2015-16 Grand Prix Final Ladies SP

[VIETgrlTerifa]

American ladies can't compete and I don't have confidence that any of the Americans past Ashley and Gracie can fare much better or even as well. No U.S. junior ladies in the Junior GPF either I see. Even if Gracie and Ashley manage to medal here and even somehow (against what the past has shown us) perform well enough at Worlds to win a medal, it'll take a bit more for me to have confidence in them as competitors.

As for Ashley's SP, is she supposed to be a suburban Zumba instructor telling the class what a good job they're doing in their Wednesday Zumba class? Plus, singing along acting as Satine or whatever that death by TB character's name in that over-the-top overacted movie is (two years in a row) and now playing a that woman talking in her samba...does she need to portray a woman singing/talking in her routines to have good musical interpretation in the post-Sochi portion of her career?

 

[Ophelia]

I have no problem with constructive criticism about performances or how to avoid mistakes, and I frequently dish it out to skaters I love and skaters I don't love. But there's really nothing to be done beating the dead horse of "Americans can't compete." Zijun Li, Alaine Chartrand, Alena Leonova (just a few examples) almost never "deliver" either, but no one is asking "How many years of trying is it going to take??" Should they stop competing because they can't deliver? Or should they just skate their best, whatever their best happens to be that day, and maybe if they keep improving they'll be able to win something?

Gold has way more potential than Li, Chartrand, and Leonova, and alot of the frustration is coming from the contradiction of having a skater with close to the entire package but consistently put it together.

 

[silverlake22]

"greatest female skater of all time"

...okay

Evgenia's great but let's wait a few years please. I'm not even that worried about the jumps, more the mental aspect.

Right now she's new to the scene and has nothing to lose. In a few years when there's all kinds of expectations and pressure and a handful of new wonderbabies becoming senior eligible each year, it could be a very different story.

Eurosport guys were also mesmerized by Tuk and Pogo a few years ago too, when they were the new kids on the block and consistent as all get out. And now? They both seem to have some severe mental blocks going on preventing them from being consistent competitors.

Don't get me wrong, what Liza pulled off last season was amazing, but the two seasons before that and now this season, she's pretty all over the place given what she's capable of. For Anna it's been even more up and down and Adelina has been very inconsistent since her first season in seniors honestly. Russia has no shortage of very talented ladies figure skaters, but even amongst the ones who keep their jumps post puberty, it seems like the mental aspect of the sport becomes a real challenge around age 16 or 17. The competition in Russia is just so intense and there's ALWAYS new stars coming up through the ranks, it doesn't surprise me how often we see these girls psych themselves out.

I like Medvedeva a lot and would love to see her accomplish much in the coming years, but as for now, I'm still holding my breath.

 

[Mathman]

To me, the scoring could not be more straightforward. Medvedeva hit all of her jumps with positive GOE. The others didn't. End of story.

 

[Heleng]

Okay lets see if Frank is as great a coach as people say he is. Gracie has now twice this season done a jump in the SP that gained a big fat 0 so will he finally open his eyes and see the flip is costing her? First SA and now here.

It's interesting to me when skaters have a certain Achilles heel with particular jumps that are rated "easier" than others. Like Kristi Yamaguchi with the salchow. With Gracie, it appears to be the flip, although she usually can do a great lutz, which is supposedly the technically more difficult jump. I've wondered whether this is physical or mental with skaters (not being one myself). In any case, I'm rooting for Gracie for the final and to get on the podium. For me, she's the class of the ladies' field right now (aside from Mao!) if she could just hold it together.

 

[[email protected]]

Evgenya is getting more and more fabulous. I saw her live during CoR and remember how light she was - she was skating like a feather, easy and effortless. And I could feel this lightness today even on the screen. Just beautiful and getting better.

I read some unfounded critique of Elena. She missed the combo after the lutz and did it in the second half. Anything else? What is all this fuzz about? She has the SP score around 70 since the last season. Not that she sold her program today the way she did in Moscow and of course she was way behind Evgenya in everything. But then her score just about right because everybody else made serious mistakes.

Mao and Gracie like Patrick miss one key jump element. They also make mistakes in the other jump element. Mao is still at par with clean Elena. Fair? Well, her 3A this time was gorgeous and it weighs a lot. Gracie who screwed 2 key jump elements just had a plain 2A. And she is still within 3 points from Elena. Judges just love her. She would have had 74-75 if clean. Which I would not argue about although I prefer Evgenya's skating. Well, I would not argue unless the tech forgives her the wrong edge on flip as they did at TEB. As for now it's all theoretical. Evgenya beats Gracie in the short for the second time - let's see what happens in Boston.

