Free Dance Sunday 4:45 PM EST
- Thread starter dorispulaski
- Start date
It's not a matter of altitude or conditionion per se, but of having sufficient time to prepare and perhaps vertilation as Serious Business points out. You can be well conditioned and yet not be aclimatised to high altitude. it may also be a matter of the weather at the time. I've been to the Broadmoor once for a business trip about 10 years ago. The weather can change drastically as can the temperature. That significantly affected my reaction to the thin air. Another point not mentioned thus far is how dry it is there. it was quite annoying for me. I learned after arriving how much more I would have to hydrate myself to adjust the the conditions. That may also be affecting the skater. Still all of those things are manageable. Clearly some skaters did just fine, and not just those who skate in Colorado Springs or Lake Arrowhead. I maintain that it's more of an issue with spacing between events. European skaters get about a month to prepare for Euros after their own nationals. They have time to treat niggling injuries, address tweak their programs, and train for varied conditions. Americans and Canadians have 1-2 weeks. The Chinese really only excel at pairs and less so than in the past. Their best pair was fine. The other nations in this event are expectedly worse and most would not even be comepetitive at novice or junior level in the States. So it's no surprise they struggled.
As to training specifically, lung capacity can be improved by running in cold conditions. I can imagine how Charlie and Alex feel. I have asthma and my wrestling team in high school ran 2-3 miles every day during the winter in temps in the 20s either before or after a two hour practice. It burns like hell, believe me, but over time endurance is significantly improved. I was never more tired than after a 6 minute wrestling match. It takes way more out of you than a 2 hour tennis match. Recovery is a lot slower. It's likely similar to what the skaters are experiencing, because you are literally using every limb for the whole length of time you're on the ice and not just for short bursts, but for sustained movements and feats of strength. Your heart rate never has a chance to go down until you are done and less and less oxygen goes to your muscles. Everything burns. Still if you are trained to go beyong the alotted time for the competition, you can manage the strain better. Its not easy, just more manageable. Of course if you have asthma like Charlie, it is harder, but certainly not impossible. What you need is time to prepare adequately.
Either way some gap needs to be established.
So is Keegan Messing
Every mother crow thinks her own little crow is the blackest.
You have to give us East Coasters the right to like our favorites.
Doris, at least your team shows up to play each year. My Skins are stuck in a 20 year long battle with futility. They even beat the Giants twice and still lost to just about everyone else. Plus their owner is pure greed and meanness.
BTW, Scott was clearly visible in the K&C clapping for D/W during their 1st rotational lift, for all those who wish to see a conflict there that is nonexistent.
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I did ask Charlie since asthmatics have a harder time breathing in altitude how tired was he, and he admitted he was "gassed" at the end when he took his bow, but he didn't want to admit that it had any affect on the performance. But sitting in the stands it looked very much like he was working hard to get through the program, which probably affected the levels.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
Patriots are overrated anyway
Like Michelle Kwan.
Back on topic. V/M must be pleased they certainly skated a gold medal performance. After the loss at GPF this
will boost their confidence level going into Worlds.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
Hehe, Mathman, isn't it a rule on here that people aren't allowed to post links to skating websites that compete with Goldenskate?
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2007
Wow, what a great night!
My first thought was that D/W's FD mark was too low, although I did think V/M might take it this time (they seemed to have a better skate tonight). Scores make sense now with the protocols. It's so close between these two, that the difference will always come down to levels, and today V/M nailed them while D/W did not. It was so great to see v/M finally get the levels they've been struggling with all season. I don't think this changes anything going into worlds, though. Unless someone makes a big mistake, the world champions will be whichever of the teams that gets the most level 4's. The PCS and GOE's are always really close. I'm really happy to see V/M win 4CC again, though. They haven't been healthy at a 4CC since the last time they won (07), so it was nice to see them get that title back. Worlds is gonna be very interesting...
