2013 World Figure Skating Championships - Ladies Short Report | Golden Skate

2013 World Figure Skating Championships - Ladies Short Report

Joined
Jan 22, 2004
2013 World Figure Skating Championships
Ladies – Short Program

Detailed Classification
Judges Scores
http://www.isuresults.com/results/wc2013/wc2013_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

Disclaimer: The GOE values listed next to the elements are the ones, I'd award if I was a judge, to give you a general impression of how well it was executed. I try to describe each of the elements but there's not always time to be as detailed as I would like and those numbers can sometimes say a thousand words. So if you see positive GOE, it means an element was executed to a high standard (and yes, I am generally being very nitpicky).

Any questions, comments, criticisms and discussion are very welcome.

1. Patricia GLESCIC /SLO/
Crystallized

3loop – underrotated slightly (under 1/4), fall [-3]
3flip(cheated under 1/4, foot down)/1toe [-3]
layback to sideways to catch to biellmann [-2] – totally off-centred
flying sit cannonball to forward tuck [-1] – quite weak
2axel – cheated under 1/4 [-1]
circular step sequence – lacked flow [-1]
camel to illusion/up/change sit broken leg [-1] – weak

Basics quite subpar. Skated through the music. It looked like she has given up after the mistakes on the first two jumping passes.

2. Brooklee HAN /AUS/
Freedom by Michael Smith
Titanic Symphony by Richard Clayderman

3toe/2toe – with room to spare, solid landings [1]
3loop [-2] – landing a little tight, quite a long break after preceding footwork
flying camel to donut to catch coe [2] – good positions and very good rotation speed
owen spiral to 2axel [0] – landing a little scratchy, not a lot of flow out
sideways to layback with speed increase to catch to biellmann [2] – very good rotation speed
circular step sequence [1] – sharp footwork, strong upper body movement
camel/pancake/change sit var/up butt out/sit forward tuck [0] – very fast rotation but off-centred

Decent speed. Her movement and her back are quite stiff and whilst there were quite lot of arm movements throughout, they could have been extended better. She showed a lot of attack throughout, though. Strong spins.

She's continuing her momentum after successful performances at the Four Continents and Junior Worlds. Another strong skate for her. She has improved her Personal Best by over 2 points.

3. Juulia TURKKILA /FIN/
Firebird by Igor Stravinski

3toe(over the toe, no flow out)/2toe(underrotated over half a revolution and two-footed) [-3]
three-turns into 3salchow [0] – landing a little tight
flying camel upwards catch coe to donut [0]
transitions to 1axel [-3]
camel upward twist/sit cannonball up coe/change sit leg behind/up Y [1] – good positions, decent rotation speed
circular step sequence [0]
sideways to layback to catch to biellmann [0]

She is quite light over the ice and the choreography wasn't bad but her movements were unfishined and it looked like she was going through the motions and not really fully comitting to presenting her program.

4. ZHANG Kexin /CHN/
Nocturne in cis minor by Frederic Chopin

3toe/3toe [1] – quite good height, solid landings
1lutz [-3] – break after steps
layback to sideways to catch to biellmann [0] – quite good positions and rotation speed but off-centred slightly
2axel [0] – decent height but could use a little more flow out
scratch butterflies to flying camel coe to donut to upward twist [0] – good positions and rotation speed but off-centred slightly
straight line step sequence [0] – busy upper body movement but could use more flow
camel/up Y/change sit broken leg to pancake [1] – quite good positions and rotation speed

Whilst her movement was quite neat and composed, she skated with a blank face and lacked charisma and expression. Quite generic choreography.

