2022 Four Continents: Men's Short Program

[tsuyoboogie]

I'll have to catch up later, I was so busy cooking I only paid proper heed to Kazuki and Ma. JunHwan and Kazuki were both awesome, and they have nerves of steel. The Korean guy with Polovetsian Dances was also nice to watch. I am still not smitten by Miura, but good speed and energy, good jumps, eww spins, and overall better presentation of music than previously, IMO.
I agree with the placements. Fingers crossed for the US guys before the FS, especially Camden who had a very nasty fall and seemed shaken. Kudos to him for fighting on!
I like Miyake less and less. He's a good skater, but really, whining about his scoring at the first big event he's lucky to be sent to for delivering at the right time... And some people actually point out his Nats scores, as if JNats are a paragon of objectivity and unbias. lol. I don't see why his PCS should be a point away from Kazuki's, so it's about right at 4CC.

Totally agree about Sena.
I do like him but I'm forever baffled by the generous PCS he's usually awarded in domestic competitions.
He's often top of the pack for international assignments as well, regardless of inconsistency or how he's been performing (though he does tend to perform well at home when it counts)
I hate to go there but all I can think of is coach reputation based scoring.
You know who his coach is and how much respect and influence she has in Japan.
As a young Junior, he worked really hard to improve (seriously had the slowest, most awful spins)
But too many years of privilege might be getting to his head now.
Ironically, this could actually discourage him from developing to his potential and achieving the international scores that he believes he deserves.

 

[snowflake]

Junhwan and Kazuki were outstanding

And wasn’t the Kazak man Shaidorov the biggest surprise? Smooth skating including clean quad toe and 3axel. Just sixteen and lots of things to improve. Happy for Urmanov to have such a promising student.

So sad that Tomoki again blew it. Every time I watch him I have hopes. He’s so much fun to watch. Don’t give up Tomoki!

for all the pops, falls and bombos. Figure skating is a tough sport.

I can't see anything but the lack of posts makes me think that Kazuki is doing well, tell me I am right please

You were

If you have a computer you can download the web browser Opera. Opera has a built in VPN(virtual personal network). The VPN let’s you pretend you are watching from another country than your own. It works well for me and many GS members who are blocked. You could try it out now for tomorrow.

 

[el henry]

Camden Pulkinen is nothing if not self aware.





Looking forward to the replays, especially Kazuki and Jun. The US boys, sadly, being the inconsistent messes they are, but now I have hopes for the Free.

 

[gsk8]

Sena Miyake (JPN)

(on debut at Four Continents) Of course at the Nationals I was able to do quite well, but at the free program I had my mistakes. It wasn’t perfect. I want to be in control of this competition, so just like before the Nationals, I wanted to make sure I push myself as hard as I could. Whenever the condition is good or bad I just wanted to really put it into practice. That’s what I did coming into this competition. I was not really mindful of my placement at Nationals but Four Continents was one of the competitions I aspired to so I was honored. After seeing the scores, I was a bit disappointed compared to how I did at the Nationals but I want to put my name out there so more people would know who I am.

 

[gsk8]

Mikhail Shaidorov

Almost everything went well, the coach (1994 Olympic Champion Alexei Urmanov) said I did well, so am happy about it.

(on the Four Continents) I’m happy to be here, I’ve been in the Worlds before, so it’s not my first major senior competition.

(on coach Urmanov) The coach gives me a lot of advice on the big competitions, with a lot of jokes and fun stories.

(on competing both juniors and seniors this year) It’s not necessarily easy. (on the program) Povilas Vanagas, my the choreographer, had the idea.

 

[gsk8]

Kao Miura

This is my very first ISU championship, so I was really nervous. My legs were shaking like a newborn deer Bambi. Despite all the tension, I was able to put everything out there on my performance. So everything I’ve done up until today was nothing wrong. Everything was right.

(on goal in seniors) NHK Trophy I focused on showing what I have to the world. This time I really feel like I am representing Japan although it was the same at NHK. I want to be able to do everything I am capable of. That’s my goal for the Four Continents and not any specific scores. For the World Juniors, I am a junior skater and before this event, having the experience at the Four Continents will only benefit me. Time difference and meals and adjustment, conditioning, there are so many things I can take away. There were foods I don’t like so I need to bring more food. For the Four Continents I don’t have goals for placement but it’s a great opportunity to show myself to the world. I don’t want to overdo it because I lose control but I am doing OK so far. In free skating I have 4 quads including loop. I tried it at the Nationals and it came close. It is worth the try at such big competitions.

(on getting in shape) At the New Year break, I ate too much Mochi (rice cakes) so my tummy was getting big. I worked hard on and off the ice at a park in Yokohama to get back into shape.

