Detailed Breakdown of my Freestyle Scores from Nationals
Last week I shared with you that I earned 22.22 points in my Gold Freestyle program at Adult Nationals. Today I’d like to break that down so you can see what elements I executed and how those points were earned.
Here is the video, as a reference.
And here is my protocol, which is a fancy way of saying score sheet.
The top section lists out my executed elements, so here is how to interpret the marks.
- SSp2: I did a sit spin, with two difficult variations (cannonball position and back tuck), so I earned a Level 2 spin. Four judges gave me a ‘1,’ which means that I did it better than average, so I earned a positive Grade of Execution (GOE). For this spin, I earned a total of 1.90 points.
- 1A<+1T: This is my axel-toe loop combination. The < symbol means it was underrotated, so that is why you see negative numbers in the judges’ scores. I got negative GOE, so I earned 0.80 points for this combination.
- 1Lz+1Lo (e): The ‘e’ means that I took off on the wrong edge, so I performed a flip instead of a lutz (skaters call these “flutzes”). I got negative GOE because I flutzed and earned 0.94 points.
- 1S: My single salchow. I earned the base level for this and got 0.40 points
- ChSq1: Choreographic sequence. Judges didn’t like this as much, so I got negative GOE and earned 1.70 points
- CSSpB: Change foot sit spin, base level. I was hoping for a Level 2 spin since I had two “features” on this element. But, my coach said that I didn’t get low enough on the back sit spin to count, and I didn’t fully complete the 3-turn going into it. That is great to know so I can fix this for the next time.
- 1Lz+1T+1Lo: My lutz-toe loop-loop combination. I know I botched this, and that is why you see negative GOE and an ‘e’ for taking off on the wrong edge. Regardless, I earned 1.41 points.
- 1F: Single flip. It was as expected, so I earned 0.55 points
- CCoSpB: Change foot combination spin, base level. I was hoping for positive GOE on this, but I guess I didn’t deliver. I earned 1.46 points.
In the lower section of the score sheet, the judges ranked me on my skating skills and execution. My scores were in the 1 and 2 ranges, which isn’t that great. I need to make my transitions more difficult and emote more energy and “sell” the program better. Those are definitely things I can work on, and hopefully they will improve with time.
The woman who placed first in my event earned 33.06 points, so I still have a ways to go. But, it’s been a wonderful learning experience and now I have information on what I need to improve. The top skaters earned about 14 points in the technical elements (I earned 10.64), so I am not too far behind with my jumps and spins. I need to improve the most in my skating skills, so that is helpful to know.
Hope this has been enlightening and that my explanations are helpful. Next week’s post… the S.T.A.R.S. program recap!