Something I've noticed while reading
Technical Requirements for International Novice Competitions for the 2024/25 Season is that the following changes to jump combination/sequences in a Well-Balanced Free Skating program apply to all of the Novice disciplines:
There may be up to
- two (2) jump combinations or
- one (1) jump combination without using an Euler (half-loop) 1) and one (1) jump sequence.
One jump combination or jump sequence can consist of up to three (3) jumps, the other up to two (2) jumps.
Now we have not seen any official word on whether there wil be changes to a Well-Balanced Free Skating program with respect ot jump layout on the Junior/Senior division. But we know that there has been word around that the ISU is also planning to reduce the number of jumps in a Well-Balanced Free Skating program for Junior/Senior from 7 to 6 as well. The natural question is, whether the ISU technical committee is also considering this new "2 jump combinations or 1 non-Euler combination+1 jump sequence" rule in Novice comps to Junior/Senior as well. If so, this has some far-reaching implications.
From now on I'll be talking as if the 6 jump elements, 2 jump combo rule will apply for certain (which to be fair we don't know will be the case). Note that this rule would imply that the maximum number of jumps one can do in the Free Skate would be
- One 3-jump element
- One 2-jump element
- Four solo jump elements
This means the number of individual jumps is down to 3x1+2x1+1x4=9. (The easiest way to see this is that there is one 2-jump element gone from the equation)
For most of the Elite Senior Women these days, being able to do 5 out of 6 types of triple jumps is standard, in the absence of a Triple Axel or Quad(s). 2 out of 5 types of triple jumps can be repeated.
This means the optimal individual jump composition for most Women will be 7 triple jumps + 2 Double Axels, and nothing else. Back when there was an extra jump combination allowed, the skaters would usually involve some kind of connecting double jump, usually in the form of +2T or +2Lo, within their layout, this was inevitable unless you did some of the higher jump content AND could do demanding combinations.
Now there is no room to do a non-Axel double jump without taking a noticeable cut to base value. So despite there being one less jump combination which may seem like a load off from the skater, this is actually a deceptively discerning technical rule change.
The biggest implication of this will be that it becomes really
important being able to do 7 triples i.e.
5 out of 6 types of triple jumps. Since if one cannot, one has to waste a jump slot on a double jump during a combination, when other top Women aren't.
Also,
+2A+2A sequences continue to become lucrative for Women if this rule applies to Junior/Senior, b/c it seems skaters find jump combinations entirely composed of double axel and triple jumps rather difficult. The alternative is a jump sequence with an Euler (one that involves both connecting Axels and Euler), but I'm not sure if many will go down this path.
For Men (and Women with higher technical content), the next step will be get rid of progressively easier jumps within this list and replace them with Triple Axel(s) and Quad(s). Ideally one would start subsituting away double axel(s) first, but in order to do so, one should be able to do the more difficult jump combinations/sequences. Triple Axel Sequences will become particularly lucrative as it will more manageably allow skaters to do away with double axels and maybe some of the easier triple jumps. Alternatively, Euler+Flip combinations are back in the menu, as no longer are Euler combinations burdened by needing to waste a jump slot on a 1Eu which has the base value of a Single Loop since it no longer is a listed jump. Some may go down the path of 3-3-3 or 4-3-3 combinations, if they can. (I wonder if any will go for a quad as the connecting jump of a combination at some point) And along the same lines, performing a double jump in combination will be a significant cut to base value, though tbf I think most men except for the top few will find it technically demanding to optimize jump layout within what they can execute b/c of the demands of needing to do jump combinations/sequences entirely consisting of triple jumps.
Note also that if this rule indeed applies in the form of the skater being allowed 2 jump combos or 1 non-Euler combo+1 sequence (the particular wording is important), this means
one of the jump combinations need to be a 'standard' jump combination, optimally involving a +3T or maybe +3Lo. This means Women for instance can't just circumvent having to do a connecting +3T or +3Lo with an Euler combination or +2A+2A+SEQ as they have been able to do for the past two seasons while still doing a near-optimal jump layout.
Overall, IF the specified new rule for Novice comps were to also apply to Junior/Senior,
the challenge for skaters will be performing the more difficult jumps compactly within their jump layout, minimizing the loss of points by ideally excluding double jumps entirely from their layout. This in turn incentizes going for difficulty in jump combinations. This has already been a thing for the Men though will become more pronounced, and will sharply discern between the technical content of Women than the past few seasons.
But we'll have to see how the rules end up getting worded and whether they pass, and whether they will actually remove a jump combination from the Well-Balanced Free Skate for Junior/Senior as some speculated. I can also see this not happening, b/c if they delete a jump combination from Junior/Senior then there is no difference in # of jumps performed between Advanced Novice, Junior and Senior in a well-balanced Free Skating program.
Can we remove the illusion out of the layback as a feature next?
Good news for you I guess? Quoting the
Level of Difficulty communication in Singles & Pairs for the upcoming season
Windmill (illusion) is considered as a difficult movement for a feature only if it reaches close to a split position (at least 135 degrees). It can be awarded as a feature for spins only once in a program. Windmill is no longer considered as a difficult entry or exit.
.
Or maybe the French flip since Surya and Adam are both French, lol.
That's not what was happening with Hanyu's attempts. They clearly had more rotation in them than the average 3A, and therefore the 4A<< calls (and the eventual 4A< call) were valid.
