Men's Free - Notes & Results

I wouldn't question that Plush won fairly, he was on fire right up until the fall, which was right near the end. Brian's great, but he's not at the same level, quality -wise.

In fact, I thought Lambiel was better than Lindeman or Joubert...
...but then I admit I was swept away by how overjoyed he was.
(and his sexy silky trousers, but let's keep that between us, right??)

k

plushy is such a masterful jumper skating so fabulous under so much pressure with a bad knee(something many people don't want to recognize,but that's okay he show who the best skater is even with a silly fall) amazing. I agree with the people who think he didn't deserve sixes with a fall, but it doesn't matter that was the winning performance without a dobt. Joubert is a good skater but he has to get his own style and up the technical ante(he can't do the combos plushy can is that simple)if he wants to challenge plush. I'm glad weir did well and michael. It was a great comp

ADDENDUM:

However -- I hope that this doesn't mean that he's going to be the male Vanessa Gusmeroli of the decade, wandering the earth trying and failing to get on European & Worlds podiums just one more time......

Excellent Rose!

Great job! Sorry you had difficulty getting on. Thanks for all your wonderful reports and the time you took!

ITA Kateri on Lambiel being better than Lindemann or Joubert--his style, his grace, his heart in fighting to deliver a two-quad, six-triple program right up there with the technical titans And why should it be a secret that some of us gals would give him an extra .2 for those sexy, silky trousers I personally am proud of that but seriously, it was such an exciting competition--so glad it was up to such a high standard. It was soooo hard to knock anyone off that podium, but Plushy saved the arsenal for last. Pairs has been great, men's outstanding...wonder what's in store in ladies, with the incredibly deep field to take the ice tomorrow...

Cheers

Sarah

p.s. Lambiel for champ in 2005

Thanks once again Rosaleen!

Your reports are just terrific. Thanks so much for doing this for all of our benefit!

LOL I thought about going "unspoiled" for the final six but just couldn't do it. I am so thrilled for Johnny making a mark at his first senior worlds in the top five, and what sounds like a fabulous skate at that. From everything I've read / heard about him he just has SO much natural talent that I'm confident he will be able to add the quads he needs to be a real contender for the top in the future.

Good for Mike too on a solid performance. I give him a ton of credit for staying in the game and going after it year after year. Looks like he probably saved 3 spots for the US Men next year, which is a wonderful contribution all by itself. Now I just hope they come up with a better LP for next year LOL!

Great for Lindemann!!! I can't even imagine how exciting it must be to win an unexpected medal in your home country.

The depth within the men and pairs so far (and ladies to come!) is so exciting. It sounds like all of the top six men did amazingly well and I can't wait to see it!! Lambiel sounds like he had an amazing skate too. I suspect Plushy deserved this win even with that fall.

On that note, I'm so dissapointed that the 6.0 system will probably be gone next year. I was seriously considering a figure skating career. I would be on my butt for the entire 4.5 minutes, so imagine how many 6.0's I could earn!!!

Wow.

DG

I LOVE these results!
Top 10
1 Evgeni PLUSHENKO RUS 2.0 1 1 1
2 Brian JOUBERT FRA 4.0 2 2 2
3 Stefan LINDEMANN GER 6.0 3 3 3
4 Stephane LAMBIEL SUI 8.8 3 6 4
5 Johnny WEIR USA 10.2 7 4 5
6 Michael WEISS USA 11.0 5 5 6
7 Min ZHANG CHN 12.8 4 7 7
8 Emanuel SANDHU CAN 16.2 1 13 8
9 Frederic DAMBIER FRA 16.6 4 10 9
10 Chengjiang LI CHN 19.2 5 12 10

Plush dominates, AND with a torn meniscus all season. That's guts and determination. As for the 6.0s, Gelio and Tvudragon are right. A 6.0 does not mean "perfect." The scores are relative place holders. Just as Gelio and Tv said, if the four judges who gave Joubert 5.9 felt Plush was better, then the only right thing to do is give Plush 6.0. But this is also why the 6.0 system needs to go. People don't understand what it means, for one thing, and skate order affects whether or not it's given. I'll be glad to see it go and hope never to see it again.

I love Lambiel to pieces, but he's very young, he's gradually been climbing up the ranks, and I can see him as one of the top major contenders in the next two years. Lindeman was the home-town boy and it's always cool to have an HTB on the podium.

And I'm SO psyched for Weir taking fifth at his first Worlds! I think he too will be one of THE contenders in the next two years. Weiss acquitted himself well, the US has three places next year, good going boys.

