Diane Szmiett (Canada) - Lovely subdued performance.
Beatrisa Liang (USA) - I love the second half of this program. She had good fight here. Despite her difficulties, she looks a bit more put together this season.
Yan Liu (China) - Snoozefest.
Joannie Rochette (Canada) - Still not her best but better. I wish the the first half of the program had some of the faster paced music in it. I suspect she'll gain some ground with this though.
Fumie Suguri (Japan) - Rough around the edges. I miss the old Fumie that was less abrasive on the ice.
Rachael Flatt (USA) - Weird to see her make those jump errors. This program needs a bit more umph. Pretty though.
Akiko Suzuki (Japan) - When I find myself going "Mambo!" during a program set to West Side Story, it means it's one of those rare occasions I actually like the program. I love that this girl has personality and flair on the ice and the jumps were great. I think I have a new favorite Japanese female skater.
*What's with the weird camera angles?
Carolina Kostner (Italy) - What ever she found in the short program, she lost again in the free. Back to the drawing board...again.
Kiira Korpi (Finland) - Snoozefest #2. Her placement...unbelievable! Someone will have to explain to me how these Finnish ladies always seem to get by with less than stellar programs. Secondly, why was a similarly performed program was judged so much higher here in Beijing vs. Paris (her technical score was up about 14 points?).
Mirai Nagasu (Japan) - Before she begins...I'm thinking this is so hers to win or lose. I think they dinged her on a lot of jumps but 5th place seemed a bit harsh. Best quote through fake smile for the camera: "I just want to go home and practice again."
Yu and Wang (China) - Happy Halloween!
*Face paint is officially out of control this season. I'm calling for an immediate moratorium!
Weaver and Poje (Canada) - I think this is a handsome team. Perhaps the best cut of Phantom of the Opera I've heard. Felt kind of slow but there were some gorgeous moments here.
Chock and Zuerlein (USA) - There is some really intricate and clever choreography woven into this program. The music is a bit...eh...non momentous? Twizzles need polished.
*More blood!
Faiella and Scali (Italy) - This team is great at storytelling. They totally nailed the characters of immigrants in a new country. Don't know if storytelling will be enough to make an Olympic Podium.
Khoklova and Novitski (Russia) - I just scratch my head with this team. I don't get them really so it's hard to say how I feel. Feel like they are channeling Bestemianova and Bukin. Outfits are, again, a disaster.
Belbin and Agosto (USA) - I have a dilemma. I love this team but I did not love this program. First half felt slow, some of the lifts felt sticky, and some of the poses were labored. The music leaves me a little cold as well (but perhaps that is the point). I miss the old Tanith and Ben...I want them back. Check the score...well under both Davis and White and Virtue and Moir. Interesting...
*Vanessa James is beautiful!
Evora and Ladwig (USA) - Good performance. This team has so many good qualities. Nice to see them go after and fight for everything. Throw lutz has spectacular potential. Mark looks spent!
Dong and Wu (China) - Pleasant...nothing special. Huibo Dong and Akiko Suzuki look like twins!
Duhamel and Buntin (Canada) - Abstract music choice. Lacked spunk.
Zhang and Zhang (China) - Meh. It's a better music choice than their short but there is still work to be done here. Don't know if they captured Scheherazade there...
Iliushechkina and Maisuradze (Russia) - Far less put together here than in the free. Kind of a let down.
Volosozhar and Morozov (Ukraine) - Sticking with Pearl Harbor, maybe a good decision for them. Wild on the loop...whoa! Still this program needs to find a way to be more exciting. It just kind of soldiers on.
Shen and Zhao (China) - Some tiny little technical glitches on the side-by-side elements to work on but clearly in a class of their own here. Not a fan of the music though, made the program feel slow (even though it wasn't).
Armin Mahbanoozadeh (USA) - Nice job. It's clear he's still figuring out the triple axel and how it feels but everything else looked just fine. Looked like he could go another four minutes at the end of his program. Good conditioning.
Kevin Reynolds (Canada) - Lots of weird music cuts. The program didn't flow very well.
Ming Xu (China) - Love the music...not so much the program.
Denis Ten (Kazakhstan) - Shame he didn't have his jumping legs on here. This program skated clean would be a point getter!
Chao Yang (China) - This music has to be retired. Decent performance though.
Stephen Carriere (USA) - Better. He still seems like he's rushing a bit. Nice axel at the top of the program.
Yannick Ponsero (France) - I think it would be frustrating to know you're good enough to be one of the best but to continually fall short (and after that beautiful quad). I'm going to chalk it up to jet lag. Paris to Beijing is a long flight. Look better at Europeans.
Jinlin Guan (China) - Of all the Chinese men here competing he paid the most attention to his component score. Not as technically proficient as the others but a lot more easy to watch. Nice job.
Samuel Contesti (Italy) - Preferred his FS last season a little more but this season's is interesting. He still performs it pretty well for being somewhat 'out there' music. Ouchie on that shoulder banger into the boards.
Evan Lysacek (USA) - Not too shabby. His axel looks so much better this season. Love the choreo, loved the jumps, really love the footwork. Excellent work. Two footed the flip a little. Also, a little short of Plushenko's FS score from Moscow.
Sergei Voronov (Russia) - Better than Paris...not good enough though if he is going to make the Russian Olympic Team. Loved the quad! Hangs on to the podium.
Nobunari Oda (Japan) - This program is great. It didn't seem to sing like it did in Paris but still good nonetheless. That popped axel was unexpected. Not surprised he won but thought it maybe should have been a bit closer between he and Lysacek.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Friday, October 30, 2009
Cup of China Short Program Flash
Yan Liu (China) - Beautiful jumps. Shame her skating lacks real depth, attack, or excitement. If she had those things she would be a real contender. Solid performance though.
Diane Szmiett (Canada) - West Side Story....*sighs*. Who is this young lady? Need some back history on her Canadian fans.
Beatrisa Liang (USA) - No!!! She gets through the super tough stuff that she's has struggled with forever and then that pesky axel followed by the fall on the step sequence...frustrating. She had some good moments in this program though.
*Frank Carroll is going to have a couple busy days in Beijing!
Mirai Nagasu (USA) - Looked awfully good to me! Loved that circular footwork and the cute playfulness that came with it. Maybe a little cheat on the lutz...couldn't quite tell. Wait the score came...assuming no cheat!
Akiko Suzuki (Japan) - Good speed and great choreography. She attacked that program like she had nothing to lose. I loved it! Great music choice.
Fumie Suguri (Japan) - Did she get the memo that the Grand Prix is helping to determine Japan's Olympic team? Kind of bland...not good enough.
*I love those Lotte/Kose vests the Japanese girls have...I want one!
Kiira Korpi (Finland) - What is this music? Uh I love this girl and I can't even get excited for anything she is doing this season. The fact that she got ahead of Suzuki shocks me a bit.
Rachael Flatt (USA) - Madame consistency. There's nothing flashy about her, just good ole' fashioned solid, conservative, consistent skating and their ain't nothing wrong with that. Axel was kind of scary though...that combined with the swing of her free leg on the flip I think caused the lower scores.
Joannie Rochette (Canada) - Shocked to see her miss the lutz combo and the axel. Jump mistakes kept the program from singing. Way down there....my goodness!
Carolina Kostner (Italy) - Is her head back together? Played it a little safe with the triple toe but can't say I blame her. Didn't she seem relieved to get that performance under her belt. Infinitely better than Paris.
Chock and Zuerlein (USA) - I love how Madison just lights up out there (i.e. butt wiggle at the end). Thought this team would have a much stronger position in this competition. My outlook on U.S. Ice Dancing is now much clearer. Some nice complicated movements in this OD.
Weaver and Poje (Canada) - Little misses here and there killed this program...shame. When did the finger slicing happen...didn't catch that?
Zaretski and Zaretski (Israel) - Cute program. I'm a sucker for Hebrew folk music, Hava Nagila me any day. Needs more stretch.
Faiella and Scali (Italy) - I liked this dance. I don't think they missed a single snap and they looked really into it...it suits them well.
Khoklova and Novitski (Russia) - They win the outfit Hot Mess award for this competition. This whole program I just wanted to do a shot of Vodka. I guess that means the program did it's trick and got me feeling all Russian! Who is that singer?
Belbin and Agosto (USA) - What's with the (what feels like...) 20 second pause at the beginning? Once this program gets going it doesn't stop. Fun. To tell you the truth though, I preferred Davis and White's OD from Russia...
Shen and Zhao (China) - Right off the top the big return...but did they ever leave? These comebacks don't feel like comebacks but rather coronations. And I love that they are skating to Queen. Loved the Chinese crowd's reaction at the end of their program (which is slightly abrupt). Hongbo did make me nervous a couple of times but overall they look great. Cute variation on the death spiral.
Evora and Ladwig (USA) - I'm just waiting for this team to be brilliant. Beautiful music choice. Shame the jumps weren't there. I had the pleasure of chit-chatting with this team at 2007 Skate America in Reading, PA and they are the nicest people...I'm really rooting for them! Loved the death spiral twisty-thingy into the spin.
Dong and Wu (China) - Felt kind of robotic to me. Feel bad for this young team that will probably have to wait four years for their go at the Olympics...China is just stacked when it comes to pairs skating!
Duhamel and Buntin (Canada) - Iffy. I like this music but I don't know if I like it for them...or maybe I don't like the choreography...not sure. Program was missing something.
Iliusheckina and Maisuradze (Russia) - Lubov reminded me so much of Sasha Cohen. Was it possible for her to hit a bad position? This team's unison was spot on...very accomplished!
Volosozhar and Morozov (Ukraine) - Those outfits look oddly similar to Savchenko and Szolkowy's Lost in Space digs from last season? What a boring program! The music was almost non-existent and the choreography was...well...non-existent! That they were ahead of the Russians was blatant poor judging!
Zhang and Zhang (China) - Swing...I don't know if it's a good choice for them. That music never seems to work out unless a North American is skating to it. Just doesn't suit them. It's not jazzy enough and ends up coming across uneasy. Single salchow doesn't help either.
Jinlin Guan (China) - He's pretty good! Reminded me a whole bunch of Jeremy Abbott. Anyone else get that?
*In fact, all three Chinese men weren't bad at all. Something to keep an eye on for the future perhaps.
Armin Mahbanoozadeh (USA) - What a talent. Great choreography. All those little turnouts and step outs on the jumps are going to kill the score unfortunately. Overall though not a shabby senior debut.
Kevin Reynolds (Canada) - Quad didn't work but I loved the choreo! He's made big improvements since last season. There's a personality out there now. Looks like he has a Bump It in his hair.
Samuel Contesti (Italy) - This guy is so much fun you have to be in his court. Shame the Chinese audience just doesn't get the Blues and has no idea how well he skated that program. The triple axel left him here but overall he looks good. This program skated clean would bring the house down in Vancouver!
Denis Ten (Kazakhstan) - Showed his inexperience a bit here. I think he was a bit overwhelmed with the whole idea of who he was competing with. Great choreography though. He seems to understand swing just fine! You can see his qualities obviously. That final bit of footwork is fantastic.
Stephen Carriere (USA) - Seemed a bit frantic and somewhat out of control. Settle settle! Also, there has to be a better recording of Carmina Burana he can use, this version lacked something.
Nobunari Oda (Japan) - Woosh! Ditto what I said in Paris + 10% more! Yet Morozov is still reaming him for something in the K&C!
Sergei Voronov (Russia) - Wow! Powerful. I think that was a "back at ya' Borodulin and Plushenko." Quad combo and axel where just perfect. Brilliant.
Yannick Ponsero (France) - He has to get his head around landing these jumps. I like this program (even if it is a bit Lambiel cookie-cutterish) and its complete commitment to character. He needs to upgrade that salchow too...not difficult enough to compete with these guys.
*Lots of blood in this competition!
Evan Lysacek (USA) - Rock solid! The triples jumps were as clean as they come. I was huge fan of the circular footwork. Evan hit every beat of the music perfectly. The costume is a winner too! What a men's competition this is! And yes...he looks even more like Emanuel Sandhu. 3rd place...eagerly awaiting judges pdf.
Diane Szmiett (Canada) - West Side Story....*sighs*. Who is this young lady? Need some back history on her Canadian fans.
Beatrisa Liang (USA) - No!!! She gets through the super tough stuff that she's has struggled with forever and then that pesky axel followed by the fall on the step sequence...frustrating. She had some good moments in this program though.
*Frank Carroll is going to have a couple busy days in Beijing!
Mirai Nagasu (USA) - Looked awfully good to me! Loved that circular footwork and the cute playfulness that came with it. Maybe a little cheat on the lutz...couldn't quite tell. Wait the score came...assuming no cheat!
Akiko Suzuki (Japan) - Good speed and great choreography. She attacked that program like she had nothing to lose. I loved it! Great music choice.
Fumie Suguri (Japan) - Did she get the memo that the Grand Prix is helping to determine Japan's Olympic team? Kind of bland...not good enough.
*I love those Lotte/Kose vests the Japanese girls have...I want one!
Kiira Korpi (Finland) - What is this music? Uh I love this girl and I can't even get excited for anything she is doing this season. The fact that she got ahead of Suzuki shocks me a bit.
Rachael Flatt (USA) - Madame consistency. There's nothing flashy about her, just good ole' fashioned solid, conservative, consistent skating and their ain't nothing wrong with that. Axel was kind of scary though...that combined with the swing of her free leg on the flip I think caused the lower scores.
