<p>I think they didn’t show individual judging scores because they didn’t have individual judging scores at broadcast time. From the announcers’ description, the judging is complex and specific. Moreover, comparing one judge’s score to another isn’t as revealing as comparing how one judge ranked the couples, compared to how another judge ranked the couples.</p>
<p>I didn’t see the top Chinese couple, but looking at their performance in previous competitions, they’re amazing. I liked the Germans (and I liked the Pierrot & Pierrette costumes) and the top Russians.</p>
<p>^ Oh, I don’t know. I grew up in a part of the country where ski jumping was popular. It’s just deeply ingrained in the ethos of the sport that a long jump followed by a crash landing is an imperfect jump, and shouldn’t count as much as a long jump with a clean landing—or even a slightly shorter jump that’s perfectly executed. Even a wobbly landing or out-of-control finish after landing isn’t considered as good as a clean landing. People jump, and watch others jump, mostly for the aesthetics of the thing. Draining it of that aesthetic element would make it a very different and IMO less enjoyable sport. It would also, I suspect, make it a more dangerous sport, because competition based solely on length of jump would induce some jumpers to stretch their jumps beyond the point at which a safe, in-control landing is possible; after all, style points are awarded mostly for elements going to whether the jumper is in control in flight, at landing, and after landing. In this context, style = safety. Besides, style points have ALWAYS been part of the nature of the sport, and the people who do it like it just fine that way. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!</p>
<p>In Olympic competition most of the points are awarded for distance—60 points for landing at a predetermined target length for the hill, with additional points added for outjumping the target, or deducted for failing to reach the target. That’s all objective. There are only 20 possible style points, but usually there’s some deduction for less-than-perfect form in flight (maximum 5 point deduction), landing (maximum 5 point deduction), and outrun (after landing, maximum 7 point deduction). There’s a certain softness or subjectivity in the style point awards (or deductions, really), but there’s actually a high degree of consensus within the sport about what counts as a good jump, landing, and outrun, so in that sense the judging even on style points is more “objective” than might appear.</p>
<p>I liked the German pair–didn’t care for their costumes at first, but by the time they were finished I came to appreciate their performance as well as the costumes. I prefer sports that have a subjective element. These sports usually have an artistic component, which I love. To me, figure skating is more interesting to watch than track and field. I don’t know enough about the judging in figure skating to speak to the scoring of the pairs. But I do think that governing body for figure skating is trying to make the judging less subjective. I’m pretty sure that in the judging panels, the highest and lowest scores are taken out when the final scores are tallied. Plus, slow-motion replays are used, which can take some of the inaccuracy out of judging.</p>
<p>How can pairs in which one of them falls end up near the top? Staying upright seems to be a big part of the sport. I know that a fall doing a quadruple triple moo moo blindfolded is very difficult so a fall doing that is not as problematic as falling when standing still. However, the falls last night were when doing pretty straightforward skills. One guy not only fell but tripped during the footwork and they still finished near the top. The commentators were not just confused but completely befuddled.</p>
<p>Is Dick Button going to be one of the commentators tonight? If so, can’t wait to hear what he has to say about the scoring. Over the last few years he’s really lost his “filter” so he’s a lot of fun to listen to.</p>
<p>My sister judges figure skating on a local level. I talked to her this morning and she thought that the Canadian couple who fell were given a bit of a home ice boost. Not unusual in the short program, but they won’t get the same benefit in the long program. The Russians who fell were attempting more difficult stuff, but she still thought they were ranked higher then they should have been. The Chinese couple who came in first were clearly the standouts in the field for her, and the other Chinese couples were technically proficent, but artistically pretty dull, which could hurt them in the long program. She thinks the Chinese will take the gold, silver will be the Germans and the bronze will be a fight between the Russians and the other two Chinese. But she said she could also see the Germans taking the Gold, the Chinese the silver and the Canadians the bronze.</p>
<p>Oh, good – a thread to dish about the Olympics!</p>
<p>Loved the first part of the opening ceremonies, but was really only interested in the parade of athletes after that.</p>
<p>My favorite winter Olympic sport is the figure skating, but I"ve also enjoyed watching the mogul skiing and the speed skating (I’m an Apolo fan).</p>
<p>I gasp every time there is a throw. The side by side jumps seem to be what is doing them in tonight though. I guess if they were that strong in the solo skils, they would be singles skaters.</p>
<p>Now that figure skating is on, I hold my breath whenever they throw and spin. Other than that, does anyone else notice the constant stream about the dangers of each sport and how many broken bones and torn ligaments each athlete has suffered? I sense the fatal accident just before the start of the games set the tone overall.</p>
<p>Did anyone watch the snowboard cross competition? I don’t think I’ve seen this sport before. They have four snowboarders racing at the same time on a course with jumps and turns. And they wear jeans! All of the boarders look slightly out of control and extremely competitive.</p>
<p>I saw the snowboarding. It reminds me of watching horse timber racing. As the jumps come and go, there are fewer and fewer riders aboard. In the snowboarding, you never know who will even finish. Very exciting and I love the way they tackle each other in excitement after it is over. I hope the woman snowboarder who blew it 4 years ago with the premature celebration does well.</p>
<p>I enjoyed the snowboard racing as well. And liked the second-place Chinese couple at least as much as the couple that won the gold in pairs. Hard to believe that the Russians had won the gold in pairs in 12 straight Olympics, and didn’t even win a medal this time.</p>
<p>I live in California - aren’t we in the same time zone? Why are we watching pairs figure skating at 9:00 P.M.? I don’t think I’m staying up to watch the whole show. Coverage has been mediocre for sure.</p>
<p>LOL on the commentators- they all drive me crazy. It especially annoys me when they say: “Here is your gold medal winner”… Argh. </p>
<p>I love snowboarding and the downhill skiing events. The skating is fun to watch, although the men in sequins are kind of goofy looking. Feathers?? Really???</p>
I am sure it is fine, it was just amusing to a layman to see even ski jumping is judged.</p>