5. Tina STÜRZINGER /SUI/
Tango Medley

3flutz/2toe [0] – not a lot of height but secure landings with good flow out, slight change of edge on take-off though
3toe [-1] – landing a little scratchy and akward, slight break after steps
flying camel coe to donut to upward catch [0]
2axel – off-axis, fall [-3]
layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [0] – extension a little weak
circular step sequence [1] – quite fast footwork, a lot of upper body movement
camel/sit/up Y/change sit cannonball to broken leg/up [0]

The choreography lacked character. Uou would never guess it was the tango if the music was off. Her basics aren't very strong. Her movement is quite stiff and she doesn't generate a lot of speed from her pushes so the ice coverage was limited.

6. Anita MADSEN /DEN/
Totentanz by Franz Liszt performed by Maksim Mrvica

3loop/2toe [1] – quite good height, had room to spare before opening the jumps
three-turns into 3salchow [0]
layback to sideways catch [-1] – off-centred
2axel [0] – landing not held long
flying camel to donut to upward catch [0]
straight line step sequence [0]
camel/up L/change sit holding foot to broken leg/up [0]
really overcome with emotion at the end, it looked like she didn't believe she's actually managed to land all of her jumps

She seemed very tense and didn't skate with as much power and freedom in her movement as during the European Championships. Elements weren't as sharp either. There were some movements to the accents in the music but they were quite heavy and she skated through the music most of the time.

7. Isadora WILLIAMS /BRA/
Maria and the Violin String by Amrash

3lutz/2toe [-1] – lutz a little cheated, toe rushed and seemed slightly toe-axeled
3lip [-3] – step out, break after steps, off an outside edge
flying sit/jump to sit var to forward tuck(a little slow) [0]
spread eagle towards 2axel [0]
sideways to layback catch [-1] – quite slow
straight line step sequence [0]
camel/sit/up Y/change camel upward catch/sit broken leg(off-centred) [-1]

Quite balletic but mostly skated through the music. A generic GFB program.

8. Alina FJODOROVA /LAT/
Inception (soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer

3flip – fall [-3]
3salchow – fall [-3]
2axel [0]
flying camel coe to donut to upward catch [1] – good rotation speed
camel/up Y/change sit holding foot to pancake [0]
straight line step sequence [-1] – going through the motions
layback catch to biellmann [-1] – off-centred
an akward end to the program with her standing, waiting for the music to end

Poor posture and lines. Stiff and heavy movements.

9. Kaetlyn OSMOND /CAN/
Mambo No. 8 by Perez Prado
Gwendoline by Perez Prado

3toe/3toe [1] – high
steps to 3flip [2] – high and solid
layback to sideways to catch to biellmann [0] – off-centred a little bit
spread eagle to 2axel [2] – secure landing with good flow out
straight line step sequence [1]
flying sit cannonball to forward bend [0]
transitions to camel/up Y/change camel illusion/sit var [0] – decent rotation speed throughout but slow and travelled a little on the last position

Detailed choreography very much in character of the music. She danced all the way through her program and if you turned the music off, you'd immediately guess it was a Latin number because of the way she moved. A lot of transitions throughout. All of the elements were connected together very well.

She extends her movements well and there's a lot of speed and power in her skating but I would like her to work on her posture as she has the turtle thing going on. Her shoulders are slightly rounded and raised making it look like she has no neck. Basic skating is not yet at the level of most of the top skaters but she seems to be slowly getting there, it definitely looks better than last season.

A fashion police note: She has dyed her hair way too dark and now looks like Morticia Addams.

10. Carol BRESSANUTTI /ITA/
Besame Mucho by Artie Shaw

three-turns into 3loop [-3] – underrotated over a quarter, two-footed
3toe/2toe [0]
flying camel to upward twist to upward catch coe to sideways catch to upward catch [0] – well extended positions but not a lot of speed
circular step sequence [0] – quite fast footwork but not a lot of flow
into camel/sit leg behind/change sit var/up Y [0] – good positions but could use more speed
owen spiral towards 2axel [1] – good entry, nicely extended landing
sideways to layback catch with speed increase [0] – good rotation speed but a little off-centred

Didn't generate a lot of speed and flow and her ice coverage was quite limited. Quite elegant movement but the choreography lacked character and she could have shown more attack and charisma.

