2013 4cc Free Dance | Page 13 | Golden Skate

2013 4cc Free Dance

KKonas

Medalist
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
It must be true (what Tessa said). What possible reason would they have for lying?

Because Moir always, always thinks he should win. He certainly didn't want to lose twice to D&W going into worlds. If they lost points on that lift, he knew he would surely lose. Better to stop lift altogether and restart. I guess I'm cynical, but then I do know a little bit of how Moir thinks.
 

figuristka

Medalist
Joined
Dec 15, 2003
How misfortunate to have the leg cramp, i do hope its nothing to do with her previous condition with her legs which caused her to not be able to skate. She seemed to be breathing hard but maybe it was because of the pain and stress of the situation.Their program is the most difficult and complex to perform, they could make it a little easier but what a wonderful program. Right away i found it a program which commands your attention. Just wonder if we will get to see it perfectly executed. Hope both V/M and D/W can skate well. V/M have the chemistry, complexity, and unision and D/W have the speed, lightness, and skate unrestrained.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Don't think Charlie was stuck in a wheelchair like Tessa was in '09 & had to have rehabilitation to learn how to walk again. You really can't compare Tessa's CECS & Charlie's athsma. They're both different conditions that require different kinds of treatment. It could be that her cramps flare up now & then; we don't really know the extent of her condition right now.

Both are pretty awful conditions to have if you're an athlete, actually. We don't know the true severity of Charlie's asthma, either, but did you watch Yuzuru Hanyu's free skate at the Finlandia Trophy last year? After the program, he literally had to lie facedown on the ice until he could breathe again.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Because Moir always, always thinks he should win. He certainly didn't want to lose twice to D&W going into worlds. If they lost points on that lift, he knew he would surely lose. Better to stop lift altogether and restart. I guess I'm cynical, but then I do know a little bit of how Moir thinks.

LOL Yup. I loved how in the press conference after finally beating D/W in the SD he was all, "Oh I'm just here for the joy of competing and if my coaches are happy, I'm happy." And my first thought was, well considering how you react whenever you lose to D/W, that statement would steam on a cold day...

But then I can be a cynic too. LOL.
 

icefan1005

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 18, 2011
"I said this in the 4CCs thread, but if you look to Tessa's skating leg in the setup for the lift, you can see it sort of shake and give way, preventing her from being able to push up into the lift."

"When they're going into the lift, after she steps on her left leg it goes shaky, and then she picks up her left leg as if it were in pain or cramped up. Pay close attention to her leg after she does the last cross in front. It doesn't look stable at all."

-triple_toe on FSU.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Just saw Maia and Alex's FD. Standing ovation. A FD score just .20 off their personal best. Eurosport commentator: "They couldn't have done that any better." (They did lose some levels, so technically they could do a little better...but I get the spirit of what he was saying).

Yep, they're DOOMED. :sarcasm:

Congrats to Meryl and Charlie and good job to Tessa and Scott for toughing it out. And Madison and Evan for winning bronze with two solid programs.

Worlds is going to be interesting!
 

blancanieves

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Them being able to repeat the lift is at issue for me because they do not just get judged on the lift but also on the run out and how smoothly the lift was executed. In order for them to execute that particular lift smoothly (maybe at all) and have good runout they had to be able to perform the skating that led up to the lift to build up speed and momentum.

Not to mention that ice dance is not just a contest, it's part performance. Once you break the flow, there should be a consequence in the score. You can't just stop and wait for an injury to get better and resume play like in tennis. This is supposed to be a 4 minute program that tests artistry in concert with stamina. If you're not healthy, do what you think is best: stop or go. But there needs to be a correlation between the delivery of the program and the score.
 

Lota

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 3, 2012
Yeah, there was definitely something wrong with her leg. After rewatching that place over and over, I noticed that her left leg would twitch and she was the one that seemed slightly in pain, so I don't think Scott's the problem here. If anything, he was a great partner. He noticed she had a problem and didn't do the lift, and, while I can't read lips, it seemed to me that after that he kept telling her "Don't skate, don't skate". Anyway, it was a great program to watch and I hope Tessa's ok!

