The US Men - Brilliant at Nationals !!

Here's the write-up from the USFSA website on the men's short program.

Goebel, Weir, Lysacek, Savoie -- You Go, Guys !!!


http://www.usfsa.org/event_story.asp?id=28520

It's great to see Goebel skating so well, and with some artistry, to boot!

It looks as though the USA may be sending the strongest men's team to the World Championships that it's sent in many years. Two of the three men are solid contenders for medals.

I must say that timmy looked great. His artistic side it starting to show somewhat. Much better than it the past.


Johnny Wier: what a great skater. However, He will need a quad or two in order to win an olympic medal or world medal. Right now Plush is all by himself. Brian J. can compete yes. But, with a clean plush Brian is a silver meadlist.

But, With the way Both timmy & Johnny are skating right now. I am very pleased.

Jonny W was brilliant in the LP!!!! And NO..he will not need a quad to get the silver World and Oly medal behind, Plushy...Jonny, has the advantage under the new judging system over Brian J..

This was an excellent competition!
Shaun Rogers reminded me a little bit of Ilia Klimkin.

Johnny -- Well, I wasn't especially a fan of his before, but after he skates like that and all I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW for about 45 seconds, I guess I am now! BRILLIANT!!! He skated just like he was skating on a pond someplace in the middle of a forest and he heard the music come from some unknown source and just started skating to it for the fun of it. This, I understand, is how Janet Lynn used to skate. Absolutely magical.

Tim -- One of his better performances, IMO, despite a few rough spots. I wonder what he was saying (to himself or to Somebody Up There) before he started? Anyone good at lip-reading?

Evan -- This program has come a long way from the mishmash mess I thought it was at Skate America. He was having a lot of fun out there and given the overall demeanor of the rest of the top 5, that was a pleasure to see.

Matt -- I don't think style really works for him. The skating itself was of very high quality, but I found the choreography a bit off and he could have used more spark.

Michael -- He seems to lose ground every year, IMO, and this as far as I was concerned was a new low. Slow, tedious, and really a half-a***ed mess that was an insult to anyone who paid to see it. He showed more spark strutting around catching footballs after the performance than he did during it. NO energy whatsoever. It looks to me like he's lost more weight; it occurs to me that he was a much better skater back when he was all buffed up.

Shaun -- I think Uncle Dick was a little hard on him (tho for the most part I agreed with most of what Uncle Dick had to say, which is odd); I think he did very well for his Final Group debut, and following the rather mellow or listless efforts of Savoie and Weiss, it was good to see someone show actually even a LITTLE spark. And the jumps that he didn't have problems with were just incredible; terrific height.

I agree that Johnny was spectacular. Wow! I actually think that a world medal is a real possibility for him even without the quad. Even with it, I don't see him challenging Plushenko yet; though if Evgeni stays on after Turin, it can certainly become a bona fide rivalry.

Wasn't impressed with Tim at all. Why can't he hold those positions longer? I also felt no connection between him and the music. Also, I don't think his program was build to CoP -- oto much empty skating between elements.

Enjoyed Evan a lot. A well deserved bronze. He really seemed to have fun out there. Glad we'll get to see him at Wolds as well.

P.S. I thought it was classy of Johnny to mention both "other" Americans on the team as potential Plushy rivals.

Johnny made a couple of mistakes on the footwork and one of his spins traveled a lot. I thought 5.9 technical (without a quad) were too high for that performance. Can't disagree with the presentation marks though. He can get away with a few mistakes because of his artistry.

I did not care for Evan's program that much. He is no Gene Kelly. He is just a 19 year old kid with talent and a bright future. In the present, Matt should have placed 3rd, higher than Evan.

This is definitely a very strong US mens team at worlds. In fact this could be the strongest US team in all 4 disciplines. In the ladies the top 3 are going to be strong again, regardless of who places 1,2,3. We even have a really strong ice dance team now.

Vash

Just need a strong pairs program, and I'll be pleased as a pig in blank!

nicole_l said:

Just need a strong pairs program, and I'll be pleased as a pig in blank!