11. Inga JANULEVICIUTE /LTU/
Danse Bacchanale from "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saens

2axel [1] – very high and solid but a telegraphed entry
3lutz(landed forward on two feet)/2toe [-3]
3toe – underrotated slightly, two-footed, fall [-3]
flying camel coe to donut to upward catch [0] – decent rotation speed until the last position which was quite slow
straight line step sequence [-1] – slow, lacked flow, weak edges
to sideways to layback with speed increase to catch [2] – nice extension, very good rotation speed
camel to catch to biellmann/change sit holding foot to forward bend [-2] – slow, off-centred before the change of foot

Skated through the music, wooden movements.

12. Anne Line GJERSEM /NOR/
Hey Pachuco (from "The Mask" soundtrack)

salchow popped into a single [-3]
3loop [-2] – short break after steps, over the toe, scratchy landing
flying camel to upward twist to upward catch coe [1] – very good positions, could use more speed though
2axel [0]
straight line sequence [-1] – timing off at the start, edges not very strong so she wasn't getting much flow
sideways to layback with speed increase to catch [1] – good rotation speed, extension could be better though
camel/up Y to up(off-centred a little)/change sit cannonball to forward tuck [-1]

A quite well choreographed program featuring in character movement and some transitions throughout but her basic skating is quite weak and she didn't have a lot of speed or ice coverage. Her movements could have been extended better as well.

Ela Magnusson always seems very supportive of her skaters (I have also heard very good things about her from a skater who has worked with her). The fashion police does however feel obligated to tell her that something more elegant than a tacky Christmas jumper would have been more appropriate for this occasion. It's the World Championships, love!

13. Nathalie WEINZIERL /GER/
Exodus performed by Maksim Mrvica

3flip [-3] – step out with hands down, break after steps
3lutz/2toe [0] – good height but a little off-axis on the lutz
layback to sideways catch to biellmann [0] – not a lot of speed
flying camel coe to donut to upward catch [0]
2axel [-1] – telegraphed entry, good height but a weak landing requiring her to turn half a revolution
circular step sequence [0]
camel/sit cannonball/change sit broken leg/up var to up [1] – quite good rotation speed

Quite a lot of speed and power in her skating but her movements were quite wooden and there wasn't a lot of relation to the music. Generic choreography.

14. KIM Yuna /KOR/
Kiss of the Vampire by James Bernard

3lutz/3toe [1] – solid
3lip [-1] – high and very strong but quite a long break after steps and take off from a slight outside edge
flying camel to upward twist to upward catch coe [0] – not a lot of speed
ina bauer to 2axel [2] – high and secure, good flow out
sideways to layback to catch [1] – good positions and rotation speed
straight line step sequence [2] – good flow and upper body movement
to camel/sit holding foot/up var/change sit/jump to sit/up Y [1] – quite good positions and rotation speed

Great use of the whole body throughout. The program didn't have any empty spots and featured a lot of detailed, elegant, beautifully extended movement. Very good choreography by David Wilson.

Lovely flow over the ice as well. Soft and smooth edges. A very successful comeback, she seems almost back to her top shape now.

I am surprised that the judges were so conservative with their marks. I think she has suffered from skating so early.

I guess that the performance was a little introverted and she didn't go all our or show a lot of emotion but that's something that was always the case with her. Still, she did tick most of the PCS boxes.

15. Kerstin FRANK /AUT/
Bohemian Rhapsody performed by Maksim Mrvica

3toe/2toe [1] – high and solid
sideways to layback to catch [-1] – weak extension, not a lot of speed
straight line step sequence [0] – could use more flow
three-turns into 3salchow [1] – high and secure
scratch butterflies into flying camel to upward twist to catch coe [0] – not a lot of speed
back spiral towards 2axel [1] – high, good flow out
camel/sit/up Y/change camel/sit holding foot/up [-1] – good rotation speed most of the time (slowed down after change of foot but picked it up again at the end) but travelled a lot

Powerful, high jumps with quite good flow out on the landings. She skated through the music, however and the choreography was generic. Quite stiff movements as well.