Joannie Rochette (Canada) - Shocked to see her miss the lutz combo and the axel. Jump mistakes kept the program from singing. Way down there....my goodness!
Carolina Kostner (Italy) - Is her head back together? Played it a little safe with the triple toe but can't say I blame her. Didn't she seem relieved to get that performance under her belt. Infinitely better than Paris.
Chock and Zuerlein (USA) - I love how Madison just lights up out there (i.e. butt wiggle at the end). Thought this team would have a much stronger position in this competition. My outlook on U.S. Ice Dancing is now much clearer. Some nice complicated movements in this OD.
Weaver and Poje (Canada) - Little misses here and there killed this program...shame. When did the finger slicing happen...didn't catch that?
Zaretski and Zaretski (Israel) - Cute program. I'm a sucker for Hebrew folk music, Hava Nagila me any day. Needs more stretch.
Faiella and Scali (Italy) - I liked this dance. I don't think they missed a single snap and they looked really into it...it suits them well.
Khoklova and Novitski (Russia) - They win the outfit Hot Mess award for this competition. This whole program I just wanted to do a shot of Vodka. I guess that means the program did it's trick and got me feeling all Russian! Who is that singer?
Belbin and Agosto (USA) - What's with the (what feels like...) 20 second pause at the beginning? Once this program gets going it doesn't stop. Fun. To tell you the truth though, I preferred Davis and White's OD from Russia...
Shen and Zhao (China) - Right off the top the big return...but did they ever leave? These comebacks don't feel like comebacks but rather coronations. And I love that they are skating to Queen. Loved the Chinese crowd's reaction at the end of their program (which is slightly abrupt). Hongbo did make me nervous a couple of times but overall they look great. Cute variation on the death spiral.
Evora and Ladwig (USA) - I'm just waiting for this team to be brilliant. Beautiful music choice. Shame the jumps weren't there. I had the pleasure of chit-chatting with this team at 2007 Skate America in Reading, PA and they are the nicest people...I'm really rooting for them! Loved the death spiral twisty-thingy into the spin.
Dong and Wu (China) - Felt kind of robotic to me. Feel bad for this young team that will probably have to wait four years for their go at the Olympics...China is just stacked when it comes to pairs skating!
Duhamel and Buntin (Canada) - Iffy. I like this music but I don't know if I like it for them...or maybe I don't like the choreography...not sure. Program was missing something.
Iliusheckina and Maisuradze (Russia) - Lubov reminded me so much of Sasha Cohen. Was it possible for her to hit a bad position? This team's unison was spot on...very accomplished!
Volosozhar and Morozov (Ukraine) - Those outfits look oddly similar to Savchenko and Szolkowy's Lost in Space digs from last season? What a boring program! The music was almost non-existent and the choreography was...well...non-existent! That they were ahead of the Russians was blatant poor judging!
Zhang and Zhang (China) - Swing...I don't know if it's a good choice for them. That music never seems to work out unless a North American is skating to it. Just doesn't suit them. It's not jazzy enough and ends up coming across uneasy. Single salchow doesn't help either.
Jinlin Guan (China) - He's pretty good! Reminded me a whole bunch of Jeremy Abbott. Anyone else get that?
*In fact, all three Chinese men weren't bad at all. Something to keep an eye on for the future perhaps.
Armin Mahbanoozadeh (USA) - What a talent. Great choreography. All those little turnouts and step outs on the jumps are going to kill the score unfortunately. Overall though not a shabby senior debut.
Kevin Reynolds (Canada) - Quad didn't work but I loved the choreo! He's made big improvements since last season. There's a personality out there now. Looks like he has a Bump It in his hair.
Samuel Contesti (Italy) - This guy is so much fun you have to be in his court. Shame the Chinese audience just doesn't get the Blues and has no idea how well he skated that program. The triple axel left him here but overall he looks good. This program skated clean would bring the house down in Vancouver!
Denis Ten (Kazakhstan) - Showed his inexperience a bit here. I think he was a bit overwhelmed with the whole idea of who he was competing with. Great choreography though. He seems to understand swing just fine! You can see his qualities obviously. That final bit of footwork is fantastic.
Stephen Carriere (USA) - Seemed a bit frantic and somewhat out of control. Settle settle! Also, there has to be a better recording of Carmina Burana he can use, this version lacked something.
Nobunari Oda (Japan) - Woosh! Ditto what I said in Paris + 10% more! Yet Morozov is still reaming him for something in the K&C!
Sergei Voronov (Russia) - Wow! Powerful. I think that was a "back at ya' Borodulin and Plushenko." Quad combo and axel where just perfect. Brilliant.
Yannick Ponsero (France) - He has to get his head around landing these jumps. I like this program (even if it is a bit Lambiel cookie-cutterish) and its complete commitment to character. He needs to upgrade that salchow too...not difficult enough to compete with these guys.
*Lots of blood in this competition!
Evan Lysacek (USA) - Rock solid! The triples jumps were as clean as they come. I was huge fan of the circular footwork. Evan hit every beat of the music perfectly. The costume is a winner too! What a men's competition this is! And yes...he looks even more like Emanuel Sandhu. 3rd place...eagerly awaiting judges pdf.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
The Op-Ed: 210.03
I've been grappling with this for a couple of weeks. 210.03, the record breaking score Kim Yu-Na achieved at Trophy Eric Bompard...am I crazy for thinking that was high?
First I took a Quick Poll and asked: "Do you believe Kim Yu-Na's record breaking score was appropriate for her performance at Grand Prix Paris?" Overwhelmingly (71%), respondents thought the score was appropriate. Of course the poll is unscientific, bias obviously plays a part, and my blog hits from Korea where up 247% during the time the poll was available. Nontheless, it became clear that many supported the score.
I poured over the judges score. As far as technical elements, there is no fault in the judges score. It was judged accurately and the appropriate marks given. You cannot fault the technical mark at all.
So I then took a look at the program components. While the judges were, um, a bit generous with the performance, choreography, and interpretation scores, on the whole they looked fairly in line with "what" she skated. Perhaps a bit padded but she is clearly the cream-of-the-crop as far as women skaters.
The math adds up. When you combine it all (add in the short program) you get 210.03. Yet, I still feel that wasn't a 210.03 performance. For me...the "what" she skated didn't equal the "how" she skated. Kim Yu-Na's short program blew me away. Oddly, the judges were somewhat less generous with the aforementioned component scores, in that short program where I felt she knocked our socks off (Kim Yu-Na could get a job as a Bond Girl anyday!). But her free skate, which was beautiful, didn't get me to that wow moment I would expect of a world record breaking (shattering?) performance.
Kim Yu-Na's free skate didn't include a triple flip or a triple loop. While the program is beautifully choreographed and skated with precision like perfection (despite all my flounderous nitpicking here, I think she's a pure gem!), it didn't pull me out of my seat like her Scheherazade program did. So I'm left with a dillema here.
I think my biggest beef here has nothing to do with Kim Yu-Na. She skated a lovely program, she was well deserving of the title, and I think if she continues to skate like that she IS unbeatable. My beef is with the judging system.
While the technical mark gives little room for wiggle aside from the GOE's judges assign, the component marks do give the judges a little room to play with. I know I've brought this up before, but the judging system as it exists, doesn't give a mark for "wow." We break it down and give individual marks for this and that and add it all up. But even if a skater scores high in all the component scores...does it equal "wow?" Is it possible to skate everything to almost the highest point total possible and it still not equal ridiculous amazing? I have more questions. Should a program be granted the highest total ever, despite the clear absence of two triple jumps? Was Kim Yu-Na's TEB program the finest program anyone has ever seen under the international judging system...ever?
I have some personal opinions here. I think a skater can earn high marks in every category and fall short of "wow." So many skaters do that these days. How many times have we heard commentators (see Dick Button) say "Well that's an unattractive position, but it gets the points." I do think a program can achieve the highest total without every triple...but it shouldn't be easy nor happen often. These days it's becoming common place for skaters to remove triples from their programs. Take out a lutz and try a triple axel (see Asada), remove a loop and do a double axel combo (see Kim). Didn't someone suggest giving a bonus to skaters who complete every triple in their program (women would of course be exempt from the axel). That, I think, would be an awesome change. And on the topic of axels, pray tell why a triple axel/double toe combo is worth less than a triple lutz/triple toe combo? At the very least, they should be worth the same.
Finally, I don't think Kim Yu-Na's performance in Paris was the finest ever under IJS, which ultimately, was my biggest beef with the score. I've seen far superior performances from her. Her World's performance from L.A. I think easily was better than what she did in Paris despite the recent edition of the triple lutz/triple toe combo. I think Kim Yu-Na would even agree with that. That program was and really felt like a world record breaker. That program had "wow!" And even that program was missing two triples!
I don't know if this is a problem that can be solved. Logic tells us (I am going to go all Vulcan on you!) that 1 + 2 = 3. But in skating that doesn't always hold true. The judging system tries to make it true but I think that's where this judging system's greatest weakness lies. But how do you fix that?
First I took a Quick Poll and asked: "Do you believe Kim Yu-Na's record breaking score was appropriate for her performance at Grand Prix Paris?" Overwhelmingly (71%), respondents thought the score was appropriate. Of course the poll is unscientific, bias obviously plays a part, and my blog hits from Korea where up 247% during the time the poll was available. Nontheless, it became clear that many supported the score.
I poured over the judges score. As far as technical elements, there is no fault in the judges score. It was judged accurately and the appropriate marks given. You cannot fault the technical mark at all.
So I then took a look at the program components. While the judges were, um, a bit generous with the performance, choreography, and interpretation scores, on the whole they looked fairly in line with "what" she skated. Perhaps a bit padded but she is clearly the cream-of-the-crop as far as women skaters.
The math adds up. When you combine it all (add in the short program) you get 210.03. Yet, I still feel that wasn't a 210.03 performance. For me...the "what" she skated didn't equal the "how" she skated. Kim Yu-Na's short program blew me away. Oddly, the judges were somewhat less generous with the aforementioned component scores, in that short program where I felt she knocked our socks off (Kim Yu-Na could get a job as a Bond Girl anyday!). But her free skate, which was beautiful, didn't get me to that wow moment I would expect of a world record breaking (shattering?) performance.Kim Yu-Na's free skate didn't include a triple flip or a triple loop. While the program is beautifully choreographed and skated with precision like perfection (despite all my flounderous nitpicking here, I think she's a pure gem!), it didn't pull me out of my seat like her Scheherazade program did. So I'm left with a dillema here.
I think my biggest beef here has nothing to do with Kim Yu-Na. She skated a lovely program, she was well deserving of the title, and I think if she continues to skate like that she IS unbeatable. My beef is with the judging system.
While the technical mark gives little room for wiggle aside from the GOE's judges assign, the component marks do give the judges a little room to play with. I know I've brought this up before, but the judging system as it exists, doesn't give a mark for "wow." We break it down and give individual marks for this and that and add it all up. But even if a skater scores high in all the component scores...does it equal "wow?" Is it possible to skate everything to almost the highest point total possible and it still not equal ridiculous amazing? I have more questions. Should a program be granted the highest total ever, despite the clear absence of two triple jumps? Was Kim Yu-Na's TEB program the finest program anyone has ever seen under the international judging system...ever?
I have some personal opinions here. I think a skater can earn high marks in every category and fall short of "wow." So many skaters do that these days. How many times have we heard commentators (see Dick Button) say "Well that's an unattractive position, but it gets the points." I do think a program can achieve the highest total without every triple...but it shouldn't be easy nor happen often. These days it's becoming common place for skaters to remove triples from their programs. Take out a lutz and try a triple axel (see Asada), remove a loop and do a double axel combo (see Kim). Didn't someone suggest giving a bonus to skaters who complete every triple in their program (women would of course be exempt from the axel). That, I think, would be an awesome change. And on the topic of axels, pray tell why a triple axel/double toe combo is worth less than a triple lutz/triple toe combo? At the very least, they should be worth the same.
Finally, I don't think Kim Yu-Na's performance in Paris was the finest ever under IJS, which ultimately, was my biggest beef with the score. I've seen far superior performances from her. Her World's performance from L.A. I think easily was better than what she did in Paris despite the recent edition of the triple lutz/triple toe combo. I think Kim Yu-Na would even agree with that. That program was and really felt like a world record breaker. That program had "wow!" And even that program was missing two triples!
I don't know if this is a problem that can be solved. Logic tells us (I am going to go all Vulcan on you!) that 1 + 2 = 3. But in skating that doesn't always hold true. The judging system tries to make it true but I think that's where this judging system's greatest weakness lies. But how do you fix that?
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Pic of the Week
It's go time.The SAMSUNG Anycall Cup of China will be the season debut for the reigning World Champion, Evan Lysacek.
Besides having the pressure of being the one everyone is after, he also has to prove that he can keep pace with the top men we've already seen this season. Oda was fantastic in Paris (and competes again in China) and Plushenko threw down in Moscow...time to ante up!
"How am I dealing with the pressure? I guess I'm not placing it on myself" Lysacek recently told USA Today. But even if he's not putting pressure on himself, he must feel the pressure his competitors are putting on him.
This weekend Evan debuts his programs to two well known skating warhorses. His short is set to Stravinsky's Firebird and his free to Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade. Frank Carroll told USA Today "He's been working a lot on the emotion and bringing out his feelings — rather than just doing a program that's a bunch of unconnected elements — and really interpreting the music."
Well Mr. World Champ...let's see what you got!
