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rocketry

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 30, 2006
I'm just pissed about the constant playing around with the rules, it looks like politics in disguise to me. Some skaters will do better under certain rules than others, so each camp tries to make changes that will benefit their skater. The whole thing is kind of slimy if you ask me.

Well, the one thing they have been consistent in is changing the rules. Personally, I don't mind it, I think it's good for skaters to adapt if that means improving the breadth of their skills and wouldn't mind at all if they required a mandatory triple in the SP like they do for juniors. I think it's easy to forget how young this system is and I would rather they address its issues well before the Olympics than right before it. This whole idea of assigning exact numbers to exact elements is totally new. Of course they aren't going to get it right the first time.
 
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jatale

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
You're not serious are you?

No, not really. I do think politics still creeps its ugly head into things and that upsets me, but I guess that is the way of the world these days unfortunately. I agree that the rules should try and develop the best all-around skaters possible, but the rules should not be a straitjacket either. Enough freedom must be built-in too so that skaters that want to break the mold and maybe push the sport to new heights can do so and still win. Most importantly, artistry has to remain a central element in figure skating IMO, and that means that skaters must have enough freedom to express themselves in their programs, and that means flexibility in what technical elements they want to use.
 
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Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Kim had a solid runthru of free: 3Lz/3T; 3S/2t; pop flip; 2A/2T/2lo; 3Lz; 3S; 2A.

So Blades has indeed seen her programs before. (That jump layout is exactly as he/she described it.)

Momma don't play! (Note - I am not a female, but I do like that saying)

Now if only they had asked me for MY advice about the programs. Oh well. All in due time.

If I was in charge the fugly Flying Sit spins would have been out of both programs, for starters. Yu-Na is perfectly capable of doing a Level 4 Flying Camel that not only looks better but it also worth more points. Thankfully the LP is still lovely, though.
 

Mistletoe

Spectator
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
THe layback leg is so dogleg and awful - how on earth can an olympic champion have such horrid awkward positioning on a layback. She should know better. Also there is nothing balletic about this - she is skating to a classical ballet of historic proportions and seems to not realize it. No pointed toes as pointed out also. I am baffled as to how on earth she got the olympic gold with such awkward positions. Surely she knows about her right angle layback leg yet does nothing about it. Oh for Sasha and classic positions!
 

YunaBliss

On the Ice
Joined
May 11, 2010
ROFL @ Mistletoe's post.

Yuna won the OGM because she is overall the best skater in the planet. Sasha, despite her "balletic" lines, never won OGM or even a world championship because she was not the best figure skater overall.

This "toe-pointing" "freeleg positioning" thing is getting way too boring and old, although I realize it's the only thing Yuna-haters can point to. To 99% of the audience, it is not even noticeable. Yeesh.
 

jatale

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2011
THe layback leg is so dogleg and awful - how on earth can an olympic champion have such horrid awkward positioning on a layback. She should know better. Also there is nothing balletic about this - she is skating to a classical ballet of historic proportions and seems to not realize it. No pointed toes as pointed out also. I am baffled as to how on earth she got the olympic gold with such awkward positions. Surely she knows about her right angle layback leg yet does nothing about it. Oh for Sasha and classic positions!

I'm not sure that ballet music MUST require ballet moves on ice. I think that should be up to the choreographer and skater to decide. The choreography to Yuna's program is by David Wilson, it seems to me that your complaints should be directed to him, not Yuna.
 

ljaeren

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 27, 2011
THe layback leg is so dogleg and awful - how on earth can an olympic champion have such horrid awkward positioning on a layback. She should know better.

The layback isn't that easy of a position. And the layback doesn't count for that much of the total score, the jumps do.
 

Johnnnn

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 21, 2009
The layback isn't that easy of a position. And the layback doesn't count for that much of the total score, the jumps do.

Exactly. Also, I think many people overlook the fact that Yuna has one of the best back positions in her layback spin.
 

Lilith11

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 1, 2010
Exactly. Also, I think many people overlook the fact that Yuna has one of the best back positions in her layback spin.

Plus, her speed and edging on the layback is also quite strong. I don't deny that I would like to see a more extended, stretched, and elegant leg position from her in the future, but her layback is not as horrendeous imo as people make it out to be.
 

alexeifan

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
I can't wait til the mens short, can't believe the time is almost here!!!!! I'll be eating a lot of junk food this week while watching skating teheee
 

Krislite

Medalist
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
THe layback leg is so dogleg and awful - how on earth can an olympic champion have such horrid awkward positioning on a layback. She should know better. Also there is nothing balletic about this - she is skating to a classical ballet of historic proportions and seems to not realize it. No pointed toes as pointed out also. I am baffled as to how on earth she got the olympic gold with such awkward positions. Surely she knows about her right angle layback leg yet does nothing about it. Oh for Sasha and classic positions!

Look at the layback leg position of recent Olympic champions--Tara and Shizuka had similar leg positions. Nothing baffling, because the Olympics is not a test of layback leg positions.

There were and are many skaters who have nowhere near the back flexibility of Yuna's layback either, such as Michelle Kwan.

I'm hesitant to say you're nitpicking just to exaggerate something negative about her, but your caustic tone is hard to get past that impression.
 

alexeifan

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 5, 2010
I think some people love women's skating for the beautiful spirals and laybacks, so when they see an Olympic Champ and skater who is thought to be one of the best ever that lacks in those areas those people get frustrated and speak out about it.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Exactly. Also, I think many people overlook the fact that Yuna has one of the best back positions in her layback spin.

indeed, she gets a very nice"Lay back" position and can have very nice arms too. Fixing the leg position is one of the easier fixes. I personally never had that flexible of a back and had to work very hard with off-ice ballet, pilates etc to get a good "layback" back position. Yu-na is capable of turning out her hips (she has nice ina bauers and spread eagles) so I can't imagine that getting a better leg position would be that hard it she worked on it.
 
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