Ladies Free Skate - 12/11

**Lily.Grace** · 12-13-2010, 09:12 PM

Originally Posted by seniorita

I was not warmed to her Lp also but it was very touching she won and her smile at the end was priceless, it was really nice to see this and she was the best in the competition. It is just a matter of taste as I also never see Yuna as such elegant and graceful as I m told she is, although I like her very much. I find Mirai and Mao what i would call naturally elegan and graceful without trying (Mao's worlds 2007 sp has been my all time favorite to highlight this) , and it has not to do with the music or moves, probably it is their posture and whole aura, even when they skate to powerful and not so soft music.

I've actually rewatched Alissa's LP, and I really like it now....haha, it's so funny, but I really enjoyed it, and yeah, her expression at the end was very moving. And her exhibition was amazing too.
Oh I absolutely LOVE Yu-Na, I think she's the best Olympic Champion ever!! She's incredibly elegant and has great jumps, she's perfect! I don't think Mao's elegant...she doesn't listen to the music, in my opinion, and she's emotionless....about Mirai, I really like her expressions and her artistry but this year her programmes are not that interesting....or maybe I should rewatch them too

**Blades of Passion** · 12-13-2010, 09:28 PM

Oh my God, Alissa! That is her best performance since 2007 Nationals (and this is definitely the best she has ever skated a whole competition). I had chills!

**miki88** · 12-13-2010, 10:37 PM

Originally Posted by Lily.Grace

I've actually rewatched Alissa's LP, and I really like it now....haha, it's so funny, but I really enjoyed it, and yeah, her expression at the end was very moving. And her exhibition was amazing too.
Oh I absolutely LOVE Yu-Na, I think she's the best Olympic Champion ever!! She's incredibly elegant and has great jumps, she's perfect! I don't think Mao's elegant...she doesn't listen to the music, in my opinion, and she's emotionless....about Mirai, I really like her expressions and her artistry but this year her programmes are not that interesting....or maybe I should rewatch them too

Maybe you should also rewatch her programs.

**Blades of Passion** · 12-13-2010, 11:50 PM

Wow this was a well skated LP! I wish every competiton could be this solid. All of the top 5 ladies here gave admirable performances. I would have had Alissa 1st in the LP. Miki clearly wins on the jumps but her program is simply not good and I don't see anything special in the performance. For me she deserved to be 5th on the PCS. I can go either way with Kanako and Suzuki. I think Kanako's program is better and she did slightly better with the jumps as well, although Suzuki has more maturity. Both of them should have been on the podium, in 2nd or 3rd. I would have put Kostner into 4th overall (5th in the LP). I see a bit of improvement in her program from earlier in the season (and she deserved 2nd in the PCS) but the technical content wasn't enough. She has nice qualities but isn't so masterful in her artistry that she can get away with such a relatively weak jump layout.

**R.D.** · 12-14-2010, 01:06 AM

Well, the others skated well and Czisny was still able to hang on for the win. That, IMO, is a HUGE triumph for her, and may elevate her rep IF she can avoid meltdowns. Then again it never affected Kostner, so...

**Lily.Grace** · 12-14-2010, 07:49 AM

Originally Posted by miki88

Maybe you should also rewatch her programs.

Oh no no, I'm sure about that. Mao's artistry is emotionless, in my opinion. Look at her face and how she moves her arms (up and down all the time)! I rewatched Alissa because I didn't get her programmes, not her artistry.
Mao's programmes last year were terrible, and this year the music she chose are much better for her, but her artistry's just the same. And it's obvious she only thinks about her triple axel. That's all she thinks about, it's written on her face! I read a very interesting Japanese article, it said she should think more about how to interpret the music or the choreography, the dress etc, and less about her triple axel. She's so stubborn...

**miki88** · 12-14-2010, 08:15 AM

Originally Posted by Lily.Grace

Oh no no, I'm sure about that. Mao's artistry is emotionless, in my opinion. Look at her face and how she moves her arms (up and down all the time)! I rewatched Alissa because I didn't get her programmes, not her artistry.
Mao's programmes last year were terrible, and this year the music she chose are much better for her, but her artistry's just the same. And it's obvious she only thinks about her triple axel. That's all she thinks about, it's written on her face! I read a very interesting Japanese article, it said she should think more about how to interpret the music or the choreography, the dress etc, and less about her triple axel. She's so stubborn...