She has improved her Personal Best by 0.06.

16. Monika SIMANCIKOVA /SVK/
Tango de Amore (from "The Addams Family" musical) by Andrew Lippa

2axel [0] – quite good height but landing a little scratchy
3flip [-1] – solid jump but a long break after steps
scratch butterfly to flying camel to upward twist to upward catch [0]
3toe/2toe [1] – high and secure
camel to var/change sit cannonball to sideways tuck/up [1] – good rotation speed
straight line step sequence [1] – good upper body movement
sideways to layback catch to biellmann(a little slow) [0]

A solid, competent performance. Her flow over the ice isn't bad but the choreography was quite generic and lacked character.

She has improved her Personal Best by almost a point.

17. Kaat VAN DAELE /BEL/
Exogenesis Symphony by Muse

three-turns into 3toe [1] – solid
2salchow/1toe [-3]
camel/sit side twist/up/change camel/sit broken leg/up [1] – quite good rotation speed
straight line step sequence [0]
2axel [1] – high
scratch butterflies into flying camel to upward twist to catch coe [0] – a little slow
sideways to layback to catch [0] – quite good rotation speed at the start but slowed down after the catch, extension quite weak

Nicely extended movements but the choroegraphy lacked light and shade and the program was really flat.

It's impressive how she was able to improve at 'the ripe old age' of 23, finally win her national championship and earn the minimum score to go to Worlds. I hope she can get stronger choreography next season.

18. Sonia LAFUENTE /ESP/
Romeo and Juliet (musical soundtrack)

3flip/2toe [1] – solid, decent height and flow out
3loop [0] – solid but a break after steps
flying camel coe to catch to upward catch [-1] – a little slow
spread eagle to 2axel [1]
layback to catch to biellmann [0]
straight line step sequence [0]
camel/up Y/change sit holding foot to pancake [0]

Very solid on all three of her jumping passes. Quite good flow over the ice and this is definitely the best choreography she has had to date. It wasn't very complex but the gentle movements reflected the character of the music quite well.

She needs to learn to use her whole body however because it's still just airplane arms going up and down and some more expression would be good to see also. She is still skating with a blank facial expression.

This is her sixth world championship and it's great to see it all finally coming together for her. For the last couple of seasons I felt that she seemed stuck and wasn't really improving much but this season the has managed to bring her skating up to the next level.

She has beaten her Personal Best by 1.37.

19. Natalia POPOVA /UKR/
Pourquoi Me Reveiller by Jules Massenet

3flip [1] – high, secure landing
3toe/2toe [1] – high and solid
flying camel coe to upward twist to donut to upward catch [1] – good rotation speed, decent positions
2axel [1] – high and solid
camel/sit cannonball to broken leg/change sit to pancake/up Y [1] – good rotation speed
straight line step sequence [1] – quite good flow
layback to catch to biellmann [0] – decent rotation speed but poor extension

Strong elements, quite good flow over the ice. She's still quite stiff and her movements could have been extended better.

This was the best she has ever skated, by far and she has improved her Personal Best by 4.52 points.

20. Elena GLEBOVA /EST/

Tales and Legends by Rolando Tambin

3toe/3toe [2] – high and very solid
three-turns into 3salchow [0]
2axel [0] – nice curvy entry into it
flying sit var to pancake to forward tuck [0] – good rotation speed to start with but slow at the end
sideways to layback catch [0] – rotation speed not bad but extension weak
straight line step sequence [1] – good upper body movement
camel to catch/up/change sit broken leg/up L to up [1] – quite fast rotation

Elegant movement, good use of arms. She skated to the music quite well but the choreography could have used some interesting highlights. The program was a quite one-dimensional and her movement was very similar throughout.

