http://en.rian.ru/sports/20100219/157942136.html
Plushenko's Olympic silver 'worth gold' - Putin
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in a message to Russian figure skater Evgeni Plushenko his silver Olympic medal is worth "gold."
"Please accept my heartfelt congratulations on your superb performance at the XXI Winter Olympic Games," the message said. "Your silver is worth gold."
Russia's defending champion Evgeni Plushenko managed to secure only the Olympic silver medal in Thursday's free skating event in Vancouver, beat out by the U.S.'s Evan Lysacek who took the gold medal.
Japan's Daisuke Takahashi will take home the bronze medal in the men's figure skating event.
Press on English about Evgeni after LP
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by cekoni » 19 Feb 2010, 17:06
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/ ... ostpopular
By Alice Park / Vancouver Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
To Quad or Not to Quad: For U.S. Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek, Never a Question
What would the Flying Tomato do? If Shaun White traded in his baggies for spandex, and his board for a pair of quarter inch blades (and maybe cut his hair) to compete in men's figure skating, would he do it? Would he do the quad?
Uh, yes. No question. This is the man who had clinched the gold on Wednesday and bettered his winning run with a second drop-in featuring the daring, innovative and wow-inducing Double McTwist 1260. He didn't have to do it. But he did. Because he wanted to. Because it's the Olympics. Because that's the kind of competitor he is.
Where was that sense of daring and anxiety-triggering anticipation in men's figure skating final on Thursday? It certainly wasn't much in evidence on the ice in the Pacific Coliseum. There was great skating, certainly — American Evan Lysacek skated a solid, clean program that earned him enough points to skate past heavy favorite Evgeny Plushenko of Russia, to cinch the gold. The right man won, no doubt. But the entire night I felt as something was missing....
Something was missing, something that must have gotten stuck somewhere in new computers the judges use to punch in their elements scores, and their skating skills scores, and their transition/linking footwork marks, and their performance/execution scores — and let's not forget that catch – all assessment of 'interpretation.'
Don't get me wrong. Unlike many who follow the sport (and even some skaters themselves) I'm actually a fan of the new scoring system, or 'code of points,' first used in Torino. I think it's raised the level of skating skill to impressive levels, in ways that don't always come across on television. The edges are sharper and deeper, the footwork is cleaner and crisper, and the spins are tighter, and frankly, more like spins than the squats that some skaters were getting away with for years.
But one casualty of raising the technical precision of the sport is the spontaneity that makes sports exciting. Athletes at this level live on the edge of control and chaos, and it's the collective 'wow' of moments when they butt themselves up against that line that take our breath away and keep bringing us back to watch. "It's important for any sport to continue to raise the bar and move forward," Paul Wylie, 1992 silver medalist told me after the men's short programs. "I have to admit as a performer who did two triple axels in my program in Albertville, I am surprised that more guys aren't doing the quad."
Ah, yes, the quad. It's been hot topic among skating fans the entire week — the entire season, really — as the arguments go back and forth over whether a quadruple jump of any kind is necessary in the men's program, or amounts to nothing but show-boating. Lysacek decided coming into Vancouver not to include one in his program; he tried it at the U.S. nationals in January and fell. But he's the only skater among the top competitors who made that decision, sparking all kinds of buzz among the skating cognescenti about whether he was pushing the sport back.
Regardless of where you weigh in on the debate, that's the thing that should be worrying skating officials and athletes alike — that the scoring system may be sucking out the drive and inspiration for innovating and evolving the sport that jumps like the quad represent. The stricter scrutiny that the system places on the execution of elements is biasing skaters to play it safe and skate programs that are constructed — move for move, from fingertip to toe point — with an almost passionless precision.
