2016 World Championships Ladies Free Skate

[MaxSwagg]

I am laughing so hard at this farce! Since when does Ashley Wagner have superior skating skills and transitions than Mao Asada? Oh wait. She doesn't! That is a complete JOKE! Her skating skills should be no higer than 8.25 (that may even be a gift) and the transitions in the 7s!

 

[bara1968]

Oh come on Gracie! If Ashley can make it after these long years of being 'almost girl', why can't you? (Also Caro K...) Obviously Gracie has lot better technical goods than Ashley. Too bad that she could not hold it together tonight, but it is not the end of the world! She is still definitely a podium material against any girls in any competitions anywhere in the world. Just try to be yourself and keep up!

And congrats to all the medalists! It was a great competition

 

[Warwick360]

This is how you do a proper tano

https://youtu.be/XUwBkQEILVo?t=3m17s

And probably how never to do commentary. These trio are so distracting.

Especially the two- Tara and Johnny.:disagree:

 

[brightphoton]

I am laughing so hard at this farce! Since when does Ashley Wagner have superior skating skills and transitions than Mao Asada? Oh wait. She doesn't! That is a complete JOKE! Her skating skills should be no higer than 8.25 (that may even be a gift) and the transitions in the 7s!

Ashley has actually been working really hard on adding transitions, especially with her free program. Someone on the forum did a side-by-side comparison of her two Moulin Rouges and you can see how much more packed her new free program is. She's also been researching CoP throughout the season, studying her opponent's protocols, and making sure all her levels and increasing her technical base value. Also, she performed the best of all the ladies. Her interpretation was top-notch, every detail taken care of. There wasn't a moment that she wasn't Satine.

Mao has been injured? ill? and you can tell she was nervous in her skating. Sometimes she'd stop being Madame Butterfly, and you could tell she was thinking, "okay, now I have to set up for this jump, get in position, here I go!"

Ah, found the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-sfMJcJMs0

 

[MaxSwagg]

Ashley has actually been working really hard on adding transitions, especially with her free program. Someone on the forum did a side-by-side comparison of her two Moulin Rouges and you can see how much more packed her new free program is. She's also been researching CoP throughout the season, studying her opponent's protocols, and making sure all her levels and increasing her technical base value. Also, she performed the best of all the ladies. Her interpretation was top-notch, every detail taken care of. There wasn't a moment that she wasn't Satine.

Mao has been injured? ill? and you can tell she was nervous in her skating. Sometimes she'd stop being Madame Butterfly, and you could tell she was thinking, "okay, now I have to set up for this jump, get in position, here I go!"

Ah, found the video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-sfMJcJMs0

You're completely ludicrous if you think Ashley Wagner has superior skating skills. That's disturbing and absolutely insulting.

 

[apons575]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0PV7JJPIxk


My dream short program for Gracie

 

[miki88]

I could see Ashley getting high scores for performance, interpretation but not skating skills. She doesn't have the best skating skills and it's really evident in her step sequence which almost always appear labored. I was surprised to see her getting some 3's in GOE for that element. She's improving in getting the spin levels but they aren't executed that well , a bit rush and sloppy at times. Her programs tend to have a lot of crossovers and posing instead of difficult transitions. They needed to give her higher PCS over Evgenia, though I agree for presentation, I'm not sure if Ashley is better than evgenia in other areas to be honest.

 

[topaz emerald]

Poor Gracie. Where was the attack in that fire bird program?? That bird looked lost after it was done. Come on, she had the home crowd, skating next to last! She bombed, I don't even enjoy her skating yet I was rooting for her. She's just like Mao, has the goods, but very weak mentally. The American ladies slump continues from the gold medal in so many years

 

[twirlingblades]

You're completely ludicrous if you think Ashley Wagner has superior skating skills. That's disturbing and absolutely insulting.

Okay but PCS aren't just made up of "skating skills" (which is a very broad term). A lot of it has to do with choreography, interpretation, transitions, etc. Ashley had that today and Mao didn't-- and the overall package can be heavily influences by how well the skater skates technically (Mao was slow and skaters tend to slow down and get sloppy when they mess up a jump or spin). They are very different skaters, and to say that one has definitively better skating skills than the other is just an opinion and doesn't really mean anything. Not many people touch Wagner when it comes to interpretation, tbh.

 

[brightphoton]

You're completely ludicrous if you think Ashley Wagner has superior skating skills. That's disturbing and absolutely insulting.

So? PCS isn't just skating skills. Otherwise, we'd just call it SS. Sure, Mao has better SS, but Ashley beat her on interpretation, transitions, choreography, and performance. Sheer interpretation, choreography, performance, Ashley was the best, hands down, above everyone in that stadium, and her transitions were top notch as well.

You can't sit on your skating skills laurels forever. Even Patrick Chan couldn't rely on it for the Olympics.

 

[apons575]

Completely agree his pep talk before that skate was not very inspiring and it made me nervous for Gracie. I'm not a coach, but I really think Gracie needs someone to tell her to kick some *** out there instead of to focus on every element which leads her to skate cautiously.

