Campbell's -- and the winner is...

[R.D.]

I think there's clearly some confusion as to how this is gonna work. (Not that I'm claiming to understand it all, though :scratch: )

It's fine by me if the USA wins. It's also fine by me if Japan wins but I'd RATHER USA win (but I wouldn't be behind them like I would be behind, say, the USA world basketball or soccer team).

Cohen WILL do an SP, take my word for it. And even if she makes a mistake she usually scores very high on it. As for Meissner and Hughes (especially Meissner), they're probably better off skating Free- to warm up for the coming season.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Cohen WILL do an SP, take my word for it. And even if she makes a mistake she usually scores very high on it. As for Meissner and Hughes (especially Meissner), they're probably better off skating Free- to warm up for the coming season.

However, Emily is better in the SP than the LP. As a warmup for the upcoming season, the LP would be a better choice, but to play to her strengths, an SP would be better.

Matman, when do we get to talk about the boys? I would find the numbers on them but it is late. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow.

 

[Mathman]

The gentlemen.

This will be such a crackerjack event that all skaters will achieve their personal bests.

Oda: SP 78.25, LP 144.90
Takehashi: 77.70, 149.44
Nakaniwa 63.29, 120.26

Lysacek: 73.42, 152.58
Weir: 80.00, 146.20
Smith: 61.84, 125.51

2 LPs (Lysacek, Takahashi, Smith and Nakaniwa) and 1 SP (Weir and Oda):

Japan: 347.95
USA: 358.09

 

[Oscilla]

I think Oda would be definitely better off doing LP. He seems to be the most consistent of the bunch, and from what I've seen, he's improved a lot since Worlds. Plus it would give him some more experience for SA.

BTW, it's been posted at Asada sisters webpage that both of them will be doing LP at Campbell's. Mao's LP is Czardas from album 'Tchaikovskiana', played by Tasmin Little & John Lenehan; Mai's is Black Swan played by Alexander Markov.

 

[Mathman]

BTW, it's been posted at Asada sisters webpage that both of them will be doing LP at Campbell's. Mao's LP is Czardas from album 'Tchaikovskiana', played by Tasmin Little & John Lenehan; Mai's is Black Swan played by Alexander Markov.

Cool. Thanks for the info and welcome to Golden Skate!

This makes a lot of sense from the point of view of the head-to-head matchups. Sasha is widely expected to do her Dark Eyes short program, because this is what she has been skating in exhibitions and she has not been training an LP as far as anyone knows. Of the three Japanese skaters, Miki Ando is the best match for Sasha in terms of international experience.

Mao against Kimmie is the matchup everyone is waiting for, conceivably a prelude to a World Championship showdown (though there are many other skaters who will have something to say about that).

That leaves Mai Asada and Sarah Hughes to face each other, probably as the opening act of the ladies competition. Sarah can score points if she hits all of her jumps, with (IMO) Mai having the edge in the second mark.

I can hardly wait.

 

[R.D.]

Sarah? lol

 

[CDMM1991]

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Has the format for this been issued?

Will it be in couples, i.e., one US v. one Japanese? as it has been done in the pro-am comos? - or -

Will it be a random drawing of who skates 1st from each side and then will they alternate each skater by team.

Whatever makes the comp tick I am sure ABC and Campbells will have a hand in it. JMO.

Joe

 

[Mathman]

I don't think there has been an announcement about the format. We probably won't know until it happens.

 

[Bill508]

Call me a traitor but I always support the Japanese girls. The road to Vancouver goes thru Tokyo!

 

[chuckm]

I wouldn't be at all suprised if about a week before Campbell's, Sasha reports an injury and withdraws, and Katy Taylor takes her place. If that happens, then Emily will have to do the SP and Katy the FS. Katy is a better free skater than a SP skater, and it's the opposite for Emily.

 

[R.D.]

in all honesty, not to wish anything bad on Cohen but I hope that happens (that she's replaced).

 

[ladybug]

Because of contracts with ABC and appearance fees, it is sometimes harder to withdraw from the Cheesefests than it is from an actual competition.

If Sasha plans on skating at Nationals and Worlds, it would probably do her a lot of good to skate at Campbells. No real stress to deal with especially under this format. It may also tell her if and when she wants to return.