21. Gracie GOLD /USA/
Hernando's Hideaway

3lutz(only barely made the rotation, landing a little shaky, not a lot of flow out)/3toe(cheated over a quarter) [-2]
3lip [-2] – quite strong but off an outside edge and a break after the steps
2axel [0] – good height but a little over the toe on the landing
into flying camel to upward catch – tried to change edge but lost her balance and had flip out of the spin [-2]
circular step sequence [1]
sideways to layback catch to biellmann [1] – good extension, decent rotation speed
camel/up L/change sit var to broken leg/up [1] – good rotation speed

Her presentation has improved a lot since last season. The choreography was quite busy and there was a lot of upper body movement that she delivered well.

Having said that, comparing this program to Osmond, who used similar music, Gold definitely falls short. Gold was moving in time of the music, she smiled and you could see she was putting effort into presenting her program. What she lacked, however, and where Osmond was better was that she didn't just move to the rhythm and the accents but the actual way in which she moved her body expressed the character of her music.

So the next stage in developing Gold's presentation would be to make her use her whole body and not just her arms (he back is still a little stiff) and try to match the expression to the character of the music. Smiling is nice and it's better than having a blank face but with this kind of music, you would want to be passionate and sultry instead.

Her jumps are powerful and very impressive when clean but she wasn't able to control them very well this afternoon. If she learns to control her nerves, she could probably reach Ito and Harding's territory (or at least its vicinity) as far as jumping prowess is concerned. Keeping her focus is something she's been struggling with, however, and the best example of that is the silly mistake on the flying camel.

22. Elene GEDEVANISHVILI /GEO/
Schindler's List (soundtrack) by John Williams

2lutz/3toe(cheated over a quarter, weak landing but she fought and managed to stay upright) [-3]
3salchow [-3] – lack of steps, two-footed, turnout
flying sit holding foot sideways twist to forward tuck [-2] – unique, well extended positions but she travelled a lot, wobbled slightly and lost speed at the end
back spiral to 2axel [-2] – turnout with toe-pick down
fell just before entering the spin
layback [-1] – just a few revolutions in the basic position because she was running out of time, weak extension (received no value because there were too few revolutions)
straight line step sequence [1] – good flow, nice upper body movement
camel coe/change sit holding foot/up var to Y [1] – good positions and rotation speed

Her skating is quite smooth and she showed nice lines and extensions. But I don't understand her choreography at all. She is skating to gentle longato music but her movement is staccato. It's quite sharp and abrupt and just doesn't fit the character of her chosen piece.

She is another skater who really needs to work with a sport psychologist, if she doesn't already. There's huge potential there but it doesn't get realised because she keeps imploding time and time again.

23. Jenna MCCORKELL /GBR/
Imagined Oceans by Karl Jenkins

3flip(a little over the toe)/2toe [0] – quite good height
3toe [0] – slightly leaning forwards in the air but the landing wasn't bad
layback to sideways to layback catch [0] – good extension but could use more speed
2axel [0] – high but over the toe on the landing
camel to sideways twist/change sit var/up butt out [0] – could use a little more speed
straight line step sequence [1]
flying sit side twist to forward tuck(slow) [-1]

The choreography wasn't particularly original or exciting but she reacted to the accents in the music appopriately and generally skated to it quite well. She's still quite stiff however and her elements weren't executed to a very high standard.

