I had a plan to write my thoughts yesterday but everything was so 'fresh' and I decided to sleep with my opinions and write them here if this morning they will be still in my head, so...
First thing is that I'm not so into ladies - I like generally whole FS but particulary ice dance, the rest, I'm watching, making opinions but usually I'm not let them out of my head. I'm not any uber, maybe have some sentimental favourites in terms of musicality, fluidity, overall impression of someone's style of skating.
Yesterday for the first time I watched the competition with my younger sister - she said that she must see that thing on which I'm 'so twisted about' in her opinion
so we watched together. She is generally very 'strict' person, all about numbers, datas etc while I'm more sensible and artistic so she was particulary interested in scoring and all judging format in FS (so when I started explanation she was veery sceptical about judging in PCS departament - no surprise I think...but I'll come back to this later. She has watched FS only by event without any knowledge about ranks, judging etc. so her opinion are based only by the impact of whole performance on her. I'll try incorporate some of her thoughts also here because I think it would be 'refreshing' and interesting in comparision how are my feelings and how are hers about particular skaters, performances etc.
From the start - I'm very 'suprised'/or maybe not about judging - more about it I'll write later when I'll review final performances from yesterday final. But the general thing in my brain after whole Olys in FS is that I lost most of my excitement and enthusiasm about this sport - and probably since Sochi I'll see some scandals/controversy/shockers before pure beauty of the sport. And I can't help myself after yesterdays outcome...But I'll probably still watch FS, maybe with more scepticism and doubts but still. Why? Because even yesterday I saw some 'stars in progress' which I found worthy to follow - I mean Polina, Kaetlyn, Zijiun and Gabrielle. Their performances, even with mistakes gave me simple joy. Yes, they need polish, training, consistency, some other things but I when I watch them I see determination and attack to push things further. In my opinion their FSs were well matched, particulary Polina's and Kaetlyn's FS (I'm sooo glad that some skater used Grieg's 'Solveig's song' - this is beautiful piece of music and I see it in someone's free dance...). I'll definitely watch their ways, I hope they'll develop and get progress.
The most emotonal moment of my yesterday's evening was Mao's performance - after SP I was disappointed because she didn't do things which she planned - not that she wasn't on the top, not that she hurt Japanese expectations. I think that the fact that she skated last and had a heavy package of someone's expectations and her own aims/ambitions killed that SP...Before her FS performance I whisper only one wish for her - to skate her heart out and get out of these things. And she simply did it - my sister laughed at me when I bursted in tears after Mao's skate but after all skates she said that in her stupid, unprofessional opinion 'that little Japanese' was the best. I aske her 'why do you think she was the best?' and she said very simple, maybe pathetic thing which stuck in my head: 'because she became that music in this moment, her every move told something to me, her skating was just a constant flow and I don't know her and her skating, her past but I see by that performance a true sportsman spirit and full dedication in her, that's why - because she can move even someone without any skating knowledge'. I was shocked by her words but they are true - she gave her everything yesterday. And the power, artistry and genius of her skate are obvious IMO but when I saw her PCS score...Ok, I was prepared for some strange things in PCS after SP standings but when I saw PCS for Russian skaters and compared them with Mao's score...This is not even strange, this is disgusting in my eyes - even my sister said after Lipnitskaya's scores that 'that kid's' score should be nowhere near Mao's score. Where Mao was pure class, complex, mature, with no visible obvious errors and had a performance of night, Julia was stiff, robotic, had errors, no fluidity and expression - and with these she managed 2 points more in PCS? Sorry for that phase but NO FU***NG WAY, just no. I just can't agree with lowballing skaters in PCS just because they skate in earlier groups and pumping up the PCS artificially in case of skaters in final group regardlesss of their real skate - you name it as a 'PCS bonus' for final group of skaters. I know I'm stupid and idealistic but when I think about PCS that score should respond to individual, actual and real performance of a skater, not when he/she skates or what nationality he/she has...I don't say that Mao should be OGM, have medal or smth - the competition consist of 2 segments and she wasn't even good at SP but her FS score didn't do justice for her performance IMO...