Satoko finally got penalized (partially) for her jump technique. And she is still in the game. Well "Satoko wuzrobbed" is the theme of the last 2 seasons - nothing new to that. I think she was scored fairly.

Kudos for Ashley's keeping her spirit. But again just a 2A - other jump passes were a mess. In the end, 3 ladies could not make 2 out of 3 jump passes properly. Satoko had a clear wrong edge on flip. Elena was shaky but clean. Evgenya was crystall clean with the unmatched difficulty. What a loaded approach one should have to whine about judging!

 

[Mathman]

Tomorrow she will sail once again, with Jack on the Titanic, and while she will again, not reach New York and Jack finds himself on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, - her expression and passionate skating, will surely reach, everyones heart. :luv17:

 

[andyjo24]

Hmmmmm. Evgenia is having a Lipnitskaya 13-14 season.

I wonder how she will change a year later, considering how skinny she is now. She will definitely not be able to maintain that weight...

As for Eteri, she probably doesn't care because she already has another in line at the Russian factory: Polina Tsurkaya...

 

[umeko_yur1tasukee]

Add me to that club. (See my avatar as well. )

Lemme in.
I changed my avatar

 

[Icey]

Every time either of them has a poor skate there are people that love to smugly suggest they are done. By this logic I assume Liza is done too since she didn't even qualify.

This skate was only one consideration. Gold is at best standing still, while Ashley is deteriorating. That doesn't mean they are bad skaters, just that imo World and Olympic medals aren't in the picture for either. Most skaters usually have a window for achieving those kinds of medals and if they aren't won then, they usually aren't. Meanwhile new skaters have appeared on the scene who are superior to them.

 

[Layback11]

Lemme in.
I changed my avatar

Consider yourself let in!

 

[RABID]

Evegnia is BY FAR the most artistic of the Russian ladies.

Miyahara has EVERYTHING, except the jumps.

I would have put it this way; Miyahara has everything, except theJUMPS.

 

[andromache]

This skate was only one consideration. Gold is at best standing still, while Ashley is deteriorating. That doesn't mean they are bad skaters, just that imo World and Olympic medals aren't in the picture for either. Most skaters usually have a window for achieving those kinds of medals and if they aren't won then, they usually aren't. Meanwhile new skaters have appeared on the scene who are superior to them.

Carolina's Sochi bronze medal at 27 years old!

(Granted I don't think Ashley has the technique or SS to take her that far, as much as I love her, but Gracie might. Not that it matters; I will enjoy watching them skate for as long as they compete!)

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Jumpamatron of Satoko's 3z-3t and 3f from today :scard7:

https://youtu.be/DBY837tqaoA
Available up to 720p HD

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

As harsh I was about the American women earlier, I do think Gracie has time to get it together like Kostner. She really does have it and I do think she has room to grow in mature musical expression. I said this before but I was reminded why Gracie was so good at last year's Worlds SP, oddly enough. She messed up and took herself out of the running for a medal there, but what I saw outside the mistakes reminded why she's a world-class skater.

 

[andyjo24]

Jumpamatron of Satoko's 3z-3t and 3f from today :scard7:

https://youtu.be/DBY837tqaoA
Available up to 720p HD

Wow... All those jumps looked UR to me... She's actually lucky to have received a 68.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Is it too late physically and is it even possible in Japan with the crowded ice rinks to allow her to jump in her natural rotation? I know it seems like a far out idea and probably dangerous, but I can't help but think having to rotate in her opposite direction is holding her way back with the jumps.

 

[andromache]

Wow... All those jumps looked UR to me... She's actually lucky to have received a 68.

Looked the same to me too. (Someone tell me if I'm wrong??)

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Wow... All those jumps looked UR to me... She's actually lucky to have received a 68.

Her 3Z was borderline, but the -3T was DEFINITELY UR.

 

[RABID]

I know...

"We maybe looking at the greatest skater of all time" NOT "We are looking at the greatest skater of all time." Nothing unreasonable about the statement. These two guys have been around long enough to discern what is and isn't exceptional talent. I appreciate boldness of opinion from people whom we expect to have professional insight. Also it's good for the sport.