2014 NHK Trophy Ladies Free Skate 11/29

[Sackie]

Can not believe Gold won here with a score of 123 with only 4 triples! Seems she was going to win and make the GPF no matter how she skated. This year it seems both Ashley and Gracie were marked based on their ranking from last year's world results and not how they are skating this year.

 

[whatif]

The placement were right.
Looking at Satoko, sometime all I see is the boots. That is just not helping. She needs better packaging. Picking Miss Saigon for an adolescent is a strange choice to say the least.
And her jumps are always iffy, so she usually ends up relying on mercy of a particular judging panel.

And let's just not start with Murakami's jumps. They are getting worse with every day passing.

 

[demarinis5]

Congrats to Gracie!

 

[minze]

Meh. I still remember the uproar and over Mao's score at CoC 2012, where she was a mess technically and got PCS similar to Gracie's here.
Apparently, it's ok if it's Gracie, even though her presentation is nowhere near Mao's.

ETA: I'm not trying to suggest that Gracie should get the same level of criticism that Mao got. It's never the skater's fault for how they are judged.

I remember that. Glad Mao is not here to be the scapegoat of the haters.

 

[Mathman]

the rictus grin will always win.

I learned a new word and a new figure skating slogan!

 

[Hanmgse]

Wow congratulations to Gracie !!

 

[Crossover]

The placement were right.
Looking at Satoko, sometime all I see is the boots. That is just not helping. She needs better packaging. Picking Miss Saigon for an adolescent is a strange choice to say the least.
And her jumps are always iffy, so she usually ends up relying on mercy of a particular judging panel.

And let's just not start with Murakami's jumps. They are getting worse with every day passing.

I agree with your opinion on the final placement and Satoko's jumps. However, I'm not sure why you are picking up the boots as one of the reasons why she finished 3rd. She is so tiny, and boots are manufactured products. That's not something for which Satoko is blamed.

 

[jenaj]

The placement were right.
Looking at Satoko, sometime all I see is the boots. That is just not helping. She needs better packaging. Picking Miss Saigon for an adolescent is a strange choice to say the least.
And her jumps are always iffy, so she usually ends up relying on mercy of a particular judging panel.

And let's just not start with Murakami's jumps. They are getting worse with every day passing.

Murakami's jumps were not the problem (except for the 3F). She got 0 points for her 3-jump combo as an invalid element. Someone else will have to explain why. This is the kind of thing that hurts the sport. The commentators don't even know until they see the protocols why a score is so low. To the viewer, Kanako's skate, except for the fall, looked pretty good. But her score knocked her down to 8th place. It makes no sense to the viewer. As for Satoko, her boots are not the problem. She didn't skate perfectly, which is what she needed to do to beat more established skaters. Her presentation wasn't as good as it was in her short program. I think she has tons of potential, but she isn't there yet.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Congrats to Gold! Her first GP/international win. Not a fan of her FS and she had errors but so did the rest of the field.

Happy for Kato too... Certainly the best FS technically.

Also thrilled for Leonova! A GP silver is great for her!

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Murakami's jumps were not the problem (except for the 3F). She got 0 points for her 3-jump combo as an invalid element. Someone else will have to explain why. This is the kind of thing that hurts the sport. The commentators don't even know until they see the protocols why a score is so low. To the viewer, Kanako's skate, except for the fall, looked pretty good. But her scored knocked her down to 8th place. It makes no sense to the viewer. As for Satoko, her boots are not the problem. She didn't skate perfectly, which is what she needed to do to beat more established skaters. Her presentation wasn't as good as it was in her short program. I think she has tons of potential, but she isn't there yet.

Murakami doubled her 3L. So doing a 3S<+2L+2L combo she repeated the double loop three times which is not allowed. Had it been a 3S+2L or 3S+2T+2L she would have been fine. But the 3S was UR anyways so it probably wouldn't have been enough for bronze anyways.

 

[Skater Boy]

I have nothing against Alena, I wish her a medal, but Satoko should be on 1st.

Maybe no one deserved gold? lol Deserved of course is in the eye of the beholder. I note another poster thought Leonova was robbed. I do think Gracie skated well and in the american princessy way - elegant and feminine. Leonova isn't that but she has her own style. This ironically may have gifted Wagner.

