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Federation to look into dance judging
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- The International Skating Union recognizes the problems in ice dancing and plans to do something about them at its congress in June.ISU president Ottavio Cinquanta said Friday "it is mandatory that we give more specific guidelines to judge the event."
Ice dancing was heavily criticized at the Olympics, where the results seemed predetermined. In most dance events, not just the Olympics, there is almost no movement in the standings from compulsories to the free dance. Two-time Olympic champions Pasha Grishuk and Yevgeny Platov won 22 straight competitions, unlikely in any other discipline.
"One remark that was made which we must acknowledge and we cannot deny was that the results of ice dance is too stable," Cinquanta said. "It is a competitive sport, but we gave instructions to our advisory committee to consider ways to make it a more competitive sport."
Among the dozens of proposals involving ice dancing are ones to change the importance of each portion. As of now, each of two compulsory dances is worth 10 percent of the total score, with the origial dance worth 30 percent and the free dance 50 percent.
Also being considered is a system for judging specific maneuvers in ice dancing. Because it does not have precise jumps or lifts as in pairs, ice dance judging is far more subjective.
"We are on a good track," Cinquanta said. "I can declare we have done substantial progress and are confident we will be able to give ice dance more specific rules. There are not a sufficient number of references, especially in the free dance, which means too much subjectiveness.
"But we also have to leave judges the possibility to give different interpretations."
The ISU congress at Stockholm also will discuss the use of instant replay in judging, one of 656 proposals on the agenda for figure skating, ice dancing and speedskating. Cinquanta did not specify how replay would be used.
Asked about opening the Olympics and World Championships to all skaters, Cinquanta blamed the ineligible athletes for an unwillingness to show up at sanctioned events.
"We have open international competitions for eligible, ineligible ... but it is difficult to organize the event because the ineligibles don't want to participate," he said. "We are able to organize an open international competition to show who is the best, the skaters who are with us or the others who left the ISU. But the others do not want to skate or enter with ISU rules and ISU judges."
Ineligible skaters include those who compete in nonsanctioned events such as the World Professional Figure Skating Championships. Such stars as Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Kurt Browning and Kristi Yamaguchi fall into that category.
"We have done things in the last four years, such as add prize money, set up the Grand Prix (Champions Series)," Cinquanta said. "This is more than a message; this is a fact. It is up to the skaters to read the lines, then read between the lines. And after that, if they want to quit, I think they make a mistake.
"It is very simple. The ISU has rules, members and judges, and organizes championships. The talent decides to leave this area and not compete anymore in the area he has become champion. We tell him, 'Do what you wish, but you can not leave the area, not accept our judges or go skate with another organization. You have to respect our decision to protect our sport and our rules.' "