24. SUZUKI Akiko /JPN/
Battle Without Honour or Humanity (from "Kill Bill" soundtrack) by Tomoyasu Hotei
Malaguena (from "Once Upon a Time in Mexico" soundtrack) by Robert Rodriguez

3toe/3toe(cheated over a quarter, step out) [-2] – good height on both jumps
3flip [-1] – solid but a large break after steps
hydroblade move towards sideways to layback to catch to biellmann [0] – extension lacking, rotation speed good to start with but slow on biellmann
scratch butterflies to flying camel sidways twist coe to catch(I don't think she held it long enough) [0]
2axel [1] – solid, very nice free leg extension on the landing
straight line step sequence [1]
camel/sit/up Y/change sit broken leg to forward bend [1] – well extended positions, decent rotation speed

She seemed tense and the performance lacked her usual spark and attack. The choreography reflects the character of the music quite well and fits Suzuki brilliantly. She just didn't deliver it particularly well today. Very good speed as usual, though. Her edges are very good.

25. Valentina MARCHEI /ITA/
Esperanza by Maxime Rodriguez

3lutz/2toe [0] – good height on the lutz but not a lot of flow out
3salchow [-3] – underrotated over a quarter, fall, got the timing all wrong on the take-off, didn't get enough height and was leaning forward very badly
sideways to layback catch [1] – quite good rotataion speed
2axel [-3] – heavy step out
straight line step sequence [1]
flying sit coe/jump to sit pancake [1] – quite good rotation speed
camel/sit/up Y to up/change camel catch/sit forward bend [-2] – travelled a lot, quite slow after change of foot

Another performance that lacked the usual spark and character that Marchei usually has heaps of. She seemed tense, her movement was tight, she didn't present the program out to the judges and the audience and her incredible charisma was missing.

26. Adelina SOTNIKOVA /RUS/
Capriccio Espagnol by Nikolai Rimski-Korsakov

3toe(high and solid)/3toe(cheated way over a quarter, tight landing) [-1]
3flip [0] – strong, a slight break after the steps though
scratch butterflies to flying camel to catch coe to upward twist [2] – good positions and rotation speed
2axel [1] – high and solid
sideways to layback catch to biellmann(a little shaky) – travelled a lot throughout [-2]
straight line step sequence [1]
camel to illusion/sit leg over head/jump to change sit/up Y(off-centred) [0] – good positions and decent rotation speed but travelled a fair bit at the end

Sotnikova is a competent skater with an impressive technical ability but as far as the presentation side of things goes, I genuinely fail to understand and recognise what is so special about her skating and perceive her as being middle of the pack and not a medal contender. I do not intend to be unfairly prejudiced towards her skating and perhaps there is something that I am missing and failing to notice?

I fail to see how this program was supposed to relate to the music. There was no Spanish character to her movements, the choreography was quite generic and she mainly skated through the music. You could have play any tired old warhorse over this performance and it wouldn't make much of a difference. She also skated with this neutral, disengaged facial expression here which didn't help matters.

27. Viktoria HELGESSON /SWE/
Poinciana

3toe/2toe [1] – high and solid
3loop [0] – strong but a break after steps
sideways to layback with speed increase [0] – very good rotation speed but travelled quite a bit
2axel [1] – high and solid, nice field moves going into it
steps to flying sit holding foot to broken leg to forward tuck [0] – could use a little more speed
straight line step sequence [1] – decent flow and busy upper body movement
camel/sit/up Y/change camel/jump to sit var/up [1] – good positions and rotation speed

Very elegant movement, smooth and light basic skating. Whilst she moved beautifully, I think this is not a good music choice for her at all. She does the gentle, GFB longato programs really well. They fit her style of skating and accentuate her lovely edges. But this kind of music with a strong rhythm that she used for this routine, requires your movements to be 'harder.' Her gentle and soft movement clashed with the character of the music and looked a little awkward.

That aside, it was a strong performance where everything was secure and flowed well from start to finish and she has beaten her Personal Best by over two points.

28. Elizaveta TUKTAMYSHEVA /RUS/
Adios Nonino by Astor Piazzolla

3lutz/3toe [1] – high and solid but a very long entry
3loop [0] – solid but a break after steps
sideways to layback catch [1] – good rotation speed
fell entering a spin
circular step sequence [2] – great attack, good upper body movement
popped axel [-3] – landed forwards on two feet (so no value)
camel TO upward catch/up/change sit var/up var to holding foot [1] – unique positions, decent rotation speed

Those two freak errors were very strange to see because everything else in that program was very good. All of her other elements were executed to a high standard, she showed a lot of attack and confidence and moved in character of the music.