Meryl and Charlie, wow :love: That was a terrific skate from the two of them. They really gave 110% out there, poor Charlie couldn't even stand on his feet for a while after the program. Hope both them and V/M keep improving and that we'll get to see them skate their programs best at the Worlds.

And the Shibs skated really well too, wish they could've grabbed that bronze medal... Shame they didn't.
 

leafygreens

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 7, 2011
I agree. They respect the sport so much that I doubt that what they did was cheating. Some of the previous posts said that she didnt overly outly express the pain from leg cramps. There are ways to adage pain without screaming, shouting or swearing. Also, remember that their ultimate goal this season is worlds 2013. If there was a problem with Tessa, it would be better to stop than to continue and cause injury.

How do you know they respect the sport so much? What evidence do you have of this?

Obviously, any skater wants to do great at worlds. But why throw away a competition? If a competition is worth throwing away/ not doing your best, then it's not worth going. I resent the fact that V/M only want to do great at worlds, yet D/W want to do great at every competition and show it by putting their all into every event, even the "small ones." That, to me, is "respecting the sport."

Another problem with the rule is that skaters seem completely able to give whatever reason they'd like for stopping. When we've seen interruptions, there haven't been any medical evaluations (in comparison to tennis, which posters compared this to), but the skaters themselves just seem to tell the referee what to do. Fans are left to break down videos to figure out if there's an injury and which partner might be injured. It's ridiculous.

Exactly. If there is a medical condition then it needs to be documented, or this rule is ripe for manipulation by any skater who feels they just need a break. If there's not a medical evaluation on the spot, then the skater needs to explain to the judge what it is. Not just stand there, then skate back over and ask to start again, like Scott did.

To me, stopping to shake out your legs for two minutes because you don't have the stamina to do an element, is no different than popping a jump. If you are not physically ready then you don't deserve the silver medal.

It's a completely different situation than say, a pairs skater falling during an element and hitting her face on the ice, which would clearly need a two minute break to evaluate before continuing. An injury that happens *during* the program. It's not the same as an "old injury" that keeps resurfacing.

Even Ashley Wagner can fall majorly and bust her hip yet not stop the program. V/M are taking advantage of "break" rule and the judges are letting them, which is disappointing.

Yes, it is suspicious because both times Tessa has had this issue at 4CC's, she stares ahead like a blank robot, doesn't explain to anyone what's going on, does not look in pain, and does not appear to require any sort of treatment.

People just do not want to believe that sweet ol' classy Tessa is above using gamesmanship. She may become the Azarenka of skating.

Yep.
 

lavender

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Because Moir always, always thinks he should win. He certainly didn't want to lose twice to D&W going into worlds. If they lost points on that lift, he knew he would surely lose. Better to stop lift altogether and restart. I guess I'm cynical, but then I do know a little bit of how Moir thinks.



I like Tessa but the look on Moir's face every time he comes in 2nd just baffles me. There’s always a chance these two teams would go back and forth with the wins unless he just doesn’t think they are on that level.
 

meem

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
Not to mention that ice dance is not just a contest, it's part performance. Once you break the flow, there should be a consequence in the score. You can't just stop and wait for an injury to get better and resume play like in tennis. This is supposed to be a 4 minute program that tests artistry in concert with stamina. If you're not healthy, do what you think is best: stop or go. But there needs to be a correlation between the delivery of the program and the score.

