Ladies go for Gold! Free Skate | Page 14 | Golden Skate

Ladies go for Gold! Free Skate

Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Since these articles are from AOL and only those with AOL can get them, I reprinted some quotes from the articles on Arakawa, Cohen, and Slutskaya. They had some info I didn't know. I thought Shizza was still with Tarasova. I didn't know she had changed to Morosov. No wonder she's still healthy after three years. Tarasova seems to do great with her male singles skaters, but she seems to build the females up to champions the first year and then wear them out. Smart move on Shizza's part. A great and intelligent skater for making that change.;)


Japan's Arakawa Wins Gold; Russia's Slutskaya Also Falls, Takes Bronze
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/sportsevent/article.adp?id=20060223162709990010
By BARRY WILNER

TURIN, Italy (Feb. 23) - Shizuka Arakawa clutched the Olympic gold medal in her hand, refusing to let it go lest it all be a mistake. It was hers, all right. And Japan's. A surprise winner from a surprise country.I still can't believe this," said Arakawa, whose gold in women's figure skating Thursday night gave Japan its first medal of these games.
For Sasha Cohen and Irina Slutskaya, gold was theirs to grab but got away.
Falls and mistakes pulled Cohen down to silver and left Slutskaya with a bronze. They knew they are lucky to have anything. Arakawa finished with 191.34 points, almost eight points ahead of Cohen. Slutskaya was third at 181.44.
"It's bittersweet," Cohen said. "I tried hard. I have no regrets."
Arakawa is the first Japanese woman to win Olympic gold, and she has lifted a burden for those who will come after her.
When Midori Ito finished second to Kristi Yamaguchi in 1992, Ito apologized, fearing she had disappointed her country. No one had come close since then, and pressure mounted with every passing games.
Arakawa dropped to ninth at worlds last year, after having won the title in 2004. Worse, she had to watch while the next generation emerged: Miki Ando, the junior world champion and the first woman to do a quadruple jump; Grand Prix champion Mao Asada, whose age, 15, was the only thing that kept her away from Turin.
In November, Arakawa called Nikolai Morozov and asked if he'd be her coach. She wanted a change - her coach, her costumes, her programs. It had to be drastic if she were to have any chance.
"Yes, of course I was surprised," Morozov said. "I thought she could medal. But I didn't think she would win gold."
But Arakawa has the determination that turns contenders into champions.
She landed five triple jumps, three in combination, but it was her beauty, elegance and unparalleled musicality that set her apart. She didn't show much emotion on her face, but she spoke it with every other part of her body, from her toes to the tips of her fingers.
Skating to Puccini's "Violin Fantasy of Turandot," her gracefulness was edged with power....
Arakawa's face lit up when she finished. When she saw the marks that moved her into first place, she pumped her fists in a rare display of exuberance and flashed a "V" for victory sign.
"Right now I'm just so surprised about all of this that I'm speechless," she said. "I never expected that I would be the first one to win a medal for Japan, so I didn't feel that pressure. But I'm very happy that I am the one who won it."
She sang the entire national anthem, and stayed on the ice for more than a half-hour, clutching her medal. The only time she let it go was to grab a Japanese flag.
For her people, the medal was a celebration twice over. Through 14 days, in the mountains and on the ice, Japanese athletes had come up empty.
"It really took a long time," said Kenichi Chizuka, head of Japan's Olympic delegation. "I was very excited. When I saw her win, I cried. ... One gold is worth 10 bronzes."
For Arakawa and her country, too.
02/23/06 16:25 EST

My comment: Nice article with moments of greatness.


COHEN WILL BE REMEMBERED FOR ONE THAT GOT AWAY
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/sportsevent/article.adp?id=20060223151709990001

