1.) Alexandra TRUSOVA -- 73.48 points -- 40.28 TES, 33.2 PCS
2Axel +3, very clean
3Flip +2, arms over head, too spinny of a takeoff, not enough amplitude, clean landing but ideally would flow out more and not break at the waist -- shut up about the edge because mechanically a flip being on the flat creates the ideal trajectory arc, it shouldn't be on a deep inside (but if you can do it that way it's fine), as opposed to the lutz where you should press on the edge to generate the jump. It's incorrect how the scoring system tries to treat Lutz/Flip mechanics as the same thing.
FCSp4 +3, pleasant in all regards
3Lz+3T +4, best she has ever done it, good distance and body position on both parts, maintains good speed, doesn't overly pre-rotate the toeloop here and lands it completely backwards, although the lutz isn't ideally executed in that regard
CCoSp4 +2, too plain on camel position and a bit slow, not a perfect transition between feet, second sit position is very nice
StSq3 +3, good flow and usage of arms for the most part, some of the edges could be better and the body positions more dynamic. However, a sequence like this is an example of what's wrong with the rules right now, it goes on for 42 seconds and is quite shapeless. There isn't a clear enough idea or feeling created by the sequence, and because it goes on so long you're left trying to evaluate so many different things within 1 element. The rules would be SO much better if step sequences required less content and if the SP required 2 step sequences (with the option of 1 being a spiral sequence).
LSp4 +3, nice entrance and centering, nice arms, pretty good speed, not the best free leg position, especially on the "haircutter" position I'm borderline about if it should count as a difficult variation like this
Skating Skills - 8.25 - nice flow and comfort of using the edges, although they could be deeper, pretty good speed but could get more out of the blade strokes
Transitions - 8.75 - they are all over the place, could show greater extension to reach the next level
Performance - 8.25 - a confident performance but not an overly radiant one
Choreography - 8.25 - the combo spin and especially the footwork sequence don't have enough purpose with the chosen movements, but there is a softness to the arms throughout and sense of unforced strength that is conveyed by the movement
Interpretation - 8.0 - a cantilever with this music? why? That's like wearing a leather dominatrix outfit to a baptism. Some of the other movements were too severe or non-descript for the music as well, but she generally followed its contours and the gentle crescendo
2.) Kamila VALIEVA -- 72.8 points -- 39.0 TES, 33.8 PCS
3F +2, too much pre-rotation and lacking amplitude, but clean and flowing
3A< -5 and fall, too ambitious doing it with arms over the head? or actually the only way she's able to generate the rotation somehow?
CCoSp4 +3, gorgeous position changes in the second half of the spin, nice acceleration and free arm in the donut, but she should try to not have a bent leg when going into it, and she needs to change arm position during the camel edge change, because it creates a disjointed look otherwise
3Lz+3T +3, I love the height she gets on the second part and the extended leg on exit, but the lutz is too low and pre-rotated, and the flow between the two jumps could be a little better
FCSp4 +3, it's a bit unbalanced to show just half a revolution of normal camel position before reaching for the free leg to do a new position, and again there is a bent leg in the transition; the upside-down position is gorgeous though and the upward catch-foot is well maintained
StSq4 +3, good edges and flow, could be more dynamic; she has a sideways leg raise in here that is too low and useless, and one of the hops was a little wonky, it almost looked like she caught a rut
LSp4 +4, the sideways position could be more sideways; choreographically I'm not a fan of her last position here - it would make more sense to do that in a combo spin rather than a pure layback, but the position itself is well executed and fast and very difficult
Skating Skills - 8.5 - good all around, not amazing
Transitions - 8.5 - many transitions, but falling disrupts this
Performance - 8.75 - she skates like a faster, more extroverted, more compact version of Alissa Czisny. She even graced us with a Czisny splat here. I'm into it.
