U.S. Coverage - Cup of China

TV Schedule
Cup of China
Nov. 22, 2004, 9 p.m.- 12 a.m. EST

The fourth ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event of the season, Cup of China, will air Nov. 22 on ESPN. Don't miss coverage of some of your favorite skaters, including Angela Nikodinov, Irina Slutskaya and Matt Savoie. Coverage begins at 9 p.m. and runs through midnight. Check your local listings.

SailorGalaxia518 said:

TV Schedule
Cup of China
Nov. 22, 2004, 9 p.m.- 12 a.m. EST

The fourth ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event of the season, Cup of China, will air Nov. 22 on ESPN. Don't miss coverage of some of your favorite skaters, including Angela Nikodinov, Irina Slutskaya and Matt Savoie. Coverage begins at 9 p.m. and runs through midnight. Check your local listings.

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My local tv guide listing says that it is the SHORT programs!
6 pm - 9 pm PST

Who ever is commentating is driving me bonkers.... one of the male voices really doesnt come through very clearly for me.

ok guys, what did you think of the coverage

Unfortunately, Terry Gannon was out and he was replaced by this guy who voice was so boring that everytime he opens his mouth, I fall asleep


Irina Slutskaya rocked the house with her free skate I specifically like the fact at the very end of the coverage she looks at the camera and says "This gold medal is mine, not yours" or something to that effect I am really glad to see her sese of humor is back

My Comments from Tonight's Televised COC:

Angela Nikodinov -- there's nothing left to say really except too bad, nice try, better luck next time.

Joannie Rochette -- nice girl, nice skate, good jumps. Btw, she reminds me of Canada's Josee Chouinard both in somatype & jumps. Furthermore, it seems to me that she is trying to emulate Michelle Kwan's skating style, just as I got the impression that her countrywoman Cynthia Phaneuf is trying to emulate Sasha Cohen's skating style. Which says a lot about America's two elite & exceptional skaters -- they have two very distinct & different skating styles -- which others around the world are trying hard to copy.

Viktoria Volchkova -- man, when she is "on" she can honestly beat practically anybody......her jumps are EQUAL to Irina Slutskaya's both in power, height, and magnificence.......very impressive (deserves +GOE on them IMHO)! This actually shocked me b/c I was expecting to see the old VV (no lie). But, she really has improved both in presence & style, as well as on her spins ~ well-deserved silver medal. Heck, I would have even given her the gold if she could match her countrywoman Irina's difficulty in spirals, as well as spins. This is where Irina has the edge on her. JMHO.

Irina Slutskaya -- good to see her back on the ice & skating again....seems like old times......same magnificent jumps and innovative & fast spins, as well as spirals & footwork. Good for her for winning the gold due to these very qualities, yet I have to be honest & say that tonight I honestly enjoyed her countrywoman VV's program better. JMHO.

Miki Ando -- hmm, now I see where she went wrong......slip up on simple footwork.......btw have noticed that she tends to do this a bit, meaning making mistakes on the simplest of things, must be lack of concentration (kinda reminds me of Sasha Cohen; hope they both correct this). Likewise, her 3Z/3R/2T was underrotated by 3/8 (just a tad bit over 1/4), which is another bad habit of hers, meaning sometimes she'll nail it, yet another time not. And I think in this competition it had to do with "nerves" ~ seemed to tighten up a bit throughout the program ~ not as free as she was @ NHK. JMHO.

That said, Miki's scratch spin at the very end of her skate was thee absolute BEST one I have ever seen her do (bar none; exceptional). Also, it's good that she once again showed her consistency with the jumps by completing another 7-triple program here (though one was underrotated). Good job, but could even be better. And the good thing about this is that she already has good basics/fundamentals, gorgeous body/somatype, elegant fingers, nice power & speed across the ice, nice presentation, fluidity, and a gentleness about her skating ~ quite the sophisticated young lady. Once her coach figures out this new COP system, she should be ready to rock n' roll, knowing what she must do in the future. Unlike this season.

Peace & Love, Nadine

PAIRS

No surprises except I got a better impression of Marcous and Buntin(sp). They have a great connection with each other and they are very musical. She smiled thoughout that entire routine. A team to watch.

Z and Z much improved over Skate America. They're competitive.