Off to Beijing
Competition kicks off this weekend with the third stop in the Grand Prix, SAMSUNG Anycall Cup of China in Beijing.
There are four ice dance teams I have my eye on. Of course, one of those is Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto who get their season underway in Beijing. They narrowly missed winning their first World Title in L.A. and are the clear favorites here in China. With Domnina and Shabalin currently sidelined with Maxim's knee injury, you might consider them the slight favorites in Vancouver (well...there's still a lot to happen yet). But behind them, I'm completely unsure of how the rest will shake out. I'm envisioning a battle for the silver between Italains Faiella and Scali, Russians Khoklova and Novitski, and the young American team of Chock and Zuerlein (reigning Junior World Champions). I'm very curious to see how Chock and Zuerlein fit into this world of senior dance. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Belbin and Agosto, (SILVER) Khoklova and Novitski, (BRONZE) Chock and Zuerlein
Amongst the women, Joannie Rochette looks to keep her momentum going. She looked very solid at the recent Japan Open and the reigning World Silver medalist looks to control her own destiny in China. She'll have steep competition from some American and Japanese competitors. Last season Akiko Suzuki put herself on the map as part of a Japanese podium sweep at NHK. With the Japanese Federation relying heavily on Grand Prix placements for choosing the Olympic Team, there is no better time than now for Suzuki to shine. Ditto for Japanese veteran Fumie Suguri. With Mao Asada's stock sinking...now is the time to step up. Rachael Flatt is getting her season underway here in Beijing. She came on late last season with solid performances at U.S. Nationals and a top five finish at World's. She's made steady improvements and perhaps this is her breakthrough season. She'll be joined in Beijing by 2008 National Champ Mirai Nagasu. She's made a coaching switch and perhaps under the gaze of Frank Carroll she'll improve upon last season. She is, admittedly, nervous this season with Sasha Cohen (?) in the U.S. mix...she'll need to shirk those feelings of doubt and get her skating back on track. Finally there's Carolina Kostner who, again, bombed in Paris. She'll have to do better or she'll be written off this season. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Joannie Rochette, (SILVER) Rachael Flatt, (BRONZE) Carolina Kostner
The pairs competition brings us the much anticipated return of Shen and Zhao. The Chinese team makes a competitive return this season to add Olympic Gold to their collection (which includes two Olympic Bronze medals). I expect they'll be on top of their game here and very tough to beat. The team with the best shot is reigning World Silver medalists Zhang and Zhang. No matter how you slice it, China is in complete control of this competition. The spoilers in this competition, however, could be Ukraine's Volosozhar and Morozov. This team has a quiet consistency and tends to place high in international competition. Another team with a chance at the podium is Canada's Duhamel and Buntin. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Shen and Zhao, (SILVER) Zhang and Zhang, (BRONZE) Volosozhar and Morozov
The men's competition gives us our first look at the reigning World Champion, American Evan Lysacek. After Plushenko's dominating performance last week in Moscow, Evan needs to comeback with a solid performance of his own to keep the momentum going and not let it all go Plushenko's way. He's going to have steep competition from Japan's Nobunari Oda who will be attempt to become the first skater to lock a spot in the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo. Italian Samuel Contesti will get his season started in China. The big question everyone wants answered from Contesti is if last season was a fluke or if he can continue to post results. I'm also beyond excited to see Kazakstan's Denis Ten. He might be the best skater no one's talking about yet this season. If he can skate well here and keep up with the heavy hitters, he will not only further put himself on the map but he may make himself a medal contender in Vancouver. France's Yannick Ponsero will attempt to improve upon is performance from Paris as well Russian Sergei Voronov. Keep an eye also on American Stephen Carriere who won the silver medal at this event last season and Canada's Kevin Reynolds who will no doubt come packing a punch with his consistent quads. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Nobunari Oda, (SILVER) Evan Lysacek, (BRONZE) Yannick Ponsero
There are four ice dance teams I have my eye on. Of course, one of those is Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto who get their season underway in Beijing. They narrowly missed winning their first World Title in L.A. and are the clear favorites here in China. With Domnina and Shabalin currently sidelined with Maxim's knee injury, you might consider them the slight favorites in Vancouver (well...there's still a lot to happen yet). But behind them, I'm completely unsure of how the rest will shake out. I'm envisioning a battle for the silver between Italains Faiella and Scali, Russians Khoklova and Novitski, and the young American team of Chock and Zuerlein (reigning Junior World Champions). I'm very curious to see how Chock and Zuerlein fit into this world of senior dance. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Belbin and Agosto, (SILVER) Khoklova and Novitski, (BRONZE) Chock and Zuerlein
Amongst the women, Joannie Rochette looks to keep her momentum going. She looked very solid at the recent Japan Open and the reigning World Silver medalist looks to control her own destiny in China. She'll have steep competition from some American and Japanese competitors. Last season Akiko Suzuki put herself on the map as part of a Japanese podium sweep at NHK. With the Japanese Federation relying heavily on Grand Prix placements for choosing the Olympic Team, there is no better time than now for Suzuki to shine. Ditto for Japanese veteran Fumie Suguri. With Mao Asada's stock sinking...now is the time to step up. Rachael Flatt is getting her season underway here in Beijing. She came on late last season with solid performances at U.S. Nationals and a top five finish at World's. She's made steady improvements and perhaps this is her breakthrough season. She'll be joined in Beijing by 2008 National Champ Mirai Nagasu. She's made a coaching switch and perhaps under the gaze of Frank Carroll she'll improve upon last season. She is, admittedly, nervous this season with Sasha Cohen (?) in the U.S. mix...she'll need to shirk those feelings of doubt and get her skating back on track. Finally there's Carolina Kostner who, again, bombed in Paris. She'll have to do better or she'll be written off this season. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Joannie Rochette, (SILVER) Rachael Flatt, (BRONZE) Carolina Kostner
The pairs competition brings us the much anticipated return of Shen and Zhao. The Chinese team makes a competitive return this season to add Olympic Gold to their collection (which includes two Olympic Bronze medals). I expect they'll be on top of their game here and very tough to beat. The team with the best shot is reigning World Silver medalists Zhang and Zhang. No matter how you slice it, China is in complete control of this competition. The spoilers in this competition, however, could be Ukraine's Volosozhar and Morozov. This team has a quiet consistency and tends to place high in international competition. Another team with a chance at the podium is Canada's Duhamel and Buntin. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Shen and Zhao, (SILVER) Zhang and Zhang, (BRONZE) Volosozhar and Morozov
The men's competition gives us our first look at the reigning World Champion, American Evan Lysacek. After Plushenko's dominating performance last week in Moscow, Evan needs to comeback with a solid performance of his own to keep the momentum going and not let it all go Plushenko's way. He's going to have steep competition from Japan's Nobunari Oda who will be attempt to become the first skater to lock a spot in the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo. Italian Samuel Contesti will get his season started in China. The big question everyone wants answered from Contesti is if last season was a fluke or if he can continue to post results. I'm also beyond excited to see Kazakstan's Denis Ten. He might be the best skater no one's talking about yet this season. If he can skate well here and keep up with the heavy hitters, he will not only further put himself on the map but he may make himself a medal contender in Vancouver. France's Yannick Ponsero will attempt to improve upon is performance from Paris as well Russian Sergei Voronov. Keep an eye also on American Stephen Carriere who won the silver medal at this event last season and Canada's Kevin Reynolds who will no doubt come packing a punch with his consistent quads. Medal Predictions: (GOLD) Nobunari Oda, (SILVER) Evan Lysacek, (BRONZE) Yannick Ponsero
Monday, October 26, 2009
Rostelecom Cup Surprises
Rostelecom Cup surprised me a bit. There were many unexpected moments.
Surprise #1: Pang and Tong. I thought their free skate was awesome. Maybe I’m a sucker for Man of La Mancha but I just loved this program. I feel they are in their comfort zone this season with their programs and I suspect they’ll be able to keep up with their Chinese counterparts. I thought they might get
bested by the Russians here but they prevailed.
Surprise #2: Evgeny Plushenko. While I always thought he had a decent shot at winning this competition, I expected there to be a little rust after not competing at this level for so long. Well, he showed no rust at all and after his performance he has to be considered the early favorite for Olympic Gold. I was simply astounded by his performance level (see video below).
Surprise #3: Johnny Weir. On the flip side from Plushenko was Johnny Weir who didn’t look nearly as prepared as I expected him to be. While his programs are solid, I don’t think they have what it takes to be competitive with many of the other men this season. I was expecting a brand new Johnny this season and I feel I got more of the same. I’m feeling a bit short-changed here. He said he was mad in a post-event interview with David Pelletier…let’s see how mad he really is.
Surprise #4: Davis and White. Whoa! We had some stellar dancing last week in Paris from Virtue and Moir and people were already talking about them being shoe-in’s for Olympic Gold. Then, Davis and White bump it up a notch and hardcore bring it in Moscow. The lifts these teams are doing this season are crazy and I just love the competition that is being set up for Vancouver. Outstanding!
Surprise #5: Mao Asada. I just am sad for her. She probably is blessed with the most natural ability of any skater ever but something has gone terribly wrong for her the last year-an-a-half. There’s conflicting reports rather she will switch her SP or not (it would be a wise decision), she’s more than likely not going to make the Grand Prix Final after that 5th place finish, and even her spot on the Olympic Team looks iffy given that the Japanese Federation is doling out Olympic berths based upon the Grand
Prix (Although I can’t imagine a scenario where she doesn’t make that team. Even at her worst she is capable of competing with the best.). Suguri and Suzuki all of a sudden are contenders here. Something has to give. I had her pegged as the easy winner here without Kim in the field and Miki Ando and four other skaters just waltzed over her like there was nothing to it.
Surprise #6: Ashley Wagner. Why she didn’t pull out the victory (Miki Ando did that with a rather bland performance to Cleopatra), she did put herself as a serious contender for one of the two Olympic berths the U.S. has for the women. She put down two great programs (work on those edge deductions) and not only earned some international props in the process but sub-planted the reigning National Champ Alissa Czisny (finished off the podium in 4th) in the process.
You can take a look at the full results here. This week the Grand Prix pit stops in Beijing, China.
Surprise #1: Pang and Tong. I thought their free skate was awesome. Maybe I’m a sucker for Man of La Mancha but I just loved this program. I feel they are in their comfort zone this season with their programs and I suspect they’ll be able to keep up with their Chinese counterparts. I thought they might get
bested by the Russians here but they prevailed.Surprise #2: Evgeny Plushenko. While I always thought he had a decent shot at winning this competition, I expected there to be a little rust after not competing at this level for so long. Well, he showed no rust at all and after his performance he has to be considered the early favorite for Olympic Gold. I was simply astounded by his performance level (see video below).
Surprise #3: Johnny Weir. On the flip side from Plushenko was Johnny Weir who didn’t look nearly as prepared as I expected him to be. While his programs are solid, I don’t think they have what it takes to be competitive with many of the other men this season. I was expecting a brand new Johnny this season and I feel I got more of the same. I’m feeling a bit short-changed here. He said he was mad in a post-event interview with David Pelletier…let’s see how mad he really is.
Surprise #4: Davis and White. Whoa! We had some stellar dancing last week in Paris from Virtue and Moir and people were already talking about them being shoe-in’s for Olympic Gold. Then, Davis and White bump it up a notch and hardcore bring it in Moscow. The lifts these teams are doing this season are crazy and I just love the competition that is being set up for Vancouver. Outstanding!Surprise #5: Mao Asada. I just am sad for her. She probably is blessed with the most natural ability of any skater ever but something has gone terribly wrong for her the last year-an-a-half. There’s conflicting reports rather she will switch her SP or not (it would be a wise decision), she’s more than likely not going to make the Grand Prix Final after that 5th place finish, and even her spot on the Olympic Team looks iffy given that the Japanese Federation is doling out Olympic berths based upon the Grand
Prix (Although I can’t imagine a scenario where she doesn’t make that team. Even at her worst she is capable of competing with the best.). Suguri and Suzuki all of a sudden are contenders here. Something has to give. I had her pegged as the easy winner here without Kim in the field and Miki Ando and four other skaters just waltzed over her like there was nothing to it.Surprise #6: Ashley Wagner. Why she didn’t pull out the victory (Miki Ando did that with a rather bland performance to Cleopatra), she did put herself as a serious contender for one of the two Olympic berths the U.S. has for the women. She put down two great programs (work on those edge deductions) and not only earned some international props in the process but sub-planted the reigning National Champ Alissa Czisny (finished off the podium in 4th) in the process.
You can take a look at the full results here. This week the Grand Prix pit stops in Beijing, China.
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Rostelecom Cup Free Program Flash
*Over West Side Story as a choice of music. It MUST be retired. Chose another Bernstein classic. On The Waterfront, Candide, Olympic Hymn.
Brodeur and Mattatal (Canada) - A pleasant surprise. Mylene struggled a tiny bit on the side-by-side elements but by no means a disaster. Ever since Kurt Browning, Gene Kelly and Canadians are like Bread and Butter. I thought they were great.
Martiusheva and Rogonov (Russia) - Shame their side-by-side elements abandoned them because I love this team. I think they are so exciting to watch. One's to watch for the future.
Della Monica and Kocon (Italy) - Another surprise. With The Mission, I either love it or hate it and I loved this. There was some quality their. Side-by-side elements need to be closer and he needs to clean his footwork up on lifts but nice.
