Excuse my lack of figure skating knowledge, but doesnt every competitor have the right to do the same thing? Why would they choose not to "pack" as you call it, the second half of their program? Is it because they are unable, skill wise, to do that many jumps in a short time? That counts for something in my opinion.
As a casual watcher of the sport I was most impressed with the skaters in the same order that they finished, Alina - Evgenia - Katelyn, so at least for this night, no issue with the scoring.

 

[AshleyN]

Wow really? I find her just beautiful. Her spins, dynamic jumps, graceful movement, a joy to watch.

Yeah, I agree. I prefer her to Zagitova, even if I understand why the latter was scored higher.

Excuse my lack of figure skating knowledge, but doesnt every competitor have the right to do the same thing? Why would they choose not to "pack" as you call it, the second half of their program? Is it because they are unable, skill wise, to do that many jumps in a short time? That counts for something in my opinion.
As a casual watcher of the sport I was most impressed with the skaters in the same order that they finished, Alina - Evgenia - Katelyn, so at least for this night, no issue with the scoring.

It's a lot harder to land jumps later in the program when your legs are tired, which is why the second half jump bonus was introduced in the first place -- to try to force skaters to create more balanced programs by discouraging them from frontloading all their jumps. I don't think at the time they imagined that anyone would take it to the complete opposite extreme the way that Zagitova in particular has. She does deserve credit, because it takes an incredible amount of stamina to do what she does, and she shouldn't be blamed for working the system to the best of her advantage. Unfortunately it leads to a program that, to me at least, just isn't very pleasing to watch. It's not as bad in the short program since there are only three jump passes anyway, but her long program just about gave me whiplash the other night.

Given that figure skating is a sport that's constantly trying to maintain a very tricky balance between athleticism and art, I wouldn't be surprised to see them do something to close this particular loophole in the next couple of years.

 

[BMann]

I find this attack on Zagitova and Medvedeva and the others in the Russian womens programme (a couple of notable absentees) amusing. Aesthetically Zagitova's programme was pleasing to my eyes with even a few ballet gestures and an arabesque thrown in. The music cutting was jarring. To think that any Russian skater could not perform an equally challenging and beautiful on the eye routine is silly if the rules were changed. The ballet and dance tradition is very strong even now.

Artistic gymnastics could have been said to have gone the same way in terms of the balance of choreography certainly with the floor exercises over technical elements that require a lot of power to perform.

 

[Cloned]

Found this oldie but goldie on YT:

 

[Filppula]

So who do we think wins? Desperately hoping Medvedeva.

 

[shortshorts]

Really sad that Daleman messed up her short program. She should be fighting for a bronze.

 

[Cloned]

I think they need to cut down more skaters after the short program. I get what they're doing but 3+ hours is too long.

 

[Cloned]

Really sad that Daleman messed up her short program. She should be fighting for a bronze.

She'll get her chance eventually. She's better than Osmond at the same age and will be better in 2022 (see my avatar).

 

[BMOK33]

Yikes, put ME out there

 

[shortshorts]

Wheels falling off. Nerves got to Daleman on that first combination.

 

[Adonis Creed]

poor Gabby...having a nightmare out there

 

[BMOK33]

This is making the US guy’s short program look good

 

[Cloned]

That's too bad.

 

[Filppula]

That was a nightmare. Poor girl.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

What a disaster for Gabby

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

So who do we think wins? Desperately hoping Medvedeva.

My guess is Medvedeva...if not her, Zagitova. I'd like it to be Osmond!

 

[MsMeow]

I didn't expect that from Gabby.

 

[Cloned]

My guess is Medvedeva...if not her, Zagitova. I'd like it to be Osmond!

I can see one of the Russian duo faltering, but not both. If Osmond sets new personal bests she could get silver.

 

[UsernameWasTaken]

Mirai has "USA" written on her thigh?

 

[Cloned]

Nerves are getting to some of these ladies.

 

[BMOK33]

The USA has some major work to do to get back to the pre 2006 days

 

[Cloned]

The USA has some major work to do to get back to the pre 2006 days

Cohen and Hughes were the type of talented skaters that come around maybe once every generation.

 

[BMOK33]

Cohen and Hughes were the type of talented skaters that come around maybe once every generation.

It felt like they were pretty good all the way back to the 80s though. Their drop off in this feels almost like the Romanian dropoff in gymnastics over the last 20 years

 

[Cloned]

It felt like they were pretty good all the way back to the 80s though. Their drop off in this feels almost like the Romanian dropoff in gymnastics over the last 20 years

Romanian drop-off happened because other countries caught up and surpassed them. It's similar in figure skating where the Asian countries have caught up and Russia has remained strong.