Men's Free Skate - Thurs, 18th 8pm EST

[aurora100]

I have a vague sense of dread that somewhere not that far down the road, I'm going to be sick of Evan Lysacek. But for now, USA! USA! USA!

On the upside, you probably watched Evan's last competition program. Though I'm sure he will be in shows for many years to come. But you have to give it to the guy, he did two clean programs at an Olympics! Not too many skaters manage that. And he never let up. Someone posted Evan's skating shows what 1 % talent and 99 % hard work looks like. And if that gets you a OGM, I have no problem with that.

 

[Lotta]

I have a vague sense of dread that somewhere not that far down the road, I'm going to be sick of Evan Lysacek. But for now, USA! USA! USA!

I'm just looking now at the Evan Lysacek fan page on Facebook and the fan numbers increased by 2000 people. I have a feeling they're all every-four-year skating fans and after a year or so they'll wonder why they became a fan of him.

 

[TT_Fin]

Sometimes I feel good for not knowing too much about techincs. In my opinion most of the results was how they should, expect I also would have given Johnny a little bit more. I enjoyed the speed of Evan's rotation in jumps and clean landings.Stephane is my favourite, but I have not seen him doing 3axel this year. I also think his spins are good, but were better couple of years ago, or do I remember right?

 

[Iscariot]

I'm just looking now at the Evan Lysacek fan page on Facebook and the fan numbers increased by 2000 people. I have a feeling they're all every-four-year skating fans and after a year or so they'll wonder why they became a fan of him.

I noticed that too, after winning they were 8000+ but now they are near the 11000

 

[aurora100]

He gave it everything he had and it was enough.

Cop wants skating to be a sport. Well - tonight you saw sport

Figure skating is a sport, an Olympic Sport isn't it, finally it is.

 

[mycelticblessing]

If Plush had had secure landings on his jumps, he'd be the O's champ. But his landings were all over the place, though not with obvious errors. Evan's were for the most part easy and textbook. That's where Plush lost it.

I think you've summed it up perfectly. Plushy is usually so solid on his jumps, but his landings tonight were really iffy. I nearly thought he wasn't going to land some of those jumps when I was watching. So he probably had +0 or -1s on a couple of jumps, while all of Evan's jumps were really great.

 

[Smuusik]

Yes, the most painful part is that Plushenko looked sloppy in LP. Evan was neatly clean. I cannot disagree.
Also I don't know about a missed double loop...
The judging and the system is still something I can disagree with but that doesn't help.
And the media frenzy.

Also, I honestly believe Johnny should have placed higher. I actually started liking his skating tonight and he gave a performance I wasn't expecting from him. All the best to the young frenchman, Schultheiss and Brezina in coming years and in Sochi.

 

[mycelticblessing]

I have a vague sense of dread that somewhere not that far down the road, I'm going to be sick of Evan Lysacek. But for now, USA! USA! USA!

Haha. I'm not going to read any of those super gushy articles, and I live in a country where figure skating gets zero coverage, so I'll probably still like Lysacek for quite awhile.

 

[Layfan]

http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/va...ws?slug=es-thoughts021810&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

Basically it sums up my feelings.

But hey!
It's Olympic Games in North-America. Who would have guessed?
It is rather sad to hear all the commentators from different countries saying "Plushenko deserved the gold." He truly did. Nevertheless he is a golden man who comes from the golden era of men's figure skating and nothing, absolutely nothing, changes that.

Hell, now that I think of it. Losing because of COP... this is just not right


Any sort of rational comments are probably going to come later on for at the moment I simply cannot analyze anything objectively.

I'm over the moon that Evan won. But I do agree with Elvis on a lot of points. He's a bit over the top saying a junior skater could have skated Evan's program and that "skating died" and all... And I wish that Elvis has addressed Plushenko's sloppy landings. But I do think it's a step backward that a more conservative program wins the night.... I'm torn. But all along Evan and Frank knew how to work the system better than Plush, and it paid. fair and square. Elvis is right to point that it's the system.

