2016 Europeans Ladies Free Skate

[karlowens2]

Stop being so bitter against the Russian skaters who currently are the best in the world. There was the change of generations that started with Sotnikova and Tuktamysheva after the long drought after Slutskaya. Now this first crop is getting to the age of maturity and NOBODY is officially out. Some will be due to injuries but some will survive and we should hope that Medvedeva and Radionova will be around for many years, that Yulia in her new body will be able to restore her FP - her SP was good last and is good this season, that Liza will overcome whatever issues she has (which have nothing to do with age) and reappear strong with 3A etc. etc. As for "15 year olds" we see that Sotskova and Sakhanovich stay in juniors, that Tsurskaya will stay in juniors at least another year, etc. etc. This nonsense is tiresome - luckily a lot of GS members think like that.

What do other GS members have to do with it? Do you always look to others to tell you what to think?. Keep the juniors in Juniors!!:taunt:

..........bye

 

[Shayuki]

Yeah, until Med stops winning and you' ve moved on to the next one. Was thinking last night where did all the Tut fans go? How many of you who think Med is the answer were Tut fanatics last season?

Litheness and 40 kg are not artistry. Few on this site want to face the fact that if winning depends on being light with adolescent flexibility it's not a sport.

I'm a Tuktamysheva fan. Are we supposed to cheer for her in a competition where she isn't participating?

Litheness and 40kg in fact have nothing to do with artistry either for or against. I also would argue that Miyahara is lighter than Medvedeva but you seem to like her.

Speaking of which, you thought that Tuktamysheva was only succeeding because she weighed 40kg?

Perhaps one day you will realize that Radionova, Tuktamysheva, Medvedeva are completely different. They just are good. Unlike... cough.

 

[jenaj]

I think edge calls are massively over punished anyway so I don't care if they miss them all TBH.

In baseball, balls and strikes are based on what the umpire sees. In basketball, the referees call fouls based on what they see. Mistakes are made but it's within the rules. Only in figure skating do fans expect perfection in calling things like edges that are barely detectable even in slow motion. Evgenia's lutz looked good enough to me to justify full credit, especially when calls have to be made so quickly. It is obvious that Evgenia is really, really good, since she is now such a magnet for nitpicking criticism from some.

 

[Icey]

Joshi is your example of beautiful body lines and interpretive depth? Ok... (I like her, she's fun, but...)

Joshi never seems to grow or advance. It's the same thing season after season. And you are right, good body lines and stretch are not her strong suite.

 

[Skater Boy]

huh ? Lena is 17 and Tuk just turned 19, and they are still around.
Tuk won her Worlds medal post puberty. so your arguement is invalid

Wow, those Russian ladies are getting old Out the door by 20. Seriously though I am learning how the luck of genes does play a huge role and when you were born - had Sochi been two years earlier Yun or AMao would have had gold, chan would have had gold, okay v and t probably the same or Ssquared, nd Va nd M would probably have had a second gold. Life is a lot about luck I guess / timing and being there at the right time

 

[[email protected]]

What do other GS members have to do with it? Do you always look to others to tell you what to think?. Keep the juniors in Juniors!!:taunt:

..........bye

They have a lot to do with that. Haters are minority here (although active) to poison the discussion and keep me personally off GS...bye as well.

 

[MaiKatze]

My 2 cents of the 3 top ladies:

Evgenia Medvedeva - I like her, I am personally rooting for her to take the world title. Love her jumps, at least they are fully rotated, good height and distance. Has anyone notice, why did she pull her 'leggings' over her white boots? It is just so distracting and unattractive, it looks like she is wearing bedtime slippers. Otherwise, love her elegance, speed, everything.

Elena Radionova - Another skater that I like, jumps fully rotated with good height, etc. (Satoko better not medal at Worlds this time with her so 'obviously' underotated jumps, it just irks me to bits when the judges continue to give her high marks for her jumps!) My only question is - why is Elena skating to this dinosaur piece of music, 'Titanic'? That music is so archaic, the movie itself is 19 years old and Elena is only 17. Elena is youthful, full of exuberance and naturally radiant, she can skate to any music. If the coach wants her to skate to 'modern' music instead of 'classical', there are plenty to choose from her 'own' lifetime and not this sombre, melancholy grandma's favorite called 'Titanic'.

Anna Pogorilaya - I have followed figure skating for 20 years, serious, never seen any females fall like that in 'competition'. Glad she got the Bronze but her falls especially since NHK (when she had 3 falls in the LP, I think) just makes me nervous for her.

