2008-09 Junior Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating Preview | Golden Skate

2008-09 Junior Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating Preview

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
I'd love it if C/Z and S/S switched spots - Chock & Zuerlein while technically very good, leave me absolutely cold and their FD is quite generic. I haven't seen the Hubbell's FD this season, but I much prefer Riazanova & Guerreiro's and the Shibutani's FD.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I have no problem with Fujisawa being first place, but I think he erred in leaving out Musademba. Just feel she will be podium.

Without Michal Brezina, I have lost some interest in the outcome of this division. While the three American hopefuls are looking good, I would consider any win by one of them or any other national skater as by default.

Pairs seem like a Russian event. Since I haven't seen any of them, I go along with Walker's picks, but it would be nice to see a Japanese Pairs team on the podium.

I can't imagine honesty in judging if the Hubbells do not win this. The remainder of his picks are ok with me.

Should be worth watching. Time in NYC will be a factor for LIVE though, but if they put up the On Demand within 3 days, I'll be ok.
 

lmarie086

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
oleada, I much prefer Riazanova & Guerrerio's FD to Chock & Zuerlein as well. I can't see R/G finishing behind them, I think they're in the fight for gold. And I think the Shibutani's could finish ahead as well (at the very least their FD is much nicer, I just don't see Phantom and Christine anywhere in C/Z's FD).
 

Vincero

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 17, 2007
In the ladies' division, I don't think Yukiko Fujisawa will win, but I think she is likely on the podium. I think the writer also underestimated Kanako Murakami, who is also a podium conteder. My picks for the podium (in no particular order) are Angela Maxwell and the two skaters mentioned above, but should one of them falter, I'm guessing Kristine Musademba will be on the podium, as she seems to be quite consistent this season.

In ice dance, if the Hubbell's give clean performances, they'll run away with it, but they seem to prone to getting a low level or two. Even so, they've gotten very good scores this season, so I still think they're the favourites for the title. Riazanova/Guerreiro will give them a run for their money (if clean), but I don't think they'll come up on top.

For me, the biggest unknown factor is Chock/Zuerlein. They got 83 something for their Sheffield FD, and if they score like that again, they could possibly place second, or even win too, especially since there's no CD here. Looking at the competition scores, it's not an overall inflation, as their OD and CD scores weren't that high and even in the FD, only they were scored that high, with the second placing team placing almost 10 points behind. Again, it will come down to whether their FD score is a realistic score or just a fluke and the Sheffield judges particularly loved them.

I think the Shibutanis will also be podium contenders, but if everyone goes clean, I'll place them 4th after Chock/Zuerlein if they repeat their Sheffield scores, and 3rd of Chock/Zuerlein's scores go down.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
The Shibutanis OD is great, as is their FD. The problem for them is getting the judges to take them seriously because of their age and size.

The Hubbells FD is sort of recycled Samuelson / Bates of last year-another Italian song. It did nothing for me. I haven't seen the Hubbell OD. I could see them coming behind R&G, even though I am not a huge fan of James Bond programs, R&G do well with this one. And the R&G OD is very, very good indeed.

I do not like either of the C&Z programs. They have no connection to the music IMO.
 

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
I'm guessing Kristine Musademba will be on the podium, as she seems to be quite consistent this season.

I don't know if she is any more consistent than last season, to be honest. She won in France with a very good score 143.02 and good performances, her only mistake there being an ! call on her lutz and a single axel in the long. However, she had a poor short program in Madrid, with no combo. Her FS was better - she had a fall and a downgrade on her lutz and a flawed 3T. She was quite lucky to win that competition, as there was only .8 between first and third place. Her overall score there was 15+ points lower than in France. And at Liberty this summer she scored 71.59 in the FS, landing only a 3Lz and a 3S.

That said, she's a very good skater and if she goes clean I think she will podium. However, she really needs to up her spins and non-jump elements! She only had two level 4s in the entire series. That's a major disadvantage - for example Fujisawa and Murakami have earned consistent level 4s in their spins and spirals (for that matter, Fujisawa has earned a level 4 for every single spin, save 1, which was a level 3. Girl's crazy good at working the system).

oleada, I much prefer Riazanova & Guerrerio's FD to Chock & Zuerlein as well. I can't see R/G finishing behind them, I think they're in the fight for gold. And I think the Shibutani's could finish ahead as well (at the very least their FD is much nicer, I just don't see Phantom and Christine anywhere in C/Z's FD).

I don't see it either! Their FD has like no face to face holds until the final step sequence (not that many dances have many face to face holds recently...) but there's so much side-by-side skating and very little transitions.

And I completely disagree with the writer of this article in placing Krasilnikova & Bezmaternikh over Iliushechkina & Maisuradze.
 
