Plushenko may not have much artistry, but he has a ton of charisma, IMO. I admire his arrogance--oops, I mean confidence. His jumping is the best, bar none. Plushy's critics, it seems to me, are those who want to hold back the sport (and there seem to be many) by valuing "transitions" more than quads.Originally Posted by BigJohn
Last edited by jenaj; 02-16-2010 at 05:21 PM.
Actually, favoring transitions over jumps is moving the sport forward. Jumps last less than what 10 seconds in a long program? The rest is a lot more than filling.
Ideally we would have a skater who wouldn't favour either of these but would be consistent and equally good in both jumps and choreo, trs etc.
Since there is no such thing as perfection but there is beauty in diversity both styles should be equally valued and not put one in front of the other, because if absolute balance is not possible, then someone close to it will be the best and preference of one or the other style will be just that, preference.
The sport while going forward in chore and trs has gone backwards in jumps and that is not good either. Stagnation in any part is not good.
The last two World Champions won without a single quad, and it's possible that this year's OGM-winner may also lack it. Some athletes won't risk the quad, as attempting harder jumps is no longer as awarded as it was in the past -- but that doesn't mean there's no progress. The focus now is to hone technique on jumps already in the arsenal, rather than breaking new land, and with the earned time, perfect the other parts to the program. Increasingly, skaters are learning better technique and correcting their flutzes and lips, although they are setting aside that lovely quad. I think any judgment on "progress" and "regression" in figure skating itself is bound to be subjective, and comes down to how one sees figure skating. I see it as a perfectly equal combination of athleticism and artistry. One who lacks even slightly in one department tips the balance, and no longer meets my ideal. Some people consider it a sport of the likes of 1500m speed skating, while others consider it kindred to modern dance. People have different opinions on everything -- why can't they have different approaches to skating? I, for one, understand the beauty of transitions, but don't think they constitute as much as jumps do in a program. The aggregate sum of all those PCS factors, now that I might champion over jumps. I actually think skaters like Plushenko and Joubert are great for the sport, as they encourage transition-focused skaters (like Chan) to upgrade their technical arsenal in order to remain competitive. If Plushenko were to stay for a few more competitive years, I bet he would incorporate transitions in response to his unsatisfactory 6.8, and Chan would try to master that quad, like he was earlier last year. It's kind of a symbiotic relationship, and from this both "camps" would benefit in the long-run.
As for Plushenko, I admit I'm biased, but I adore his personality. I'm a sucker for divas. I really don't get all the Plushenko-hating because he really is awe-inspiring to watch. We are all given to our opinions, but I really have to object to the suggestion that he has no charisma. He's absolute 24K charisma on ice. He has PRESENCE. Real presence that emanates not only from his long list of achievements, but also from his dominance and confidence. I'm always thrilled to see a skater who doesn't tremble in competition.
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