I usually have a soft spot for Evgenia, but now I just want Anna on the podium. On the days she does not fall on her stomach, she is Goddess. And she is just 17.
Sorry for Mao. I don't think she has a chance to podium. She is not passed by just one or two skaters, but many. Her jumps regressed so much.
What would be more shocking? If Ashley or Gracie goes clean or if they bomb? :dev2:
we should do the reverse imo Rooting against never worked for me in the past. In those cases ppl I wanted to flop usually woni hope so much in a bad free skate for Gracie, just to see if the inflation is so powerful to let her wins this, no matter what.
That starting order makes me believe they will push Ashley's scores so hard in order to avoid this case.
here's my wish for mao to blow everyone away with a clean madame butterfly! Mao is our comeback queen!
It´s early in the morning for me and once again I was sitting here, looking out of my window, trying to determine what could happen tonight, at Boston. Since my preview of the SP was pretty much spot on, maybe my preview of the Free will be as well, or it will be a complete disaster... In the end, don´t tell me you were not prepared, for what is about to happen, in about 20 hours from now.
Looking back to the short and the questions and Drama there, it seems like Gold for Gold, is almost to be expected. Gracie´s firebird is one of the most demanding and well constructed Free skates this season, choreographed by Lori Nichol, a work she and Gracie claimed to be one of the best in their life´s. The crowd will lift her, help her to get that extra bit of rotation done, while gently holding her lines and emotions in balance. It will be a nerve wrecking experience and yet, the best day in young Gracie´s life. In the short, she was able to take advantage of the mistakes by the best skater in the world, 2015/16, Evgenia Medvedeva, but in the Free, she will be the hunted rabbit, the lady who is expected to win the gold medal, expected to do what no American Women did after Kimmie Meissner at Calgary, in 2006.
A lot of chatter has been going on about her mind, the nerves and that she can´t skate two equally good programs, but does she actually need to go clean in the Free? In my opinion, she does not as the judges will give her the benefit of the doubt, the extra points influenced by the crowds on home soil that are so common. It is to be expected, that a popped jump, maybe even a fall at a fully rotated triple will be enough to keep the horses at bay, not raining everyone's parade. The PC´s will be extreme, most likely higher than ever in her career and it is that extra boost that you will get at home soil and it happens every year with skaters, who compete at home. While the pressure will be firm and very high, I believe that she scores high, grabbing the frog by it´s eggs and sailing home with a golden piece of medal, around her neck.
That being said, the results will lead to a lot of controversy again and I hope, that her potential victory will be celebrated and not ripped apart, like with Adelina at Sochi, who most likely faced the harshest and most unjustified reaction by people that I have ever witnessed in my figure skating life. It´s not the skaters who chant, it´s not the person on blades, who hands out the marks. Skaters, skate and as this it should be seen.
To see happy faces, is what I want and there is a skater who I put on one after the short and to me, she is what Gracie was prior to the short, the big lady in the background, that nobody looks at right now, but she will, take any chance that will be offered to her, by the American. Anna, for me, had the best Short of her career and at Boston, that she still didn´t win the short, was, however, to be expected, as Pogo is not the judges favorite and often scored way below, her potential, as she has not the big celebrity status of Gracie or the young and effortless style like for instance Evgenia. Her disadvantage is at hand and as optimistic I am, it will play a part, but as so often in life, fighting against all odds may be what actually helps you perform, as you will tell yourself "well if you don´t like me, then I will force you to like me and hey, if I can not win anyways, why should I show nerves at all, it´s a lost battle anyways..."
With that easy going and nothing to lose philosophy, she could overtake the lead from a not so perfect Gracie, but everything will need to come together for her, as not just Gracie is boosted in scores, but also Ashley and her Moulin Rogue, which is a beast of a program, made for her and the maturity that she brings to the ice like no other. While on the ice, she will put on some make up and it won´t take the impossible for her, to also put on a medal after the Free.
