Sotnikova’s wonderful score gas figure skating controversy

SOCHI, Russia – Elvis Stojko is ready. It absolutely was times after the ladies’ Olympic figure skating opposition, and Stojko have reveal benefit sheet at hand. The guy started to tick off, component by factor, exactly why the guy think Adelina Sotnikova of Russia earned to beat defending champion Yuna Kim of southern area Korea and Carolina Kostner of Italy.

“Adelina emerged crammed,” Stojko mentioned. “Did one other two do have more breathtaking skating? Positively. But it is an activity, and that is totally reasonable.”

It had been not surprising that Stojko, a two-time Olympic silver medalist from Canada recognized for his athleticism, could have these an impression about a result certain to be being among the most debateable and debated in figure skating’s checkered judging background.

His opinion that Sotnikova had earned her surpraree victory Thursday according to the math of the scoring system, adopted after the 2002 pairs skating scandal, was shared by several other former skaters, including some known more for their artistry and style, such as Olympic medalists Philippe Candeloro of France and Paul Wylie of the U.S.

“There isn’t an issue with the end result, apart from the (margin) from it,” Wylie said. “The objectives were these people were attending crown king Yuna one final time, once it don’t started to go, it is like, ‘How did that arise?’ “

But actually they’d questions relating to the judging, which smelled of residence cooking to sate a roaring Russian audience within Iceberg Skating Palace

Sotnikova, 17, ninth in last year’s business titles, turned this lady state’s basic Olympic women’s singles champ by 5.48 information over Kim. The Russian’s mix of huge leaps, performance and energy made the outcome for building that margin in technical marks, also it brought the judges getting carried away so she failed to lose it from the component scores.

“The ratings receive by judges,” Kim stated. “I’m not for the right position to comment on they. There is nothing that changes using my words.”

This morning, 2010 Olympic winner Evan Lysacek regarding the U.S. have questioned whether Kim’s lack of a triple cycle leap for the free skate might injured the lady. That showed prophetic: Kim did six multiple jumps, Sotnikova seven, plus the 7th ended up being a triple loop for which the Russian earned 6.7 details.

Sotnikova completed with points to for Kim. Kostner got third at . The 3 choose to go in to the no-cost skate separated by around a point.

“possibly Yuna failed to become enough details into the quick regimen since they failed to want to repeat exactly what have happened in Vancouver, in which we realized ahead of the cost-free skate who was simply planning winnings,” Candeloro said.

S. is next, with teammates Ashley Wagner and Polina Edmunds 7th and ninth, respectively. The U.S. females went without a medal in successive Olympics for the first time since 1948.

Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya, 15, that has become an international sensation for her brilliant skating in the team occasion, decrease both in singles applications and finished fifth.

Canada’s Jamie deal, exactly who was given a sets gold medal at 2002 Olympics after a French assess admitted she was forced to correct the end result in support of purchase’s triumphant Russian adversaries, tweeted she got merely saw the ladies’s no-cost skate once again and “we STRONGLY DISAGREE w/results like other rest. #ISU so what now?”

The worldwide Skating Union has created a scoring system so mathematically complex, truly incomprehensible. In addition, permits judging and technical screens having substantial problems interesting (one judge on Thursday’s screen, Alla Shekhovtseva, is partnered to your former Russian Skating Federation president) and can include cheaters (another assess, Yuri Balkov of Ukraine, have been dangling for his role in prejudging a meeting).

Joannie Rochette of Canada, the 2010 women’s bronze medalist, discover Thursday’s outcome “weird” but will never discuss the evaluator because she had been, like many enthusiasts, merely baffled.

“I found myselfn’t positive I understood because I read plenty high quality in Yuna, and that I discover a young woman in Adelina with unrefined minutes,” Browning mentioned. “But I was smart sufficient to stand up and check out the scars before we mentioned everything.”

Gracie Gold of this U

Browning watched obvious information for why Sotnikova’s technical marks had been 5.85 guidelines much better than Kim’s, such as the southern area Korean obtaining lower base prices on a spin and a maneuvering series. Exactly what perplexed your is how Sotnikova’s aspect score Thursday could be nearly nine details higher than the lady average component score in four earlier contests in 2010.

Sotnikova generated one smaller technical blunder, a two-footed landing from the 3rd jump in a mixture, which is why she ended up being penalized.

“I became waiting around for the mistakes she often makes, and she never ever produced them,” said 1984 Olympic champion Scott Hamilton, leaving comments for NBC.

“I considered the way the aspect get (regulations) become composed, and Adelina checks off every package. It is not as great looking as Yuna or Carolina, but she really does everything the evaluator require.”

Sotnikova’s free of charge skate showed more sophistication than this lady helter-skelter short plan, no matter if she hammed it by the end with a wave in the judges. They known by using the second-highest cost-free skate get ever sold.