This is what bothers me about skaters stopping a program and then after a rest or whatever (e.g., peeling oneself off the boards, getting a new lace for one's skates, etc), resuming their program. The music has already been stopped, the skaters are consulting with judges, coaches. So the "presentation" has been ruined &, IMO, the performance should just be over and done with at that very point. This was not an exhibition, it was a competition and if you can't complete your program, you should be removed from the competition.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Because they would lose all the points associated with the lift. And when you have a competition that is always that close with your nearest rival, even fractions of a point are crucial. By restarting there was always the chance of saving the lift--and the points associated with it.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Because Moir always, always thinks he should win. He certainly didn't want to lose twice to D&W going into worlds. If they lost points on that lift, he knew he would surely lose. Better to stop lift altogether and restart. I guess I'm cynical, but then I do know a little bit of how Moir thinks.

Yikes, if you are suggesting some kind of unethical conduct from Moir, that is a contemptible (and completely far-fetched, IMHO) accusation.

I am not naive. I was disappointed -- but not shocked -- that Lance Armstrong used performance-enhancing drugs, for example.

But from what I know of Virtue/Moir (and the equally competitive Davis/White), it is unthinkable to me that any one of them would want to win with anything but integrity and fair play. I feel strongly that their mutual goal is to earn the gold by skating their best -- not to win at any cost whatsoever. All four athletes would refuse to bring dishonor to themselves, their longtime partners, their countries, and the sport to which they have devoted their lives. For example, V/M have said more than once that being great people is more important to them than being great skaters. D/W no doubt share that perspective.

[And BTW, regarding my earlier comment: I would say that the relevance of medical time-outs in tennis is that figure skating is not unique in sanctioning pauses within competition for certain reasons. The rules of the two sports are not perfectly analogous, but I would add that each sport has its own challenges. Skaters perform and are scrutinized continuously for a full four minutes, whereas a single point in tennis could last barely seconds. A complete tennis match is of far longer duration, but players take short breaks after every other game, etc., etc.]
 

edge1

Spectator
Joined
Jan 23, 2013
This is what bothers me about skaters stopping a program and then after a rest or whatever (e.g., peeling oneself off the boards, getting a new lace for one's skates, etc), resuming their program. The music has already been stopped, the skaters are consulting with judges, coaches. So the "presentation" has been ruined &, IMO, the performance should just be over and done with at that very point. This was not an exhibition, it was a competition and if you can't complete your program, you should be removed from the competition.

Couldnt agree more, well said !!
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
I think V and M especially competitive Scott know they are in big trouble. I would like to see D and W try something more experiemental next year but I doubt they will. Kind of like Kwan who did try different stuff but always kind of looked the same no matter what she skated too.
 

Mao88

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
FREE DANCE - RESULT & VIDEOS (Updated)

1. Meryl DAVIS & Charlie WHITE (USA) - 187.36 Free Dance, 2nd Copy, Interview
2. Tessa VIRTUE & Scott MOIR (CAN) - 184.32 Free Dance, 2nd Copy
3. Madison CHOCK & Evan BATES (USA) - 160.42 Free Dance
4. Maia SHIBUTANI & Alex SHIBUTANI (USA) - 159.97 Free Dance
5. Piper GILLES & Paul POIRIER (CAN) - 157.83 Free Dance
6. Nicole ORFORD & Thomas WILLIAMS (CAN) - 139.10 Free Dance
7. Cathy REED & Chris REED (JPN) - 131.04 Free Dance
8. Danielle OBRIEN & Gregory MERRIMAN (AUS) - 123.88 Free Dance
9. Xiaoyang YU & Chen WANG (CHN) - 108.82 Free Dance
10. Anna NAGORNYUK & Viktor KOVALENKO (UZB) - 107.02 Free Dance
11. Emi HIRAI & Marien DE LA ASUNCION (JPN) - 105.56 Free Dance
12. Bryna OI & Taiyo MIZUTANI (JPN) - 89.80 Free Dance
13. Pilar MAEKAWA & Leonardo MAEKAWA (MEX) - 85.02 Free Dance (13 mins 5 secs in)

Complete Final Warm-Up Group, Complete Free Dance

Medal Ceremony: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3
 
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