Ladies Free - Notes & Results

I'm absolutely thrilled.

Shizuka was almost the forgotten Japanese lady - did she win the Japanese title in '98 and '99 the was then overshadowed by Fumie? For her to have persevered and finally get a world title (first world metal, no?) in 2004? I LOVE it.

Sasha is making steady improvements. At first, I didn't think Robin was a good choice of coaches for her, now I think otherwise. I think they will be a formidable team.

Michelle. Rock star. I don't know how she had the mental fortitude to skate the long program she did. I'd have been one big mess 'o nerves! Anyway, I'm thrilled that she won the bronze. I also think this is just about the best thing that could happen to her. The writing is on the wall, honey. Let's turn that talk into action! If anyone can do it, she can.

Hey, Show--thanks!

Right back atcha for all your insightful comments, as always.

And nice one, Tharrtell. That's it about all three medalists in a nutshell. Or should I say a Tharrtellshell?
Rgirl

I have yet to see Sasha’s long program (and I won't be watching tonight), but I have seen Arakawa’s and Michelle’s. Arakawa was on! And so deserving of the gold. Like others have said here, I don’t think anyone could have said, I don’t think anyone could have beat her tonight (especially with those combinations). I thought Michelle did ok. I don’t like the Tosca program. IMO, it has no choreography until she gets to the footwork, which still didn’t blow me away. I have to give her props though. She has nerves of steel. She could’ve easily come unraveled with everything that happened this week (controversial sp scores and the streaker), but then this is MK, and she has been doing this for what 10 years, so she should be on top of the nerves by now.

I admit I am disappointed that Sasha didn’t win gold, but I am happy that she won the silver. A huge accomplishment considering the year she’s had with illnesses at key competitions and the coaching change. I do hope that next year she (as well as the other American ladies) can pull it together with 7 maybe even 8 triple programs that includes a 3/3. Arawaka has certainly set the bar (I’m so happy somebody finally did! For a while there it seemed as if only the Men’s and Pairs were taking it up a notch) and now that she’s with TT her programs are only going to get stronger. I think if the US ladies want Gold in Turino they’re going to have to up the ante.

I agree

Enero said:

I have yet to see Sasha’s long program (and I won't be watching tonight), but I have seen Arakawa’s and Michelle’s. Arakawa was on! And so deserving of the gold. Like others have said here, I don’t think anyone could have said, I don’t think anyone could have beat her tonight (especially with those combinations). I thought Michelle did ok. I don’t like the Tosca program. IMO, it has no choreography until she gets to the footwork, which still didn’t blow me away. I have to give her props though. She has nerves of steel. She could’ve easily come unraveled with everything that happened this week (controversial sp scores and the streaker), but then this is MK, and she has been doing this for what 10 years, so she should be on top of the nerves by now.

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Yeah, I agree, the Tosca program is "alright"...a lot of her programs are the same. And, yes, a lot of the program is just "skating around" and posing with trademark moves....but, props for not being unnerved. Maybe, she should take a year off--completely from competiting, and truly reinvent herself, and THEN come back....look at Irina, even to an extent John Weir.
Quite frankly, I still think a LOT of her programs have been OVERRATED, and held up.

Wow, rgirl, nice reading.

Mzheng, I LOVE your coining of the term *Ice Art Run*

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Hey, it is not my term. It's the official name of the sport called in Gemany.

RealtorGal said:

... a Dominos pizza and Italian ices for dessert,

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what a coincident we had domino pizza as well.

A husband who not only watches FS but helps make dinner too. Rgal you are one lucky lady!

Shizuka was terrific, and as she's my favorite among the ladies, I was thrilled to see her get that gold!! However -- THAT DRESS DID NOT FIT CORRECTLY. WAY too much of a wedgie going on and that was much more of her derriere than any of us needed to see!! Rather interfered with the elegant, regal look she has, which is one of the main things I like about her.

Poor Carolina, though. That fall on her back was one of the worst I have ever seen and she is lucky she did not suffer serious injury. (It is a couple of falls just like that one that made me have to give up skating). Then the next one after that was so awkward. I have to give her credit for looking so happy and cheerful when she came off the ice despite that. Personally, if I had 2 falls like those in the last minute of my free skate, the first thing I would be doing after getting off the ice would be putting a bag over my head out of sheer emberassment. (I'm not saying she SHOULD be emberassed, understand -- I'm just saying that's what I would do!! )

I thought Irina did a fine fine job under the circumstances. And I liked her program, too, after not being thrilled about her last few. And she was obviously so happy just to be there it was just charming.

Kudos to Joannie Rochette as well -- excellent placement!

Ladies Free

What a wild worlds! Who would have ever thought the stuff that happened would happen! A great event nevertheless.

Shizuka: 2004 Worlds was Shizuka's coming out and what a party it was! Her program was just awesome. Great jumps, two 3/3s and a line to die for. I predicted a while back she could be the dark horse of this competition and she came through like gangbusters. She transformed this season from jumper to the complete package -- great technically, beautiful artistry and excellent basic skating. I can't wait to see what Tatiana will do with her programs next year. It will be interesting to see how she handles the pressure of being world champion. Shizuka is now in a place she has never been before -- leading the pack, with everyone gunning for her back. An incredibly well-deserved win; I am sure Midori and Yuka will happily welcome her into the "Japanese Skating Pantheon." She's a great addition.

Sasha: I am proud of what Sasha did in the competition. Her SP was on fire, the best I've ever seen her skate and one of the best SPs I've seen period. Her long was good but not great -- another quintessential 2nd place skate. Nevertheless, this is by far the most solid I've seen her in a major event and she walks away with her first world medal -- a silver. I'm sure right now she is disappointed she didn't win, but in time I think she will look back and see this was a big step forward for her. Hopefully next season they will create a more stable long program outline and just tweak and polish it as the season progresses. The constant MAJOR changes must have made it hard for Sasha to get the muscle memory down for her LP.

Michelle: For Michelle, the competition seemed like one strange and unfortunate thing after another -- her bad QR skate, time problems in the SP and the weirdo on the ice in the long. It is a testament to her mental toughness that she was able to just focus on her performance, skate well and win her ninth consecutive world championship medal. She's a smart lady and I am sure she will learn from everything that has happened this year. Still the Kween in my book.

It was also great to see Irina's come back and just skate for the enjoyment of it and Miki finish 4th in her very first worlds! The future's gonna be interesting. Not surprisingly, the USA and Japan claimed 4 of the top 5 spots.

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Ladies' TV review

Excellent posts all. I'll start with agreeing with Rgirl:

Rgirl said:

ZOWEE!!!

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This year's worlds had it all--controversy, good performances, and an unexpected guest.

Carolina Kostner-After last year's breakout debut, this season seems like a sophomore slump. Her SP to A Secret Garden was fast and technically difficult, with a 3lutz-3toe, 3 loop, and 2axel (which admittedly is among the weakest of the top ladies). However, her LP, despite the 3-3s, leave a lot to be desired. Her speed here almost seems like a detriment, as it looks as though she is just moving from element to element without any plan of a program as a whole. She is inconsistent, and (unsuccessfully) throwing in the missed jumps later just gave a look of desperation to a level of presentation that does not seem to have improved from last year. Her finish in the LP was at least two places too high. Still, Kostner improved from 10th to 5th, but can't falter on the jumps and needs better choreography to continue upwards, which she still has time to do.

Julia Sebastyen-Her best year ever, with a European championship and 6th at worlds. Her jumps are wonderfully high, but seems to lack an extra spark either in presentation or technical merit that would push her higher. Nonetheless, she obviously has worked hard to take everything she does have and present it in the best possible, with good choreography complementing her high jumps. Good work in earning Hungary two spots for the next worlds. I would have her higher than Kostner.

