Worlds: Ladies FS

[BeTheLivingProof]

I grew up in skating under the old 6.0 system, and sometimes I still have trouble adjusting to the new scoring system when watching competitions.

A part of me really doesn’t understand why people think someone who made major mistakes in BOTH programs should be on the podium ahead of Ladies who skated 2 clean programs. Rika is amazing but she left the door wide open and the others seized the opportunity. I think she’ll be a force to be reckoned with next year though. This will make her hungry.

 

[VenusHalley]

Well most skating fans are respectful and cheer for their favorites regardless nationality. It's not icehockey or soccer.

 

[Nika09]

Well, something with homecooking things went wrong here

But I'm very happy for cutie Alina and honestly thing she deserved this title here. So congratulations little Champion!

 

[Scott512]

Why would the Japanese skaters be upset their home audience would cheer for... other skaters? The cheerfulness and inclusive support of a Japanese skating audience is something I'm sure all the skaters there appreciate... and us too, from our home computer screens.

True.

 

[Scott512]

Why would the Japanese skaters be upset their home audience would cheer for... other skaters? The cheerfulness and inclusive support of a Japanese skating audience is something I'm sure all the skaters there appreciate... and us too, from our home computer screens.

The Japanese fans are respectful of everyone. They would never shout their own countries name repeatedly while skaters from other countries are on the ice. ( unlike in certain countries). They cheer for everyone. That doesn’t mean they didn’t want Rika to win or appreciate her overall superior quality of skating. Even former Russian skaters, have admitted that Rika has better SS and jump quality than Alina. I am happy for Alina because she had a really hard season and this win is good for her. She is a true fighter. But, her SS, posture, and the overall quality of the program are not at the level of the Japanese ladies. Her jumps and step sequences aren’t as good as Rika or Kaori. ( she is a beautiful! spinner though) She was, however, the deserved winner here because she delivered when others didn’t. People are just pointing out that the program is bad and her PCS/ GOEs were inflated.

Even with those inflated GOEs for Alina a clean Rika would have scored 160 in the free and 84/85 in the short thus beating Alina. She will beat Alina if she is clean in the future.

But she ( Rika ) didn't beat Alina when it counted most at worlds With her programs it's not easy to go clean every time.

Good points about Japanese fans. They are the best.

 

[Scott512]

I thought it was great Kat Witt congratulated Alina publicly on winning world's. Very classy. We need more of that. I love it when greatness appreciates greatness. And having won all major gold's as a senior at the tender age of 16 makes Alina one of the GOATS. Katarina has already been one for 30 years.

 

[madison]

It is a shame that Hamada is not the strategist that Eteri is.
i am sure that with a more strategic approach, Rika would have won this (like having a layout with a 2A in the short)
And more important I dont get why her team played safe at 4CC and at the Challenger (in particular with the short program) when there were the moments when she could have tried the more difficult layouts, in order to get used to them.
However, I think that the judges wanted to give this to Alina, they were very kind with her, overlooking the underrotations in the free program, for example.

 

[NAOTMAA]

However, I think that the judges wanted to give this to Alina, they were very kind with her, overlooking the underrotations in the free program, for example.

Oh please, they didn't want to give her anything she earned it on her own.

And look at how everyone else scored. No one skater was given special treatment over another. The judges were kind to everyone! Almost everyone, who at least kept it together, was getting a season best. And it wasn't just the ladies either, it was in all disciplines. I don't know why only Russians get singled out (especially Alina) when it was clearly an across the board thing.

 

[alinaharry]

It is a shame that Hamada is not the strategist that Eteri is.
i am sure that with a more strategic approach, Rika would have won this (like having a layout with a 2A in the short)
And more important I dont get why her team played safe at 4CC and at the Challenger (in particular with the short program) when there were the moments when she could have tried the more difficult layouts, in order to get used to them.
However, I think that the judges wanted to give this to Alina, they were very kind with her, overlooking the underrotations in the free program, for example.

The technical panel was very nice to everyone. Almost no one got called.
What would you suggest for a more difficult layout for Rika?
Also I thought only the -3Lo in combo was a maybe UR for Alina? Did I miss another one?

 

[Tinza]

True, the other two ladies on the podium also benefited from the lenient tech panel neither has a true lutz and some of Alina’s jumps were UR but not called 3F and 3lz3lo. Kaori, Satoko, Mariah Bell, and Eunsoo also benefited but the one skater who does not need a lenient panel is Rika. She has almost perfect technique on all jumps. ( like Liza T. and Carolina) She is the one skater whose scores could have stayed the same with a tougher panel. She ended up in fourth by less than a half a point and silver was one point away. The lenient technical panel hurt her.

Funny that you saw all unterrotations and wrong edges, but you didn't saw that Kihiras secound 3 Axel also looked underrotated, probably the reason, why she fall. So every skater benefited from the tech panel. I also don't like a lenient tech panel, but at least they were lenient to every skater.

 

[Casual]

All in all, this was perhaps the worst judging we've seen in a World's competition, across the board (not just ladies).

The way PCS and GOEs are used to manipulate desired standings just shows that figure skating is as corrupt as ever.

 

[Scott512]

You don't have to think she didn't deserve to win to question her scores, which I absolutely do. The horrible posture, frantic flailing, no move held long enough to be anything — I find her incredibly frustrating to watch, more than anything, because I do think she's likely capable of better.

And just FYI, she is not the best 2 years in a row (at least not at worlds). Last year's world champion was Kaetlyn Osmond

Yes 2 years in a row. Hope she can make it 3 but it will be hard. Very hard.