Choreography - 8.25 - watching these again, it's blatant how similar Trusova and Valieva's programs are. People are definitely doing some copying of each other. Valieva has some better extended moves than Trusova, but she also fell here, so it's even for me
Interpretation - 8.25 - she follows the music well, but there are some useless CoP-isms happening here, and the fall didn't help, and also she could be moving faster after coming out of the combo spin to keep up pace with the music, and add a touch more maturity
3.) Daria USACHEVA -- 72.05 points -- 38.45 TES, 33.6 PCS
2A +4, super clean and flowing and good distance, could be higher
3Lz! -1, definitely not a clean edge, not a big jump or ideally rotated, slightly unsteady landing
FCSp4 +2, not the cleanest opening position, leg gets too bent during the edge change, could use more speed
3F+3T +3, she doesn't have great jump technique, but this has good flow and distance covered
CCoSp4 +4, very good speed and positions, could still transition between a couple positions better though
StSq3 +2, the ina bauer bobble wasn't really part of this sequence, but it leaves an aftertaste, I'll use it as the tiebreaker between a +2 and +3
LSp4 +4, really wish the system required an actual layback position in the layback (no sideways or catchfoot), but technically this one is strong
Skating Skills - 8.0 - generally good flow, but some edges were overly wobbly or shallow
Transitions - 8.5 - messed up the ina bauer and small problem on lutz exit, but the most variety and extension of anyone, I love that spiral position going into the jump combo
Performance - 8.5 - beautiful expression, elegant and radiant, could still project more
Choreography - 8.5 - the best of this competition, still a bit vague in that CoP kind of way, but the most coherent movement
Interpretation - 8.5 - very good embodiment of the repressed delicate dreamer, longing to break free, to leave the cruelty of society; she should try to hold that ina bauer longer on the crescendo to create a moment (even besides the mistake, she doesn't plan to hold it long enough)
4.) Anna SHCHERBAKOVA -- 71.68 points -- 38.88 TES, 32.8 PCS
2A +3, very clean but doesn't have the amplitude to deserve higher
3F +2, the current top Russian girls are so identical here, the same problems of pre-rotation and lacking amplitude and sometimes breaking at the waist when landing
CCoSp4 +3, very pleasant but not the best or fastest positions out there
3Lz+3Lo +3, her best execution ever of this element, but that lutz is still not the ideal
FCSp2 -2, very sloppy start and loses speed as a result
StSq4 +2, she hits the requirements fine enough, but several parts are rather shallow and don't feel natural, and nothing here is special
LSp4 +3, the illusion turn entrance could dip down better, leg on the sideways position is too bent
Skating Skills - 8.25 - very competent, not the strongest and most effortless
Transitions - 8.5 - she does plenty, the same "base mark" as Trusova, but I noticed a step going into the 3Flip that was a little rushed
Performance - 8.25 - mostly very polished, but a bit disconnected
Choreography - 8.0 - not enough standout moves, too montone
Interpretation - 8.0 - pretty generic refinement on display, it's respectable, not inspired
5.) Elizaveta NUGUMANOVA -- 70.37 points -- 37.97 TES, 32.4 PCS
3Lz 0, barely makes the rotation when looking at how much she pre-rotates, lacks good amplitude or any special quality
3Lo+3Lo +3, nice and lovely, could be bigger and faster
FCSp4 +3, very good but not extra special
StSq3 +3, very smoothly delivered, could be more dynamic
2A +2, clean but small and unspectacular
CCoSp3 +3, solid and great speed on that last position, but it's not the most elegant position, same for the bent leg in the sit
LSp4 +3, good all around but on the last position she isn't able to stretch it out without losing speed
Skating Skills - 8.0 - very steady but needs to get more power out of the blade usage
Transitions - 8.25 - smooth movement throughout, but does less with connecting the jumps
Performance - 8.25 - very nice, but could show more flourish
Choreography - 8.0 - cute, not extraordinary
Interpretation - 8.0 - we've seen this so many times, it's a perfectly acceptable rendition, but lacks anything different
6.) Elizaveta TUKTAMYSHEVA -- 69.36 points -- 37.96 TES, 31.4 PCS
3A -3, bad step out on landing
3T+3T +3, very solid but could be more explosive, and her technique here is a bit flawed, she's sneaky pulling that picking foot around on takeoff
FCSp4 +2, nice until that last position, debatable if it should count for level credit
3Lz +4, excellent but could still jump higher if wanting a max score
LSp3 +2, that entry isn't enough to count for level credit, sideways position is weak but barely acceptable, could use more speed, the one-handed position is good though
StSq3 +1, some nice touches, also some weaker steps, and a little stumble
CCoSp4 0, mediocre positions and speed, I'm assuming she lost level credit on the second position, but I will call it as decent enough
Skating Skills - 8.0 - a solid amount of power, some edges are quite strong but others are a bit unfinished, could show more range
Transitions - 7.5 - clearly less than the others
Performance - 8.0 - a nice performance, lacked a bit of energy and needs to be more commanding
Choreography - 7.75 - lacks great enough highlights, and some weaker positions create a less pleasing picture, but pretty good
Interpretation - 8.0 - showed quite good attention to the music actually, taking her time to utilize the arms appropriately, but she misses a key climax in the music and needs to further refine the form and add more energy to make it truly stand out
Does it give them some sort of sick thrill to break her?
Those Russian judges are just doing everything to push up the skaters of the same group to the skies! 
Just keep it in mind: the higher you hold, the worse you fall! 
