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- Mar 7, 2015
2016-2017 State of Canadian Figure Skating
- Thread starter Mango
- Start date
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- Apr 5, 2016
Well, October 29 was just as good as October 28. The highest number of medals from a Skate Canada event to date according to TSN. :hap93:
In ladies - Kaetlyn and Alaine both had some issues, but strong performances regardless. Alaine was actually 4th in the FS, which has to be a great confidence booster. Kaetlyn became the first Canadian lady to score over 200 points since Joannie Rochette. I personally thought in the FS she would be behind Satoko and would have been behind her if it were not for Satoko's StSq and underrotations. Both Alaine and Kaetlyn's jumps are big. Not as big as Gabby, but still pretty big. I am not sure why she should change her music to "Turandot" because Michelle Long is skating to that this year and Kaetlyn's fine with La Boheme. Has medalled everywhere she has competed and won Finlandia. Maybe those scores are giving some people head issues.
Jones/Reagan had some beautiful moments. That last lift :luv17:. I hope Bryce really helps them improve their twist and SBS jumps, especially Josh's. We'll have to see how Ruest/Wolfe do this week in Russia but I think the battle for 5th Canadian pair is brewing. Luba and Dylan's jump issues continue. That was saddening to see. The fall on the throw was also unexpected. The quality of their other elements was lovely. Especially those lifts. Yu/Zhang deservedly got great PCS for their beautiful performance, even better than Séguin/Bilodeau who had higher TES - which makes me wonder about the homebrewing in Chicago last week.
Meagan had the hard fall on the throw 4S which I had expected after seeing them fall in the FS run through (they nailed another one right after the run through) but that performance was much improved from Finlandia. I was glad to see them nail the SBS 3Lz, and the throw 3F. A little SP note: they landed better throw 3Axels in practice so I think it will get better as the season goes along. The judges are also not giving them run away PCS so the haters should be at ease. They have to earn their marks, as it should be.
I hope they improve on their results for NHK.
I saw Kirsten Moore-Towers in the lobby and she looked pretty as ever. She was with someone though, so I didn't approach her.
Something appeared to have happened to Liam between the SP and FS. He had been successfully landing jumps on Friday, but became more unsuccessful come Saturday. Took some hard falls. I think his programs and jumps are a work in progress. But the move to Bruno has been good. He finally got over 200 points this season, and did it twice now. Keep going Liam!
Kevin Reynolds!! The dude worked his butt off in every practice. My friends and I were trying to take pictures of him and it was impossible because he did not stop skating. By the gala practice we were calling him 'GIF' because every photo of him was blurry.
Kevin earned his bronze by just attacking. Yes, his spins were slow. He also appeared to skate slow and cautious in the FS itself (we reckoned it was nerves because he wasn't that slow in practice) but he tried his best. His marks were on par with what he got at BC Summer Skate. He can improve. He may not have another GP assignment, but I look forward to seeing him at Nationals and hopefully 4CC. Right now he has established himself (once again) as the #2 Canadian man.
Patrick...well, I don't think I need to offer any deep analysis as his GOEs and PCS have been discussed to death in other threads. But I will offer some observations being rink side as I was. His choreography fills the rink. He has some stunning speed, as I noticed at Stars on Ice, but with this choreography he is able to fill the rink. The PCS came from that choreography, IMO. David Wilson with Patrick is a brilliant combo. And the fact that he stayed on his feet (except on the 4S) despite the doubling of his jumps. The music was so deep at certain points you could feel the vibration in the rink. It went right to my chest and shook. I know it's being called funeral music but people don't play this kind of music at funerals. This music is melancholic but builds. It has a certain je ne sais quoi. It suits him, and you can tell Eric composed it with great consideration.
This was not his best competition by any stretch of the imagination. Yuzuru would have won if he had made even one less error. The people (all Canadians) seated near me and I would have been ok with that because we saw Patrick's struggles in the end. Apart from the three men who had no glaring errors (Misha, Michal, and Alexander) everyone had problems so the final results were understandable for me. But there were things to like about every skater.