KICK SOME *** GRACIE!!!!! COME ON!!! World Champion 2017- Gracie Gold!! Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Lol

 

[twirlingblades]

I could see Ashley getting high scores for performance, interpretation but not skating skills. She doesn't have the best skating skills and it's really evident in her step sequence which almost always appear labored. I was surprised to see her getting some 3's in GOE for that element. She's improving in getting the spin levels but they aren't executed that well , a bit rush and sloppy at times. Her programs tend to have a lot of crossovers and posing instead of difficult transitions. They needed to give her higher PCS over Evgenia, though I agree for presentation, I'm not sure if Ashley is better than evgenia in other areas to be honest.

Just out of curiosity, what spins do you not think are executed well? I like her spins and positions, I think they do get a little slow at times. I love her step sequences, though that just might be because I like the choreography of the sequences.

 

[TontoK]

I was not impressed by Medvedeva, although I've got no real problem with her being at the top of the podium. It was technically proficient, if not mature and inspiring... in my book anyway. Still, a worthy winner.

I think I'd have put Pogo on top. A mature, difficult program delivered cleanly. I liked it quite a lot.

I liked Ashley a great deal, so congrats to her. I think the fire never entered Gracie's program after than first mistake. It's a shame. I had hopes.

Satoko looked very pretty on TV. She reminds me of Sasha Cohen in an odd way. I think I've read that she's skates "less big" in person. I don't know, but I thought she did well.

 

[MaxSwagg]

So? PCS isn't just skating skills. Otherwise, we'd just call it SS. Sure, Mao has better SS, but Ashley beat her on interpretation, transitions, choreography, and performance. Sheer interpretation, choreography, performance, Ashley was the best, hands down, above everyone in that stadium, and her transitions were top notch as well.

You can't sit on your skating skills laurels forever. Even Patrick Chan couldn't rely on it for the Olympics.

Which is why I specifically mentioned those two components! Did you even read?

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Okay but PCS aren't just made up of "skating skills" (which is a very broad term). A lot of it has to do with choreography, interpretation, transitions, etc. Ashley had that today and Mao didn't-- and the overall package can be heavily influences by how well the skater skates technically (Mao was slow and skaters tend to slow down and get sloppy when they mess up a jump or spin). They are very different skaters, and to say that one has definitively better skating skills than the other is just an opinion and doesn't really mean anything. Not many people touch Wagner when it comes to interpretation, tbh.

skating skills and transitions aren't opinions! You can see it and count them!! Are you kidding me?!

 

[miki88]

So? PCS isn't just skating skills. Otherwise, we'd just call it SS. Sure, Mao has better SS, but Ashley beat her on interpretation, transitions, choreography, and performance. Sheer interpretation, choreography, performance, Ashley was the best, hands down, above everyone in that stadium, and her transitions were top notch as well.

You can't sit on your skating skills laurels forever. Even Patrick Chan couldn't rely on it for the Olympics.

Yea, but Ashley did get highest SS, which isn't right since she doesn't have the best SS, not just against Mao, but I would say Satoko and Anna has better SS than her as well. Anna has more speed and Satoko has smoother stroking. She doesn't have the most intricate transitions either and her spins tend to look sloppy when she's trying to hit those levels, and that should be reflected in execution. So no, she wasn't better than everyone in all PCS components. Choreography is debatable.

 

[topaz emerald]

Evgenia did much better in the long program than her short. But again, over-scored just as she was in her short. She needs to work on her skating skills. Still, I just can't get into her programs this year. But she is what you call a real competitor.

 

[brightphoton]

Which is why I specifically mentioned those two components! Did you even read?

Sure, but judges tend to give the same scores across the board. I've never to this day seen a 10 for SS, and then a 6 for choreography and 5 for interpretation.

And honestly, I didn't think Mao was skating like she usually did in previous year. She seemed cautious and tentative, and somewhat slow. I think it's a combination of her injury that she's recovering from, nervousness about the triple axel attempt, perhaps a mild cold.

Yes, she's got great skating skills, but it just wasn't the same at 2016 Worlds, and to give her the top scores every time because she has an amazing reputation is just laurel-resting.

 

[twirlingblades]

Which is why I specifically mentioned those two components! Did you even read?

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skating skills and transitions aren't opinions! You can see it and count them!! Are you kidding me?!

Uh, okay, replace "opinions" with "subjective". All PCS are subjective. Hence the reason people always fight over them and there is controversy. Transitions aren't as subjective, but I would say skating skills can be and they vary from competition to competition. Ashley should've probably been lower in SS, but her overall performance was much better, and PCS (in all categories) tend to be higher the higher you are in ranking. Is it fair? Probably not. But, truth is, Ashley skated lights out and skated much better than Mao. Mao edging Ashley out in SS wouldn't have mattered anyway. Mao shouldn't get scored based on reputation.

 

[miki88]

Just out of curiosity, what spins do you not think are executed well? I like her spins and positions, I think they do get a little slow at times. I love her step sequences, though that just might be because I like the choreography of the sequences.

The last spin in her SP looked very labored. You could see she was trying hard to get the level. Ashley is a great performer though I'm not a big fan of her music choices besides Black Swan LP. David Lease from TSL gave the best description of her skating when he said she skates from the neck up. Her performance ability can compensate, at times, hide her weaknesses.

 

[yyyskate]

mao's speed is slow in this competition, really felt laboured, it is safe to say that she is slower than anyone in the last group. I think many people who watched live would agree with me. And speed is one important aspect of SS.