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Women's Singles Short Program of Figure Skating from the Winter Olympic Games 2018 in PyeongChang || A Sport Analysis

Figure skating is a sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform on figure skates on ice. It was the first winter sport to be included in the Olympic Games when contested at the 1908 Olympics in London. This sport performs freestyle movements of jumps, spins, lifts, and footwork gracefully. Its name derives from the patterns (or figures) skaters make on the ice, an element that was a significant part of the sport until recently. There are various kinds of figure skating, including freestyle, pairs, ice dance, and synchronized team skating. The style of competition and the moves and techniques of the skaters vary for each category of skating. Figure skating has become one of the most popular sports of the Winter Olympics (Hamilton, 2019).

Today's blog will focus on Women's Singles Short Program of Figure Skating from the Winter Olympic Games 2018 in PyeongChang. This analysis will also consist of the court dimensions, equipment, basic skills, technical and tactical skills of each team, rules of the sport, officials of the sport, and the overall performance.

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Court Dimensions

Figurer Skating Rinks has an overall length of 196.85' (60 m) and width of 98.43' (30 m), for a total area of 18,707 ft² (1738 m²). The corners of a Figure Skating Rink have a radius of 27.89' (8.5 m). Also, a figure skating rink is a frozen rectangular surface with curved or circular ends on both sides used to host the Olympic sport of figure skating. Skating rinks vary in size depending on the athletes and performers' skill level, with the largest being an Olympic-sized rink. Skating rinks are often used for both figure skating and ice hockey games, and dimensions are typically the same for both. Unlike hockey, a figure skating rink is clear of goals and markings to allow athletes and performers the maximum amount of unimpeded space. It is meant to provide a smooth and hard surface, and the rink ice temperature ranges between -5.5C (22F) and -3.5C (26F) (Powell, 2020).

Equipment

Figure Skates

Figure skates are boots with blades attached to the bottom. They are used in ice skating to propel oneself across ice surfaces. It allows a person to move adeptly across a sheet of ice. A skater can glide quickly and stop and start soon because of the design of the blade. A person can also turn in a controlled way when on the ice. A fast skater can go much quicker than a fast runner.

Skate Guards

Figure skating guards are usually made of plastic with a simple spring or other mechanical devices to hold the guards tightly to the blades. They can be found in many colors and with internal lights that blink as the skater walks. They are also called 'blade guards'. Figure skating guards historically were made of wood, but this has been supplanted in the last thirty years by plastic.

Boot Covers

The main reason to wear boot covers is to protect the ice skate. Most figure skate boots are made of leather and under it are sharp blades. When doing moves with one foot or both feet in the air, there is a risk that one skate's blade damages the boot of the other.

Costumes

The movements involved in figure skating engage the entire body. The motion and flow across the ice require smooth actions of the arms and legs, powerful gliding strokes, quick turns and rotations, explosive jumps, and fast footwork. The clothing that the skater wears can enhance these movements while at the same time allowing the skater to maintain a comfortable temperature while moving efficiently and without distraction. This blend of aesthetic and functional possibilities of dress mix in action becomes almost one with the skater, the result being a total athletic and artistic expression.

Pair of Tights or Leggings

Tights keep the legs warm and cool when you're in a freezing ice rink, doing high-intensity exercise. Tights are the best type of "foot-underwear" to use in ice skates. Tights generally have a soft seam (if any seam) at the toes. Seams can be dangerous to a skater's foot in an ice skate. They are also less bulky, which is preferred for skates because skates don't have room for heavy fabrics in addition to your foot. Also, it protects the legs from ice burn when an athlete falls. They need to be covering their legs when they skate because falling on the ice can result in nasty abrasions.

Gloves

Gloves not only keep the hands warm, but they can also protect an athlete's hands to some degree from injury when falling. They are also helpful when performing figure skating elements that involve grabbing the skate blade and enhancing the visual appearance of an athlete.

Basic Skills

Turns

Figure skating turns are an essential part of the sport. Some turns are part of the basics, and others are advanced and difficult to perform. Figure skating turns are vital because they are part of the progressive figure skating moves. For example, the entrance to certain jumps includes a three-turn or a mohawk.

Steps

Figure skating steps skills that, when put together, form what is called a footwork sequence. Some figure skating steps are variations on or combinations of turns. Power three turns, twizzles, and running threes are examples.