Alex and Mitch - so disappointed. This 'mushy' FD music is not for them. I saw them perform an exhibition to "Thinking Out Loud" and it suited them so much better if they want to go the romantic route. The SD was also a better fit though they lost levels. So far Marie-France and Patrice have not helped them go anywhere nationally or internationally. I want to see changes pronto.
Piper and Paul - wow. Just wow. I did not expect them to beat Anna & Luca, but it happened. It was the performance of the day, IMO. Just powerful, clean, and wonderfully executed. Stayed in character until they hit the kiss and cry. Deserved standing O. I know their step sequences were level 3 but I honestly think no one in the rink cared. This was their moment. I am so glad I got to see them perform this program like they did. Scored their PB too. I hope they've silenced their detractors now - no more strange choreo or lines, just pure ice dancing. Though a gold is out of the question, I'm expecting good stuff in Paris!
Tessa and Scott had visible errors. Still beautiful despite the mistakes. As I mentioned elsewhere, their team is going to have to work on their level problems. They were better at ACI. They, like Patrick, won on the strength of the short program. But that isn't satisfactory for one of the best ice dance teams in the world right now. Their chemistry and a lot of the basics are still there though. I liked seeing that. I want to see them go clean. ACI cannot be their peak this season. I hope like Meagan and Eric in Finland that this was that
competition for them, and it's out of their system. Plenty of time until NHK to get shipshape.
Does anyone have any questions about stuff that happened at SCI? I (or another user who went) can try to answer!
Medals count
11 gold, 8 silvers, 7 bronze = 26 medals in total
In ladies - Kaetlyn and Alaine both had some issues, but strong performances regardless. Alaine was actually 4th in the FS, which has to be a great confidence booster. Kaetlyn became the first Canadian lady to score over 200 points since Joannie Rochette. I personally thought in the FS she would be behind Satoko and would have been behind her if it were not for Satoko's StSq and underrotations. Both Alaine and Kaetlyn's jumps are big. Not as big as Gabby, but still pretty big. I am not sure why she should change her music to "Turandot" because Michelle Long is skating to that this year and Kaetlyn's fine with La Boheme. Has medalled everywhere she has competed and won Finlandia. Maybe those scores are giving some people head issues.
Jones/Reagan had some beautiful moments. That last lift :luv17:. I hope Bryce really helps them improve their twist and SBS jumps, especially Josh's. We'll have to see how Ruest/Wolfe do this week in Russia but I think the battle for 5th Canadian pair is brewing. Luba and Dylan's jump issues continue. That was saddening to see. The fall on the throw was also unexpected. The quality of their other elements was lovely. Especially those lifts. Yu/Zhang deservedly got great PCS for their beautiful performance, even better than Séguin/Bilodeau who had higher TES - which makes me wonder about the homebrewing in Chicago last week.
Meagan had the hard fall on the throw 4S which I had expected after seeing them fall in the FS run through (they nailed another one right after the run through) but that performance was much improved from Finlandia. I was glad to see them nail the SBS 3Lz, and the throw 3F. A little SP note: they landed better throw 3Axels in practice so I think it will get better as the season goes along. The judges are also not giving them run away PCS so the haters should be at ease. They have to earn their marks, as it should be.
I hope they improve on their results for NHK. I saw Kirsten Moore-Towers in the lobby and she looked pretty as ever.
She was with someone though, so I didn't approach her. Something appeared to have happened to Liam between the SP and FS. He had been successfully landing jumps on Friday, but became more unsuccessful come Saturday. Took some hard falls. I think his programs and jumps are a work in progress. But the move to Bruno has been good. He finally got over 200 points this season, and did it twice now. Keep going Liam!
Kevin Reynolds!! The dude worked his butt off in every practice. My friends and I were trying to take pictures of him and it was impossible because he did not stop skating. By the gala practice we were calling him 'GIF' because every photo of him was blurry.
