Ladies Long Program

[Tonichelle]

I wonder if Kimmie will want to return at all, how much fire she will still have for skating. I hope she does -- I enjoy her skating and think she continues to improve all the time in the non-jump aspects. I'd love to see her get her jumps back, as well.

Also, our young(er) guns haven't gone through their own growth spurts -- who knows how they'll fare when they do, and if they'll have difficulties, and want to keep skating despite them, as Kimmie has.

But Kimmie's Worlds victory is now 2 seasons ago. I admire her for staying in this long; will she want to continue if she's not seeing the victories in the big competitions?

She may have new hope/energy with the move to Callaghan, so she may be around at least another season. But I wonder if she'll want to do even that.

Of course, she may still feel like there's nothing else she really wants to do besides skating, and keep on with it for that reason. (Which I guess may be part of Fumie's sticking around so long -- sheer love of the sport but also a feeling that there's nothing else she'd rather be doing anyway, even if the skating's not what it once was.)

Could not have said it better.

unfortunately for Kimmie she did a bit of this competing thing backwards... but I refuse to count her out. She rocks, a bad season cannot change that she did win in 2006 AND that she is a good skater... no one can be on top of their game every single season... if *the Kween* had her bad years.

 

[mizu_iro]

Kinda interesting and feel bad that all of Carolina's placements this season have been controversial. I hope she will be proud of having the best season in her career and keep the momentum going into next season.

The confidence could really be good for her and turn her into a perennial gold contender. If she starts going close to clean all over the place that'd be great - she's a truly exhilarating skater when she's ON (like GPF IMO). Problem is, I think a lot of people didn't think she was on tonight, while Yukari definitely was and Yu-Na was for a few moments. I definitely think that Yukari deserved the highest PCS of the night by far, and Yu-Na should have been next (but still significantly higher than the others). Both Yukari and Yu-Na also have great speed, if not as much as Carolina, and sound edging, especially Yukari, so that shouldn't have justified putting Carolina's element-to-element-lukewarm performance below Yu-Na's softness and Yukari's sheer exuberance.

Actually, I found Laura Lepisto's program absolutely enchanting too. If PCS was used correctly, she would be awarded with high marks for her incredible basics and elegant presentation - but of course, that'll never happen because she doesn't have the lutz or flip.

 

[nubka]

You know, more than once during the Ladies competion, I found myself thinking about Emily Hughes, and wondering how she would have fared...

 

[mizu_iro]

You know, more than once during the Ladies competion, I found myself thinking about Emily Hughes, and wondering how she would have fared...

Come to think of it, her Skate Canada score would have landed her in 7th...

 

[DragonPhoenix]

Oh I forgot to say that I feel so sorry for Miki.
I got teary with her, I thought she was not in the condition to compete when she fell on her salchow....on her triple Salchow!!

I heard she is going to have a surgery and I hope all the best for her!!!

Yes, Miki is going to have surgery and I hope all the best for her too !!!

Sorcerer posted in an earlier post about Miki's many injuries


[QUOTE
Miki explained her plan to have surgery in around April, on her shoulder which has long been injured. ..She dislocated it (plural times and again) in Nats'06 and hurt it also in the International Counter Match last October. ..She always has it taped on ice to avoid further dislocating, but she can't avoid it occasionally happening when she is asleep, so the condition is now not good. ..Expected to have 3 or 4 bolts implanted, taking 3 months to recover. .. She also said "I'd like to do my Beillman again by the time of next Olympics 2010."

AFAIK, on July 26th '04, she cut her shoulder deeply with her skate edge when she was praticing quad, had 6 stitches, had it taped just like now in the '04 season (NHK for ex.).
She dislocated the same shoulder on Aug 27 '05 while practicing spin. (Her arm slipped away from the free leg while spinning very fast.)

She also said in her own words that she hurt her shoulder (badly) while she was fixing her lip.

[/QUOTE]

Despite all this, I think Miki will come back strong next season !!!

Go Miki

 

[Tonichelle]

every competition has its share of what ifs.

 

[DragonPhoenix]

Quote:
Poor Miki Ando. I think she cannot bear skating in the second to last group. It affected her psyche too much.Quote

I wonder how this poster knows what Miki's psyche can or cannot bear?

EXACTLY !!! :agree:

 

[fumie_fumie]

Yukari's 3A

her 3 axel got 3.50 and -1.26 GOE. Had she done a double axel, her placement would have been much higher.

 

[_Ladybug_]

I have a feeling Miki won't ever win worlds again. I don't think she will regain her top shape. It's sad though. I hope she proves me wrong.

 

[NatachaHatawa]

Miki just broke my heart! Seeing such a fighter just give up is awful! It was obvious something was wrong before she went on the ice, she looked as if she was going to cry. Apparently she's injured, but she wasn't her usual self! Poor Miki!
I loved Yu-Na's program (as usual), and I'm really happy she managed to get the bronze medal.
Mao was great! She's done so much progress in artistry!

 

[JonnyCoop]

Wow. Between Miki withdrawing, the Finnish ladies pulling the Good Short/Disasterous Long (and vice versa), and a few other things, that is quite an interesting top 10. Kimmie certainly seemed to luck out -- 9th & 12th in her programs and she finishes SEVENTH???

Congrats to Bebe on her top 10 placing -- -- I had it switched around; going into this, I would have put Ashley in the top 10 and Bebe where Ashley ended up.

 

[sorcerer]

I heard Miki had a serious injury(on her thigh??) during the practice and Morosov suggested withdrawal, but Miki refused to sign on the paper.