Spins

Spins in figure skating are often the most fun for the skater and most appealing to the figure skating audience. Crowds love to watch an elegant or super-fast spin. There is so much important information about figure skating spins that we have an entire section devoted to these figure skating skills.

Jumps

Jumps are spins in the air. A jump is a backspin in the air. These figure skating skills have become one of the most critical aspects of the sport since the creation of the international judging system. Triple and quad jumps receive so many points that they overshadow most of the other skills when competing. Some of the most elegant skaters have lost in competitions because another skater executes a series of moment-grabbing jumps.

Spirals

Spirals are glides with one leg way up in the air. There are many variations of these figure skating skills. The first figure skating spiral learned is usually the arabesque. Skaters will then learn a catch foot variation. Essential aspects for figure skating spirals are good extension, get the free leg extended high in the air, and moving steadily across the ice. A change of edge during a spiral will receive extra points.

Moves in the Field

It is a name given to elements of figure skating that emphasize essential skating skills and edge control. In the context of a competitive program, 'moves in the field' include spirals, spread eagles, Ina Bauers, hydroblading, and similar extended edge moves.

Technical and Tactical Skills of Each Team

GROUP 1:

Bradie Tennel from the United States of America

Tennel is a 20-year-old woman who was considered to be the most powerful in group 1. Her consistency was her asset, but she fell due to her triple combination jump like a human being. Despite that, she had many combinations of spin, and she got her powerful footwork back. She was also able to do the triple combination that she failed from the beginning. Her music was Taeguki by Dong-Jun Lee. It was soft from the start and turned into intense when it's in the middle part of her performance, making her do series of turns. Then she ends her performance with a beautiful spin using the edges.

Isadora Williams from Brazil

Williams is a 22-year-old athlete who had an excellent interpretation of the song Hallelujah performed by K.D Lang. She dances like she moves with the song and puts the expressions needed to convey it. Her technique was to play safe, which made her to the jumps safe and well-executed. Also, she has a good pace of music which was suitable for her performance.

Anna Khnychenkova from Ukraine

Khnychenkova did great at first; however, due to the pressure of having an international event, she keeps on making mistakes which made her disappointed. She has four red out of seven on the Technical Score. However, it was an excellent performance wherein she likely stomp on her feet which rhymes with the song's beat.

Diana Nikitina from Latvia

Nikita's performance was very casual and had a good development pace. The way she moves her arms, it's like she is portraying something. She's more on the choreography and had interpreted the song entitled Soldier of Love by Sade. To think that she was still 17 years old. It was so good to watch.

Kim Hanul from South Korea

A height of 4'11, this 17-year-old girl proved that despite not having blessed with the height, her attitude and the skills in figure skating overpower who truly she is. She started with a good speed, and she tends to change her positions in each spin. She had a good entry with her layback, and it was fast gaining her a lot of points. Hanul tried her best to have her desired performance.

Anita Oestlund from Sweden

Oestlund is a 17-year-old girl who started with continuous footwork and good flow on her performance, but her first element was invalid since she made a mistake on her rotation. Regardless of the mistake she made, her show was most of changing direction on her feet or, to be exact, the series of the bracket. Then, she ends her performance with a spin; however, it was a big mistake since it did not sync with the music's end. She still needs to improve physically and emotionally.

GROUP 2:

Li Xiangning from China

Xiangning is the fourth 17-year-old athlete who performed in the short programs. Her music Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (Soundtrack) was like a lullaby and soft to hear, making her movements smooth. She used good speed throughout her spins and completing all of her positions and movements. She also made a mistake since it was not fully rotated but still work it in the end. She showed a classical performance and used her spin and speed to create a picture for the audience.

Alexia Paganini from Switzerland

Paganini showed an elegant performance with the song Forbidden Love (From Romeo and Juliet). The music and her costume truly sync with one another, creating an illustration. Besides, she had good speed and footwork, which made her have an excellent start with a triple toe. She made sure to make her jump to have some good height. She also had good decisions on the last part since she wanted to do triple lutz and triple toes but decided to a safer and lower scoring.

Aiza Mambekova from Kazakhstan

Mambekova's start of music (Amanama, Hourshaker Radio Edit) gained the audience's attention and followed it with her hand movements. She's using the music with her steps sequence. She may have good height, but the rotation of hers is not quick enough. Unlike other performers who didn't sync with their finishing part of the music, she had an excellent finish. It was openly a piece of exotic music for an exotic performance. All in all, she showed an enjoyable performance.

