Men's Short Program.. Tuesday 16th, 7:15PM EST

[Joesitz (RIP)]

NY Times Review of the Men's SP

Sorry, if has already been posted.


http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/17/sports/olympics/17skate.html?th&emc=th

 

[kappa_1]

Yep!



I totally feel for you. If only Takahashi were able to pull together two strong programs (a la 2008 4CC) with consistency, then all my hopes and dreams would be on him. I would love to see him victorious on Thursday, but I get this unsettling feeling that the consistent skaters will in the end emerge strong, like always. My ideal podium would have Abbott, Lambiel and Takahashi. My compromise-with-reality-podium has Plushenko, Takahashi and Lambiel (whom I know will come back with a stunning LP), but I get the feeling that someone will have to budge for Lysacek.

You've summarized my feelings exactly. Whenever someone asks me my opinion on the Men's competition I should have a printed version of your quote ready for them.

 

[schiele]

Meanwhile, the kid from the Czech Rep. will continue to wow the audience without a Quad until next season.

Im impressed but Im not wowed yet. Like Simon and Chris pointed out, he needs to get out more from his shelf, bring out a personality on the ice. He has the goods but there is smth missing, still.

 

[silverlake22]

S, both Joubert and Verner declared they will continue. Joubert will continue till 2012 Nice, Verner made no specific declaration on timing to my knowledge. BUT the wonderful head of the french fed is giving all sorts of crap about Brian in the press and seems to try to bully him into accepting the imposed training conditions (he wants for him, like abroad with a mentor and Canadian coach etc). I don't know how the already problematic relationship will continue after this or if Joubert will call it quits. He never indicated anything as such after his SP interviews and 2012 still looks on but we'll see.
As to Verner, he seems to be stuck in an infinite cycle of self fullfilling prophecies. I cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel. I don't know what he'll do but he needs to do smth if he wants to continue. One can support only so many disappointments.

Thanks for the update. Yeah, Verner, he seems to be the male version of Carolina Kostner and Alissa Czisny, although arguably even more talented. I'm wondering if he maybe deals with nerves or generalized anxiety disorder, something of that sort. A sports psychologist may be what he needs, that and a new coach who will just tell him to go for it every time and change his training style so that his consistency can improve. I know he has been sick this season, but I mean if you look at his results, they have been all over the place for the past several years now. 1st at Europeans in 08, then 15th at worlds two months later, 4th at worlds last year, 2nd at TEB, then 5th at SA and last at the GPF, 10th at Europeans. I hope he does well at worlds. Really though I think his problem is psychological, he's just too talented a jumper for it to be physical.

The same goes for Joubert, who has also been bombing this season. A guy as fit and strong as him should not be struggling so much, either his injury is bothering him again or he has issues dealing with nerves/pressure/anxiety. Jeremy Abbott is another guy who can be compared to these two. It's unfortunate because when these three are in top form, they are arguably the best in the world.

 

[Bennett]

Koz's music was cut at the finishing pose. The last big note was not there because it was shut down before that. When he finished his program, Koz was pointing with his fingers at the speaker on the ceiling and saying "sound, sound, sound" in Japanese in a surprised expression.
But he is now saying, "Judges and those who are in charge of sound are also nervous because it's Olys. Mistakes happen in human actions." Mr. Sato also did not make any claim about it. I like their attitudes.
IN JAPANESE
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20100217-00000120-mai-spo

 

[DesertRoad]

And now, peekturs! Let's show and tell with some photos:

It's not enough that Jeremy Abbott dishonored his country with that horrible skate, but he's caught defiling the American flag with his bodily fluids!

Kevin VDP assumes a suggestive position. Girl, you looks good, won't you back that thang up!

Evan: triumphant upon discovering another shade of black.

Frodo gave his ring to Shadowfax and goes for a ride.

Viktor Pfeifer gleefully dislocates his shoulder.

 

[schiele]

The same goes for Joubert, who has also been bombing this season. A guy as fit and strong as him should not be struggling so much, either his injury is bothering him again or he has issues dealing with nerves/pressure/anxiety. Jeremy Abbott is another guy who can be compared to these two. It's unfortunate because when these three are in top form, they are arguably the best in the world.

Yep, I very much agree. The three guys I expected to bomb, did not just bomb but bombed drastically. IMO, Joubert's issue is he has not learned how to deal with pressure and expectations properly. And Didier never made it easy for him with pressuring him so much and talking very negatively every time he bombed. I think it was clear from the beginning of the season that his nerves were becoming a major issue as olympics grew closer. I think he needs a good mentor, who knows what he's going thru and guide him thru this.
Verner, ironically, studied sports psychology if Im not mistaken. So the problem is really deep rooted. I think he's a very sunny person to suffer from general anxiety disorder but his problem with nerves is becoming a too permanent issue now for him to shake it off easily.
I think Abbott easily loses his concentration when he thinks too much. However, unlike Verner, I believe his issues are not so deep rooted and he seems to have a good team around him this season.