Also glad Elvis brought up Johnny. I'm FURIOUS over Johnny's placement.

 

[aftertherain]

I'm just looking now at the Evan Lysacek fan page on Facebook and the fan numbers increased by 2000 people. I have a feeling they're all every-four-year skating fans and after a year or so they'll wonder why they became a fan of him.

I might do that with Johnny though. Hahah. I don't know. I think after this year, I've just a had a little more respect for him. I disagree about wearing fur, but at least he sticks up for himself. That part is commendable.

And as much as I loved 6.0, it's not coming back. So I think it's pretty much useless to speculate who would've won under that scoring system. It could've went either way.

I don't particularly like Evan and I don't particularly dislike him either, but I think a congratulations is in order.

So, once again, Congrats, Evan.

And congrats to Evgeni and Daisuke as well.

 

[goldberry99]

I'm not the biggest Johnny Weir fan, but he definitely was the biggest wuzrobbed and Chan was the biggest wuzgifted. Johnny's first triple flip got negative GOE but looked fine to me, did anyone see what was wrong with it?

I'm a bit split but more on the side of Stojko about the quad and figure skating going backward. In 2002 you had to do a quad in your short, in 2010 you don't need one at all and the 4th place skate has no triple axel? Hopefully ISU will respond and change base values or give more credit to those who try them and fall.

As for Plushenko, I never understood why when he could hire the best choreographers and COP-experts in the world he showed up in the Olympics with such a badly structured and badly paced program. He is capable of maximizing COP points and getting a higher score - WHY didn't he? Why did the Russian Federation let him show up with such non-COP friendly programs? He is Plushenko, he is so much better, it doesn't matter? Although I tend to agree that Evgeny's difficulty should have been weighted more...this system judged this night and skates like Evan were smart enough to craft a good program and Evgeny wasn't. I feel bad for Evgeny but with a couple small changes in his program he could have won and he should have known that.

 

[mycelticblessing]

Also glad Elvis brought up Johnny. I'm FURIOUS over Johnny's placement.

Me too! I was silently screaming wuzrobbed when his score came up. How can someone skate as well as he did and get less than 160? I didn't expect him to medal, but I thought he'd at least be third or at worst, fourth in the LP! The crowd was really miffed as well and the Eurosport commentators were really surprised at how low he was scored.

 

[screech]

I'm not the biggest Johnny Weir fan, but he definitely was the biggest wuzrobbed and Chan was the biggest wuzgifted. Johnny's first triple flip got negative GOE but looked fine to me, did anyone see what was wrong with it?

He lips. the outside edge on the take-off was pretty severe.

I thought he deserved a bit higher too. I don't think Chan was gifted though.

 

[Nadia01]

I can't believe Plushy lost on TES.

Evan did 7 triples & 4 doubles.

Plushy did 1 quad, 7 triples & 3 doubles.

So...come on, ISU. Seriously? 1 double loop can beat 1 quad toeloop?!?!

Plushy got totally robbed.

P.S. Johnny was UTTERLY ROBBED. Chan's LP score is a disgrace.

 

[aftertherain]

I'm a bit split but more on the side of Stojko about the quad and figure skating going backward. In 2002 you had to do a quad in your short, in 2010 you don't need one at all and the 4th place skate has no triple axel? Hopefully ISU will respond and change base values or give more credit to those who try them and fall.

Yeah. I'm kind of iffy on the quad comment as well. I think it's great to have on under your belt (Kozuka landed his, YAY!), but I hardly think figure skating "died" because Evan Lysacek didn't have one. To me, it's like saying all the ladies should have a triple axel.

And that comment about how Dai should've been ahead of Lysacek simply 'cause he attempted one? That .. doesn't really make sense to me.

That's my take on it; what do you guys think?

 

[colleen o'neill]

Wow. That was something.These guys have completely worn me out.

