Japan Open

[shine]

Mao's performance turned me into a fan of hers. She looks much more mature. The growth spurt seemed to affect her jumps - but in a very positive way. They seem higher and cleaner. Her consistency is Plushenko-like.
All in all, it was a wonderful performance. It was great to see the Team Japan cheer for her when she finished her performance - Daisuke jumped onto a chair out of joy!

Actually, I think she only looked more mature because she has grown a bit and her hair is in a bun now.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

One remarkable thing about the scores is that Miki Ando and Sarah Meier ended up exactly tied, down to a hundreth of a point.

Meier: 49.68 (TES) + 54.88 (PCS) = 104.56

Ando: 51.64 (TES) + 53.93 (PCS) = 104.56

It looks like Sara's injuries from the past 3 years are no longer interfering with figure skating although she lost a lot of time until recently to make up for it.

Switzerland: Lambiel and Meier coming on strong.

Joe

 

[krenseby]

re:

Lambiel was scored only a fraction of a point ahead of Takahashi.

The two "pros," Yagudin and Honda, were both more than 20 points behind the leaders. Yagudin did not attempt a quad or a triple Axel or even a triple Lutz, although he did manage 5 triples overall, two in combination (3fl+3t).

Did anyone thing that ther was anyway the two pros Yagudin + Honda would have a chance at winning the competition? Pro skaters just don't have all their jumps ready like the top eligible skaters. That's a given ;-)

 

[Spun Silver]

What is the nature of Yagudin's injury? Is it something he will recover from or a permanent handicap?

 

[Zanzibar]

Did anyone thing that ther was anyway the two pros Yagudin + Honda would have a chance at winning the competition? Pro skaters just don't have all their jumps ready like the top eligible skaters. That's a given ;-)

Actually, I think Ilia Kulik (98 Olympic Champ) could have done quite well at this event if he had the desire to do so, which he doesn't. But if he did, LOL, he'd kick *** with his still beautiful, airy jumps.

 

[Sandra_persch]

Alissa had many falls, as usual.

Well i rather see her having falls now than between november and march when it really mathers.

I hope she gets back into the form she had betweem september and november last year really soon!!!!!

 

[antmanb]

Stephane won this in the home of Oda, Takahashie and Honda. Yagudin lost his competitive edge. Am I correct?

Joe

Being pro for four years and comepting against the current world champion and Olympic silver medalist...who would you have guessed to win? If Yags had wont his then the question would have been why the heck was he not at Olympics?!

And as a pro he can still do 3flip/3Toe - i think that's pretty impressive really considering a couple of seasons ago he was struggling to land a triple toe and not grimace with pain.

Ant

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I'm not complaining about Yags. He is/was a great competitive skater. He now is pleasing many (not necessarily me) as a Show Skater. He's doing well but I don't think as a competitor.

I think for certain that Ilia Kulic would have done better (maybe won).

Joe

 

[antmanb]

I'm not complaining about Yags. He is/was a great competitive skater. He now is pleasing many (not necessarily me) as a Show Skater. He's doing well but I don't think as a competitor.

I think for certain that Ilia Kulic would have done better (maybe won).

Joe

Are there any pro competitions out there any more? Are any of the pros doing anything competitive? I was surprised to see Yagudin and Honda (has he officially retired from elligible competition yet?) at this Japan Open. I thought the pros only had tours and exhibitions so i guess most of them lose their competitive spirit/drive by virtue of the fact they no longer compete.

Does anyone jnow of any pro competitions that may be coming up? I would expect Todd Eldredge to still be competitive in terms of jumping ability, i think i read he still lands the triple axel with pretty good consistency.

Ant

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Can Pro Competitions be revived and believable as a sport without props? Would fans watch for a winner or just to have fun with the gimmics? NASCAR has a winner every Sunday afternoon, and no gimmics. These guys are serious.

Joe

 

[attyfan]

Can Pro Competitions be revived and believable as a sport without props? Would fans watch for a winner or just to have fun with the gimmics? NASCAR has a winner every Sunday afternoon, and no gimmics. These guys are serious.