29. LI Zijun /CHN/
Dark Eyes

3toe/3toe(underrotated almost half a revolution, fall) [-3]
3flip [0] – clean but it could have been connected to the steps better
camel/up Y(good extension)/change up var/sit forward tuck [0]
scratch butterflies to flying camel sideways twist coe to donut to upward catch [1] – decent positions, quite good rotation speed
2axel [1] – solid
straight line step sequence [1] – good flow, busy upper body movement
layback to sideways to catch to biellmann [2] – fantastic extension in the layback, good rotation speed

Her basics aren't bad and she moves well but I don't understand this music choice for her. It requires perk and charisma and those are not her strengths. Her movement is quite soft and she knows what to do with her arms so something gentler and longato would have worked much better for her.

30. MURAKAMI Kanako /JPN/
Prayer for Taylor by Michael W. Smith

circular step sequence [1] – quite good flow, lovely use of arms
2axel [2] – high and solid, good flow out
scratch butterflies to flying camel to upward twist to catch coe [1] – quite good rotation speed
3toe/3toe [0] – good height but the second toe was slightly cheated
3flip [-2] – decent height but cheated almost 1/4, long break after steps, she has a bit of a mule kick going on on the take-off
camel/up Y/change sit cannonball to broken leg [1] – quite good positions and rotation speed
layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [1] – good rotation speed

Quite good flow over the ice and lovely use of arms throughout. But whilst her arm movements were soft and expressed the longato character of the music very well, her back was quite stiff which created a rather jarring contrast. What the best skaters are able to show and where she's not there yet is using your whole body to express the music and not just have arms going up and down. Lines could be a little bit better as well (small things like pointing her toes and extending her arms fully).

Personally, I feel that her team is trying to make her look 'mature' at all cost. Does the world really need more GFB programs, though? Why do you have to show this kind of expression to be treated seriously by the judges? Whilst this performance was very pretty, I much preferred some of her earlier spunky, upbeat, entertaining routines (but if she skated another program like this again, she'd be slated for being 'juniorish').

She has improved her Personal Best by 2.60.

31. Ashley WAGNER /USA/
Red Violin by John Corigliano

3flip/2toe [1] – quite good height, secure landings
layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [1] – very nice positions, her free leg in particular, could use more speed though
camel to upward twist/sit/change camel coe to upward catch [1] – good rotation speed
spread eagle to 3loop [0] – solid, just one element preceding the jump, however (she was skating forward and then did a spread eagle, there was no other footwork)
2axel [1] – high and solid, into a split jump
straight line step sequence [1]
flying sit var/jump to sit to forward twist(slow) [-2] – off-centred throughout (especially after the jump)

This performance leaves the same impression as Chan's short. Her movement was elegant, beautiful, she used her whole body throughout in a masterful way and showed a lot of emotions as well.

But how did all of that relate to the music? At the start it had no rhythm and no higlights. At the end, there was so much going on that you couldn't possibly keep up with it. So you could have played any sombre piece of music over that performance and it wouldn't make a difference.

32. Mae Berenice MEITE /FRA/
Feeling Good by Michael Buble

3toe(high)/3toe(not a lot of flow and speed out) [0]
3loop [0] – solid but a short break after steps
sideways to layback catch to biellmann [1] – good speed (until the biellmann)
2axel [0]
flying camel sideways twist coe to upward catch [1] – quite good rotation speed
circular step sequence [0]
camel/up Y/change sit holding foot to broken leg/up [1] – good flow throughout

Poor posture. Her shoulders were rounded and her back was very stiff. Quite wooden movement.

