2015 NHK Ladies Short Program

[Mikansei]

Mirai seems to really connect with her SP this year, she usually doesn't show a lot of expressions, but she was smiling here and enjoyed herself. She was a bit slow during the stsq, needs to show a bit more power. Great spins, thought she deserved to be above Mao today.

Also liked Zijun, she was also underscored. She needs more power and stamina (especially in the LP, she always seems to run out of steam midway), but it was a great skate. Love the ina bauer into 2A. :luv17:

Maos performance was bit flat in the first half for me, she didn't look very confident. (Felt she was holding back a bit on the performance part until the stsq). The stsq and last spins were great. Not an expert at UR, but her 3F-3L did seem short on rotation for me.

Satoko is reliable and consistent. I like her SP, everything is great except for the jumps Her expressions have improved a lot compared to the beginning of the season.

 

[NoNameFace]

BTW who ever did Pogorilaya's make up did a marvelous job. The red pouty lips matched the smokey eyes

shame that her team can deliver to enhance her beauty (make-up) and so miserably fail to give her some good dress to enhance her gorg body...<sigh>. I mean - is it that difficult to get some simple, ruby red dress with open back and high neck with little but nice detailing for example? Her Phoenix ex gold dress is probably the one positive example of costuming for her...

 

[tulosai]

shame that her team can deliver to enhance her beauty (make-up) and so miserably fail to give her some good dress to enhance her gorg body...<sigh>. I mean - is it that difficult to get some simple, ruby red dress with open back and high neck with little but nice detailing for example? Her Phoenix ex gold dress is probably the one positive example of costuming for her...

I think Anna must like this style of dress?? It seems to be her go-to, I doubt her team is forcing her to keep having these same illusion mesh costumes over and over- she likes them.

 

[hurrah]

I like Anna's outfit. I generally like her costumes. It strikes me that she's a skater that knows how to dress herself.

 

[cheerknithanson]

I think many people should go take a lesson on figure skating jumps and physics and also biomechanics before they come here (and also youtube) to ***** about the under-rotations...like tell me a skater who jumps a loop or salchow with the blade leaving exactly backward or an axel jump leaving exactly forward. And PLEASE also show me a skater who actually rotates THREE FULL rotations in air for a triple jump (except 3A).

Physics....groan don't remind me...I'm taking that now...so much math.

 

[NoNameFace]

I think Anna must like this style of dress?? It seems to be her go-to, I doubt her team is forcing her to keep having these same illusion mesh costumes over and over- she likes them.

it might be like you said...but it just confirms that lots of beautiful womes really have a problem with choosing right things to wear (in terms of shape, colours, cuts or material) unfortunately. And it is not only in skaters' world...

 

[tulosai]

it might be like you said...but it just confirms that lots of beautiful womes really have a problem with choosing right things to wear (in terms of shape, colours, cuts or material) unfortunately. And it is not only in skaters' world...

I mean, that's fair enough, and I guess you could make an argument that her team should take charge and make her try something else, but on the other hand I think it's so important for skaters to feel happy with and comfortable in their skating outfits... though in this case unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping her much

 

[Crossover]

What a lackluster competition it was as contrasted to the brilliant men's event. :disapp:

It is a shame because the line up was worth making a great one, but well.. ice was so much slippery.

I liked Mirai's performance most though. She shone through on the ice.

 

[NoNameFace]

I mean, that's fair enough, and I guess you could make an argument that her team should take charge and make her try something else, but on the other hand I think it's so important for skaters to feel happy with and comfortable in their skating outfits... though in this case unfortunately it doesn't seem to be helping her much

I agree that skaters should feel comfortable with their outfits but in this case - it is really difficult to understand how Anna is feeling good or more like secure (in terms of exposure) in a few red scraps of fabric accidentally sewn together on illusion, especially with so-so risky position of these straps one her upper body...

 

[hurrah]

I agree that skaters should feel comfortable with their outfits but in this case - it is really difficult to understand how Anna is feeling good or more like secure (in terms of exposure) in a few red scraps of fabric accidentally sewn together on illusion, especially with so-so risky position of these straps one her upper body...

Anna's dress is miles and miles better than Liza's FP dress that she wore at Russia Cup. Now that was incompehensible. But then, at least even in that case, it was only an illusion that she was showing her breast....