Two Chinese in the top 10--I love that. Eman in the top 10--not as good as he'd hoped, but I still love it. And Fredric Dambier in there for good measure.

I can't wait to see it and I may disagree with some of the results when I do, but from the descriptions, I like what I see.

Can't thank Rosalee enough.
Rgirl

sarahmistral said:

ITA Kateri on Lambiel being better than Lindemann or Joubert--his style, his grace, his heart in fighting to deliver a two-quad, six-triple program right up there with the technical titans And why should it be a secret that some of us gals would give him an extra .2 for those sexy, silky trousers

Click to expand...

tee hee .2 for trousers, definitely.

At least.

More results sources...

I noticed that someone was inquiring about getting the Eurosport audio feed. I bumped up that thread (More Results Sources), and also added a link to live video feed if your connection is fast enough. (for me it's more like a series of still pics....but worth trying for us spoiled types!)

DG

This Men's Event hs to be the most Fantastic Even ever!!! from the little British guy in last place all the way up to Plushy. There just weren't any duds

Here are some of the standouts!!!

Werner (Czech-He's got it all and soooo musical.
Savoie - Did his thing and well, lyricism does not go over well.
Davzdov - Very faulty
VAN DER Perren - His best zet and he got a standing O
Takahashi - very high jumper but faultz
Griazev . Good jumps but no flow out of them. However, good bozish stzles (Momma TT close by)
MIN ZHANG Excellent skater. China has a compeitor in Men's singles. Standing O
Cambier - Not my up of tea but crowd likes him. Lands his jumps on the toerakes.
Chinjeng Li - Disappointing. We didn't get what was expected..
SANDHU - If he had only skated his SP like he did this it would be a whole new story. Standing O

TOP SIX

WEIR - Not a booble in the routine. Soo musical and he got a Standing

LAMBIEL - His best yet. but another lyical skater- He landed ghe quad and skated clean and got a standing O.

JOUBERT - Clean skate with all the flair he can muster. Standing O.

WEISS - standard Weiss, fine but did not getthe ctrowd.

LINDEMANN - suiper jumper, hjomtown boz, skated well. Standing O

ÜÖIDJX´ He's skating so well. He's serious and not mugging while skating, and reallz a champ. Standing O

We all went away feeling so good about seeing such an array of challenge. I hope you see Van Der Perren and MIN YHANG on TV.

Joe

Joesitz said:

Davzdov - Very faulty

Click to expand...

Sure? As far as I remember, his only mistake was on the 2nd triple axle?

Thanks Joe!!

Dick and Peggy and I are all gushing tonight. Can't thank you all enough for the on-going "there" reports!

DG

What an amazing competition! Breathtaking. Plushy deserved the win. The rest were a toss up. This is one year that I think they needed five podium spots. The top five all deserved to be there.

I would have had Lambiel on the podium, but it's nice for the hometown boy. I wonder if this will affect W&L's chances of a medal? Now that Germany has won a medal, will the pressure be off to reward another? I don't like to talk "conspiracy theory", but if it was really close and came down to them and G&G for the bronze, will they now get less consideration?

Even with the fall, I thought Plushy was fabulous! I love the command he displays on the ice. Wonderful, skate - IMO he deserved his win.

no dinner tonight...

just eating my hasty words after hearing the Eurosport play by play and the commentator's cry of disgust over Plushy not being penalized by the fall...not that it's any of my business, not being a judge or anything, but Plushy deserved that 110%. We all know all the tricks he can do, but his presentation was so compelling, it really drew me in. Just the look on his face, the conviction, the confidence; extremely charming, seductive even. Head and shoulders, as they say, above the rest---extreme technical difficulty and an artistry all his own, within himself--in his element. It was also fun to see him put any demons from his last two losses to rest when he knew he'd clinched the win; it brought to mind a hip-hop slang term from the 90s--"BOO ya!!"


Joubert's Matrix was okay; fist pumping after extra turns on a triple toe loop, was that on the choreography/planned jumps cheat sheet? It was a great skate, though; his jumps are very nice and the music suited him. Though still rough around the edges (maybe that's just what he has to work with presentation-wise), he has conviction and nerves of steel, and quads and triples, everything a champion needs nowadays.


Lambiel the Lovely I'll have to wait to see at julia@somebodyelse'slife's convenience, as ABC so nicely LEFT IT OUT (GRRRRRRRRRR)...got a Standing O--Yaaaaaaay!!!

