Junior Worlds: Men's Thoughts and Highlights

[Andrea82]

Young men’s competition was great entertainment! I watched all of them from the first skater Adam Hagara(SVK) skating in glasses to the last skater who was Torgashev

Am I wrong or did Canada lose a spot for next worlds? That's sad with the junior talent in Canada: Stephen, Aleksa and others. It's 28 for two spots, right? Joseph and Stephen got 29 for combined placements

They just kept it because those who qualify for FS and are ranked after 16th count as 16 points.

 

[eppen]

By the time the mens FS began, my 5:05 am wake-up call was causing problems to staying awake and so I watched the tech panel working again (quite like in the ladies SP...). It was basically an all female panel (well, the data operator was male., but still): controller from Japan, Specialist from Finland and Russian Olga Markova as the assistant specialist. And I thought to myself, can a tech panel be any more detail oriented or strict (well, maybe if Shin Amano had been there?!) than that consisting of women from Japan and Finland (maybe with a German one as the third person?). The first group's fairly poor quality skating almost got them into trouble - if you flag most of the elements, then the time for reviews is going to end before all is done... They looked at the jumps rolling the skater up and down, edges, landings, some spins were scrutinized also, but not as many as in the ladies SP. But going through step sequences in the time they have is pretty ambitious! Not very many guys managed to escape scrutiny!

The skating was not very good overall. I realized that the 3:30 programs with quads and/or 3As is not a good concept. Even the top guys were mostly skating from one end of the rink to another prepping the big jumps. It was so boring to watch. And I suspect even with better technical performances, it would have been boring.

Naumov was definitely a highlight, the Japanese less than glorious. Sato hardly performed, Kagiyama tried a little more, but with not much success. Torgashev is a quintessential American skater which usually makes me fall asleep and this would have happened also now except I started to get nervous about finding my place to sleep. Mozalev has been described as mild as milk in this thread (I think) and he sure is a boy without qualities. Does his job, but without any glory (and that music cut should not have been used, it was just awful). It was a pity to see Selevko get expectations and home audience to get on his nerve. I am not a great fan of his FS, but it had a bit of ideas and he even tried to get a performance going despite failing technically.

And so, the long day was over.

E

 

[lariko]

That was lovingly. Mozalev doesn’t have live wire nerve endings —and that’s why he is so steady in competition probably— but he could develop into a lyrical skater imo, if he does not get edged out by the more dramatic personalities before his time.

But they do need to pick something he can skate to in my humble. He is sixteen, and they selected an ultimate middle age life crisis piece in Russian for his short and his free music is strange.

Anyway, personally I have my fingers crossed that his qualities, both physical and mental, and his grit, get him through the next year, because no matter if he does junior or senior, it is not going to be a cakewalk.

 

[moonvine]

Where do I go to file papers to adopt Adam Hagara (first skater in short program) AND his glasses?

 

[eppen]

That was lovingly. Mozalev doesn’t have live wire nerve endings —and that’s why he is so steady in competition probably— but he could develop into a lyrical skater imo, if he does not get edged out by the more dramatic personalities before his time.

But they do need to pick something he can skate to in my humble. He is sixteen, and they selected an ultimate middle age life crisis piece in Russian for his short and his free music is strange.

Anyway, personally I have my fingers crossed that his qualities, both physical and mental, and his grit, get him through the next year, because no matter if he does junior or senior, it is not going to be a cakewalk.

Sorry to have taken your phrase and used it in a negative manner! But it can be perceived both ways. It is more than possible he can develop a personality with good guidance and all. He has the tools certainly and he just has to learn how to use them and maybe get programs that allow him to express things more effectively. These young boys are also still very much learning to handle their growing bodies and the growing difficulty of their programs, so the expression does often comes afterwards.

e

 

[lariko]

Sorry to have taken your phrase and used it in a negative manner! But it can be perceived both ways. It is more than possible he can develop a personality with good guidance and all. He has the tools certainly and he just has to learn how to use them and maybe get programs that allow him to express things more effectively. These young boys are also still very much learning to handle their growing bodies and the growing difficulty of their programs, so the expression does often comes afterwards.

e

No offence taken. Our flaws are extensions of our virtues. Russia used to be called the Land of Advice, so I am keeping my fingers crossed Mozalev will be lucky to receive a good one. His wider, lower base (so far), flexibility and softness are good, he has the stamina of a camel (it looks like his heart rate drops by the time he is done with his final pose & he sustains continuous and large upper body movement diligently) and his grit, investment, willingness and zen all recommend him. Anyway, I hope for the best for him. They have a lot to chose from in Russia.