By TIM DAHLBERG, AP Sports
The gold was gone on her first jump. She thought she lost both the silver and bronze on her second.
Four long years of training didn't prepare her for what turned out to be four of the longest minutes of her life.
The falls were shocking enough, winning a silver medal anyway almost a gift.
Still, she had hoped to be the third different American winner of women's figure skating in the last three Olympics. Instead, she will be remembered for one medal that got away.
That's because gold matters to Americans as much as it does to Cohen.
The sponsors were ready to put her on cereal boxes and in soft drink ads as America's new skating darling. By some estimates, $20 million in endorsements was at stake. Divide that by two falls and you have $10 million a fall on a night when the gold was there for the taking.
This event was supposed to erase those demons. In first place after the short program, she needed only four minutes to join Tara Lipinski (1998) and Sarah Hughes (2002) as Olympic champion.
No country has had three different skaters win gold in three straight Olympics. Norway won golds in 1928, 1932 and 1936, but all by Sonja Henie; two of East Germany's three golds in 1980, 1984 and 1988 were by Katarina Witt.
"No, I didn't cry," Cohen said. "I don't usually cry unless I'm angry. I'm not really angry, more of a letdown. Ultimately, it's four minutes of one day in my life."
Cohen brushed off questions of an injury, saying the nagging aches and pains had nothing to do with her disappointing performance. Looking nervous when she took the ice, she gave away her claim to gold in the first minute.
She went down heavily on a triple lutz that ruined a planned three-jump combination, then put two hands on the ice on a triple flip. Her interpretation of "Romeo and Juliet" was so strong, though, it made up for her technical errors....
Cohen has an agent and sponsors. She knows the riches that could have been her reward. She tried her best to put a positive spin on it all, but the words sounded hollow.
"Ultimately," she said, "it's four minutes of one day of my life."
It was, but it was the four biggest minutes of the biggest day Cohen will likely ever have.
02/23/06 16:25 EST

My Comments: Accurate facts, but many of writer Dahlberg's opinions, especially his last, were off the podium, IMO. When Cohen said, "Ultimately it's four minutes of one day of my life," Dahlberg's response was, "It was, but it was the four biggest minutes of the biggest day Cohen will likely ever have." My bet is Dahlberg is not married and has no children. When I think of what Turkey's Tugba Karademir's parents gave up for their daughter's chances just skate in the Olympics, a girl who hadn't made the cut for the LP at Worlds in four tries, IIRC, forget a medal or even a top 10 finish. I realize Dahlberg has to put the story into the perspective as understood by Cohen and the US. But some of the other Olympic perspective would have been equally important, IMO.


Russian Star Again Falls Far Short of Gold
http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/sportsevent/article.adp?id=20060223195709990003
By BARRY WILNER, AP
While Arakawa and Cohen celebrated their achievements, sharing their joy with the audience, Slutskaya looked bored. Teary-eyed when she skated out to receive the bronze medal, she barely reacted to the applause.
If bronze was precious to her, she hid it well.
"That's life again. We can't decide what we like,"Slutskaya said.
Life has not been easy for Slutskaya in recent years. Her mother has kidney disease and requires dialysis treatment...
In 2004, Slutskaya was diagnosed with a heart ailment that sidelined her for almost the entire season...
"I'm so happy that I'm here because the last four years is really, really hard for me," she said....
Slutskaya said she missed competing against Kwan, who was sidelined by a groin injury. Then again, if Kwan had been healthy this season and skated in Turin, who knows how things would have turned out.
"I was so upset Michelle doesn't come," Slutskaya said with a smile. "I was waiting for her."
02/23/06 16:25 EST
My Comments: Irina's last two comments, awww. Now I'm the one with the teary eyes.

Rgirl
 
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SunshineSlayer

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 25, 2004
Bringing over my post about Sasha from Sashafans: I remained unspoiled all day and now wish I had just gone ahead and read the results, that way by now the dissapointment would have sunk in. :(

However, I am proud of her for keeping it together and really, this is no exaggeration, giving one of the best presentations I have seen from her.

Also the silver lining to this is that we are likely to have 4 more years of gorgeous Sasha programs.

And while it is obvious that groin injury really was effecting her(her doing a stag leap instead of the Russian split is pretty telling about how much it was bothering her), I still think she should at least give going to a sports psychologist a try.

Still though, congratulations Sasha on winning an Olympic medal.

I also want to add that this is the only event in a long time where I felt the judging was completely fair. It was disapointing that nobody really gave a spectacular performance(except for Sasha's SP), but at least the judging was for once done right.
 
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Joined
Aug 3, 2003
My reactions having seen the Ladies LP, the short version, lol:
The bad news: I love Fumie's smooth, fast stroking; her light, airy, whirring jumps; and her full emotional commitment to her programs. However, I don't think Dick Button was too hard on Fumie, nor was Sandra Bezic. Maybe Fumie has hyperflexed knees and that's why she can't straighten her free leg on her spirals. But her spins and footwork aren't up to snuff either. For me, Fumie is half a great skater. The half that isn't great seem like things she can't change because of her body. OTOH, I never thought Shizza would have knock-out spirals and spin positions either, and after three weeks with Tarasova, she had them.

