Ladies LP Sun Nov. 15th 2:00 PM-4:00 PM

[Olympia]

For some weird reason, the CoP does not want to acknowledge the difficulty in executing elements in both directions. It interfere's with their scoring system, yet John Curry when auditioning skaters for his shows insisted that the cast be able to spin both ways. So the diffiulty winds up in show skating - not in the Sport. You figure.

That's interesting to hear about Curry's skating shows. It shouldn't surprise me. He based his skating on ballet, which believes in symmetry. Curry himself was a master of the spin in both directions, which you'll see in his Olympic long program. The one on YouTube with the British commentator even has a remark about it. Michelle also used to spin in both directions, around 1998 or so. I think it adds to the finesse of the presentation and should be valued...except that then every skater would do the move to death.

And I don't know how to double-quote, but I love Spun Silver's description of the two top skaters in the event:

Rachael is estimable. Yuna is amazing.

Exactly!

[amateur]

I only just now watched Rachael's LP -- what a great skte for her! She really showed well for herself in this compeition, her spark is starting to come through in these programs.

Does that spin not being counted mean that she'll be likely to change it? or could she have easily pulled it off without taking such a large step between. Is it too big a risk? I'm not a skater, so don't know - but to me it seems necessary to have some distance between to the 2 halves, if you're changing direction... Can someone in the know, fill me in on that?

I think it's an attractive element (when done competently), and would be a shame to see it go because of rigid COP rules, instead favouring yet another spin to look like all the rest...

[i love to skate]

I only just now watched Rachael's LP -- what a great skte for her! She really showed well for herself in this compeition, her spark is starting to come through in these programs.

Does that spin not being counted mean that she'll be likely to change it? or could she have easily pulled it off without taking such a large step between. Is it too big a risk? I'm not a skater, so don't know - but to me it seems necessary to have some distance between to the 2 halves, if you're changing direction... Can someone in the know, fill me in on that?

I think it's an attractive element (when done competently), and would be a shame to see it go because of rigid COP rules, instead favouring yet another spin to look like all the rest...

It is fairly easy to fix! Quite simply she just needs to not take such a big step before she goes into the second one. If she practices it I'm sure she will be able to keep the element

[Tinymavy15]

It would have been awesome if Racheal won. If she had stood up on the triple toe in the short and gotten credit for the spins she would have (or should have). But it was fiar the way it was. yu-na had such a huge lead afer the short (deservedly so) that there was almost no way she was going to lose gold. I have a inclination that will happen at the olympics, maybe to not such asn exent but I doubt that even Yu-na can skate lights out under pressure like that.

Anyway, racheal should be very happy, she seems to have established herself as "the one to beat" at nationals. I cannot image her not making the olympic team, I am predicting Ashley and Racheal.

[Mathman]

That's interesting to hear about Curry's skating shows. It shouldn't surprise me. He based his skating on ballet, which believes in symmetry. Curry himself was a master of the spin in both directions, which you'll see in his Olympic long program.

I have forgotten the details, but there was a funny story about when Lori Nichol skated with Curry's show, and one time she had to trade places with onother girl on the other side because she couldn't do the element in the opposite direction. (Nichol credits her time with Curry with being her inspiration to become a choreographer.)

And I don't know how to double-quote

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For "multi-quote," click on the icon that looks like a scroll with a big quotation mark at the bottom right of each post that you want to quote. It will turn red. Then hit "reply" and all the posts that you want to quote will be there.

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Two quick remarks about the live television coverage of the ladies LP. Scott Hamilton mentionaed at least twice, -- once during warm-ups and again before Yu-na Kim's skate, if I remember correctly -- that Kim was keeping her shoulders too far forward on the take-off to her flip. This, he predicted, might cause her problems.

The other thing, about the question, "Can anyone beat Yu-na?" -- Brian Orser should be sufficiently experienced by now to know what to say to such questions. "All we can control is our own skater's preformance, blah, blah.. "

A truthful answer, like "h**l no, are you blind?" -- that just provides fodder for Internet chat boards.

[Tinymavy15]

I just thought this was a very interesting quote from yu-na as in Brennan's USA Today piece.

"Personally, I used to not think about pressure too much," she said. "But this season, especially because this season is the Olympic season, I feel pressure because many people are anticipating and expecting a high score … After the world-record short program, I was under big pressure."

Sure, all skaters, especially stars like yuna feel pressure whenever they take the ice, but knowing she had such a huge lead and that there really wasn't anybody who could threaten her anyway..where is the pressure from that? The pressure to make the freeskate a record as well? Is this where we have gone?

[bekalc]

The pressure to make the freeskate a record as well? Is this where we have gone?

Yes that's how Yu-na apparently felt. Korean papers and stuff were making a big deal about the huge scores and it was can she top this? I think in someways this bad skate will be good for Yu-na because well expectations have maybe lowered a bit.