Said medal could be anything from gold to potato, she is going to skate with her mind focused and if she delivers everything spot on then I don´t see, how she can miss the podium. When Liza hit the top of the podium last season, a quiet and shy Japanese came second, Satoko Miyahara. With about three points away from a medal, she isn´t out of reach, but the Free is a very jump heavy performance and she got a few calls before and I believe, that exactly this could become her Nemesis again. She is a very entertaining skater, with those hungry eyes and super expression, with a very well choreographed program by Lori, full of difficulty, drive, multi directional steps and spins... - but I believe the panel is not in her favor this time and I do not say this with any bad intentions, as I can´t stand the hate she get´s for her jumps, at all and also disagree with that "she can not jump" pattern, that always comes up here.
Still, I believe that she could and will become the best Japanese lady of Boston even though, if my favorite Lady will skate 47 minutes earlier, nailing that Riverdance on ice, the for me most entertaining FS of all ladies this year.
Rika Hongo, is such an underrated skater, that it will make me cry once again, to see her not making the medals. That being said, if she can deliver like she did at China, then the judges can´t avoid placing her in the top five and if others struggle, she might snap that Bronze in the end.
Our current bronze medalist, is Evgenia and no matter how I admire her skating, I somehow believe that she will be kept down in PC´s at Boston, like in the short. While back then, justified due the errors, a gap as big as it is now, seems like a mountain to climb for the 16 years old. Her FS is an absolute beauty but she would need to outskate those above her in TES by at least six or seven points, to stand a chance and this seems very hard, knowing about the quality of Anna, Gracie or Ashley, all within about three points of each other. The big plus for her is the spotlight, as it shifted from her to Gracie and what I said prior to the short, absolutely applies here as well, you need to skate your best and then hope, for the rest and it´s the other skaters, who will be focused and interviewed by the media while your mind can already focus on what is about to come.
She has grown up, it is visible to everyone who saw her prior this season, she is becoming a lady now, just like Yulia who struggled so much this season and her effortless skating, seemed to have vanished in the short. While she stated, it were her nerves, it seems almost impossible to win as the second skater of the final group, knowing the attitude of the judges and the fact that both American ladies, are going to skate last, under a massive roar of fanatic Americans.
Quite fanatic I hoped, said fans would be when Elena Radionova skated in the short. She is such a darling on ice, one of the most intense skaters we have these days, her love story that I so hoped would be pushed by the crowds, did not excel as expected and I honestly, do not know if that might change, while she jumps on her ship, today. Titanic and I stick to what I said at the first half of the season, is the most and best thought out Free skate this year. Elena, has a god given natural look, if you talk to her or see her skate, it is always a pleasant journey and even if her journey on that ship, always ends up with Jack on the ground, her emotions will reach the sky and everyone´s heart.
Americans love these type of things, they often think more with their heart than their mind, are extremely patriotic to that underdog thing that Leo portrait and it seemed so natural to me, that she would win the FS with flying colors, but after Thursday - I am still a bit shocked, that she did not get the support I had hoped for. Will it change with Titanic? I so hope it does, that kid is one that you have to support, you have to help her through these performances, give her a cheer, look her into the eyes and give her a boost of confidence that she will need today.
Only then, I believe a medal is still possible but it will be an extremely difficult task for the young Russian, she needs to come over her emotions, be lifted by the crowd and then I see her medal.
Last but not least, since the pitchforks are ready, what about the great, Mao Asada? In the short, she was not at her best and was pretty harshly punished for that in PC´s. The lady, who usually rocks that category, was held down a lot by the judges and as sad it is for me to say, I felt it was ok, maybe not in its depth, but a gap had to be there, as her performance and execution, just did not reach the perfection of Anna Pogorilaya.
Her FS, want´s to show a strong woman, a woman that can overcome mountains, who want´s to skate for her country and while I think the medal is out of reach, I really expect Mao to have a similar comeback like at Sochi. Eight points to a medal, seems too much, but I wouldn't be surprised if she can medal at least in the FS.