 

[taikwan]

Love Johnny - best artistry out there, still fighting the prejudices from judges and the press. Penalized when others aren't (Evan). Hope he throws in a quad and has the FS of his life. I don't wish ill will on any skater but I soooooooooo want Dai/Stephan/and Johnny to rock the house. I hate the protection of anonymous judging.. the bias IS there.
Never was a huge fan of Plush - saw the wonderful nationals in DC in person with the crowing of Kwan and Plush.....but now I have to say
I love the way he's playing the media and he and his coach are right - he's the only one who's not afraid of the quad The quad is pushing the boundaries which need to be pushed. Triples are everyday.
Pimp spot indeed. Hope everything is revealed and the warriors rewarded for both athletic ability and artistry.

 

[Raatkirani]

I think any one of the top 6 guys could win this. I am shocked particularly shocked at how close the top 3 are. I don't think this is what any of those guys expected. Evan and Dai have got to be feeling really good. Plush is not running away with this.

I'm crushed for Brian, Jeremy, and Tomas. Please guys, skate lights out tomorrow night. Show what you really can do.

You said it perfectly. I am so heartbroken for Jeremy, Brian and Tomas. Brian and Jeremy looked soooo shellshocked, I actually teared up for them. I haven't felt this way since the 1994 Olympics, especially when Kurt failed at his short program. All three are phenomenal talents. It would be so fitting for them to have the skates of their lives tomorrow.

I am so happy for Johnny Weir. Maybe he won't be able to medal, but dang, he sold me that program and the Brooklyn Bridge while he was it! The performance quality was fantastic and out of this world. Loved every move, every turn from that boy! Still growling a bit at the blatant overscoring of the top three, particularly for PCS. Really? I mean really really? Who are we kidding here? Glad to see that judges can still prop up their favorites. Plsuhenko looked murderous at the fact that Evan and Dai both broke 90 and are just a millimeter behind him.

I forced my husband to sit and watch the competition with me. He's totally ignorant on all things skating. And for all the Stephane Lambiel fans, I cannot tell you how impressed my hubby was with him, even with his small mistakes. At first he dismissed Lambiel, (costume, jump problem) but then came the spins and footwork. The headless scratch spin had him floored "how did he do that?! I've never seen anything like it. That was awesome!" I'm so glad he decided to return, he's a joy to watch.

 

[silverlake22]

Yep, I very much agree. The three guys I expected to bomb, did not just bomb but bombed drastically. IMO, Joubert's issue is he has not learned how to deal with pressure and expectations properly. And Didier never made it easy for him with pressuring him so much and talking very negatively every time he bombed. I think it was clear from the beginning of the season that his nerves were becoming a major issue as olympics grew closer. I think he needs a good mentor, who knows what he's going thru and guide him thru this.
Verner, ironically, studied sports psychology if Im not mistaken. So the problem is really deep rooted. I think he's a very sunny person to suffer from general anxiety disorder but his problem with nerves is becoming a too permanent issue now for him to shake it off easily.
I think Abbott easily loses his concentration when he thinks too much. However, unlike Verner, I believe his issues are not so deep rooted and he seems to have a good team around him this season.

Good insight, I actually agree. That's funny that Tomas studied sports psychology. I think another explanation for his troubles could be a lack of concentration, he is a sunny person (though he could be sunny and anxious - GAD runs in my family, many of whom are bubbly and chatty but just a bit high strung and unable to relax), but appears a bit spacey, like sometimes he does his programs on auto-pilot and expects the jumps to just happen when really that doesn't work. He's such a great talent that I still think there is hope for him, but I do think a coaching change would probably be the best idea. As we've seen with Alissa Czisny and Caroline Zhang, sticking with a coach who allows you to practice the way you want to isn't the best for getting good results. He has the talent he just needs to channel it. I think there is still hope for all three men but I think they will all need to be willing to make changes and work hard if they want to fix their ways.

 

[evangeline]

I forced my husband to sit and watch the competition with me. He's totally ignorant on all things skating. And for all the Stephane Lambiel fans, I cannot tell you how impressed my hubby was with him, even with his small mistakes. At first he dismissed Lambiel, (costume, jump problem) but then came the spins and footwork. The headless scratch spin had him floored "how did he do that?! I've never seen anything like it. That was awesome!" I'm so glad he decided to return, he's a joy to watch.

I use Lambiel to try to 'convert' my friends who are absolutely clueless about figure skating. I successfully converted one of my friends by showing her Lambiel's 2007 Poeta LP, and last night, the friends I was watching the SPs with kept complaining about how slow, how boring, etc everyone else's spins were after they finished watching Lambiel.

 

[silverlake22]

I use Lambiel to try to 'convert' my friends who are absolutely clueless about figure skating. I successfully converted one of my friends by showing her Lambiel's 2007 Poeta LP, and last night, the friends I was watching the SPs with kept complaining about how slow, how boring, etc everyone else's spins were after they finished watching Lambiel.

