How did 2010 stack up compared to 2006?

[Bennett]

Regarding skating skills, I like Shizuka's better than Yuna's. Yuna's is a bit similar to Caro's. Both are very fast and powerful, but Shizuka's skating skills have Yuka Sato's quality. Really smooth and have soft edging. But Shizuka's are more dynamic and big than Yuka's.

Yuna's jumps win over Shizuka's. Hers are really dynamic, and have great speed and height. Shizuka's jumps could match Yuna's in her 2004 performance. She was more powerful then and she also did 3-3-2. That was quite amazing.

Spirals. Shizuka wins. She did the most spectacular moves comparable to Cohen's. But she had better speed than Cohen.

Spins-- Both are not the best spinners in the world. Yuna had problems in positions and Shizuka had problems in speed.

Re: the program presentation, I liked Shizuka's LP better than Yuna's LP. Turandot is a magnificent piece of music which was perfect for Torino Olympics. But her SP was boring and mechanic. Yuna's SP was very impressive.

 

[Layfan]

That's the thing. Mao's mistakes occurred further into the program, cutting into the magic of the two 3As, leaving no room for redemption like Sasha's and ending the program on a low note, so that when Mao held her hands up in her ending pose, all viewers could think about were those major mistakes. Those failed jumping passes also ran counter to the program's rising intensity. It cut the flow when it was reaching a pinnacle, and from that moment, Mao became overpowered by the heavy Agitato. Mao's program's hot or cold -- it must be clean to get even close to fulfilling its potential, esp. after the program was willowed following Rostelecom. None of her performances could match TEB's, which despite the mistakes showed glowing potential of brilliance. The modified program lost its intricacy and connection with the music -- becoming a framework for elements, making each failed execution costlier than ever, i.e. Mao's failed jumps had a greater impression on the program's than Sasha's ever could. Sasha's program was pure brilliance, in spite of those early jumping passes. Artistically, it was so, so strong that when the program ended, many people were no longer thinking about the falls, but those beautiful bits of choreography. It's important to note that Sasha's program is choreographed so that it's brilliant in spite of failed jumps -- if you were to watch it without any, it would still be glorious.

But then again, I wouldn't put Sasha over Mao, as Mao executed three 3As. That can't be dismissed for nothing. I have my doubts about people's claims that two 3As and 2 other triples trump a 7-triple program, but I have no trouble putting Mao over Sasha. In 6.0, in CoP, in 2006, in 2010, Mao's performance still would've won Sasha's.

I'd put Mao over Sasha too, without a doubt. However, ITA with this:

Sasha's program was pure brilliance, in spite of those early jumping passes. Artistically, it was so, so strong that when the program ended, many people were no longer thinking about the falls, but those beautiful bits of choreography. It's important to note that Sasha's program is choreographed so that it's brilliant in spite of failed jumps -- if you were to watch it without any, it would still be glorious.

Jumps are important. Very important in competitive skating. But I just don't understand watching skating, even competitive skating, just for the jumps. Sasha's Romeo and Juliet told a story and created a character better than anyone else at that Olympics.

I get that Sasha's jumps were not as secure as other skaters. But her skating had a crispness, a sort of clarity and sharp definition of each step and element that even Yuna or Mao don't quite match.

 

[Layfan]

Regarding skating skills, I like Shizuka's better than Yuna's. Yuna's is a bit similar to Caro's. Both are very fast and powerful, but Shizuka's skating skills have Yuka Sato's quality. Really smooth and have soft edging. But Shizuka's are more dynamic and big than Yuka's.

Yuna's jumps win over Shizuka's. Hers are really dynamic, and have great speed and height. Shizuka's jumps could match Yuna's in her 2004 performance. She was more powerful then and she also did 3-3-2. That was quite amazing.

Spirals. Shizuka wins. She did the most spectacular moves comparable to Cohen's. But she had better speed than Cohen.

Spins-- Both are not the best spinners in the world. Yuna had problems in positions and Shizuka had problems in speed.

Re: the program presentation, I liked Shizuka's LP better than Yuna's LP. Turandot is a magnificent piece of music which was perfect for Torino Olympics. But her SP was boring and mechanic. Yuna's SP was very impressive.

But Shizuka's Turandot was not magnificent the Olys the way it was a 2004 worlds. It was just very nice.

However, I agree pretty much with your comparison of Shiz and Yuna in general.

