IT | EN | JP #MadeOfStars #Torino2019
Junior & Senior Final · Palavela, Turin · 5–8 December 2019

Decoding the judges' scoresheets from the Torino 2019 Final

When Australian fans tuned in to watch the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in December 2019, many were watching from sun-drenched backyards while their counterparts in Turin pulled on winter coats to head to the Palavela arena. The time difference between Sydney and northern Italy made for late nights or very early mornings for viewers in Brisbane, Melbourne, and Perth who wanted to catch the live action. Yet regardless of when or where the broadcast was watched, a recurring question appeared in fan forums and group chats across the country: how do you actually read those detailed judges' scoresheets?

Understanding the numbers behind the performances transforms a casual viewing into an appreciation of athletic precision. Each scorecard tells the story of a programme, from the base value of a triple axel to the artistic impression left by a seasoned skater. The Torino 2019 event, which brought the world's elite senior and junior competitors to Italy, produced comprehensive records of every element, and those records are still available for anyone curious enough to study them in detail.

The framework behind every score

Every detailed scoresheet from the Torino 2019 Final follows the structure of the International Judging System, often abbreviated as IJS. The system replaced the older 6.0 method at the start of the millennium, replacing subjective rankings with a transparent breakdown of every element attempted on the ice. Rather than a single panel of judges awarding a single mark, the IJS separates the work into two distinct contributions: the Technical Element Score, produced by the technical panel and the judges, and the Program Component Score, awarded solely by the judging panel.

In practical terms, this means a single performance generates a substantial amount of data. The technical panel identifies each element, assigns it a base value based on difficulty, and adjusts that value according to the grade of execution awarded by the judges. The two contributions are then summed and factored depending on the discipline and segment. For Australian viewers who often analyse results after the broadcast has ended, this format offers a clear picture of where a skater earned or lost ground against their rivals.

Reading the Technical Element Score

The Technical Element Score covers everything a skater actually does on the ice. Each element is catalogued with an abbreviation that figure skating insiders recognise instantly, though newcomers may need a reference guide handy. A triple lutz-triple toe loop combination might appear as "3Lz+3T," while a flying camel spin is listed as "FCSp4." The Torino 2019 scoresheets, like those from any ISU-sanctioned event, use these shorthand notations throughout every discipline, from senior ladies through to junior ice dance.

Three key figures accompany each element on the technical portion of the spreadsheet. The Base Value is the predetermined difficulty of the element, set by the ISU technical committee. The Grade of Execution, or GOE, ranges from -5 to +5 in whole-number increments and reflects how well the element was performed relative to the technical standard. The judges' panel scores, listed as J1 through J9 with some marked as referees, appear as a series of numbers and signs such as "-1+1+1+2+0-2+3-2+1," which can look intimidating at first glance.

Each digit in that sequence represents one judge's GOE, with positive numbers indicating the element was performed above the standard and negative numbers indicating deductions. The judges' GOEs are trimmed by discarding the highest and lowest values, after which the remaining scores are averaged to produce the final GOE for that particular element. The trimmed GOE is then added to the Base Value, with the result multiplied by a factor that depends on the discipline and segment of the competition.

Understanding the Program Component Score

Where the Technical Element Score rewards difficulty and execution, the Program Component Score evaluates the artistic and athletic qualities of the performance. Each programme receives marks across five distinct categories: Skating Skills, Transitions, Performance, Composition, and Interpretation of the Music. Senior men's and ladies' singles competitors at the Torino 2019 Final were marked on all five, while ice dance couples receive marks in slightly different categories that reflect the specific requirements of their discipline.

The marks in this section are presented on a scale of 0.25 to 10.00, in increments of 0.25, and are multiplied by a factor depending on the segment and discipline. Short programmes in singles skating are factored at 0.8, while free skates are factored at 1.6, meaning the free programme carries double the weight of component marks compared to the short. Ice dance rhythm dances, free dances, and junior segments each carry their own factoring rules, which is why a casual glance at raw PCS values across disciplines can be misleading without understanding the multiplier applied.

When looking at a particular skater's component scores, the highest and lowest judge marks are again trimmed, and the average is multiplied by the relevant factor. Skaters with strong artistic development, such as those who train at facilities like the Melbourne Olympic Ice Skating Centre that nurture Australian talent, often post component marks well above the technical floor of their rivals, even when their technical content is more conservative.

Comparing scores across men, ladies, pairs, and ice dance

One of the most common sources of confusion for Australian fans, particularly those comparing results from the Torino 2019 Final with broadcasts of the Australian Figure Skating Championships, is how different disciplines appear to score at varying ranges. Pairs and ice dance scores tend to run lower in TES than singles because elements such as throw jumps, lifts, and twizzles carry different base values. A throw quad salchow in pairs is calculated differently from a quad salchow performed by a singles skater, even though both require similar athletic commitment and risk.

Viewers following Australia's emerging pair teams and ice dance duos can benefit enormously from comparing the scoring patterns of established international teams against the homegrown competitors. The Melbourne-based training environment, shared by many of Australia's top-ranked skaters, has produced athletes who have competed at the Grand Prix level, and their scoresheets offer a benchmark for understanding how domestic judging aligns with international standards. When looking at the scoresheet for any discipline at the Torino 2019 event, the same elements appear: technical panel scores, component marks, and factored totals, but the numerical ranges vary according to the requirements of each event type.

A useful exercise for any fan is to take a single skater's scoresheet and trace how each component builds toward the total. For example, a ladies' singles free skate total is calculated by adding the factored TES to the factored PCS, then deducting any programme time violations. The same formula applies to men's singles, pairs, and ice dance, though the specific deductions vary by discipline. By working backwards from the total, viewers can verify the mathematics and gain a much deeper appreciation of the performance they have just watched, whether on a big screen in Adelaide or on a phone during the morning commute in Canberra.

Going beyond the numbers

Numbers tell only part of the story of any figure skating event, and the Torino 2019 Final was no exception. The detailed scoresheets provide quantitative data, but the qualitative context of how those numbers were produced often comes from the technical officials themselves. For those curious about the human element behind every deduction and bonus, the official Torino 2019 resource offers a fascinating companion read on behind-the-scenes with the event's technical officials, which walks through the duties of the referee, the technical panel, and the judging panel during a live competition.

This kind of behind-the-scenes content is particularly valuable for Australian fans because it bridges the gap between the spreadsheet and the sport itself. Understanding why a particular spiral sequence received a higher component mark, or why a step sequence was called at a specific level, requires appreciating the training and judgment of the officials who watch every element in real time. With that context in hand, every scoresheet becomes a richer document, full of decisions made by experts who balance precision with the pressure of international competition.

Common deductions and adjustments to watch for

Key abbreviations appearing on scoresheets

Visit the official Torino 2019 website to explore the complete scoresheet archive, browse the full results from each discipline, and revisit the event highlights from December 2019. Whether you are a coach preparing students in Sydney, a skater studying the world's best from a rink in Brisbane, or simply a fan from Hobart to Cairns who wants to understand the sport at a deeper level, the data from this Final remains one of the richest educational resources in modern figure skating.