Ladies SP

**SusieH** · 03-28-2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by antmanb

My thoughts on this in no particular order - Yuna was just incredible! I thought she looked nervous going out there but she pulled everything off amazingly. I saw no sign of a lip whatsoever, Chris Howarth didn't either.

According to people at Yu-Na Kim's forum (go there to take a look at the entire score of her elements if you want. It's the post # 210), her first element was actually given an exclamation mark but judges didn't give her negative GOEs, so the result is 9.50+0.60=10.10. I personally couldn't see anything wrong with the edge but I'm afraid I'm not very good at discerning this kind of thing

I was beyond thrilled for Yu-Na. I loved this performance so much. This is my favorite short program of a female skater this season. I felt so happy she truly delivered when it counted the most. In fact I'm so happy that I don't even care if anyone else can catch up with her in the long (and usually I prefer a fiercer competition!)

That said, I believe Mao were also more or less ten points behind Yu-Na at 2007 worlds after the short. So theoretically speaking, there is still a possibility that Mao and Joannie can win gold in the end. But this time Yu-Na is healthy and sounds very confident and sure about herself, unlike 2007 (and 2008).... I don't want to say anything more in case skate gods will get offended, but go Yu-Na!

And of course best of wishes with every one else too

I want to see tons of brilliant performances tomorrow. I want to see everyone skate clean and feel happy about her performance at the kiss and cry.

**Mathman** · 03-28-2009, 10:42 AM

Originally Posted by Buttercup

I went to sleep right before Alyssa's skate, so I can't comment on any of the top ladies. But everyone seemed to be getting generous marks - didn't Joannie get almost 68 without a 3-3 while some ladies got scores in the 60s with visible mistakes? Yu-Na has gone over 70 in the past, so I suppose it's not that surprising she was generously rewarded by this judging panel.

You missed a barn-burner! Yu-na's performance took no prisoners. At the risk of sounding like Scott Hamilton, Kim's performance was one of the most thrilling ladies' short programs of all time. Generous judging or not, it just had to score out at 10 points higher than anyone else.

Originally Posted by SusieH

...her first element was actually given an exclamation mark but judges didn't give her negative GOEs, so the result is 9.50+0.60=10.10. I personally couldn't see anything wrong with the edge but I'm afraid I'm not very good at discerning this kind of thing.

It is hard to see those edges on a flip (easier on a Lutz, I think.) Anyway, even if the judges took off one point for the edge, the other aspects of the jump were +2, so that's why she ended up with positive GOE overall.

**Norpido** · 03-28-2009, 10:49 AM

Thrilling performance of all time? I'm sorry that's a joke to me.

I don't think it was beautiful at all. It rendered no feelings other than she looking really angry.

On the other hand I didn't really like Mao's SP either. But I know that her FS will be a completely different story. Mao's music in the FS is so big.

I also thought Miki Ando was good. She at least has some body to put into those spins.

I really miss Yukari. Thought she was looking superb in Stockholm last year.

I have no idea how Mao is gonna win this now that she is trailing over 10 points. She probably only get second place even with a flawless FS.

**Buttercup** · 03-28-2009, 10:50 AM

Originally Posted by Mathman

You missed a barn-burner! Yu-na's performance took no prisoners. At the risk of sounding like Scott Hamilton, Kim's performance was one of the most thrilling ladies' short programs of all time. Generous judging or not, it just had to score out at 10 points higher than anyone else.

Unlike Medusa, I actually require sleep at night

. But I had counted on Eurosport showing some highlights today, and they're not! Argh.

I'm sure Yu-Na's lead was justified. I think people were questioning the score rather than the margin, but if everyone was getting high scores and the margin was about right, then that's how it works out.

**Medusa** · 03-28-2009, 11:06 AM

Originally Posted by Buttercup

Unlike Medusa, I actually require sleep at night

. But I had counted on Eurosport showing some highlights today, and they're not! Argh.

I'm sure Yu-Na's lead was justified. I think people were questioning the score rather than the margin, but if everyone was getting high scores and the margin was about right, then that's how it works out.

^^Hey! Medusa slept this night. She missed ice-dance!

I slept for 8 long hours.

The only problem I have with Yu-Na's score is, that it makes the rest so boring. Like really boring. Even at 4CC, where she was downgraded on the Lutz and fell on the Loop, her lead, that was not even close as big as this one, saved her to gold.

I find Joannie sleep-inducing, but I would really like to see her rock the house, if only to make things real interesting and less predictable. If she really lands all 7 Triples and Yu-Na falters a bit - who knows what might happen?

**Tinymavy15** · 03-28-2009, 11:07 AM

what a competetion. Yu-na was perfect and got a huge score...everybody saw that coming and she will win even with mistakes in the LP.
Mao messed up....again. why cant's he skate a cleanSP?????
glad for joannie...would love to see her win this.