As a skater, the reason for the quad-queasiness is simple. If you can't land it, it's not worth even trying under the current scoring system. A quadruple toe loop jump, the most popular version of a four-revolution jump, gives you a base score of 9.8 points. You can pile on a point or two for performing it well, or lose a few points for bobbling the landing, but 9.8 is what the judges start with. A triple-triple jump combination yields 10 base points, and without the hammering on your ankles and the added angst of launching yourself into four revolutions over a sheet of unforgiving ice. Plus, if you fall on the quad, it's an automatic 1.0 deduction, plus a downgrading of the jump to however many rotations you actually completed, not to mention those deductions for not executing the jump. "What it would take to make it less risky and more rewarding for people to try it would be not penalizing them for falling or under rotating the jump as much as they do," says Wylie.
The quad is only the most glamorous example of what the sport might be losing if the penalties for trying one aren't reduced somehow, either by awarding four-revolution jumps higher base points, or by penalizing skaters who try, and flub them, less. Plushenko, one of the most consistent quad jumpers around, landed a quadruple toe loop jump in the early seconds of his program and still came up short of gold on Thursday to earn a silver. He has been outspoken all week about how he feels about the quad jump.
"I believe that the quad is the future of figure skating. The quad is necessary... Not doing the quad will be going backwards in time," he said after the men's short program on Tuesday, in which he was the only skater to land a quad cleanly. Following his silver medal finish on Thursday, he was pessimistic about the place that the quad would have in the new system, but remained adamant that such innovations be recognized and rewarded. "I was sure that I had won my second Olympic Games," he said. "But my basic position and attitude is that movement must go forward — never stop, never go back."
Bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi agreed. "For me, the ideal skate would have to include a quad on my part," he said after his medal winning performance in Vancouver. "Although I did attempt the quad and it wasn't successful, I do not regret it at all. It's a challenge to me, and good experience."
The reality, however, is that the past two world champions have earned their titles without a quad, and now, after three consecutive Olympic champions won with programs that included a successfully landed a quad, Lysacek wins without one. It's no coincidence that all of these titles were won under the new scoring system. And Lysacek himself couldn't have articulated better how the new rules may be pushing elements like the quad into the deep freeze. "I used to really enjoy training the quad, and I thought it was really important to try it in every competition," Lysacek said after the short program on Tuesday. "But several times I fell. Then I broke my foot and it became less fun and more scary. [Now] the risk of injury is definitely there. So I decided to lay off that pressure on the left foot and try to make it through these Games successfully."
It was a strategy that certainly paid off on Thursday, earning him a gold and making him the U.S.'s first Olympic men's skating champion since Brian Boitano in 1988. But at some point, amidst all that calculating and constructing you start to miss the good old fashioned bravado that's a big part of any competition. "When you show up to a figure skating event, if you don't have the hardest jump, from the time you're a little boy, you are apologizing a little bit," says Wylie. "I remember being little and showing up at competitions and everyone asked, 'What jumps do you have?'" What answer will skating have in another four years?
By Alice Park / Vancouver Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
To Quad or Not to Quad: For U.S. Gold Medalist Evan Lysacek, Never a Question
What would the Flying Tomato do? If Shaun White traded in his baggies for spandex, and his board for a pair of quarter inch blades (and maybe cut his hair) to compete in men's figure skating, would he do it? Would he do the quad?
Uh, yes. No question. This is the man who had clinched the gold on Wednesday and bettered his winning run with a second drop-in featuring the daring, innovative and wow-inducing Double McTwist 1260. He didn't have to do it. But he did. Because he wanted to. Because it's the Olympics. Because that's the kind of competitor he is.
Where was that sense of daring and anxiety-triggering anticipation in men's figure skating final on Thursday? It certainly wasn't much in evidence on the ice in the Pacific Coliseum. There was great skating, certainly — American Evan Lysacek skated a solid, clean program that earned him enough points to skate past heavy favorite Evgeny Plushenko of Russia, to cinch the gold. The right man won, no doubt. But the entire night I felt as something was missing....
Something was missing, something that must have gotten stuck somewhere in new computers the judges use to punch in their elements scores, and their skating skills scores, and their transition/linking footwork marks, and their performance/execution scores — and let's not forget that catch – all assessment of 'interpretation.'
