It absolutely was moments following the women’s Olympic figure skating competition and Stojko have reveal consequences layer in hand. The guy started initially to tick down, element by component, precisely why the guy experienced Adelina Sotnikova of Russia deserved to beat protecting champ Yuna Kim of Southern Korea and Carolina Kostner of Italy.
a�?Adelina came loaded,a�? Stojko mentioned. a�?Did another two have more gorgeous skating? Definitely. But it’s a hobby, this was actually totally fair.a�?
S. female moved without a medal in consecutive Olympics for first time since 1948
It was no surprise that Stojko, a two-time OIympic gold medalist from Canada recognized for his athleticism, might have these an opinion about a result sure to be one of the most debateable and debated in figure skating’s checkered judging records.
His feeling that Sotnikova have made her surprise triumph Thursday in accordance with the math for the rating program is provided by a number of other previous skaters, including Olympic medalists Philippe Candeloro of France and Paul Wylie for the United States.
But even they had questions about the judging, which smelled of room cooking to sate a roaring Russian crowd during the Iceberg Skating Palace.
a�?There isn’t an issue with the end result, other than the [margin] from it,a�? Wylie said. a�?The expectations happened to be these were likely to crown Queen Yuna one last time, when it don’t reach move, it is similar, a�?just how did that happen?’a�?
Sotnikova, 17, ninth in just last year’s world championships, turned into this lady country’s first Olympic women’s singles champion by 5.48 points over Kim. The Russian’s mix of large leaps, rate and electricity generated the scenario for strengthening that margin in technical marks, also it brought the evaluator to obtain overly enthusiastic so she failed to miss they on ingredient results.
a�?The results receive by judges,a�? Kim stated 
. a�?I’m not inside the correct situation to touch upon it. There is nothing which will alter with my phrase.a�?
Sotnikova done with things to for Kim. Kostner ended up being 3rd at . The three had opted inside free of charge skate divided by lower than a time.
a�?Maybe Yuna didn’t get sufficient things inside quick plan simply because they didn’t want to repeat exactly what have took place in Vancouver, in which we understood before the free skate who was likely to winnings,a�? Candeloro stated.
Gracie Gold from the U.S. got next, with teammates Ashley Wagner and Polina Edmunds seventh and ninth. It meant the U.
Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya, 15, who had become a major international sensation on her behalf brilliant skating within the group event, decrease in both singles software and finished fifth.
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The Overseas Skating Union has established a scoring system so mathematically intricate truly incomprehensible. Furthermore, it permits judging and technical sections for big conflicts of great interest (one assess on Thursday’s board, Alla Shekhovtseva, was partnered into the previous Russian Skating Federation chairman) you need to include cheaters (another with the judges, Yuri Balkov of Ukraine, was suspended for his character in prejudging a meeting.)
a�?I found myselfn’t sure I comprehended because I discover much quality in Yuna, and I see a young girl in Adelina with unrefined minutes,a�? Browning stated. a�?But i do believe I found myself smart adequate to remain true and look at the markings before we said something.a�?
Browning saw clear explanations for precisely why Sotnikova’s technical marks happened to be 5.85 things much better than Kim’s, such as the southern area Korean getting lower base principles on a spin and a maneuvering series. Exactly what perplexed him are just how Sotnikova’s part scores Thursday could possibly be nearly nine things more than her average ingredient scores in four earlier competitions this coming year.
Sotnikova made one little technical blunder, a two-footed landing about third leap in a combination, that she ended up being penalized.
a�?I became awaiting the issues she often helps make, and she never ever generated all of them,a�? mentioned 1984 Olympic winner Scott Hamilton, commentating for NBC.
a�?we checked what sort of aspect rating (formula) become written, and Adelina monitors off every container. It is not as great looking as Yuna or Carolina, but she really does everything the evaluator want.a�?
Sotnikova’s free skate revealed even more sophistication than their helter-skelter brief system, no matter if she hammed it right at the end with a trend within judges. They acknowledged that with the second highest complimentary skate get ever.