Katalyn Alpern has been a judge at numerous international ice dance events including European and World Championships

Katalyn:
"Comparing skating, coaching and judging is like saying that an orange
is better than a banana."

She has kindly agreed to answer our questions on the judges' forum.
Q: Katalyn, to your mind, what is more difficult – to skate, to coach or to judge?
A: I think that all the three professions are very different. If one aspires for success, each profession is very difficult. I cannot compare them- it's like saying that an orange is a better fruit than a banana.

Q: Do you think that the new judging system is more objective?
A: The criteria for the new system are more objective, but the majority of the judges are not utilizing them in an objective way, and are still making calculations to reach the result. This can kill the system, especially in the 5 component marking, where the judges are not giving the real and differential marks. Judging one skater performing for the 5 marks - i.e., between 6 and 7, will not show if the skater is very good or poor according to one of the criteria. I have never seen a mark of 5 for skating skills and 8 for interpretation, which it could in reality be. This is just one example.

Q: You have been on the international "judging scene" for quite a few years. Apart from the new judging system, what other changes, in your opinion, have happened there?
A: There is no doubt that the quality of skating has improved because of the criteria for performing the difficult elements.

Q: Some critics say that the new judging system has made figure skating too technical, depriving it of creativity. It's all about the levels of difficulty. What can you say to that?
A: Yes, we have too many required elements, performing which the athletes aspire to a very high level of skating. It takes up a lot of time in the programs, so, there is not much place for a creative, interesting composition of the program as it was in the past. This change can be reflected as follows: in a difficult program, if a Judge gives an 8 for skating skills and linking footwork, he/she may give a mark of 5 for choreography This can be rectified only when the ISU  changes the criteria of the Judges' evaluations, because to date if a Judge is marking too high or too low compared to the other Judges on the panel, his/her marks will be deleted, and he/she can expect receiving a letter of > criticism from the ISU and after 4 warnings the Judge may be suspended.

Q: This question I am asking everybody – the judges, the coaches and the skaters: What makes figure skating such a beautiful sport?
A: It is a very difficult, demanding and technical sport, but still capable of maintaining its attraction to the public, it is an enjoyable art form that combines drama and athletic skills.