Ilinykh and Katsalapov need to ensure that they do not take themselves out of the running with a poor showing in the compulsory dance, their weakest phase of competition.
☆Genie;484636 said:Kanako has a 3-3 too
Yep. I think that the two Russian Polinas who also have 3/3s may have something to say.
I don't really see Christina being able to beat a clean Murakami. Because Murakami is much more artistic than Christina, and Christina doesn't have the jump layout that can really challenge her.
I think Shelepen is the biggest threat because she has the double axel/3toe and the 3sal/3toe in her program's layout. And in the short she has the 3lutz/3toe. Seeing a clip, I don't really care much for Shelepen's new short. But I actually think that her long has improved a lot. I'm curious about Polina A's layout and will have to watch a recent clip.
Christina's 3-3 is much better than Kanako's, whose is often UR or close to it. And Gao does have a jump layout that can challenge Kanako, Kanako's jump layout in the LP is nothing special (no 3-3) and Christina should get better GOE because Kanako flutzes badly and has some other funnky jumps. Their LP scores at the JGPF were only about 3 points apart and at nationals Christina got almost +2 GOE for her 3t-3t which makes a 3 point difference over the 3flutz-2t she did at the JGPF.
As for the Russians, Polina Shelepen I like the least. She can jump but her spins are not very good and a lot of her jumps are really shaky
The preview mentioned the US dance bronze meadalist Gilles/Donahue in detail , but barely mentioned the silver medalist Tibbetts/Brubaker . Was T/B JGP and National placement just a fluke or does the writer just like G/D better ?
You can't compare national scores though. Shelepen is a better spinner IMO than Christina, and Kanako is likely to get a lot higher PCS than Gao. You forget that Murakami won JGPF with a fall and Polina was a little shaky.
Messing is the dark horse for a medal in The Hague as he can be mesmerizing when he skates his best. In Spokane at the U.S. Championships, former World Champion Elvis Stojko sought Messing out to encourage him to continue on his path.
"He told me, 'Don't Change! You've got a great future ahead of you'," Messing shared. "Meeting Elvis was the highlight of the competition for me."
Those scores for I&K in the Westminster are puzzling. They must have skated a heck of a lot better than they did at Russian Nats where they had a lot of bobbles.
Polina's condition will surely be a key factor.
Who skated in Westminster?
THE Westminster not IN Westminster. Westminster Waltz (one of the two Junior draws for CD this year with the Argentine. Tango)
Ohh. But who skated this? I thought Shelepen went to the Cup of Russia final a few days ago?