Ladies SP 13:15 pm Eastern Time Friday, November 20 | Page 20 | Golden Skate

Ladies SP 13:15 pm Eastern Time Friday, November 20

Kinga

Medalist
Joined
Feb 15, 2008
To say that she isn't feminine because of her muscular body is absolutely ridiculous. I know it was not supposed to come out this way, but the comment about her being seen more as a "brother" is completely derogatory and offensive, IMO.

In Canada she is definietly seen as feminine, strong, powerful and beautiful: I am glad we don't have such narrow views on what is "feminine"

http://www.thestar.com/sports/figureskating/article/728935--rochette-enhances-sultry-style

I totally agree. Being powerful does not exclude being feminine too.
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
Ok, agreed. Her extensions on your photos are good. But it's not what I kept in mind when I was posting. For me layback spin, Arabesque and Charlotte spirals positions are extreamely important. Many skaters can do V spiral pretty good but in the same time their Arabesque is quite poor. And I know about beautiful quolity of Joannie's edges and speed. It's just not the first thing I look for in spirals.

To you they may not be up to par for what you expect to see but she doesn't have "extension problems". Some people just don't have the flexibility in the back to perform an amazing lay back spin or they aren't capable of doing a Charlotte - which I find to be very ugly.

In my view, flexibility is an area where some people's bodies just don't allow for the execution of certain moves - no matter how much stretching takes place. Many skaters can do spread eagles but some can't because their hips don't open up and there is not enough flexibility in their ankles. It's not that it is a problem, it's just not physically possible.
 
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wonbinfan86

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 9, 2007
Caroline seems to have a poor attitude toward the scores she gets, does she not realize that there are serious flaws in her skating that need to be corrected if she ever hopes to be competitive..??
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
To say that she isn't feminine because of her muscular body is absolutely ridiculous. I know it was not supposed to come out this way, but the comment about her being seen more as a "brother" is completely derogatory and offensive, IMO.

In Canada she is definietly seen as feminine, strong, powerful and beautiful: I am glad we don't have such narrow views on what is "feminine"
I agree with everything, except where you say "it was not supposed to come out as derogatory". IMO, calling a lady "brother" conveys disdain in and of itself. No woman wants to be called "brother" unless she knows it is ironic.

As someone with "pencil arms" with no time to go to a gym (with most classmates in the same boat), seeing Joannie look as fit as she does is welcome, refreshing, and beautiful.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
That's what happened to Kimmie and Emily and seems like it could happen to Caroline Zhang

It can be argued that Zhang never really reached the top though...she doesn't even have a national championship. her highest finish there is 3rd.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Caroline seems to have a poor attitude toward the scores she gets, does she not realize that there are serious flaws in her skating that need to be corrected if she ever hopes to be competitive..??

Maybe it explains why she won't change coaches and has so many of them.
I think Caroline will realize sooner or later that a major overhaul is needed or she will no longer be a factor in senior skating competitions.

If she was actually serious - or willing to recognize her jump flaws - she would have switched to Carroll or Arutunian last season when both had openings.

I don't imagine either would put up with her though as she seems to want to be the one in charge of her own training.

Mao has probably been hurt by a similar attitude, although Mao is a much better skater than Caroline.
 

zartian

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 28, 2008
I agree with everything, except where you say "it was not supposed to come out as derogatory". IMO, calling a lady "brother" conveys disdain in and of itself. No woman wants to be called "brother" unless she knows it is ironic.

As someone with "pencil arms" with no time to go to a gym (with most classmates in the same boat), seeing Joannie look as fit as she does is welcome, refreshing, and beautiful.

Oops! I went too far! I myself am not the person who will ever call her brother. (I swear!:) ) I just saw some people saying that on the web and quoted that in order to emphasize that she is not particularly viewed as more feminine than the other skaters the original poster mentioned.

If you think it is really offensive and would like me to delete my post, I'll do that. Just tell me.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
She has very good extensions:
http://photos.skatetoday.com/albums/05skatecan/ROCHETTE20545948.jpg

http://academie.csla.nordtic.net/local/cache-vignettes/L300xH417/S020509AU_0j9c6e-4bedc.jpg

She also has an incredible extension on her jump landings. It is the best in the world:
http://www.nancarrow-webdesk.com/warehouse/storage2/2008-w46/img.410333_t.jpg

Just because she doesn't twist her body into a pretzel or hold her leg in a vertical line doesn't mean she has extension problems!


Actually, I don't find her position in the second picture very good. Obviously, she is more flexible that most people in the world. But she is cheating to get her leg up higher. She's leaning sideways, her hip is lifted, and even though you can see that far down, I can tell her standing knee is bent from the line of her hip.
It's the not the worst I've seen by far but it is not an attractive position.

You are right that skaters don't have to be able to twist their bodies into pretzels to be the best in the world - but they should honor the extension they DO have, and just make the most of it. It's what I always loved most about Michelle Kwan and even Irina Slutskaya's spirals.
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
I agree with everything, except where you say "it was not supposed to come out as derogatory". IMO, calling a lady "brother" conveys disdain in and of itself. No woman wants to be called "brother" unless she knows it is ironic.

I just said it wasn't supposed to come out that way because the poster wasn't the one that was saying it but was reporting on what other people had said or written on the internet.
 

rain

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 29, 2003
I thought Joannie's scores were completely warranted. On the other hand I found Laura Lepisto's placement to be very strange, and didn't think the errors Suzuki made should have put her so far down the list. However, third to eighth place is practically a tie, so it will come down to the long program.