I have no doubt Fumie works hard. The Japanese coaches seem to teach edging and jumps better than anyone else in the world. But the lack of line in their ladie's spins and spirals as well as generally subpar footwork make me think the coaches need to bring someone in who can emphasize those things in addition to what they do so well. I was also very disappointed with Lori Nichol's choreography for Fumie's LP. I hate to agree with Bezic, but I too found the choreography simplistic.

SHIZUKA: I forget who said it, but Shizuka indeed gave the performance of a young woman, not that of a girl, which is what we've seen from the last few OGMs. The performance could be called workmanlike by some and I couldn't disagree, but I felt it was quietly specific, like a Japanese tea ceremony. Shizuka, as I've come to feel over the past four years, is no steriotypical Asian flower. She's a hungry competitor. Otherwise she wouldn't have called Morosov in November and changed coaches from Tarasova to him. Hmm, interesting that there weren't 5,000 news stories or even threads about Shizza's change to Morosov as there have been on Michelle and Sasha's changes. (Guess Tarasova really does wear out her female skaters, lol.) Easy to understand; Shizza is Japanese not American. Still, it seems like coaching changes of top competitors at least get around the forums. As I said before, Arakawa is not only a great skater, but also a very smart skater too. I couldn't have been more thrilled that she won--the quiet Japanese skater who never got any positive press. Even her '04 World Championship was seen as Sasha blowing it, AGAIN, rather than Shizuka WINNING it. Her wedgie got more press than her World gold medal. I'm so glad she stayed eligible for the Olympics. It's the perfect end to a career that was routinely underestimated right up until the OGM was around Arakawa's neck. Love it!

SASHA: She blew it again, blah blah blah. Not for me. When I first heard she'd fallen and then saw it, I just felt bad for Cohen. She's worked as hard as anyone and I was proud of her for not blaming her groin "problem," whatever it is. I was impressed by the way she handled the questions the media must have been firing at her like bullets. Sasha seemed more mature than a lot of the journalists asking the questions, and that hasn't necessarily been the case over the last four years.

Then I got the surprise of the night: About a third of the way through Sasha's program, I started to get a lump in my throat. She was back into being Juliet and her performance moved me. I'd been thrilled once before by Sasha's skating, specifically when she debuted Tarasova's black-and-white "Swan Lake" at Campbell's, but I was seeing that live. This was the first time Sasha's skating moved me on TV. Perhaps it was precisely because she was sure she had lost all chance at the gold and also probably any medal that made the difference. After the fall and the touchdown, maybe Sasha was skating with everything she had not for a medal or anything, but just to be skating with everything she had. Worked for me.

And honestly, IMO, one day, maybe not for some decades, but one day, I think Sasha will be happy she won the silver instead of the gold. Big time sports stardom just isn't for everybody. I don't know of course. Maybe she'll be like Linda Fratianne and Roz Sumners who seem to have never gotten over silver instead of gold. For her sake, I hope Sasha winds up in the Janet Lynn, Paul Wylie, and Kurt Browning category of non-Olympic gold medalists. As Barry LePatner said, "Good judgment comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgment."

IRINA: What can I say that I haven't said before? Heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking. Finally the scoring system rewards Irina's style of skating and for whatever reason, she couldn't bring her best or even her second best to the Olympic ice. Now I hope her mother gets a kidney transplant and that Irina "borns a baby" as soon as she's able so her mother can "born a grandbaby, too." I know Irina can't keep competing, but for me, she has one of the most delightful personalities in sports--even if it is just what she shows the camera--and I will miss her a lot.

My favorite Ladies skating moments, besides the obvious ones:
1. I wasn't sure if she didn't do the Russian split at the beginning of her circular footwork because she hadn't been feeling well or what. It had been there, and while impressive, it was definitely unJulietish. But no, the stag jump was there on purpose. I loved that Sasha didn't do her most spectacular move, or one of them, and instead did a move that was in keeping with the character of her program.