Don't get me wrong. Unlike many who follow the sport (and even some skaters themselves) I'm actually a fan of the new scoring system, or 'code of points,' first used in Torino. I think it's raised the level of skating skill to impressive levels, in ways that don't always come across on television. The edges are sharper and deeper, the footwork is cleaner and crisper, and the spins are tighter, and frankly, more like spins than the squats that some skaters were getting away with for years.
But one casualty of raising the technical precision of the sport is the spontaneity that makes sports exciting. Athletes at this level live on the edge of control and chaos, and it's the collective 'wow' of moments when they butt themselves up against that line that take our breath away and keep bringing us back to watch. "It's important for any sport to continue to raise the bar and move forward," Paul Wylie, 1992 silver medalist told me after the men's short programs. "I have to admit as a performer who did two triple axels in my program in Albertville, I am surprised that more guys aren't doing the quad."
Ah, yes, the quad. It's been hot topic among skating fans the entire week — the entire season, really — as the arguments go back and forth over whether a quadruple jump of any kind is necessary in the men's program, or amounts to nothing but show-boating. Lysacek decided coming into Vancouver not to include one in his program; he tried it at the U.S. nationals in January and fell. But he's the only skater among the top competitors who made that decision, sparking all kinds of buzz among the skating cognescenti about whether he was pushing the sport back.
Regardless of where you weigh in on the debate, that's the thing that should be worrying skating officials and athletes alike — that the scoring system may be sucking out the drive and inspiration for innovating and evolving the sport that jumps like the quad represent. The stricter scrutiny that the system places on the execution of elements is biasing skaters to play it safe and skate programs that are constructed — move for move, from fingertip to toe point — with an almost passionless precision.
As a skater, the reason for the quad-queasiness is simple. If you can't land it, it's not worth even trying under the current scoring system. A quadruple toe loop jump, the most popular version of a four-revolution jump, gives you a base score of 9.8 points. You can pile on a point or two for performing it well, or lose a few points for bobbling the landing, but 9.8 is what the judges start with. A triple-triple jump combination yields 10 base points, and without the hammering on your ankles and the added angst of launching yourself into four revolutions over a sheet of unforgiving ice. Plus, if you fall on the quad, it's an automatic 1.0 deduction, plus a downgrading of the jump to however many rotations you actually completed, not to mention those deductions for not executing the jump. "What it would take to make it less risky and more rewarding for people to try it would be not penalizing them for falling or under rotating the jump as much as they do," says Wylie.
The quad is only the most glamorous example of what the sport might be losing if the penalties for trying one aren't reduced somehow, either by awarding four-revolution jumps higher base points, or by penalizing skaters who try, and flub them, less. Plushenko, one of the most consistent quad jumpers around, landed a quadruple toe loop jump in the early seconds of his program and still came up short of gold on Thursday to earn a silver. He has been outspoken all week about how he feels about the quad jump.
"I believe that the quad is the future of figure skating. The quad is necessary... Not doing the quad will be going backwards in time," he said after the men's short program on Tuesday, in which he was the only skater to land a quad cleanly. Following his silver medal finish on Thursday, he was pessimistic about the place that the quad would have in the new system, but remained adamant that such innovations be recognized and rewarded. "I was sure that I had won my second Olympic Games," he said. "But my basic position and attitude is that movement must go forward — never stop, never go back."
Bronze medalist Daisuke Takahashi agreed. "For me, the ideal skate would have to include a quad on my part," he said after his medal winning performance in Vancouver. "Although I did attempt the quad and it wasn't successful, I do not regret it at all. It's a challenge to me, and good experience."
The reality, however, is that the past two world champions have earned their titles without a quad, and now, after three consecutive Olympic champions won with programs that included a successfully landed a quad, Lysacek wins without one. It's no coincidence that all of these titles were won under the new scoring system. And Lysacek himself couldn't have articulated better how the new rules may be pushing elements like the quad into the deep freeze. "I used to really enjoy training the quad, and I thought it was really important to try it in every competition," Lysacek said after the short program on Tuesday. "But several times I fell. Then I broke my foot and it became less fun and more scary. [Now] the risk of injury is definitely there. So I decided to lay off that pressure on the left foot and try to make it through these Games successfully."
