A pair of figure skaters hit a lift where the male partner held the female skater at hip level with one arm while she arched backward. The costumes — his in a patterned vest and pink shirt, hers in a silver-sequined leotard — added a layer of visual confusion that the choreographer probably did not preview under arena lighting.
Pair skating lifts require the male partner to grip specific body parts for balance and safety. Where the hands land depends on the lift. In this lift, the hands landed in a spot that looked fine at ice level and looked ambiguous from the press gallery. The judges scored the element. The audience scored the hand placement. Two scorecards, two very different criteria.