As to Czisny being behind Rochette — Czisny does not have Joannie's speed on the ice. It is particularly noticeable live. This does influence how an entire program looks and thus PCS.
 

prettykeys

Medalist
Joined
Oct 19, 2009
Oops! I went too far! I myself am not the person who will ever call her brother. (I swear!:) ) I just saw some people saying that on the web and quoted that in order to emphasize that she is not particularly viewed as more feminine than the other skaters the original poster mentioned.

If you think it is really offensive and would like me to delete my post, I'll do that. Just tell me.
Perhaps you should modify your mocking tone at Kinga and bold her whole quote, that is, when she said "To me, [Joannie's] skating is more feminine..." There was no need to bring in some other country's standard. Kinga was only speaking for herself.

Whichever country is referring to Joannie as a "brother", I find that sad. I am not sure I like the implications when the standard for feminine beauty excludes physical strength...in about 40 years I will be at risk of osteoporosis, so there are health implications (as well as social implications...)
 

cornell08

Final Flight
Joined
May 10, 2009
"I didn't try the triple-triple, but my program is great enough that I don't need it if I skate clean," Rochette said.

from
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091120&content_id=7695176&vkey=ice_news

This is troubling for many reasons. First, if skaters can score 70s, without as much difficulty in jump content, then what progress can be made in figure skating? Joannie's short was not as good as Mao's and Yuna's good short programs. Her jumps are not as high and do not cover as much ice as Yuna's, and her landings are not as soft and graceful as Mao's. Her feel for the music is also inferior to both Yuna and Mao. Some may say there is racism, and no one likes to acknowledge this as legitimate. I would say its not so much racism, as it is judges liking to break up hegemony in domination by any one geographic area of the world in a particular sport. Joannie happens to be the only legitimate gold medal contender outside of the Asia region, so I think there is no way to deny that this figures into the computation of the score. In addition, the competition is held in Canada. Joannie better not take this to mean that she can continue to skate easier programs because by precedence she has gotten a stellar score without harder jumps. It does not make sense mathematically, and it does not make sense when comparing scores/programs to other top ladies. Bad judging.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
"I didn't try the triple-triple, but my program is great enough that I don't need it if I skate clean," Rochette said.

from
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20091120&content_id=7695176&vkey=ice_news

This is troubling for many reasons. First, if skaters can score 70s, without as much difficulty in jump content, then what progress can be made in figure skating? Joannie's short was not as good as Mao's and Yuna's good short programs. Her jumps are not as high and do not cover as much ice as Yuna's, and her landings are not as soft and graceful as Mao's. Her feel for the music is also inferior to both Yuna and Mao. Some may say there is racism, and no one likes to acknowledge this as legitimate. I would say its not so much racism, as it is judges liking to break up hegemony in domination by any one geographic area of the world in a particular sport. Joannie happens to be the only legitimate gold medal contender outside of the Asia region, so I think there is no way to deny that this figures into the computation of the score. In addition, the competition is held in Canada. Joannie better not take this to mean that she can continue to skate easier programs because by precedence she has gotten a stellar score without harder jumps. It does not make sense mathematically, and it does not make sense when comparing scores/programs to other top ladies. Bad judging.

Yeah, I thought that too when I first read that quote ... I thought, well, that's the trouble with inflated scores. (If her score WAS inflated, which I'm not saying it was...) But reading the story more carefully what she really meant was that it's too risky for her to try the 3-3 in the short program.. It's what she did in COC - against her coach's wishes - and it got her in trouble. SHE didn't know she was going get a 70. She just knew that she would be ahead of the pack in THIS field without the 3-3 in the short, as long as she skated clean, no matter what the score was. She says she is planning a 3-3 in the long. We'll see.
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
This is troubling for many reasons. First, if skaters can score 70s, without as much difficulty in jump content, then what progress can be made in figure skating?

How about having no under-rotations and no errors on the entry edges to her jumps? Her stat for jumps up to last year was 0/71 in underrotations. How about that for progress? :disapp:
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Perhaps you should modify your mocking tone at Kinga and bold her whole quote, that is, when she said "To me, [Joannie's] skating is more feminine..." There was no need to bring in some other country's standard. Kinga was only speaking for herself.

Whichever country is referring to Joannie as a "brother", I find that sad. I am not sure I like the implications when the standard for feminine beauty excludes physical strength...in about 40 years I will be at risk of osteoporosis, so there are health implications (as well as social implications...)

I have no idea what some of these posters want or expect from skaters.

I think Joannie skates like a dream and find everything about her attractive. She works hard, does charitable deeds, has been a Unesco ambassador, and is an idea role model to the young skaters and the youth of her country.

It is easy to see why so many North Americans and fans from all over world respect and support Joannie Rochette.

Go Joannie
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
I have a little naughty quiestion. Does Joannie have a boyfriend or husband?

Sure does! She lives with her boyfriend in Montreal and he is an Olympic short track speed skater who won silver in Torino and will be headed to Vancouver as well. IMO, he is the best thing that ever happened to her. She is so in love :love:
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Joannie is a very good skater, and judging from THIS SEASON, i'd put her ahead of Mao and Miki and only behind Yuna. I agree that Mao CAN be better than Joannie, but with her programs this season and the way she's been performing recently, I wouldn't say that she is better than Joannie at this point. Mao does like 3 jumps only: axel, flutz, and loop. She is very graceful and a good jumper but until she steps it up this season I don't think it's fair to say she's better than Rochette. The same thing goes for Miki Ando. Another thing, what is the difference in point value for a 3lutz-2toe and a 3lutz-3toe? I would assume it is less than 6 points, and in that case, it does make sense that Joannie can get a 70 if Yuna gets a 76, considering Yuna's layback and spirals are not perfect either.
 
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