It was a strategy that certainly paid off on Thursday, earning him a gold and making him the U.S.'s first Olympic men's skating champion since Brian Boitano in 1988. But at some point, amidst all that calculating and constructing you start to miss the good old fashioned bravado that's a big part of any competition. "When you show up to a figure skating event, if you don't have the hardest jump, from the time you're a little boy, you are apologizing a little bit," says Wylie. "I remember being little and showing up at competitions and everyone asked, 'What jumps do you have?'" What answer will skating have in another four years?
-
cekoni - Administrator
- Posts: 24627
- Joined: 03 Jun 2009, 09:19
- Location: Serbia
- Has thanked: 3635 times
- Been thanked: 21292 times
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by cekoni » 20 Feb 2010, 05:59
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-feature ... 30590.html
Feb 19, 3:10p ET
Plushenko: Lysacek not a champion without quad
The silver medalist thinks the sport has regressed if triple jumps are enough to win
MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin climbed into the controversy surrounding Yevgeny Plushenko's surprise defeat in the Olympics figure skating by claiming on Friday that he should have been awarded gold.
Plushenko, hoping to become the first man in almost six decades to win back-to-back Games titles, lost to American Evan Lysacek by 1.31 points on Thursday.
It was an extremely controversial decision as Plushenko performed the highly demanding quad jump in which the skater spins four times in the air before landing while Lysacek did not. It is considered the toughest maneuver in figure skating.
"I would like to sincerely congratulate you on the wonderful Olympic performance -- your silver is worth gold," Putin said in a telegram addressed to the skater.
You were able to overcome all the obstacles in your brave comeback and performed the most accomplished program on the Vancouver ice.
All Russian figure skating fans admire your brilliance, true fighting spirit, courage and the will to win. Well done!"
Plushenko put a brave face in post-competition news conferences but later told Russian media he felt he had been robbed of a landmark second gold after his triumph in the 2006 Turin Olympics.
"You can't be considered a true men's champion without a quad," the 27-year-old told Russian state television RTR.
Lysacek did not attempt a quadruple jump in either Tuesday's short or Thursday's free programs, instead wowing the judges with artistry and exquisite footwork.
"For someone to stand on top of the podium with the gold medal around his neck by just doing triple jumps, to me it's not progress, it's a regress because we've done triples 10 or even 20 years ago," Plushenko said.
"Just doing nice transitions and being artistic is not enough because figure skating is a sport, not a show," he said.
"Of all the men who had competed tonight, only two -- myself and (Japan's) Takahiko Kozuka (who finished eighth) -- were able to land a clean quad.
"Later, when I saw Kozuka I shook his hand and congratulated him, saying 'Well done'. I also have a lot of respect for (Japan's bronze medalist) Daisuke Takahashi for trying to attempt a quad. That's a sign of a (future) champion."
Deserved gold
Plushenko, who came out of a 3-1/2-year retirement last month, said he was a victim of poor judging.
"I did a great short program but didn't get the marks I deserved. When I asked why they told me I was skating early and they had to retain top marks for the last group," he said.
"Then, in the free program I was the last to skate, did everything clean and still didn't get the marks. I thought I had done enough to get the gold but the judges gave it to someone else."
Most Russian TV analysts and commentators said Plushenko was robbed of a deserved gold by the judges.
When Plushenko walked into the RTR studio in Vancouver, host Alexei Popov presented him with a symbolic medal.
"You already have one gold and one silver so here's a platinum medal for you," Popov told the skater. "You are the real champion."
Another commentator called the decision scandalous, in the same mold as judging controversies at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
"We'd seen this before. In 2002 Irina Slutskaya unfairly was placed second in the short program so that Sarah Hughes could get a better shot at winning the gold," Alexei Vasilyev said.