I don't understand why she's been given languid, bluesy music to skate to when she's neither balletic, nor moves in a soft and fluid way. She does skate with quite a lot of power, however and is a strong jumper so a piece of music which was more epic and powerful would have worked much better, as is proven by her free program. This one is definitely a miss, though.

33. ASADA Mao /JPN/
I Got Rhythm variations by George Gershwin

3axel [-2] – cheated and two-footed slightly
3flip(cheated over a quarter)/2loop [-1]
sideways to layback to sideways catch to biellmann [0] – quite slow
scratch butterfly to flying camel upside twist to upward catch coe [1] – decent rotation speed
1loop [-3]
camel/up Y/change sit side twist to pancake [0] – could use some more speed
straight line step sequence [2] – light skating, great upper body movement

Her movement reflected the character of the music well and there was some nice footwork throughout. She should work on her spins, however, because they are slow for a skater of her standard.

34. Carolina KOSTNER /ITA/
A Transylvanian Lullaby (from "Young Frankenstein" soundtrack) by John Morris
The Devil's Trill by Guiseppe Tartini

three-turns into 3loop – solid [1]
3toe/3toe(underrotated slightly, two-footed, fall) [-3]
transitions to scratch butterflies to flying camel catch coe to upward catch [1]
2axel [2] – solid, very good flow out and a nice extension on the landing
circular step sequence [2] – deep edges, good speed
camel to illusion/change sit cannonball/up Y [1]
layback to sideways to layback catch [0] – a little slow

Stunning, sophisticated choreography presented beautifully, using her whole body. The combination set-up aside, there were no empty spots in that program. A lot of transitions as well as upper body movement throughout.

Her basic skating is just incredible. Clean, smooth edges and a lot of speed.

35. Alena LEONOVA /RUS/
Slumdog Millionaire (soundtrack)
Indian Hip Hop

3toe/3toe(underrotated over half a revolution, two-footed) [-3]
3flip [-3] – turnout, quite a long break after the preceding footwork
2axel [1] – strong
flying camel to upside twist to catch [0] – could use more speed
straight line step sequence [1] – very good energy
camel/up Y/change sit holding foot to forward tuck [0]
sideways to layback to catch to biellmann [0]

Whilst the jumps didn't work very well, at least we've seen her usual spark again. Atrocious choreography, however. All of the jumps were frontloaded and there were two spins next to each other at the end (which could have used more rotation speed). Not exactly a challenging element layout.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks so much! This was a very difficult short for so many skaters. It helps to have a detailed, measured analysis of everyone in one place. This makes me pay attention to skaters I might not otherwise notice and helps me take in more of the performances of skaters I have been following.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
GFB?

I said it during the performance, but I really think Meite could really do well with some raucous 20s/30s jazz (not blues). Maybe "Let's Misbehave" or something really upbeat from Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grapelli. Or a really strong dance song like 'Slave to the Rhythm.' But you're right--languid is not her forte.

Interesting as always. Thanks for posting.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Thanks! :)


Generic Female Ballad. ;)

I said it during the performance, but I really think Meite could really do well with some raucous 20s/30s jazz (not blues). Maybe "Let's Misbehave" or something really upbeat from Django Reinhardt/Stephane Grapelli. Or a really strong dance song like 'Slave to the Rhythm.' But you're right--languid is not her forte.

Definitely. The FS suits her much better, fortunately.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
You could have a men's equivalent for that: OMP: Overcompensating Macho Posturing.
;)

Good one!

(Though of course, two of my favorite programs ever were to what might be called OMP music: Paul Wylie's 1992 Henry V LP and Yagudin's Man in the Iron Mask LP. In fact, I think I'll watch Wylie win his silver again in a few minutes. I need uplift!)
 

Bartek

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 29, 2009
You pay attention to difficult entrances while giving GOE's but you don't care about creative/difficult/unexpected exits at all in your assessments. Therefore, I would give a little higher marks for some of those jumps.
 
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