2018 GP Helsinki Pairs Free Skate

[Hyena]

Well, the Russians should be 1,2... but the judges wanted "diversity".... I hate political correctnes.

I think it was more reputation/expectation scoring than "we can't have Russian teams go 1 and 2."

 

[NoNameFace]

Estonian for the gold!

I knew you would say that! , congrats!

 

[ancientpeas]

I can tell you what happened. The program is dreadful. They need better material.

The music is an abomination to good taste.

 

[Ziotic]

Yeah, no. They lost the free to them by 5 points. And with so many errors. How is that 117 if Daria and Denis had 122?

I mean those Russians look like juniors. You can’t win everything based on TES no matter how much people would like to believe that.

 

[jillredhand]

Yeah, no. They lost the free to them by 5 points. And with so many errors. How is that 117 if Daria and Denis had 122?

Because Daria and Denis rightfully do not yet score well on PCS. I agree that the Italians program was kind of a mess, but even with errors they rightfully score higher in just about every PCS category. I wouldn't have quibbled if the Italians had fallen short of the Russians instead of just ahead of them, but between the Italian's lead from the SP and their superior PCS, the result isn't outrageous.

 

[cathlen]

How do you figure?? The Italians rightfully lost the free by like 8pts, they just had enough of a buffer from the short to keep them above overall.

They were held up in PCS. And they didn't lose FS by 8 points to P/K. They only had around four points in SP. So the difference in FS was less than that difference.... The 8 points was only in tech score.

 

[cheerknithanson]

Oooooo that means soon we'll see what the medals will look like.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

I think you’re reaching. If anything I would say Finland would be Russian friendly.

I'm bet you are thinking every GP is Russian friendly I'm kidding a little bit, but objectively we are in Europe (where Italy belongs), Russia has own GP for that

 

[Ziotic]

Peng/Jin, Moore-Towers/Marinaro and Boikova/Kozlovskii must be rueful watching this. The first two would have won gold here with their SCI scores, the third would have easily taken silver.

It just means there is a good chance both the former teams can overtake Z/E when they all meet at their next GP.

I will be upsetting however for someone to lose a tie breaker between 1/3 and 2/2 placement especially when the 2/2 placement will likely have a much higher score.

 

[ancientpeas]

I have been watching pairs since '88. It is the one discipline I actually feel comfortable having strong opinions about. The Italians lost the free which is fair. If they had gone to bronze that would have been fair but them staying at silver and the Russian team getting the bronze is not a sign that a conspiracy is afoot or that the judging is awful. The Russian team has a terrible program and a juniorish presentation.

Btw.. I don't love either team. I was rooting for the Austrians (and if you want to talk about a fed with no clout why not start there..)

 

[Yuzuruu]

Even with the mistakes you can easily see why Italians are over the young Russian pair. They were much more refined and live just much more enjoyable. The Russian pair are still juniors and they skate like juniors, they dont have much connection to their program. The podium is exactly as is should be bravo to the judges for getting it right.

 

[SnowWhite]

D-M/G just looked like their timing was totally off kilter. Ouch.

Yes, it did make me think of how good Jason't program to this was.

ETA: And they get a SB with that. There are no words....

This was their 2nd competition this year, and the first was significantly worse. SB doesn't mean you were good.

 

[Seven Sisters]

Really dreadful LP music for both Russian pairs. That ringing phone!

 

[tabsy]

So. Family commitments mean I haven't yet finished processing the scores. They will be done by evening GMT! Keep an eye on the predictions thread, I'll put them there. :thumbsup:

Haven't seen this event yet - looking forward to catching up! Congratulations to Daria and Denis for their medal, but they really need to make their FS music better. At the very least pick one song!!

 

[WeakAnkles]

The FS is a bit of a snooze for me... SP is on the whole other level of clutter and strange, but it catches eye and makes you at least intrigued. This FS is an attempt I feel to channel more contemporary aesthetic, but with dramatic, lyrical flair, but for me it is too much of one-note performance at this point. Some cut in that music, a second piece would maybe add some more structure to it...

Anything. Hell, throw into a random snippet of Rhapsody in Blue to break up the plodding.

They look so chic. I was trying to ignore the obvious cross on her costume and was hoping they were skating some really nuevo wavo or techno program. Something really adventurous. Now that would really stretch them.

It's the first year of the new Olympic cycle. Take chances.

 

[cathlen]

I think it was more reputation/expectation scoring than "we can't have Russian teams go 1 and 2."

Maybe. Still, it shouldn't be manipulated like that. I was wishing Italians well, really. I picked them for winners in GP predictions. But they should be third today.

 

[yelyoh]

Given his look in the K&C, he seems more likely than her to give THE GLARE.

Yes as soon as the fs was over he just skated away from her. I predict a breakup.

 

[Ziotic]

I'm bet you are thinking every GP is Russian friendly I'm kidding a little bit, but objectively we are in Europe, Russia has own GP for that

I don’t think all GP are Russian friendly. But Russia is partially part of Europe too, they do go to Europeans after all, not 4CC

I just don’t think there is complete solidarity within Europe. The Italians just had a pretty big lead going in. It’s also not like the judge know what score they would need to put them ahead and for all 9 to sit an conspire to do so.

 

[cathlen]

I don’t think all GP are Russian friendly. But Russia is partially part of Europe too, they do go to Europeans after all, not 4CC

I just don’t think there is complete solidarity within Europe. The Italians just had a pretty big lead going in. It’s also not like the judge know what score they would need to put them ahead and for all 9 to sit an conspire to do so.

The point is the lead from SP wasn't THAT big. Judges were PCS friendly to Italians, considering they performance today. They had much better performances in past when their PCS would be accurate. But it kind of wasn't today... And they kind of assured that Italians are still in the run for GPF, and they wouldn't probably be if they ended up 3.

 

[somelikeitpink]

I have been watching pairs since '88. It is the one discipline I actually feel comfortable having strong opinions about. The Italians lost the free which is fair. If they had gone to bronze that would have been fair but them staying at silver and the Russian team getting the bronze is not a sign that a conspiracy is afoot or that the judging is awful. The Russian team has a terrible program and a juniorish presentation.

Btw.. I don't love either team. I was rooting for the Austrians (and if you want to talk about a fed with no clout why not start there..)

Thank for pointing out the Austrian fed... It’s such a shame about that lift, but even so, they probably wouldn’t have landed on the podium. They’ve gotten so much better..