 

[NoNameFace]

Anna's dress is miles and miles better than Liza's FP dress that she wore at Russia Cup. Now that was incompehensible. But then, at least even in that case, it was only an illusion that she was showing her breast....

Yes, totally agree on that...Was concentrated only on Anna's case I totally forgot about most failed female costumes this season as Elizaveta's...This one from TEB SP was...ekhm risky much (that one-sided full mesh illusion OMG):dumb:

I lamented silently last season about Elizaveta's dresses, or more like veils over something, but this season is really tragic in this department...

 

[iceberg]

She and Tom Z both seemed happy with the score. I am a huge fan of hers but honestly she has to reestablish herself internationally again with a few more skates like this before she can expect higher PCS, even though it's not fair.

i couldnt agree more.

 

[iceberg]

let me just say Anna Pogo was drop dead gorgeous with her make up! I love her to bits! i still have hopes for her!

 

[SashaJuliaSpins]

1 Satoko MIYAHARA JPN 69.53 video
2 Courtney HICKS USA 65.60 video
3 Ashley WAGNER USA 63.71 video
4 Mao ASADA JPN 62.50 video
5 Mirai NAGASU USA 61.10 video
6 Zijun LI CHN 60.78 video
7 Alena LEONOVA RUS 59.63 video
8 Kaetlyn OSMOND CAN 57.07 video
9 Maria ARTEMIEVA RUS 55.68 video
10 Mariko KIHARA JPN 54.96 10 video
11 Anna POGORILAYA RUS 47.35 11 video

What the heck happened to Anna? That was not normal. She was falling like she had no balance/control whatsoever! Is she injured? It was very sad and hard to watch! This was me when I saw the KC moment!

 

[largeman]

Mirai also got dinged on her 3T. This might be okay with me in general, but makes no sense when you look at the jumps Satoko and Asada were not dinged on, both of which were AT LEAST as URed as Nagasu's.

If we are strictly looking at landings, I disagree that Satoko's 3T and Mao's 3L were as URed as Mirai's 3T. In Mirai's 3T, her toe pick touched down ever so slightly before the 1/4 mark (based on my observation from looking at slow motion playback, of course. nothing absolutely scientific about my opinion). I think when examining landing only, Mirai's 3T< was rightfully deserved and Satoko and Mao caught a break from a lenient but fair caller, because their rotations were really borderline 1/4 short.

HOWEVER, if you look at the entire jump, Satoko's 3T was so atrociously pre-rotated that she actually almost took off backwards - meaning almost a FULL ROTATION on her toe on the ice. It is so blatant it's not even funny. I am a fan of Satoko's skating and appreciate her good qualities, and this is not to bash her. But something needs to be done about taking such excessive pre-rotation into account when calling a jump.

 

[flying camel]

Poor Anna, her coach needs to train her on how to fall. I thought she had hit her head on that last one. She looked like she almost fell getting off the ice. Her nerves really got the best of her today.

So happy for Mirai. She had the joy of skating on her face. I have not seen that from her in a long time. I hope Courtney can hold on and not fall apart like at her last GP. It will be tough to medal. The scores are not that far apart.

 

[David21]

Asada UR'ed all her jumps. That was bad. The score is too high.

I agree and I definitely have to laugh at those 11.10 points she got for her combo considering the flip and loop both were clearly underrotated. Asada should have been behind Leonova in 7th place at best.

 

[solani]

What the heck happened to Anna? That was not normal. She was falling like she had no balance/control whatsoever! Is she injured? It was very sad and hard to watch! This was me when I saw the KC moment!

It looks to me as if she was in pain right from the beginning of the program. And I first thought her leg was heavily bruised after the combo, but maybe the tights were only wet? She was hurting. Poor dear, she's such a talent.

 

[David21]

This is ********, they give Ashley higher pcs than Mao when she is much weaker

Ashley is not "much weaker" than Mao in pcs

 

[SashaJuliaSpins]

Ashley is not "much weaker" than Mao in pcs

:thumbsup: I thoroughly enjoyed Ashley's program, Mao's, not that much! I know, I know...Today, Mao was so so! Her last spin was not even that good (I think it's the last one) and I know a good spin when I see one! Check my user name!