Din and Ren - I thought I was watching Pang and Ton.

S&Z - Notwithstanding the work by the Chinese coaches, Ms Miller has brought this team into the hall of greatness, imo. She has made a blend of Eastern and Western styles to form a perfect team. It's more than the tricks.

MENS

Chengjiang coming along fine. Each competition he gives more and more. His choreo is excellent.

Buttle - When he is on, he is top tier. He was on at COC - a great skate with great choreo! Let's drop the quad in next time and keep it all consistent.

Min Zhang - Not the best choreo, but he is a nicely flowing skater. The potential is there as it was in Dortmund. Now move on.

DANCE

No surprises. That fall maybe should have cost them the gold but I don't really understand dance scoring. The Canadia team was quite impressive. The Israelis looking better and better this year.

LADIES

Vikka giving standard Vikka at her best. Nicely done but not overwhelming. A stunning looking woman, and always with a beatiful costume. She exudes elegance.

Joannie - If you are familiar with the ballet, Firebird, Joannie's arms and fingers are exactly as they should be to form that character. What amazed me was that she kept that character throughout the very wonderful choreo. Not easy with much of that high degree of technical and the Stavrinsky score.
(The skating swans come in with flapping arms at the beginning and end, and that's the character, hmmm.)
Joannie is eighth in the World. Will she move up in Moscow? I think so.

Irina - She's back and it looked to me like she got it all back. The choreo is full of tricks as usual and she does them all with aplomb. I'd like to see more flowing stroking in the routine even if it is necessary to take out a few tricks. Her hand held spirals is a smart move. She does not have ballerina legs for stretch spirals and this is a good way to hide that, and I got nothing of her interpretation of the Countess. All in all, I see her as being in the last group of skaters at Worlds. And just might win it.

Miki - Ooooh. She's good! Last year in Dortmund all I could say was what's all the fuss about? Now I'm liking her more and more each time I see her. She is a great young potential skater.

Joe

WOW it was great seeing COC!

Ladies -

Irina's skate just WOWed me. Somewhere between the actual comp and the televised comp I read a couple folks say they thought she must have been held up. IMO, she deserved every bit of that gold medal. Hard to believe she's been fighting such serious medical problems - what a come back! I hope she is past her illness - primarily for HER sake, but selfishly so we get to watch her again and again. And if attitude = altitude in life, she is WAY up there. I just love her personality.

I really enjoyed Vic's skate too. She has such beautiful long lines and such big jumps. Good for her!!

Joannie just exuded great energy out there! I can see why Canadians feel so wonderful about their top ladies this year!

Miki - I find it easy to forget that she is still so very young. Her skating is already more mature than other "up and coming" young ladies at similar ages. Everyone better be watching their backsides for 2006!

Pairs - S&Z absolutely in a class of their own - nuff said.

The other pair I REALLY enjoyed was the Canadian pair! They had a wonderful way of skating with enthusiasm and energy and a relationship!! Kudos on that well deserved medal.

Of course the other Chinese pairs are always exciting to watch for the big tricks, but lack in the presentation quality department IMO.

Men - What is it about Buttle that just doesn't "wow" me??? He has some really nice qualities, but somehow he doesn't rock my world and I'm not sure why.

I dozed off (not on purpose LOL) for Dance.

This comp was way more impressive to watch than I originally thought it would be!!

DG

Joe, I really do think that Ben's fall was exactly as Suzi said it was..."not on a requred element, not on an optional element, thus 1.0 deduction for the fall, end of story." Conversely, such that happend when B&K and the Italians fell, they had major deductions (and would be equally devistating under CoP), only the Canadians fell on a lift (required element) and Babs and Mags (well he did) on a footwork pass.

The one thing I do notice about B&A is that Ben is such an accomplished skater (excusing the fall) and does as much work as Tanneth. We've been told over and over again that if the partners don't do equal amounts of work, there a 'less than overwhelming' impression on the judges. The other thing to note is the attack these kids bring to their skating. Lord, if they do fall it will be a big ole' splat because they are skating at full tilt boogie.

As for Irina, who knew that an "old pro" like her would be racking up points left and right while the "up and comers" are struggling to make the skating elements "more balanced and 'mature'." Come to think of it, the CoP may be the one thing that keeps the youngsters at bay next worlds and Olympics.

