- Joined
- Dec 18, 2014
She definitely would have been closer to the podium. A win is still questionable because even with no URs, it's hard to say if the judges would give her the PCS needed to beat Sotnikova. Let's remember that it was in Russia and they were pushing hard for a Russian win. Even with a "clean" freeskate (partially due to being in an earlier FS flight due to a bad SP) her PCS didn't even clear 70. She MIGHT have won though if she did an SP with 3A, 3F+3T, 3L or 3A, 3F+3L, 3Z (even a flutz like in her FS amounting to 5.4 points) because that would have likely given her 80 points.
It is a bit infuriating to think that to win Sochi over Sotnikova, Mao theoretically needed a 4 triple SP and an 8 triple LP because of how hosed on PCS she was.
Re your earlier point about Asada's jump layout in 2010 vs 2014, in 2014 if her jump layout was a 3A, 3F+2L, 3L (hypothetically) that would have scored higher than her 3A+2T, 3F, 2A layout in 2010 .. even higher BV if she did a 3-3. Her 2014 FS base value even with just one triple axel would have been higher because she added in a 3-3 combo, had a 2A+3T and put the 3S and 3Z back in there. So I would say Mao's layouts definitely leveled up from 2010 to 2014 even if she had one less 3A planned in 2014.
They gave her 78 points for a clean short program a month later, with the same planned layout from Sochi. They gave her 143 points in Sochi for a free programme with two underrotation calls and an edge call, and with less than 70 points in components, which she skated as a 16th skater after the short. Again, they gave her 73 points in components for a similarly performed free programme she skated as a leader after the short a month later. So hipothetically speaking, she could beat even Adelina if she skated clean, cause Adelina could not get more points than she already did (maybe a point more if that sloppy landing on a three jump combo didn't happen). But lets not speak hipothetically anymore