Emmi Peltonen from Finland

Peltonen is a 19-year-old woman who is a 9th generation Olympic athlete. Her asset was her speed. She showed a mighty pace, thus, causing her to have a messy and big jump from the start, which was considered high-quality jumps. She also performed a fantastic lift with her body movements and sequence. The commitment that she showed was a good design, and she is good with her transitions. She indeed had a satisfactory performance.

Larkyn Austman from Canada

The song Mein Herr (From Cabaret), Austman had chosen, was happy and lively. She was like dancing instead of skating, in interpreting her music. However, she had a hard time with her jump, possibly due to her movements. She hadn't a lot of international experience, but she did her best on her performance and still considered it a good performance.

Mae Berenice Meite from France

Meite is somewhat like Austman, who showed more on dancing than skating. She started it with exaggerated hand movements. It was indeed a lively performance, and she has established good choices and wise decisions with her high jumps. Her step sequence may be slow, but the crowd is enjoying her performance.

GROUP 3:

Kailani Craine from Australia

Craine is a careful 19-year-old athlete. She's playing safe with her spins and jumps but still considered to be an excellent show. The step sequence she did was using the edges, and she was terrific at her speed at changing transitions. Her expression, which was a big smile to the audience, was a significant part of her performance. She has the sense of music, leading her to have fantastic performance, gaining perfect green points in the technical score.

Ivett Toth from Hungary

Toth had a different and astounding concept. Back in Black, Thunderstruck by AC/DC, the music relates to the biker look that she had since it was a piece of rock music. She also good with the opening jump combination and had a good flow throughout the show. She used her skating skills, balance, connection, and music delivery to make her performance much more extraordinary.

Giada Russo from Italy

Russo's start was suspense, in which the audience was made to wait for her opening jump. She used an exciting transition of her music, the Eyes Wide Shut (Soundtrack), and the way she ended her performance was different, unlike the other athletes. She showed her expression and the composition that she wanted to convey.

Leona Hendrickx from Belgium

Hendrick's performance is more on exaggeration. She had a wild show since she was like swaying her arms and body with emphasis. She used firm edges on her skate and had good speed, movement, and strength. She also had a good flow across the eyes, and the blade moved well, so she hasn't struggled to get speed. Then she finished her performance constantly with the rate she had.

Nicole Schott from Germany

Fantasia is a 21-year-old woman who made her performance smooth and soft, syncing it with her music, Nella Fantasia. She used series of turn and step sequences that can make the viewers see the curves on her. She made her jumps not high but still well executed. It was honestly a clean shot and a calming performance.

Nicole Rajicova from Slovakia

Rajicova showed suspense but with a soft touch kind of performance. She used her transition well enough and made her change of speed to be noticeable. She also made a lot of steps and big jumps. It was pretty clear on how she has executed, and every element was received a positive grade of execution.

GROUP 4:

Kaori Sakamoto from Japan

Sakamoto is a 17-year-old girl who made the music Moonlight Sonata by Ludwig Van Beethoven shine on the audience and made a decadent version of the song. She used fantastic lift and made her jump when the music turned fast. The leaps and spins that she has executed were of equal quality, and every spin was good as her jump. She made it look like it was effortless and easy to skate around. It was frankly a brilliant performance which made her have all the green lights for the technical score.

Mirai Nagasu from the United States of America

Nagasu is like Peltonen, who was into speed which forms into messy, and the pace was so immense to which she failed at the opening jump. It was almost over-rotated and over-blind. However, she was powerful enough and executed many higher jumps and sometimes show have shown good balance in her performance.

Gabrielle Daleman from Canada

Daleman is a 20-year-old woman who chose her music to be Habanera (From Carmen) by George Bizet. She had a great flow and speed, yet a shame that she fell in the opening jump since it doesn’t have a good rotation. Despite the imperfections, she used the interpretation of the music and showed excellent swaying of her feet. The way she skips, skates, and dance were outstanding. Also, all the moves were finished, and the jumps were always big and majestic. Overall, she had a good performance on her performance.

Karen Chen from the United States of America

Chen’s portrayal as a swan relates with her music, On Golden Pond by David Grusin. It was a smooth kind of music. She left the other jumps to the second half of her performance to get the bonus for her score. She also used a quick change of direction and made a lovely sparrow portray the wings. She ends her performance with a beautiful spin and her hand symbolizing the loon calling throughout the music.

