2014 Olympics Ladies Short Program | Page 106 | Golden Skate

2014 Olympics Ladies Short Program

mhu714

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I just finished watching the tape of the SP. I know there's 142 pages of posts so I'm sure this has all been beaten to death, but OMG! I was still in shock over Julia falling and still getting the marks she got when Kostner got within a point of Kim, which I thought was absurd, even if Kostner skated great. Then I saw what they gave to Sotnikova?? Holy freaking cow. What a joke. I don't care if Kim was no better than 2010, she was still by far the best today in my mind, at least by 5 points or so. I guess the question was answered re: whether it would hurt Kim to skate so early. BTW, I also thought Gold was overmarked too, with 3 scratchy landings. And Mao is in 16th!!! ***? OK, deep breath. I still give Kim a great shot to get the gold, bec I think she'll be fabulous in the LP and Sotnikova will make her usual blunders in the 2nd half of her program. I guess the judges love Kostner so much that if she skates totally clean she can win but she doesn't usually do that so I give her the silver. Gold might be too far back to medal but if she's perfect and Adelina makes several errors who knows. Julia probably can also sneak in there if she scores 140+ like she did in the team event but that's unlikely.
 

mirai4life

1Lo <
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
I just finished watching the tape of the SP. I know there's 142 pages of posts so I'm sure this has all been beaten to death, but OMG! I was still in shock over Julia falling and still getting the marks she got when Kostner got within a point of Kim, which I thought was absurd, even if Kostner skated great. Then I saw what they gave to Sotnikova?? Holy freaking cow. What a joke. I don't care if Kim was no better than 2010, she was still by far the best today in my mind, at least by 5 points or so. I guess the question was answered re: whether it would hurt Kim to skate so early. BTW, I also thought Gold was overmarked too, with 3 scratchy landings. And Mao is in 16th!!! ***? OK, deep breath. I still give Kim a great shot to get the gold, bec I think she'll be fabulous in the LP and Sotnikova will make her usual blunders in the 2nd half of her program. I guess the judges love Kostner so much that if she skates totally clean she can win but she doesn't usually do that so I give her the silver. Gold might be too far back to medal but if she's perfect and Adelina makes several errors who knows. Julia probably can also sneak in there if she scores 140+ like she did in the team event but that's unlikely.

Flawless taste
 

jaylee

Medalist
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
I am not underevaluting the difficulty in these combinations. But I'm simply pointing out that advancing the sport isn't all technical. There's more to figure skating than jump combinations.

And I also pointed out that Yu-Na has pushed herself to NOT use warhorses, and used some music pieces that have NEVER been used before in figure skating. That was one of your criteria, right? Criteria fulfilled. She never skated to a warhorse or recycled a program, unlike others.
 

mirai4life

1Lo <
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Look, I'm not a Julia fan. I was just ciiting her as example. She seems to be dominating the headlines these days as opposed to Kim whether you like it or not. that's all.

Not true....
Yuna is still by far the #1.

They're just trying to find someone decent to rival her because Mao is not doing it.
Unfortunately, Julia is the best they have to offer to rival Yuna
 

HalfTriple

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
In order to progress this sport I think it takes guts. It takes a willingness to try something new wether it be a new spin position, odd choice of music, innovative choreography or bringing the performance aspect to life. Most skaters tend to hone their skills and stay within the lines. As a defending OGMedalist, you have nowhere to go but down. So why not try something new and fresh and prove to the world that you have more to bring to the sport? That's why Yuna remaining at the top is so rare and wonderful to see, she must be doing something right. I just would have hoped over the past few years, she would have used her ability and status to do so much more than just influencing the 3lz/F-3T and 2A-3T as you said.

You sounds like a spokesman for the ISU. :laugh: but your point might be valid especially from the ISU, but a funny thing is all we do is penalize Kim for " that alleged negligence" by rewarding the same old stuff like Bolero? or Ave Maria? or Nocturn? or wobbly junior jumps, or blurred accuracy while closing eyes on something like "new spin position" shall we say Kim's signature? or her exemplary sit spin or "odd choice of music" Adios thingy? "innovative choreography", yeah she is definitely guilty about this, "performance aspect to life" again guilty. See? while you have judges who are willing to shower you with 75 as long as you show your youthfulness though your skating look unripe and devoid of quality or your surprise comeback by not falling too many times even though you perform the same old stuff with which you can make them believe more than what you dish out, why would you try more? We ask Kim to do more while encouraging others do less?
 

Dutchie

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
And I also pointed out that Yu-Na has pushed herself to NOT use warhorses, and used some music pieces that have NEVER been used before in figure skating. That was one of your criteria, right? Criteria fulfilled. She never skated to a warhorse or recycled a program, unlike others.

"My criteria" were just random examples thought off the top of my head. It's up to the skaters to figure out how to be innovative. I'm not the "advancement police" people seem to think I am. I'm just a figure skating fan who enjoys all the hard work these skaters do to get to the Olympics. Yuna has a harder job than most and I expected more from her. If an OGMedalist shows up four years later, I hope to see something unexpected and exciting. Tonight, that was Carolina in my opinion.
 

qazwsx

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 8, 2007
The last week has shown us that all she needs is to be clean, And it's hers.