Miki Ando-Perhaps the quintessential young skater--a jumping bean who wows with the raw energy of youth and the lack of expectation but who lacks maturity. Her 3lutz-3loop in the short was amazing, and should she get the 4salchow consistent, she could be a major threat. That said, her LP, despite two 3-3 combos, just did not live up to the power of Stravinsky's majestic Firebird, and that combined with the jump mistakes dropped her down. Still beating Kwan in both the qualifying group and the SP, being the Japanese champion ahead of the World and GP champions, and being the Junior Worlds champion is nothing to sneeze at. She seems to have some musical understanding, so it will be interesting to see how her presentation develops and whether it will be to the detriment of jump consistency and difficulty (see Yoshie Onda).

Michelle Kwan-Kwan dug herself a whole that was impossible to get out off with her poor qualifying group and compounded it with having a SP that perhaps was too close to the time limits.However, despite these things and the appearance of a human web advertisement before her LP, she bounced back beautifully, with a great SP and only a popped 3lutz at the end of the LP for yet another podium finish (since 1995?). Each additional year in Kwan's career seems to bring up more questions--this is almost like a rebuilding year, and she is obviously at a crossroads between retiring and going for the gold at Torino. From her interviews with Hersh, she seems lonely and sometimes almost seems to lack motivation, yet during the competion, the fire always shows up. It does seem that a message was sent during the SP to improve choreographically, but also during the LP that with perhaps only with an extra 3lutz that she is not yet being pushed out the door. It remains to be seen whether Kwan can add the 3-3 combos necessary to assure her a place in the top for the next two years leading to the Olympics, but she does seem that she has allied herself with the right team and attitude to make it happen.

Sasha Cohen-Her SP to Malagueña was clearly the best SP, skated with lots of attack and interesting choreography. Here, Robin Wagner made good improvements in the straight-line footwork and ended Sasha's two-year streak of falling in the SP. I am at a loss to say what happened in the LP. Compared to last year and US Nationals, I do not see a hands down improvement as others do. Both this year and last year, she finished 3rd in the LP. Swan Lake must be here in the West, because like our water supply, her program seems to have evaporated from the masterpiece it was at Trophee Lalique to a poorly reworked bare outline of its former self, with worse music cuts and severly gutted choreographically and resultant impact. Given Kwan still was able to get a 4/5 split against Arakawa, the judges appeared poised to give her the title with a clean skate. But I also saw the return of a tight, uninspired performance with poor jump technique, with the lutz landed on the wrong edge, some wonky landings and the popped 3salchow at the end indicating something is still holding her back--whether that something is technical, mental, both, or neither I have no idea. Unfortunately she will have the albatross of not being able to step her level of performance up on her neck for another year, and it may be something that no coach can correct with any consistency. She, like Kwan, also knows that she needs 3-3s, and will probably work on it during the summer.

Shizuka Arakawa-It's nice to see her hard work finally paying off with Japan's first world title since Yuka Sato in 1994. While she may have gotten away with cheated combos in the SP and LP, her excellent basics and hard work to improve under the COP (I agree with Rgirl) combined with a until-now unseen consistency to vault her to the top. Her LP was undeniably the best of the night and highlighted her strengths and gutsy 3-3 combos (and unfornately, her "cheeks" ). How much of these changes are attributable to Tarasova is unknown, but it is interesting that the judges did not notice her strengths before now. Also unknown is whether Arakawa can repeat this technical performance in the future or like Slutskaya and Hughes before her, always be in the shadow of her performance of a lifetime. She just shows how hard work (she didn't even go to worlds for several years) and perhaps the right people and circumstances can culminate with a gold medal.

It seems very much now that the age of 3-3s as a necessity for the top skaters is coming now. It is basically a "mass effect"--so many skaters are able and have successfully thrown 3-3s into both the SP and especially the LP that not having that move in one's arsenal will be a strategic error. Even though COP would make the move more risky, 3-3 combos is still the easiest way to improve one's score. The future of this crop of ladies is probably very much tied to having the complete package of technical merit, choreographic difficulty, and presentation to squeeze as many points out as possible.

