Olympic Women Skaters have the best legs in the world
Posted on 02/09/2014 7:41:07 AM PST by staytrue
The Olympic Team Ice Skating event features 8 skating performances by each team and a totally messed up scoring system.
It started with 4 short program skates with 10 teams and you scored 1 point for showing up and 1 extra point for every competitor your were better than.
After the 4 short programs (mens', ladies', pairs', heterosexual dancing') came the 4 long programs with only the top 5 teams advancing.
Now here is where the stupid part comes. The 4 long program skates with 5 teams and you scored 6 points for showing up and 1 extra point for every competitor your were better than.
The end result is "the passing lanes" are almost non existant for the long program. The long programs should be 2 points for every competitor you are better than.
With 3 events remaining for today, the Russians lead with 47 points, Canada is in 2nd with 41, the USA has 34, Italy has 31, and Japan has 30.
Doing the math and because "the passing lanes" are non existant. Russia has clinched Gold or Silver and more or less clinched Gold. Canada has more or less clinched Silver, and the USA to a lesser extent has clinched Bronze.
I suspect that after Ice Dancing at 12 pm today, the medals can be announced which is too bad because the mens and ladies singles long programs are considered to be the premiere events and they will have no factor in the medal count.
The team skate is a wonderful concept totally screwed up by the Olympics not having a game theorist on board.
Olympic Women Skaters have the best legs in the world
I'm confused by that statement. They aren't giving individual skating gold medals that are included in the overall national medal count?
I'm a former skating fan who was worn down by the political nature of the judging.
The USA has already been eliminated from gold medal contention. Even if the USA went first, first, first and the Russians went last last last in the final 3 events, the USA can only gain 12 points on the Russians which is not enough.
If the pairs skaters finish as expected which is USA first, Russia second, Canada third, the following happens.
For Canada to pass Russia, the Russians would need to finish last and last in the mens and ladies singles while Canada would need to finish first and first (not going to happen) and Russia wins gold.
For USA to pass Canada, USA would need to go first and first while Canada finishes no better than next to last and next to last (not going to happen) and Canada wins Silver.
For the USA to lose the bronze to Italy, Italy would have to go first and first and USA to go no better than last and next to last. (not going to happen)
For the USA to lose the bronze to Japan, Japan would have to go first and first and USA to go last and last.
So I expect who get the medals to almost over after the pairs state and certainly before the women’s long program even starts.
Think of the team scoring like football.
The most you can score on any one play is 8 points.
In team ice skating, every team gets 8 plays (short programs in dance, pairs, men, ladies and long programs in the same).
The problem is the most you can score is 9 points in the short program and 4 points in the long program.
That is just stupid.
Because if you are behind by more than 16 points, you can’t win after the 4 short programs.
There are three more skates today and so the USA is eliminated from gold medal contention because it is more than 12 points behind Russia and you can only score 4 points per skating event.
Ashley Wagner got screwed yesterday! The little 15 yo Russian girl skated no better than her yet received almost a full ten points more on her score. Then the Canadian girl fell once during her routine where Ashley never faltered yet the Canadian beat her.
Is it me or do these judges at all these international competitions screw over Americans?
Correct, the individual medals performances are yet to come.
Yes it is like team gymnastics.
I like the idea. We get to see more of the skaters and it's like the team relays in swimming.
It's a shame that the point system is imperfect, but from what I see, they're all winniners. Skating that beautiful with talent from around the world is refreshing.
As usual, I think the Americans always start at a disadvantage. I was not impressed by the 15 year old as I think she has the gracefulness of the older girls. Wagner had more content, I thought.
should be: DOSEN'T have the gracefulness of the older girls...
My one complaint about Kaitlyn Osmond from Canada... although she skates beautifully, she is the only one looks like she’s wearing a thong by the end of her performance. I watched the other skaters and they manage to keep covered up and still do the same maneuvers. I find it very unattractive.
That's supposed to upset me...?
LOL! I suppose it’s how wives get their husbands to watch skating with them!
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Last night I had similar thoughts about the scoring system. I can only assume that this is by design, to balance the medals in the new events.
Artistic skating events have very rarely cared about the opinions of fans. I can only hope that the scoring system is examined before the next games as I doubt that the competition will be dropped - television broadcasts do very well with skating events.
I agree. Michelle Kwan was always concerned that her costumes were cut properly so the whole world didn’t see her crotch. As someome who skates myself, I’d had to see the sport degenerate into “how much can you show” to get more attention. This is a competition, not a Playboy shoot.
I like the team skating event. I just hate the scoring because for the long program, the passing lanes are too small.
With 5 of 8 programs finished, the USA is in 3rd and is mathematically eliminated from the gold medal. And the mens and ladies singles are yet to come.
That is just crazy.
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