Kevin earned his bronze by just attacking. Yes, his spins were slow. He also appeared to skate slow and cautious in the FS itself (we reckoned it was nerves because he wasn't that slow in practice) but he tried his best. His marks were on par with what he got at BC Summer Skate. He can improve. He may not have another GP assignment, but I look forward to seeing him at Nationals and hopefully 4CC. Right now he has established himself (once again) as the #2 Canadian man. Patrick...well, I don't think I need to offer any deep analysis as his GOEs and PCS have been discussed to death in other threads. But I will offer some observations being rink side as I was. His choreography fills the rink. He has some stunning speed, as I noticed at Stars on Ice, but with this choreography he is able to fill the rink. The PCS came from that choreography, IMO. David Wilson with Patrick is a brilliant combo. And the fact that he stayed on his feet (except on the 4S) despite the doubling of his jumps. The music was so deep at certain points you could feel the vibration in the rink. It went right to my chest and shook. I know it's being called funeral music but people don't play this kind of music at funerals. This music is melancholic but builds. It has a certain je ne sais quoi. It suits him, and you can tell Eric composed it with great consideration.
This was not his best competition by any stretch of the imagination. Yuzuru would have won if he had made even one less error. The people (all Canadians) seated near me and I would have been ok with that because we saw Patrick's struggles in the end. Apart from the three men who had no glaring errors (Misha, Michal, and Alexander) everyone had problems so the final results were understandable for me. But there were things to like about every skater.
Alex and Mitch - so disappointed. This 'mushy' FD music is not for them. I saw them perform an exhibition to "Thinking Out Loud" and it suited them so much better if they want to go the romantic route. The SD was also a better fit though they lost levels. So far Marie-France and Patrice have not helped them go anywhere nationally or internationally. I want to see changes pronto.
Piper and Paul - wow. Just wow. I did not expect them to beat Anna & Luca, but it happened. It was the performance of the day, IMO. Just powerful, clean, and wonderfully executed. Stayed in character until they hit the kiss and cry. Deserved standing O. I know their step sequences were level 3 but I honestly think no one in the rink cared. This was their moment. I am so glad I got to see them perform this program like they did. Scored their PB too. I hope they've silenced their detractors now - no more strange choreo or lines, just pure ice dancing. Though a gold is out of the question, I'm expecting good stuff in Paris!
Tessa and Scott had visible errors. Still beautiful despite the mistakes. As I mentioned elsewhere, their team is going to have to work on their level problems. They were better at ACI. They, like Patrick, won on the strength of the short program. But that isn't satisfactory for one of the best ice dance teams in the world right now. Their chemistry and a lot of the basics are still there though. I liked seeing that. I want to see them go clean. ACI cannot be their peak this season. I hope like Meagan and Eric in Finland that this was that
competition for them, and it's out of their system. Plenty of time until NHK to get shipshape. Does anyone have any questions about stuff that happened at SCI? I (or another user who went) can try to answer!
Medals count
11 gold, 8 silvers, 7 bronze = 26 medals in total
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- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
Thanks for the excellent report, Mango! So envious here.
I have a quick one for you. The speed of both Kaetlyn and Alaine, looked like lightening versus the other competitors. Was this the case versus the field, or as it appeared on TV?
I have a quick one for you. The speed of both Kaetlyn and Alaine, looked like lightening versus the other competitors. Was this the case versus the field, or as it appeared on TV?
Revisiting an earlier discussion in this thread, the Warsaw Cup entries have been posted now, and Skate Canada does not feel it needs to send any Canadians...
http://www.isuresults.com/events/fsevent00051666.htm
http://www.isuresults.com/events/fsevent00051666.htm
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2012
Revisiting an earlier discussion in this thread, the Warsaw Cup entries have been posted now, and Skate Canada does not feel it needs to send any Canadians...
http://www.isuresults.com/events/fsevent00051666.htm
The correct link for 2016 Warsaw Cup:
(Your link was for 2015.
