Ladies Free Skate - 12/11

[Jammers]

I think anybody that thinks Mao will make the World Team is drinking kool-aid. It's obvious she's working on technique issues, and is a non-factor, for at least one year, more like two. In the long run I hope it pays off.

Jammers, what a crybaby, Mirai had plenty of opportunities to make the GPF, but she didn't. Jeeze, what's not to understand? You do your job, quit messing around, and skate clean, and if you're lucky you make the GPF.

None of the USA ladies are Michelle, or Sasha, or Sarah. It's great that Alissa won SC & the GPF, but no way will she win the big ones ~ Worlds & Olympics ~ with the arsenal she has now, not even one 3/3 combo. :( And she's not the only one, same goes for Mirai. Yes she came in 4th at Olympics, but still that's no cigar, nor is 7th place at Worlds.

The American ladies need to work on upping their technical arsenal if they want to WIN Worlds, not just place. They don't hold a chance next to Yuna Kim & her big huge 3/3 combo., nor Kiira & her 3/3 combo., and all the rest that do 3/3s.

They need for those above them to make a mistake in order to win or even place, though I'm hoping for the latter.

PCS alone won't make one a World or Olympic Champion, you have to have it ALL, including TES.

Still, it's good to see an American lady finally win something relatively big, just like Jeremy Abbott was the first American man to win the GPF a couple of years ago. Now his teammate does as well. But it was Evan Lysacek that won the big one!

Since when did Kiira become Peggy Fleming and Yuna Kim all rolled into one? She's never done much internationally in her career and she's been around for awhile now. Heck if Mirai just finishes that spins in the LP at TEB she wins and she can skate much better then that even. Yes Korpi is smokin hot but not much else about her impresses me.

[Mirunna]

Not all her jumps ar off, Nadine: she landed successfully the 3S every time she tried it(3 out of 3), a jump she didn't try last season. She is also very stable with her 3L. She has problems with triple axel and triple flip(here she changed the technique and she missed many in competition, but she did land a beautiful one in Paris). She probably still has the 3T but she didn't try it until now(that was one of her most stable jumps last season). And there's the triple lutz which she always had problems with. Of course the possibility that she lands everything at nationals is almost impossible, but we are talking about Mao: I believe she can do ENOUGH to secure a spot to the world team. And by March, I bet she will be much, much better. Every report at Paris said she is much more consistent with her jumps, she said she wants to win in Paris(that means she was confident in her jumps). She had 2 bad skates, I agree, but none of us know how she will skate in those particular days, when it matters.

[evangeline]

Not all her jumps ar off, Nadine: she landed successfully the 3S every time she tried it(3 out of 3), a jump she didn't try last season. She is also very stable with her 3L. She has problems with triple axel and triple flip(here she changed the technique and she missed many in competition, but she did land a beautiful one in Paris). She probably still has the 3T but she didn't try it until now(that was one of her most stable jumps last season). And there's the triple lutz which she always had problems with. Of course the possibility that she lands everything at nationals is almost impossible, but we are talking about Mao: I believe she can do ENOUGH to secure a spot to the world team. And by March, I bet she will be much, much better. Every report at Paris said she is much more consistent with her jumps, she said she wants to win in Paris(that means she was confident in her jumps). She had 2 bad skates, I agree, but none of us know how she will skate in those particular days, when it matters.

If Mao drops her 3As and adopts a more Carolina-like approach to her jump content, she could probably make the Japanese world team easily.

But being Mao, of course she won't.

[Mrs. P]

If Mao drops her 3As and adopts a more Carolina-like approach to her jump content, she could probably make the Japanese world team easily.

But being Mao, of course she won't.

This is why I respect Mao. She does not play it safe. She goes for it at every competition, even if it means losing. It's the same reason I respect Davis and White in Ice Dance.

I think it's good to win, but it's also good to not water down your programs jsut so you can win.

[herios]

Fun!
Fumie Suguri won it in 2003 and Mao won it in 2008. Ah..Fumie, I long for your brighter days...and Mao too...

Fumie's brighter days are well behind her. Although I am a fan of comeback stories, it won't happen for her. She really should've retired after her World silver in 2006. That was it for her and I just didn't see the point to stay eligible. She had quite acreer, with 3 world medals and unless was a chance to stay within the reach of a medal going forward, which was not the case, she should have called it a cereer right there 4 years ago.