Lambiel is mostly appealing because he is good looking and has perfect hair, I'm not going to lie. I didn't find his performance last night spectacular, his spins and footwork are great but his jumps and all the in-betweens are awkward. And his costume! Whoever said that looks didn't matter so much in the men's competition....I'm not so sure. If Oda was big and strong instead of being built like a 12 year old I think his score would have been higher than Plushenko's. I thought his performance was the best of the night.

 

[Bennett]

Lambiel is mostly appealing because he is good looking and has perfect hair, I'm not going to lie. I didn't find his performance last night spectacular, his spins and footwork are great but his jumps and all the in-betweens are awkward. And his costume! Whoever said that looks didn't matter so much in the men's competition....I'm not so sure. If Oda was big and strong instead of being built like a 12 year old I think his score would have been higher than Plushenko's. I thought his performance was the best of the night.

You said that. I think that Evan's long limbs help his PCS, too.

 

[evangeline]

Lambiel is mostly appealing because he is good looking and has perfect hair, I'm not going to lie. I didn't find his performance last night spectacular, his spins and footwork are great but his jumps and all the in-betweens are awkward. And his costume! Whoever said that looks didn't matter so much in the men's competition....I'm not so sure. If Oda was big and strong instead of being built like a 12 year old I think his score would have been higher than Plushenko's. I thought his performance was the best of the night.

I do agree that Lambiel wasn't spectacular last night (even as a delusional fan I admit he was scored rather generously) and that his mutton-chop shoulderpads costume is pretty terrible, but I do disagree that his looks and hair are his most appealing qualities. Lambiel is one of those skaters who can really sell their program and are lovely to watch even if the jumps aren't there--just look at how the audience ate him up last night even with his mistakes!

As for Oda, I would say that Takahashi, not Oda, had the best performance of the night. The thing with Oda is that he isn't quite as polished as the top skaters in terms of finish, and his SP, unlike is LP, is pretty generic. But you do have a point about his body type--he does look less impressive on the ice because he is so small. But then again, Takahashi isn't very tall either, but he really fills up the rink with his power, charisma, etc.

 

[silverlake22]

You said that. I think that Evan's long limbs help his PCS, too.

Without a doubt. He's also generally attractive as well. If Joubert had not bombed so badly he would have been held up too, but he just didn't do enough. We'll see the same thing happen in the ladies with Kostner, Lepisto and Korpi, and then there's the asians. Mao = willowy, Yuna = knockout, Miki = hott. If looks didn't matter Akiko and Rachael would be winning all the time.

 

[seniorita]

I m watching the rebroadcast on greek tv, cant help it! They just showing the previous to last group. So many things i pay attention tonight, such as the feet. Lambiel and Dai should have been in 45 pcs. Why Lambiel didnt get level4 in steps? I m officially in love with Kozuka. Wait Plushy to retire again and then can I start a Kozuka giga thread?

 

[evangeline]

If looks didn't matter Akiko and Rachael would be winning all the time.

Um, no.

Sure, I admit that looks may factor into the equation at times, but I think it is extremely misleading to say that looks are the only thing holding Akiko and Rachael back from higher placements. There are quite a few things both Akiko and Rachael can work on if they want higher marks. And it is unfair to say that skaters like Yu-Na, Mao and Miki only get the marks they do because they are attractive.

And besides, if looks were everything, surely Fedor Andreev, Kira Korpi and Tanith Belbin would've been Olympic champions by now

 

[ARipp42014]

*yawn* I'm awake!

I was reading Medusa saying that the Japanese should be politiking to get Daisuke the gold and remember something I read on FSU. They made a poll a couple of weeks ago about who would be the least controversial winner out of all the contenders and the majority said Daisuke (with Abbott second ). While Stephane is also a popular choice, his lack of a 3A might have people complaining. Also if Oda wins, they'll constantly bring up his DUI from a couple of years ago. At least Daisuke not only is a great combo of artistry and athleticism, he also have a great comeback story after the torn ACL.

I've watched a few on nbcolympics.com and still feel Brezina wuzrobbed while TCO (The Chosen One) was faily judged.

Day time tweets:
Johnny: I'm awake unfortunately. I wish my body and the village noise would let me sleep for another hour or so. Practice is in a few hours.

And people were tweeting Evan Bates and he simply state "I'm not Lysacek!"

 

[bethissoawesome]

somehow plushy's return has made the competition less exciting for me... instead of being "the return of plushenko," now it's become more of "the return of the quad." i watch figure skating to see great performances... if i wanted to see great tricks without any depth, i'd go to the circus. :-/

 

[Jo1]

Sorry folks I really donh't like Lysacek. He's awkward and sloppy, but the judges love him and always inflate his scores no matter where or when. It doesn't matter who his coach or choreographer is it's the WAY he moves; and it isn't graceful or pretty.