Mao is not a skater you can appreciate by focusing on her face. She isn't very expressive facially. You have to pay attention to her more subtle body movements. I like her arm movements though but then we do see things differently. However, calling someone emotionless and then saying their thoughts are obvious is kinda conflicting, isn't it? They can be thinking of a number of things but you can't tell from the outside. Just saying...

**Lily.Grace** · 12-14-2010, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by miki88

Mao is not a skater you can appreciate by focusing on her face. She isn't very expressive facially. You have to pay attention to her more subtle body movements. I like her arm movements though but then we do see things differently. However, calling someone emotionless and then saying their thoughts are obvious is kinda conflicting, isn't it? They can be thinking of a number of things but you can't tell from the outside. Just saying...

Yeah I think we see things differently. Subtle? her interpretation looks tired and always the same, that's not subtle at all. Well interpretation is also about facial expression, and I'm saying lately her expression is so sad. Emotionless during the routine, but then always so sad, looks like she lost her joy to skate (don't know if it's correct in English). Anyway if you like her then good for you, I don't.

**Layfan** · 12-14-2010, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by Blades of Passion

Wow this was a well skated LP! I wish every competiton could be this solid. All of the top 5 ladies here gave admirable performances. I would have had Alissa 1st in the LP. Miki clearly wins on the jumps but her program is simply not good and I don't see anything special in the performance. For me she deserved to be 5th on the PCS. I can go either way with Kanako and Suzuki. I think Kanako's program is better and she did slightly better with the jumps as well, although Suzuki has more maturity. Both of them should have been on the podium, in 2nd or 3rd. I would have put Kostner into 4th overall (5th in the LP). I see a bit of improvement in her program from earlier in the season (and she deserved 2nd in the PCS) but the technical content wasn't enough. She has nice qualities but isn't so masterful in her artistry that she can get away with such a relatively weak jump layout.

Nice to see you weigh in

Interesting thoughts - I'm kind of with Phil Hersh on this one - I could go with the LP results as the judges saw and can see a case for rearranging it. The scores were very close. I think both Miki and Alissa have programs this season that truly play to the strengths. Miki's is choreographed well to highlight her jumps - which seemed much more impressive than anyone else in in this comp. She needs to perform it just a bit more.
I can't get too fussed about the LP standings because ... ALISSA WON!!!!!

Well, the others skated well and Czisny was still able to hang on for the win. That, IMO, is a HUGE triumph for her

That's a good point. It wasn't like she won only because the others skated badly. I suppose if Miki hadn't had a bad SP, Alissa probably wouldn't have won. But she probably would have medaled, which still would have been a big deal for her.

**Lily.Grace** · 12-14-2010, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Blades of Passion

Wow this was a well skated LP! I wish every competiton could be this solid. All of the top 5 ladies here gave admirable performances. I would have had Alissa 1st in the LP. Miki clearly wins on the jumps but her program is simply not good and I don't see anything special in the performance. For me she deserved to be 5th on the PCS. I can go either way with Kanako and Suzuki. I think Kanako's program is better and she did slightly better with the jumps as well, although Suzuki has more maturity. Both of them should have been on the podium, in 2nd or 3rd. I would have put Kostner into 4th overall (5th in the LP). I see a bit of improvement in her program from earlier in the season (and she deserved 2nd in the PCS) but the technical content wasn't enough. She has nice qualities but isn't so masterful in her artistry that she can get away with such a relatively weak jump layout.

I agree, I would have had Czisny, Murakami and Suzuki on the podium.

**seniorita** · 12-14-2010, 08:58 PM

Originally Posted by Lily.Grace

I don't think Mao's elegant...she doesn't listen to the music, in my opinion, and she's emotionless....

In my universe and any parallel universe I m aware of, this statement couldnt be more wrong, dont confuse a program and how she skated it with her natural graceful posture, extention and musicality, as far as I am concerned she IS music.