2026 Worlds Womens SP PBP - The Unbearable Shiteness of e-ing

[Cachoo]

I know we circle this a lot but Amber doesn’t really excel in any of the PCS like the Japanese skaters do. She skates quite slow and careful, and you can really see it in her step sequence approach. Composition of program is super light also, starting with that 10 second back edge waiting to go into the 3A.

Mone Chiba’s skating skills are out of this world. Seriously. She can fly around the rink after the most simple turn. And her composition of program is much, much higher.

I enjoy Chiba truly. But I am waiting for more adult programs for her. She's a lovely Juliet but it feels junior to me.

 

[Lanie]

Amber seemed quite slow and never really got into the program but I think that’s always the thing with her, she is thinking so much that she can’t enjoy being out there skating her programs.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

She skates quite slow

You always say that, and most say the opposite of what you say. Johnny and Tara constantly say how she flies around on the ice, sometimes even almost causing accidents in warm-ups and practices.

I don’t know why you’re always saying that about Amber.

If I could tell one person who is new to skating something about Amber, I would say she’s one of the faster skaters and then you’re always saying that she’s not. Now if you want slow, take a look at Levito, Pinzzy and I can go on and on.

All you ever hear from the commentators how Amber is flying around the ice, I believe Word for Word.

Sometimes it can be quite difficult to have a conversation with someone who is a Japanese Uber fan about skaters from non Japanese countries.

I don’t know …. some of these Japanese skaters still seem like very very junior skaters to me. I just can’t get into them I like the grown-ups.

 

[MacMadame]

I decided on sleep over watching live. Peacock wouldn't let me rewind past about the halfway mark so I came in in the middle of Julia Sauter and missed her mistake. I intend to watch all the qualifiers. Is there anyone who didn't qualify that is worth watching?

 

[Jayar]

I will never understand why one athlete can flutz and get called for it and another does a full on flip as a Lutz and gets +4s.

 

[Debbie S]

Amber flies around the ice during practices. She doesn't always fly during the actual competition. At Nats, she did, but I could tell even on my Peacock screen that she was skating slower here than she did there. I hope she can skate the FS with the speed she is capable of.

I don't object to Mone and Kaori as the top 2, but I don't think their scores should be that many points higher than Amber/Isabeau.

 

[Cachoo]

What do you think of Niina Petrokina? I know she had a flaw in the short but she has this main character energy for me. Like Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"---determined, strong, sometimes unsure but always interesting.

 

[skateboy]

I haven't seen any of the competition yet.

Was Kaori overscored and flutz overlooked as usual?

 

[MacMadame]

I haven't seen any of the competition yet.

Was Kaori overscored

Not really

and flutz overlooked as usual?

Yes

 

[her grace]

Glenn’s skates and speed is variable. When she tightens up, she moves slowly. When she’s skating freely, she has nice speed. It depends on which Glenn shows up.

 

[mtnskater]

Managed to watch the final two groups of women. I’m loving how clear and loud the music is coming through on Peacock. Has Prague mic’d the music? Anyway it’s great to really hear the music on TV…makes programs so much more enjoyable. I am definitely not motivated to get up early to watch skating after being so glued to the Olympics every moment. Or motivated to watch all the skaters from start to finish

My favorites tonight were Levito and Pinzarrone. Beautiful finish and line and lovely interpretation and movements integrated with the music and seamless skating. Very impressed with Isabeau’s upgraded combo!!

Kaori was rock solid. Deserved first for sure. Her skating is so effortless. I’ve given up on her lutz being properly scored. The judges clearly want to give her the title here. And with the points cushion she has, I think it will happen.

Amber was visibly nervous and a bit shaky but pulled out a pretty good, mostly clean skate. Very happy with her placement and that she is in good position to medal.

Mone was really on! I didn’t think she was nearly 5 points better than Isabeau, Amber or Nina though. I love her final spin.

Sarah Everhardt was a bit lowballed given the power of her technical content, excellent jumps and difficulty of her program relative to others with glaring mistakes. She does need more refinement and to focus on keeping her posture.

Don’t really get the high scores for Gubanova. OTOH I find Samodelkina delightful even if her program and choreography are a bit simple.

 

[viennese]

The arena is beautiful and the sound system is tops! Guess that’s using a dedicated venue over a skating rink for you.
They’ve gone all out with the LED displays although I heard that some of the skaters found this distracting during practice yesterday.

Watching Peacock, the LED displays on the boards are way too bright compared to the house lights and there's a visible flicker from the refresh rate being too low. I can cover my eyes during slow motion replays when it hits even worse.

This kind of lighting/ad boards can bring on migraines in some people and I guess I'm one of them.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Not really

Yes

That is a contradiction. A skater is, by definition, over scored in GOE if the flaws that cap GOE are not taken into consideration/called.

 

[MacMadame]

That is a contradiction. A skater is, by definition, over scored in GOE if the flaws that cap GOE are not taken into consideration/called.

I knew someone would say that. FSU is so predictable.

She was not consistently given too high GOE for many, if not all, elements and her PCS were not inflated. So IMO she was not overscored.

It was one element where a technical issue was not called. The judges don't control that. Also, even if it had been, she'd still be in first (assuming Mone's similar mistake was also called).

