- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
Strange competition, in terms of skating enjoyment I liked four programs from the third! and second! groups more than anything in the final flight ...
Klimkin - Yay! did much better, I still don't understand why his SP score was so low. Can anyone explain. Not his best as he's ditched a lot of his more interesting stuff to get in the COP friendly elements. If he had to fall (I suppose he did) then better on the cantilever than on a jump I guess. I'm hoping that his relatively low scores are paying his dues in COP and that we'll see more realistic numbers at worlds.
Van Perrin - Sloppy in places (muchos balance-checkos in his footwork) but the best he's done, really woke up the place. First real show stopper of the evening. I'm still not a fan, but I can see why some people are. First quad in competition for him I think.
Lysacek - How does he pronounce his name? Is it Lee-sah-check? Anyway, well choreographed and delivered with a lot of committment. Spins a little on the weak side (yes, we realise you can stick your leg straight out in a sitspin, that's very commendable, now stop it). Was very diva-ish in the final footwork. If he gets a quad he'll be a real force.
Savoie - Best match of choreography and performance all night. Personal favorite performance all night. Sloppy in places. Not the greatest extension in moves that cry out for it, not the greatest centering, but inventive and wonderful and please don't retire. Please. Don't. We need stuff like this (I need stuff like this). Stay in. (don't make me get tough now).
Plushenko - Has there ever been a more front-loaded choreography free program? Let's see, it opens with siix, 6, seis, sechs, sei, shest' that's SIX!!!!!!!!!! freaking jumping passes with no footwork or spins and virtually no choreography. He was OVER TWO MINUTES into the program before the first spin. Is this reflected in PCS? Don't be silly, darling, this is Plushenko. The huge crowd reaction is more due to this being the olympics and plushenko finally getting the gold than the performance itself (reminds me of scott hamilton in Sarajevo) At least I hope that's the case. PCS come from another planet as far as I can tell. Yes, I would have him first in both SP and LP but the margins have no basis in reality. This is the olympics, not a lifetime achievement award.
Still all credit to him, he's the first ever (I think) skater to actually get the gold that eluded him in a previous olympics. I can't think of another gold contender who didn't win and then came back to win.
Lambiel - A mess, for him, that's all there is to it, wins silver placing 3rd in the short and 4th(!) in the long, that's just messed up. Final spin and a jump here or there was okay but that's it. I'm hoping for better stuff for him. He wins the gold medal for hideous lp costume. Zebra/Tiger strips with blue sleeves and baggy pants leave everyone in the dust. I had to avert my eyes at times.
Weir - Okay, I was expecting a meltdown from descriptions and this wasn't a meltdown. It was sloppy and distracted FOR WEIR but most skaters never come close to this level of choreography and execution. Best match of choreography and performance in the final flight. It's a testament to his talent that this is considered a letdown. Note to Weir: I understand missing the bus and being not warmed up and leaving out the quad because of that. Perfectly reasonable. But at worlds you have to try the quad in the LP or shut up about it, choice is up to you.
Buttle - I appreciate Buttle more than enjoy him. Yes, well worked out choreography, yes good spins, yes engaging personality, but the music didn't fit the skater or the costume or the whatever. (Maybe because I know what happens in the opera, inthe slow section (Delilah's big aria) a ***** is seducing a holy man, tell us Jeff, which are you trying to be?) Sloppy execution on the jumps, much worse than anything Weir did. Amazing that he gets more points for a fall on a fully rotated quad than a clean but slightly underrotated jump would get. Second place in the LP is a mystery to me.
Rest of the field - blah, I couldn't get interested enough to comment. Some better, some worse, but nothing for me to write here about.
Klimkin - Yay! did much better, I still don't understand why his SP score was so low. Can anyone explain. Not his best as he's ditched a lot of his more interesting stuff to get in the COP friendly elements. If he had to fall (I suppose he did) then better on the cantilever than on a jump I guess. I'm hoping that his relatively low scores are paying his dues in COP and that we'll see more realistic numbers at worlds.
Van Perrin - Sloppy in places (muchos balance-checkos in his footwork) but the best he's done, really woke up the place. First real show stopper of the evening. I'm still not a fan, but I can see why some people are. First quad in competition for him I think.
Lysacek - How does he pronounce his name? Is it Lee-sah-check? Anyway, well choreographed and delivered with a lot of committment. Spins a little on the weak side (yes, we realise you can stick your leg straight out in a sitspin, that's very commendable, now stop it). Was very diva-ish in the final footwork. If he gets a quad he'll be a real force.
Savoie - Best match of choreography and performance all night. Personal favorite performance all night. Sloppy in places. Not the greatest extension in moves that cry out for it, not the greatest centering, but inventive and wonderful and please don't retire. Please. Don't. We need stuff like this (I need stuff like this). Stay in. (don't make me get tough now).
Plushenko - Has there ever been a more front-loaded choreography free program? Let's see, it opens with siix, 6, seis, sechs, sei, shest' that's SIX!!!!!!!!!! freaking jumping passes with no footwork or spins and virtually no choreography. He was OVER TWO MINUTES into the program before the first spin. Is this reflected in PCS? Don't be silly, darling, this is Plushenko. The huge crowd reaction is more due to this being the olympics and plushenko finally getting the gold than the performance itself (reminds me of scott hamilton in Sarajevo) At least I hope that's the case. PCS come from another planet as far as I can tell. Yes, I would have him first in both SP and LP but the margins have no basis in reality. This is the olympics, not a lifetime achievement award.
Still all credit to him, he's the first ever (I think) skater to actually get the gold that eluded him in a previous olympics. I can't think of another gold contender who didn't win and then came back to win.
Lambiel - A mess, for him, that's all there is to it, wins silver placing 3rd in the short and 4th(!) in the long, that's just messed up. Final spin and a jump here or there was okay but that's it. I'm hoping for better stuff for him. He wins the gold medal for hideous lp costume. Zebra/Tiger strips with blue sleeves and baggy pants leave everyone in the dust. I had to avert my eyes at times.
Weir - Okay, I was expecting a meltdown from descriptions and this wasn't a meltdown. It was sloppy and distracted FOR WEIR but most skaters never come close to this level of choreography and execution. Best match of choreography and performance in the final flight. It's a testament to his talent that this is considered a letdown. Note to Weir: I understand missing the bus and being not warmed up and leaving out the quad because of that. Perfectly reasonable. But at worlds you have to try the quad in the LP or shut up about it, choice is up to you.
Buttle - I appreciate Buttle more than enjoy him. Yes, well worked out choreography, yes good spins, yes engaging personality, but the music didn't fit the skater or the costume or the whatever. (Maybe because I know what happens in the opera, inthe slow section (Delilah's big aria) a ***** is seducing a holy man, tell us Jeff, which are you trying to be?) Sloppy execution on the jumps, much worse than anything Weir did. Amazing that he gets more points for a fall on a fully rotated quad than a clean but slightly underrotated jump would get. Second place in the LP is a mystery to me.
Rest of the field - blah, I couldn't get interested enough to comment. Some better, some worse, but nothing for me to write here about.