2015 NHK Ladies Short Program

[Eclair]

YES!!!! Mirai you did it!!

At the beginning of the this season I wrote how I loved that sp and that it's going to be Mirai's breakout season this year! And finally I was right!!!
I'm just a little bit disappointed that she took out the awesome timed transition from sit-spin to sit-spin... It was a real highlight and perfectly matched with the music!

You can still do it Ashley!
Again I have to pride myself a little by pointing out that I was one of the few who predicted Ashley's win at Skate Canada.
At NHK I was not so sure, since the field here is much deeper, but it's totally reasonable for her to land on the podium!
Also, it's better to bomb now, than later in the season at gpf, nationals or worlds^^

 

[Snow63]

And no spring for Pogostick today. A hot mess. Poor thing...

Ashley...good fight.

Lovely program from Satoko. Surprised she did 2.5Lz+2.5T. Great spins.

But Pogostick? Really. Seems kinda rude to me :noshake:

 

[mustafakent]

No matter how Mao skates, she will always be attacked with bogus Ur. 3a was Ur, British Eurosport guys called it too. And then they praised her 3F-3L. The specialists ratified it too. I watched the replay on slow motion 5 times. Flip was rotated. The loop was less than 1/4 Ur'ed. This means the jump gets full credit.

EDIT: Mao is struggling with the lutz because she is trying to do it from am outside edge. She is courageous for doing it in the Sp even if she fails it. I hope she'll land it correctly some day, this seems to be one of her goals. She already has all the titles in the world minus the Olympic title. And the Olympics are in 2018

In my eyes, they are underrotated.Judges also gave full credit for her 3A and 3F at Japan Open, but they were also underrotated too.I actually don't care, I just wanted to say.

I don't see a link between the fairness of the sport and a bunch of people in a message board

There are people who want fair judging when their favourite skater outscored on PCS but they avoid seeing how judges didn't penalize their favourite skater on TES.The irony.

 

[yuki]

Mao sure brings out the vicious toads, doesn't she...

It's funny how more obvious technical mistakes like, for instance, Gracie's 3F edge in the TEB SP did not cause this much indignation but take one slightly underrotated jump in a very difficult combination and it's the end of the world.

 

[YesWay]

I don't think all bullet points should be equal.

You're not the only one who thinks so - but they are equal... and we can't apply our own hypothetical weightings to GoE bullet points, to get the results we want...!

 

[Ophelia]

Yesssssss at Satoko delivering. So many ppl write her off bc of her jumps.

Mao, Mao, Mao. Sigh. Still hot and cold. I really thought she had ladies skating in the bag when she returned, but it doesn't look like that.

 

[YesWay]

I feel Satoko will win this... But who knows? Everything can happen in FS!

This ^

The points spread is not so great, that the podium is in any way certain...!
The FS is going to be a nail-biting competition tomorrow... can't wait...

 

[Interspectator]

Sad for Mao, but she's been here before ( unfortunately) and she can defenitely make it back to the top in the free.
But YAAAAYYYY for Satoko! That was really wonderful. I loved every second of it. (except for the play-back slow-mo of the jumps)

 

[nolangoh]

I think many people should go take a lesson on figure skating jumps and physics and also biomechanics before they come here (and also youtube) to ***** about the under-rotations...like tell me a skater who jumps a loop or salchow with the blade leaving exactly backward or an axel jump leaving exactly forward. And PLEASE also show me a skater who actually rotates THREE FULL rotations in air for a triple jump (except 3A).

 

[MidnightSkater]

Poor Anna. She just looks so frustrated with herself at the moment. I really hope she can get her form back.
She has some of the hardest falls I've seen since Maria Butyrskaya.

 

[wanpe]

I'm so happy just because there was no wacky inflated scores today
Also very happy for both Zijun and Mirai, I do believe they deserve better second scores though.

Good luck for FS ladies!

 

[mikeko666]

I expect Asada to win just like she did three years ago. If the 3F+3Lo can be ratified, she can do anything as long as she does not fall or pop. Her 3Lz will be ratified tomorrow.

 

[iskate]

Just got home from work and had a look at the results :shocked:

Devastated for Anna. On a good day, she really nails it and is one of the best in the field IMO, but when she falls apart, she really crashes and burns...Really hope she can pull it together in the FS.

Also hope Mao skates well in the free. Actually, you know what, I hope EVERYONE skates well in the FS, by the looks of it the short was kind of disastrous. Come on, ladies!

