Alesya said:
I'm not absolutely agree.
1 He has great basic skating skills ( it couldn't be discussed )
Well actually everything can be discussed!! I happen to agree that some of basic skating is very good in terms of speed, ice coverage and flow. If you throw in posture though, this is not as good and he seems to struggle to keep extended and pointed doing basic turns like three turns.
Alesya said:
2 Plushenko's footwork. Very difficult and fast. If you mark his feet but not arms you will see it.
I did very specifically ignore the arm waving, head banging and hair flapping and when looking at his feet i saw him fall out of twizzles, jab the ice many times with toe picks seemigmly falling rather than stepping forwards from them and balance checking like crazy, and struggling to do clean extended three turns giving a frenetic look to all step sequences, including the most inapporpriate one during the circular footwork in his SP where the music was quieter and softer yet he went all out frenzied.
Alesya said:
3 Jumps ITA the best ever
On that we can agree - he can jump better than anyone in the business..how he manages to pop a triple lutz from nowhere i will neevr know!
Alesya said:
I will agree with this now but relaying a funny Robin Cousins moment which sums it up perfectly. Robin once commented (a good three years ago now) that Evgeni does have this air of confidence, a slight arrogance that blows everyone else away - the comand on the ice is quite amazing. He commented that Evgeni has always had this and that actually when he first came onto the senior skating circuit it used to wind Robin up because he was a little upstart who really didn't ahve the reputation nor the titkles to exude such arrogance, but now he does!!
Alesya said:
5 Plushenko's spins. Not great but normal
Well i would say that they are below average in terms of rotational speed and centring and generally the positions are not great - his sit being the worst.
Alesya said:
6 No choreography and no transitions? May be this year. Ever? Lol that's really the exaggeration. And i enjoy his programms.
To me there's barely any choreography in his programs - he's been pretty much doing the same LP for the last quadrennial, and his short programs ALWAYS start the same up to the 4T/3T combination - check your tapes out!
Alesya said:
7 Grace, flexibility, amazing lines.
I don't think he's graceful, powerful yes but graceful no. I'm not sure he's as felxible as some - shawn sawyer and Rohene Ward are good examples of flexible, and if the pained expression on his face when trying to do a Biellmann was anything to go by i wouldn't say the effect of attempting to show off his flexibility did so well. Lines in my opinion are Pluschenko's worst area - the only posittion he truly gets adequate stretch and posture and line is his landing position. When he does his "footwork" his shoulders are hunched and rounded, he never extends his free leg or shows that he can hold a strong secure deep edge showing off nice lines and at one oint in his LP there is a three turn where he isn't totally over the skate and skids it, whilst not extending his free leg.
Alesya said:
8 Consistant skating at least.
A consistent skater he certainly is, and i don't think many peopel could claim to have the competitive drive, spirit and ability that he displays.
Ant
