The biggest progress of skaters | Golden Skate

The biggest progress of skaters

koatcue

Medalist
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Country
Russia
...within the year) Which programs are getting better and better with each competition this year?

1)Mao - she started meh, but now she got her jump(s) back and is significantly better
2) V/M - they always scored lower than D/W on this year competitions. Their programs didn't look as easy as they usually seemed. But now they finally are back to their usual selves)
3) Tukt - She started really bad, her puberty finally got to her skating..But now she proved that she is a world class skater ready to make an impact at Worlds. Still can't say the same about Adelina=(
4) Kevin!!! ..the guy from Canada)) REALLY didn't expect him to win:eek:
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I'd agree with your list, especially since you put Mao at the top. I'm thinking that I'd add Christina Gao, who really served notice this year that she has the goods to do well internationally, even though the (silly) judges in the U.S. still kept her in fifth place.
 

koatcue

Medalist
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Country
Russia
I'd agree with your list, especially since you put Mao at the top. I'm thinking that I'd add Christina Gao, who really served notice this year that she has the goods to do well internationally, even though the (silly) judges in the U.S. still kept her in fifth place.

I think that Gao is good all year=) She isn't nervous this year at all. She does what she can do) There is no progress from program to program for her, that's why she isn't on my list.
But I've completely forgotten M-T/M! They develop from start to start. They might rival D/R for bronze this year :)
 

Mirunna

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
I would also put Javier Fernandez. His LP at Euros was breathtaking while at Skate Canada I thought it's a good program but nothing more. I love that he has the best and hardest jumps currently in the world but still managed to get into character. Not to mention he landed 3 quads in the LP in his last two international competitions( and big ones: GPF and Euros)
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
I'd put Adelina here, absolutely! her FS at the beginning of the season was horrible, but now it turned out a decent program for me. I/K, too, thei FD has improved a lot, even if I don't still get it...
 

sky_fly20

Match Penalty
Joined
Nov 20, 2011
Men:

Kevin Reynolds, Javier Fernandez, Yuzuru Hanyu, Yan Han

Ladies:

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Christina Gao, Mao Asada

Pairs:

Bazarova/Larionov, James/Cipres, Moore-Towers/Moskovitch

Ice Dance:

Ilinykh/Katsalapov, Capellini/Lanotte, Bobrova/Soloviev, Chock/Bates, Giles/Poirer

Regressing:
Patrick Chan, Kavaguti/Smirnov, The Shibutanis,
 

skatel80

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 12, 2012
I'd put Adelina here, absolutely! her FS at the beginning of the season was horrible, but now it turned out a decent program for me. I/K, too, thei FD has improved a lot, even if I don't still get it...
ITA about Adelina, those were brilliant performances at euros, so far ahead of what she did on the GP
 

koatcue

Medalist
Joined
Aug 31, 2011
Country
Russia
ITA about Adelina, those were brilliant performances at euros, so far ahead of what she did on the GP

I'm not sure it's not a fluke..That was just 1 competition..But, yeah, it was a HUGE success for her to finally skate as she does on practice. Let's wait and see, I guess)
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Men:

Kevin Reynolds, Javier Fernandez, Yuzuru Hanyu, Yan Han

Ladies:

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, Christina Gao, Mao Asada

Pairs:

Bazarova/Larionov, James/Cipres, Moore-Towers/Moskovitch

Ice Dance:

Ilinykh/Katsalapov, Capellini/Lanotte, Bobrova/Soloviev, Chock/Bates, Giles/Poirer

Regressing:
Patrick Chan, Kavaguti/Smirnov, The Shibutanis,

I'm sure Patrick will pick himself up again as soon as he figures out the right training regimen. The Shibs, as ice dancers, should hopefully enjoy a long span of success, so this year might be just a blip in their progress. The ones that distress me are Kavaguti/Smirnov. I love their skating, and I love Moskvina as a pairs coach. I do hope they revive themselves and can start to climb again.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I'm sure Patrick will pick himself up again as soon as he figures out the right training regimen. The Shibs, as ice dancers, should hopefully enjoy a long span of success, so this year might be just a blip in their progress. The ones that distress me are Kavaguti/Smirnov. I love their skating, and I love Moskvina as a pairs coach. I do hope they revive themselves and can start to climb again.