Russia's Slutskaya, a favorite for the women's title in Salt Lake City, finished second behind American Hughes.
Incensed by what they thought was poor and biased judging, the Russians filed a protest, arguing Slutskaya had skated as well as, if not better than, Hughes. It was rejected.
"So what if Slutskaya lost?" asked the commentator.
"Who now remembers Hughes? Similarly, in a few years' time nobody will remember Lysacek while Plushenko would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time."
Feb 19, 3:10p ET
Plushenko: Lysacek not a champion without quad
The silver medalist thinks the sport has regressed if triple jumps are enough to win
MOSCOW (Reuters) -- Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin climbed into the controversy surrounding Yevgeny Plushenko's surprise defeat in the Olympics figure skating by claiming on Friday that he should have been awarded gold.
Plushenko, hoping to become the first man in almost six decades to win back-to-back Games titles, lost to American Evan Lysacek by 1.31 points on Thursday.
It was an extremely controversial decision as Plushenko performed the highly demanding quad jump in which the skater spins four times in the air before landing while Lysacek did not. It is considered the toughest maneuver in figure skating.
"I would like to sincerely congratulate you on the wonderful Olympic performance -- your silver is worth gold," Putin said in a telegram addressed to the skater.
You were able to overcome all the obstacles in your brave comeback and performed the most accomplished program on the Vancouver ice.
All Russian figure skating fans admire your brilliance, true fighting spirit, courage and the will to win. Well done!"
Plushenko put a brave face in post-competition news conferences but later told Russian media he felt he had been robbed of a landmark second gold after his triumph in the 2006 Turin Olympics.
"You can't be considered a true men's champion without a quad," the 27-year-old told Russian state television RTR.
Lysacek did not attempt a quadruple jump in either Tuesday's short or Thursday's free programs, instead wowing the judges with artistry and exquisite footwork.
"For someone to stand on top of the podium with the gold medal around his neck by just doing triple jumps, to me it's not progress, it's a regress because we've done triples 10 or even 20 years ago," Plushenko said.
"Just doing nice transitions and being artistic is not enough because figure skating is a sport, not a show," he said.
"Of all the men who had competed tonight, only two -- myself and (Japan's) Takahiko Kozuka (who finished eighth) -- were able to land a clean quad.
"Later, when I saw Kozuka I shook his hand and congratulated him, saying 'Well done'. I also have a lot of respect for (Japan's bronze medalist) Daisuke Takahashi for trying to attempt a quad. That's a sign of a (future) champion."
Deserved gold
Plushenko, who came out of a 3-1/2-year retirement last month, said he was a victim of poor judging.
"I did a great short program but didn't get the marks I deserved. When I asked why they told me I was skating early and they had to retain top marks for the last group," he said.
"Then, in the free program I was the last to skate, did everything clean and still didn't get the marks. I thought I had done enough to get the gold but the judges gave it to someone else."
Most Russian TV analysts and commentators said Plushenko was robbed of a deserved gold by the judges.
When Plushenko walked into the RTR studio in Vancouver, host Alexei Popov presented him with a symbolic medal.
"You already have one gold and one silver so here's a platinum medal for you," Popov told the skater. "You are the real champion."
Another commentator called the decision scandalous, in the same mold as judging controversies at the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics.
"We'd seen this before. In 2002 Irina Slutskaya unfairly was placed second in the short program so that Sarah Hughes could get a better shot at winning the gold," Alexei Vasilyev said.
Russia's Slutskaya, a favorite for the women's title in Salt Lake City, finished second behind American Hughes.
Incensed by what they thought was poor and biased judging, the Russians filed a protest, arguing Slutskaya had skated as well as, if not better than, Hughes. It was rejected.
"So what if Slutskaya lost?" asked the commentator.
"Who now remembers Hughes? Similarly, in a few years' time nobody will remember Lysacek while Plushenko would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time."