If it has to be her than i hope she goes out and REALLY earns it,
Either way the Russians were too greedy
The crowd was atrocious
And these Olympics were a joke


Holding out for a great competition tomorrow to at least bring this to an exciting end

:thumbsup: Judging at Olympics has always been questionable, but never this shamelessly ridiculous. PCS and GOE are been manipulated so blantantly to bridge or deepen the gap whenever necessary. Disgusting.
 

Dutchie

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
You sounds like a spokesman for the ISU. :laugh: but your point might be valid especially from the ISU, but a funny thing is all we do is penalize Kim for " that alleged negligence" by rewarding the same old stuff like Bolero? or Ave Maria? or Nocturn? or wobbly junior jumps, or blurred accuracy while closing eyes on something like "new spin position" shall we say Kim's signature? or her exemplary sit spin or "odd choice of music" Adios thingy? "innovative choreography", yeah she is definitely guilty about this, "performance aspect to life" again guilty. See? while you have judges who are willing to shower you with 75 as long as you show your youthfulness though your skating look unripe and devoid of quality or your surprise comeback by not falling too many times even though you perform the same old stuff with which you can make them believe more than what you dish out, why would you try more? We ask Kim to do more while encouraging others do less?

Who said anything about encouraging others "to do less"?? And how exactly are we "penalizing" Yuna? Nobody is doing anything. We are simply stating opinions and mine is that " I wanted to see something better from Yuna because I know she's capable of it" you are welcome to agree or disagree but you've gone off on a tangent here and I'm not sure you know how to find your way back.
 

bobbob

Medalist
Joined
Feb 7, 2014
Kostner was massively underscored, Yu-Na was about right, and Adelina massively overscored.

I think Kostner skated a beautifully composed program with magnificent skating skills, intricate transitions, and excellent interpretation. All of her elements were well executed, and I loved her step sequence--my favorite by far of the night. I was wondering why her step sequence (far superior to Adelina's) received a level 3 while Adelina's received a level 4. Very ridiculous. That itself lost Carolina 1.2 points (3.3+1.5 vs 3.9+2.1) Her jumps were also magnificently executed, better than Adelina's. She have a marvelous overall package.

Yu-Na also skated very well, and her elements were all well executed, though her jumps were not 100% perfect. Her skating skills, choreography, and interpretation were also very strong, though not as elegant as Carolina. Her step sequence also got a level 3, which was a little puzzling. (should have been 4 if Adelina got level 4)

Adelina skated well, but her overall performamce seemed a little juniorish to me. She had the easiest jump combo (3T+3T) and the overall execution of her elements was decent but not spectacular. Her skating skills are miles away from Caro's and Yu-Na's and her TR are quite weak, consisting basically of crossovers to gain speed. Her CH and IN are also very basic and not particularly elegant. Her PCS should not have been in the top tier (35+), she should have gotten around the same PCS or a little less than Ashley (maybe 33.5). I cannot comprehend how she had the same PE and CH as Yu-Na, who was superior in every way. And how did she gat the highest TES of the night? Yu-Na was clearly better.

The rest of the scoring was about right, though I am also quite puzzled how Julia got more than Ashley.

I would have scored:
1. Caro 39+37=76
2. Yu-Na 39+36=75
3. Adelina 38.5+33.5=72
4. Gracie 37+32.5=69.5
5. Ashley 33+33.5=66.5
6. Julia 32+32-1=63
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
I don't understand what is happening here? How is taking cheap shots at other skaters technique helping progress the sport? Can't you just celebrate the triumphs and feel for the failures. I don't understand it. These girls are doing their best and they are the best in the world.

@juliasochi
You created an account just to post negative things about Julia. Really?
 

Globetrotter

Medalist
Joined
Jan 17, 2014
Lets just accept that figure skating is a subjective judging sport especially where PCS is concerned.
1. Jumps difficulty: Yuna > Caro > Adelina
2. Spins: Adelina >>Yuna>Caro
3. Steps: Adelina > Caro = Yuna

So the TES scores sort of balance out pretty fairly. It is the PCS where it gets fuzzy

My opinion =
SS: All three are about there
TS: Caro> Yuna>Adelina
PF: Caro >>Yuna = Adelina - I based this on the artistry and connection emotionally to the audience. To me Yuna was good but somehow I just felt cold. Caro just blew it off
IN: Same as for PF
CR: Yuna = Caro> Adelina

Thus in this respect, I also agree that Adelina was way overscored on PCS but not on TES.
 

HalfTriple

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 8, 2010
If you go back and watch her 2010 Olympic SP, there's a fire in her eyes. the Ability to take on the character of her program. She's invested and the whole audience becomes invested too. The meaning behind her lack of advancement doesn't mean she isn't showing progress. It simply means that she hasn't taken her performances from 4 years ago and kicked it up a notch. This was evident tonight with her program which could be described as many things.. Beautiful, breathtaking, but rather predictable. That same fire and attack I saw from this program http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J-vqgWemEE wasn't there tonight.