 

[gsk8]

Joseph Phan

(on preparation for this competition after the Canadian Nationals) It took me a couple of days to recover from it, because it’s Canadians, it takes a lot out of you. When I came back, we just started pushing right away for this competition and it was going well. I really wanted that third place (at the Canadian nationals) because I came fourth two time before that, so it’s my third time being fourth, always so close to the podium, to it’s frustrating.

(goals for 4CC and on performance today) To do my best, be happy with my performances. I was actually happy with my performance today, just the pop in the Axel, it was very costly, for my long that will be a focus on my axels.

(on travel problems, did they affect his performance?) On Wednesday we were stuck on the plane for 8 hours, just sitting there because they had to fix the engine. And so when we got off, as we were going to fly tomorrow, actually two hours after we left, they flew. So our luggage was still there, for quite some time. So, I think they opened it at some point and then tried to wrap it and tape it, and when it got to me, it was still open, I was scared that I lost something, but I think I lost one piece of clothing, at least it wasn’t my costume or anything. Today it didn’t really affect my performance, to be honest, just my axel was off today, I struggled with it today.

 

[gsk8]

Sihyeong Lee

Since the Four Continents was very close to Beijing 2022, most of the reasons I came to Tallinn when most Olympians didn’t was to improve my abilities and skating skills. I want to experience more before the Olympics.

 

[gsk8]

Corey Cirelli

(on the skate today) A bit frustrated with myself after the first mistake, I really didn’t need to (do that – he popped the Axel) It’s my first championship event and am a bit nervous. I’ve never done the Four Continents and I was told I’d go and I was excited. I grew up watching it. It’s a big thing.

(on the travel here) It was a disaster. We haven’t even been here for 16 hours. We got here last night around 7pm and then we were lucky enough to be given 30 minutes on the practice rink. Our first flight was cancelled because in Toronto we had a crazy snowstorm. Which also prevented us from skating so Monday we didn’t get to skate, Sunday we didn’t get to skate last week. We tried to travel again on Tuesday and our bags got lost because there was a 10 hour delay and the bags were here before us so we are kind of doing with the flow. We got stuck in the elevator last night we took all the emergency numbers we were on the 21st floor and the doors would not open but we are here in the end.

 

[gsk8]

Brendan Kerry

(on the SP) It was ok, it wasn’t great it wasn’t terrible, it was a silly mistake on the quad after that I felt like I paced myself and do what I had to do.

(on going to his third Olympic Games) We’ll find out whether am going at the end of Four Continents but we recently found out I have a serious injury so I have to maximize time and my coach does a really great job and I’m happy about it.

(on what keeps him going) Skating in Olympic cycles. At My first Olympics I was junior and I was injured so it was terrible. At my second I had to do it and be proud and then a combination of things I didn’t feel I achieved all I wanted and I decided to go year by year. With Covid and all I felt really stuck, I found a few things that were interesting. I had a stress fracture in my leg and missed Worlds (2021), it’s hard coming up from an injury and I had Covid and was it worth it? And everyone said what do you have to lose by going and trying (to qualify an Olympic spot) so we went and we tried and here we are.

 

[gsk8]

Camen Pulkinen

(on his skate today) Not really sure - I was a little off, just tired from Nationals. It wasn’t anything like what I was training this week. There’s nothing I can do at this point but just to move on, and just work harder.

(his goals coming in here) I had some goals of improving my ISU personal bests but after today I have to say I don’t know if it’s possible so I have to regroup and hopefully salvage what I can and hopefully give a little more effort in the free.

 

[gsk8]

Juhwan Cha

(on his reunion with Brian Orser after training alone in Korea) Because of the COVID almost two years I was training in Korea and I was thinking nothing changed that. I was really working on and practice hard myself in Korea, well, I met Brian at World Championships and the Grand Prixs. We had a lot of time when we trained together, so we know each other and we believe in each other, so nothing was different or hard, we just believe and trust it and do it.

(on his goals for Four Continents going into the Olympic Games) I was training hard for the Olympics, I was keep trying to control myself all the time and actually this Four Continents is so close to the Olympics but I’m just thinking this is the one step to the Olympics, so this is part of the Olympics. That’s why I came here and I want to give everything today and I gave everything and I will give more on Sunday.

(on the choice of music) Actually, this short program, my fans recommended to me.

 

[gsk8]

Tomoki Hiwatashi

It was good until that (quad) toe (he fell). I really felt confident coming into this competition, it felt amazing, Axel was great, well, it was ok, and then the toe - I felt like I lost my mentality, kind of went for it and I kind of felt like I was going to pop and I need to force - I can’t just pop right here and I rotated it, but it ended up being a bad jump. I did go for everything and I did feel very confident right now about what I’m doing and I feel going up till next season and going into the long program right now. I can still commit to that toe and do a better job I’d like to do a better job in the long program and the season onward.