Elizabet Tursynbaeva from Kazakhstan

Tursynbaeva’s started with an exaggerated hand movement. She chose the song Carmen Performed by David Garrett and executed a lot of fast magnificent combination spin. But sometimes, this causes her to struggle with the speed in one time spin on her performance. Moreover, she tends to put some walk or stomp on her feet. It was a well-executed show.

Choi Dabin from South Korea

Dabin’s choice of music was soft at the beginning with dramatic effects. She moves her body and hands to show some drama and brought emotions to it. Since she had a strong core, she executed a lot of tricky jumps. She made her footwork look simple and not changing of direction. This causes her to have all green lights in the technical score. She moves and executes contrasts with her gentle exterior or appearance, which was an advantage to her.

GROUP 5:

Evgenia Medvedeva from Russia

Medvedeva's used a ballerina style that rhyme with the music, Nocturne by Frederic Chopin. She made her expression to be sad and longing. Her performance was calm, showing the elements perfectly and elegantly. She also had an excellent presentation of the eyes, especially from the beginning, wherein she closed her eyes and opened them to impact when she moves. She created beautiful shapes with her spin and end with an exhale that she was finished. It has an impact on the audience.

Satoko Miyahara from Japan

Miyahara is a 19-year-old woman who showed a smooth and precise performance. She made sure that there was no blade movement when she's changing position and had a secured jump. Her performance was with transitions and excellent compositions. Her movements have meanings, and they were sharp and precise. This causes the audience to see a cultural dance.

Kaetlyn Osmond from Canada

Osmond showed quite an intriguing performance. She made her look to be sophisticated, and madam look. She made risk since she made her first jump high, and she did well. The hops were fast and big. In simple terms, all of the jumps she made were superior. Overall, it was delightful to look at, and the audience was fascinated by how sassy she had performed on the rink. She also made the viewers picture that they are in a café in Paris drink coffee in the 1950s.

Alina Zagitova from Russia

Zagitova is the youngest contestant on this program. She is a 15-year-old girl but has shown a fantastic performance. Her standing point is so attractive and original that it made the audience anticipate her performance. The changing of the expression from fierce to soft is the same with her movements. She danced like a swan will move and had an exciting entry before the significant jump. She also made beautiful and brilliant spins. She did her jumps in the second half to get more scores since it was said that there was an additional 10%. Then she ends it with a genuinely long combination spin and then an arch of the back with her hands wide apart.

Carolina Kostner from Italy

Kostner is the oldest athlete performing at this event. She has shown elegancy and portrayed a hurt and scared woman. Her expression is a must. Also, even though the music is quite soft, her movements were rough and strong. She got a sophisticated look on her face when she was performing. Moreover, the performance and composition reflect all of the wanted interpretations.

Maria Sotskova from Russia

Sotskova is a 17-year-old contestant and the last one who performed. She looked like the Swan Princess with the costume and how she achieved her dance. She reminds me of that movie from Barbie of Swan Lake. However, due to being pressured since her two other teammates were in Top 1 and 2, she made a lot of mistakes. Regardless of that, she made an unbelievable performance.

Rules of the Sport

The rules depend on the type of figure skating: women’s singles, men’s singles, pair skating, as well as pair ice dance. Since this blog only focuses on women single, then it will only tackle that.

During single skating, women are obliged to skate two programs – short program and free skate. For a short program, which can last up to 2 minutes 40-50 seconds, figure skaters are required to perform eight compulsory elements (double or triple axel, triple or quadruple jump, one combination of jumps, several different types of spins, and two-step sequences) in any order. The omission of one of the elements should be fined.

Scoring

In Figure Skating, athletes are scored according to the ISU Judging System by a panel of judges (usually nine judges, including a technical inspector and a referee). This system functions by awarding athletes different amounts of points for different types of moves and how efficiently and effectively these moves are executed. A Grade of Execution (GoE) is calculated, and then a Scale of Value Table is used to turn this grade into an overall mark.

The main aspects scored during a typical Figure Skating performance include skill, footwork, performance, interpretation, overall execution, choreography, and timing. Often, the more complex maneuvers will be scored highest provided they are executed correctly. For example, more rotations in a jump will lead to a higher mark.