Bazarova and Larionov (Russia) - Ho hum. Nothing special. Really nice unison on side-by-side spins.
McLaughlin and Brubaker (USA) - Kind of rough. Seems like a work in progress. Felt slow, especially the spiral sequence. However, anytime anyone is under the care of John Nicks I feel they're in good hands. They should work with a bollywood dancer and add a little more creative dance here. Needs more Mumbai!
Kavaguti and Smirnov (Russia) - Classic Tamara Moskvina. There are some wonderful, inventive moments in this program. I love how the music builds and the fun that's there at the end. If this team is clean in Vancouver, they'll be tough to beat.
Pang and Tong (China) - This program is so much better suited for them than last seasons. So many teams pass up Man of la Mancha and instead skate to Don Quixote, so happy they went with the former. Really pretty program.
Brandon Mroz (USA) - Why does Brandon love those ruffles so? But what a different skater from the short. Quad! This music was far better suited to him, the jumps except that one triple axel were fine, and he settled down and skated. Really he's so capable.
*Why is it that so many American men are struggling with the triple axel this season?
Florent Amodio (France) - Outfit...hot mess. Good choreography, great program. But not up to snuff technically. Another one to watch for the future.
Shawn Sawyer (Canada) - I love this program and I'm glad he stuck with it from last season. Did better keeping those jumps on one foot. Even if he never reaches the pinnacle of figure skating he'd be an awesome choreographer.
Kevin Van der Perren (Belgium) - Good, but no triple axel. Also surprised he didn't do trademark triple triple triple combo. Slow at the end. Isn't this a revamped version of his 2006 Free?
Ivan Tretiakov (Russia) - Felt kind of jump to jump to jump. Lack of experience shined through in the free skate. Really out of gas at the end.
Adrian Schulteiss (Sweden) - Is that PAC-Man I hear in his program? How are Sweden's skaters so cool (Kristoffer Berntsson)? PAC-Man, techno music, 80's dance music, robots, disco...they are always entertaining. This is far more what I expected from him along music choice lines. Issues...but interesting. The scream at the end...little scary!
Artem Borodulin (Russia) - Looked like he was ready to keep up with the top guys in this competition. Again, lots of frantic a-la-Plushenko arm waving in this program but the Russian crowd loves it. Sergei Voronov is in trouble.
Johnny Weir (USA) - He really surprised me here. He debuted stronger last season at an earlier event. I thought he was going to be in top form in Russia. Lacked technical content but I think the program is nicely choreographed. I don't think this is a program that can go toe-to-toe however with Takahashi, Lambiel, or Oda's free we've seen. Needs more work if he's gonna be in Vancouver...but maybe it's his plan to peak in Spokane, not here.
Takahiko Kozuka (Japan) - Quad in the program...nice to see he's going for it. There's a freedom in the music that's just perfect for his style of skating. He needs a bit more expression but the program is great. All three top Japanese Men this season have great programs that totally suit them.
Evgeny Plushenko (Russia) - That cocky SOB!!! Any thoughts of rust or inability to compete with these guys after four years was just thrown out the window. He' so confident and sure of himself that even if he wasn't prepared his confidence would have bridged the gap and got it done anyway. I'll note, however, his score was a couple points less than Lysacek's winning score at World's. A glimmer of hope still exists for the other skaters.
Crone and Poirier (Canada) - They seem far more settled this season. Last season, Paul especially, they seemed almost unsteady on the ice...almost like they were hanging to balance. This is much better. I love this piece of music for them. That first set of twizzles they did were amazing.
Rubleva and Shefler (Russia) - Lovely skating. I don't feel it was as easy across the ice as Crone and Poirier but I appreciate the difficulty they have in this program. Nice to skate like that at home. Breakthrough for them.
Cappellini and Lanotte (Italy) - I hate this music, but somehow I liked it here for them. I love the pictures this team creates with their lifts. I love how the position is instant and they hold it. I'm quite impressed with this program! The low score was a shocker though. They were leaps better than the Russians.
Davis and White (USA) - Tremendous skating. The lifts that Igor Shpilband's teams are doing are ridiculous! My one concern or little nitpick is that sometimes I feel they rush a little. They hit so many gorgeous edges and positions...I want them to really lean in to them and let them sing rather than just moving quickly to the next position. Also note, their final score was about 4 points higher than Virtue and Moir at TEB! Uh oh!
Mao Asada (Japan) - She has lost everything good about her skating this season. She doesn't even look Olympic podium worthy, and that's a sad commentary on Mao Asada. She needs to go all the way back to the drawing board. If I were her, i would ditch the short as planned...I'd ditch the free as well and go back to The Nutcracker from 2006. She's got to find herself because this nightmare is just getting worse. I think she blew her chance at making the Grand Prix Final...eeek!
Ashley Wagner (USA) - Well done! I love the landings of her jumps, they just flow out with that deep knee. The program was excellent with the exception of her straight line footwork which lacked intensity and connection with the rest of the program (perhaps still working on that piece of the program). She's obviously worked very hard at making sure those jumps are fully rotated.
Alena Leonova (Russia) - She's so much fun to watch! Could she have picked a better piece of music than Chicago? Her ability isn't quite as high as some of the other ladies but she makes up for it in charisma. Jump issues early but turned it up in the back half of the program (was she wing'n it?).
Miki Ando (Japan) - It's just element to element...there's no real choreography or transitions there. I didn't get Cleopatra at all from that. The jumps were mostly solid though. Nothing to write home about. Kind of surprised she beat Ashley.
Alissa Czisny (USA) - She fought for almost every jump. I think she had some cheated landings too. That program didn't feel easy. Unfortunate splat on the flip. Her best qualities, no matter her performance, always shine through. Gotta rotate those jumps though.
Julia Sebestyen (Hungary) - Lost the focus she had in the short. Too many doubles...too many faltered landings...not enough content. Bland program...I feel like every female skater from Eastern Europe has skated this exact program. Back to the old Julia.
Brodeur and Mattatal (Canada) - A pleasant surprise. Mylene struggled a tiny bit on the side-by-side elements but by no means a disaster. Ever since Kurt Browning, Gene Kelly and Canadians are like Bread and Butter. I thought they were great.
Martiusheva and Rogonov (Russia) - Shame their side-by-side elements abandoned them because I love this team. I think they are so exciting to watch. One's to watch for the future.
Della Monica and Kocon (Italy) - Another surprise. With The Mission, I either love it or hate it and I loved this. There was some quality their. Side-by-side elements need to be closer and he needs to clean his footwork up on lifts but nice.
Bazarova and Larionov (Russia) - Ho hum. Nothing special. Really nice unison on side-by-side spins.
McLaughlin and Brubaker (USA) - Kind of rough. Seems like a work in progress. Felt slow, especially the spiral sequence. However, anytime anyone is under the care of John Nicks I feel they're in good hands. They should work with a bollywood dancer and add a little more creative dance here. Needs more Mumbai!
Kavaguti and Smirnov (Russia) - Classic Tamara Moskvina. There are some wonderful, inventive moments in this program. I love how the music builds and the fun that's there at the end. If this team is clean in Vancouver, they'll be tough to beat.
Pang and Tong (China) - This program is so much better suited for them than last seasons. So many teams pass up Man of la Mancha and instead skate to Don Quixote, so happy they went with the former. Really pretty program.
Brandon Mroz (USA) - Why does Brandon love those ruffles so? But what a different skater from the short. Quad! This music was far better suited to him, the jumps except that one triple axel were fine, and he settled down and skated. Really he's so capable.
*Why is it that so many American men are struggling with the triple axel this season?
Florent Amodio (France) - Outfit...hot mess. Good choreography, great program. But not up to snuff technically. Another one to watch for the future.
Shawn Sawyer (Canada) - I love this program and I'm glad he stuck with it from last season. Did better keeping those jumps on one foot. Even if he never reaches the pinnacle of figure skating he'd be an awesome choreographer.
Kevin Van der Perren (Belgium) - Good, but no triple axel. Also surprised he didn't do trademark triple triple triple combo. Slow at the end. Isn't this a revamped version of his 2006 Free?
Ivan Tretiakov (Russia) - Felt kind of jump to jump to jump. Lack of experience shined through in the free skate. Really out of gas at the end.
Adrian Schulteiss (Sweden) - Is that PAC-Man I hear in his program? How are Sweden's skaters so cool (Kristoffer Berntsson)? PAC-Man, techno music, 80's dance music, robots, disco...they are always entertaining. This is far more what I expected from him along music choice lines. Issues...but interesting. The scream at the end...little scary!
Artem Borodulin (Russia) - Looked like he was ready to keep up with the top guys in this competition. Again, lots of frantic a-la-Plushenko arm waving in this program but the Russian crowd loves it. Sergei Voronov is in trouble.
Johnny Weir (USA) - He really surprised me here. He debuted stronger last season at an earlier event. I thought he was going to be in top form in Russia. Lacked technical content but I think the program is nicely choreographed. I don't think this is a program that can go toe-to-toe however with Takahashi, Lambiel, or Oda's free we've seen. Needs more work if he's gonna be in Vancouver...but maybe it's his plan to peak in Spokane, not here.
Takahiko Kozuka (Japan) - Quad in the program...nice to see he's going for it. There's a freedom in the music that's just perfect for his style of skating. He needs a bit more expression but the program is great. All three top Japanese Men this season have great programs that totally suit them.
Evgeny Plushenko (Russia) - That cocky SOB!!! Any thoughts of rust or inability to compete with these guys after four years was just thrown out the window. He' so confident and sure of himself that even if he wasn't prepared his confidence would have bridged the gap and got it done anyway. I'll note, however, his score was a couple points less than Lysacek's winning score at World's. A glimmer of hope still exists for the other skaters.
Crone and Poirier (Canada) - They seem far more settled this season. Last season, Paul especially, they seemed almost unsteady on the ice...almost like they were hanging to balance. This is much better. I love this piece of music for them. That first set of twizzles they did were amazing.
Rubleva and Shefler (Russia) - Lovely skating. I don't feel it was as easy across the ice as Crone and Poirier but I appreciate the difficulty they have in this program. Nice to skate like that at home. Breakthrough for them.
Cappellini and Lanotte (Italy) - I hate this music, but somehow I liked it here for them. I love the pictures this team creates with their lifts. I love how the position is instant and they hold it. I'm quite impressed with this program! The low score was a shocker though. They were leaps better than the Russians.
Davis and White (USA) - Tremendous skating. The lifts that Igor Shpilband's teams are doing are ridiculous! My one concern or little nitpick is that sometimes I feel they rush a little. They hit so many gorgeous edges and positions...I want them to really lean in to them and let them sing rather than just moving quickly to the next position. Also note, their final score was about 4 points higher than Virtue and Moir at TEB! Uh oh!
Mao Asada (Japan) - She has lost everything good about her skating this season. She doesn't even look Olympic podium worthy, and that's a sad commentary on Mao Asada. She needs to go all the way back to the drawing board. If I were her, i would ditch the short as planned...I'd ditch the free as well and go back to The Nutcracker from 2006. She's got to find herself because this nightmare is just getting worse. I think she blew her chance at making the Grand Prix Final...eeek!
Ashley Wagner (USA) - Well done! I love the landings of her jumps, they just flow out with that deep knee. The program was excellent with the exception of her straight line footwork which lacked intensity and connection with the rest of the program (perhaps still working on that piece of the program). She's obviously worked very hard at making sure those jumps are fully rotated.
Alena Leonova (Russia) - She's so much fun to watch! Could she have picked a better piece of music than Chicago? Her ability isn't quite as high as some of the other ladies but she makes up for it in charisma. Jump issues early but turned it up in the back half of the program (was she wing'n it?).
Miki Ando (Japan) - It's just element to element...there's no real choreography or transitions there. I didn't get Cleopatra at all from that. The jumps were mostly solid though. Nothing to write home about. Kind of surprised she beat Ashley.
Alissa Czisny (USA) - She fought for almost every jump. I think she had some cheated landings too. That program didn't feel easy. Unfortunate splat on the flip. Her best qualities, no matter her performance, always shine through. Gotta rotate those jumps though.
Julia Sebestyen (Hungary) - Lost the focus she had in the short. Too many doubles...too many faltered landings...not enough content. Bland program...I feel like every female skater from Eastern Europe has skated this exact program. Back to the old Julia.
Rostelecom Cup Short Program Flash Pt. 2
Amelie Lacoste (Canada) - If I hear this music one more time for skating...
Jenna McCorkell (Great Britain) - Ouchie on the lutz. I like this music. What's it called...Totentanz? Who cares if you skated bad...you're married to KVDP!
Alissa Czisny (USA) - Ugh...so good then the botched axel. I like this program but I think she needs to bring it harder...more anger is needed, it's all a little too smiley. Bring out the killer instinct.
Ashley Wagner (USA) - Not a fan of this music but boy didn't she skate well. I miss the triple triple combo. Behind Czisny? Did I miss something?
Julia Sebestyen (Hungary) - I haven't seen her look that sharp in years. Footwork was a little too easy for a skater of her ability but nice to see her hit a program. Nice surprise.
Alena Leonova (Russia) - I just love watching her! She has a spirit on the ice that is just great. This music only works for flirty Russians...suits her! Spruce up the spins. Ahead of Wagner?
Miki Ando (Japan) - Heavy music choices for the ladies this season. Fingers crossed she doesn't become Mikisova Andokova. Gutzy triple triple attempt that ended up not really helping her. Program feels disconnected from the music.