I don't get the hate Titanic and its Soundtrack is getting. Maybe it's an american thing? I was a bit younger, but around Elena's age, when that movie was in the theatres and I was absolutely in love with it. I wanted to be Kate Winslet (whose character, Rose is also 17!) and I loved Leonardo DiCaprio. Even though the movie is 19 years old it's not a grandma movie. Elena is even wearing the Heart of the Ocean replica and obviously loves the movie. I'd rather see a girl skate to something she loves and identifies with than something classical she doesn't understand or enjoys. The cut and the voiceovers are not good, I agree with that, but not everybody hates Titanic and I kinda feel a bit miffed that you call it a "dinosaur". What is the Soundtrack of Romeo & Juliet from Baz Luhrman then, another popular piece in figure skating (to stay with Leo DiCaprio)? That was released even earlier.

 

[Mrs. P]

I will be honest and say that I watch Titanic multiple times in the theater. I was close to the same age as Elena -- 16. But yes, I think the story resonated with me as a teenager. At that point, I had never fallen in love, so to see that sort of love play out was quite captivating to me.

IT goes to show how cynical we get when we're older. I am happily married, but my love life isn't anything like that movie (though again, I'm in a very loving marriage). So perhaps it does seem overly cheesy and overly sentimental to me now.

But Elena sells that program so hard. I can't help to think that she too yearns for that same incredible love story in her life.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Hating on Titanic these days is pretty much the cool in thing to do It's like ABBA. Nobody in the 70s would admit they liked them. It was cool to dislike them but look at them today

Titanic's reputation will rise again after people get over themselves. There are movies that are more corny and overblown that don't get half the hate.

 

[MaiKatze]

I will be honest and say that I watch Titanic multiple times in the theater. I was close to the same age as Elena -- 16. But yes, I think the story resonated with me as a teenager. At that point, I had never fallen in love, so to see that sort of love play out was quite captivating to me.

IT goes to show how cynical we get when we're older. I am happily married, but my love life isn't anything like that movie (though again, I'm in a very loving marriage). So perhaps it does seem overly cheesy and overly sentimental to me now.

But Elena sells that program so hard. I can't help to think that she too yearns for that same incredible love story in her life.

Haha, Mrs. P, we're about the same age. Maybe it is nostalgia, but I remember these days, being a young teen and that movie really touched me, and I liked the soundtrack. Of course I understand that "My Heart will go on" is an absolutely overplayed song and that people dislike it, but Titanic as a movie is something that I can see a teenage girl enjoy no matter if it's 1997 or 2016, it is in my opinion timeless, and I don't see it as a movie for grandmas. Aren't two skaters skating to the Gone With the Wind Soundtrack this season? *_*

 

[sneakers]

Wow, those Russian ladies are getting old Out the door by 20. Seriously though I am learning how the luck of genes does play a huge role and when you were born - had Sochi been two years earlier Yun or AMao would have had gold, chan would have had gold, okay v and t probably the same or Ssquared, nd Va nd M would probably have had a second gold. Life is a lot about luck I guess / timing and being there at the right time

some of those russian skaters will still stay longer than for some of the Canadian ladies. Osmond is always injured and hasn't lived up to her potential. puberty is biting Lena but she's still around.

 

[Seruleane]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the Titanic as a movie- it's actually a very good movie, and I'll admit to watching portions of it whenever it is on. Leo and Kate are also two of my favorite actors. Unfortunately, I think it kind of became a victim of its own success. I can't think of any other movie that became so overwhelmingly popular and commercial- and esp with the teeny bopper demographic (which I admit to being a part of) - such that it immediately generated a HUGE backlash. I recall there were many people who hated and made fun of the Titanic before it even won all those Oscars, so it's not like hating on the Titanic is a new thing. I do think the Celine Dion music is so overplayed and even Kate Winslet herself admitted the music made her feel sick to her stomach, so that tells you something.

GWTW is a classic, there is no comparison!! Maybe someday, Titanic will be a classic too.

 

[DannyCurry]

I don't get the hate Titanic and its Soundtrack is getting.

I loved Titanic. I still love it, as well as the music scores and Céline Dion and I'm not ashamed to say so.
That said, I find the music editing of Radionova's program pretty awful. I like her commitment into the performance and her natural ability to draw the audience into it but I don't like the program (mainly because of the music cuts and choice of that violin rendition I can't stand).

Well, my point is, even if one loves Titanic, one doesn't have to love Radionova's program to Titanic.

