Your hightlights and your nightmares of Moscow 2011??

[skfan]

HIGHLIGHT:
i never thought i'd say this, but my hightlight of the 2011 worlds is miki ando's exhibition numbers. she just moves me, as a person, and her skating is starting to catch up. i am happy she was able to give the people of japan a good memory from this year's worlds. there's an interview with her on FSU that just breaks my heart.

runner up: carolina kostner's long program, yeonah kim's long program.

LOW LIGHTS
daisuke's bad luck and the laughing hyenas in suits
yeonah and mao not being physically and mentally in the best of conditions to skate the way we all know they can when they're at their best.

ETA: additional lowlight: people jumping on the chance to bash rachael flatt, making all sorts of unreasonable claims about her character, how nagasu would have surely secured 3 spots--i even saw (tongue in cheek?) assertions that nagasu would be 2011 world champion if only rachael flatt had withdrawn *sigh*

[demarinis5]

Guys, there is an Ignore function on this board. Instead of falling for people trying to stir things up, go to your User CP and take advantage of it. Believe me when I say it makes competitions around here far more enjoyable.

So true.

(Snip)

That rule that a skater only has three minutes to fix whatever problem has happened or they're disqualified. That needs to either be changed or wiped off the books entirely. I mean...Seriously? Is anyone seriously thinking that was enough time to properly secure the heel portion of the blade back to the sole of the heel of the boot? Not to mention time to check to make sure the repair was properly done? My Dad was watching the Final Flight w/me and even he said, "Are they crazy sending him back out there w/such a quick repair? If it happens again, he could seriously hurt himself."

Exactly!! Either the rule needs to change to give the skater the option of skating last, and giving themselves the time to fix the problem properly or if the last skater, enough time to fix the problem w/no fear of disqualification. This three minutes or disqualification is not only stupid, but could have serious ramifications at some point down the road. It needs to go!!

ITA. This needs to be addressed.

[FlattFan]

Highlights:
Miki's winning SP, LP, and gala program. How did she become so expressive in a short span of time is beyond me. Wow. Gives hope to all jumpers out there. Everything she did seemed so polished and finished. Miki deserves her second World title.

Lowlights:
Yuna Kim's blatant held up score in the SP.
Speedy
Rachael's injury
Oda's inability to count
K/S missing the podium

[SkateFiguring]

What should the rules be to make sure the skaters are vigilant about their own equipment and not disrupt the competition? An equipment malfunction is almost always tragic and detrimental to the skater but it's also their responsibility. Given the extreme importance of the skates to a skater, it's hard to comprehen why not everything possible is constantly done to ensure their proper function, especially during a competition.

[LeReveur]

I don't think I've ever posted about actual skating here, but I feel compelled to write about what I finally just saw: Leonova's two programs. It's true that each man has his view of choreography and musical interpretation, but I found her programs to be extreeeeeeeeeeeemely overscored. Also, her two glaring mistakes in the short program should have set her back and not made her near the podium. I rooted for her before this competition, but watching what I deem her total absence of "good programs" (she's not an artist and doesn't even pull of charm or energy well) place above Czisny (for example) baffles me. I won't even get into the rest of the competition, as I haven't seen it all, but: does anyone else think Leonova was a joke both from a spectator point of view and from a placement point of view?

[smia]

Highlights:
The pairs competition. S/S, V/T, Y/C. K/S's long program and exhibition.
Chan and Kozuka.

Saddest moments:
Oda and Pechalat/Bourzat.

[ljaeren]

Highligts:
Takahiko Kozuka's fs
Yuna kim's return

Saddest parts:
Pechalat and Bourzat
Daiuske takahashi

[CARA]

Highlights:

1. D/W finally winning the gold medals & done so fair and squaire, despite chatters regarding how overmarked they were;
2. Dornbush & Miner proving themselves deserving of the US world representatives, despite chatters how undeserving resprentatives that they were;
3. The Shibs' facial expressions at the moment when they found out that they won bronze medals, proving if there was a conspiracy by S/Z, the Shibs at least were not aware.

Saddest part:

P/B's fall, and effectively giving away the bronze medals.

[ks777]

highlights
Miki Ando's SP and Gala

[R.D.]

High: D/W winning USA's first ever ice dance world title. Shibutanis sneaking in for bronze

Low: Just about everything else

[blue_idealist]

About the Daisuke boot problem, I'm wondering if the Japanese skaters aren't that careful with their equipment, since Oda had a problem with his boot in Vancouver, although I think it was the lace that time? I was also wondering if there was a saboteur, but I think that's a little farfetched actually.

[fscric]

Highlights:
- Patrick Chan winning and breaking both SP and LP world records.
- Miki Ando winning

Low:
- Yuna Kim not doing well in both skates
- Mao Asada looked scarily thin

[Layfan]

when the screw came off dai's skate and he rushed over to get it fixed, the camera focused on speedy and scott hamilton, with speedy clearly mocking the japanese by demonstrating them screwing the heel back on (with appropriate gestures) and a big grin on his face. When he saw the camera was on him he abruptly stopped and looked chagrined. Basically, it make him look like he was happy with a top japanese competitor having a big problem. In context, not cool. Out of context... Still not cool. The audience just laughed, but i was really quite surprised.

ugh.

[demarinis5]

What should the rules be to make sure the skaters are vigilant about their own equipment and not disrupt the competition? An equipment malfunction is almost always tragic and detrimental to the skater but it's also their responsibility. Given the extreme importance of the skates to a skater, it's hard to comprehen why not everything possible is constantly done to ensure their proper function, especially during a competition.

True, but stuff happens. I think that 3 minutes to correct a broken skate or boot or be disqualified is harsh. It is not the same as correcting a loose strap
on your costume or dress or a loose shoelace.

[CARA]

Ok, I confess my ignorance. Who is speedy?