 

[victorskid]

Blame the Judging Panel

Women - Short Program

Panel of Judges

Function Name Nation Referee Mr. Robert ROSENBLUTH ISU Technical Controller Ms. Yukiko OKABE ISU Technical Specialist Ms. Jae Eun CHUNG ISU Technical Specialist Ms. Annemie de PRETER ISU Judge No.1 Mr. Matthew MILLER ISU Judge No.2 Ms. Mami MAEDA ISU Judge No.3 Mr. Glenn FORTIN ISU Judge No.4 Ms. Marjo KANKAANRANTA ISU Judge No.5 Mr. Albert ZAYDMAN ISU Judge No.6 Ms. Marina BESCHEA ISU Judge No.7 Mr. Espen Rotterud RUNAS ISU Judge No.8 Mr. Tobias STEINDL ISU Judge No.9 Mr. Massimo ORLANDINI ISU Data Operator Mr. Zoltan JANOSI ISU Replay Operator Ms. Agnieszka SWIDERSKA ISU

 

[kwanfan1818]

It was one element where a technical issue was not called. The judges don't control that. Also, even if it had been, she'd still be in first (assuming Mone's similar mistake was also called).

The judges have no control over calling, but they have control over applying deductions that they can see, and this has been an issue for years.

You can have not issue with them order. I have issues with the gap that overscoring has created. Similarly with Chiba. Whether Chiba is underscored and/or others are overscored in skating skills is another issue, but I wasn’t there and can’t tell from video.

 

[Matryeshka]

I think the top four are pretty correct. I would flip Amber and Isabeau personally, but I also can see why Amber is ahead.

I think Sarah and Sofia were underscored relative to what she did compared to those above her. I think Belgium Nina and Ami were slightly overscored comparative to others. I don't feel like Anastasiia was over scored per se, but I think she's too high in the standings. But you know it was a well-skated event, and I don't care if the judges were lenient or strict with their calls so long as they are consistent, and I think they were. Judges are tired, they know the skaters are tired, and they were definitely more forgiving than they were at the Olys. Overall, I think the judging was good.

 

[her grace]

Congrats to Amber on her first world championship small medal!

 

[Miezekatze]

Watching Peacock, the LED displays on the boards are way too bright compared to the house lights and there's a visible flicker from the refresh rate being too low. I can cover my eyes during slow motion replays when it hits even worse.

This kind of lighting/ad boards can bring on migraines in some people and I guess I'm one of them.

Haein Lee mentioned the LEDs being very bright when she was interviewed backstage after her skate on Eurosport, but the German Eurosport guy was badly translating over her words, so I couldn’t really hear whether she meant it to be as a distraction or whether she say just pointing it out as unusual.

 

[Sally1214]

I loved the pro comps, I would much rather pay for a ticket for a competition like that than stars on ice.

100%. Would prefer the pro competitions ANY day.

 

[PRlady]

Nina and Isabeau are the two I constantly go on rants about being underscored PCS-wise, so I’m pretty thrilled with these results.

Amber got a bit of a benefit IMO.

Now that I’ve watched most of last groups, ITA. Nina absolutely performs her music and Isabeau is a close second. Kaori is in a class of her own. I also think there’s too many points between Chiba and the Americans despite her exquisite skating skills; may she please get some grownup choreo next year.

Of the others, Sofia wuzrobbed, again. I know her skating is retro and she has to contort herself more through her spins and steps to get higher levels, but PCS still too low.

 

[Lanie]

Kristen Spours posted on instagram that her dad passed away today

 

[Sally1214]

Kristen Spours posted on instagram that her dad passed away today

Oh, how terribly sad for her.

 

[Karen-W]

Kristen Spours posted on instagram that her dad passed away today

Oh, what terrible news. I'm so glad he was able to see her skate in the Olympics.

 

[tangerine dream]

Kristen Spours posted on instagram that her dad passed away today

Condolences to her and her family. What a blessing that he was able to see her live at Euros in Sheffield. As injured as she has been I doubt she will ever regret the decision to skate this season.

 

[jenny12]

Amber seemed quite slow and never really got into the program but I think that’s always the thing with her, she is thinking so much that she can’t enjoy being out there skating her programs.

I like Amber a lot but her step sequences really expose that. She doesn’t seem to have nearly the flow on that element that the other top women have.

 

[peibeck]

After watching tonight, I don't have any issue with the top 4, though I'd say there's a good case for Isabeau to be in third. I find Chiba's jumps pretty small in comparison to Kaori's, even with Kaori's edge issues. Mone's spins are excellent, but I never believe what's she's trying to sell me. She's no sultry Donna Summer or a passionate Juliet, to my eye.

Nakai's PCS seem a bit high considering the error, and her interpretation of the piece is totally wrong and has been all season. La Strada is about a girl who's sold by her mother to an abusive douche to be his "assistant." Not a happy, smiley kind of movie.

I like quirky Gutmann's SP, but as far as great skating skills and speed...? Eh, not so much. I'd have her a few spots lower.

Samodelkina's retro SP was again underscored. And I'd have given Haein Lee more of a PCS boost.

I adore Pinzaronne, despite the horrid Susan Boyle interpretation of "Send in the Clowns," so I'm thrilled for her.

 

[Coco]

Isabeau lost a level on a spin upon review and had another called as a 3 in real time, 0.9 point loss in BV. But even with that, it wouldn't have been outrageous for her to be ahead of Amber.

 

[skatfan]

Has the women’s SP replay already been pulled by Peacock - saw something about on @Threads and I’m not finding it. If they are really pulling after 12 hours, those of us who work and have a big time difference are really screwed.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The ISU channel is available in Mexico.