Ladies - Long Program

[dlgpffps]

I supposed to be Off-The-Podium.

Yes, off the podium. I'm not that worried about Mao. Feed the girl, get some muscle back on her bare bones, and she will return in good shape, although it might take time. It's good that she's set her goal for Sochi -- something much more long-term, which probably gives her the inner strength to shrug off disastrous skates and move forward. The earthquake must have been emotionally draining for her. Can't believe she lost 10 kg in just a month.

ETA: Are there any interviews of Mao? I'd like to know how she's feeling.

[indiansoul]

Yuan Kim donated her prize money from the World Figure Skating Championships to Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims

http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/news...00900315F.HTML

Now her overall donations are estimated over 2.5 million dollars, right?

You are the Queen, Yuna !

[figurejennah]

This is what universal sports says about this competition:

SP- Kim not perfect, but still the best http://www.universalsports.com/news-...id=531643.html
"Should Kim have the lead over Japan's Miki Ando, who skated a clean performance? Yes. .......Then there was Kim. Despite the mistake on her opening jump, Kim flew across the ice (Ando was a bit slow). She was committed to her performance, and you could feel her emotion from the top row of the lower bowl. It was a whole new level of performance."

Yuan Kim donate her prize money from the World Figure Skating Championships to Japanese earthquake and tsunami victims

Her overall donations are estimated over 2.5 million dollars, right?

You are the Queen, Yuna

What an angel. I don't know if I could have done the same if I were her. I thought the whole Japan-Korea rivary thing was way too harsh on her, and I thought it was ridiculous that Japanese TV crews were stalking her in LA. (Not to mention they were spreading horrific rumors about her, etc etc).
She truly has a huge heart.

[brightphoton]

Yes, off the podium. I'm not that worried about Mao. Feed the girl, get some muscle back on her bare bones, and she will return in good shape, although it might take time. It's good that she's set her goal for Sochi -- something much more long-term, which probably gives her the inner strength to shrug off disastrous skates and move forward. The earthquake must have been emotionally draining for her. Can't believe she lost 10 kg in just a month.

ETA: Are there any interviews of Mao? I'd like to know how she's feeling.

Oooooooooh, that makes more sense. I had thought it meant "on the podium," and no one's post was making sense to me. I heard she only lost 10 lbs in a month, which is better than 10 kg. Yuna and Miki are quite thin too, but they manage to make those jumps.

[Figga]

koreansoul, that really belongs more in the Yu-Na news thread than here, but good on her for doing so. Maybe this will spur on more of her fans to do the same.

About Mao's weight loss, it seems she went on a crash diet for this competition. Not good at all, but can't say I totally blame her. She had so much pressure to deliver. Luckily, Miki did.

Congratulations to the medalists!

[joy k.k]

Mao said she started to lose wight too early this time. I guess it's very hard for an athlete to peak at the right time, even for Mao.

[feraina]

My boyfriend, who rarely watches figure skating, agreed to watch a few ladies FS videos with me, and he commented after seeing 2 seconds of Rachael Flatt: "She's not graceful at all."

[museksk8r]

I would have ranked the SP:
1. Ando
2. Czisny (I feel her spins were not credited enough in GOE and her PCS should have been a little higher too.)
3. Makarova
4. Kim (a fall out of the 3Lutz and no 3+3)
5. Leonova
6. Kostner
7. Asada

I would have ranked the LP:
1. Ando
2. Kostner
3. Czisny
4. Kim (2 singled jumps)
5. Leonova
6. Murakami
7. Asada

My podium:
1. Ando
2. Kostner
3. Czisny

As much as I love Yu-Na, she just didn't bring what she is capable of at this championship in either performance and I feel she was very generously judged. It's very sweet to hear of her donations to Japan during this very difficult time for them. I've always admired her charitable spirit!

[iluvtodd]

Congrats to Miki! I was hoping for Alissa to medal, but I look at her performances at Worlds as a personal victory, and am so glad she will continue to skate.

[mariposa]

This is a bit off topic but...what is it with Canadian ladies???? I watch Canadian nationals every year and it seems the same few women are placed first, second, and third...and I think they all do very well with their performances BUT-what happens when they compete on an international level? For the life of me I can't figure it out. Do they have melt downs, or is it a confidence thing, etc.? I just don't get it. Can someone shed some light for the Canuck?

[Florian]

In my opinion Kim should have won despite the mistakes. It was still better than Ando's LP overall. I am sad for Kim. In the exhibition she skated like she had lost her soul the day before.

[museksk8r]

I kept hearing that Yu-Na Kim was struggling with motivation issues in coming back to competition, which leads me to believe that she is only competing because of what she feels as an obligation to her country or to her fans. If her heart is not really in to competing, and she would prefer to be a show skater, then she should be allowed to follow her heart.

[Layfan]

I kept hearing that Yu-Na Kim was struggling with motivation issues in coming back to competition, which leads me to believe that she is only competing because of what she feels as an obligation to her country or to her fans. If her heart is not really in to competing, and she would prefer to be a show skater, then she should be allowed to follow her heart.

I think she did follow her heart and her heart told her that she needed a longer break from usual from competition but still wanted to give it a go at worlds. It was a tricky and risky decision and I'm sure she knew that it would be a disadvantage to have worlds be her first competition but that is what she wanted to do with her life this year. Far be it from me to tell her what to do. Especially after she just won the silver.
I think she did just fine. It's hardly the end of the world that she made a couple of mistakes. She's positioned very nicely to go either way next year: keep competing as a heavy favorite (probably THE favorite) or dedicate herself to show skating.

[katymay]

Oooooooooh, that makes more sense. I had thought it meant "on the podium," and no one's post was making sense to me. I heard she only lost 10 lbs in a month, which is better than 10 kg. Yuna and Miki are quite thin too, but they manage to make those jumps.

Yuna has always been willowy. Miki looks much better this year, and not so coincidentally, hasn't she been living and training in the U.S.? Funny how that seems to work out. Live and train under the japanese system-and No Food For You. Beginning with Midori Ito, (who almost died as I recall ) and ending (if only) with Mao. I think there is a Giant Pink Elephant in the room, and it is time that someone official intervened. Will they? Probably only when a skater finally dies.

[essiejane]

Could someone please post the link to the medal ceremony? I know someone did a while back, but I can't find it.