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Mel's Weekly#8: November 16, 2004I suppose I have a couple stories of personal interest to report on for this week. Last weekend, at Cup of China, Canada took home a medal in each event. Two of them were expected, but two belong to stars on the rise, their first on the Grand Prix. I couldn't be more proud. I try to stay objective on this website, but those who know me know that I have strong loyalties to Canadian skaters, although I am American. In fact, my very favourite eligible skaters are the Canadian national pairs champions, Valérie Marcoux & Craig Buntin. In their third season on the Grand Prix circuit, their third season together, their second event of the season, they walked away with the bronze medal. I first saw them skate last year at the Four Continents Championship, another bronze medal performance. Like that performance, this weekend's long program also had some problems, but I am always so pleased to see them improving. Another medal hit even closer to home for me. Joannie Rochette, the bronze medal winner in the ladies' event is a friend of one of my friends, so I have had the opportunity to spend some time with her. Her determined spirit and dedication to bringing the best she can to every performance has won me over and it was thrilling to see her put together two beautiful programs to walk away with a medal in a well-skated event. Those gushes aside, I am still troubled by the way that the components scores in the Code of Points are being treated. With each competition, it is more apparent that the judges are using them as simply placeholders, never differentiating between the individual categories. Each competition, the fans make the same observations. Every week, we analyze the protocol sheets and try to understand why the judges are allowed to use the components scores in this manner. Each time, we come up short. Why are the judges still judging in this way? Why are they not following the rules? Doesn't anyone else care? I am pleased that Code of Points rewards the all-around skater by giving more consideration to spins, lifts, and footwork, but it seems that skaters who do not have many transitions are being rewarded in that area if they simply have a name, and of course, the reverse is true for lesser-known skaters who work hard to beef up their choreography. Why not be more obvious about it and simply create a column for "RP" - "Reputation?" Archives -- Contact -- Features -- Guestbook -- Links (c)2004-7 Melanie L. Hoyt All rights reserved. |