2. While Sasha was waiting to skate the SP, which had to be a loooong day, the camera, which obviously she didn't know was on her, caught her on the reclining stationary bike, headphones on, and singing away to whatever song was playing as if nobody else was around. I think that was my favorite moment of the Olympics, except for maybe the Olympic curling song, because it was like catching a little kid playing make-believe without being aware of anyone watching. Sasha seemed so young singing to herself like that. I wish she would let us see that Sasha more often. I understand why she doesn't--the media would sense the vulnerability and eat her alive.

3. Joannie Rochette's arms. She has got to have the most beautiful arm movements I have ever seen in skating. And I love her skating in general.

For all the ladies who skated last night: :bow: :bow: :bow:

Rgirl
 
Joined
Aug 3, 2003
SunshineSlayer said:
....I also want to add that this is the only event in a long time where I felt the judging was completely fair. It was disapointing that nobody really gave a spectacular performance(except for Sasha's SP), but at least the judging was for once done right.
ITA. Perhaps that was the biggest surprise of the entire Olympics.

Dare we hope for more? Fair judging, I mean.

Rgirl
 

Vash01

Medalist
Joined
Jul 31, 2003
Justafan said:
I thought Irina looked pissed! Can I say that?

Irina was understandably disappointed, and possibly upset with herself for letting the OGM opportunity slip. I would not call her "p..." Still she managed to smile and hugged both Shizuka and Sasha with a smile on her face.

Vash
 

tarotx

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Rgirl said:
....
"I was so upset Michelle doesn't come," Slutskaya said with a smile. "I was waiting for her."
02/23/06 16:25 EST
My Comments: Irina's last two comments, awww. Now I'm the one with the teary eyes.

Rgirl

Damn. Poor Irina. She missed Michelle. How sad is that:cry::cry:
 

FauveNik

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 12, 2006
I thoguht the comp was fair on how everyone skated. S.A was elegant and fluid with only once missed jump(triple turned into a double) hardly noticable. she deserved to win on that night. Sasha fell once, hand down on another but all in all she fought hard for it. Irina,, she was not herself this whole comp. she did not Look healthy and I think she was struggling big time. I could tell she was very upset about the bronze finnish, but on the night,, it was fair( I personally was rooting her her) so in the end, one that most of us was NOT rooting for(but not Not happy for her win),, won! so goes the Olmypics:) Now we look to Worlds in only 3 short weeks away!
Fauve :)
 

bili

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 18, 2005
Since I am not particularly interested in the Ladies' event, I wasn't rooting for anyone - maybe Sasha a bit, though not a fan, just because I loved her SP.
So, while watching, I decided I would root for anyone who delivers a glorious performance, a performance that says "olympic moment" written all over it..And I am very glad, because after being disappointed with all the other events (hated Plushenko's arrogant-yet-cautious skating, hated N&K and was not impressed by T&T), I finally saw someone deliver a magnificent, elegant and quite memorable -IMO- program, and that was Arakawa!
I was a bit sad about Irina, she seems nice, but it just wasn't her moment..Same for Sasha, though I had expected her falls, given her incosistency.
 

ranjake

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 19, 2005
Mafke said:
hit 'send' too soon, let's try again:

Slutskaya was clearly disappointed but not crushed, kind of c'est la vie, if you go into the LP as a favorite for gold, going through the ceremony with bronze can't be much fun but she conducted herself with a lot of class.

that's better.
i so hope you're right...because i thought she looked crushed. i was heartbroken for her. she was never my favorite...but she has shown amazing courage, and i hope she's ok...and that her mom will be ok.
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
In November, Arakawa called Nikolai Morozov and asked if he'd be her coach. She wanted a change - her coach, her costumes, her programs. It had to be drastic if she were to have any chance.

This is interesting. My impression was always that the Japanese Federation kept their skaters on a short leash. But this makes it sound like Shizuka acted of her own accord. Of course, she may have gotten the Federation's silent approval but the fact she was the one to make the call, not them, shows Shizza acting with independence. But you can do that when you have won Worlds. Now that she has also won the OGM I think this independence will continue.
 