Shiz was a skater with no weaknesses. Her skating ranged from great (jumps, spirals, expressiveness, musicality) to not the best in the world but still very good, such as her spins.

Sasha had weaknesses and Irina had weaknesses. But not Shiz.

 

[Bennett]

Yuna does not have weaknesses, either! Perhaps the only things are that her spins and spirals do not have great positions. But her tension and stretch are a lot better than those in 2006.

I think that Shizuka's 2004 Turandot was technically a lot superior to and was more powerful than her 2004 performance. The 2006 one was more elegant and ladylike, e.g. the final spin had a more beautiful position and the music had happier tones. Both performances were great in different ways.

 

[Layfan]

Yuna does not have weaknesses, either! Perhaps the only things are that her spins and spirals do not have great positions. But her tension and stretch are a lot better than those in 2006.

I think that Shizuka's 2004 Turandot was technically a lot superior to and was more powerful than her 2004 performance. The 2006 one was more elegant and ladylike, e.g. the final spin had a more beautiful position and the music had happier tones. Both performances were great in different ways.

No, she doesn't! I actually meant to say that in my post but I must have erased it in the rewriting process.... that is what makes her so incredibly hard to beat. A lot of greatness and no weaknesses. Her spiras, for instance, may not be the best part of her skating but they are not a weakness.

 

[BlackAxel]

Shizuka's 2004 and 2006 performance of Turandot will both be remembered for different reasons. Her 2004 performance was a break-out performance that involved technical jumps. In retrospect, her 2006 Olympics performance was more fluid, with more elegance, artistry, and presentation. I cant really pick which performance was the greater of the two, but I prefer the latter. Maybe if Shizuka had landed the 3-3 that she intended, more people would prefer her 2006 Olympics performance over the 2004 Turandot.

 

[Jaana]

Lysacek vs. Plushenko: For me the winner is Lysacek because of his competitive spirit, interpretation and choreography. I have watched both his sp and fs performances countless times, Plushenko´s only from the competition, where he was held up by the judges. Well, of course he was held up in 2010 as well in technical elements and especially in PCS, and that is why the result was so close.

Kim vs. Arakawa: Both performances totally enjoyable technically and artistically, I love them both equally.

Asada vs. Cohen: I loved Sasha´s performance even with faults. Artistically she definetely wins. Asada´s performance to that boring music, I will not bother to rewatch.

Rochette vs. Slutskaya: I did not like Slutskaya´s performances after 1998, she somehow lost her charm and was later not even bit artistic. Her programmes just did not fit her personality, in my opinion. Rochette wins, her performance was wonderful.

 

[goldenpleasures]

I really liked Arakawa, but her 3-3s were always (or almost always) under-rotated. Certainly the triple lutz-triple toe she did in Worlds 2004 would be downgraded under COP. Bearing that in mind, she did well to stick a double toe on the end as well, but the triple-triple only counted because the judges tended to ignore under-rotations under 6.0.

 

[miki88]

I really liked Arakawa, but her 3-3s were always (or almost always) under-rotated. Certainly the triple lutz-triple toe she did in Worlds 2004 would be downgraded under COP. Bearing that in mind, she did well to stick a double toe on the end as well, but the triple-triple only counted because the judges tended to ignore under-rotations under 6.0.

That was what I was thinking. Shizuka's had a talent for landing her jumps and it was not so noticeable to spot her downgrades especially if the judges don't pay attention to them. It's interesting because of looser rules, a skater who may have UR often does not get a track record and creates a different impression in fans minds. In that sense, I feel sorry for skaters like Mirai and Mao who have to skate under stricter rules.

 

[ryoko]

Asada didn't just UR on her Flip, she 3-turned out of it too. And completely popping a jump is certainly just as bad as a fall (or worse). I find that Cohen's mistakes were less disruptive to the program. They happened in the first 40 seconds and then after that the program was glorious.

Plus cohen's LP had much better choreography (I still think Romeo & Juliet was one of the best choreographed LP in the field) Her presentation/interpretation of the music was also superior.

 

[ryoko]

Regarding skating skills, I like Shizuka's better than Yuna's. Yuna's is a bit similar to Caro's. Both are very fast and powerful, but Shizuka's skating skills have Yuka Sato's quality. Really smooth and have soft edging. But Shizuka's are more dynamic and big than Yuka's.

Yuna's jumps win over Shizuka's. Hers are really dynamic, and have great speed and height. Shizuka's jumps could match Yuna's in her 2004 performance. She was more powerful then and she also did 3-3-2. That was quite amazing.

Spirals. Shizuka wins. She did the most spectacular moves comparable to Cohen's. But she had better speed than Cohen.

Spins-- Both are not the best spinners in the world. Yuna had problems in positions and Shizuka had problems in speed.

Re: the program presentation, I liked Shizuka's LP better than Yuna's LP. Turandot is a magnificent piece of music which was perfect for Torino Olympics. But her SP was boring and mechanic. Yuna's SP was very impressive.

I would prefer shizuka's choice of music for LP, but I think Yuna had better presentation. Gershwin is a rather abstract piece, but her presentation/interpretation was very well suited to the music.

 

[Layfan]

I would prefer shizuka's choice of music for LP, but I think Yuna had better presentation. Gershwin is a rather abstract piece, but her presentation/interpretation was very well suited to the music.

Yuna seems especially good at abstract skating - creating a feeling or just showing off the beauty of the music and the skating. She's like another instrument in the music. But as we saw with her Bond SP, she is also great a creating a character.

 

[Bennett]

I feel that Yuna is really good at creating a character. Her LP was not too extremely memorable for me perhaps because of the lack of that factor.

 

[dlgpffps]

Yuna seems especially good at abstract skating - creating a feeling or just showing off the beauty of the music and the skating. She's like another instrument in the music. But as we saw with her Bond SP, she is also great a creating a character.

ITA. I love the way you put it. The kind of skating you mentioned must be coupled with exceptionally strong skating skills, presentation and technique in general. When done well, it highlights the strength of every move, not just jumps, each seamlessly woven into the music. It's extremely difficult. I like to think of it as showing the essence of skating, skating at its very purest, if you get what I mean. It's also artistically very challenging, as it requires that the skater flesh out an intangible moment, feeling, note of music. My favorite skater of this kind was Buttle, but Yu-na did a very good job at Vancouver as well.

 

[R.D.]

THE FOLLOWING IS IMO ONLY

Overall skating at the event? 2010

Suspense and intrigue? 2006 by a mile (although 2002 was even better). Although 2006 was on tape, I did watch it unspoiled (not the same as watching live, of course). The fact that the 2010 event was shown live here and 2006 wasn't- not enough to compensate for the predictability of the event. I do admit I got a little nervous for the Americans though.

Most inspiring performance? 2010 (Nagasu)

Better OGM performance? This one is close- Yuna just does not evoke any kind of feeling in me whatsoever. I give Shiz the edge in this regard. However, due to difficulty and rising to the occasion- 2010

Better OSM performance? 2010. Not an Asada fan but it was a solid performance from her, with 2 (!) clean 3As. Cohen's '06 performance probably had the better emotional connection of the two though. Asada is another skater that I find completely bland.

Better OBM performance? 2010. Not a Rochette fan at all but that was one of Slutskaya's worst performances vs. one of Rochette's best.

 

[Layfan]

THE FOLLOWING IS IMO ONLY

Overall skating at the event? 2010

Suspense and intrigue? 2006 by a mile (although 2002 was even better). Although 2006 was on tape, I did watch it unspoiled (not the same as watching live, of course). The fact that the 2010 event was shown live here and 2006 wasn't- not enough to compensate for the predictability of the event. I do admit I got a little nervous for the Americans though.

Most inspiring performance? 2010 (Nagasu)

Better OGM performance? This one is close- Yuna just does not evoke any kind of feeling in me whatsoever. I give Shiz the edge in this regard. However, due to difficulty and rising to the occasion- 2010

Better OSM performance? 2010. Not an Asada fan but it was a solid performance from her, with 2 (!) clean 3As. Cohen's '06 performance probably had the better emotional connection of the two though. Asada is another skater that I find completely bland.

Better OBM performance? 2010. Not a Rochette fan at all but that was one of Slutskaya's worst performances vs. one of Rochette's best.

The 2010 men's event made up for the women in suspense. The women made up for lack of suspense by skating so well (most of them.) Maybe the winner wasn't a surprise but it was a more satisfying show than in 2006, which felt like a let down.

ITA on Slute vs. JoRo.

I kind of know what you mean about Yuna but I see her as an acquired taste, a more subtle artistry. She doesn't ooze like Michelle Kwan and sometimes Sasha. But she is more intricate than those two and actually skates to the music better.