Mao Asada (Japan) - I can't believe she left that triple axel in the short. RETHINK...RETHINK! Reports say this is the last time we'll see this short...I hope those reports are right. What happened to the joyful Mao...just sitting in the Kiss and Cry she seems sad, like she doesn't even want to be skating. Her placement...wow. The judges certainly aren't helping her along.
*Amongst the ladies 1st thru 5th is close!
**Ice Network is being too slow to post the OD. Just looked at the results. Only surprise is Rubleva and Shefer keeping pace ahead of Crone and Poirier...interesting.
Jenna McCorkell (Great Britain) - Ouchie on the lutz. I like this music. What's it called...Totentanz? Who cares if you skated bad...you're married to KVDP!
Alissa Czisny (USA) - Ugh...so good then the botched axel. I like this program but I think she needs to bring it harder...more anger is needed, it's all a little too smiley. Bring out the killer instinct.
Ashley Wagner (USA) - Not a fan of this music but boy didn't she skate well. I miss the triple triple combo. Behind Czisny? Did I miss something?
Julia Sebestyen (Hungary) - I haven't seen her look that sharp in years. Footwork was a little too easy for a skater of her ability but nice to see her hit a program. Nice surprise.
Alena Leonova (Russia) - I just love watching her! She has a spirit on the ice that is just great. This music only works for flirty Russians...suits her! Spruce up the spins. Ahead of Wagner?
Miki Ando (Japan) - Heavy music choices for the ladies this season. Fingers crossed she doesn't become Mikisova Andokova. Gutzy triple triple attempt that ended up not really helping her. Program feels disconnected from the music.
Mao Asada (Japan) - I can't believe she left that triple axel in the short. RETHINK...RETHINK! Reports say this is the last time we'll see this short...I hope those reports are right. What happened to the joyful Mao...just sitting in the Kiss and Cry she seems sad, like she doesn't even want to be skating. Her placement...wow. The judges certainly aren't helping her along.
*Amongst the ladies 1st thru 5th is close!
**Ice Network is being too slow to post the OD. Just looked at the results. Only surprise is Rubleva and Shefer keeping pace ahead of Crone and Poirier...interesting.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Ugh!
Ice Network not posting the ladies and dance shorts in a timely manner...not cool. Avoiding spoilers is becoming increasingly difficult.
Rostelecom Cup Short Program Flash Pt. 1
Davis and White (USA) - Strong Compulsories...really strong! Close to Virtue and Moir's TEB score.
Bazarova and Larionov (Russia) - Their pairs basics are lovely.
Della Monica and Kocon (Italy) - Great opening, lost some steam.
Martiusheva and Rogonov (Russia) - Sharp. Surprised such an accomplished team only had side-by-side double axels. Their placement shocked me though!
McLaughlin and Brubaker (USA) - How lovely! I haven't seen an American pair look this "pretty" since Meno and Sand, perfect choice in Unchained Melody. Salchows where golden. I was so hoping that throw was going to be perfect but good fight anyway. They look fit and very accomplsihed.
Kavaguti and Smirnov (Russia) - Surprising fall for Yuko. That final spin seemed like it lasted for 80 years. Second half of the program seemed heavier than the first half. Must have been the music change. Ahead of McBru?
Pang and Tong (China) - He doubled that toeloop...totally caught that. This program is missing something for me...seems to lack excitement. Not sure if agree with the placement here. I feel like the top three should be separated by less than a point. All made one big error.
Evgeny Plushenko (Russia) - Did he ever take a break from competition? Gosh! Quad...axel...brilliant. For me, it's all a bit too much with the crazy arms but I guess it works for some. That score with a double lutz? These judges are padding certain skaters in the GOE's and components a little bit and it's getting annoying. I loved the little lap he took after his program. You could tell he was genuinely happy to be on the ice again competing.
Ivan Tretiakov (Russia) - Who is this kid? Loved his short program...loved his outfit even more! Shame the little stumble on the spin.
Shawn Sawyer (Canada) - He is something on the ice. Shame he lands his jumps more often on two feet than one. Brilliant program as always. I think he is a perfect example of how EXACTLY to use your arms in figure skating. If I was a judge, he would have much higher component scores than Plushenko. But...what do I know?
Artem Borodulin (Russia) - Like Plushenko's clone! I felt like I could have put his footwork in any Plushenko program and it would have worked. I still don't get the crazy arms. Lovely jumps. Crowd loved it! Wow score.
Adrian Schultheiss (Sweden) - Totally unexpected music choice. I was expecting hardcore techno and got Christmas Fantasy? Somehow it worked...it was like watching a Tim Burton film. Good fight on the axel and solid quality all the way around. Abrupt ending though.
Florent Amodio (France) - Some amazing qualities. His precision on the footwork and the speed at which he executes is awesome. He was not up to par on the jumps today but I think he's a fine skater. Kind of reminds me of Johnny Weir...
Brandon Mroz (USA) - Hot Mess! Quad was a bust. Axel was popped. Maybe two footed the lutz right before the double toe. On top of all that the music choice was horrible. He doesn't have the personality (like say Ryan Bradley) to pull off this program...RETHINK! Felt bad for him.
Johnny Weir (USA) - I expected he would show up looking a little better than that. some of the most complex choreography I've ever seen from Johnny. He moves well to this program but it needs greater technical content. The outfit...no comment. Again, I think the score was a bit high for his performance. Not 'quite' a Diva on Ice in the short.
Takahiko Kozuka (Japan) - Hated the music but otherwise a fine performance. He moves so easy...not an ounce of resistance as he glides across the ice. I question that he was only three points ahead of Weir, and for that fact, not right up there with Plushenko...I'm not understanding the judges.
Kevin Van der Perren (Belgium) - Cautious, careful, conservative. Heaps better than Finlandia but not enough to be competitive with the top here. Music doesn't seem right for him.
*As soon as Ice Network posts the ladies short and original dance on demand I'll post those comments.
Bazarova and Larionov (Russia) - Their pairs basics are lovely.
Della Monica and Kocon (Italy) - Great opening, lost some steam.
Martiusheva and Rogonov (Russia) - Sharp. Surprised such an accomplished team only had side-by-side double axels. Their placement shocked me though!
McLaughlin and Brubaker (USA) - How lovely! I haven't seen an American pair look this "pretty" since Meno and Sand, perfect choice in Unchained Melody. Salchows where golden. I was so hoping that throw was going to be perfect but good fight anyway. They look fit and very accomplsihed.
Kavaguti and Smirnov (Russia) - Surprising fall for Yuko. That final spin seemed like it lasted for 80 years. Second half of the program seemed heavier than the first half. Must have been the music change. Ahead of McBru?
Pang and Tong (China) - He doubled that toeloop...totally caught that. This program is missing something for me...seems to lack excitement. Not sure if agree with the placement here. I feel like the top three should be separated by less than a point. All made one big error.
Evgeny Plushenko (Russia) - Did he ever take a break from competition? Gosh! Quad...axel...brilliant. For me, it's all a bit too much with the crazy arms but I guess it works for some. That score with a double lutz? These judges are padding certain skaters in the GOE's and components a little bit and it's getting annoying. I loved the little lap he took after his program. You could tell he was genuinely happy to be on the ice again competing.
Ivan Tretiakov (Russia) - Who is this kid? Loved his short program...loved his outfit even more! Shame the little stumble on the spin.
Shawn Sawyer (Canada) - He is something on the ice. Shame he lands his jumps more often on two feet than one. Brilliant program as always. I think he is a perfect example of how EXACTLY to use your arms in figure skating. If I was a judge, he would have much higher component scores than Plushenko. But...what do I know?
Artem Borodulin (Russia) - Like Plushenko's clone! I felt like I could have put his footwork in any Plushenko program and it would have worked. I still don't get the crazy arms. Lovely jumps. Crowd loved it! Wow score.
Adrian Schultheiss (Sweden) - Totally unexpected music choice. I was expecting hardcore techno and got Christmas Fantasy? Somehow it worked...it was like watching a Tim Burton film. Good fight on the axel and solid quality all the way around. Abrupt ending though.
Florent Amodio (France) - Some amazing qualities. His precision on the footwork and the speed at which he executes is awesome. He was not up to par on the jumps today but I think he's a fine skater. Kind of reminds me of Johnny Weir...
Brandon Mroz (USA) - Hot Mess! Quad was a bust. Axel was popped. Maybe two footed the lutz right before the double toe. On top of all that the music choice was horrible. He doesn't have the personality (like say Ryan Bradley) to pull off this program...RETHINK! Felt bad for him.
Johnny Weir (USA) - I expected he would show up looking a little better than that. some of the most complex choreography I've ever seen from Johnny. He moves well to this program but it needs greater technical content. The outfit...no comment. Again, I think the score was a bit high for his performance. Not 'quite' a Diva on Ice in the short.
Takahiko Kozuka (Japan) - Hated the music but otherwise a fine performance. He moves so easy...not an ounce of resistance as he glides across the ice. I question that he was only three points ahead of Weir, and for that fact, not right up there with Plushenko...I'm not understanding the judges.
Kevin Van der Perren (Belgium) - Cautious, careful, conservative. Heaps better than Finlandia but not enough to be competitive with the top here. Music doesn't seem right for him.
*As soon as Ice Network posts the ladies short and original dance on demand I'll post those comments.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Press Release - FIGURE SKATING CALENDAR IS A “FUN” FUNDRAISER
FIGURE SKATING CALENDAR IS A “FUN” FUNDRAISER
Skating Coach & Mom of an Autistic Child Spins into Action to Pay for Uninsured Expenses
With the disappointing state of health insurance today, an innovative Olathe, Kansas family was required to seek alternate options to help pay for the exorbitant costs of their son’s Autism therapy. The mother, a figure skating coach, pulled all her resources to create a limited edition figure skating calendar with all potential proceeds going directly to the intensive treatment required by her 4 1/2 year old son Morgan Joseph Holmes.
The 2010 Figure Skating Calendar Is NOW Available for Pre-order!
This 12” x 12” full color calendar will be treasured by figure skaters young and old. It features uniquely decorated skates and includes significant competition dates (Olympics, Worlds and ISU Grand Prix Series) and birthdays of past Figure Skating Olympic champions. A minimum donation of $13 is being asked for The 2010 Figure Skating Calendar from now until September 30, 2009. Then, from October 1 forward, a minimum donation of $15 is being requested.
Morgan was diagnosed with Autism in 2007, and received 18 months of intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in home with significant positive results. The current cost of Morgan’s treatment is 25-thousand dollars per year. The family can no longer afford ABA therapy, and Morgan’s treatments have been put on hold while they raise additional funds. ABA therapy is not covered by most health insurance, and many families have out-of-pocket cost exceeding 50-thousand dollars a year.
Today 1 in every 94 boys born will be diagnosed with Autism, which is a mental condition present from early childhood. Autism is characterized by difficulty in communicating, forming relationships with people, using language and abstract concepts.
ABA is the science in which procedures derived from the principles of behavior are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior to a meaningful degree and to demonstrate experimentally that the procedures employed were responsible for the improvement in behavior.
If you want to take action to help people with Autism or get more information about state and national Autism related legislation please go to www.autismvotes.org to find out how you can help make a difference in your state and in Washington D.C.
###
For more information about 2010 Figure Skating Calendar go to www.figureskatingcalendar.com or contact Katie Holmes at 913-738-4554, email 1skatinglesson@gmail.com, follow the subject on Twitter at mojoholmes or become a fan of www.figureskatingcalendar.com on Facebook.
Skating Coach & Mom of an Autistic Child Spins into Action to Pay for Uninsured Expenses
With the disappointing state of health insurance today, an innovative Olathe, Kansas family was required to seek alternate options to help pay for the exorbitant costs of their son’s Autism therapy. The mother, a figure skating coach, pulled all her resources to create a limited edition figure skating calendar with all potential proceeds going directly to the intensive treatment required by her 4 1/2 year old son Morgan Joseph Holmes.
The 2010 Figure Skating Calendar Is NOW Available for Pre-order!This 12” x 12” full color calendar will be treasured by figure skaters young and old. It features uniquely decorated skates and includes significant competition dates (Olympics, Worlds and ISU Grand Prix Series) and birthdays of past Figure Skating Olympic champions. A minimum donation of $13 is being asked for The 2010 Figure Skating Calendar from now until September 30, 2009. Then, from October 1 forward, a minimum donation of $15 is being requested.
Morgan was diagnosed with Autism in 2007, and received 18 months of intensive Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy in home with significant positive results. The current cost of Morgan’s treatment is 25-thousand dollars per year. The family can no longer afford ABA therapy, and Morgan’s treatments have been put on hold while they raise additional funds. ABA therapy is not covered by most health insurance, and many families have out-of-pocket cost exceeding 50-thousand dollars a year.
Today 1 in every 94 boys born will be diagnosed with Autism, which is a mental condition present from early childhood. Autism is characterized by difficulty in communicating, forming relationships with people, using language and abstract concepts.
ABA is the science in which procedures derived from the principles of behavior are systematically applied to improve socially significant behavior to a meaningful degree and to demonstrate experimentally that the procedures employed were responsible for the improvement in behavior. If you want to take action to help people with Autism or get more information about state and national Autism related legislation please go to www.autismvotes.org to find out how you can help make a difference in your state and in Washington D.C.
For more information about 2010 Figure Skating Calendar go to www.figureskatingcalendar.com or contact Katie Holmes at 913-738-4554, email 1skatinglesson@gmail.com, follow the subject on Twitter at mojoholmes or become a fan of www.figureskatingcalendar.com on Facebook.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Pic of the Week
Mao Asada finds herself between two key events this season, Trophy Eric Bompard where she was dealt a huge blow to her confidence by Kim Yu-Na who annihilated the field in Paris, and Rostelecom Cup in Moscow where she must face her biggest Japanese rival Miki Ando...the skater that put her off a podium at Worlds for like the first time ever it seemed.Things are not going as Mao Asada planned I think.
I remember the Mao Asada that, out of seemingly nowhere, twizzled her way right past Irina Slutskaya to win the 2005 Grand Prix Final...fresh out of the junior ranks. I remember the Japanese Skating Federation up in arms because they couldn't send Mao to Torino because of her age. "She would win" they said (luckily Shizuka Arakawa came through for them and their fit over Asada quickly ended).
After narrowly losing to Ando at the 2007 Worlds, she took things by the horns and won the 2008 World Title (Kim Yu-Na...third at both events). But then things haven't been the same since.
Somewhere between then and now she's stopped being Mao Asada...she's become Maoasova Asadakova. She's stopped using the best in her skating: lightness on her feet, effortless triple-triple combinations, and a youthfulness that never ended. Instead she's chosen to focus, almost exclusively, on the need for a triple axel, skate to heavy dark music, and choose choreography that is so heavy it saps the life out of the arena. I think Tatiana Tarasova has created her version of a Russian Ice Queen...trouble is it doesn't translate through Asada. Instead we are left scratching our heads.
Also, somewhere between then and now...Kim Yu-Na became Queen Yu-Na.
The trouble is, I think she's out of time. Short of withdrawing from the rest of the season, doing a complete revamp, and reappearing in Vancouver magically transformed, she's gonna have to work with what she has. She has to find a way for the best in her skating to shine through or I feel she will end this season feeling empty handed.
UPDATE: Yahoo! Japan is reporting that Mao Asada is intending on changing her short program. A glimmer of hope?
UPDATE 2: Occasionally, my mind falters on my competition rememberance. To clarify, Kim Yu-Na has never been third at the GPF...she won in 06' and in 07'...she was second to Mao last season.
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Rostelecom Cup Preview
Our focus is moves from Paris to Russia as we prepare for the second stop on the Grand Prix, Rostelecom Cup in Moscow. Who are the players?
The ladies event looks to be dominated by the top two Japanese heavy hitters. Mao Asada will look to improve her performance from last week in Paris and move to the top of the podium while reigning World Bronze Medalist Miki Ando will make her season debut in Moscow. Reigning American Champ Alissa Czisny is in the field so we'll keep an eye on her. American Ashley Wagner is also getting her season underway in Moscow. The surprise of the competition, however, may end up being young upstart Alena Leonova who'll be competing in front of a home crowd and has shown an ability to feed off of crowd energy...she loves a spotlight. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Mao Asada), SILVER (Miki Ando), BRONZE (Ashley Wagner)
The Ice Dance field will be clearly dominated by Americans Davis and White. With the withdrawal of Domnina and Shabalin (apparently Maxim began training too soon after knee surgery which has complicated his recovery) it's clear sailing for the Americans barring some unforeseen disaster. I see a fun race for the silver and bronze shaping up. Three teams will be in the battle including Crone and Poirier of Canada who delighted on last season's Grand Prix. I expect the Italian team of Cappellini and Lanotte to skate well. Also, the Russian team on Rubleva and Shefer looked very strong at Trophy Eric Bompard and may have a shot at the podium. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Davis & White), SILVER (Cappellini & Lanotte), BRONZE (Crone & Poirier)
Rostelecom marks the return to competition for Evgeny Plushenko. Reports suggest that he's fit and ready for the competition. Shame we will not see Patrick Chan in this competition as he has decided to let an injury heal and will push his season debut back to the final event in the Grand Prix series, Skate Canada. It remains, nontheless, an exciting event. American Johnny Weir gets his season underway. He's very comfortable competing in Russia (he has tons of fans there) and tends to skate well at this event. Another American, Brandon Mroz, is also competing here in Russia. Japan's Takahiko Kozuka will also get his season started in Moscow. A couple of other skaters to watch out for; Belgium's Kevin Van der Perren (who is coming off of a terrible outing at the Finlandia Trophy) and France's Florent Amodio. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Johnny Weir), SILVER (Evgeny Plushenko), BRONZE (Takahiko Kozuka)
In the pairs competition three teams have my eye. The Chinese team of Pang and Tong have their season opener here in Moscow. They are one of three teams in an incredibly deep Chinese pairs field this season (with the return of Shen and Zhao). Americans McLaughlin and Brubaker also have their season opener in Moscow. It'll be interesting to see how they've progressed under the watchful eye of John Nicks. Russian's Kavaguti and Smirnov, reigning World Bronze Medalists, will attempt to match their teammates success in Paris with a win of their own here in Moscow. I'm going to keep a careful eye on the other two young Russian teams competing here, one of them may very well be the third team the Russian Federation chooses to send to Vancouver. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Kavaguti & Smirnov), SILVER (Pang & Tong), BRONZE (McLaughlin and Brubaker)
The ladies event looks to be dominated by the top two Japanese heavy hitters. Mao Asada will look to improve her performance from last week in Paris and move to the top of the podium while reigning World Bronze Medalist Miki Ando will make her season debut in Moscow. Reigning American Champ Alissa Czisny is in the field so we'll keep an eye on her. American Ashley Wagner is also getting her season underway in Moscow. The surprise of the competition, however, may end up being young upstart Alena Leonova who'll be competing in front of a home crowd and has shown an ability to feed off of crowd energy...she loves a spotlight. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Mao Asada), SILVER (Miki Ando), BRONZE (Ashley Wagner)
The Ice Dance field will be clearly dominated by Americans Davis and White. With the withdrawal of Domnina and Shabalin (apparently Maxim began training too soon after knee surgery which has complicated his recovery) it's clear sailing for the Americans barring some unforeseen disaster. I see a fun race for the silver and bronze shaping up. Three teams will be in the battle including Crone and Poirier of Canada who delighted on last season's Grand Prix. I expect the Italian team of Cappellini and Lanotte to skate well. Also, the Russian team on Rubleva and Shefer looked very strong at Trophy Eric Bompard and may have a shot at the podium. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Davis & White), SILVER (Cappellini & Lanotte), BRONZE (Crone & Poirier)
Rostelecom marks the return to competition for Evgeny Plushenko. Reports suggest that he's fit and ready for the competition. Shame we will not see Patrick Chan in this competition as he has decided to let an injury heal and will push his season debut back to the final event in the Grand Prix series, Skate Canada. It remains, nontheless, an exciting event. American Johnny Weir gets his season underway. He's very comfortable competing in Russia (he has tons of fans there) and tends to skate well at this event. Another American, Brandon Mroz, is also competing here in Russia. Japan's Takahiko Kozuka will also get his season started in Moscow. A couple of other skaters to watch out for; Belgium's Kevin Van der Perren (who is coming off of a terrible outing at the Finlandia Trophy) and France's Florent Amodio. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Johnny Weir), SILVER (Evgeny Plushenko), BRONZE (Takahiko Kozuka)
In the pairs competition three teams have my eye. The Chinese team of Pang and Tong have their season opener here in Moscow. They are one of three teams in an incredibly deep Chinese pairs field this season (with the return of Shen and Zhao). Americans McLaughlin and Brubaker also have their season opener in Moscow. It'll be interesting to see how they've progressed under the watchful eye of John Nicks. Russian's Kavaguti and Smirnov, reigning World Bronze Medalists, will attempt to match their teammates success in Paris with a win of their own here in Moscow. I'm going to keep a careful eye on the other two young Russian teams competing here, one of them may very well be the third team the Russian Federation chooses to send to Vancouver. Medal Predictions: GOLD (Kavaguti & Smirnov), SILVER (Pang & Tong), BRONZE (McLaughlin and Brubaker)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Trophy Eric Bompard Gets Grand Prix Underway
I must say I was quite impressed with the level of skating displayed at Grand Prix Paris for this early in the season. It shows these skaters are taking this season seriously and we are in for a great season.
The men's competition was a no brainer. If you read my comments I thought Nobunari Oda was just genius (see video below). Charlie Chaplin has been done many times, but I think it's a hard character to pull off. You have to be quirky but not over the top and I think Nobunari nailed it. Nice to see those jumps so incredibly solid. I think he'll be tough to beat and his win in Paris was very well deserved. I liked Tomas Verner's performance too, although it ultimately lost steam, he did skate initially with a new sophistication I haven't seen from him and I think he looks so much more put together versus last season; his silver was a nice treat for him I think. Speaking of treats, what about Adam Rippon! His short program, for me, was one of the best I've ever seen from an artistic point of view (It would be Brian Orser that would mold something effective with Neil Diamond). While his free skate didn't get me quite as excited, overall I think he has two great programs and I think for the first time I see him as a contender on the senior stage. Brian Joubert....oh Brian. I think Scott Hamilton said it best..."He's like a meat and potatoes skater; there's not a lot of parsley on the plate." He missed the quads and the program just suffered as a result. I was really surprised he finished fourth (that might save him later in the season when you look at making the Grand Prix Final) and I hope this jolts and makes him rethink some things. I like Brian Joubert and I know he is capable of much better than this. Ponsero and Voronov will need to step it up a notch as well.
In Ice Dance, Virtue and Moir were the easy class of the field. I love this teams lifts. They are so inventive and so complex. Their free dance, while gorgeous, for me is a little to stagnant. I wish the music had more rise and fall. But that's a minor complaint and really more of an opinion that doesn't really effect their scores. As I suspected, Pechalat and Bourzat sneaked past the Kerr's to nab the silver. Their free dance is fun. I don't think it's as interesting as last season's but this season's dance is clearly more difficult in terms of steps and movement. The Kerr's used a Linkin Park piece very well but had some tiny unison issues in there twizzles. Overall, however, I felt they were a smidge better than Pechalat and Bourzat and I was surprised there was that big of a gap between the two teams. The Americans were a hot mess, all over the map with their placements in each part of the competition. Samuelson and Bates finished fourth, Navarro and Bomemntre (loved their free dance!) finished sixth, Hubbell and Hubbell finished eigth...however none of them were consistent with their placements in each portion of the competition. I'm now very interested to see how Chock and Zuerlein stack up against these Senior teams. Also, I must toot my own horn and report that I correctly predicted the dance podium here!
The Pairs event gave us a little bit of a shocker. I've been saying as soon as Mukhortova and Trankov can get their heads together (and stop fighting with one another) they would be a force to be reckoned with. They put two solid performances back to back and out classed the field in Paris to take the title. While their "Love Story" program lacked a little love, it was well constructed and they were great technically. Dube and Davison nabbed the silver with a beautiful performance. They are struggling still a bit technically but their free skate is just lovely. The big shock came with Savchenko and Szolkowy placing third after only a fourth place free skate. They had a disastrous skate that culminated with a pop of their throw salchow at the end of their program and a lot of head shaking. A really out of character performance for them. Honorable mention to Inoue and Baldwin who finished fourth overall (third in the free) on the strength of a gorgeous throw triple axel.
The ladies event was interesting. Kim Yu-Na won the event, surprisingly by a margin approaching 40 points, and with a record breaking score. She accomplished the highest point total by a woman ever...without even performing a triple flip. While she was certainly deserving of the title, I don't think she was deserving of those scores. Overly inflated if you ask me. Mao Asada was a distant second with a performance that included a beautiful triple axel combination, solid footwork with deep edges, and impressive spins. While her performance was not to the level of Kim's, she should have been much closer in score. Yukari Nakano earned the bronze medal. The program didn't really sing but she did complete several triple jumps. Two American's finished in the top five. Caroline Zhang finished fourth after a program plagued with deductions due to her jump technique. She also played it safe at this competition nursing a healing injury. Alexe Gilles made her senior Grand Prix debut with a respectable fifth place finish. Caroline Kostner stumbled into sixth with two terrible performances. She still hasn't got her act together.
Full results are here. Next week the Grand Prix moves to Moscow, Russia for Rostelecom Cup.
The men's competition was a no brainer. If you read my comments I thought Nobunari Oda was just genius (see video below). Charlie Chaplin has been done many times, but I think it's a hard character to pull off. You have to be quirky but not over the top and I think Nobunari nailed it. Nice to see those jumps so incredibly solid. I think he'll be tough to beat and his win in Paris was very well deserved. I liked Tomas Verner's performance too, although it ultimately lost steam, he did skate initially with a new sophistication I haven't seen from him and I think he looks so much more put together versus last season; his silver was a nice treat for him I think. Speaking of treats, what about Adam Rippon! His short program, for me, was one of the best I've ever seen from an artistic point of view (It would be Brian Orser that would mold something effective with Neil Diamond). While his free skate didn't get me quite as excited, overall I think he has two great programs and I think for the first time I see him as a contender on the senior stage. Brian Joubert....oh Brian. I think Scott Hamilton said it best..."He's like a meat and potatoes skater; there's not a lot of parsley on the plate." He missed the quads and the program just suffered as a result. I was really surprised he finished fourth (that might save him later in the season when you look at making the Grand Prix Final) and I hope this jolts and makes him rethink some things. I like Brian Joubert and I know he is capable of much better than this. Ponsero and Voronov will need to step it up a notch as well.
In Ice Dance, Virtue and Moir were the easy class of the field. I love this teams lifts. They are so inventive and so complex. Their free dance, while gorgeous, for me is a little to stagnant. I wish the music had more rise and fall. But that's a minor complaint and really more of an opinion that doesn't really effect their scores. As I suspected, Pechalat and Bourzat sneaked past the Kerr's to nab the silver. Their free dance is fun. I don't think it's as interesting as last season's but this season's dance is clearly more difficult in terms of steps and movement. The Kerr's used a Linkin Park piece very well but had some tiny unison issues in there twizzles. Overall, however, I felt they were a smidge better than Pechalat and Bourzat and I was surprised there was that big of a gap between the two teams. The Americans were a hot mess, all over the map with their placements in each part of the competition. Samuelson and Bates finished fourth, Navarro and Bomemntre (loved their free dance!) finished sixth, Hubbell and Hubbell finished eigth...however none of them were consistent with their placements in each portion of the competition. I'm now very interested to see how Chock and Zuerlein stack up against these Senior teams. Also, I must toot my own horn and report that I correctly predicted the dance podium here!
The Pairs event gave us a little bit of a shocker. I've been saying as soon as Mukhortova and Trankov can get their heads together (and stop fighting with one another) they would be a force to be reckoned with. They put two solid performances back to back and out classed the field in Paris to take the title. While their "Love Story" program lacked a little love, it was well constructed and they were great technically. Dube and Davison nabbed the silver with a beautiful performance. They are struggling still a bit technically but their free skate is just lovely. The big shock came with Savchenko and Szolkowy placing third after only a fourth place free skate. They had a disastrous skate that culminated with a pop of their throw salchow at the end of their program and a lot of head shaking. A really out of character performance for them. Honorable mention to Inoue and Baldwin who finished fourth overall (third in the free) on the strength of a gorgeous throw triple axel.
The ladies event was interesting. Kim Yu-Na won the event, surprisingly by a margin approaching 40 points, and with a record breaking score. She accomplished the highest point total by a woman ever...without even performing a triple flip. While she was certainly deserving of the title, I don't think she was deserving of those scores. Overly inflated if you ask me. Mao Asada was a distant second with a performance that included a beautiful triple axel combination, solid footwork with deep edges, and impressive spins. While her performance was not to the level of Kim's, she should have been much closer in score. Yukari Nakano earned the bronze medal. The program didn't really sing but she did complete several triple jumps. Two American's finished in the top five. Caroline Zhang finished fourth after a program plagued with deductions due to her jump technique. She also played it safe at this competition nursing a healing injury. Alexe Gilles made her senior Grand Prix debut with a respectable fifth place finish. Caroline Kostner stumbled into sixth with two terrible performances. She still hasn't got her act together.Full results are here. Next week the Grand Prix moves to Moscow, Russia for Rostelecom Cup.
Junior Grand Prix: Turkey
We've had a busy few days in the figure skating world. Last week, the Junior Grand Prix Series came to a conclusion, champions were crowned, and we have a list of competitors for the Junior Grand Prix Final (which will take place simultaneously with the Senior Grand Prix in Tokyo, Japan in December).
In Ice Dance, American's Cannuscio and Lorello took home the bronze medal, their second on the Junior Grand Prix. Two Russian teams held the two top spots. Pushkash and Guerreiro were just ahead of the Americans winning the silver despite placing fifth in the free dance. The gold went to Monko and Khaliavin.
Amongst the men, both Americans were out of the medals. Joshua Farris finished fifth. After placing second in the short program he had a seventh place free skate and was unable to stay on the podium. Austin Kanallakan moved up from fifth to fourth. The bronze medal went to Japan's Kento Nakamura, silver to Russia's Stanislav Kovalev, and the gold to Han Yan of China (see video below).
The American ladies were quite successful. Christina Gao took home the bronze medal (and won the free skate in the process), adding a second to her collection this season. Russian Sofia Biryukova took home the silver. Kiri Baga, again took the gold medal in her second appearance in the Junior Grand Prix despite finishing third in the free skate.
Full results can be seen here.
So here are the competitors that have qualified to the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Pairs:
Sui and Han (China)
Takahashi and Tran (Japan)
Hole and Johnson (Canada)
Zhang and Wang (China)
Novik and Kuznetsov (Russia)
Simpson and Miller (USA)
Vasilieva and Shevchuk (Russia)
Stolbova and Klimov (Russia)
Ladies:
Kanako Murakami (Japan)
Polina Shelepen (Russia)
Kiri Baga (USA)
Angela Maxwell (USA)
Ksenia Makarova (Russia)
Christina Gao (USA)
Anna Ovcharova (Russia)
Ellie Kawamura (USA)
Dance:
Shibutani and Shibutani (USA)
Monko and Khaliavin (Russia)
Ilyinikh and Katsalapov (Russia)
Pushkash and Gurreiro (Russia)
Ralph and Hill (Canada)
Alessandrini and Vaturi (Italy)
Antipova and Kudashev (Russia)
Cannuscio and Lorello (USA)
Men:
Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan)
Ross Miner (USA)
Nan Song (China)
Artur Gachinski (Russia)
Kento Nakamura (Japan)
Stanislav Kovalev (Russia)
Richard Dornbush (USA)
Grant Hochstein (USA)
In Ice Dance, American's Cannuscio and Lorello took home the bronze medal, their second on the Junior Grand Prix. Two Russian teams held the two top spots. Pushkash and Guerreiro were just ahead of the Americans winning the silver despite placing fifth in the free dance. The gold went to Monko and Khaliavin.
Amongst the men, both Americans were out of the medals. Joshua Farris finished fifth. After placing second in the short program he had a seventh place free skate and was unable to stay on the podium. Austin Kanallakan moved up from fifth to fourth. The bronze medal went to Japan's Kento Nakamura, silver to Russia's Stanislav Kovalev, and the gold to Han Yan of China (see video below).The American ladies were quite successful. Christina Gao took home the bronze medal (and won the free skate in the process), adding a second to her collection this season. Russian Sofia Biryukova took home the silver. Kiri Baga, again took the gold medal in her second appearance in the Junior Grand Prix despite finishing third in the free skate.
Full results can be seen here.
So here are the competitors that have qualified to the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Pairs:
Sui and Han (China)
Takahashi and Tran (Japan)
Hole and Johnson (Canada)
Zhang and Wang (China)
Novik and Kuznetsov (Russia)
Simpson and Miller (USA)
Vasilieva and Shevchuk (Russia)
Stolbova and Klimov (Russia)
Ladies:
Kanako Murakami (Japan)
Polina Shelepen (Russia)
Kiri Baga (USA)
Angela Maxwell (USA)
Ksenia Makarova (Russia)
Christina Gao (USA)
Anna Ovcharova (Russia)
Ellie Kawamura (USA)
Dance:
Shibutani and Shibutani (USA)
Monko and Khaliavin (Russia)
Ilyinikh and Katsalapov (Russia)
Pushkash and Gurreiro (Russia)
Ralph and Hill (Canada)
Alessandrini and Vaturi (Italy)
Antipova and Kudashev (Russia)
Cannuscio and Lorello (USA)
Men:
Yuzuru Hanyu (Japan)
Ross Miner (USA)
Nan Song (China)
Artur Gachinski (Russia)
Kento Nakamura (Japan)
Stanislav Kovalev (Russia)
Richard Dornbush (USA)
Grant Hochstein (USA)
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Trophy Eric Bompard Free Program Flash
Inoue and Baldwin (USA): That was the best throw triple axel ever! Nice to see it in the program and landed.
Canoc and Coia (France): Fell in love with these two in the short...fell out of love with them in the free.
Dube and Davison (Canada): Pretty program...suits them well. Canadians always skate well to pieces like this. Feels Sale and Pelletier "ish."
Mukhortova and Trankov (Russia): Whoa! Solid solid solid. Oddly their "Love Story" does not feel Sale and Pelletier "ish."
Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany): Total meltdown. What happened?
Hubbell and Hubbell (USA): I loved their free dance. Very relaxed. Suited them well. Needs more difficulty. Their more than capable of making this program super sharp and being competitive at Nationals for that third spot.
Navarro and Bommentre (USA): I love this program. Might be biased, it's one of my favorite songs. Love the flow and lifts. Disagreed with their placement...boo!
Samuelson and Bates (USA): Nice program. Nothing new or unexpected from them though. Pretty pieces in Italian seems to be their thing.
Kerr and Kerr (Great Britain): Subdued and subtly brilliant. I like this team and I keep wondering when they are going to get their due from the judges. Anytime a woman lifts a man in a program...it's an awesome thing.
Pechalat and Bourzat (France): This team reminds me a lot of Winkler and Lohse. Liked the program. Felt slow and didn't have the natural flow the Kerr's did. Time theme was well played throughout. I thought the Kerr's where a bit better...but what do I know?
Virtue and Moir (Canada): Really pretty. The lifts in this program are ridiculous. The one where she balances on her knee on his back and then actually jumps and lands on the ice...crazy! My one well concern is that the music is kind of bland throughout. 197.71...good but that's beatable.
Vaughn Chipeur (Canada): He's better than this.
*Side note...I'm over Pirates of the Caribbean as a music choice.
Ryan Bradley (USA): I'm not a fan of this program. The music is too fluffy and I feel he's not light enough on his feet. The jumps were a hot mess.
Alban Preaubert (France): There is something inherently interesting about him. I kind of feel like he's a hot mess as well but I love it just the same! Paint it Black...one of my faves.
Brian Joubert (France): This program needs help. As a World Champion he is capable of better than this. Without those quads this program suffers. I like foot sequence at the end.
Yannick Ponsero (France): This guy is capable of so much. So much speed...but be careful not to rush the jumps. He needs a little more expression with the music. Love the footwork at the end, program comes alive. I think he should have easily went ahead of Joubert...but what do I know?
Sergei Voronov (Russia): Careful...too careful. Some nice moments but ran out of gas at the end.
Adam Rippon (USA): I'm not as in love with this program as I am his short but it's still a fine program. Axels got away from him here. Again, amazing joy at the end of the program is wonderful.
Nobunari Oda (Japan): Genius! He so cute, he looks like he's about 10 years old. There was just a perfect amount of Charlie in that Chaplin and the jumps were spot on. Good outfit too...simple yet effective. Really well done.
Tomas Verner (Czech Republic): That quad combo was perfection! Skated with a sophistication at the beginning of his program I had never seen from him. Shame he ran out of gas near the end. Still, leaps improvement from last season.
Elene Gedevanishvili (Georgia): Carmen again (sigh). So so, needs more zest.
Carolina Kostner (Italy): It's getting painful to watch. Is there a secret retreat where skaters can go to get their heads together? I'm very surprised she finished 6th.
Kiira Korpi (Finland): May need to join Carolina...
Caroline Zhang (USA): Ho hum. She'll need to kick it up a notch to be competitive for the Olympic Team.
Alexe Gilles (USA): Feel like the pressure of the whole situation got to her. Cute program though, not quite up to snuff to compete with the other girls.
Mao Asada (Japan): I liked this program more than I had at the Japan Open...still feels a bit heavy but she skates it well I think. Gorgeous triple axel in combo.
Yukari Nakano (Japan): Not such a fan of this program but I liked the attack. Will not be easy to make Japanese Olympic team with this program.
Kim Yu-Na (S. Korea): Beautiful program (see video below). However, I think her scores are out of control. She should have won by a comfortable margin...not that comfortable. She didn't even do a triple flip! To have received the highest point total for a women ever is outrageous.
Canoc and Coia (France): Fell in love with these two in the short...fell out of love with them in the free.
Dube and Davison (Canada): Pretty program...suits them well. Canadians always skate well to pieces like this. Feels Sale and Pelletier "ish."
Mukhortova and Trankov (Russia): Whoa! Solid solid solid. Oddly their "Love Story" does not feel Sale and Pelletier "ish."
Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany): Total meltdown. What happened?
Hubbell and Hubbell (USA): I loved their free dance. Very relaxed. Suited them well. Needs more difficulty. Their more than capable of making this program super sharp and being competitive at Nationals for that third spot.
Navarro and Bommentre (USA): I love this program. Might be biased, it's one of my favorite songs. Love the flow and lifts. Disagreed with their placement...boo!
Samuelson and Bates (USA): Nice program. Nothing new or unexpected from them though. Pretty pieces in Italian seems to be their thing.
Kerr and Kerr (Great Britain): Subdued and subtly brilliant. I like this team and I keep wondering when they are going to get their due from the judges. Anytime a woman lifts a man in a program...it's an awesome thing.
Pechalat and Bourzat (France): This team reminds me a lot of Winkler and Lohse. Liked the program. Felt slow and didn't have the natural flow the Kerr's did. Time theme was well played throughout. I thought the Kerr's where a bit better...but what do I know?
Virtue and Moir (Canada): Really pretty. The lifts in this program are ridiculous. The one where she balances on her knee on his back and then actually jumps and lands on the ice...crazy! My one well concern is that the music is kind of bland throughout. 197.71...good but that's beatable.
Vaughn Chipeur (Canada): He's better than this.
*Side note...I'm over Pirates of the Caribbean as a music choice.
Ryan Bradley (USA): I'm not a fan of this program. The music is too fluffy and I feel he's not light enough on his feet. The jumps were a hot mess.
Alban Preaubert (France): There is something inherently interesting about him. I kind of feel like he's a hot mess as well but I love it just the same! Paint it Black...one of my faves.