STL_Blues_fan

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 24, 2004
I think Shizzuka was trained by a Japanese coach at the time she went to Morozov. TT retired before October. The lady that sat right next to Shizzuka in K&C was her other coach. Morozov said that when he flew with Shae-Lynn to Lyon, the Japaneese coach flew in to work with Shizzuka in Simsbury for 4 days.
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Thoughts on Top 6 Ladies

Kimmie Meissner: Lightning can strike twice, but apparently not a third time. One might guess that Meissner was intimidated -- her first big International event, skating in the final group with 2 WCs and Sasha. But she seemed pretty composed. Even with the misses on her big tricks it wasn't a bad skate. Her fundamentals are very good and she has good posture and extension. But she is very mechanical on the choreography. Hopefully that will change with time and experience. You could see her observing the SPs of Slute, Arakawa and Cohen, absorbing the lessons of the masters.

Joannie Rochette: Just as I thought Rochette was destined to go the way of Robinson and Chouinard, she rebounds here with a strong performance. She had minor errors in both her SP and LP and in her LP she finished behind the music. But she showed impressive ice coverage, strong jumps and lovely carriage. Unfortunately her LP this year is not as good as her Firebird program. Joannie has the goods to be a World Medalist but its an open question if she will get there. I would still like to see a little more control and refinement from her.

Fumie Suguri: Fumie's strengths are her ability to feel the music and interpret the choreography, but there just wasn't much for her to hang her skates on in this program. It was bland and she lacked transitions, just skating around from one element to the other. She doesn't have Sasha's line, posture and extension to make dross look like gold. Fumie certainly skated well but I was underwhelmed with her Rach LP. Not as strong as her SP.

Irina Slutskaya: The energy of this Flamenco program could have been a good vehicle for her if she was on. Unforunately she started strong and then ran out of gas. When her trademark speed and power vanished, there just wasn't much there. A combination of illness, Olympic nerves and misfortune seem to have done her in.

Sasha Cohen: From a jump standpoint the program was a mess. She fell on her highest point combo jump, then put both hands down on the 3flip. But just as with Buttle, I have learned to look past the falls and admire the beauty of the skating. I think this R&J LP is the best Sasha has ever had and she didn't give up on the performance after the early mistakes. For a moment there, I actually believed Sasha was Juliet, which IMO speaks louder than any of the spectacular moves she has ever done.

Shizuka Arakawa: I was skeptical when I heard Shizza was going back to Turandot, but now I see it was the right decision. Like Sasha with R&J, Shizza seems to feel a connection with this music. She posseses all the qualities you look for in a ladies champion: strong jumps, great carriage/posture, ice presence, great basics, elegance, etc. in short, the winning combination of athleticism and artistry. The program contained several lovely moments and her Ina Bauer and foot-release Y spiral are signature moves (the latter a gorgeous display of her extraordinary edge control). Japan's first Olympic Gold Medalist in figure skating is undoubtedly one of the greats.
 
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Joined
Aug 3, 2003
Great post, Ogre Mage. ITA. Also, a similar thing happened to me with Sasha's LP. After the first minute and I felt she had left the falls far behind, I started to get a lump in my throat. I have liked some of Sasha's programs in the past, mostly her SPs, and thought Tarasova's black-and-white version of "Swan Lake" was thrilling--but I was seeing it live. Anyway, this was the first time her skating moved me emotionally. I hope she holds onto that more than anything else.

Finally, I think Sasha did conquer some very important demons with her LP. After falling on her big point getter--3/2/2--and putting her hands down on a 3/2, she dug down deep and found a way to make the rest of the performance the best she's ever given, IMO. I think most of us know the GSer Bronzeisgolden, referring to Michelle's '02 Olympic medal. I hope Sasha will come to realize, genuinely, that for her, this silver is emblematic of her first golden performance.

I also love, love, love Joannie Rochette. Like Emily Hughes, so refreshing to see curves on a "Ladies skater." By my book, Rochette has the most beautiful arms in the biz and she's in the top three of having the most beautiful arms on a figure skater I've ever seen. And lest we forget, I remember Peggy Fleming.:laugh:

Can't say enough good things about Shizza, so I'll let your elegant words speak for me, except to say they may now have to change her nickname from "Quiet Beauty" to "Quiet Beauty/Killer Competitor," meant as a total compliment. :)

Maybe I have one split view of Kimmie watching her watch the SPs of all the top ladies. Certainly, she could have been watching carefully to learn from the masters and probably was. But I just had the feeling she was also watching thinking, "I'll cream them all by '07." :laugh: For me, it's part of the beauty of being 16, and like Uncle Dick said, you only feel that way at that age and then never again. Enjoy the he!! out of it, Kimmie! :rock:

Irina--I hope she doesn't try for 2010. I will miss her skating and personality soooo much. But with her health, this is the best way she can hope to end her career, IMO. Now it's up to Irina to find and coach the female Russian figure skaters that will not only equal her, but surpass her--after I get to see her skate live with COI at least one more time, natch. :clap:

Rgirl

Rgirl

Rgirl
 

yelyoh

Medalist
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
I posted part of this on another thread but wanted to include it here also.

