yes could anyone explain why Edwards/Pang got such low technical scores? Is it their lfts? step sequences? I'm in love with Maddie and ZhaoPai and really want them to be contenders for this year's WJC!
I will try, but I am not Technical specialist (and definitely not Ms. Humphreys Baranova).
I took it from another way of view. I looked at requirements for Level 2 step sequence and looked what a Canadian couple didn’t execute to get al least that Level:
Level 2:
Step Sequence is not interrupted more than 25% of the pattern in total, either through Stumbles, Falls or any other reason
AND
Footwork includes at least 5 Difficult Turns:
- one of which being a Twizzle or Double Twizzle;
- out of which any one Type cannot be taken into consideration more than 2
times);
- out of which 2 must be different Types of One Foot Section Turns included in a one foot section
AND (for Step Sequence in Hold only)
At least 1 Change of Hold is included
AND
At least 2 different Dance Holds are included.
Looking at first step sequence:
It was visibly not interrupted.
At least one change of hold was there…from Killian to Waltz hold and later from Waltz hold to Foxtrot hold.
Two different dance holds were included…I saw Killian hold for most of time, for some seconds Waltz hold and a little bit of Foxtrot hold.
Problems start with 5 difficult turns…the couple makes double Twizzle twice, that looked quite OK, although watching Zhao’s skate it didn’t look like easy turn for him. But looking at other difficult turns, I think that Technical specialist was in trouble to see proper edges…for example…
Counter before first double Twizzle – both Madeline and Zhao are moving from Right Backward Inside Edge to Right Forward Inside Edge – but as you can see at the picture –
…another moment after Chocktaw, there is a Rocker made by both of them – Zhao changes from Right Forward Outside Edge into Right Backward Outside Edge –
Overall Zhao’s edges in the second half of difficult turns looks not properly done in more cases, Madeline has a little bit stronger and visible edges. So I mean that their edges were probably the reason why they didn’t meet 5 difficult turns requirement which they needed for Level 2 step sequence, so they got only Level 1.
Just quickly watching second step sequence…here I see problematic part in holds also…there is a very long part with hand in hand hold (which is not visible mistake of course), but then there is something with hoops what looks like Foxtrot hold and then it really comes into Foxtrot hold, then there is a one second part in Waltz hold, and this is the only change of close hold (requirement about change of holds is not very specific in description of hand in hand into close hold, whether it is considered like a change of hold or not – because for example change of Waltz hold into hand in hand facing each other is not considered to be a change of hold).
The biggest problem I see in edges once again – more times I was re-watching Zhao’s blades to notice where he has done edges properly – for example here – Rocker – from Right Forward Inside Edge into Right Backward Inside Edge – Zhao’s entry edge is not visible at all -