[Joesitz]

Has there been anything new in Ladies Figure Skating?

Rachael knows better than any of us what happened. Is it worthwhile to continue for her?

Miki Ando, the veteran skated her typical LP and did it well, but nothing special.

Murikami and Suzuki were battling it out as to who had the most speed. Did you notice the wrong edge takeoff by Murikami? It was a decided Flip, yet she got the base value of a Lutz with the ususal -GoEs for a jump she didn't do and for counter rotation which wasn't there. Tell me about partial credit. Suzuki was the better of the two.

Next we had the two long stemmed Ladies: Carolina and Alissa, both using super lyical music with no change of rhythm. There was some semblance of crescendos in both. They both did beautiful skates and neither was excessive in using their arms. Praise to be. I would have tied the score for both of them.

If this doesn't prove that Alissa is now one of the strongest US skaters, then if Alexe beats her at Nats, it means Alexe is the strongest US skater for the Worlds. No?

[Tanja90]

This is why I respect Mao. She does not play it safe. She goes for it at every competition, even if it means losing. It's the same reason I respect Davis and White in Ice Dance.

I think it's good to win, but it's also good to not water down your programs jsut so you can win.

God...carolina is NOT watering down her program to win!!! she is not doing flip or lutz because her knee problem! she cannot training them! she is not playing safe! she can't do them right now!!!

[cooper]

Wow. Nice come back from Miki, winning the free skate. If she didn't skate so bad on her SP she would have won.

No one attempted 3/3 combo except for Kanako. Congrats to Alissa and Carol K.

Poor Rachel. I really feel bad for her. Akiko can't catch a break.

[Mrs. P]

God...carolina is NOT watering down her program to win!!! she is not doing flip or lutz because her knee problem! she cannot training them! she is not playing safe! she can't do them right now!!!

I was talking about Mao, not Carolina. My point is that given her PCS, her great non-jump skills, Mao could get a better score points doing 2As and another 3F, but the fact is that Mao isn't that type of skater. She's too competitive, as evangaline said earlier.

And YES, she is watering down her program. Whether she's doing it because she's injured or doesn't do the jumps, it's watering down all the same.

[ImaginaryPogue]

Yesterday, I said that Czisny wouldn't bomb. I'd like to pat myself on the back and say YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Mrs. P]

Yesterday, I said that Czisny wouldn't bomb. I'd like to pat myself on the back and say YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good work. She didn't only not bomb, she skated a nearly flawless program with five ratified triples. (Would have been six if not for that pesky UR).

[Tanja90]

I was talking about Mao, not Carolina. My point is that given her PCS, her great non-jump skills, Mao could get a better score points doing 2As and another 3F, but the fact is that Mao isn't that type of skater. She's too competitive, as evangaline said earlier.

And YES, she is watering down her program. Whether she's doing it because she's injured or doesn't do the jumps, it's watering down all the same.

I'm sorry I misundertood...I thought you were somehow attacking carolina's low content...I fully agree with you that she is watering down her program what I am complaining is that people make it seem that she is doing it just because she wants to go clean and win...that's all....

[janetfan]

I'm sorry I misundertood...I thought you were somehow attacking carolina's low content...I fully agree with you that she is watering down her program what I am complaining is that people make it seem that she is doing it just because she wants to go clean and win...that's all....

Carolina's skating was so beautiful today. I thought she could have won.........
So nice to see her back skating so well despite her injury.

[hikki]

What a night of skating!!! Everyone from Ando on was on fire, even Alissa!!!! My absolute favourites were Kostner for everything from her costume to the final pose, and Ando for her first 'on' performance since LA Worlds.

[Mrs. P]

I'm sorry I misundertood...I thought you were somehow attacking carolina's low content...I fully agree with you that she is watering down her program what I am complaining is that people make it seem that she is doing it just because she wants to go clean and win...that's all....

I think that's she's a beautiful skater actually and she did a soild job today. And perhaps she needs to be clean so she can have that confidence when she does go for the harder jumps. Still it's a hard pill for me to swallow when Carolina beats skaters who have tougher jump content.