- Joined
- Feb 4, 2008
Here's what Sonia had to say after the world championships:
http://soniabianchetti.com/writings_2009apr.html
http://soniabianchetti.com/writings_2009apr.html
OT, Nathacha, when and where did you meet Brian?
Very cool! And I'm glad he lived up to your expectations .A few weeks ago, after the "Stars sur glace" exhibition in Paris.
It was Christmas for me!!!
That's one of the places where I thought her argument didn't work, because which skaters we like, or find magical, is totally subjective. I think Yu-Na Kim is marvelous, and I believe she would have succeeded regardless of the system. Patrick Chan, on the other hand, does nothing for me. Of course he skates well, but it's all so designed to maximize points that to me it's more a checklist than an interesting whole, and there's no wow factor - it just leaves me cold. But someone like Tomas Verner, who wasn't even mentioned by her, is amazing when he's on, IMO (admittedly this doesn't happen very often ). Of course, some people will say that Chan is fabulous and deserves every mark he gets, while Yu-Na and Tomas are overrated.She has a point when she says that Patrick and Yu-Na are the exceptions not the rule; figure skating is losing it's magic.
I've actually heard that before - that Speedy gets his support from the smaller players. So he must be really fed up with the huge fields at Worlds to even bring it up.What I find interesting is what she says on Cinquanta'q support from small countries. I'm curious to know what the more important federations think of him.
When exactly is a new President of the ISU to be voted on?
Too much has been said about the palsy walsy twosome of Cinquanta and Piseev.
Buttercup said:I've actually heard that before - that Speedy gets his support from the smaller players. So he must be really fed up with the huge fields at Worlds to even bring it up.
Conspiracy! Conspiracy! Which country is doing best under CoP? Just follow the PCS and GOE trail .Actually, I would say that David Dore -- the long time president of the Canadian federation -- is Cinquanta's right-hand man. Dore is the ISU vice president for figure skating and was the primary architect of the CoP.
I did attend Worlds, but skipped the first half of both men's and ladies' short program. I came to Worlds to see the best skaters in the world, which did not happen. We got instead the "best" from each country, many skating at a very low level. So I very much hope the field is reduced with qualifying of some sort.
The limitations on the number of skaters from each country is so silly. The top ranked skaters should be there. Nationalities are less important in the global internet-connected world, with skaters training outside their own countries with coaches who don't even speak their language, and changing citizenships willy-nilly to accommodate their skating ambitions.
That's one of the places where I thought her argument didn't work, because which skaters we like, or find magical, is totally subjective. I think Yu-Na Kim is marvelous, and I believe she would have succeeded regardless of the system. Patrick Chan, on the other hand, does nothing for me. Of course he skates well, but it's all so designed to maximize points that to me it's more a checklist than an interesting whole, and there's no wow factor - it just leaves me cold. But someone like Tomas Verner, who wasn't even mentioned by her, is amazing when he's on, IMO (admittedly this doesn't happen very often ). Of course, some people will say that Chan is fabulous and deserves every mark he gets, while Yu-Na and Tomas are overrated.
So obviously this is not objective, and that's the problem with using specific skaters for an argument that's very broad. Also, were there that many skaters blending grace and passion under any system skating has been judged under? I don't think there were - it's just that looking back, we tend to remember the good and the bad but not the mediocre.