 

[readernick]

Funny that you saw all unterrotations and wrong edges, but you didn't saw that Kihiras secound 3 Axel also looked underrotated, probably the reason, why she fall. So every skater benefited from the tech panel. I also don't like a lenient tech panel, but at least they were lenient to every skater.

Her 2 3A was fully around. Watch it in slow-mo. I did. She just slipped off the landing edge. She did not benefit from the lenient panel.

 

[Warwick360]

Much respected to all girls who competed. I'm glad that unlike in the Men's, all the top girls (top 13 and beyond) were able to bring their highest level on to the most important event of this year.

Hoping to see the best again next year.

 

[sx98423]

True, the other two ladies on the podium also benefited from the lenient tech panel neither has a true lutz and some of Alina’s jumps were UR but not called 3F and 3lz3lo. Kaori, Satoko, Mariah Bell, and Eunsoo also benefited but the one skater who does not need a lenient panel is Rika. She has almost perfect technique on all jumps. ( like Liza T. and Carolina) She is the one skater whose scores could have stayed the same with a tougher panel. She ended up in fourth by less than a half a point and silver was one point away. The lenient technical panel hurt her.

this is definitely not true, her technique is better than most but it's not perfect

 

[readernick]

this is definitely not true, her technique is better than most but it's not perfect

I said “almost” perfect. Her 3lo is quite wonky. Still nothing she does would be called by a tech panel.

 

[Blades of Passion]

You obviously don't have a problem with Mariah Bell's uncalled UR though.

Not true, what makes you think this?

Maybe if Rika was in the last group, she would be ahead of Zhenya, but that is on her, not on the judges.

Erm, that is exactly on the judges. Their scores shouldn't be influenced by the group someone skates in. Based on their own scores, Rika would have been in the last group anyway if Mariah's 3Toe had been called underrotated, which shows how nonsensical the judging can be.

To be fair, at this point, if you want to criticize Evgenia’s 3Lutz and how it didn’t receive an edge call, then you have to also the criticize all the 3Lutzes jumped in the SP and FP that didn’t receive an edge call - particularly the last two group of ladies. If Evgenia’s 3Lutz received an edge call, then she would have had the sole honor of having a strict tech panel, having 2 UR calls and an edge call, when the rest of the ladies basically got away with a lot.

The only other relevant competitor with a Lutz edge issue is Sakamoto. She should have been called, but that's irrelevant to the discussion we were having. Evgenia being the only competitor to receive an UR and edge call wouldn't mean a panel was strict only with her. She just has flaws that most others do not; I highly disagree about the rest of the ladies getting away with a lot. As far as underrotation calls that weren't given, only Miyahara and Bell had things that weren't called to me. If you do want to get super strict, then actually Evgenia's 3Sal+3Loop should have been called under (it was less around than Zagitova's if you watch closely in slo-mo). A stricter tech panel is only going to hurt Evgenia more.

Would you rather be first at Worlds and second at GPF or 4th at World's and 1st at GPF?

Again, you are not looking at the whole season or even half the season, while claiming someone had a better season simply because of their World's performance. Kihira skated better than Zagitova at all 3 Grand Prix events, Nationals, and 4CC (as compared to Euros for Zagitova). Zagitova had full meltdowns at those last two competitions.

Zagitovas first two years as a senior have proven that when she skates clean she wins. No one has beaten her when she skates clean. That's just a matter of fact. I'm sure that will change in the future with the quad crew coming and more skaters doing triple axel.

Congrats to Zagi, but that doesn't mean the scores are correct. In any case, Kihira would have beaten Zagitova based on the judges' own scores, if she had delivered. Zagitova is far from untouchable and her scores will plummet when the Russian fed no longer views her as a top pony, or when the judges start realizing her skating skills aren't amazing and constantly flailing transitions are not great choreography/interpretation.

 

[yume]

The fact that everyone got a generous treatment from tech panel doesn't make things fair. It's unfair to those who don't need a generous tech panel. If an angry Shin Amano was there or the 2017 skate Canada tech panel, things would have been very different. Some skaters would have drink carot juice.

 

[NoviceFan]

The only other relevant competitor with a Lutz edge issue is Sakamoto. She should have been called, but that's irrelevant to the discussion we were having. Evgenia being the only competitor to receive an UR and edge call wouldn't mean a panel was strict only with her. She just has flaws that most others do not; I highly disagree about the rest of the ladies getting away with a lot. As far as underrotation calls that weren't given, only Miyahara and Bell had things that weren't called to me. If you do want to get super strict, then actually Evgenia's 3Sal+3Loop should have been called under (it was less around than Zagitova's if you watch closely in slo-mo). A stricter tech panel is only going to hurt Evgenia more.

Thanks for citing examples; there were certainly a lot more uncalled edge issues during the SP and FP, whether you think they are relevant or not, and we can agree to disagree about that.

I personally would have preferred a VERY STRICT panel that applied the rules across the board, regardless of whether that would favor the skater(s) I like. However, given what we have, I think it is unfair to call out one skater because the tech panel overlooked an edge issue (in a way that made it seem so malignant), if by your own admission, the tech panel also overlooked other issues for multiple other skaters.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Hehe...

Just got home and flipped on the TV and saw Mariah Bell on NBC. She did pretty well to hold on and go relatively clean. It’s a big deal to land everything at WC and you can tell it meant a lot to her. Good job Mariah!! That celebration face was all sorts of intense. I’m happy to see her getting well into the 200’s!!!