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SailorGalaxia518

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 27, 2004

lmarie086

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
The Hubbells FD is sort of recycled Samuelson / Bates of last year-another Italian song. It did nothing for me. I haven't seen the Hubbell OD. I could see them coming behind R&G, even though I am not a huge fan of James Bond programs, R&G do well with this one. And the R&G OD is very, very good indeed.

Yeah, just from listening to the music it sounds like a recycle of Samuelson/Bate's FD from last season, and I may be one of the few who was absolutely bored by it. But IMO the Hubbells are more dynamic than S/B, so maybe they can do more with it. I was quite partial to last season's FD to Apocalyptica, even if they never did perform it up to par.


I don't see it either! Their FD has like no face to face holds until the final step sequence (not that many dances have many face to face holds recently...) but there's so much side-by-side skating and very little transitions.

And I completely disagree with the writer of this article in placing Krasilnikova & Bezmaternikh over Iliushechkina & Maisuradze.

My main gripe with them is something you could complain about for a lot of junior teams; no connection to each other. It's just as important as connection to the music, but I find Chock & Zuerlein very lacking in relation to each other on the ice. They need that to make their rather generic dances work.

I disagree about the pairs too. Totally think that (barring any weird stuff) Illiushechkina & Maisuradze will win. If my memory is correct, aren't Krasilnikova & Bezmaternikh the current world junior champions, who have been beaten by I/M already anyway?
 

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Yes, at Russian Senior Nats and at JGP Belarus. They also finished below Ozerova & Enbert there.
K/B top score this season is also below what Martiusheva/Rogonov, Imaikina/Novoselov and Ozerova/Enbert have scored. I think they're at a disadvantage for several reasons:

1. Imaikina/Novoselov, Iliushechkina/Maisuradze and Ozerova/Enbert have all landed side-by-side triples this season, something K/B have never done.
2. Martiusheva & Rogonov, Iliushechkina & Maisuradze, Ozerova & Enbert all have much better presentation than them, particularly the first two. Also, O&E in particular have done very well in getting very high levels in their non-jump elements.
3. It appears Ksenia has grown and that hurts their lifts, which is one of their best elements.
4. Ksenia's been injured, which is why they withdrew from their GP assignment.

I also think that, barring disaster, I&M will win. However, they do need to watch their levels, which is something they occasionally struggle with (pair spin, in particular) and something I/N, M/R and O/E are better at. Despite having a highest FS score, their TES was lower than these three teams in the JGP.

For example, in Belarus, I&M's only level 4 element was their side by side spins. Ozerova & Enbert had level 4s on both their lifts, their spins, the pair spin and the death spiral, and their step sequence was a level 3, which was higher than I&M's level 2. Martiusheva & Rogonov also had level 4s in all their elements aside from the step sequence (3) and triple twist(1), which is an element I&M aren't doing this season.
 
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Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Yeah, just from listening to the music it sounds like a recycle of Samuelson/Bate's FD from last season, and I may be one of the few who was absolutely bored by it. But IMO the Hubbells are more dynamic than S/B, so maybe they can do more with it. I was quite partial to last season's FD to Apocalyptica, even if they never did perform it up to par.
Maybe they should have used Polyvetsian Dances or Tosca. Boring for me, but what else?

but I find Chock & Zuerlein very lacking in relation to each other on the ice. They need that to make their rather generic dances work.
What exactly are 'generic' dances? Aren't the trained by Spillband?
 

lmarie086

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2008
^ When I say I was bored, I'm talking about the actual FD (though the music didn't help me). It didn't hold my attention, and I'm just expressing my disappointment that the Hubbells have music that's so similar. I'm with you though that I'm bored by Tosca and Polvestian Dances, and I'm glad that the Hubbells didn't get saddled with either but I wish their music didn't sound so similar to what Samuelson/Bates had last season, because in comparison to Apocalyptica (not one of the most common choices in ice dance), it's not as interesting (IMO).

And when I say generic I'm referring to the lack of story. Other than the music, there's absolutely nothing to do with Phantom of the Opera in that FD. They skate right through it. It's not helped by little connection to one another on the ice. I just think they deserve a better constructed FD.
 

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
What exactly are 'generic' dances? Aren't the trained by Spillband?

They are generic because the choreography has nothing to do with the music and their is nothing in their dance that says "Phantom of the Opera". I suspect their program could be skated to a different musical piece without much change. Their is no purpose to their moves; no connection the music, or each other for that matter.

As for the Hubbells, there is a lot of music between Tosca & an Italian ballad. It's just that when your training mates who are the same age use an Italian ballad the year before...it doesn't seem very original, IMO.
 
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