 

[silverlake22]

If I was the Russian fed and really really wanted a Russian sweep of Worlds, I'd send Evgenia, Lena, and Liza. I'd say Evgenia and Elena are pretty much guaranteed medals--at least based on how they have performed this season. Gracie and Ashley when clean, both have the ability to beat at least clean Elena. Clean Satoko will not be able to beat clean Evgenia/Elena/Gracie/Ashley. I'd bet on the world podium consisting of Evgenia, Elena, and whoever wins 4CC.

I feel pretty confident that regardless of who Russian sends to Worlds, they will most likely not sweep the podium. Right now it seems pretty clear that, barring meltdown, Medvedeva will be on the podium along with 2 of: Radionova, Miyahara, Asada, Gold, Wagner. Worlds being in the US is going to help the US ladies have more of a realistic chance, Radionova has a good shot of getting on the podium, but even she could wind up off it. Any other Russian lady, be it Liza, Anna, Julia, Adelina, or anyone else, will get thrown into the medal mix as a wildcard along with Polina Edmunds, Rika Hongo, with a very very slim chance of getting onto the podium - the stars would really have to allign.

Gracie's victory over Polina at Nationals and Evgenia's victory over Lena at Euros showed that this sport is very political. I'm not saying the outcome of those 2 events weren't right, but it does show that skating 2 clean programs isn't going to be enough for someone to win if you don't have the reputation to back it up. Polina didn't medal at either of her GP events and didn't make the GPF, as long as one of Gracie or Ashley didn't completely blow it at Nationals, one of them was going to beat Polina even if Polina was perfect. After Evgenia won GPF and Nationals so convincingly and Lena was a distant 3rd and 2nd at those events, it was clear that Evgenia skating decently well would beat even a clean Radionova at Europeans.

Liza doesn't really have any big reputation points that she earned all season. She lost to Ashley at Skate Canada, she was 5th at TEB, she didn't make the GPF and she finished 8th at Nationals. She had a couple of decent skates at some B events but she wasn't spectacular at them and she didn't compete in enough of them to really build any momentum. Julia, Adelina, and Anna similarly don't have momentum from the current season. Of any, Anna arguably has the most because at least she was 3rd at Nationals and got to compete at Europeans where she was 3rd. But anyways, the only way any of these girls is getting on the podium at Worlds is if at least 4 of Evgenia, Alena, Mao, Satoko, Gracie, Ashley make really significant mistakes there. Barring several meltdowns, I fully expect the podium at Worlds to come from this group of 6 girls.

The Russian Fed can do what they want, but I won't be surprised if whoever they send doesn't skate well at Worlds and I really don't think we'll see them on the podium. Unless Liza has a complete turnaround and is fabulous at one of these upcoming competitions, she'll go into Worlds knowing that she hasn't skated well most of the season and didn't really earn her spot on the team on top of having the pressure of defending her title and having the Russian Fed expecting her to skate 2 clean programs.....sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. If they don't send Anna (the logical choice given Nationals results and that she was 3rd at Europeans, which she would have been skating perfectly anyways), the Fed should consider sending Sotskova for experience. She has been consistent this season unlike any of the other ladies in the conversation, there wouldn't be pressure on her to medal, and it would help her gain exposure leading into the GP next season.

 

[winky97]

They have a lot to do with that. Haters are minority here (although active) to poison the discussion and keep me personally off GS...bye as well.

Don't leave! I don't always agree with you, but I like you!

 

[[email protected]]

Don't leave! I don't always agree with you, but I like you!

Thanks! But I am not leaving. I just said goodbye to one exchange of views which became unnecessarily personal.

 

[Mrs. P]

Haha, Mrs. P, we're about the same age. Maybe it is nostalgia, but I remember these days, being a young teen and that movie really touched me, and I liked the soundtrack. Of course I understand that "My Heart will go on" is an absolutely overplayed song and that people dislike it, but Titanic as a movie is something that I can see a teenage girl enjoy no matter if it's 1997 or 2016, it is in my opinion timeless, and I don't see it as a movie for grandmas. Aren't two skaters skating to the Gone With the Wind Soundtrack this season? *_*

The movie is definitely not for grandmas!

I think it was also fun to be part of something. It just was SO fun to see rack up box up records and see how many times I could see it before I got sick of it (never happened).

Also, I think the Titanic was such an important part of history, but I think most people didn't understand it. The movie made it accessible.

It blows my miind to think people born in the late 1990s are now high school kids, but I'd hate to think I'm a grandma now.