As for Johnny, he's one I see having the potential, the nerves of steel under pressure, the composure, the balletic grace and flow, and the great jumping technique and potential for quads to make him one of "the greatest", (and of course tastes differ; some prefer their male skaters less balletic and "feminine"--a matter of taste entirely) to refer to a poll I posted on the Voting Booth page. In a high pressure situation, his jumps flowed into his complete choreography like a dream; I think he meets all the most popular criteria, according to that poll (excellent competitor--"brings it"; consummate artist--lyrical; extremely competent technician; able to communicate with audiences)--now we have to see if he has the quads that a 21st century men's champion requires.

Sarah

OT and for the record, my all-time IDEAL balance of artistry and masculinity, charisma, theatricality, and technique that, though not the greatest, met the challenges of the era satisfactorily, was my favorite heartthrob Philippe Candeloro, esp. w/programs like the Godfather at Lillehammer 94 and Goodwill Games in the same year. That's the crush that got me into skating (not Nancy's knee for a change); 14 year old hormones working overtime

It was an amazing night of skating! Too bad that Lambiel got robbed.

I would have ranked it:

1. Plush (amazing, even with the fall)
2. Lambiel (what spins and great technique!)
3. Joubert (very good, but the program is empty)
4. Weir (the next John Curry; wait till he gets the quad)
5. Lindemann (great skate, overmarked but good for the hometown boy)
6. Sandhu (great skate, put up a good fight)
7. Weiss (good skate, he needs a better program)
8. Zhang (he was way overmarked tonight)

I TOOOOOOTALLY agree, mike79, with every single one of your placements, and, as a fan new to Sandhu's brilliant style and oh-so-frustrating inconsistency (imagine how it must make HIM feel), I feel your pain and bewilderment

see him as an ice dancer? but wait, that's another thread (i actually started it after the sp meltdown)

Sarah

Plush was SMILING during the last minute of the program!!! FINALLY, he lets some true emotion be shown during a program, instead of "choreographed theatrics"....WOW! Even with the fall, it was the best he's done in a long time...the most passion, the most excitement, and that SMILE! Glad that he won, and glad that Griazev's nerves didn't drop him beyond twelfth, so that the Russian team will still have three men next year.

Joubert HAS cut down on the fist pumping, which is good. Give him another year or two, finding his style...he's a real contender.

Lindemann, WOW....how great to be able to do that at home!

Weir, WOW...how great to be able to do that in his first senior worlds!

And good to Weiss, for hanging in...between the two of them, USA will have three men for next year also.

Damn ABC for cutting Lambiel!!

Kasey

Dear Lambiel, how do they shaft thee...

let me count the ways...

1. arguably between 1-2 placements where he should have finished
2. NO ABC coverage
3. In the final screen when they show the final six and their placements, Terry Gannon couldn't even spare a breath for the man, cutting straight from the story of the top three to the story of the two Americans...

Oh well, my love, though I am very sad about this state of affairs, I think that many good skaters at this Worlds have had a particular "law" of skating reinforced, one like that ol' "good pitching beats good hitting" in baseball:

you can't win the competition (and the glory, and the coverage, and people remembering your name) in the short, but you certainly can lose it, (and all bragging rights that come with it) in the SHORT:sheesh:

Still, he was superb, and I applaud all competitors for making it a sporting, an artistic, and an entertainment event that reminded everyone lucky enough to experience it in some way (be it via internet downloads, radio, tv, or the lucky ones who got the live experience) everything that's right with figure skating as sport, as art, and as very complete entertainment!

Three cheers for these Worlds (so far, so good )

Sarah

What a Great Sport!

Hey - wasn't that a great competition?! I was thinking midway through the show "I LOVE this sport!". Now if only we could get more coverage of the top 20 skaters..... wishful thinking for the US networks, but I suppose I should be happy ABC showed a competition worthy of being watched.

Good job Plush - I agree Kasey - the smile was nice and we saw a glimpse of his fierce competitive spirit upon receiving his winning scores. I don't think I'd want to get in his way.

Most Impressive: I have such respect for JOHNNY WEIR. That was such an elegant, cool, fully-presented performance. Really sophisticated (for skating choreography) stuff there. Credit to him and his coaches for not burning this sensitive skating artist out with pushing quads on him.... we all know he will need quad/quad combos in Torino to medal so let's hope Johnny and Camp Weir can keep his body together and healthy.

Tenorguy