-
cekoni - Administrator
- Posts: 24627
- Joined: 03 Jun 2009, 09:19
- Location: Serbia
- Has thanked: 3635 times
- Been thanked: 21292 times
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by Pascalou » 20 Feb 2010, 06:08
"..., in a few years' time nobody will remember Lysacek while Plushenko would go down in history as one of the greatest of all time."
Exactly what i said in another post... So after all... Who cares for Gold in Vancouver... His place in the Pantheon is already secured!
Salut!
-
Pascalou - Posts: 49
- Joined: 19 Feb 2010, 21:45
- Location: Canada
- Has thanked: 0 time
- Been thanked: 0 time
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by Мещера » 20 Feb 2010, 06:13
ЖЕНЯ!!! НИЗКИЙ ПОКЛОН ТЕБЕ ЗА ЭТУ ОЛИМПИАДУ!!! ТЫ ДАЛ МНЕ ВОЗМОЖНОСТЬ ГОРДИТЬСЯ ТЕМ, ЧТО Я ТВОЙ СООТЕЧЕСТВЕННИК! ДА ЕЩЁ И ТВОЙ СОВРЕМЕННИК! ДЛЯ МЕНЯ ВАНКУВЕР-2010 НАВСЕГДА ОСТАНЕТСЯ ОЛИМПИАДОЙ ПЛЮЩЕНКО!!!
- Мещера
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 20 Feb 2010, 06:03
- Has thanked: 0 time
- Been thanked: 0 time
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by cekoni » 20 Feb 2010, 06:15
http://www.nbcolympics.com/olympicpulse ... +breakdown
: Feb 19, 7:04p ET
Lysacek-Plushenko: The Breakdown
The free skate concluded with American Evan Lysacek being crowned the winner and Russia's Yevgeny Plushenkosettling for the silver. Plushenko was gracious on the podium and while posing for pictures, but it soon became clear that Plushenko and his camp were not at all pleased with the result. He removed his silver medal immediately following the awards ceremony and made several contemptuous remarks to the press including "We need quadruples ... that is the future of figure skating. Without the quadruple, is not men's figure skating. Now, it's dancing."
When NBC's Andrea Joyce asked him if he thought he had done enough to win, he immediately, without hesitation, responded, "yes."
But something to consider is that a program is four and a half minutes. A quad takes about 10 seconds to execute (and that's, of course, counting the exaggerated edge set-up and the fist pumping celebration afterwards). So then you have four minutes and twenty seconds left to fill.
There's obviously more to skating than just one jump.
On paper, it seems that the addition of a quad would be a significant advantage. Assuming all else is equal, a quad worth 9.8 points should set you up ahead of your competitors. Turn your quad into a combination, and you get even more points.
Plushenko's quad-triple combination earned him 14.6 points. In contrast, Lysacek's combination, a triple-triple, earned him only 11.4 points, seemingly giving Plushenko an advantage.
But when you look at the points he received on his jumps and compare them to the points Lysacek received on his jumps - the margin was slim.
Why? Two reasons.
The first reason was simply poor planning.
Lysacek was very savvy in playing the judging system to his advantage, strategically placing five of his jumps in the latter half of his program where there are bonus points awarded. Plushenko only did three jumps in the bonus section. Lysacek has been competing consistently for the past four years and has learned how critical it is to understand the rules. He knew to stack his difficulty later in the program to maximize potential points. Plushenko missed the boat on that one.
The second reason came down to shaky landings. There are three phases to a jump that the judges are looking at - the take-off, the air position and the landing. The trouble for Plushenko started in the air. Go back and watch his position in the air - and then go watch Lysacek. Lysacek has his arms wrapped tightly around him and his legs are glued together in the air. This allows him to land smoothly with good speed on the exit.
Plushenko is slightly tilted in the air, which turns into a rocky landing (watch for the ice to fly around his blade when he lands) and with basically no speed. This is where he normally breaks away from the field, tallying major points on his jumps. But because of some uncertain landings, he wasn't able to capitalize on what is typically his strength.
Most skating experts assumed that Lysacek would best Plushenko in the ‘other' stuff - the spins, the transitions, the footwork. And Lysacek did pick up an additional 2.16 points in those areas - but most experts also assumed that Plushenko would trounce Lysacek in jumps because of the strength and consistency of his quad.
But he didn't. He only gained a .3 advantage.
Plushenko didn't take full advantage of his strength. He may have done the quad, but Lysacek simply did everything else better.
But is Plushenko right? Is the judging system getting it wrong because they're awarding artistry over athleticism? And is that moving the sport in the wrong direction?
You decide.
: Feb 19, 7:04p ET
Lysacek-Plushenko: The Breakdown
The free skate concluded with American Evan Lysacek being crowned the winner and Russia's Yevgeny Plushenkosettling for the silver. Plushenko was gracious on the podium and while posing for pictures, but it soon became clear that Plushenko and his camp were not at all pleased with the result. He removed his silver medal immediately following the awards ceremony and made several contemptuous remarks to the press including "We need quadruples ... that is the future of figure skating. Without the quadruple, is not men's figure skating. Now, it's dancing."
When NBC's Andrea Joyce asked him if he thought he had done enough to win, he immediately, without hesitation, responded, "yes."
But something to consider is that a program is four and a half minutes. A quad takes about 10 seconds to execute (and that's, of course, counting the exaggerated edge set-up and the fist pumping celebration afterwards). So then you have four minutes and twenty seconds left to fill.
There's obviously more to skating than just one jump.
On paper, it seems that the addition of a quad would be a significant advantage. Assuming all else is equal, a quad worth 9.8 points should set you up ahead of your competitors. Turn your quad into a combination, and you get even more points.
Plushenko's quad-triple combination earned him 14.6 points. In contrast, Lysacek's combination, a triple-triple, earned him only 11.4 points, seemingly giving Plushenko an advantage.
But when you look at the points he received on his jumps and compare them to the points Lysacek received on his jumps - the margin was slim.
Why? Two reasons.
The first reason was simply poor planning.
Lysacek was very savvy in playing the judging system to his advantage, strategically placing five of his jumps in the latter half of his program where there are bonus points awarded. Plushenko only did three jumps in the bonus section. Lysacek has been competing consistently for the past four years and has learned how critical it is to understand the rules. He knew to stack his difficulty later in the program to maximize potential points. Plushenko missed the boat on that one.
The second reason came down to shaky landings. There are three phases to a jump that the judges are looking at - the take-off, the air position and the landing. The trouble for Plushenko started in the air. Go back and watch his position in the air - and then go watch Lysacek. Lysacek has his arms wrapped tightly around him and his legs are glued together in the air. This allows him to land smoothly with good speed on the exit.
Plushenko is slightly tilted in the air, which turns into a rocky landing (watch for the ice to fly around his blade when he lands) and with basically no speed. This is where he normally breaks away from the field, tallying major points on his jumps. But because of some uncertain landings, he wasn't able to capitalize on what is typically his strength.
Most skating experts assumed that Lysacek would best Plushenko in the ‘other' stuff - the spins, the transitions, the footwork. And Lysacek did pick up an additional 2.16 points in those areas - but most experts also assumed that Plushenko would trounce Lysacek in jumps because of the strength and consistency of his quad.
But he didn't. He only gained a .3 advantage.
Plushenko didn't take full advantage of his strength. He may have done the quad, but Lysacek simply did everything else better.
But is Plushenko right? Is the judging system getting it wrong because they're awarding artistry over athleticism? And is that moving the sport in the wrong direction?
You decide.
-
cekoni - Administrator
- Posts: 24627
- Joined: 03 Jun 2009, 09:19
- Location: Serbia
- Has thanked: 3635 times
- Been thanked: 21292 times
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by cekoni » 20 Feb 2010, 06:20
Feb 19, 6:21p ET
Lysacek won gold, but was Plushenko robbed?
One day after American Evan Lysacek skated to gold in Vancouver, silver medalist Yevgeny Plushenko says he was robbed by the judges.
Plushenko, the defending gold medalist from Torino, had hoped his quad would be enough to convince the judges he deserved to become the first back-to-back Olympic champion in close to sixty years.
Plushenko landed the jump, which is four full spins in the air. Lysacek did not attempt it.
After the medal ceremony, Plushenko told Russian state television RTR that "you can't be considered a true men's champion without a quad."...
Last night, Plushenko was gracious on the podium. But it soon became clear that the Russian was not happy with the result. He removed his silver medal immediately following the awards ceremony.
"We need quadruples ... that is the future of figure skating," Plushenko said. "Without the quadruple, [it's] not men's figure skating. Now it's dancing."
But there's obviously more to a performance than just one jump.
-- Do you agree with Plushenko?
--Is the judging system faulty for awarding artistry over athleticism?
--Or is this just the classic case of sour grapes?
Share your thoughts on the debate in the comments section below.:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/olympicpulse ... nko+robbed
Lysacek won gold, but was Plushenko robbed?
One day after American Evan Lysacek skated to gold in Vancouver, silver medalist Yevgeny Plushenko says he was robbed by the judges.
Plushenko, the defending gold medalist from Torino, had hoped his quad would be enough to convince the judges he deserved to become the first back-to-back Olympic champion in close to sixty years.
Plushenko landed the jump, which is four full spins in the air. Lysacek did not attempt it.
After the medal ceremony, Plushenko told Russian state television RTR that "you can't be considered a true men's champion without a quad."...
Last night, Plushenko was gracious on the podium. But it soon became clear that the Russian was not happy with the result. He removed his silver medal immediately following the awards ceremony.
"We need quadruples ... that is the future of figure skating," Plushenko said. "Without the quadruple, [it's] not men's figure skating. Now it's dancing."
But there's obviously more to a performance than just one jump.
-- Do you agree with Plushenko?
--Is the judging system faulty for awarding artistry over athleticism?
--Or is this just the classic case of sour grapes?
Share your thoughts on the debate in the comments section below.:
http://www.nbcolympics.com/olympicpulse ... nko+robbed
-
cekoni - Administrator
- Posts: 24627
- Joined: 03 Jun 2009, 09:19
- Location: Serbia
- Has thanked: 3635 times
- Been thanked: 21292 times
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by cekoni » 20 Feb 2010, 06:25
Lysacek about Plushy....
Plushenko's comments won't tarnish Lysacek's gold
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-feature ... aceks+gold
Plushenko's comments won't tarnish Lysacek's gold
http://www.nbcolympics.com/news-feature ... aceks+gold
-
cekoni - Administrator
- Posts: 24627
- Joined: 03 Jun 2009, 09:19
- Location: Serbia
- Has thanked: 3635 times
- Been thanked: 21292 times
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by Мещера » 20 Feb 2010, 06:47
Женя! Если после Турина ты вошёл в пантеон Олимпийских Чемпионов, то после Ванкувера Ты стал Исторической Личностью, которые своим масштабом перекрывают само событие (ванкувер-2010)!!!
- Мещера
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 20 Feb 2010, 06:03
- Has thanked: 0 time
- Been thanked: 0 time
Re: Press about Evgeni after LP
by Мещера » 20 Feb 2010, 06:54
И ещё:
фамилии засудей и Лейсячека скоро забудутся... даже на следующей Олимпиаде о них никто не вспомнит! А Женя Плющенко останется в фигурном катании НАВСЕГДА!!!
фамилии засудей и Лейсячека скоро забудутся... даже на следующей Олимпиаде о них никто не вспомнит! А Женя Плющенко останется в фигурном катании НАВСЕГДА!!!
- Мещера
- Posts: 6
- Joined: 20 Feb 2010, 06:03
- Has thanked: 0 time
- Been thanked: 0 time
Return to Ванкувер 2010 || Vancouver 2010
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 8 guests
Евгений Плющенко©
