On Olympic Ice: Commentary from Hell and Mediocre Judging --- Their Scores Against My Notes and Dick Button's tweets

 Yuzuru Hanya

When I learned of NBC ice commentators — Tara Lipinski and  Johnny Weir — being stunned over the failure of the apparently pre-ordained Russian Evgenia Medvedeva to win the gold medal, I grinned with glee.  In fact, had I decided the event, Ms. Medvedeva would not have earned the Silver Medal she was handed, not even a bronze.  At best from me?  Perhaps a tin foil medallion.  In my notes scribbled out in haste while taking in the women's long program, there is only one word:

“Labored”

In Dick Buttons tweets about her, which I discovered to my great pleasure after these events were over, there is this: “Not elegant, technically strong, little performance ... less satisfying to watch than some others”

Kaetlyn Osmond 

And there are others.  So let’s have some fun with this.  Okay, Button is a legend.  Who am I?  In fact, I knew nothing of any of these skaters at the outset, nor, your could argue, am I anywhere qualified to know the difference between a triple this  or an upside down that.*

How the judges ranked them

(based on a total of the scores for both their short and long programs)

1. Alina Zagitov, Russia

2 Evgenia Medvedeva, Russia

3 Kaetlyn Osmond, Canada

4 Sakota Miyuahara, Japan

5 Carolina Kostner, Italy

Satoko Miyahara

How I ranked them, based on only the long program

 

My notes follow the skater's name, and on the next line, Dick Button's tweets.  To be clear, he did not rank the skaters in any order.

1. Satoko Miyahara   choreography great all way through.  ... creamily expressive,  her hand movements always integral
    Button: steady jumping ... doesn’t’ have worthless arm movements.

2 Kaetlyn Osmond   dashing .. flawed landing ... jumping a delight
    Button: Beautiful skating ... elegant jumps ... marvelous.

3 Alina Zagitova  mostly ballet ... heavy
    Button:  beautiful jumps, little height ... wildly secure  .. a lot of arm flailing.

4 Evgenia Medvedeva   labored
    Button:  not elegant, technically strong, little performance ... less satisfying to watch than some others

5 Kaori Sakamoto   flubs
    Button:  charming. just not perfect

6 Carolina Kostner   mechanical ... klutzy
    Button:  Elegant, old fashioned, enjoyable and where mistakes don’t matter

How the judges ranked the men

Yuzuru Hanya, Japan

Shoma Uno, Japan

Javier Fernandez, Spain

Jim Boyang,China

Nathen Chen, U.S

Javier Fernandez 

How I ranked them, based on only the long program

1  Yuzuru Hanya   gripping bravado ... ballet on fire ... one of the greatest  I’ve ever seen.
    Button:  Gorgeous. ... beautifully choreographed with the music.  Terrific theatre!

2  Nathan Chen  (a tie with Fernandez)   great choreography
    Button: Complete package. Good for you ... you’re back on the stage.

2 Javier Fernandez  Strong, commanding.
    Button: Prime example that you cannot have Artistry without Technique, and you cannot have       Technique without Artistry.  He along with Hanyu have it both.  With Fernandez having the edge of a terrific performer

4  Patrick Chan**   masterful fullness of body expressions
    Button   Quad security is not one of his elements

5  Shoma Uno (a tie with Rippon)   Heavy ... strained theatrics ... a big fall
   Button: Doesn't have the elegance of Hanyu , but a very strong secure program.  

5  Adam Rippon   solid perfection
   Button:  Rippon you had a beautiful skate.

 Nathan Chen

Commentators from the Twilight Zone

Adam Rippon was invited by NBC to be a  commentator. He declined, wishing to support his team. Which brings us to the obnoxious experts in residence: Tara Lipinski who jabbers on as if this were a bob sled contest (“another quad! ... another quad!...”)  on over the music I would like to hear — or is music now secondary to Ms. Lip?  I muted her out, and watched in silence.   About her bizarre partner, gender-bending fashion freak show provocateur, Johnny Weir.   I’ll give him this: His voice is softer, although I don’t think I trust his opinions much, especially after hearing him purr over Carolina Kostner, “Her artistry is captivating.”  Who were the clowns at NBC who hired these two  self-adoring irritants?

All of which gives me scant desire to await the next Olympics,  and to hope another network gets the rights. NBC programming was wretchedly frustrating – It took me a five hour sit to see the last half of the  men's long program.  With the women, I think I came in near the last group.   I would loved to  have taken in dance and pairs, but not under such imprisoning conditions. 

As for the skating in general, have I grown jaded, or is there a certain predictable air about too many of the programs seeming to conform to a narrowly defined template?  Too little variety between them?  On his twitter, Dick Button raised this issue, so I don't think it is just me thinking that.

Scroll down for my take on judging at U.S. Nationals

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* Having grown up on wheels, and favoring dance and school figures, I wrote the book Roller Skating for Gold, the research for which took me to ice meets, and to skating lessons at Berkeley Iceland.  I do believe I can spot a clean execution  over a messy one, and the overall variety and complexity of a program, thank you.

** I had to wonder, was I that wrong with this guy?   No, I'm sticking with my initial gut reaction, no matter how foolish I may appear.  Then, I looked up Patrick Chan (did I not tell you
that I knew nothing about these skaters at the outset)  He has quite some record, I discovered --- three times world champion!

If I'm in the mood and NBC is not broadcasting it, meet me here  at the next U.S. Nationals.

ALL SKATE!