My 0,02$:
All my boys, except for Kozuka (wasn't someone telling horror stories from his practices?), were so extremely nervous. I still love them all.
Kozuka: Beautiful. I love the program, it's only memorable when done effortless and flawless - as was it done here. Amazing jumps - and yes, it's quite possible to get 47 TES when you got jumps like that. If Johnny had a clean program with all levels maxed out and without the Flip edgecall he would be able to get that too (I did the math after NHK). This program had such a relaxed zen-like feeling to it, it will go down in my video library. And his smile is gorgeous. Will he take out the Quad tomorrow now? If he lands 8 perfect Kozuka Triples, he should be hard to catch - especially since Jeremy isn't one to get much GOE on the jumps. But I guess Kozuka will go for it. Well, job amazingly done, mini-Japanese.
Abbott: He didn't fall - like the others - but he still looked very nervous to me and I have to agree with the PCS. A nervous Abbott is not really mesmerising. The jumps were scratchy, no speed out of the jumps. The spins were superb of course - but at times the footwork looked even a bit fragmented - and we all know it can look better from Cup of China. But good for him for not falling and being in medal contention here.
Joubert: Oh la la, he so wanted to play it safe with the 2 Toe (it looked deliberate to me, he had so much power left...), only to find out two jumping passes later, that he shouldn have done it. Overall Brian lost 3 points on the combo + at least 5 points on the Lutz. The 3 points from the combo would have kept him much closer to the top of the field - and with that strange LP of his? I am excited about what he plans to do tomorrow - Johnny isn't far behind and Johnny's program is way better than Brian's so far and got more PCS so far. The footwork was great though, I loved how he improved his spins - and I need a picture of Brian and the Teddy Bear.
Weir: Well, I just think he has this special ritual of falling on the 3A in the short program of the GPF. Because if I am not mistaken it's the third time in the row that he fell on the 3A in the short program of the GPF. Beautiful footwork and spins, the program keeps improving - we should get a really great version at Worlds. He probably got another edge call on the Flip, could he just do something about that? Do a Salchow! Would give him more points than the edge-called Flip. I am looking forward to tomorrow - I need a good emotional LP-performance for my Video Library, what better place to do that than in South Korea?
Verner: Oh no. His SP is more jinxed than his LP this season. Why can't he land that Quad, when it works in the LP? The judges were so unimpressed that they gave him the lowest PCS. And the fall on the footwork. Oh Tomas! Just try to - I don't know, get your head free. Have a good Czech beer (and the beer there is good, not as good as German beer, but very very nearly) before each performance - or a talk with the Zen-master Kozuka. I love the program, despite the frontloading and everything, it's beautiful. And he has the skating skills of Kozuka combined with the power of Joubert - it's awesome to watch.
Chan: The Superchan lost his spark today. Or so it seemed. But despite visiting the ice twice - the footwork was mindblowing, I think artistically and musicality-wise it's his best short so far. I got those warm and fuzzy Lambiel-feelings. But he is just 17, he needs these experiences and fix that Axel of his. Yes, Weir fell too on the Axel - but Weir falls once or twice every season on his Axel, not once each competition. I hope that Patrick is very relaxed tomorrow and can just skate - and give me a great extremely musical and absolutely flawless performance.
The judging was good by the way in my opinion. Spot on. They all got more or less the same PCS with Kozuka the most (Yeah!), then Chan, then Johnny and the rest.
And now boys, have a few drinks in a bar somewhere there, get inspired by the Zen-master Kozuka - and give all of us a fantastic day of excellent performances tomorrow. They all deserve it, I can't even decide who I want on the podium.
Hope he can stay calm tomorrow as well.
I'm so sad to hear that...
