A lot of drama went on in this segment...
1. Kaetlyn Osmond: As much as I loved this program last season, I wanted to see something new this time. Nevertheless, Kaetlyn is an engaging performer and she did very well in a field where almost everyone else had major mistakes, so she definitely shined here. I’d have her score a couple of points lower, but it’s a very well-deserved lead.
2. Anna Pogorilaya: As soon as I saw her score on the results page (couldn’t watch this live), I breathed a sigh a relief. She was struggling so much in practice, but look at how well she did here! Of course, we still have the FS to go, but a clean SP is a good start. She didn’t have that much fire either, but I think that’s more due to her focusing on not falling, so the presentation will surely improve once she gains more confidence.
3. Maria Sotskova: So will Maria be keeping last year’s dress permanently for this program? I don’t think it really fits the theme. Anyway, solid performance from her as usual, but I think that her program is missing a sparkle. I ended up loving her boring (and unpopular) FS from last season because there were beautiful moments throughout, but this SP feels a bit empty.
4. Courtney Hicks: Like Anna, I’m relieved to see Courtney do well. I loved Wakaba’s SP to the same music last season though, so I can’t help but think of comparisons. Courtney has improved her presentation and her jumps look a little more stable now. I hope she can carry this momentum into the FS!
5. Karen Chen: She was a little overscored, but I did enjoy her performance. Like Maria, it seems that she’s keeping her last year’s dress. I hope that she can have a stronger performance tomorrow.
6. Rika Hongo: Why do the judges always underscore her? It’s really frustrating to see that they always inflate certain skaters’ scores but they also always lowball certain others too. Sure the TES may be fair considering her questionable jumps, but Rika sold that program well and the PCS should’ve been at least 31. Scoring aside, it’s great to see that Rika is not backing down yet.
7. Ashley Wagner: Exactly like Kaetlyn - she brought back a program that I absolutely loved, but I’m wanting to see something new. Seeing how she had jump problems today, I have a feeling that her TES problems will continue throughout the season again. Loved the exciting presentation as usual, but she needs to maintain her jumps.
8. Laurine Lecavelier: Very lovely program, and I thought her PCS should’ve been higher. She had jump issues like the others but made me forget about them because of how beautifully she performed that program. I’m excited to see how it will grow as the season goes.
10. Marin Honda: I want to say that I’m shocked...but I’m really not. As soon as I heard that she’d be doing a 3Lz-3T, I had a bad feeling. This new program is gorgeous (too much arms in the step sequence though), and I hope that we’ll be able to see a clean version of it next week at COC. Right now, she’s scheduled to skate first tomorrow, so I hope she can go all out.
Haven’t watched Kailani, Alaine, or Larkyn yet.