 

[Alba]

More like Russian fed and US fed are fighting over on Japan ice and Japanese ladies got screwed up in their home.

That doesn't make much sense to me. Why was Russian fed supposed to fight with US in Japan?
Russia already have all the girls in GPF. Leonova was already out of contention even with a win here.

 

[Skater Boy]

Even Leonova herself realizes she doesn't deserve that score.

I am not sure how you came to this conclusion or speculation. Unless your name is Claire Voyant I mean she probably is mad at herself for all those little jumping errors but again that is a guess. Comparatively she sold the performance and she didn't fall all over the ice.

 

[Meoima]

That doesn't make much sense to me. Why was Russian fed supposed to fight with US in Japan?
Russia already have all the girls in GPF. Leonova was already out of contention even with a win here.

I was just joking. Kind of...

 

[Winnie_20]

Just finished watching my recording of this event. Congrats to the American ladies for making it to the GPF! Not enjoying that Phantom music, but otherwise loved Gracie's FS.

I do hope one or more of the Japanese ladies can make it next time, though: only two countries represented in a GP final is a bit... well, it's starting to remind me of Sochi 2014, where the Dutchmen dominated the ice speed skating and suddenly people (inc the ISU) are shouting that the sports needs to change... changes, of course, that will be disadvantageous to whoever is dominating the sports.

I would hate for that sort of thing to happen to figure skating, to avoid that sort of debate. Of course, this is just a moment in time, and clearly the Japanese ladies have skaters lined up that will do even better in the future (Miyahara, Kato just to name a few), but... :scowl:

 

[Skater Boy]

That doesn't make much sense to me. Why was Russian fed supposed to fight with US in Japan?
Russia already have all the girls in GPF. Leonova was already out of contention even with a win here.

Is this like a double meaning - All the girls in GPF from Russia and Leonova is a woman? Great that Gracie won her Gold So odd no Japanese lady in the GPF if my understanding is correct - Ashley owes Gold a lunch lol. Gold may have "gold" but maybe Ashley is the golden girl. She somehow manages to survive yet another tight situation and end up on top - remember the olympic trials and Mirai? She maybe should buy a lottery ticket But seriously, this skate should give Gold some confidence and Ashley has another shot at showing the world she is one of the best. Plus she and Gold will go head to head against each other just like at Nationals. Not sure what to say about Polina - her skating is rather "flat" without landing the tricks or when she makes errors. Her SS and pcs aren't great either without the tricks as the scores show. She got beat by Daleman.

 

[Jammers]

Is this like a double meaning - All the girls in GPF from Russia and Leonova is a woman? Great that Gracie won her Gold So odd no Japanese lady in the GPF if my understanding is correct - Ashley owes Gold a lunch lol. Gold may have "gold" but maybe Ashley is the golden girl. She somehow manages to survive yet another tight situation and end up on top - remember the olympic trials and Mirai? She maybe should buy a lottery ticket But seriously, this skate should give Gold some confidence and Ashley has another shot at showing the world she is one of the best. Plus she and Gold will go head to head against each other just like at Nationals. Not sure what to say about Polina - her skating is rather "flat" without landing the tricks or when she makes errors. Her SS and pcs aren't great either without the tricks as the scores show. She got beat by Daleman.

If Ashley owes anyone a lunch it's Leonova for playing spoiler and keeping Sakoto from 2nd place though i don't think Sakoto had a high enough score to get in the GPF anyways.

 

[Alex D]

I saw her performance now a few times and her face after the FS says it all. "oh great, now the haters will have a reason again"...

I feel so sorry for this young lady, she doesn't has it easy even if she is winning people will find a reason to complain. She should be congratulated but with this people already had issues when Adelina won gold in Sochi

 

[Alba]

Is this like a double meaning - All the girls in GPF from Russia and Leonova is a woman?

I meant all those who were in contention for a GPF spot.

I'm happy for Gracie. Polina is still young, give her time. Ashley is doing all she can to stay relevant and she manages that. So chapeau.
GPF is going to be very interesting.

 

[Figure 8's]

Why do the ladies threads always turn into toxic waste after the event?

Isn't that the truth. Some people seem to make a game of tearing down the winner.