I was also beyond thrilled to see W/P knock it out of the park yet again. It's still unbelievable to me that they've gone from a team prone to disasters in every skate to one that hardly ever makes a mistake in only a year's time. They must be working insanely hard. This FD is a real gem, and they nailed the performance again here. So great! I thought the Shibs skated really well, too, but seeing their program after W/P's really hilighted how simplistic and juniorish they look compared to the Canadians, and that was nicely reflected in the scores (as it was at the GP final). Alex Shibutani scared me, though. He looked like he was going to be sick. I can't say enough how cruel I think it is to hold an event at altitude like this.
I was actually plesently surprised by P/I's levels. 2's on the footwork (not bad considering how tough the panel was) and 4's on everything else, in spite of the fact that pretty much every element was shaky after Islam's fall. Their scores make a lot more sense now that I know they got 0 points for the twizzles. That's like 6 or 7 points right there, not to mention the deduction for the fall and the hits that they took on the GOE's for the shakiness in the other elements. It's been painful to watch their confiednce get knocked down over and over this season, though. I really hope that they go home, take their time getting healthy, and try to put this nightmare year behind them.
My first thought was that D/W's FD mark was too low, although I did think V/M might take it this time (they seemed to have a better skate tonight). Scores make sense now with the protocols. It's so close between these two, that the difference will always come down to levels, and today V/M nailed them while D/W did not. It was so great to see v/M finally get the levels they've been struggling with all season. I don't think this changes anything going into worlds, though. Unless someone makes a big mistake, the world champions will be whichever of the teams that gets the most level 4's. The PCS and GOE's are always really close. I'm really happy to see V/M win 4CC again, though. They haven't been healthy at a 4CC since the last time they won (07), so it was nice to see them get that title back. Worlds is gonna be very interesting...
I was also beyond thrilled to see W/P knock it out of the park yet again. It's still unbelievable to me that they've gone from a team prone to disasters in every skate to one that hardly ever makes a mistake in only a year's time. They must be working insanely hard. This FD is a real gem, and they nailed the performance again here. So great! I thought the Shibs skated really well, too, but seeing their program after W/P's really hilighted how simplistic and juniorish they look compared to the Canadians, and that was nicely reflected in the scores (as it was at the GP final). Alex Shibutani scared me, though. He looked like he was going to be sick. I can't say enough how cruel I think it is to hold an event at altitude like this.
I was actually plesently surprised by P/I's levels. 2's on the footwork (not bad considering how tough the panel was) and 4's on everything else, in spite of the fact that pretty much every element was shaky after Islam's fall. Their scores make a lot more sense now that I know they got 0 points for the twizzles. That's like 6 or 7 points right there, not to mention the deduction for the fall and the hits that they took on the GOE's for the shakiness in the other elements. It's been painful to watch their confiednce get knocked down over and over this season, though. I really hope that they go home, take their time getting healthy, and try to put this nightmare year behind them.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2012
Small medal awards for Ice Dance now on radiocanada
- Joined
- Jun 3, 2009
This poster has the top four FD. Warning: Italian commentators NEVER STOP TALKING.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2012
Meryl looks so beautiful! Charlie could not make it to the small medals award because he is in 'doping control' (sp) not sure what this is?
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2012
Meryl got two medals since Charlie is not there and two watches for the same reason 
. She is so cute and petite.
. She is so cute and petite.
- Joined
- Jan 8, 2009
Haha...it means he got selected for drug/steroid testing. I'm sure he'll do fine.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
As 100yen says, the ISU conducts random drug sampling on all the skaters. Charlie's name was drawn and he had to give a urine sample.
Every once in a while a skater takes some kind of cold medicine that contains a forbidden chemical, then they get in trouble. It is kind of a problem, because if a skater gets sick he can't take a lot of ordinary over-the-counter or prescription drugs for it.
Yes, Alex has a viral infection. He didn't show up in the mixed zone for a comment and we were all worried about his condition. He says it should not affect his training when he gets home. (I think he should take a week off to rest before going back to the rink. Worlds is still more than a month away.)
