“In the Loop” is a column by Valerie Fang dedicated to the sport of figure skating.
Last week, the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, the second to last major international competition of this season, took place in Saitama, Japan. Most skaters have polished their programs with all the previous competitions and performed best on the Worlds’ ice. To be honest, there were simply too many memorable moments. But these skates, in particular, stuck out to me, and their scoring and receptions may shed light on where the skaters are headed.
First, 4A landed at Worlds — Ilia Malinin, the rising figure skating star from the United States, became the first person ever to land a quad axel at the Worlds with an amazing height of 0.84 meters. This jump has a base value of 12.5 and scored a grade of execution (GOE) of 0.36. Although the 4A is recognized as a quad, it is significantly more difficult than all the other jumps in the same category. So I think it is somewhat unfair that it does not have a higher base value. For example, the base value of a quad Lutz is 11.5, which is only one point lower than the quad axel. In the case of Ilia Malinin, his combined score can be surpassed by a triple axle with a nice enough GOE (provided that it is put in the program’s second half and has an increased base value of 8.8 under the 10% bonus rule). Having enough rotations is always the foundation and first step to everything. Still, I hope in the next season, Malinin can refine the execution of this jump (and please fix that landing position) and his artistic expressiveness. Nonetheless, we can let it go for a few days and congratulate the 18-year-old on making this achievement. At least on the technical side, it seems like how far Ilia Malinin pushes himself equals how much the sport of figure skating can evolve.
But quads are not everything — While some figure skaters might not have six different quads under their belt, they can still triumph with their artistry and stability of other jumps. My favorite program from the Worlds is Gladiator, skated by Kevin Aymoz. Aymoz had only one quad-toe loop in the opening of his program, but just as the soundtrack’s title suggested, I think he most vividly embodied the strength and spirit of a fighter. The commentator at CBC Sports and an international caller for multiple Olympic Games, Belinda Noonan, said this program was more like “when art and sport collide.” Aymoz could weave his sensibility into his movements and then express it through clean and stable execution. It echoed Hanyu Yuzuru’s famous statement that “artistry is founded upon absolute technical prowess,” at least in figure skating. And more importantly, Aymoz’s performance was able to stir up something in our hearts by the end. During those four minutes, his figure on the rink almost overlapped with the gladiator from the movie — both facing a fateful fight in their lives while the world is spectating. 168.42 had been his season’s best coming into the free skate, and he needed to beat 184.49 to come on top. He eventually scored a new season-best of 187.41. What could be more touching than witnessing an athlete push their limits and go beyond? This is, for sure, a masterpiece I will go back to from time to time.
Will this be Kaori Sakamoto’s last World title? — In a time when most skaters, including the junior women, are pushing for more quad jumps, Sakamoto’s second World title seems to be sending the message that being well-rounded is what eventually carries you to the mountaintop. But we live in turbulent times and more changes are coming to women’s figure skating. This morning, I woke up to the news that the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued official recommendations that would allow Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in international competitions again. A whole other article is required to dissect the total mess, IOC’s hypocrisy and what it means specifically for figure skating, but it is basically set in stone that the Russian girls are coming back, along with their high level of technicality and artistic representation (I, in fact, think Alexandra Trusova is racing Ilia Melinin to become the first skater to land a quintuple jump.). Just thinking back to when the Russian skaters dominated the podium before the ban, I think Sakamoto needs to watch out and make necessary adjustments to her program layout and general scoring strategy. And let’s not rule out the possibility of her joining the quads club since she once stated that she felt the pressure to do quad jumps to keep up with the Russians.
The takeaway from the Worlds this year for both the audience and certain skaters is that it is not wise to pile all the chips on the (quad) jumps. Again, we are reminded of the nature of figure skating, which always requires athletes to find the right balance between athleticism and artistry with their limited stamina.
“In the Loop” runs every other Tuesday.