You don't need to show the video. If you have been observing her for a few years since, you will know immediately her strength and speed has compromised by 15 or 20%. I am not sure my estimation is too high, but that's the gist of it. Of course it is likely a natural decline. And it will further decline as time goes. Also motivation affects her negatively; what makes her desperate to win anyway except her reputation?
 

Juliasochi

Match Penalty
Joined
Feb 19, 2014
I don't understand what is happening here? How is taking cheap shots at other skaters technique helping progress the sport? Can't you just celebrate the triumphs and feel for the failures. I don't understand it. These girls are doing their best and they are the best in the world.

@juliasochi
You created an account just to post negative things about Julia. Really?

Because her scores are outrageous. It is completely unfair to skaters from other countries. This is cheating. Can't wait for puberty monster to strike. She comes, she goes.
 

bobbob

Medalist
Joined
Feb 7, 2014
3. Steps: Adelina > Caro = Yuna

Clearly, Caro and Yu Na had better steps than Adelina. The reason Adelina got such high scores is because she was gifted on the levels (the tech controllers are russian).

If Caro and Yu Na got level 4 on the steps and Adelina level 3, the scores would have been
1. Caro 3.9+2.1=6 (she got perfect execution!)
2. Yu Na 3.9+1.6=5.5
3. Adelina 3.3+1.07=4.37

Sadly, the scores are
1. Adelina 3.9+1.5=5.4
2. Caro 3.3+1.5=4.8 (Still prefect exectution!)
3. Yu Na 3.3+1.14=4.44
Keep in mind the GOE is factored based on the levels, lvl4 =*0.7, lvl 3=*0.5
 

yelyoh

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I don't understand what is happening here? How is taking cheap shots at other skaters technique helping progress the sport? Can't you just celebrate the triumphs and feel for the failures. I don't understand it. These girls are doing their best and they are the best in the world.

@juliasochi
You created an account just to post negative things about Julia. Really?

Many people here are raising legit questions about judging that seems to favor the Russian skaters. Yes "These girls are doing their best and they are the best in the world" but should they not be judged fairly and equally regardless of the country they represent?
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
You sounds like a spokesman for the ISU. :laugh: but your point might be valid especially from the ISU, but a funny thing is all we do is penalize Kim for " that alleged negligence" by rewarding the same old stuff like Bolero? or Ave Maria? or Nocturn? or wobbly junior jumps, or blurred accuracy while closing eyes on something like "new spin position" shall we say Kim's signature? or her exemplary sit spin or "odd choice of music" Adios thingy? "innovative choreography", yeah she is definitely guilty about this, "performance aspect to life" again guilty. See? while you have judges who are willing to shower you with 75 as long as you show your youthfulness though your skating look unripe and devoid of quality or your surprise comeback by not falling too many times even though you perform the same old stuff with which you can make them believe more than what you dish out, why would you try more? We ask Kim to do more while encouraging others do less?

Yuna is one of the best at the American princessy skating ala Kwan, Trenary, Kadavy, Bobek, Cohen et al. however she has not stretched herself really. Different music yes but same moves, same gestures and she seems to b e unable to release her inner soul so to speak.. Still beautiful but she has yet to really come into her own so to speak. Very pretty to watch though.
 

BelleFilleYuna

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 22, 2007
The thing is, I've heard about the same complaints against Yu-Na since 2007.

Every year, a seemingly large number of people weren't satisfied with her programs except her fans. I remember people lamenting over her 2010 Olympic choices- James Bond as being too posey and gimmicky and Gershwin as boring, cookie-cutter. But look how they're regarded as Yuna's past great programs.

Even last year I felt almost every skating fan hated her Les Mis program upon their first view. And again I'm quite surprised how much it is revered now.

So as a Yuna fan, I'm not surprised to read criticisms about her programs.
If anything, they can be healthy as long as they are constructive.

For now, I just hope that Yuna delivers in the FS too. I want clean Adios Nanino so bad so that I can rewatch it time after time!! Greedy, I know:eek::
 

Dutchie

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 18, 2014
You don't need to show the video. If you have been observing her for a few years since, you will know immediately her strength and speed has compromised by 15 or 20%. I am not sure my estimation is too high, but that's the gist of it. Of course it is likely a natural decline. And it will further decline as time goes. Also motivation affects her negatively; what makes her desperate to win anyway except her reputation?

I think that's natural of any aging skater. (I have to laugh at the word "aging" since she's so young comparatively but you know what I mean) But again, strength, speed etc, are just a few factors. So I guess my point is, you have to find a way to compensate for those things through any and all necessary means. Her camp doesn't need me to tell her this. And lets just be real, she didn't come to Sochi for silver, or bronze, she wants that gold just as badly as any other skater so I don't buy into the "She's skating for herself and has nothing to prove". She is skating to win, and she has more to prove than any other skater out there which is why I felt that she could have kicked it up a notch. But that's just my personal opinion. It doesn't take away anything from her skating because she's a beautiful skater.
 
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