Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: “The change to 6 jumps instead of 7 in the FP seems to indicate that figure skating should place more emphasis on the choreographic component. “

World and European champion Elizaveta Tuktamysheva discussed how rule changes in figure skating may shift the focus toward choreography and self-expression, while maintaining the importance of technical strength.

original source: Championat

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva shared her thoughts on how changes in figure skating rules affect the development of the sport. Here’s a translation of her comments.

“Q: What do you think about the upcoming changes in figure skating rules? In your opinion, what positively influences the sport’s development, and what holds it back?

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: Any changes are interesting. Only time will tell how right they are. For example, the change to six jumps instead of seven in the free program seems to indicate that figure skating should place more emphasis on the choreographic component, so that programs are more complete and athletes have more opportunities for self-expression, interesting transitions, and choreographic sequences. I don’t see this as a major problem, because those who win with technical elements will continue to do so. By removing the last jump, we’re eliminating the weakest jump, but the strongest technical skills will still be present. There’s no longer a need to master every quad or triple jump – you can focus on what you’re good at. However, this does reduce some variety. Now, you could win with just three or four jumps, even if you drop one.

Still, I think it’s important to strive for variety in your jump content, but in any case, we’ll see next season how necessary these rules are when we see the new programs. The change from regular spins to choreo-spins is also meant to attract viewers, since the average spectator might not understand why a level-four spin gets so many points even if it looks slow. Choreo-spins will clearly show who is good and who isn’t. I hope we’ll find out soon.”

Related topics: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva