WTF?The short program was a hot mess in my opinion as far as the judging goes. The free skate...where to begin! Skaters were all over the place, skaters still couldn't count, favorites fell, non favorites didn't fall, lyrics were in, and records (unbelievably) were set.
Speedy...get a grip on your Championships!
Let me begin with the short program where I was seething over the results! My three biggest issues was the low scoring of Ross Miner, the atmospheric scoring of Patrick Chan, and basically a good deal of the scoring inbetween. I am pleased as punch that Ross Miner skated so well in the short...and then he kept getting pushed down lower and lower and lower...and by skaters that weren't putting together half the performance he did. I was ticked. Skater after skater, mistake after mistake, higher placement after higher placement. I get it, Ross doesn't have the skating skills that some of the others do but he isn't a total novice. C'mon, one of the skaters that finished higher than Ross not only botched a quad, but failed to do a combination jump...that's right...three non-combo'd jumps! Please brother brother please! And then Patirck Chan. That short program score was, as someone on Twitter called it, "Chanflated." He was easily the winner of the short program; hell, I agree that he deserved to win the whole thing, but that score was out of control. Patrick proved the saying "You can't win it in the short program but you can loose it" wrong...ummm he won it.
The free skate was a hot mess. Again some scoring oddities for Miner who again was undermarked (but rightfully so was the highest placed U.S. man in the free, Dornbush finished the highest overall). The final two groups had me at the end of my chair. Joubert, who is going through an identity crisis, seemingly skated well but made barely any forward progress to finish an unimpressive 8th (first time since 2005 he didn't make the podium). The real humdinger came in the free when Chan kicked the group off with landing two quads and instantly sealing his victory. Verner choked, Takahashi choked, then Artur Gachinski (who only God knows how was in 4th place after the short) had the Plushenkoesque skate of his life to hit the podium. Nobunari Oda again has counting issues doing three triple toe-loops!
The highlight of it all was Takahiko Kozuka who came through clutch with the skate of his life, quad combo included! Patrick Chan was expected to do well...everyone hoped Kozuka would, and he did, and that made it special. Lots of support for Team Japan in the audience and a Silver well earned after the longest week of any of the competitors since he skated in (and won) the qualifying round.Florent Amodio ended the night with a perfect opportunity to hit his first World Podium...instead he opted to entertain the audience with his One Republic/Black Eyed Peas/Michael Jackson medley...complete with lyrics! In true French style he gave a big middle finger to the judges and did what he wanted. Don't know if the payoff was worth the rule breaking.
At the end of it all...I want a men's redeux! I feel like that was the most haphazard thing put to ice in sometime.
2 comments:
Daisuke didn't choke, his skate broke. He landed everything but a triple salchow *and turned out of a triple axel) after his having to stop to have his skate repaired as best it could be. I also felt that Daisuke performed it extremely well artistically under the circumstances, and certainly had more emotion than Chan.
Also, some reports are saying that the plastic part of his skate was breaking too, and he had a hard time gripping the ice. So no, I really don't consider that choking. ;)
Agreed about Taka though - he was fantastic!
I think he choked....in part due to the equipment issues, in part due to the fact that Chan put up an impossible number, in part because the stars didn't align the way they were supposed to.
But a choke is a choke...at least he didn't have the meltdown disaster.
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