Dear Sochi, We Can See Your Score Tampering
Staff Reporter, Hilary Lai
![Picture](/uploads/2/3/6/9/23693713/5055614.jpg?442)
Ever since the Sochi 2014 Olympics, the controversy of the women's skating program has long been plastered on the front pages of news articles. When Adelina Sotnikova stood on the podium to receive her gold medal opposed to former reigning queen Yuna Kim, thousands of viewers around the world protested in outrage against the result. Some even took to online petitions in hopes of somehow reversing the seemingly unjust outcomes that had transpired at the event. Figure skating experts pored over the scores, intensively scrutinizing every move and deduction. It was evident that among the experts, however, that the only thing they could all agree on was to disagree. Was Sotnikova really worthy of first place in the women’s skating event or was there some form of settlement within the judges' table that granted her that position? Was the women’s skating
Yuna Kim (left), Adelina Sotnikova (center), Carolina Kostner (right)
program truly a site of integrity and honest evaluations or was it one of filthy politics and biased opinions? The facts are so incriminating that the latter of the two must be correct.
Let’s go by the assumption that both Kim and Sotnikova had their faults in the more ambiguous area that is the component scores - the grades based on creativity and execution. There is no mistaking that Sotnikova messed up in her triple lutz-triple toe combination (which we all could indubitably spot in her routine), but was the difficulty level of her performance high enough to admit her an error and allow her to proceed to win the gold medal?
Yuna Kim (left), Adelina Sotnikova (center), Carolina Kostner (right)
program truly a site of integrity and honest evaluations or was it one of filthy politics and biased opinions? The facts are so incriminating that the latter of the two must be correct.
Let’s go by the assumption that both Kim and Sotnikova had their faults in the more ambiguous area that is the component scores - the grades based on creativity and execution. There is no mistaking that Sotnikova messed up in her triple lutz-triple toe combination (which we all could indubitably spot in her routine), but was the difficulty level of her performance high enough to admit her an error and allow her to proceed to win the gold medal?
The base scores on their routines had a whopping 3.8 difference, but considering the shaky landing during her triple lutz, the blunder should have easily bridged the gap between their scores. Others argue that Sotnikova's extra triple jump pushed her over the edge to claim the title but how could one triple jump account for a 5 point difference in their final scores? The problem doesn’t only lie in the fact that Sotnikova was awarded gold over the clear winner, Kim; it’s that Sotnikova won by such a large inequality. The artistry displayed by Sotnikova in the games was not even within spitting distance to Kim’s caliber. To make matters more suspicious, her routine in free skate that pulled her ahead to first place was almost 20 points above her season’s best and only 0.11 points below Kim’s legendary Vancouver 2010 skate. In addition, Sotnikova and Yulia from Russia, who are both known to commit the deadly sin of a flutz in figure skating (where the blade is skated on the wrong edge in a lutz), were given a free pass while points were docked off for Kim and several other figure skaters.
Now stepping away from the technicalities, let’s take a look at the suspect figures behind the decision. After all, where did these shady numbers originate from anyway? It’s already been established that one of the judges is the wife of the director of the Russian Skating Federation. If that’s not enough, one of the other judges was caught in the middle of a score fixing scandal back in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Despite the fact he was suspended from judging for a year and had tarnished his reputation, he was clearly up to the task to return once again only a decade later.
The way the scoring works is that the highest and lowest scores of each skater are tossed in order to prevent score manipulations. However, these results could have very easily been swayed in favour of the Russian figure skater. Even if the highest and lowest scores are removed, a judge submitting very high scores could still help to guarantee the inclusion of other high scores that other judges could have submitted.
After the 2002 Olympics, the ISU (International Skating Union) vowed to make the judging system less susceptible to collusion by allowing votes and scores to be anonymous. Thus, none of the scores disclosed to the public would appear with a name on them. Still, the fact of the matter is that by resorting to this solution, it only leaves the risk of judging to revert back to a case of repeated history. The problem with anonymity is that we, as viewers can’t see what goes on behind closed doors.
This isn’t the first appearance of controversy during the Sochi Olympics. Just two weeks prior, the decision to crown Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White as the newfound victorious duo in the ice dancing event had been a cause for complaints from Canadians believing the title should have gone to former winners, Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Although their skills were almost evenly matched, as many experts had pointed out, many sided with Virtue and Moir to rise to the occasion again in 2014 because of their impeccable ability to captivate the audience with their flawless performance. Strangely enough, marks were taken off from Virtue and Moir for a certain sequence, the Finnstep, that both groups had to perform, and in which Davis and White achieved a perfect score. Interestingly, the very creator of the Finnstep soon voiced his opinion, saying that Virtue and Moir had executed the move better than Davis and White. There was also speculation in a French newspaper column weeks before the Olympics that Russia and America had formed an agreement that Russia would win in the team skate while America would be awarded gold in the ice dance. And surprise surprise. What was reported on print became a reality on the stadium.
Now stepping away from the technicalities, let’s take a look at the suspect figures behind the decision. After all, where did these shady numbers originate from anyway? It’s already been established that one of the judges is the wife of the director of the Russian Skating Federation. If that’s not enough, one of the other judges was caught in the middle of a score fixing scandal back in the 1998 Nagano Olympics. Despite the fact he was suspended from judging for a year and had tarnished his reputation, he was clearly up to the task to return once again only a decade later.
The way the scoring works is that the highest and lowest scores of each skater are tossed in order to prevent score manipulations. However, these results could have very easily been swayed in favour of the Russian figure skater. Even if the highest and lowest scores are removed, a judge submitting very high scores could still help to guarantee the inclusion of other high scores that other judges could have submitted.
After the 2002 Olympics, the ISU (International Skating Union) vowed to make the judging system less susceptible to collusion by allowing votes and scores to be anonymous. Thus, none of the scores disclosed to the public would appear with a name on them. Still, the fact of the matter is that by resorting to this solution, it only leaves the risk of judging to revert back to a case of repeated history. The problem with anonymity is that we, as viewers can’t see what goes on behind closed doors.
This isn’t the first appearance of controversy during the Sochi Olympics. Just two weeks prior, the decision to crown Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White as the newfound victorious duo in the ice dancing event had been a cause for complaints from Canadians believing the title should have gone to former winners, Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. Although their skills were almost evenly matched, as many experts had pointed out, many sided with Virtue and Moir to rise to the occasion again in 2014 because of their impeccable ability to captivate the audience with their flawless performance. Strangely enough, marks were taken off from Virtue and Moir for a certain sequence, the Finnstep, that both groups had to perform, and in which Davis and White achieved a perfect score. Interestingly, the very creator of the Finnstep soon voiced his opinion, saying that Virtue and Moir had executed the move better than Davis and White. There was also speculation in a French newspaper column weeks before the Olympics that Russia and America had formed an agreement that Russia would win in the team skate while America would be awarded gold in the ice dance. And surprise surprise. What was reported on print became a reality on the stadium.
If not for the politics involved, Kim would have been a shoo-in for gold, Kostner would come in second, and Sotnikova would have probably received bronze. Unfortunately, not only did Kim and Kostner lose out, but for the rest of her skating career, Sotnikova will probably be left to question whether she won under her own merit or if she was simply a pawn in the corrupt, debauched realm that figure skating has become. She won’t be known as “the girl who undoubtedly fought her way to the top through her own skill” but as “The girl who robbed Yuna Kim of her medal.” What a shame.
We'll let you decide.
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