(on a really cool move in his steps) I had a friend who used to do it in the rink and I thought it looks amazing if I can do a back flip on the ice and I asked him to teach me and I felt it’s something I can just do and it feels like a normal kick except that it’s a whole rotation. So I took it from my friend and I did it and a lot of other people are doing it. I like the vibe once putting into the program and how it’s kind of one big element that I can put into the program other than the jumps.

(on missing the Nationals) The week before the Nationals I got a positive Covid test and I just couldn’t make it. I tried, I had a Covid test every day trying to do two negatives, but it was never possible. The week after Nationals I got on Tuesday last week and I started practicing and pushing forward and I really felt like at the beginning – Tuesday, Wednesday, I felt really tired and exhausted and I can’t do it, but form Thursday onward my stamina came up and my program started to do better. I felt the confidence coming into the competition and even during this practice here I still kept grinding on it and I still feel confident now and `I can do it I can do it!’ and then came the toe...

 

[gsk8]

Kazuki Tomono

I was preparing every day, I was trying to do his best result, so I just did my work. (on not making the Olympic team) Of course, I knew that the athletes I was competing with, Yuzuru Hanyu, Shoma Uno, Yuma Kagiyama, all three skaters, are really great, high-level skaters, so I was prepared it might happen, but I’m happy all of them will compete at the Olympics, as their level is very high.

(on his goals for Four Continents) I feel like I calmed down after the national competition now, but I’m glad that I have the opportunity to come here, because I have a goal for training and I’m calmer but I still want to do my best here. My season is not over after nationals, so it was good to come here to prepare for this competition.

 

[gsk8]

Jimmy Ma

(on his skate today) In the moment, anything can happen and for me just the wrong things happened. Coming into this week I felt good. Practices, warmup felt good, I was feeling good backstage and then, spur of the moment, things happened and ... got to move on from there.

(on debut at Four Continents at age 26) I was very excited, I was exhausted as well. It’s not simple, right? It’s something that I really, really wanted to do this whole season but it was kind of difficult balancing, trying to manage everything. Nationals was a little stressful and that was only a week before and to come right back, no time to rest - you just got to keep going. In the end, I feel it was quite worth it.

(on his Free Skating goals) I just want to do my job. It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, anything flashy. I just want to stay on my feet, get the GOE (grade of execution on elements) that I know I can get, and just ... go home (happy).

 

[siberia82]

It goes without saying that Jun and Kazuki delivered the most stellar SPs! It was a rough day for my favourites, but the Top 2 were superb, and they did make me smile.

sigh at the Canadian men for popping their axels and at Camden for zayaking himself à la Patrick... sigh sigh sigh... thank goodness i fell asleep and didn't watch live...

ETA Jo and Corey didn't get their TES MIN... a double axel would have been enough... sigh

I'm glad that we both got a proper night's sleep. I wasn't expecting (although I always hope) that the Canadian boys or Camden would do perfectly here, but I certainly didn't anticipate that they all have disastrous performances. It's sad that their respective Nationals ended up being the peak of their season.

I also noticed that Jo and Corey missed the TES minimum for Worlds.

 

[siberia82]

I'm sorry for Joe, I like him - not so much the worn-out Money...

Just for future reference, Joseph prefers that the diminutive of his name is spelled "Jo", not "Joe." (It's just like how Nicolas Nadeau goes by "Nic", not "Nick.")

I'm getting more of an Emanuel Sandhu vibe.

I'm happy that you said this! I had an argument with my mother (she's a casual viewer of fs, so not a hardcore fan) during Canadians over which skater Corey most resembles, and I said that he reminded me of a young Emanuel Sandhu because of his balletic style, but she strongly disagreed. But you are a hardcore fs fan, so if you're getting Sandhu vibes, then I must be right!

 

[4everchan]

Just for future reference, Joseph prefers that the diminutive of his name is spelled "Jo", not "Joe." (It's just like how Nicolas Nadeau goes by "Nic", not "Nick.")


I'm happy that you said this! I had an argument with my mother (she's a casual viewer of fs, so not a hardcore fan) during Canadians over which skater Corey most resembles, and I said that he reminded me of a young Emanuel Sandhu because of his balletic style, but she strongly disagreed. But you are a hardcore fs fan, so if you're getting Sandhu vibes, then I must be right!

i am thinking sandhu as well for Corey

 

[siberia82]

i am thinking sandhu as well for Corey

I never get to win an argument with my mother (she's the most stubborn person I know), but with two big fs fans on my side, I obviously trust your opinion more than that of a casual viewer of the sport.

 

[Ruthypegs]

is this the Dodds who's also a dancer?

No, but he looks so much like him that they could be twins