That kind of performance as Mao's FS I'd called a Personal triumph - because she managed to get up and close mouth of most people, make them stop and stare. This term I'd also use to describe Carolina's Fs.
Trough all these years of her career I was very sceptical about her skating - yes, she was always tall, beautiful, majestic with great basis. But for me something was always 'off'. And her last 2 Olys was a disaster. Things have changed in my perception in 2012 when she was a world champion - in that moment I think she proved everyone and herself that she is a good skater and can be on the top, not that she is only a beauty skater with some mental/motivation problems. Yesterday's Bolero was one hell of a program - yes, it was relatively slow and not so 'packed' as the other FSs but this program was perfect FOR HER. It shows all her strong points: smooth skating skills, great flow and connection with music,'royality' of her movement. And she did some unexpected thing this season - she relaxed herself during skate and let herself enjoy it - that ridiculous all-time smile of hers proves that.
At 27 she became the strongest, the most relaxed, the most awared of her possibilities, strenghts and weaknesses ans now she enjoys figure skating the most I think. That bronze should be the other medal IMO but I'm simply glad of her success after all these disappointments and critique.
As for Yuna - in my sister's opinion she was second after Mao yesterday, but should be first overall in case of Mao's crashed SP. And I ask her once again why - she said that there is something 'royal' about her skating, she projects some sophistication and elegance and she is very mature in her performance. She said also that she doesn't know anything about technique (jumps, spins, footwork etc.) but in her case this thing is just flowing and compared to other ladies it is not so obvious so in her opinion she is complex and beautiful skater.
For me that FS was 3rd performance of the night - after Mao and Carolina. Her nerves are probably made of steel, she has an exquisite technique and that calm elegance which makes her a great skater. When I see her skating I can imagine her in dramatic or nostalgic programs - so 'Adios nonino' was a good choice in my opinion for her. I wasn't sure about an arrange of the music and a choreo at first but yesterday's performance was kind of magical, maybe a little too tense (nerves and last to skate) and cautious but overall great. A medal is definitely justified but also no silver IMO...
And Adelina...Firstly, I admit I like her probably the most of all Russian girls (tie with Radionova). She was kind of muted first 2 seasons in seniors after successes in junior field. She struggled with her self-confidence and tension I think and I'm really glad she overcame that. She suceeded at last 2 Europeans, slowly building her mental strenght as a competitor.
To be honest, I'd rather put Julia to shot a medal for Russia in ladies than Adelina before Olys but I have secretly hope that Adelina will be better...So my wish came true but in a very unexpected way. I can't deny - she produced two very good programs without bomb, she looked confident and sure, had real attack and a hunger for that medal. Hell, she maybe should be that olympic champion BUT NOT WITH THAT SCORES, B***H PLEASE...
First thing - how on earth it is possible to give her that enormously pumped PCS and GOEs compared to Yuna and Carolina, all with clean programs?! Second - how it is possible to give her a PCS more than 5 POINTS HIGHER than Mao? And third - how she could correct her PB in FS by more than 18 POINTS?! I can't answer on all of three questions and explain these facts by rational and justified way and it makes me sad...For correcting PB by skaters - the same thing happened in ice dancing when Elena and Nikita (Russians once again - an accident? I don't think so...) received 110+ for their FD and lifted their FD PB score by almost 10 points. Skaters/dancers work years to lift their PBs by that amount of points and suddenly Russian skaters at Russian olys lift their PBs like that, with one performance on home soil...
And don't misunderstand me - both Adelina's and Elena/Nikita's free programs are good themselves and were skated very well at Sochi olys but none deserved THAT scores...It would be more acceptable without that ridiculously pumped PCS score but I'm used to Russians 'too-much' and 'all-over-the-top' manner so if she had to win, she had to do it with a big shinding...
I sure hope this kind of overscoring isn't going to start happening everywhere. I'm not trying to take away from Adelina's performance. She was good, but I don't believe she was the best and I don't believe that score reflected her performance.