InsecureEdge

for the first time ever, i agree with peggy fleming when she said that the person who gave carolina kostner a 5.9 for presentation was 1. watching a totally different performer and 2. was probably carolina's mom.

that judge, whoever he or she may be, was on something...

Definitely, Michelle's 6.0s got her a second in the LP and brought her 4th place up to a bronye. MK, imo, has heavy competition in Shizuka. Both lyrical skaters although MK has a knack for the dramatic, it's those 3x3s that are a must now.

Joe

Well, here are my thoughts, for what they're worth....


I've seen a lot of criticism of Sasha Cohen which I think is undeserved. She won her first world medal - a silver at that - and had a very consistent competition overall with solid skates in all three parts of the event. I agree with those who don't particularly like the changes she made to Swan Lake for this competition, taking out all the in-betweens. But I have to wonder if it would have made any difference anyway since the 6.0 system used her notably does not put the emphasis on these things as the COP does.


I also think all the criticism of Sasha somewhat undervalues what it was that Arakawa did. She was the clear winner of the LP and I would have questioned it if they had allowed Kwan or Cohen to win with the technical content of their programs. Arakawa skated clean, did two triple-triple combinations and skated with a lot of passion. She came out and WON this competition - more than anyone else lost it. Kwan skated fine, but it was no great shakes IMO. I thought the 6.0s were out of line - it wasn't a particularly inspired performance. It was more like by the time Kwan skated they wanted desperately to give 6.0s to someone and Kwan was the only one left they figured they could get away with awarding them to.


Carolina Kostner - I don't know what the heck the judges were watching but that was maybe the 9th or 10th best freeskate of the night, not the 5th by a long stretch. That that effort actually moved her UP one placement is egregious judging at it's worst. It was like by the time she skated the judges had entirely forgotten all the programs that came before. A 5.9???? For a skater who falls several times?? Outrageous. It was like watching a competition judged by people with short-term memory impairment. If I was Sebastyen I'd sure be ticked.


Also held up was Irina Slutskaya. Like everyone else, I very much respect her fight to try this comeback, but she did not belong in the top 10 at this competition. She was held up in every single portion of the event. Her long program was entirely devoid of choreography and she popped and mislanded things while looking tired. I would be angry if I was any of about 5 skaters that finished behind her.


A big cheer for Joannie Rochette who I think has what it takes to be a real challenger for Canada. She skated a great competition and could have even finished higher IMO. 17th last year all the way up to 8th this year in such a packed competitive field - good for her.

I don't particularly like Michelle's long program which is made out of Moronzov's format, but comparing Sasha's new version and Michelle's long, I feel Michelle's long is much better, and also Michelle skated much better than Sasha.

Don't we see Miki Ando and Carolina Kostner placed 4th and 5th and they are just 16 and 17 years old? The judges want to promote the younger skaters. The ladies who placed after them are all much older, and have been around for a while.

Sarah Hughs went to worlds the first year and 2nd year, she got 5th and third, something like that. Acturally she was so green then in terms of jumping technique and artistry.

rain said:

I also think all the criticism of Sasha somewhat undervalues what it was that Arakawa did... Arakawa skated clean, did two triple-triple combinations and skated with a lot of passion. She came out and WON this competition - more than anyone else lost it. Kwan skated fine, but it was no great shakes IMO. I thought the 6.0s were out of line - it wasn't a particularly inspired performance. It was more like by the time Kwan skated they wanted desperately to give 6.0s to someone and Kwan was the only one left they figured they could get away with awarding them to.

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LOL. Just goes to show you how two people can see things so differently. I agree that Shizuka was the clear winner of the LP, however, to me, she lacked any passion, in fact, looked reserved. OTOH, Kwan was fiery. Very inspired. Just look at the final footwork - wow. I thought the 6.0's were well-deserved. Much more so than most of the other gazillion 6.0's the judges handed out at this comp. <g>