#backloading

When the International Judging System (IJS) was inaugurated in 2003, one of the new features in this open-point scoring method was a 10% base value bonus for attempting the jump in the 2nd half of the free skate. After the Sochi Olympics, this bonus was added to the short program. This inevitably led to the backloading extravaganza that was PyeongChang 2018. This should be seen as a huge issue, as many of the skaters who were backloading (particularly Russian skaters) did it in such a way that should have actually decreased their Program Component scores in Composition, Interpretation of the Music, and Transitions. However, these marks remained dubiously high.

The program that started the whole controversy was Alina Zagitova’s Free Skate. Her plan to backload the Free Skate was not something that she decided was the goal for the Olympics, She had been doing this since last season, when she won her World Junior title. Looking at that protocol, it seems the judges didn’t mind this, and when she moved to the senior ranks, the judges told the same story by inflating her component marks to the extreme. 

The problem really started at the 2017 Cup of China. At this point, Zagitova was in 4th but her backloaded free skate eventually pulled her up to the title. After Zagitova skated, Wakaba Higuchi came with a stunning program, but still could not overcome Zagitova for the win. This is mostly due to Zagitova’s backloaded program. Removing ALL 2nd half bonuses, Zagitova’s total base value was at a 60.02 (counting one underrotated 3Lz, which changes the base value). Wakaba’s base value was a 59.8, only .22 under Alina. However, because Alina pushed all of her jumping passes to the 2nd half this base is bumped up to 64.03, whereas Wakaba’s 2nd half raised her to a 62.51, making the difference now 1.52 points. Alina won by 1.36 points, which can be explained by one thing: backloading. This became the story throughout the season, and it culminated at the Olympic Games, where Alina beat out favorite Evgenia Medvedeva by 1.31 points, a point value that was easily represented by her 2nd half bonus.

There are many reasons why this should serve as a red flag for the ISU. Looking at that protocol, it seemed the judges were really primed to give Medvedeva the title, as she won all 5 component marks by considerable margins, and won GOEs by over a point. But when the tallies were totalled, Zagitova pulled ahead. Alina is really a diamond in the rough, and the judges obviously see the potential in her by giving her the high scores from the get-go. But this backloading issue overshadows almost everything. I talked about this previously, but her component marks in composition and transitions really should have been in the low 8s at the least. The first two minutes of the free skate only contains three scored elements, which are two footwork sequences and a spin. These carry low base values, and stretching them over two minutes makes the first half of the program extremely empty. This is not so much of an issue in the short program for me, I actually enjoy seeing the creative ways skaters can transition into jumps in the second half. But the free skate, especially Zagitova, is hard to watch when it’s just jump after jump after jump with no transitional choreography. The judges should have realized the compositional and interpretive flukes of this method, but clearly did not on the day. 

As far as solutions are concerned, I’m still trying to figure out what could really be done. I have some possibilities, but they’re not fully fleshed out:

‘Zayak Rule’ the 10% bonus- For those of you who don’t know, Elaine Zayak was the 1982 World Champion, and won with an amazing display of triple jumps. The problem was that almost all of these triple passes were triple toe loops. After that season, the ISU created a rule where jumps cannot be performed more than twice in a program (one of these jumps must be in combination), and this was informally known as the “Zayak Rule”. Though it initially pertained to triples, this rule was extended to double jumps after the Sochi Olympics. A possible solution is to limit the amount of jumping passes for which a skater can earn the second half bonus. My suggested number is four, and a maximum of 2 of those passes can be combinations. Most skaters tend to do this anyway, such as Medvedeva and Wakaba Higuchi, and they seem to get the big scores. Extra passes should not receive the bonus, or maybe should incur a netrual deduction, as much as one fall.

Any technical call for a pass eliminates the bonus- One of the big incentives for backloading is the point cushion you receive for jumps. So even if you perform a jump poorly, the 10% bonus makes the mistake seem small on paper. That should definitely not be the case. I think, first of all, there needs to be a stricter personnel list of technical callers and specialists in the ISU (hit me up, President Djikema). Without TCs and TSs that are too lenient with skaters such as Alina, Evgenia, and Kaetlyn (that was a flutz, dont @ me), and therefore the scores they receive do not reflect some of the bad habits they pick up. This leads me to my main point: if a jump is called underrotated, downgraded, or has a wrong edge, the 2nd half bonus should be stripped.

Eliminate the bonus altogether- maybe it’s time we part with the 2nd half bonus. Evgenia introduced the backloading of the short program, but she was only the prototype to Eteri’s secret weapon, Alina, and the backloading of the free skate. This trend is dangerous. Doing the sprint at the back half of the program, especially for the skaters who are not physically strong, will create the risk for some major injuries down the line. Perhaps eliminating this bonus will preserve some of the junior skaters’ health and wellness,as they will no longer be enticed to push all the difficulty into the latter portion of the skate to compete. 

If you put your biases aside and really take into consideration the fantastic moves they display on ice (especially Alina) you’d see that they’re deserving of EVERY PCs point they got.

To be honest (and this isn’t an attack against you, anon, it’s just in my brain), I have to wonder how many people arguing against the second-half bonus are actually skaters themselves who’ve done competition. Let me tell you right now, you get over that halfway mark, your lungs are burning and your legs are burning and you have to jump again? It’s hard. Really, really hard. Much harder than the jump you did in the first half.

Canberra to Sydney Removalists

Canberra to Sydney move? Choose backloading removalists for cost-smart service and reliable delivery. 🚚