2018-19 Ladies' power ranking

[halulupu]

I called her performance inferior to Asada's, but that wasn't the point anyway. I was pointing out the general scoring inflation with inferior choreography that goes on today as compared to the past programs.

I understand your point. On the other side when 10 years ago they gave 7-8 to mao for this kind of brilliant performance, i never knew what kind of skater they were waiting for to give the 9-10 range. This kind of deflated scoring wasn't making much sense either. It make actually sense to award the top skaters of the year with the 8-10 range. due to rule changes etc. Scores are not comparable anyway

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I understand your point. On the other side when 10 years ago they gave 7-8 to mao for this kind of brilliant performance, i never knew what kind of skater they were waiting for to give the 9-10 range. This kind of deflated scoring wasn't making much sense either

Back then the scoring was way less reflective of the actual efforts put forth by the skaters in relation to the full scale value provided by CoP. It also allowed for PCS to save the anointed ones much easier. You’d see errors in TES eclipsed by a wall of PCS only a few could obtain. I don’t miss that at all.

 

[andromache]

Rika has great basics and two quality (if a little generic/snoozy) programs. This year, the priority has been on consistency and that 3A, it seems to me. I think next year we'll see more of an individual, interesting approach to her programs and on-ice personality. But right now, it's not as if she's a total jumping bean with nothing else to offer.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Rika has great basics and two quality (if a little generic/snoozy) programs. This year, the priority has been on consistency and that 3A, it seems to me. I think next year we'll see more of an individual, interesting approach to her programs and on-ice personality. But right now, it's not as if she's a total jumping bean with nothing else to offer.

Rika did great in the SP!! It’s great to see. No need to update her power rankings until after the FS though. To me...the FS is far more important for her and the whole competition in general.

 

[andromache]

Rika did great in the SP!! It’s great to see. No need to update her power rankings until after the FS though. To me...the FS is far more important for her and the whole competition in general.

100% agree. Leading going into the LP is very different than coming from behind. It's going to be a different type of pressure for Rika. And even if she cracks under it, it will be an important learning experience.

 

[chopinskate]

You’d see errors in TES eclipsed by a wall of PCS only a few could obtain. I don’t miss that at all.

...It's not like it's changed...

 

[Alexz]

Sure. I don't think she was imitating any particular skater there, just went with a generic program to a "lovely" piece of music.

Agree on a generic program. It is a bit of an old FS thing to skate to such lovely-themed lyrical cliché. Unavoidable necessary evil. I dont use word "imitation" in a bad way here. After all ballet dancers perform to the same music with the same choreography too. For years sometimes. Only ballet buffs can spot the difference and see the personality betwen different dancers underneath that all. In case of Rika's SP I see typical Mao and Yuna vibes and definitely lack of originality. But that is choreographer and a coach to blame here. They just went ahead with a "golden recipe" blockbuster. Underneath the typical generic program I yet see Rika's personality. Which is already a good thing. I hope she keeps developing further to find her own choreo language. Recycling choreography is not always a bad thing, but only if it is done correctly. Rika delivered, so it did looked boring, but not cheap. Although choreography could have been more self-contained and original, but that's another question.

Originality and personality, in terms of actually making a good program, is absent this season, mostly.

Junior ladies and Rus Ladies Nationals is a place to be this season. This is where all the action and different flavors are happening this year.

 

[chopinskate]

In case of Rika's SP I see typical Mao and Yuna vibes and definitely lack of originality.

I don't. I don't agree with bunching those two together either, as they had different skating styles and personalities. The style is hardly something that could be attributed solely to Yuna or Mao even if you wanted to anyway, you can see several woman in the past attempting it, even before them.

Junior ladies and Rus Ladies Nationals is a place to be this season. This is where all the action and different flavors are happening this year.

Disagreed.

 

[Alexz]

Rika has great basics and two quality (if a little generic/snoozy) programs. This year, the priority has been on consistency and that 3A, it seems to me. I think next year we'll see more of an individual, interesting approach to her programs and on-ice personality. But right now, it's not as if she's a total jumping bean with nothing else to offer.

Agree on everything. Smart strategy of her coach and choreographer. Very good move for a debut in adult ladies field. I'm hopeful for more interesting ideas next season. In fact I demand! Rika has potentially much more to offer than her current programs.

 

[Alexz]

[...] The style is hardly something that could be attributed solely to Yuna or Mao even if you wanted to anyway, you can see several woman in the past attempting it, even before them.

TBH, I'm not sure I follow here...

Their particular styles or a style of generically cute balletically-inspired choreography with soft hands skated to a lovely piece of classical music?

 

[chopinskate]

TBH, I'm not sure I follow here...

Their particular styles or a style of generically cute balletically-inspired choreography with soft hands skated to a lovely piece of classical music?

Yeah, the sentence structure fell apart from me there. Generic choreography such as Rika's is a trend that has always existed in FS, is all I meant to say. Apart from that, I don't think Yuna and Mao had similar styles, nor would I bunch their styles into this generic genre. What I meant was even if you did want to ascribe Yuna and Mao a "generic" label, that wouldn't mean it was they who started that trend, there were many before them who did the same thing.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Wait next year for Kostornaya. Or are you specifically routing against Russians? :think:

I'm rooting against the notion that only Russians can see rapid rises in PCS scores. People focus too much on history instead of looking at two athletes skating in the same arena to determine who performed better.

