ICE SKATING: Master's of Figure Skating: Inconsistent Judging, Part II

Part II: Pairs However, the very opposite judging was used in the pairs discipline! How does this happen?

Two-time World Champions Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharudlidze had a disastrous short program. Berezhnaya fell on the throw-triple-salchow, and they fell off unison on their pair spin. They had a couple of other minor errors that placed them in third place, behind reigning U.S. Champions Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman, and the current World silver medalists, Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao. So, in the first half of the competition, judged on technical ability, everyone was where they should have been.

In the interpretive program, Berezhnaya and Sikharudlidze skated to "Smooth," by Santana. Their choreographer was Alexander Zhulin, an ice dancer, and he helped them to explore new moves, edges, and positions they had never before attempted. The choreography flowed with the music and worked with it, and Sikharudlidze even let loose and sung along to the song! However, Berezhnaya slammed into the ice on the throw-triple loop; it looked like she actually hit the ice with her face! But she got right back up and they managed to continue with their program as if nothing had happened. That was the one thing to keep their program from being perfect, but the interpretive program does not require that you be technically perfect; the most important thing is that you perform artistically.

Ina and Zimmerman skated to Marc Antony's "My Baby You." The pair, known for inconsistent performances with flashes of brilliance in between, skated very well, surprisingly well. Flawlessly. However, one thing they lacked was the innovation or the choreographic intricacy that Berezhnaya and Sikharudlidze had demonstrated. And this was correct, because their music was slow and romantic, and did not call for fancy footwork. So, it basically came down to personal taste.

One possible deciding factor was the fact that Kyoko Ina had a huge smile on her face throughout the performance. (Probably because they skated so well!) Now, of course, there is nothing wrong with smiling, but the program was supposed to be tender and romantic. Ina's brilliant smile made the program look less convincing than it could have been. It was, however, very nice to see the pair perform so well, and they were overjoyed with their performance. Ina and Zimmerman were placed second behind Berezhnaya and Sikharudlidze.

It was Shen and Zhao's title to win or lose. They came out, wearing white bodysuits with blue designs scribbled all over them, headbands wrapped around their foreheads. They skated to Beethoven's "Last Night." Shen and Zhao are not known as artistic skaters; they are technically solid and exciting. They made a noble attempt at interpreting the music; however most of the problem lay in the fact that they did not skate as one, which is the essential factor in pairs skating.

Shen and Zhao fell off unison in their spins and did their side-by-side jumps very far apart. Their lifts, while very difficult, did not have the extension or polish that either Berezhnaya and Sikharudlidze or Ina and Zimmerman had had. Shen landed a very high throw-triple salchow, but the technique of the throw was not aesthetically pleasing at all; Zhao looked more like he was heaving a 100-pound bag of rice into the air, rather than a lady. Again, it was great to see Shen and Zhao pushing themselves to further artistic horizons, and they will improve with time. They finished in third place, behind Ina and Zimmerman, and Berezhnaya and Sikharudlidze.

The Master's was an interesting event - judging wise. The skating was delightful to watch and there were many great performances. However, the judging was inconsistent - professionally biased judging was used, as it should have been, in the pairs interpretive free skate; however, the judging on the men's side was sorely biased towards the "Olympic long programs" that the judges supposedly did not want to see in the interpretive free program. The competition was wonderful, and sadly, the judging left something to be desired.