Evan completely deserved that win.

Plushy was Plushy ..what can I say ? He is phenomenal. I wish I could like his programs. IMHO he was overmarked in PCS..

Bravo to Daisuke..he tried his quad, fell, and still managed to skate his program to a fare thee well .Some of his PCS seemed a bit low..Plushy had better interpretation ? Not in this universe..Plushy's interpretation was better than Stephane's ? Apparently.. in some judges' fevered dreams.

Still, it was a pretty good result.

Stephane's program is fabulous. Too bad he seemed a bit ..tight? tentative ?

Johnny was very good and the crowd loved him....

Patrick largely redeemed himself.I believe he'll perform better at World's.

I hoped Jeremy would bounce back...I hope he can for World's

Brezina did himself proud.

Brian ? .. will he survive this train wreck?

 

[DesertRoad]

Let me explain it for once and for all why you don't need a quad to be an international champion in men's skating right now: Because there is no dominant skater in the world who can do all the elements well, and has a quad on top of it. When we have this Skater X, who has level 4 spins, footwork, 3 triple axels in the SP and FS, good skating skills, transitions, performance ability, consistency, and has a quad on top of it, then and only then will other skaters need to gamble with a quad in hopes of beating him. Sorry Plushenko, you're far from that skater. The fact that Lysacek won Olympic gold without a quad is partly your fault. You just didn't put enough pressure on him. In fact, you lost the gold medal in TES, having tied him in the PCS. You are an inferior skater to him in technical elements in too many ways for him to worry about your quad. If you had better steps, cleaner jumps, better spins, more transitions, better choreography, then who knows, maybe Lysacek would've felt necessary to put in a quad and might have won with it. But you didn't. You'll just have to console yourself with that Olympic gold medal you already have.

 

[aftertherain]

I can't believe Plushy lost on TES.

Evan did 7 triples & 4 doubles.

Plushy did 1 quad, 7 triples & 3 doubles.

So...come on, ISU. Seriously? 1 double loop can beat 1 quad toeloop?!?!

Plushy got totally robbed.

P.S. Johnny was UTTERLY ROBBED. Chan's LP score is a disgrace.

It was the GOEs that did Plushy in. He had all the technical goods, but his landings were kinda ... ugly.

I'm kinda wondering what happened with Johnny as well. Can some please explain this to me?

 

[Layfan]

I'm over the moon that Evan won. But I do agree with Elvis on a lot of points. He's a bit over the top saying a junior skater could have skated Evan's program and that "skating died" and all... And I wish that Elvis has addressed Plushenko's sloppy landings. But I do think it's a step backward that a more conservative program wins the night.... I'm torn. But all along Evan and Frank knew how to work the system better than Plush, and it paid. fair and square. Elvis is right to point that it's the system.

Also glad Elvis brought up Johnny. I'm FURIOUS over Johnny's placement.

One more thing, though: I think it ridiculous that Elvis thinks Dai should be ahead of Evan just for attempting the quad. Come on. I think it's great that Dai tried it but he didn't land. Really. Why don't all skaters just try a quad whether they're capable of it or not so that they'll get bonus points. I don't get the logic. Maybe you shouldn't get as big a deduction if you fall on a quad as you did when you fall on a triple ... but no way Evan should have lost to Dai.

 

[Ice-Lady]

Lysacek jumps were underrotated. 2nd triple in his combination was underrotated. His Axel is not Axel at all. Judges did really great job. The last USA Olympic Champion and this one skate on the same level. How could it be after so many years?It's ridiculous and scandalous. But it's normal, if Olympics are in North America. Elvis Stojko understand more in this sport and he knows, what does it mean to jump a quad. And Lysacek sais it by himself, that he will not try it, because it's to risky for him. It says everything. He just doesn't have abbilitiesto do it. And now compare OC from 1998,2002,2006 and this one. Sorry, for me is Plushenko the Olympic Chanpion 2010 definitely. Just lol