Ladies Short Program Report - 2013 Skate Canada | Golden Skate

Ladies Short Program Report - 2013 Skate Canada

Joined
Jan 22, 2004
2013 Skate Canada
Ladies – Short Program

Detailed Classification
Judges Scores
http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpcan2013/gpcan2013_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

Links to Other Reports:
Ice Dance - Short Dance
Ice Dance - Free Dance
Ladies - Free Skating
Men - Short Program
Men - Free Skating
Pairs – Short Program
Pairs - Free Skating


Disclaimer: The GOE values listed next to the elements are ones I would award if I was a judge and they’re intended to give you a general impression of how each element was executed. I try to describe each of the elements but there's not always time to be as detailed as I would like and a numbers can sometimes say a thousand words.

I am generally very nitpicky, try to pay a lot of attention to detail and attempt to notice various errors that judges might have missed. I realise that I’m being very harsh but I try my best to apply the same high standard to all of the skaters.

Any questions, comments, criticisms and discussion are all very welcome.

1. Veronik MALLET /CAN/
Papillon by Secret Garden

spiral towards 3loop/2toe [1] – soft, solid landings
3flip [-3] – fall
flying sit cannonball to broken leg to pancake [1] – quite good rotation speed
spread eagle into 2axel [2] – solid landing with a nice extension and curvy exit
straight line step sequence [0]
sideways to layback to catch [1] – extension not great but good rotation speed
camel to catch/change sit/up butt out to Y to raised free leg [1] – good rotation speed

She’s not the most balletic skater (room for improvement in her posture and lines) but her gentle movements reflected the character of the music quite well. Strong spins.

2. Courtney HICKS /USA/
Soul Surfer (soundtrack) by Marco Beltrami

3flip/2toe [0] (did a 3flip/3toe in the warm-up)
layback to sideways to layback catch [1] – good rotation speed
flying camel to upward twist coe(poor extension) to donut to upward catch [0] – quite good rotation speed
circular step sequence [0] – some fast turns but edges not very strong, could have used more flow
2lutz [-3]
2axel [0] – landing a little tight
camel to catch/sit catch/change sit cannonball to pancake/up scratch [1] – fast rotation

Poor posture (stiff back and rounded shoulders), messy lines (she didn’t fully extend her movements). Decent attack throughout but she really needs some dance training.

3. Kaetlyn OSMOND /CAN/
Big Spender
Rich Man's Frug (from "Sweet Charity")

3toe/3toe(turnout) [-1]
3flip [1] – solid landing with good flow out
transitions to layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [1]
spread eagle into 2axel [-3] – landed it ok but went too deep on the outside edge and fell
straight line step sequence [0] – a little tense and tentative
flying sit cannonball to broken leg to forward bend [0]
camel/sit/up Y/change camel illusion to upward catch [-1] – decent rotation speed but off-centred throughout

Busy upper body movement, quite a lot of transitions and good attention to detail in the choreography throughout. Good expression. Her shoulders are still a bit rounded, however.

4. Natalia POPOVA /UKR/
Concierto de Aranjuez by Joaquin Rodrigo, performed by Edvin Marton

3flip/2toe [0] – not a lot of flow out
3toe [-2] – solid but hardly any footwork and then a long gap between it and the jump
flying camel coe to upward twist to catch to upward catch [1] – quite good rotation speed
footwork to 2axel [0]
camel/sit cannonball to broken leg/change up pancake to Y [1] – quite good rotation speed
straight line step sequence [1] – fast footwork
sideways to layback catch to biellmann [-1] – lack of flexibility in her back, lost speed and wobbled slightly when she got into the biellmann position

Her arm movements were quite well extended but she still has a very stiff back. Her movement was generic and if you turned the music off, you’d never guess what she was skating to.

She has improved her personal best by 0.69 points.

5. Amélie LACOSTE /CAN/
The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel

3loop/2loop [1] – solid, with room to spare
3flip [-1] – solid but a long gap after footwork
flying sit cannonball to broken leg to forward bend [0]
2axel [0] – off-axis in the air and landing didn’t have a lot of flow but a nice arabesqye coming out [0]
layback to sideways to layback catch [0] – extension quite limited
straight line step sequence [1] – deep edges
footwork into camel to illusion/change up butt out/sit/up Y [0]

Quite smooth edges, well extended arm movements which reflected the character of the music quite well.

She has improved her personal best by 1.70 points.

She seems to have switched coaches to Christy Krall and Damon Allen as they were with her in the Kiss & Cry.

6. Christina GAO /USA/
Close Without Touching by David Arkenstone

3toe/3toe [1] – solid
2axel [0] – entry a little telegraphed
ina bauer to scratch butterflies to flying sit pancake/jump to sit tuck [0]
three turns into 3loop [0] – clean but not a lot of speed and flow out
to layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [1] – nice arm positions, decent flow throughout
straight line step sequence [0]
camel to upward twist/sit/jump to change sit broken leg/up scratch [0]

She was moving her arms a lot throughout but those movements weren’t extended well. Posture and lines quite weak. Basic skating not the smoothest (although it seems to have improved). Generic choreography.

