Figuring out the GP slots (Ladies) | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Figuring out the GP slots (Ladies)

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
It's always suprising what people think they know about a sakter. Asada 'wants to jump like when she was 15'? And here I was thinking her goal was Sochi.
It's not as if Asada couldn't decide on her own what she wanted to do or not, she doesn't own anyone to do anything - and just because generally 3-3T combos are better to do doesn't mean it can't be different for her. I'm not too sure she'll get the 3A again, but who am I to tell her - who is the one doing the work - what she should do or not? For worlds she did 8-triples FS practices, and if she would manage that, she would be pretty unbeatable (except for someone else coming up with a 3A). In regards to Sochi, trying that out now was not the worst thing she could have done. Besides that, with the japanese media being all over the 3A pretty much everytime she gives an interview, it's not that hard to understand it's such a main thing for her...

What is frustrating for me, as a Mao fan, is there is so little attention paid to develop a winning strategy. We may disagree about whether she get the 3A back (I think she can), but I think we all agree it was not ready for this year's Worlds. I just don't see how you put that jump in your program when you are 1/2 to 3/4 UR on the jump in practice. The field was so weak this year and it really was a missed opportunity for Mao; it's unfortunate that she has the talent to win but not the willingness to execute a jumping layout that will allow her to do so without taking unnecessary risk.
 

mikeko666

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 27, 2011
Suzuki took the same medal a year before. They pushed up her very hard too according to your logic? Then nothing to complain about I guess. Too much theory with no grounds.

Suzuki received the second lowest PCS in both SP and FS of all six competitors, only slightly higher than Wagner at 2009 GPF. In FS, she earned the highest TES, about two points higher than Kim and five points higher than Ando while her PCS was more than eight points lower than Kim or Ando. PCS worked well as a place holder in the event.

Sotnikova also keeps performing 3L-3Lo combo, so rare one. The fact that these way more difficult combos than those with the second 3T jump are not rewarding enough as they should be is not skaters' problem. It's the judging system problem. The audience wishes to see different combos, so their execution should be encouraged.

I remember Sotnikove prefers +3Lo to +3T, but she has landed 3Lz+3T and 3T+3T this year even with "<". It looks like she is trying to switch from +3Lo to +3T.

I assume that most of top male skaters can land 3+3Lo but don't use them in competitions for strategic reasons with a very few exceptions like Kevin Reynolds, who landed 3S+3Lo at WTT. I have seen Takahashi landing 3F+3Lo and 3Lz+3Lo in ice shows and practices recently, but he has never used them in competitions.

I agree that Suzuki is not a Plushenko. She doesn't try to jump like men or pre-pubecent girls because she knows a mature woman's body needs different techniques, and that's how Arakawa still manages to land 3+3 at age of 30. Asada is not a Reynolds either.
 
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ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
So the JSF is basically treating Suzuki the way the RFSF treated Maria Butyrskaya. They didn't push for Maria much even after she won Worlds.

Yikes!

Except, in this case, it's even worse. You can make the argument that based on results, Slutskaya had more potential and likelihood of future success. Both Murakami and Asada have faults that are consistently penalized by this system. If Asada skates clean, she'll undeniably beat Suzuki, but it's not something to dismiss another skater based on.
 

Li'Kitsu

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2011
drivingmissdaiys said:
What is frustrating for me, as a Mao fan, is there is so little attention paid to develop a winning strategy. We may disagree about whether she get the 3A back (I think she can), but I think we all agree it was not ready for this year's Worlds. I just don't see how you put that jump in your program when you are 1/2 to 3/4 UR on the jump in practice. The field was so weak this year and it really was a missed opportunity for Mao; it's unfortunate that she has the talent to win but not the willingness to execute a jumping layout that will allow her to do so without taking unnecessary risk.

Guess I understand what you mean. I would have loved for Mao to medal again at this years worlds. But she was a world champion twice, and that's not her goal anymore, it's Sochi. And she will probably need the 3A there. I'm not agreeing with her strategy about the 3A, if you can call it that, but I just think I'll support her no matter what plans she has.
Besides that, her FS at this years worlds was a mess anyway. If she over trained herself, or was slightly injured, or her private loss finally really hit her (sometimes it takes a while for those things to really come through...), or anything like that. I read somewhere, she did her final practice runtrough with a 2A, maybe she already decided not to do the 3A... I just think - to say it like that - that wasn't her day.
But I'm glad to read someone else thinks she will get the 3A back =)
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I love Mao's skating, but I don't think she will ever get the 3A back. If she hasn't regained it at 21, she isn't likely to do so at 23. IMO, she needs to consider an alternate strategy, because a URd 3A is not an asset but a huge liability.
 
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