 

[Shayuki]

I feel pretty confident that regardless of who Russian sends to Worlds, they will most likely not sweep the podium. Right now it seems pretty clear that, barring meltdown, Medvedeva will be on the podium along with 2 of: Radionova, Miyahara, Asada, Gold, Wagner. Worlds being in the US is going to help the US ladies have more of a realistic chance, Radionova has a good shot of getting on the podium, but even she could wind up off it. Any other Russian lady, be it Liza, Anna, Julia, Adelina, or anyone else, will get thrown into the medal mix as a wildcard along with Polina Edmunds, Rika Hongo, with a very very slim chance of getting onto the podium - the stars would really have to allign.

Gracie's victory over Polina at Nationals and Evgenia's victory over Lena at Euros showed that this sport is very political. I'm not saying the outcome of those 2 events weren't right, but it does show that skating 2 clean programs isn't going to be enough for someone to win if you don't have the reputation to back it up. Polina didn't medal at either of her GP events and didn't make the GPF, as long as one of Gracie or Ashley didn't completely blow it at Nationals, one of them was going to beat Polina even if Polina was perfect. After Evgenia won GPF and Nationals so convincingly and Lena was a distant 3rd and 2nd at those events, it was clear that Evgenia skating decently well would beat even a clean Radionova at Europeans.

Liza doesn't really have any big reputation points that she earned all season. She lost to Ashley at Skate Canada, she was 5th at TEB, she didn't make the GPF and she finished 8th at Nationals. She had a couple of decent skates at some B events but she wasn't spectacular at them and she didn't compete in enough of them to really build any momentum. Julia, Adelina, and Anna similarly don't have momentum from the current season. Of any, Anna arguably has the most because at least she was 3rd at Nationals and got to compete at Europeans where she was 3rd. But anyways, the only way any of these girls is getting on the podium at Worlds is if at least 4 of Evgenia, Alena, Mao, Satoko, Gracie, Ashley make really significant mistakes there. Barring several meltdowns, I fully expect the podium at Worlds to come from this group of 6 girls.

The Russian Fed can do what they want, but I won't be surprised if whoever they send doesn't skate well at Worlds and I really don't think we'll see them on the podium. Unless Liza has a complete turnaround and is fabulous at one of these upcoming competitions, she'll go into Worlds knowing that she hasn't skated well most of the season and didn't really earn her spot on the team on top of having the pressure of defending her title and having the Russian Fed expecting her to skate 2 clean programs.....sounds like a recipe for disaster to me. If they don't send Anna (the logical choice given Nationals results and that she was 3rd at Europeans, which she would have been skating perfectly anyways), the Fed should consider sending Sotskova for experience. She has been consistent this season unlike any of the other ladies in the conversation, there wouldn't be pressure on her to medal, and it would help her gain exposure leading into the GP next season.

Saying that Radionova skated 2 clean programs is really stretching it. It's not only about falls and pops. "Clean" to me would be all elements without mistakes and around 2-3 GOE or at least the maximum GOE you personally can reasonably expect to get.

Anyway, Tuktamysheva hasn't had a single clean program this season. She can definitely podium with 2 clean programs even if the others skate clean. Whether she can do that is another story.

 

[winky97]

I don't think there is anything wrong with the Titanic as a movie- it's actually a very good movie, and I'll admit to watching portions of it whenever it is on. Leo and Kate are also two of my favorite actors. Unfortunately, I think it kind of became a victim of its own success. I can't think of any other movie that became so overwhelmingly popular and commercial- and esp with the teeny bopper demographic (which I admit to being a part of) - such that it immediately generated a HUGE backlash. I recall there were many people who hated and made fun of the Titanic before it even won all those Oscars, so it's not like hating on the Titanic is a new thing. I do think the Celine Dion music is so overplayed and even Kate Winslet herself admitted the music made her feel sick to her stomach, so that tells you something.

GWTW is a classic, there is no comparison!! Maybe someday, Titanic will be a classic too.

Maybe "Titanic" is on its way back. I finallly got time to stream the men's free and one of the guy's was skating to Titanic music complete with Jack and Rose voiceovers. LOL

 

[Violetti]

Titanic. Elena certainly did not see the movie 19 years ago. It might be only 2-4 years ago she saw it for the first time or got faschinated. My daughter was 13 years old when she watched it for the first time and yes, was faschinated (this winter). It is totally new to her and I understand very well that Elena loves it. I loved Elena's skating two years ago and this season's programs are better than last season's but somehow she isn't impressing me like she did before. But it might be different if one sees her live as Kiira Korpi commented that she expesses music with all her body or that she is in that music with all her body.