Figure skating judging

[skategeek]

I don't follow high-level competitive skating enough to really understand all the nuances, but I found this interesting.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/figure-skating-judges-get-10-duplicity

[Schmeck]

Is the judging today anonymous? We get the scores all listed out in the official scoring, but are they jumbled about or do they correspond with each other? Is judge 1 the same judge 1 (and the first judge listed) for the entire discipline (i.e. ladies freeskate) or is is moved about?

[Query]

I'm not sure, but the conclusions from another thread seemed to be that USFSA judging is not wholly anonymous, but ISU is - e.g., judge # 1 for skater 1 might not be judge # 1 for skater 2.

Nationals are by USFSA rules. Olympics are by ISU rules.

ISU rules changes do reduce the perception of bias, because it is harder to prove that a bias is present.

Skating is as much art as science. I don't think bias can be removed from any artistic assessment, just like critics don't agree on what paintings or movies are best.

I'm not sure, but I think the base values of moves are determined by an identifiable person - I think only GOE and program elements, the subjective part, are kept anonymous, within ISU.

But if it is anonymous - how could this economist prove anything? I don't see that he could have any provable basis for his assessment.  Unless he used a binoculars to look at the judges sheets, or gained access into the scoring computers...

And how can you distinguish bias by deliberate intent, and bias by similarity of style to what the judge is used to, and has been taught to look for? Similarity tends to be grouped by region, and can be completely honest, because it honestly reflects what the judges consider important. E.g., maybe most Moscow skaters have a somewhat similar style, which their judges like, that is quite different from what is typical of St. Petersburg skaters and judges, which in turn is different from what is typical of Chicago area skaters and judges, etc. We've all heard that claimed true.

I've given up on thinking that the judges must make the "best" decisions. It is sufficient that we get to see good performances. Just like other forms of dance.