 

[Alexz]

Yeah, the sentence structure fell apart from me there. Generic choreography such as Rika's is a trend that has always existed in FS, is all I meant to say. Apart from that, I don't think Yuna and Mao had similar styles, nor would I bunch their styles into this generic genre. What I meant was even if you did want to ascribe Yuna and Mao a "generic" label, that wouldn't mean it was they who started that trend, there were many before them who did the same thing.

Mao's and Yuna's style were certainly different. Although they are known for exploiting and using generic genre a lot too. It is when they delivered on different occasions some very original and interesting programs they become a very special to me. It certainly not they who formed this "generic" choreography, but they had been milking it a lot too. On many occasions. Yet we had seen their own personality a biut even while they were going with a "can't go wrong" stereotypically lyrical clichés. I think we see that here with Rika too, but need to see more of her in seniors for another year.

 

[Alexz]

I'm rooting against the notion that only Russians can see rapid rises in PCS scores. People focus too much on history instead of looking at two athletes skating in the same arena to determine who performed better.

Well, we had seen a lot of rapid PCS rises in the past. Many examples. Rika is a fresh one here. It is not somehow nationally connected only to Russians. Or you can prove otherwise?

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Rika has great basics and two quality (if a little generic/snoozy) programs. This year, the priority has been on consistency and that 3A, it seems to me. I think next year we'll see more of an individual, interesting approach to her programs and on-ice personality. But right now, it's not as if she's a total jumping bean with nothing else to offer.

I think having someone around like Liza, who has similar difficulty but less polish than Rika, helps Kihara look better. She shows that having a 3A and having interesting programs are not mutually exclusive. I like watching programs like Rika's a lot more than those of Alina, although I think it's clear a lot more is going on in-between the jumps of the Russian's program. Alina had the complexity but lacked spark, so the slight PCS edge over Rika was justified IMO.

 

[chopinskate]

Although they are known for exploiting and using generic genre a lot too.

Some of their programs were bad, yes. And everyone has unfortunately fallen into this at least once.

I think we see that here with Rika too, but need to see more of her in seniors for another year.

This is true for her SP, yes.

 

[tofuetoffee]

Rika skates a generic princess SP like many Japanese girls that show good basic skating skills but doesn't show much personality and her strengths.

Alina skates a frenetic crammed SP like many Eteri girls that show quantity of transitions but doesn't show much personality and her strengths.

Neither girls are in full control of creating their programs at the end of the day and both girls can do better.

Flip a coin.

 

[BillNeal]

Careful Bill, or you'll be tarred and feathered for having a different opinion. Alina could possible win here, but the story from last night is that Rika is now getting high PCS which should make it harder for others to compete, given her technical prowess. All the more reason for Medv. and others to seek out coaches to assist in reworking technique.

We fans need to keep in mind that what makes figure skating better is to have both advocates and critics of different aspects of the sport. As I mentioned, Alina is a lovely girl but it's not fair to both her or her competitors to score her like she is near perfect in every single component. In terms of PCS, she deserves 9's in TR but not in IN, CO, SS. Rika has less difficulty in the connecting movements but better basics, choreography, polish/finish, musicality, and connection with the audience. Some posters have reported Rika's excellent flow, how her skate moved them, and that she was the only one to get a standing ovation last night. Having attended a few international events myself in Canada and from watching the streams, the audience gives standing ovations based on merit (prominent examples Zijun Li and Davis/White, even when they competed against Virtue/Moir, at London Worlds 2013). Some of us are happy that the judges are more properly recognizing the quality of a skater like Rika, instead of giving undeserved points gaps to a skater just because of reputation.

Alina's jumps have regressed since last year in terms of rotation, the entry edge (eg. very shallow outside edge on the Lz), problems with maintaining the flow in the landing, etc. I too want Alina to seek some coaches to rework her technique and fix the hunched posture, maybe through some stroking classes. If she does, I hope her fans keep an open mind that change takes time. The genuine fans of Medv., for example, would stick with her and support her through this period of adaptation, in search of her long-term goals. I hope Alina can also work with outside choreographers. She is talented but needs the right vehicles to display her full potential.

 

[gravy]

https://youtu.be/Ul7_q9kasuI

10 years later, a program to the same music at the GPF gets rewarded more on PCS with far inferior choreography, interpretation, and skating quality. An unfortunate trend for the last decade.

Beautiful.

Funny, Rika's performance actually reminded me of Mao's first Nocturne that she did as a full-time senior. Pretty piano music with a matching pastel dress, not much that choreographically stands out in the program but it's a good vehicle that lets us focus on their phenomenal skating skills, nice spins, attention to music, stretch, and beautiful yet difficult jumps.

It'd be interesting to see Rika use this music at the end of a second quadrennial in 7 years just like Mao did to see her artistic growth.

Also important to keep in mind that Mao did this Clair de Lune program in her 4th senior GP season as opposed to Rika in her first.

 

[Osmond4gold]

Rika did great in the SP!! It’s great to see. No need to update her power rankings until after the FS though. To me...the FS is far more important for her and the whole competition in general.

So true Sam, as demonstrated by Kaetlyn who led in 2017 after the SP but could not repeat her SP performance in the LP. Loads of learning as we know, regardless of a 3rd place finish at last years GP Final.