I've yet to watch the ladies, which I taped as I fell asleep and missed ALL the dance! This 9pm-12am time slot stinks!

I totally enjoyed Jeff Buttle and Shen/Zhao's performances. Jeff has the style, lines, extension and musicality that I am partial to. And Shen/Zhao...every week all I can say is "wow, they are magnificent"...need to check the dictionary for some better words to use!

Good to see VV. Her choreography is still blah but great skate for her. If she is on I don't see how she can't beat everyone. She was on and couldn't beat Irina. From her scores she can't beat Shiz and a couple of other top skaters.

Lol! ^D

Lavender, I take it you were talking to me when I said that when VV is on she can practically beat anybody, and I made sure to state "practically" b/c I'm well aware of such skaters as Irina Slutskaya, which is why I made sure not to state that she can beat anybody (there is a difference). Still, I maintain that if she can equal Irina in the spins & spirals department, she would be able to beat her (no lie). As I stated in my original post, this is where Irina has the edge on her. Lol, not only her, but also on a great many other female skaters as well. Except of course Sasha Cohen, whom blows the field away when it comes to "quality & execution" of those very elements. JMHO.

Peace & Love, Nadine

The whole competition was good. Irinia was wonderful and I was so happy to see her back and fighting!! Joannie R., in my opinion, the best skate of the night. The new announcer just made me think of how much I missed Uncle Dick. Oh another highlight for me was the panda bears. I especially liked the one who rolled down the hill to get where it wanted to go.

Dee

The general level of skating at COC was so high, it was really a pleasure to watch.

I was especially blown away by Jeff Buttle. What a great artist he is. I think what impresses me most about him is how he really expresses every phrase of the music. Too often skaters will have choreographic highlights during climactic moments in the music, only to spend the next 30 seconds just stroking with their arms out straight, or something like that. With Buttle, on the other hand, there seems to be a special choreographic element for every beat of the music.

Same goes for Joannie Rochette. I thought her program was beautifully choreographed. All those odd bird-like movements matched the music and concept perfectly. Fascinating to compare her Firebird with Miki Ando's last year (obviously, Rochettte's program just blows Ando's away). Last night was the first time I've seen Joannie skate, and I was very impressed. In fact, I enjoyed her performance the most out of the women, although the top four all skated really well.

And I agree with everyone else that Shen & Zhao are in a class of their own. They just give me the chills, they have so much power and intensity to their skating. After so many years as a really good, talented pair, they are now becoming one of the all-time greats in my opinion, right up there with Gordeeva & Grinkov, Mishkuteniok & Dmitriev, Rodnina & partners, Underhill & Martini, etc.

All in all, a great competition!

Nadine said:

Lavender, I take it you were talking to me when I said that when VV is on she can practically beat anybody, and I made sure to state "practically" b/c I'm well aware of such skaters as Irina Slutskaya, which is why I made sure not to state that she can beat anybody (there is a difference). Still, I maintain that if she can equal Irina in the spins & spirals department, she would be able to beat her (no lie). As I stated in my original post, this is where Irina has the edge on her. Lol, not only her, but also on a great many other female skaters as well. Except of course Sasha Cohen, whom blows the field away when it comes to "quality & execution" of those very elements. JMHO.

Peace & Love, Nadine

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Are you sure Sasha will blow the field away? I'm sure if she was on she could win over the top skaters unlike VV but blow away the field. I just have to wait and see. If Irina and VV are clean do you really feel the judges would put VV ahead? I just don't see it. I don't think VV's spins are put in the same category as Irina. I'm truly curious.

I was just realizing how you cover all you bases.

I watched my taped segment of the ladies. VV did well, better than I've seen her in awhile. Joannie Rochette was refreshingly wonderful, tho. All those little movements to the music are a favorite thing of mine, I thoroughly enjoyed her!
Irina is looking pretty healthy except for the knee. Good to see her back on the ice and doing well all-around.

Did anybody else hear about Irina doing a triple lutz-triple toe-triple loop combination in practice? Peter Carruthers mentioned it during the coverage and when she did it, Peter said "wow" and Irina heard him, turned around and said "That wasn't practiced, that was planned".


