2017 Europeans Ladies FS

[sabinfire]

I don't care that she did it; I care that the judges didn't care. All of the hate that other skaters get for their OTT of stone-faced interpretation, and when Evgenia's usually stellar interpretation is off, no one cares. The judges don't care.

I've always been an advocate for Evgenia's enormous technical and artistic talent, but it's becoming more and more clear that no matter what she does, she will receive 9s and 10s in PCS. Skaters like Anna, who are Evgenia's equal or close to it, don't even have a chance. It is starting to feel less and less like a sport.

I'm sorry you're feeling 'down' about the sport right now. You seemed so positive last season, maybe things will change sometime in the near future.

TBH, I didn't even notice this "smiling" thing you are talking about, I was just enjoying Evgenia's performance, as I have all season. I have never had an issue with this 9/11 theme program, though.

I suppose if I were someone who didn't care for Medvedeva and/or found the 9/11 stuff offensive, seeing her smile would probably really get my goat. I would probably want to find reasons to criticize where I could.

 

[SXTN]

What was going on with Mishin? He behaved badly towards Caro.

 

[Sabrina]

I am happy Anna broke the spell, though placing her third in the LP, after Lutz less Caro, was a joke. So was down playing Laurine and placing her after Maria Sotskova.
I'm happy Caro came back, but she has to bring back Lz jumps and more difficult combis if she want to be competitive.

 

[andromache]

I'm sorry you're feeling 'down' about the sport right now. You seemed so positive last season, maybe things will change sometime in the near future.

TBH, I didn't even notice this "smiling" thing you are talking about, I was just enjoying Evgenia's performance, as I have all season. I have never had an issue with this 9/11 theme program, though.

I suppose if I were someone who didn't care for Medvedeva and/or found the 9/11 stuff offensive, seeing her smile would probably really get my goat. I would probably want to find reasons to criticize where I could.

Is it impossible for you to admit you are biased against her because of a program that she neither created nor chose?

Direct your wrath at Averbukh. Not at Evgenia, who has an interpretation of the music that has nothing to do with 9/11 at all.

I like Evgenia a lot. I am not biased against her or her LP (but her LP last season was much more of a masterpiece, IMO), though I think the sound effects used are a little much. Her program is about terrorism interrupting an otherwise normal day, and the chaos and fear and uncertainty that results when you don't know whether or not your loved one is dead. That is the story. She has performed it very, very well throughout the season, but I found her performance today to be interrupted by showing happiness at inappropriate moments. Her interpretation was weaker than it has been all season, and her PCS have not been affected.

 

[janav]

What was going on with Mishin? He behaved badly towards Caro.

Watch him in KnC with other skaters. Papa Mishin isn't exactly the huggy type. Handshake is all you get even if you just became Worlds champ https://youtu.be/Bl-pPoV3sr8?t=370

 

[sabinfire]

I like Evgenia a lot. I am not biased against her or her LP (but her LP last season was much more of a masterpiece, IMO), though I think the sound effects used are a little much. Her program is about terrorism interrupting an otherwise normal day, and the chaos and fear and uncertainty that results when you don't know whether or not your loved one is dead. That is the story. She has performed it very, very well throughout the season, but I found her performance today to be interrupted by showing happiness at inappropriate moments. Her interpretation was weaker than it has been all season, and her PCS have not been affected.

That seems petty (to me) to suggest that judges should be docking points from a skater because they cracked a smile as they were skating. Do these judges understand Evgenia's interpretation so completely that they can add/subtract PCS off her facial expressions at any given moment? Does this program require that someone skate around from beginning to end with a frown on their face and a tear in their eye? Would that be worth extra PCS?

 

[Yatagarasu]

Honestly neutral about the 3T, but to those of you who are saying it, I don't get how tacking on an invalid jump is pushing the sport.

I can answer that one, as I am one of those who is saying it.

Or something like it. I feel like realistically, the 3A and the quads just aren't going to happen, not for a large majority of the ladies. So we're basically at somewhat of a stand still in the ladies division. When she does something like this, I am in favor as it shows that there is room for the ladies to grow. Not "up", in terms of quads, but "sideways", in terms of changing the rules and allowing more variables in combinations. I am also in favor of changing the rule, for everyone, where a 2-3 and a 3-2 are rewarded differently. It would help the sport for the ladies and when Zhenya does this, she is saying that yes it's doable, we can, and in my opinion, once the field opens up in this direction, others will start doing it too because it pays off. They won't bother now because they don't have Zhenya's cushion but they would if they got the points for it.

 

[hippomoomin]

I am optimistic about Anna catching up one day. She is still 18, and she has achieved a lot we thought was impossible... In 2014, many said she had the only and last chance to go to worlds and make to the podium but missed...If she can pull off backloading jumps

I don't care that she did it; I care that the judges didn't care. All of the hate that other skaters get for their OTT of stone-faced interpretation, and when Evgenia's usually stellar interpretation is off, no one cares. The judges don't care.

I've always been an advocate for Evgenia's enormous technical and artistic talent, but it's becoming more and more clear that no matter what she does, she will receive 9s and 10s in PCS. Skaters like Anna, who are Evgenia's equal or close to it, don't even have a chance. It is starting to feel less and less like a sport.

 

[andromache]

That seems petty (to me) to suggest that judges should be docking points from a skater because they cracked a smile as they were skating. Do these judges understand Evgenia's interpretation so completely that they can add/subtract PCS off her facial expressions at any given moment? Does this program require that someone skate around from beginning to end with a frown on their face and a tear in their eye? Would that be worth extra PCS?