Joe

I'm told that there once was an event called the World Professional Championships that was a serious competition. Whether there are enough skaters at similar technical abilities in the pro circuit to revive it is something I don't know.

 

[Mathman]

What is the nature of Yagudin's injury? Is it something he will recover from or a permanent handicap?

He has some kind of chronic and permanent degeneration in his hip joints. The official word was that this was a congenital contition that he was bound to suffer from anyway, rather than something that was caused by practicing thousands of quads over his competitive career.

He won't get any better, but I think the pain is not so bad now that he has scaled back on his jumps.

MM

 

[SeaniBu]

He has some kind of chronic and permanent degeneration in his hip joints. The official word was that this was a congenital contition that he was bound to suffer from anyway, rather than something that was caused by practicing thousands of quads over his competitive career.

MM

Was this something like Sara's issue?

 

[Mathman]

You mean Tara. Yes, already as a teen she was having a lot of pain. She fought through it long enough to win the Olympics. This was a factor in her decision to leave eligible skating at 15. After touring with SOI for a few years she had to call it quits.

In Tara's case the primary blame was put on her endless repitions of the triple loop / triple loop combination in practice. As I understand it, the loop jump is especially hard of the hip joints.

Maybe the hinged boot (favored by Alissa Czisny, among others) will help to reduce this kind of injury.

MM

 

[evenstar]

Hmmm, Alissa's been having tons of trouble with her jumps... Though that most likely is her technique, not her jumps. Are there other "good" skaters who use hinged boots?

 

[SeaniBu]

You mean Tara. Yes, already as a teen she was having a lot of pain. She fo....

MM

Thanks for correcting me.
Wasn't there something about her saying she wanted to spend time with family and such, but then just went on traveling - doing endorsements and acting?

 

[antmanb]

You mean Tara. Yes, already as a teen she was having a lot of pain. She fought through it long enough to win the Olympics. This was a factor in her decision to leave eligible skating at 15. After touring with SOI for a few years she had to call it quits.

In Tara's case the primary blame was put on her endless repitions of the triple loop / triple loop combination in practice. As I understand it, the loop jump is especially hard of the hip joints.

Maybe the hinged boot (favored by Alissa Czisny, among others) will help to reduce this kind of injury.

MM

And transfer it to the knee and/or ankle.

Seriously the pounding is what it is. It takes its toll on the body. I've heard the hinged boot might spare your hips but moves the damage down to your knee or ankle.

Also i think Tara's frenzied repetitions on jumps was before she went to Richard Callaghan as a coach or just as she got to him. It predated the training of the 3lp/3lp but no doubt that combination had a lot of practice hours spent on it. Also she was doing the 3sal/3lp for all of the previous season too so i guess that would also take its toll.

Ant

 

[antmanb]

Thanks for correcting me.
Wasn't there something about her saying she wanted to spend time with family and such, but then just went on traveling - doing endorsements and acting?

The controversy with Tara at the time was about her reasons for skipping worlds that year. I'm hazy on the detail but there was talk of a wisdom tooth infection, there was a statement by an agent or someone like that about not wanting to "tarnish" the gold medal by facing Michelle at worlds and possibly losing. She then showed up at the Oscars and various parties around worlds. I don't think she ever tried to use the "i've been so busy that i haven't had time to train properly" which seems perfectly acceptable. It was only a year or more later after her supposed "diva" like behaviour on SOI that stories about her hip injury came out and then finally stories about being in immense pain at the Olympics.

I think it was the fact that so many stories were thrown out that by the time the real injury story came people were minded to treat her as the girl who cried wolf.

Ant

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

And there were those double loop jumps on those heavy roller skates even before she took to the ice.

 

[nattie]

Yay! i'm so glad that Mao is back (especially after that disappointing Junior Worlds). I guess that sort of clears a little bit of the 'after her growth spurt hits, she'll fall behind' gossips! ^_^