Brian Joubert (France): This program needs help. As a World Champion he is capable of better than this. Without those quads this program suffers. I like foot sequence at the end.
Yannick Ponsero (France): This guy is capable of so much. So much speed...but be careful not to rush the jumps. He needs a little more expression with the music. Love the footwork at the end, program comes alive. I think he should have easily went ahead of Joubert...but what do I know?
Sergei Voronov (Russia): Careful...too careful. Some nice moments but ran out of gas at the end.
Adam Rippon (USA): I'm not as in love with this program as I am his short but it's still a fine program. Axels got away from him here. Again, amazing joy at the end of the program is wonderful.
Nobunari Oda (Japan): Genius! He so cute, he looks like he's about 10 years old. There was just a perfect amount of Charlie in that Chaplin and the jumps were spot on. Good outfit too...simple yet effective. Really well done.
Tomas Verner (Czech Republic): That quad combo was perfection! Skated with a sophistication at the beginning of his program I had never seen from him. Shame he ran out of gas near the end. Still, leaps improvement from last season.
Elene Gedevanishvili (Georgia): Carmen again (sigh). So so, needs more zest.
Carolina Kostner (Italy): It's getting painful to watch. Is there a secret retreat where skaters can go to get their heads together? I'm very surprised she finished 6th.
Kiira Korpi (Finland): May need to join Carolina...
Caroline Zhang (USA): Ho hum. She'll need to kick it up a notch to be competitive for the Olympic Team.
Alexe Gilles (USA): Feel like the pressure of the whole situation got to her. Cute program though, not quite up to snuff to compete with the other girls.
Mao Asada (Japan): I liked this program more than I had at the Japan Open...still feels a bit heavy but she skates it well I think. Gorgeous triple axel in combo.
Yukari Nakano (Japan): Not such a fan of this program but I liked the attack. Will not be easy to make Japanese Olympic team with this program.
Kim Yu-Na (S. Korea): Beautiful program (see video below). However, I think her scores are out of control. She should have won by a comfortable margin...not that comfortable. She didn't even do a triple flip! To have received the highest point total for a women ever is outrageous.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Trophy Eric Bompard Short Program Flash
Gonna try something new here. Here are my instant thoughts as I watched the Trophy Eric Bompard short program.
Virtue and Moir (Canada): Those lifts are crazy. Talk about innovation. They seem leaps ahead of the pack on choreography and technique.
Alexe Gilles (USA): What an amazing Senior Grand Prix debut. I thought she created a lovely ladylike image on the ice.
Yukari Nakano (Japan): I loved her music cut to Phantom of the Opera. She looked as if she where on a mission!
Caroline Zhang (USA): Loved the attack she began her program with, hated the jump technique.
Mao Asada (Japan): Triple axel in the short program...i think that may be a no-no...rethink.
Kim Yu-Na (S. Korea): Feels like no one else even has a shot at Olympic Gold this season...it's like she has this thing in the bag already. Slick music choice. 76.08...OMG.
Carolina Kostner (Italy): Ouch...this is becoming a reoccurring theme.
Inoue and Baldwin (USA): Only side-by-side double axels...not good enough. Pull a Beyonce and Upgrade, Upgrade! Program has good potential. Needs fiestiness and tension.
Canac and Coia (France): Fell in love with this team. Lovely program.
Mukhortova and Trankov (Russia): Amazing. The speed was incredible. Love the music...perfect for them. Once this team starts believing in themselves...watch out.
Dube and Davison (Canada): I hate this music. It lacks the depth of emotion this team is capable of...monotonous. The music ended...they didn't. Bryce Davison is handsome!
Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany): The make-up is a bit much. It distracts from the pure beauty of this program. They need a more subtle way to represent clowns. I would have had them in 2nd...not 1st.
Ryan Bradley (USA): Never dull! Love that the quad is in the short and you can see the work he's done to improve his skating. Pesky lutz!
Vaughn Chipeur (Canada): Program seemed frantic the whole way through. I think the music choice is poor. Axel sit spin right on the music near the end was cool.
Nobunari Oda (Japan): These Japanese men are bringing it this season. Amazing program...loved the all out assault he had on the ice! Does he look fit or what!
Voronov (Russia): New found confidence is wonderful to see. Quad triple combo...spiffy! I find his skating wonderfully unique from all the other Russians. There's a finesse there...
Adam Rippon (USA): YES YES YES! His music is the best piece for a short program I've ever heard and he nailed it. Triple Axel...BINGO! That lutz with both arms over his head was sick! The pure joy that radiated from Adam as he skated this program (see video below)! I'm beyond....BEYOND impressed with this program!
Alban Preaubert (France): He reminds me of a combination of Laurent Tobel with his quirk style and Phillipe Candeloro with terrible jump technique that somehow works. I'm always left scratching my head with Preaubert...but in a good way.
Yannick Ponsero (France): Amazing tension and speed. Nailed the character of the music.
Brian Joubert (France): You can't botch all three jumping passes. I don't buy it...his skating lacks something for me. I did like the circular footwork...that seems vastly improved from last season.
Tomas Verner (Czech Republic): Nicely done. I like this program...it's not over the top but kitchy all at the same time. Beautiful quad! Nice showman. However, I felt Oda and Rippon far superior.
Virtue and Moir (Canada): Those lifts are crazy. Talk about innovation. They seem leaps ahead of the pack on choreography and technique.
Alexe Gilles (USA): What an amazing Senior Grand Prix debut. I thought she created a lovely ladylike image on the ice.
Yukari Nakano (Japan): I loved her music cut to Phantom of the Opera. She looked as if she where on a mission!
Caroline Zhang (USA): Loved the attack she began her program with, hated the jump technique.
Mao Asada (Japan): Triple axel in the short program...i think that may be a no-no...rethink.
Kim Yu-Na (S. Korea): Feels like no one else even has a shot at Olympic Gold this season...it's like she has this thing in the bag already. Slick music choice. 76.08...OMG.
Carolina Kostner (Italy): Ouch...this is becoming a reoccurring theme.
Inoue and Baldwin (USA): Only side-by-side double axels...not good enough. Pull a Beyonce and Upgrade, Upgrade! Program has good potential. Needs fiestiness and tension.
Canac and Coia (France): Fell in love with this team. Lovely program.
Mukhortova and Trankov (Russia): Amazing. The speed was incredible. Love the music...perfect for them. Once this team starts believing in themselves...watch out.
Dube and Davison (Canada): I hate this music. It lacks the depth of emotion this team is capable of...monotonous. The music ended...they didn't. Bryce Davison is handsome!
Savchenko and Szolkowy (Germany): The make-up is a bit much. It distracts from the pure beauty of this program. They need a more subtle way to represent clowns. I would have had them in 2nd...not 1st.
Ryan Bradley (USA): Never dull! Love that the quad is in the short and you can see the work he's done to improve his skating. Pesky lutz!
Vaughn Chipeur (Canada): Program seemed frantic the whole way through. I think the music choice is poor. Axel sit spin right on the music near the end was cool.
Nobunari Oda (Japan): These Japanese men are bringing it this season. Amazing program...loved the all out assault he had on the ice! Does he look fit or what!
Voronov (Russia): New found confidence is wonderful to see. Quad triple combo...spiffy! I find his skating wonderfully unique from all the other Russians. There's a finesse there...
Adam Rippon (USA): YES YES YES! His music is the best piece for a short program I've ever heard and he nailed it. Triple Axel...BINGO! That lutz with both arms over his head was sick! The pure joy that radiated from Adam as he skated this program (see video below)! I'm beyond....BEYOND impressed with this program!
Alban Preaubert (France): He reminds me of a combination of Laurent Tobel with his quirk style and Phillipe Candeloro with terrible jump technique that somehow works. I'm always left scratching my head with Preaubert...but in a good way.
Yannick Ponsero (France): Amazing tension and speed. Nailed the character of the music.
Brian Joubert (France): You can't botch all three jumping passes. I don't buy it...his skating lacks something for me. I did like the circular footwork...that seems vastly improved from last season.
Tomas Verner (Czech Republic): Nicely done. I like this program...it's not over the top but kitchy all at the same time. Beautiful quad! Nice showman. However, I felt Oda and Rippon far superior.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Chan out of Rostelecom Cup
Good news for Plushenko, Weir, and Kozuka...bad news for Canada.Patrick Chan has withdrawn from Rostelecom Cup next week in Moscow, Russia due to a tear of his left calf muscle. He is, however, expected to compete at Skate Canada. Skate Canada will be the final event in the Grand Prix series over a month away.
Apart from the injury which will be a set back...Chan will not be at the Grand Prix Final now in Tokyo, a competition that would have been a nice pre-Olympic test against the best in the World. The next time he'll have an opportunity to compete against that talent wont be until the Olympics. He will face Abbott, Takahashi, and Contesti at Skate Canada so he'll have to make the most of that. There will also be the Four Continents Cup at the end of January, but that is only two weeks before the Olympics and he'll have to decide if a trip to Korea is worth the strain of competition so close to the biggest event in his life. Given this withdrawal...I think he should consider it.
UPDATE: Chan's news has been made official on his blog. New development, apparently World Champions Domnina and Shabalin of Russia have withdrawn from Rostelecom Cup as well (possibly NHK Trophy as well). Much like Chan, that doesn't give them the needed competition (especially against the North American Teams) that one would like prior to the Olympics. More news when I have it.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
BREAKING NEWS: Skate America Has New Title Sponsor
This afternoon U.S. Figure Skating announced a new partnership with the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO). ASCO will be title sponsor for Skate America which will take place in Lake Placid November 12-15."The figure skating family has been impacted by cancer in so many ways over the years," said David Raith, executive director of U.S. Figure Skating. "Through a partnership with ASCO, we have the opportunity to help educate millions of people about the resources that are available to them in the battle against cancer."
"Just as skaters rely on their coaches for advice and guidance, people with cancer can rely on Cancer.Net to get the most trusted, doctor-approved information to guide them through their diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship," said Allen Lichter, MD, CEO of ASCO. "ASCO is pleased to partner with Skate America to bring this valuable information to people everywhere."Whan an exciting development for U.S. Figure Skating...good things have been happening this year for them!
Pic of the Week
Sergei Voronov is another one of those skaters I would consider a 'Dark Horse' in any competition. While he's yet to win a major international title, he's shown flashes of brilliance in his career.While he finished second at last week's Finlandia Trophy, he won the free skate in that competition ahead of Daisuke Takahashi. He did so with a textbook quad toe-loop. When Voronov gets in the zone his jumps are some of the best in the world. Some of that may be attributed to his coach, Olympic Champion Alexei Urmanov, who also was known for solid jump technique.
He's also been a skater that's not been afraid to break the mold of Russian skaters, he's a little different than the others...in a good way I believe.
He'll have a chance to prove his case this week as he goes up against a dense men's field at Trophy Eric Bompard. If he can medal there (perhaps win) he'll set himself up nicely for this season.
Voronov's goal this season should be to keep the Russian spotlight on him and not let it move over to Plushenko. A tough task to be sure, he's going to have to produce results to do it.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
The Globe Trot
It's been busy times in the world of figure skating!Starting here in the U.S., we are still reeling from the two big announcements that came down this past week. First, Kimmie Meissner's withdrawal from the Grand Prix and almost by default withdrawal from the entire figure skating season due to her inability to compete and qualify for Nationals. Second, Sasha Cohen's last minute decision to withdraw from Grand Prix Paris. Sasha's withdrawal is being met with some skepticism as she performed in Improv Ice with "an injury" prior to her withdrawal from a major international event. Lots are doubting if her comeback is for real; she'll have the opportunity to redeem herself at Skate America. Also, big news for figure skating fans, we're getting more television figure skating broadcasts than we have in years thanks to a deal inked between U.S. Figure Skating and NBC Universal...WIN!!!
Japan is jumping for joy as Daisuke Takahashi made a successful return to competition last week by winning the 2009 Finlandia Trophy. While there is some work to be done on the free skate yet (he lost that portion of the competition to Russian Sergei Voronov), his short program turned heads and earned an impressive score in it's competitive debut. Japan was not jumping for joy when it lost the 2009 Japan Open (actually finishing last in 3rd) behind an impressive Team Europe and Team North America. Even more disheartening was Japan's high-flyer Mao Asada, not looking her best, and losing more ground to Canada's Joannie Rochette. Asada was just third among the women, losing not only to Rochette but also Finland's Lepisto.In Canada, they are beginning to ramp up for the Olympic Games full throttle. Leading men's contender, Patrick Chan, was recently dubbed "Ice Prince" by the Toronto Star. Who would this Canadian Prince's dream date be asked Toronto Star sports reporter Randy Starkman? "Jessica Alba. Definitely. I wouldn't even talk the whole date. I'd just look at her with my jaw dropped." Enough said. The city of Vancouver is starting to get a picture of what traffic will be like during the
Olympics...chaos. Businesses are being urged to have their employees either walk to work, take public transportation, or better yet...stay home.The other big news in the world of skating comes from Paris, France where the Senior Grand Prix kicks off. Big match-ups are expected amongst the men and ladies fields. Korea's Kim Yu-Na departed for Paris today with her new programs (a "James Bond" themed short and Gershwin free) in tow. She's up against Mao Asada (who must skate better than she did at the Japan Open), Italy's Carolina Kostner, and American Caroline Zhang. The men are more of a mixed bag with Oda and Joubert looking like the front runners but the possibility of a surprise winner looms.
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