Ladies Free Skate - 12/11

[Mrs. P]

Thank you Alissa from preventing having a GPF champion who skates a FS program circa 1988 Worlds.
Carolina should have been lower than all three Japanese skaters and I believe Akiko should have been the top lady here -- but otherwise a good relatively splat-flat free competition.

 

[museksk8r]

OMG, who would have thought that Alissa Czisny would be the top American woman to beat going into US Nationals? She has just built herself a ton of momentum and reputation points heading into Nationals to make a case for herself to be on that World team that goes to Tokyo! I'm so excited for her! Alissa is the only American woman to win an ISU senior international event since Kimmie Meissner at the 2007 Skate America with her wins at Skate Canada and now the GPF this season and this GPF win is no doubt the biggest win of Czisny's career!

Carolina Kostner with the silver! :yay:

I was really hoping these 2 would finish 1 and 2 in any order and I'm so relieved that they didn't disappoint.

 

[dlgpffps]

Wow! Just wow. Alissa wins the GPF with the first 180 mark of the season! Who would've guessed

Caro takes second. They prove me wrong yet again.

 

[FlattFan]

Wow, congrats to Alissa, Carolina, and Kanako.
Sad for Rachael, Miki, and Suzuki. Who would have thought Rachael and Miki finished dead last. Miki is a strong skater, she should just drop the flip in the short program and put the Salchow in. She normally gets good GOE on that jump.

 

[reynycpr]

protocols are up
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpf1011/

 

[evangeline]

I believe Akiko should have been the top lady here -- but otherwise a good relatively splat-flat free competition.

I completely agree. Kanako is adorable and she has that 3-3, but she seems a bit sloppy to me, and could definitely use more polish in finishing her moves, etc.

I think the writing's on the wall for Akiko--if Mao is anywhere near half-decent, Akiko's probably going to be left off the world team

 

[janetfan]

The Ladies skated so well - sorry for Rachael and I wonder if she is bothered by her injury.
If that is the case she should have withdrawn two weeks ago.

Tom Z should know if his skater isn't ready there is no point to try and compete. Too bad Kiira or one of the other alternates wasn't there instead.

 

[herios]

Are the US fans still considering GPF a "who cares" type of event????

trivia. when did a US lady won the GPF last time??

 

[Mirunna]

This pretty much proves that if Japan wants the gold medal in the ladies event, they need Mao back! So yeah, if Mao is half decent at Nationals, I bet she will be on the team

 

[Mrs. P]

Protocols:

Ando == six triples ratified, but all level 2 on her spins. Can you imagine her score if she cleans that up?
Murakami == as expected an edge call on her Lutz, big loss on points but solid levels on spins and footwork and decent GOE
Alissa == UR fiip, the lack of a third combo and level 2 on footwork cost her some points. But of course her spins save the day--look at all those +3---her last spin got seven of them! Surprise that she didn't get a zero on her last 3T. Doesn't that have to be in combination?
Kostner == Decent levels on spins and footwork, but again lame that she did only 4 ratified triples (3T, 2 3S and 3LO)
Akiko == Got a UR on the 2A-3T, bummber, that looked rotated to me. and an edge call on her 3F and 2F lost her some points.
Rachael == Only one ratified triple. Wow that is a bummer. And really low levels, a level one on her first spin.

 

[beep_beep]

Alissa's face right after she ended her program was just "OMG, I actually did it!" So lovely!

I still think Akiko should be third or second here.

 

[Mrs. P]

Are the US fans still considering GPF a "who cares" type of event????

trivia. when did a US lady won the GPF last time??

Sasha Cohen won GPF in 2002. Wow that's a long time coming!

 

[janetfan]

Are the US fans still considering GPF a "who cares" type of event????

trivia. when did a US lady won the GPF last time??

It is a fun event, but absolutely no to your question.
Natls will determine the US Team.

Probably Sasha was the last to win.
BTW, when is the last time a Canadian Lady won the GPF>>>>>>

 

[reynycpr]

Are the US fans still considering GPF a "who cares" type of event????

trivia. when did a US lady won the GPF last time??

Sasha Cohen 2003?

 

[luvsasha]

Sasha Cohen 2003, right?

So happy for Alissa!! I'm so so proud of her

 

[Mrs. P]

Sasha Cohen won GPF in 2002. Wow that's a long time coming!

And Sasha was also the last U.S. GPF medalist -- she won silver in 2003.

 

[Mrs. P]

It is a fun event, but absolutely no to your question.
Natls will determine the US Team.

Probably Sasha was the last to win.
BTW, when is the last time a Canadian Lady won the GPF>>>>>>

Never. Actually Canada only has medaled in this event twice. Josee Chouinard won bronze in 1995 and Rochette won bronze way back in 2004.

 

[museksk8r]

trivia. when did a US lady won the GPF last time??

If we're talking senior GPF, it was Sasha Cohen in the 2002-2003 season.

 

[reynycpr]

another trivia... who are the only 2 Japanese Ladies to win the GPF?

 

[Nadine]

FlattFan, do you think it would help Rachael to lose a few pounds? Or maintain the weight she has now & turn it into muscle the way Joannie Rochette has done?

She honestly looks heavier than everyone else out there. I don't know, some say she would lose her consistency, but maybe in the long run it would help her to jump a bit higher, and more importantly she would look more svelte out there on the ice. Even Tonya Harding had to lose weight in order to be in prime form.

The one whom stands out to me the most in this regard is Akiko Suzuki, whom is 25 yrs. old and looks FAB, rock hard abs/body/et al similar to Joannie Rochette. And look how far she has come? Also, I recall Angela Nikodinov was everybody's refrigerator break until she lost weight & turned into Cinderella on the ice, literally.

I don't mean to get down on Rachael, I still love her skating, and her personality, just throwing out suggestions.

And I'm wondering if she plans to stay in for the long haul? or go to school fulltime next year the way the Hughes sisters' did. Hmmm, a lot to think about.

For now, I wish her well and hope she eventually recovers from her severe tendonitis. It makes me more sympathetic to Sasha Cohen's constant recurring tendonitis condition, which prevented her from competing at any of the GPs last year, so she only made it to Nationals in the end, and did FAB for being out of competition so many years. 4th place is nothing to sneeze at.

Anyhow, GOOOOOOOO RACHAEL! AND CONGRATS TO ALISSA! AND CAROLINA! It looks like this is their year, finally.