Ladybug

 

[Oscilla]

Thank you, Mathman, for warm welcome

According to her journal entry, Sasha is already preparing for the Campbells. She will do her SP, "Dark Eyes", just as expected. She said she has no time to prepare a new program or to design a new dress.

I'm really looking forward to this competition. Actually, I'm really interested to see the "weak links". I haven't seen much of Smith yet, and from what I've seen of Nakaniwa I liked. He's quite a lyrical skater and has a fairly stable quad.

Mai is another skater whom I'd love to see. I just saw a tiny clip of her new program which she performed at Prince Ice World show in Japan. I was really impressed by her jumps - recently, even at DOI, they were VERY unstable, even when she managed to land them they were kind of shaky - but at PIW they looked very secure, with nice height and flow out. It would be great if she could perform like this at Campbells.

 

[Mathman]

Because of contracts with ABC and appearance fees, it is sometimes harder to withdraw from the Cheesefests than it is from an actual competition.

I think so, too. Michelle limped her way through the audience vote thing last year even though she could hardly walk, much less state. I think Sasha will be there. The event probably needs her to attract the casual fan.

 

[Mathman]

According to her journal entry, Sasha is already preparing for the Campbells. She will do her SP, "Dark Eyes", just as expected. She said she has no time to prepare a new program or to design a new dress.

Hmm. The overall feeling I got from this journal entry is that Sasha is looking forward to the next (non-skating) stage of her life.

http://www.sashacohen.com/journal.shtml

"It’s difficult to stay in competitive shape when we’re doing so much traveling and it’s hard to maintain a strict diet. We have catering, eat out together when we can and it doesn’t lend to good nutrition discipline while touring...

"It takes me about three days to begin to feel like I’m getting into competitive shape. The first few days it’s so difficult to change your lifestyle. It’s a lot of skating and endurance plus off-ice drills. Each day I get more motivated. I have added yoga to my workout schedule.

"Mr. Nicks will be coaching me soon. I need to get into better shape and then we will work together to get ready for the competition."

Then she goes on to talk about the script for her appearance on CSI and how she is looking forward to taking acting lessons and going on auditions after Campbell's is out of the way.

 

[chuckm]

Does her remarks about food mean she eats next to nothing when she's in training? Maybe that's why she makes mistakes in the FS---her stamina goes out the window.

I agree with mathman. Sasha says she is motivated about competing, but I am not so sure. She says Nicks will be coaching her "soon", but Campbell's is on October 15, less than 3 weeks away. Talk about last minute preparations!

I'm still not convinced that she will be there. If after Campbell's she is going to dedicate herself to her acting career, that says to me that she is not going to be at Nationals and Worlds.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

That journal entry is dated 26 October. Surely it should be September.

Dark Eyes is a well choreographed program and she has skated it many times, and did extremely well as shown by the results. It will fit like a glove for her on the floor with or without last minute training. She should present a grand performance of this program. I think she will, although I do not see any higher technical than what she has done before.

Now there are the teenagers. whom I believe have been working on their skills to have the higher technical,earning them high points in the scoring system. (I'm presuming this will be CoP scored.) I think the consensus of the posters seem to say that high tech ups the PCS scores. In that respect, I see Mao, and yes, Kimmie too, if they throw in the 3x3s, to be close in the PCS scores.

I'll be more interested in individual scores than the Team results.

This will be the first competition out of their stables for all the skaters so I don't believe it is necessary to take it all that serious. For most of the contestants, it will be a lesson learned for the upcoming GPs, Nats, and Worlds.

For Sasha who I believed from day one that she is a dreamer of glitz more than sport, it may well be her swan song as she pursues her acting career. Much depends on CSI for that.

Joe

 

[R.D.]

I don't think the language in the journal should be taken at face value (i.e. reflecting the "mood" she's in). Isn't she always talking about non-skating stuff?

But my hunches were right. First, her doing her SP, second, her branching off into acting.

 

[Lucy25]

I will be interested to see what jumps Sasha attempts in that SP. She preformed it on the Japan tour with only the double axel. She didn't do a lutz or flip in her summer program. I can't imagine she could get them back so soon. I wonder how the ISU judges would score it with only the one jump?