She has improved her personal best by 0.48.

7. Gracie GOLD /USA/
Three Preludes by George Gershwin

3lutz/3toe [0] – toe landing a little tight
circular step sequence [1] – fast footwork, good use of upper body movement
flying camel upward twist to forward catch var coe [1] – good rotation speed
3loop [-1] – slight break after steps
2axel [1] – good flow out
sideways to layback catch to biellmann [2] – good extension and rotation speed
camel/up L/change sit cannonball to broken leg/up scratch [2] – good positions and rotation speed

Constant upper body movement in character of the music throughout. Posture and lines have improved since last season, the dance training she’s been taking has paid dividends. A much more mature program than what she’s shown in the past.

She has smashed her personal best by 7.29 points.

P.S. To all the people whining about the music: At least one skater is competing to something more avant garde instead of the usual bland elevator crap.

8. Julia LIPNITSKAIA /RUS/
You Don't Give Up on Love by Mark Minkov

steps to 3lutz/3toe [0]
2axel [1] – nice extension on the landing
transitions to scratch butterfly to flying camel donut coe to forward catch [0] – good positions and rotation speed but off-centred considerably (+2-2)
straight line step sequence [1]
hyper-extended spiral to footwork into 3flip [1] – solid
to layback to sideways to catch to hyper-extended biellmann [1] – good extensions and rotation speed but off-centred slightly (+2-1)
camel upward twist/sit cannonball to broken leg/change up hyper-extended Y [-1] – very good positions and rotation speed but off-centred from start to finish, travelled massively in the last position (+2-3)

Lipnitskaia’s skating is still quite introverted and she still skates with a blank facial expression but this kind of melancholic music played to her strengths very well. There was a fair amount of upper body movement throughout and a bit of connecting footwork as well. Definitely the best choreography she’s had so far.

She has improved her personal best by 3.18 points.

9. SUZUKI Akiko /JPN/
Hymne a l'amour

3toe(not a lot of flow out)/3toe(cheated over 1/4) [-1]
3flip [-1] – gap after steps
scratch butterflies to flying camel upward twist to sideways twist coe to catch [0] – positions not extended very well
to sideways to layback to catch to biellmann [0] – could use some more speed
2axel [1] – solid landing with good flow out
circular step sequence [2] – deep edges, good flow
to camel/up Y/change sit cannonball to broken leg/up scratch(very fast) [1]

Very strong edges. Great freedom in her carriage. Good use of her whole upper body (and not just arms) throughout.

The choreography was a little lukewarm, however and lacked creative, memorable and characteristic highlights and didn’t give her an opportunity to go all out.
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
Thanks for the analysis, Ziggy!

I agree with you with GG's music. It's different, and I like it, and Gracie's movements match the frenzied violins. Don't see why Kim and Kostner are the only ones allowed to skate to unusual pieces.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Thanks for the analysis! I know this takes a huge amount of work.

I like this Gershwin music, though I'm not sure I like this edit of it, but it's demanding and unusual and will show off Gracie's skills well. I'm repeating myself from the main ladies' SP thread, but this is a piece Katia Gordeyeva skated to in a show, and you can imagine what her quick feet made of the rhythms. Of course, she didn't have to do the jumps, which must be fiendish to do in this crisp and unrelenting rhythm. Good for Gracie!
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
And even if you personally do hate the music, a skater is supposed to interpret the music they have chosen. Gold's movements might seem frantic but then so is the music so it's only appropriate.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
I like Gracie's SP - it's different. Also, I really, really, really, like the softer upper body she's got going - the arms are more fluid (she's not quite there yet, but this is way better) than before and FrankC has softened up the overall "look" to her skating in just a few weeks - airplane arms - gone!
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
And even if you personally do hate the music, a skater is supposed to interpret the music they have chosen. Gold's movements might seem frantic but then so is the music so it's only appropriate.

I don't know if "frantic" is the word I would choose for the music, but rather "whimsical", and I don't think Gracie's interpretation is whimsical. I agree with you that it is a nice change from the typical ladies program, and better than having her skate to music Zhang or Czisny typically use, but I still think she can do better. Something by Wagner or Mahler that is sophisticated and powerful would be perfect for Gracie IMO.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
She definitely has room to improve still and I would like her to find her own style that she is comfortable with (I like the Wagner/Mahler idea as well).
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Ziggy:

I agree that she has room to improve, but I also believe she's shown growth. She's tracking well.

The move to FC has apparently done her a world of good in a short time.

I won't say it's my favorite SP music ever, but at least it's different. I don't think I've every heard it before, although I thought it might be Gershwin before the Brit announcer told me it was. There was something familiar about it. I think it suits her better than her LP, although I'm interested in seeing it now to see if my opinion has changed since the first unsuccessful outing.
 
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