I don't know if I got this information right.
Does anybody know what exactly Miki's condition was??

In Japan, Kyodo Press had reported just after the morning practice about Morozov saying that he'll have Miki withdraw from the LP because of injury.
The coach said Miki had slightly torn her left calf muscle during her training in Netherlands the week before, and hurt it again in the morning.

Following is my compilation from other sources:

She could not continue the morning practice for more than ten minutes, could do no jumps, her muscle re-torn a little.
Morosov talked her into withdrawing not to damage her muscle any further, he was very much afraid of it, but she had a very strong feeling towards showing whatever was left that she can do in that circumstance, to thank her fans and her staffs through her skating. They discussed for quite a while.

So though JSF prepared the withdrawal form to submit to the ISU, she refused to sign it. For her It was not a matter of winning or losing, but a matter of what she had promised to herself. (< sorcerer's translation of her words "nattoku-ga-ikanakatta". I think she knew well that she would probably make a disaster of herself.)

JSF stated that they would let her on the ice for the 6 minutes warm-up, and will decide after how she does there.

The doctor gave her a temporary pain remedy, but it only worked for a jump or two in the warm-up.

Well, you all know the rest of this.
--------------------------------------------
If I catch interview articles, I'll try to make brief summaries here later.
All I know now is that Miki is now reproaching herself too much for not being able to avoid injuries that prevent her from living up to the expectations.
If only I could be of help to her ... unfortunately I'm merely a fan of hers, there are very little things I can do.

PS: Congratulations to Mao, Carolina, Yuna !

 

[spookyangel]

In my own logic Mao's fall which left a 20-30 second gap with NO choreography should have kept her off the top spot of the podium. She was held up by the judges in this respect, touch downs on jumps is one thing but when you have a gapping hole in your program that's another. PC was used as a place holder for her in this event.

I totally agree with you. It is not fair that Mao’s PCS is higher than Yuna’s and Carolina’s. I just don’t get it!!!

 

[_Ladybug_]

I was just watching a couple of videos on youtube and oh my... I don't want to see Kimmie like that ever again. She looked like a mix of disappointment and resignation. She is so much better than that.

 

[Bill508]

Kimmies sad situation.

When Kimmie considered it a great feat that she managed to stay upright during the SP it kind of tells one that shes finished before it starts. Shes lucky that the 2006 Worlds was a post Olympic affair without much competition although some think Fumie should have got the gold. Two slots in next years Worlds in LA. ((

 

[DragonPhoenix]

I have a feeling Miki won't ever win worlds again. I don't think she will regain her top shape.

I understand this is your hope and your fondest wish. I can see right through your post.

 

[Skye]

So though JSF prepared the withdrawal form to submit to the ISU, she refused to sign it. For her It was not a matter of winning or losing, but a matter of what she had promised to herself. (< sorcerer's translation of her words "nattoku-ga-ikanakatta". I think she knew well that she would probably make a disaster of herself.)

I've just tried to totally ignore the fact that Miki has withdrawn, because it's too heartbreaking for me to even think about it, but that quote... man. I'm sure she's been on an emotional roller-coster ever since Torino, and perhaps this may be a blessing in disguise for her to take a break and heal her injury. If anyone can make it back, it's should be Miki.

 

[hazey]

In my own logic Mao's fall which left a 20-30 second gap with NO choreography should have kept her off the top spot of the podium. She was held up by the judges in this respect, touch downs on jumps is one thing but when you have a gapping hole in your program that's another. PC was used as a place holder for her in this event.

From this post, I doubt you watched Mao's FS. Or perhaps you dislike Mao so much that a maximum 13 sec gap with her regrouping right back into the choreography (which normally would have been the usual stroking *anyway*) seems to be 20-30 secs to you. Watch the video again and comment please. The bias is so obvious.

 

[ChrisH]

As much as penalizing under rotated jumps could push skaters to have higher quality jumps, I really feel that over penalizing (doubled, lower base score plus negative GOE) hurt figure skating ... This system need to be fixed.

:yes: Until that aspect of the CoP system is fixed, the number of examples of skaters getting standing ovations, being underscored, and then the scorers getting booed will keep on growing.

Or at least all those ugly landed jumps shoud be properly reflected in PCS.

Agreed again. I think that the criteria for the PCs leave plenty of room for that. IMO, the judges (rather than the CoP system) blew it in this instance. I think it's naive to believe that a heavily European panel scoring the European champion in an event held in Europe weren't biased. Kim should've been ahead of Kostner in the overall.

I'll wait to see slow-mos of their jumps before saying anything definite about where Nakano should've been placed. I suspect that Nakano should've been above Kostner in the free skate, but I'm not so sure about the overall.

 

[MarieM]

Nakano ? Ahead of Kostner ?

This is why I luuuuuuve COP !
It gives credits to fully rotated jumps and good technique over sloppyness and cheated jums. It may one day get every single skater to do again real lutz and flip.

Nakano may skate with speed and joy, all her jumps have bad technique (the leg wrap itself could justify a -1 on every jumps) and she cheats on the rotation. The 3 axel was not 3 and a half turn but barely 3. Nearly all her other jumps are missing 1/4 turn.
I was happy to see her skate like that, but she needs to clean her technique. Miki did and now she has a wonderfull flip, so why can't Nakano (and others) do the same ?

On the other hand, Karo has true and real triples, with the good technique. It's worth a lot more IMO than seeing flutz and lip getting credits they don't deserve in whole. It's easier to cheat anyway ...