Thanks Olympia, I always appreciate your perspective.

The Shibutanis by no means have had the BEST year ever but FWIW here are their scores from this season:

SD: 58.26 (COR), 60.84 (NHK), 63.26 (4CC)
FD: 82.65 (COR), 93.72 (NHK), 96.71 (4CC)

Since when is an upward trend in scores = regression? In fact their FD score is just .20 off their personal best from 2011 Worlds. The thing is that there's a lot of people in the mix and on any given day a point here or there or one technical call really shake up the placements outside the top two (heck it can determine which of the top two wins). At 4CC there were fewer than 3 points between Chock and Bates and Gilles and Poirier in the total score. For some perspective on how tight that is: That is the difference between getting a level 4 step sequence (8.00 points) and a level 2 step sequence (5 points).

We're seeing that with Patrick Chan as well. He's struggling yes, but he's also dealing with the fact that people are catching up to him, even surpassing him technically to the point where the PCS gap isn't enough for him to dominate over his competitors any more.

Meryl Davis and Charlie White have made great progress to the point where they're beating Virtue and Moir in competition, but I doubt anyone would say that Virtue and Moir are regressing. No, it's more about Davis and White progressing at an amazing clip.

The same goes Fernandez, Hanyu, Takahashi and the like with Chan. And Chock and Bates with the Shibutanis.
 
Last edited:

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Chan needs another quad or 3A and gain some consistency and improve on artistry to keep up with these guys. He should focus on jumps, spins and artistry. Wagner is probably one person who is regressing; I am not sure why K and S are so hated; I can't figure that out or B and L's rise. Really confusing to me.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Liza and Adelina both were so superior to where they started. Gosviani had no jrgp assignment and now worlds is likely in the future? If thats not progress I don't know what it is. The means havent been pretty but 3rd alternate to nationals to worlds is likely.

Men for sure Fernandez. His success Now extends outside the gp to euros wins! First medal gold.

Pairs is d/r. Coming on strong.

Dance progress is hard because no matter how good anyone gets there is no way to beat VMDW. The empire. The infallibles, the cream, the helium
 

deedee1

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 14, 2007
Biggest surprises, in a good way of course, this season so far to me:

-Valentina Marchei! :cool:, Christina Gao, Mao Asada
-Kevin Reynolds :rock:, Maxim Kovtun, Alexander Majorov, Takahito Mura
-Chock/Bates, Cappellini/Lanotte :love:
-James/Cipres, Barton/Hotarek :yes:

Aaaaand Honorable mention: Daisuke Takahashi ;)
This season he is trying to put 3 quads in two programs; for the first time in his whole career. Hit or miss so far unfortunately. But don't forget this means he tries to go BEYOND of his old-self in 2008 where he had to leave competitive skating with severe knee injury. At 26, he still wants to improve his technical aspect. I.Love.That. (okay, i am biased i know!)
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Tuktamysheva - no. Her results and level at 2011/2012 were high. She restores, not progresses.

Kaetlyn Osmond - yes.

It's a lot harder to perform well as a full-time senior going through puberty than as a prepubescent junior who isn't old enough for ISU championships and therefore can compete on the GP without much pressure, which is what happened for Liza, especially because she was not the JWC coming in, that was Adelina who had more pressure than Liza. This season there was a lot more attention on Liza and she grew up a lot and overcame an injury to make GPF and illness to win her first Russian title, and won the FS at Euros, medaling her first time out. To me, that is A LOT of progress and very, very impressive.
 
Top