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2012
Reporter says she's been a long-time singles and pairs fanatic but Charlie and Meryl are slowly sucking her in. She asked Meryl to let her know what it is that the judges are looking for in ice dancing.
Meryl responded that there are a variety of elements that the judges are looking for. They choose different elements depending on what goes better with their music. The elements they choose vary. For example Charlie and her have 4 lifts in their FS while Virtue/Moir have three. ect.. The judges grade each element by using GOE.
What advice do you have for aspiring skaters?
Moir: Make sure that you love what you do and that you are skating for the right reasons.
Meryl: With skating you get to do things that you do not get to do in every day life. Really enjoy it because when else will you get to do it.
Kaitlin: Anything is possible, believe in yourself. never stop believing.
How long each day do your practice?
Moir: 3.5-4.5 on ice plus 2 hours off the ice doing ballet. same for meryl. same for weaver/poje.
How do you balance school and skating?
Tessa thinks it allows you to stay sane and socialize. Education has always been important.
Meryl believes that taking a year off to focus on skating was pivotal showed them how important school was to maintaining the balance and staying happy.
Charlie just got to the mini medal ceremony.
Poje believes same thing.
Weaver believes that it is a great diversion.
How long do you spend learning one routine?
Moir: Just learning the choreography takes 3-4 weeks but the program is constantly growing. They start in May and start competing in September. It takes about a year to master a program.
Who do you look up to? Who are your role models in the field?
Tessa: Looked up to Shae Lynn Bourne and Kratz
Meryl: Skaters outside the ice dance discipline. Charlie has always looked up to Todd Eldredge up to Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton.
Kaitlin: Shae Lynn Bourne and Kratz and Kurt Browning.
Meryl responded that there are a variety of elements that the judges are looking for. They choose different elements depending on what goes better with their music. The elements they choose vary. For example Charlie and her have 4 lifts in their FS while Virtue/Moir have three. ect.. The judges grade each element by using GOE.
What advice do you have for aspiring skaters?
Moir: Make sure that you love what you do and that you are skating for the right reasons.
Meryl: With skating you get to do things that you do not get to do in every day life. Really enjoy it because when else will you get to do it.
Kaitlin: Anything is possible, believe in yourself. never stop believing.
How long each day do your practice?
Moir: 3.5-4.5 on ice plus 2 hours off the ice doing ballet. same for meryl. same for weaver/poje.
How do you balance school and skating?
Tessa thinks it allows you to stay sane and socialize. Education has always been important.
Meryl believes that taking a year off to focus on skating was pivotal showed them how important school was to maintaining the balance and staying happy.
Charlie just got to the mini medal ceremony.
Poje believes same thing.
Weaver believes that it is a great diversion.
How long do you spend learning one routine?
Moir: Just learning the choreography takes 3-4 weeks but the program is constantly growing. They start in May and start competing in September. It takes about a year to master a program.
Who do you look up to? Who are your role models in the field?
Tessa: Looked up to Shae Lynn Bourne and Kratz
Meryl: Skaters outside the ice dance discipline. Charlie has always looked up to Todd Eldredge up to Kristi Yamaguchi and Scott Hamilton.
Kaitlin: Shae Lynn Bourne and Kratz and Kurt Browning.
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At every championship and Olympics ISU requires one of the medalists to go to "doping control " which means pee in a bottle to send to a drug testing agency probably here locally to check to make sure there are no illegal drugs/drug enhancement products in his system.
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2012
Thanks very much for clarifying the whole "doping" thing.
Thanks to everyone who has been reporting on the results, post-competition press conference, and so forth.
Jcoates, your suggestion about American and Canadian Nationals being moved to earlier in the year makes logistical sense, but since that change would step on the feet of football, I fear that pigs will fly before it happens.
Jcoates, your suggestion about American and Canadian Nationals being moved to earlier in the year makes logistical sense, but since that change would step on the feet of football, I fear that pigs will fly before it happens.