Very dissipointed with the americans, but i knew that they were not the strongest members of the team. I think R. will skate a good free and pul herself up, but Alissa is beyond hope. even of she skates a clean LP no way will we get 3 spots. I knew this would happen to her, as did many others on this board. Zhang would have done it. Look what happened to evan and he skated at home!

**Danale** · 03-28-2009, 11:37 AM

Originally Posted by Buttercup

But I had counted on Eurosport showing some highlights today, and they're not! Argh.

They did actually, at least British Eurosport.
Simon said on Yu-Na's score: "wow, that is a row of sixes!"

**DarkestMoon** · 03-28-2009, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by bekalc

Actually Yu-na has (Cup of Russia) Mao I think has also only done a perfect FS once...

Mao has her own jump and long program issues as well. Like the tendency to get her 3/3's underrotated.

Yes, I was corrected before and acknowledged it but I didn't change my original post. I believe Mao finally had her 3-3 ratified yesterday because her TES was still high after a double lutz-flat.

**bekalc** · 03-28-2009, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by DarkestMoon

Yes, I was corrected before and acknowledged it but I didn't change my original post. I believe Mao finally had her 3-3 ratified yesterday because her TES was still high after a double lutz-flat.

Yes but it could have just been a pity thing, many thought it should have been downgraded.

It's totally possible Mao could be kick butt! But Yu-na actually has the highest free skating score of the season.....So we will see. Even if Mao gets a 136, Yu-na can still win with a 126.

**Dodhiyel** · 03-28-2009, 12:10 PM

No time to read thread now or to think before I type, so I'll just give my impressions off the top of my head.

I have much respect for all three ladies who are leading, so it is a win-win-win situation for me psychologically.

Yu-Na is an incredible skater. She marries the artistic with the athletic to an astonishing degree; I love to watch her, and I am so glad that Brian is her coach. I thought she was untouchable yesterday, just on a different level from all the others. She skated with conviction and beauty; I loved everything about her performance, and I thought it deserved super-high marks.

I have been a Joannie fan ever since her Firebird; I thought she was magnifique yesterday: strength, speed, conviction, beauty. I love the way her skating has turned out. What an athlete!

Mao was tentative yesterday. It just did not have the feel a programme needs to have. Her talent is huge and undeniable; it just was not one of her best performances. She has, on previous occasions, come back with a roar on the FS, so anything is possible.

Any one of these ladies can still win. It depends upon who is having a good day, and who is not. Miki also is looking very athletic, with good attack, and might find herself on the podium at the end of the day. I enjoyed her skate very much.

I am proud of Rachael Flatt. It seems to me that she is trying to improve her posture, and it is no easy task to change one's jumping habits.

Laura Lepisto was good to watch, as always, graceful as she was at Euros. I really like her.

**fairly4** · 03-28-2009, 12:21 PM

All I am going to say is Good luck tonight and they judges were generous in a few peoples scores, Alissa, Cynthia . But it looks like the last group was spot on and Joannie great skate, rachel good skate--I like it. She skated very mature.
Alissa, try not to skate nervous. It makes you look juniorish.

**mycelticblessing** · 03-28-2009, 12:22 PM

I haven't watched any of the ladies SP yet (except Ando's), but sounds like the top few skated really well!

Interesting point to note, Mao was more than 10 points behind Kim after the SP in 2007, and ended up beating Kim overall. So, even with Kim's score, anything can happen!

Hope everyone will skate great in the FS. I hope Miki will end up on the podium.

**PROKOFIEV** · 03-28-2009, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by fourclover

All I'm saying is Yu-na has lost that ethereal quality about her which was why I enjoyed her expression and artistry compared to her competitors. Now, I prefer watching Mao and Carolina to Yu-na. Mao was elegant and graceful. Carolina was stylish. Yu-na... her jumps were great and interpretation great but somewhat... I don't know generic, too standard? Being delicate and ethereal was Yu-na's signature as Mao's great flexibility and buttery light movements across the ice is. Carolina's signature is somewhat awkward jumps that she manages to save most of the time. Maybe it's because Yu-na is at the pinnacle nobody's reached before but she's too "standard" now.

I totally agree with you, fourclover. Yu-na did skate really well and she deserves the first place. But I am feeling something is missing. I do not know what exactly it is. I often ask myself if I would love to watch each skaters program if there were no jumps in it. And many times I do find some skaters that only impress me only because of jumps. I definitely would have loved to watch Michelle's and Sasha's without jumps. Would I have loved Yu-na's program if there were no triple triple combinations? I do no know.....I feel delicacy and profoundness more in Mao and Caroline Zhang's skating. Yu-na , to me, she has lost it. It almost like I see arrogance (not confidence) in her skating. (Do not get me wrong I am sure she is not an arrogant person!) I also CAN NOT wait Rachael for next season. With the experience form The worlds this year, I know she is going to be a kind of skater whom I would love to see whether there are jumps or not. Caroline and Mirai do have that potential, too. Do not worry American fans. American ladies will come back as strong team as ever.