I've never been a Sasha fan and I was not rooting for her to win gold but did want her to be on the podium as she is an American. But I have to say, before her LP started I had a lump in my gut and that I have only felt before MK began a program. What's going on with you, I asked myself, you're not a Sasha fan. I was happy Shiz won but I thought Sasha delivered big time after the two jump mistakes. I was moved like hell by her LP and liked it more than Shizuka's in that SA was expressive but expressionless and Sasha skated from the heart the way MK does. R&J was beautifully choreographed and performed and I thought the point spread between her and Shiz was not reflective of what occured on the ice. And all of her interviews have been paradigms of good sportspersonship. I have, in short, become a Sasha fan and hope she takes gold at Worlds.

I thought Fumie was shortchanged in the SP and think she might have taken the bronze had she not been. Irina did not look to be in her element in the LP and I think was lucky to get any medal. I have to say though, I felt so sorry for her during the medal ceremony. And think IS is one of the great skaters of the last decade.
 

Lanie

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
yelyoh said:
I was moved like hell by her LP and liked it more than Shizuka's in that SA was expressive but expressionless and Sasha skated from the heart the way MK does. R&J was beautifully choreographed and performed and I thought the point spread between her and Shiz was not reflective of what occured on the ice.

What's interesting here is how Sasha seemed to go through with her plan--enjoy it, skate and show you enjoy it. I think she's just starting to find that part of herself where she can just let go, no matter what happens and put her heart on her sleeve there for everyone to see. I'm a long-time Sasha fan but, after the initial anxiety about the falls, I think this performance moved me like no other had before, ever.
 

Ogre Mage

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 30, 2003
Rgirl said:
Maybe I have one split view of Kimmie watching her watch the SPs of all the top ladies. Certainly, she could have been watching carefully to learn from the masters and probably was. But I just had the feeling she was also watching thinking, "I'll cream them all by '07." :laugh: For me, it's part of the beauty of being 16, and like Uncle Dick said, you only feel that way at that age and then never again. Enjoy the he!! out of it, Kimmie! :rock:
Good point Rgirl. I interpreted the look of concentration as trying to absorb "the lessons of the masters" but it very well could have been her coldly calculating in her head what she needed to do to beat them. In retrospect, there probably was some of both going on. :laugh:
 

mzheng

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 16, 2005
Ogre Mage said:
This is interesting. My impression was always that the Japanese Federation kept their skaters on a short leash. But this makes it sound like Shizuka acted of her own accord. Of course, she may have gotten the Federation's silent approval but the fact she was the one to make the call, not them, shows Shizza acting with independence. But you can do that when you have won Worlds. Now that she has also won the OGM I think this independence will continue.
I read a translated article at FSU a few weeks back that this time it was Shizuka who wanted to change coach, and told the Japanese Federation stay off her affairs, she'll handle it all by her own. Since she knew how hurt Richard G. was feeling the last time JF handled the whole thing when she was switched from him to TT.
 

Mafke

Medalist
Joined
Mar 22, 2004
Ogre Mage said:
Good point Rgirl. I interpreted the look of concentration as trying to absorb "the lessons of the masters" but it very well could have been her coldly calculating in her head what she needed to do to beat them. In retrospect, there probably was some of both going on. :laugh:

There should have been some of both going on. But I hope the primary lessons she was absorbing have to do with presentation skills. She seemed the most juniorish in this area of the top 10. My first thoughts are she needs to either pair it down and concentrate on a clean, pure, powerful line or actually learn how to do all those arm movements without looking like a Minnie Mouse watch (tick, tick, tick).
 

Mehdi

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 26, 2003
Hi all

Has anyone got the judges' scores sheet from the ladies free ?
Thank you.
 
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