Officials of the Sport

Accountants

The accountant's role begins weeks, sometimes months, before a competition. Working with the Local Organizing Committee and chief referee, accountants are responsible for preparing the paperwork that communicates the following information:

When each event of competition will begin

Where it will be held

Which skaters will be in each event

In what order they will skate

Accountants are also responsible for providing the judges, referees, and technical panel officials with documents for recording their decisions. Finally, the accountants are responsible for ensuring that the scoring software is set up correctly, the scores are entered accurately, and the results are calculated correctly.

Technical accountants are a subset of accountants who specialize in the rinkside computer equipment setup and operation utilized for automated scoring under the International Judging System (IJS).

Announcers

Announcers are responsible for announcing competitors before they perform at a competition. Announcers might also be asked to tell scores, names of officials, and other general competition information as necessary. Like the voice of an event, announcers need to be able to work as part of a team and have the ability to communicate effectively with competition hosts, referees, and other officials.

Ice Technicians

Ice technicians are utilized at certain qualifying and international competitions to ensure the ice surface's safety and quality. Primarily used at large competitions, the ice technician is the go-between for the event referee and arena personnel and ensures each event runs safely and smoothly.

Judges

Judges are likely the most well-known type of figure skating official. Though the days of scorecards are long behind us, U.S. Figure Skating still relies on judges to adjudicate competitions and interpret rules and regulations. Currently, judges work in all four skating disciplines and every competitive opportunity U.S. Figure Skating offers.

There are also two different classifications of judges:

Test Judges: who can judge test sessions and nonqualifying competitions

Competition Judges: who can judge nonqualifying and qualifying competitions

Music Technicians

Music officials are responsible for the setup, tear down, and operation of the equipment used to play music competitions. Requirements for the role include basic knowledge of audio equipment, basic knowledge of figure skating competitions and their protocols, basic operational knowledge of computers, and the ability to work as part of a team.

Referees

Referees are the designated leaders and spokespeople for an event. They also manage the panel of judges and, depending on the size of the competition, may serve as one of the event's judges. Before becoming a referee, one must be certified as a judge. The event referee's responsibilities include:

Timing the programs.

Taking certain deductions (in IJS).

Deciding on all protests with respect to their event.

Conducting pre-event meetings (usually held at qualifying competitions) and allowing a skater/team to restart a program that has been stopped by U.S. Figure Skating rules.

Chief referees are responsible for setting up the competition schedule, assigning officials, overseeing seeding and draws for events, interpreting rules, deciding on protests and any breaches that occur without objections, and determining if the ice's condition will permit conducting the competition.

Technical panel officials are required for any events using the International Judging System (IJS).

The Technical Panel is composed of the following five people:

The Technical Specialist (TS) verbally calls the elements as they happen.

The Assistant Technical Specialist (ATS) whose primary purpose is to take written notes on all of the elements performed and to contribute to any decisions on technical calls during the "review of elements".

The Technical Controller (TC) supervises the panel and breaks ties on technical decisions during the "review of elements" when the T.S. and ATS disagree. The T.C. is also responsible for "rule vetting" the program and can throw out any elements that break the rules for that level and specific program.

The Data Operator (DO) inputs the codes of the elements and levels of difficulty into the computer system. The D.O. also flags elements called "for review". In the U.S., the D.O. also replays the video clips of the details during the review process. The D.O. is available to assist the T.C. in the process of "rule vetting" if the T.C. is unsure or makes a mistake.

The Video Replay Operator (VRO) marks clips of elements for review. This person replays the pins in place of the D.O. in international competitions. However, in the U.S., this person is not involved in the review process.

Bibliography

Figure Skating. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2021, from Sportwiki: https://sport-wiki.org/sports/figure-skating/#Equipment_for_figure_skating

Figure Skating Rules. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2021, from Rules of Sport: https://www.rulesofsport.com/sports/figure-skating.html

Hamilton, S. (2019, May 13). Figure Skating. Retrieved April 4, 2021, from Britannica: https://www.britannica.com/sports/figure-skating

Officiate. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2021, from US Figure Skating: https://www.usfigureskating.org/support/officiate

Powell, B. (2020, April 1). Figure Skating. Retrieved April 5, 2021, from Dimensions: https://www.dimensions.com/collection/figure-skating?1bf07b95_page=2

The Basics. (n.d.). Retrieved April 5, 2021, from Go Figure Skating: http://gofigureskating.com/skills/index.html

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