I mean, kind of? Though having a "tear in the eye" would probably make it hard to skate.

Any Schindler's List programs would also not have worked well if the skaters had smiled during them. I'm thinking of Josh Farris and Yulia in particular.

 

[Interspectator]

I'm going to be a big fan of Evgenia next season, when she has different programs.
Until then, I'm cheering my heart out for Anna and Laurine who did so well. Last season was a bit boring for me because the podium at Euros seemed to be a certain 1-2-3 for the Russian ladies, but now it seems more open with Laurine and Carolina stepping up. :thumbsup:

 

[gravy]

Direct your wrath at Averbukh. Not at Evgenia, who has an interpretation of the music that has nothing to do with 9/11 at all.

Despite whatever fever-dream-induced nonsense Averbukh has uttered, you can't say the program isn't about 9/11 when there are literally voice overs about the attack during the StSq.

 

[3T3T]

The ladies on the podium really delivered tonight along with plenty of good performances throughout the field it was a good night for the European ladies.

I disliked both of Evgenia's programmes at the test skates but the free really has grown on me as the season has progressed. For me the vocals with the steps really works. You have to admire her competitive spirit, she always delivers, she so rarely misses a jump. I love Anna this season, however whenever she skates I do feel a bit nervous for her, I liked the way she though on her feet tonight. She looked a little edgy tonight but you could see the relief on her face when she realised she was second. For me the performance didn't have the emotion or the passion of her Russian Nats performance but I still really enjoyed it. I was a little unsure that she would get 2nd but onwards towards Worlds.

It was great to have Carolina back and fantastic to see her on the podium. I honestly didn't think she would do it and moreso when BESP said she had no Lutz in the programme but she done well on GOE and rightly scored highly on PCS. If the gets the Lutz back she will be a factor in a worlds podium battle, and I didn't think that would be possible a few months ago. I was very disappointed for Sotskova, not a great time to have your worst performance of the season. But even if she landed all her jumps with no falls she wouldn't have been near Kostners score. A good performance by Radionova in the Winter Universiade could see her steal the worlds ticket from Maria.

Lecavelier skated lights out and while it was a fun programme I don't I would have her ahead of Sotskova overall. I found the programme sloppy and untidy towards the end but she has done so well this season. Others I enjoyed were;

Emmi Peltonen
Loena Hendrixx
Nicole Rajicova
Ivetta Toth
Nicole Schott
Matildhe Algotsson

Another impressvie night for European skating the pressure is on the dancers and the men to follow that trend tomorrow.

 

[sabinfire]

I mean, kind of? Though having a "tear in the eye" would probably make it hard to skate.

Any Schindler's List programs would also not have worked well if the skaters had smiled during them. I'm thinking of Josh Farris and Yulia in particular.

I don't think the gloomy style suits Evgenia particularly well. Farris & Yulia can do melancholy with the best of them, but Evgenia... not so much. I think she has been establishing herself very much in the "cute" genre, for the most part. Could you imagine Joshua Farris doing Evgenia's LP opening pose with the little wave?

 

[rosy14]

Xhenia is now judges' fav, don't know if for her freshness, consistency, support by her Federation..., so she always gets higher marks than deserved. For instance, I'd have put her second at Skate Canada SD, and today I'd have givem her less marks than usual, because the LP was executed (she executes, she doesn't perform or interpret) worse than in previous competitions.
The real issues will arrive next year with Tsurskaya and Zagitova:the first is much more powerful with big jumps. But she' s less elegant and less beutiful. Zagitova is even fleshier, quite cute and backloading a lot.
Which of the three Eteri will push ? And willl they give Xhenia a big programme, really worth of a double Worlds champion ? Or Aberbuch will resort to another astute programme ?

We are lucky Anna is much better now, Caro is back, and we'll see Japaneses and Canadians at Worlds. Otherwise what a bore it will be with Xhenia winning as a reward for the sole appearance !

 

[andromache]

I don't think the gloomy style suits Evgenia particularly well. Farris & Yulia can do melancholy with the best of them, but Evgenia... not so much. I think she has been establishing herself very much in the "cute" genre, for the most part. Could you imagine Joshua Farris doing Evgenia's LP opening pose with the little wave?

I completely agree, which is one of the reasons her LP last season was so much better. It let her be cute, and there was also depth and nuance there (not just surface-level cuteness). It suited her better.

 

[karne]

Despite whatever fever-dream-induced nonsense Averbukh has uttered, you can't say the program isn't about 9/11 when there are literally voice overs about the attack during the StSq.

That's not what I said. I said that Evgenia's interpretation - what she had been told the program was about and how she has been playing it - had nothing to do with 9/11.

Could you imagine Joshua Farris doing Evgenia's LP opening pose with the little wave?

This mental image will have me smiling and giggling all day.

 

[gravy]

That's not what I said. I said that Evgenia's interpretation - what she had been told the program was about and how she has been playing it - had nothing to do with 9/11.

So her interpretation has nothing to do with the music? Makes total sense. :sarcasm:

 

[Kittosuni]

Imagine if Evgenia adds another 3toe at worlds, Lord God some people are going to have seizures

 

[Mathman]

Isn't Evgenia's program in part about suffering though a life-shatterig event, but then picking up the pieces with a brave smile afterward?

 

[karne]

So her interpretation has nothing to do with the music? Makes total sense. :sarcasm:

That is what she had been told the program was about by Averbukh. Blame him, not her.

Imagine if Evgenia adds another 3toe at worlds, Lord God some people are going to have seizures

And I will be laughing and whooping with glee. Slay, Moon Princess, slay!