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it's coming. give them a season or two.

ok, now I officially want to see that part of the competition. Hey, did Evan use the same costume for his singin' in the rain program as he did in Marshall's? is it me or it looks very much alike to Timmy's an american in paris costume??

I must be in the minority but I wasn't thrilled with Evan's program. Tim looked like he was rather bored and lackluster, although I think his presentation has improved a lot. Johnny was FIRST RATE!

Johnny had a few minor problems but was fine. He could wind up on the podium at Worlds. Besides Plush, the big question mark competition-wise is Lambiel.

I thought Tim did look better in the presentation area but was a bit lackluster.

Evan was cute and had lots of spark. I like the choreography but he still seems suspended between the junior and senior levels.

I loved Matt's LP. If he hadn't doubled those two jumps I would have had him second. I hope he keeps moving in this direction. I'm sorry he's not going to Worlds.

Mike was weak. I'm not a fan of his but he is too good an athlete to turn in that performance. I wonder is he will stick around for next year. Or maybe it's time to put him out to stud. Oh wait, he's doing that already.

Really sorry they did not air Delmore. I read that he did really well and I like his skating style a lot. Besides that, he's great looking.

Shaun R (?) reminded me of Yags a lot. And the first few seconds of his program I thought he'd gotten confused and thought he had entered speed skating.

Just general comments here, since everyone has already made substantial comments

Evan: Good spark and interpretation but what bugs me the most about his program are the ''hums'' in the beginning and the laughs, incorporated in the music at the end, especially because they are used as music and not to do facial expressions or interpretation. Consistent jumping but he's prerotating his axel about ¼ to ½ revolution on the ice. Overall, good quality skating, very showy.

Tim: Still, the hunchback of the figure posture but improved skating on cheap muzac. Hope he gives the run for a medal at worlds.

Johnny: So quiet and overly composed.

Matt: Welcome back! Super-duper entrances into jumps.

Michael: I don't know about you guys, but I think he has fallen down into the hasbeen category. Will he try another time next year?

Shaun: Love his angular, voidy program! Good for him.

JonnyCoop said:

Johnny -- Well, I wasn't especially a fan of his before, but after he skates like that and all I can say is WOW, WOW, WOW for about 45 seconds, I guess I am now! BRILLIANT!!! He skated just like he was skating on a pond someplace in the middle of a forest and he heard the music come from some unknown source and just started skating to it for the fun of it. This, I understand, is how Janet Lynn used to skate. Absolutely magical.


Michael -- He seems to lose ground every year, IMO, and this as far as I was concerned was a new low. Slow, tedious, and really a half-a***ed mess that was an insult to anyone who paid to see it. He showed more spark strutting around catching footballs after the performance than he did during it. NO energy whatsoever. It looks to me like he's lost more weight; it occurs to me that he was a much better skater back when he was all buffed up.

.

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I agree with you on your assessment of Johnny Weir's long program. It was magical, and it reminded me of the way Janet Lynn used to skate. I have seen her skate, both in competition and in exhibition, and she truly skated from the heart and for the joy of it. Weir definitely is a contender for next year's Olympic title, with his talent, great jumps, and wonderful artistry.

As for Michael Weiss, :sheesh: I agree with you that every year he seems to lose the edge a bit more. Now the top guys - Weir, Goebel, and Lysacek - have opened a gap between themselves the Weiss, and he (Weiss) is probably not going to be able to close that gap. He simply isn't in the same league as with those three, athletically and/or artistically. What annoys me about Weiss's skating is his constant botching of his jumps, his sloppy technique, and then his slam-dunking himself at the end of each performance, as if he's given one of the great competitive performances of his career. :sheesh: The judges have clearly stopped padding his marks - you can only rely so much on being a past US champion and 2-time World bronze medalist. IMHO, Weiss will never qualify for another World or Olympic team - not unless there's another (heaven forbid) splatfest. IMHO, of course.