2013 Canadian Sr Ladies SP

[shine]

She has a really stiff back. And rounds her shoulders.

Only really weak point in her skating that I can point out, really.

Hm I don't really see it. In fact, her posture reminds me of Rochette. Very straight back with a strong core but relaxed shoulders. The only time that I think she has a bit of stiffness in her arms is when she's setting up for a jump. Maybe it's the straight back that gives off the impression of stiffness. I'm personally fond of it and thinks it really helps her to project OUT while holding the tension. If there's a top skater that I think has a stiff upper body it's Kiira Korpi.

[jaylee]

Thanks for posting the link to Yu Na's FS at the Korean Nationals. I watched it and thought it was very well skated overall. She certainly still has the jumps and I wouldn't worry about the freak fall and pop Lutz in the SP since they don't mean anything.

I am not up to date on Yu Na's coaching situation but I am a little surprised by the choreography in her Les Misérables Free Skate in that it is somewhat below what she is capable of doing. Let me start by stating the PCS breakdown that I would have given her on that performance and then I'll explain in details.

SS = 8.25
TR = 6.50
PE = 9.00
CH = 7.50
IN = 8.00

Without a question, she delivered the performance very well and showcased great finesse in the overall delivery, hence the high PE and SS scores. In between the elements however, there is very little intricacy that link each element to the next. You could say, it was overly simplistic and not enough effort was put into the choreography to showcase her ability to use edges in different direction. Perhaps it was done to ensure she lands her jumps but the lack of difficult transitions are quite glaring and impossible to miss. Overall, the choreography is just not very detailed meaning she could have done a lot more with her chosen music.

She has steps preceding the 3F, back spiral preceding her second lutz (and a mini-spread eagle immediately exiting out of it), a spread eagle into the 2A combo, Ina Bauer into the final 2A. Her solo 3S exits directly into her footwork, which is important because transitions are not just about difficult entrances but about not having lots of set-up in between elements. Most skaters would not set up a jump right before their footwork. Along those lines, the choreographed spiral sequence into the Ina Bauer into the 2A is impressive for seamlessly linking a series of elements.

These are difficult transitions and are impossible to miss. I suppose looking at Yu-Na's Korean Nationals FS, if one wants to emphasize its weaknesses, one can't pick on the jumps, therefore one must try to find something else to try and put her down. But I find transitions to not be a legitimate area. (Michelle Kwan, post-2003, this is not.) This program overall is not as difficult as Yu-Na's Gershwin FS, but even that FS did not have steps preceding the flip or any transition preceding the second lutz.

Even her choreographed spiral sequence is extremely packed with moves making it seem more like a mini footwork sequence than a simple spiral sequence.

There is also plenty of upper and lower body movement throughout, one example being the moment where the music changes tempo and she raises one arm to the sky (and the opposite leg), then the opposite arm and the other leg. That's a nice example of a transition involving the entire body.

As for the interpretation, she portrayed a the sadness of her character throughout the skate but the music had different highs and lows and sadness or in French, les misères, wasn't the only emotions to be conveyed. See a clip of Laetitia Hubert skating to the a very similar cut of the music here at the 1995 Worlds : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2sVv91F7-Jg#t=2m52s Yu Na failed to show the highs and lows in this chosen masterpiece - her facial expression stayed at one level throughout the skate.

I disagree, her facial expressions clearly change from sadness, and melancholy, to happiness and triumph later on. They're clearly different expressions but if you didn't see her transitions, then you won't see this either.

Quite honestly, the lack of mileage is very evident in this performance despite a seemingly clean performance. Setting aside her reputation, this performance would struggle to get an average of 8 in PCS. Whereas someone like Osmond who doesn't have the experience or polish of Yu Na but have instead got a lot of mileage on her FS, you could clearly see a very noticeable difference between Osmond's FS from a PCS standpoint at her first competition in Germany vs. the most recent performance in Canada.

Well, I actually preferred Osmond's FS at Skate Canada to the one that she did at Canadian Nationals. The one at Nationals felt a bit saggy in the second half with the fall on the 2A and the slow footwork, and she felt a bit more tense throughout with the mistake on the 2A/3T too.

The point is, I think some people may be in for a surprise if Yu Na doesn't get sky high PCS with such a program at Worlds. For appearing only at a minor International event and at Korean nationals, she would also not having been seen by many ISU judges. If not for you linking her performance at Korean Nationals, I would have missed it as well. I think she is depriving herself the chance of getting some valuable feedback for her programs and I saw her sitting with presumably her Korean coach in the kiss & cry, it would seem this program also showed she is not getting the top notch coaching she needs to remain the overwhelming favorite. Reputation point has it limits, I am giving you my honest take on Yu Na and I think she has a lot of work to do.

This may be your honest opinion but I suspect there is more than a little wishful thinking involved as well. Yu-Na doesn't have to be the overwhelming favorite in order to win. She got pretty darn good PCS in front of an international panel for an event that wasn't in her home country. She doesn't need reputation points because she's attempting so much difficult content--she just needs to execute. What other ladies are attempting a 3Lz/3T, 3F in the SP and then 3Lz/3T, 3F, and another lutz in the FS? None of the other veterans, and the younger skaters who are attempting difficult content have their own issues.

And if Yu-Na isn't the favorite and somehow doesn't win, then oh well, life goes on, she still has an OGM (and a lot of other medals) in the bag--not bad. I think the ladies competition is better for her having come back and for attempting so much difficult content, and I appreciate the fact that she attempted a triple/triple in the FS where she could have switched it out for an easier 2A/3T. She's capable of doing both and she went for the harder one without any reward in base value.

[pangtongfan]

LOL at anyone who thinks Osmond will get PCS anywhere close to Yu Na Kim at Worlds in front of international judges. Some delusional dreamers in this thread. Getting PCS close to Suzuki is doable.

[figuristka]

http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTA0MDA2Mjgw.html short

[Nadia01]

LOL at anyone who thinks Osmond will get PCS anywhere close to Yu Na Kim at Worlds in front of international judges. Some delusional dreamers in this thread. Getting PCS close to Suzuki is doable.

This.

[let`s talk]

Osmond LP : http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNTA0NjIzMTYw.html

"Let's play Carmen dolls" ?

[mariposa]

A bit off topic...looking for videos of the top ten Ladies SP.. any hints on where I can find them??