I've never done a full-out analysis of base values for the pairs before, so this was an interesting undertaking. What becomes very clear, going into this week's 2013 World Figure Skating Championships, is that the subtleties of the twist and lift level calculations will likely be crucial to the final standings.
Schedule: Universal Sports/CBC/Eurosport
The one team I don't have on here is Sui/Han, who have not been in competition all season.
SHORT PROGRAM
These are the twists/throws/jumps-only base values for the pairs. I have omitted the lift here because every pair does a Group 4 Level 4 lift in their short, so it all evens out. (Nitpickers will tell me that a twist is technically classified a twist *lift*.) No surprise that Duhamel/Radford leads the way in base value. And between the two favorites, Savchenko/Szolkowy's advantage in doing the throw flip is equalized by Volosozhar/Trankov's level 4 triple twist (Savchenko/Szolkowy have only achieved a level 3).
- Duhamel/Radford (17.30): 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3lutz (6.00), thr3lutz (5.50)
- Scimeca/Knierim (15.50): 3twist level3 (5.80), thr3flip (5.50), sbs3sal (4.20)
- Savchenko/Szolkowy (15.40): thr3flip (5.50), sbs3toe (4.10), 3twist level3 (5.80)
- Volosozhar/Trankov (15.40): 3twist level4 (6.20), sbs3sal (4.20), thr3loop (5.00)
- Bazarova/Larionov (15.30): sbs3toe (4.10), thr3loop (5.00), 3twist level4 (6.20)
- James/Cipres (15.00): 3twist level2 (5.40), sbs3toe (4.10), thr3flip (5.50)
- Kavaguti/Smirnov (14.90): 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3toe (4.10), thr3loop (5.00)
- Moore-Towers/Moscovitch (14.90): 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3toe (4.10), thr3loop (5.00)
- Peng/Zhang (14.90): 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3toe (4.10), thr3loop (5.00)
- Berton/Hotarek (14.50): sbs3toe (4.10), 3twist level2 (5.40), thr3loop (5.00)
- Pang/Tong (14.50): sbs3toe (4.10), 3twist level2 (5.40), thr3loop (5.00)
- Castelli/Shnapir (14.10): 3twist level2 (5.40), sbs3sal (4.20), thr3sal (4.50)
Note that the levels for the twist vary for each pair - these are based on the highest levels that they achieved internationally this season for the twist.
FREE SKATE
(*) indicates a 10% bonus
For the free skates, the lifts become important in the base value comparisons because each pair does different lifts and at different times in their programs, so the 10% bonus becomes a factor as well. Of all the pairs, Volosozhar/Trankov is the only one who will do a level 4 reverse lasso lift, which has the highest base value of all lifts.
- Duhamel/Radford (48.88): 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3lutz (6.00), sbs3sal2toe2toe* (7.48), thr3loop* (5.50), thr3lutz* (6.05), all lifts (18.05)
- Savchenko/Szolkowy (46.13): thr3flip (5.50), sbs3toe3toeseq (6.56), 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3sal* (4.62), thr3sal* (4.95), all lifts (18.70)
- Volosozhar/Trankov (45.50): 3twist level4 (6.20), sbs3sal (4.20), sbs3toe2toe (5.40), thr3loop* (5.50), thr3sal* (4.95), all lifts (19.25)
- Berton/Hotarek (45.30): sbs3toe2toe2toe (6.70), sbs3sal (4.20), 3twist level2 (5.40), thr3loop* (5.50), thr3sal* (4.95), all lifts (18.55)
- Bazarova/Larionov (45.28): sbs3toe (4.10), sbs2axel2axelseq (5.28), 3twist level4 (6.20), thr3flip (5.50), thr3loop* (5.50), all lifts (18.70)
- Peng/Zhang (45.20): 4twist level2 (7.60), sbs3toe2toe (5.40), thr3loop (5.00), sbs3sal (4.20), thr3sal* (4.95), all lifts (18.05)
- Moore-Towers/Moscovitch (45.16): 3twist level3 (5.80), sbs3toe3toeseq (6.56), sbs3sal (4.20), thr3sal* (4.95), thr3loop* (5.50), all lifts (18.15)
- James/Cipres (44.80): 3twist level2 (5.40), sbs3sal (4.20), sbs3toe2toe2toe (6.70), thr3flip* (6.05), thr3sal* (4.95), all lifts (17.50)
- Kavaguti/Smirnov (43.71): sbs3toe3toeseq (6.56), sbs2axel (3.30), 3twist level3 (5.80), thr3sal* (4.95), thr3loop* (5.50), all lifts (17.60)
- Pang/Tong (43.38): sbs2axel2axelseq (5.28), 3twist level2 (5.40), sbs3toe (4.10), thr3sal* (4.95), thr3loop* (5.50), all lifts (18.15)
- Scimeca/Knierim (42.10): 3twist level3 (5.80), thr3flip (5.50), sbs3sal (4.20), thr3loop (5.00), sbs2axel2toeseq* (4.05), all lifts (17.55)
- Castelli/Shnapir (41.01): 3twist level2 (5.40), sbs3toe (4.10), thr2axel (4.00), sbs2axel2toe* (5.06), thr3sal* (4.95), all lifts (17.50)
TOTAL PLANNED SCORES
- Duhamel/Radford - 66.18
- Savchenko/Szolkowy - 61.53
- Volosozhar/Trankov - 60.90
- Bazarova/Larionov - 60.58
- Peng/Zhang - 60.10
- Moore-Towers/Moscovitch - 60.06
- Berton/Hotarek - 59.80
- James/Cipres - 59.80
- Kavaguti/Smirnov - 58.61
- Pang/Tong - 57.88
- Scimeca/Knierim - 57.60
- Castelli/Shnapir - 55.11
That Duhamel/Radford have the most difficult planned programs of all the pairs is certainly expected. But note that the difference between the other top pairs is really not that much - there's much less of a separation than there was in either the men's field or the ladies field.
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