 

[slider11]

Well, I think Mirai did a fine job. I just watched the replay of the short and I don't see where the judges saw an under-rotation with the triple-triple. Honestly some skaters are scrutinized so much more carefully than others that I think there needs to be some standard imposed for all, not just those with past problems. I like Mao, too, but I don't see how she can be ahead of Mirai with a fall and a missed jump. That is a clear case of scoring on reputation. But I do agree with the B ESP announcers who said that Mirai could improve her step sequence and have it hit more with the beat of the music. Mirai looks in good shape and I think has a good chance to have a strong LP which gives her a shot at the podium.

 

[indicatoto101]

I expect Asada to win just like she did three years ago. If the 3F+3Lo can be ratified, she can do anything as long as she does not fall or pop. Her 3Lz will be ratified tomorrow.

Mao doesn't need those elements ratified to win at this competition. With her insane BV and PCS, I think she'll win if the other elements are rotated and she is clean.

 

[matmuh]

ahhhhhhhhhhh so happy that Satoko delivered, my Tiny Quenn saved everyone her confidence is growing by each outing and seeing her happy and playful (thumbs up and all ) at K&C is making me so happy and proud and makes me wanna cry :hap93: it is amazing to see skaters grow up before your eyes
i enjoy Courtney and her programs this season but turn out between that jumps at 3-3 is becoming a bad habit

 

[risingtrot]

I am usually a lurker.. but let me comment^^

Anna was sad to watch... on her last fall I was really rooting for her to not stop and to not give up and just continue with the program... and yes, she did not stop and she did not give up. It would have been easier to walk away but she didn't. This experience will make her a better/stronger person (if it hasn't yet) and hopefully a better skater~

With regards to the results, I am okay with it somehow. Was hoping everyone would do a clean skate but sometimes things just happen. I am from Tokyo and I love and support Mao and other still competing skaters like Julia, Shoma, Kanako. Somehow Adelina this year is growing on me too (not sure about her scores though). I support JP skaters but I can't say I love them all.

That said, sometimes it's just easier to bash. I like reading this forum but sometimes there's just too much negativity and some comments/replies appear very confrontational/personal/irrational. I am not sure what's the age range of the members here^^ I think what we can do is hope that the ladies do a clean skate tomorrow and give an amazing performance~

Just another 'Small' comment. It's a bit exhausting to hear criticisms about Satoko's small jump. Looking at other skaters (also from other events) their jumps are also small and some might be a bit higher than Satoko. The only difference is that these other skates are taller compared to Satoko so obviously it will look like they are jumping higher. There's definitely room for improvement with the jump height though so hopefully she can (if still not) work on that. I do wish that they change her image a bit though as they always package her a bit old or too serious. Maybe less makeup and go for a natural look and maybe a different hairstyle from time to time.

 

[yuki]

I expect Asada to win just like she did three years ago. If the 3F+3Lo can be ratified, she can do anything as long as she does not fall or pop. Her 3Lz will be ratified tomorrow.

It probably won't be, but I'm glad to see people have now begun complaining about her scores before she skates

TBH, I hope she does her old, reliable flutz tomorrow instead of taking the risk. Won't be surprised if she does take the risk, though.

 

[tulosai]

Okay for like the past year and a half I have deliberately tried to refrain from complaining about scores, because I know I have biases, and because usually even when I think PCS are wrong or there was a UR that wasn't called or whatever, I feel the placements are right. I don't feel this today. Admittedly I have biases but I honestly feel:

1. Mao and Courtney and Satoko were scored roughly correctly. Mao and Satoko both benefited from one quite generous call IMO, but fine, life goes on.
2. Mirai and Zijun were both underscored, Zijun slightly and Mirai more so. Mirai also got dinged on her 3T. This might be okay with me in general, but makes no sense when you look at the jumps Satoko and Asada were not dinged on, both of which were AT LEAST as URed as Nagasu's.
3. Ashley was ever so slightly overscored.

IMO the correct placements would have been:

1. Satoko by a margin as actually happened
2. Mirai by a very small margin
3. Courtney by a small margin
4. Zijun by a very small margin
5. Ashley by a small margin
6. Mao (sorry)

 

[mikeko666]

Mao doesn't need those elements ratified to win at this competition. With her insane BV and PCS, I think she'll win if the other elements are rotated and she is clean.

She won't even have to fully rotate or skate clean. The 3F+3Lo is the indicator. She was given +GOE for doubling triples when she won three years ago.