For 2016, the U.S. entries are Hiwatashi for men; Liu/Johnson for pairs; Maxwell/Deveraux for dance.)
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Thanks ice coverage...
And yes, there are still no Canadian entries even though the field is larger in all disciplines....Clearly other countries feel that maximizing the benefit of Senior B opportunities is important. [including as you say, the US]..Sigh...
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2014
It looks like the Warsaw cup is mostly about experience and getting your qualifying scores? Maybe Skate Canada feels like everyone who they want to send to worlds will make the qualifying scores in grand prix events?
Yup, experience it is....but the athletes just below the national team level aren't getting enough of it.
Skate Canada's Long term athlete development model clearly articulates that a significant part of the year at strength on strength competition is necessary at the development level just below the senior A / national team level. I
In fact the guidance says that skaters should be at and preparing for competition 25% of the year. It says that the competition experience is necessary to gain consistency and psychological skills / resilience...It's hard to argue that a few summer skate events, a single challenger, SC Challenge, and nationals are sufficient to do this for a skater's development.
It's not just about getting the minimum TES in my view...
And I'm concerned that somewhere the old "wait your turn" view is still in the back of the minds of some when they make these decisions. But without sufficient experience, I am concerned that we'll continue to hear about "consistency issues" among national team members once "their turn has come"...
- Joined
- Jan 11, 2014
I think if they should probably be sending some of the younger skaters out more. We don't have a lot of depth. If you look at the U.S. (and I'm only using them because I know their skaters better than Russian or Japanese skaters) they potentially have 6 women they could send to worlds who could be in the top 10, maybe 5 or 6 men and anyone of 5 pairs and dance teams. We know who we will be sending unless someone gets injured in men and dance. In ladies it will be two of three women and in pairs 3 of 4. We don't seem to be pushing our b team skaters forward as much as maybe we should be.
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- Apr 5, 2016
Thanks for reading that wall of text Osmond4gold.
I think Kaetlyn and Alaine were fast. Alaine is a bit more cautious going into jumps so she slowed down more than Kaetlyn. Kaetlyn was speedy and had great flow across the ice. The only ladies I really noticed were slow were Satoko and Mirai. The others I found slowed down here and there to set up elements.
as someone suggested in another thread, she could leave it out
YuNa left out the loop because of her back problem, not because she couldn't do it.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
yeah.. but the point i am sharing, as made by another user in another thread, is that a skater can leave out a jump and still be competitive. Mao is having a rough time now but she is leaving out the 3T.... not all ladies need to have all triples... and that will be even truer if it's true that the ISU wants to remove one jumping pass after 2018.
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2015
I believe Kaetlyn added the loop in order to be able to complete a seven triple program. If she reverts back to a salchow as she did last year, she'll have no choice but to make the 2A-3T into 2A-2T all the time, since she already repeats the flip and would now have two salchows.
The loop isn't a regular jump for her, so it will likely remain her biggest weakness until she gets the hang of performing it in competition.
Cup of China is a decent field, but if Kaetlyn performs as she did here, she'll still get something in the 195-200 range, which will likely be good enough to beat everyone except a clean Wagner and a clean Radionova. Keep in mind as well that Wagner, with supposed home inflation, only scored 196 a few weeks ago and Radionova's health is questionable. The other contenders, Rika and Liza, have both lost favour with the judges and Kaetlyn beat both of them by a considerable margin this week, and Mai Mihara's personal best is still only 189. I do see Kaetlyn as a very real podium contender and a GPF berth is actually somewhat possible. How exciting would that be?!
It's great to see our Canadian ladies realizing their potential.
The loop isn't a regular jump for her, so it will likely remain her biggest weakness until she gets the hang of performing it in competition.