[Daniel5555]

Tinymavy15

Sure, all skaters, especially stars like yuna feel pressure whenever they take the ice, but knowing she had such a huge lead and that there really wasn't anybody who could threaten her anyway..where is the pressure from that? The pressure to make the freeskate a record as well? Is this where we have gone?

Media and some arrogant fans, as I said before, plus a lot of other factors. The pressure comes from this, not from if someone can beat her.

But she said that she had no expectations to break her record, that's why she was so OK afterwards. So it's not really a deal with scores, rather it's about the people's reaction. She herself is not very concerned about scores and maybe even standings. I think she was prepared to lose the event in KnC zone.

But there were really a lot of factors that got her, it was a very complicated situation.

yu-na had such a huge lead afer the short (deservedly so) that there was almost no way she was going to lose gold. I have a inclination that will happen at the olympics, maybe to not such asn exent but I doubt that even Yu-na can skate lights out under pressure like that.

Hmm... May i ask what you mean - that Yuna will win but with problems or that she will lose because of those problems? I'm not concerned , I'm just curious and this phrase sounds ambiguous to me.

[Ginask8s]

Yeah. I mean everyone has bad skates once in awhile. Rachael Flatt had a poor skate at Cup of China (and she's supposedly really consistent) Alexei Yagudin had a horrible skate at 2002 European Championships. But he won anyways (many think unfairly!) and responded by saying: The Olympics is my destiny. So its just a matter of her learning from this and figuring out what's wrong. I'm worried about the 3flip though.

She was obscessing on the flip in her short practice. She missed it in the run and stopped skating , kind of gently stamped her foot and resumed. She then replaced the next jumping pass with another flip which she completed. I thought the flip was her money jump?

[silverlake22]

I find it kind of funny how people and the press are making such a big deal over Yu Na's "bad" long program ...I mean, Carolina Kostner, Alissa Czisny, Kimmie Meissner a couple years ago, Mao Asada recently, and half the European ladies, have all delivered skates like that more than once and no one seems to make anything of it. I mean Alissa I guess they talk about how she's so nervous all the time, I wonder if she maybe has GAD, but I mean aren't aall the skaters nervouse? And I mean Carolina seriously bombs half the time and then is amazing the other half of the time and no one looks any deeper into it than her being tall....

[Tonichelle]

the first time Kimmie had a horrible skate people talked... when she failed to make the world team people talked... it WAS a big deal...

[silverlake22]

the first time Kimmie had a horrible skate people talked... when she failed to make the world team people talked... it WAS a big deal...

I guess it was. But honestly, it must be a little embarassing for the skater when someone's like, "why can't you jump as well as you used to?" You would think that if the skater knew why, she'd try to fix it. I mean no one has any idea what happened to Kimmie to cause her jumping issues. The thing is, once Kimmie kinda started having trouble, she didn't bounce back to her former greatness. Maybe this is the fear with Yu Na, though I have no doubt she will bounce back.

Also, Mao needs a new coach, new costumes (not a vampire one?), and new music. Heavy music/programs do not suit Mao well, plus this season's music is just like background noise set to her triple axels....Once she fixes that I think she could challenge Yu Na.

[evangeline]

I find it kind of funny how people and the press are making such a big deal over Yu Na's "bad" long program ...I mean, Carolina Kostner, Alissa Czisny, Kimmie Meissner a couple years ago, Mao Asada recently, and half the European ladies, have all delivered skates like that more than once and no one seems to make anything of it. I mean Alissa I guess they talk about how she's so nervous all the time, I wonder if she maybe has GAD, but I mean aren't aall the skaters nervouse? And I mean Carolina seriously bombs half the time and then is amazing the other half of the time and no one looks any deeper into it than her being tall....

What? Somehow, you must have missed the 581059167190 theads bemoaning Mao Asada's apparent demise in the main forum alone (not to mention the Jenny Kirk articles, the Japan Times "What should Mao Asada do" poll, the speculation about JSF intervention, etc), as well as the old Alissa Czisny pity parties we used to have around here (e.g. look in archives after 2009 4CC and Worlds). Come on....Yu-Na is hardly alone in having her bad skates scrutinized.

[chloepoco]

I find it kind of funny how people and the press are making such a big deal over Yu Na's "bad" long program ...I mean, Carolina Kostner, Alissa Czisny, Kimmie Meissner a couple years ago, Mao Asada recently, and half the European ladies, have all delivered skates like that more than once and no one seems to make anything of it. I mean Alissa I guess they talk about how she's so nervous all the time, I wonder if she maybe has GAD, but I mean aren't aall the skaters nervouse? And I mean Carolina seriously bombs half the time and then is amazing the other half of the time and no one looks any deeper into it than her being tall....

You're kidding, right?

[Blades of Passion]

The Ladies LP is still not yet up on IceNetwork.

I'm going to throw a shoe at someone.