I don't know about you guys, but imagined if she hit this in competition. She would be really competitive and tough to beat. I think this signifys that Irina will be gunning for the OGM in Italy since she lost to Sarah Hughes in Salt Lake City.

Lavender:

lavender said:

Are you sure Sasha will blow the field away? I'm sure if she was on she could win over the top skaters unlike VV but blow away the field. I just have to wait and see. If Irina and VV are clean do you really feel the judges would put VV ahead? I just don't see it. I don't think VV's spins are put in the same category as Irina. I'm truly curious.

I was just realizing how you cover all you bases.

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Lol,

At this point I have to assume that you 'purposely' choose to not read what I have written word-for-word, that or you have a reading comprehension problem. If the latter, my apologies. For example, I stated Sasha could blow the field away when it comes to those specific elements (i.e. spins & spirals), which I was originally talking about in regards to Irina being better than VV on those very same elements (i.e. spins & spirals; btw my apologies for repeating this over & over again, but want it to sink in this time). And that IF VV could match Irina on those specific elements (aka spins & spirals), then she would be able to beat her. As of now, that is not possible, b/c obviously VV is not as good as Irina as of right now on, last but not least, spins & spirals.

Peace & Love, Nadine

EDITED TO ADD: I see right now someone has posted over on SkateFans what I have been thinking about also since it was reported last night on COC, and that is in regards to Irina Slutskaya taking steroids for her medical condition. Is this allowed? And if so, can it affect her performance ability, meaning 'enhancing' it? If so, it's not fair to the rest of the competitors no matter if it is for her medical condition. And I would think would not be allowed come Worlds. JMHO.

One last note, it's good that Irina is doing 3/3s again. However, I recall all the ones she did from the 2000 GPF onward were underrotated by either 1/2 or 3/8ths (even the ones that were ratified as being the first; aka 3Z/3R & 3S/3R/2T). Under this new system, they will be downgraded, same as Shizuka's & Miki's.

NJSk8Fan said:

I've yet to watch the ladies, which I taped as I fell asleep and missed ALL the dance! This 9pm-12am time slot stinks!

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AMEN! I fell asleep and didn't have the VCR on.

I really do not understand the way ESPN is covering the Grand Prix. Do they think some night owl channel flippers will just happen upon it and say, oh, I guess I'll check this out?

Figure skating has a small but loyal audience. It would be just as easy for the networks to televise the GP events within a few days rather than two to three weeks later. It's not like they have such exciting sports events to show on week nights in the early evening. They are losing the guarenteed audience, small though it may be, that they ought to be attracting.

I was intrigued by Jeffrey Buttle's interpretation of Phillip Glass. I take my hat off to anyone who can get something out of this atrocious composer.

Conversely, Zhang and Zhang's cuts of The Hall of the Mountain King dragged on interminably, and dragged the program down with it, IMO.

After a while I started to feel sorry for the play-by-play announcer. He obviously would rather have drawn any other assignment from ESPN than figure skating, LOL. Plus, he mispronounced almost everybody's name, even Edvard Grieg's, LOL.

Paul Wylie made a great point near the end of Shen and Zhao's program. He said, the program is almost over but it seems like they have been out there only a minute or two, because of the way everything flows together. So true. Many skating performances, especially pairs, have me thinking they should cut the LP down to three minutes or so.

Joe, I thought Din and Ren were Pang and Tong, too, LOL. I really liked this young team. I think they have a bright future.

Mathman

There was a seen at the end of the pair's coverage that Jian Tong gave a congratulatory handshake to Hongbo Zhao after winning with Xue Shen.

It's nice to see the respect among the Chinese skaters

Nadine said:

I see right now someone has posted over on SkateFans what I have been thinking about also since it was reported last night on COC, and that is in regards to Irina Slutskaya taking steroids for her medical condition. Is this allowed? And if so, can it affect her performance ability, meaning 'enhancing' it? If so, it's not fair to the rest of the competitors no matter if it is for her medical condition. And I would think would not be allowed come Worlds. JMHO.

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The steroids that Irina would be taking for her medical condition are not the performance enhancing anabolic steroids that everyone reads about. The class of meds she would take would do nothing for muscle mass or for performance enhancement. I think that the ISU is well aware of whatever meds she needs to take.