Cup of China is a decent field, but if Kaetlyn performs as she did here, she'll still get something in the 195-200 range, which will likely be good enough to beat everyone except a clean Wagner and a clean Radionova. Keep in mind as well that Wagner, with supposed home inflation, only scored 196 a few weeks ago and Radionova's health is questionable. The other contenders, Rika and Liza, have both lost favour with the judges and Kaetlyn beat both of them by a considerable margin this week, and Mai Mihara's personal best is still only 189. I do see Kaetlyn as a very real podium contender and a GPF berth is actually somewhat possible. How exciting would that be?!
It's great to see our Canadian ladies realizing their potential.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
well, I think Kaetlyn will keep the loop anyways for now... I don't think it's an impossible mission for her and we may be surprised. What is very good about Kaetlyn is that she is a smart worker. She said after Finlandia : i need this triple triple... She went and got it. In both programs. You can be sure that on her mind right now are two things : can I actually tag that 3T after the 2A? I am SO SURE that she can.... wouldn't be surprised to see this as the next improvement. I am sure the loop, ( as if I am not mistaken it was her last triple jump acquired right???? ) is always on her mind and that she is always working on it. Perhaps it's a question of doing it earlier in a program? Right now, the 2A-3T combo comes right after the triple-triple and every time, it seems like she is thinking too hard about the 3T. She could put the loop there and just focus on that one jump.. I don't know if that would have a positive effect or not.
The best approach is to not underestimate opponents but concentrate on one's own preparation. I am sure Kaetlyn is aware she is not bringing the home ice advantage with her to CoC, and she can't expect the same scores in Shanghai.
Ashley had no prep event other than the Japan Open before SA, and jet lag in between. With four weeks of intense practice, she should be much improved. SA was Mai Mihara's first GP and she won a medal. She doesn't flutz or lip, has a 7-triple FS planned, and can improve on that personal best score at CoC.
Rika and Liza may have 'lost favor' with the judges at SC, but who knows how the judges at CoC will see them? Liza has textbook jumps and may be ready to add in the 3a in a couple of weeks.
We will see how questionable Radionova's health is in a few days.
Ashley had no prep event other than the Japan Open before SA, and jet lag in between. With four weeks of intense practice, she should be much improved. SA was Mai Mihara's first GP and she won a medal. She doesn't flutz or lip, has a 7-triple FS planned, and can improve on that personal best score at CoC.
Rika and Liza may have 'lost favor' with the judges at SC, but who knows how the judges at CoC will see them? Liza has textbook jumps and may be ready to add in the 3a in a couple of weeks.
We will see how questionable Radionova's health is in a few days.
Kaetlyn wants to be competitive, all summer in SOI Kaetlyn did a 3Lo with the hard entrance in her performances at the same place she does it in her LP. She's been working at it and I don't want to see her give it up. During Yuna's time she could afford to give up a triple but now that Ladies are doing 2A-3Ts and 3-3s in the second half I don't think anyone can afford leave out a triple if they want to be a threat.
Really? I didn't find Satoko all that slow, her edgework and skating skills were the best of the field. For me the Korean ladies Nahyun Kim and Choi Dabin were really really slow.
Thanks for reading that wall of text Osmond4gold.
I think Kaetlyn and Alaine were fast. Alaine is a bit more cautious going into jumps so she slowed down more than Kaetlyn. Kaetlyn was speedy and had great flow across the ice. The only ladies I really noticed were slow were Satoko and Mirai. The others I found slowed down here and there to set up elements.
Really? I didn't find Satoko all that slow, her edgework and skating skills were the best of the field. For me the Korean ladies Nahyun Kim and Choi Dabin were really really slow.
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2013
Well...you have been bold with statements previously robredo40, but this time I think you're right!
- Joined
- Mar 26, 2012
I think the state of Canadian figure skating is darn good in all 4 disciplines. Big improvements in the ladies's field and powerful pairs and ice dance teams. After Patrick Chan, there might be a slump in the men's field but not for long. Keep up the good work O Mighty Canada my old and favorite neighbor!
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