To summarize what I just said,
I believe Gracie will not win the FS, but still the Gold medal and become Americas first female champion since 2006. It will be a controversy due the judging, but in the end, a well deserved victory for one of the finest ladies on ice. Everyone knows, how much I admire this girl and no matter what I think about the scores or reactions by the crowds, she is a figure skater, a great skater and only that should matter, if we rate her performances and it would be a personal pleasure to me, if she could silence the haters back in America, with gold around her neck.
Ashley, will win the FS, her PC´s will be super high, but the gap to Gracie is too big and she will just medal. The final medal, will go to one of the Russian ladies, right now I can not in the slightest predict to whom. Anna, seems like the stronger skater, Elena the most emotional and Evgenia the one who has absolutely nothing to lose. It will be a real nail biter for us and the ladies, but my biggest wish is, that this this will not once again, end up like the Sochi aftermath. What happened back then, was the rudest response I ever witnessed in figure skating and I skipped GS for almost 5 months afterwards, as I felt it was not in the slightest justified to insult, harass and bully the best skater of an event, just because of her nationality.
Love it or hate it, this is a figure skating event and the skaters are the last to blame, for mistakes or emotional judging, by other people. I will not join the Drama like I accidently did after the SP, so see this as my final post at the ladies FS thread and I hope for a peaceful and healthy skate tonight, for all ladies as I love them all!
Let's play a game called, "how much alcohol will I need to get through the last two groups tomorrow night?"
I think i need hardcore black coffee instead! Shesshh 4am, i nearly died with men last night...
TSL did a champion day 2 review. They speculate Mao's mark may have suffered from practicing after Ashley who brought 'face' in her practice performance while Mao didn't, even sharing similar type of flirty program, so the contrast is really blatent and not helpful. Judges do goto practice sessions... and it seems to affect their marking.
Apparently Mao has also been doing 3 triple axels like no tomorrow at practice! More consistently / Come on Mao, that will be amazing if she have a big come back that she has proved to be capable of at Sochi.
Anna, the trial begins! I'd love to see Anna on podium, even right at the top be the surprising winner.
Come US ladies... stars are aligned for you, judges are in your court, just deliver!! Ashley is great at chasing from behind, Gracie will have to overcome pressure she put on herself when she is leading. Mirai, i just want she to have a skate she is happy with.
I think i need hardcore black coffee instead! Shesshh 4am, i nearly died with men last night...
TSL did a champion day 2 review. They speculate Mao's mark may have suffered from practicing after Ashley who brought 'face' in her practice performance while Mao didn't, even sharing similar type of flirty program, so the contrast is really blatent and not helpful. Judges do goto practice sessions... and it seems to affect their marking.
Apparently Mao has also been doing 3 triple axels like no tomorrow at practice! More consistently / Come on Mao, that will be amazing if she have a big come back that she has proved to be capable of at Sochi.
Anna, the trial begins! I'd love to see Anna on podium, even right at the top be the surprising winner.
Come US ladies... stars are aligned for you, judges are in your court, just deliver!! Ashley is great at chasing from behind, Gracie will have to overcome pressure she put on herself when she is leading. Mirai, i just want she to have a skate she is happy with.
This free skate is poorer without Kailani. :sad21:
What would be more shocking? If Ashley or Gracie goes clean or if they bomb? :dev2:
In my view, this comment made by TSL seems like discrimination against Mao's artistic style. There are different forms of artistic expression and I think various styles should be given consideration. There is more than one way to "flirt" and I like Mao's way and facial expressions a lot more: her subtle sophistication is more appealing to me, though I know a lot of people find Ashley's style very appealing and I am not trying to criticize hers. Mao's style just suits me better. In terms of other PCS criteria, I also like Mao's choreography, presentation, lines and movements more, in addition to Mao's skating skills, though the jumping glitches yesterday took away a little bit. But, I don't think PCS should take much of hit for that.
This free skate is poorer without Kailani. :sad21: