2016 Finlandia Trophy Ladies SP

[TangoTraumatica]

Mao - I like the music. It's interesting, and if I had to pick a currently competing lady to skate to it, I'd pick Mao. I just wish it was cut a little differently so that the music would build a bit more, and make the program more exciting. Wishing for more technical content from her, and a bit more speed as some other posters have mentioned...but overall, Mao is a lovely skater, and I love watching her compete. I don't think she'll hit the world's podium at this rate but she's lovely.

Kaetlyn - MY GIRL IS BACK. I love Kaetlyn. Hate her short program music choices, and I don't think they take advantage of how dynamic she is, but I'm happy to see her competing, and looking forward to see her add a 3-3 back into her short.

Elizaveta - Girl. Stop doing the weird scarecrow arms before every single jump. It's not cute, and it's not acceptable technique for a seasoned senior skater. Her skating skills are sloppy, and I swear her carriage/posture has declined over the past few seasons. She's had some great skates, and I appreciate her interpretation, but I don't see her making the Russian world team.

 

[yyyskate]

^^ I am also glad Kaetlyn is back and kept on her feet, but since this outing feels like her average. so I didnot comment about her

 

[yuki]

And the truth is the truth and will always be there.
me suggest Mao fans to read my posts is actually my kinda intention, since I thought I at least offered some info(some insight actually.)
Well anyways, just ignore me if you cannot bear it.
I will take care of my reputation/credibility on this boards or elsewhere.

Of all the posters who have offered their negative opinions on Mao over the years, it's mostly Yuna fans who have found it necessary to insist that they are unbiased and just want to offer their insight. Far from not being able to bear it, I find it amusing. You are free to offer your opinion on Mao or any other skater as you see fit, but let's not pretend that there isn't any kind of bias involved. To be clear, I am not criticizing you opinion per se (as I said, having seen Mao live I have my own), but the way in which it is framed.

 

[yyyskate]

Of all the posters who have offered their negative opinions on Mao over the years, it's mostly Yuna fans who have found it necessary to insist that they are unbiased and just want to offer their insight. Far from not being able to bear it, I find it amusing. You are free to offer your opinion on Mao or any other skater as you see fit, but let's not pretend that there isn't any kind of bias involved. To be clear, I am not criticizing you opinion per se (as I said, having seen Mao live I have my own), but the way in which it is framed.

Yuna is my favorite skater. But my opinion is only my individual, independent opinion.

 

[4everchan]

what do you mean by her average? she got a PB for this skate

^^ I am also glad Kaetlyn is back and kept on her feet, but since this outing feels like her average. so I didnot comment about her

 

[Crossover]

While I was glad for Liza getting slowly back to her form, I would like to see some adjustments in her program and package. I like Her SP music a lot which is out of her usual music choices for her programs, so performing to it may require different approaches for interpretation and can eventually broaden her artistry. However, some parts of the choreography look unfit for the delicate and sorrowful music, so I wish she reduces the swirling arm gestures. On the other hand, the music is known for how P/C made a breakthrough in their second year as a senior which was an unexceptional achievement in ice dance. It would be a big risk and challenge for any skaters to use such music strongly associated with other skaters' successful program just like Ashley's Exogenesis facing the comparison with Jeremy Abbott's representative program. I like the ending part which holds some lingering and feminine imagery, so I want to see more such feelings from the program. I don't dislike her costume, but don't think it quite matches her music.

 

[yyyskate]

what do you mean by her average? she got a PB for this skate

Oh, that was great, I didnot check the score, The over all feeling of this program to me is average from Kaetlyn. She was lovely as always, like skating skills and smooth landing and spins and music interpretation ability, but this program is not the most exciting I have seen from Kaetlyn. I dont know how to put a finger on it, so I opted not comment.

 

[4everchan]

fair enough . thanks for the explanation

Oh, that was great, I didnot check the score, The over all feeling of this program to me is average from Kaetlyn. She was lovely as always, like skating skills and smooth landing and spins and music interpretation ability, but this program is not the most exciting I have seen from Kaetlyn. I dont know how to put a finger on it, so I opted not comment.

 

[Crossover]

Oh, that was great, I didnot check the score, The over all feeling of this program to me is average from Kaetlyn. She was lovely as always, like skating skills and smooth landing and spins and music interpretation ability, but this program is not the most exciting I have seen from Kaetlyn. I dont know how to put a finger on it, so I opted not comment.

I think what you felt from her program yesterday sounds to me a good indication of her successful comeback from last season. While I was glad for her return to competition last season, her showings gave me scary feelings about any possibility that she could hurt herself again, so I could never see her compete. On the other hand, her SP yesterday didn't give such feelings at all, so that I could enjoy her performance. As you know, there was no "Average Kaetlyn" during last season.

 

[yyyskate]

I think what you felt from her program yesterday sounds to me a good indication of her successful comeback from last season. While I was glad for her return to competition last season, her showings gave me scary feelings about any possibility that she could hurt herself again, so I could never see her compete. On the other hand, her SP yesterday didn't give such feelings at all, so that I could enjoy her performance. As you know, there was no "Average Kaetlyn" during last season.

yes, felt safe, isnt safe the word people used to describe conservative programs thus "average" in figure skating Anyways, "Safe" is absolutely a good thing for Kaetlyn. Good luck to her for the FS.

 

[hippomoomin]

I noticed that recently Liza's ice coverage is really poor. At the test skate when the camera was from above, it was very obvious, and not much better here.

Back to her first senior season where she did very well, I remember one huge criticism was her poor ice coverage，in addition to her bad spins. At least, her spins are no longer a glaring weakness, but the ice coverage issue returned.

And at some moments, she was basically standing up posing for a few seconds, which interrupted the flow of the program. I am afraid to see this season, even with a clean skate, Liza would be left out of the top 3 in Russia.

 

[4everchan]

finally caught up with the top 4...

my very subjective impressions

Anna :
Costume: I like it.
Music : why but oh why did they feel like they needed to add some cheap beat box to the tango during the step sequence? And not only that, but while doing that, they mixed it badly and we can barely hear, at least on youtube/my computer, the main music... WHAT THE TANGO!!!!!!
Jumps : great to see a triple-triple... too bad about the turn out but the lutz was exciting. Other jumps are well done, perhaps a bit stiff
Spins : I don't like the first one at all. looks really laboured but the others are good.
Overall impression : please fix the music mixing and enjoy skating a bit more. She's my favourite Russian girl so far (not like I have seen all of them... too many to keep track for me who rarely ventures in the junior world)
Scored : I'd say fairly.

Mao :
Costume : WOW!
Music : I like how they cut this for the most part. The beginning is pretty good... However, there is a major issue here. Mao has this beautiful glide and this music at times is all about this obnoxious "ritual dance rhythm" I feel that if at times the spins and choreo works great, for a big chunk of the main part of the piece, it makes Mao look very slow as the beat of the music goes faster than her movement. There's a lack of synch which makes it look like Mao is always behind.
Jumps : Very well executed. However, as we know, she isn't going to do a triple-triple as she needs the loop as her solo jump and doesn't have triple T as a backing of a combo since almost 10 years now... so hopefully, she will get her 3A back into this program to raise the base value.
Spins : nicely done
Overall impression : lacking fire... it's the ritual fire dance right? show me some moves !
Scored : I'd say fairly.

Kaetlyn (for those wondering, this is the actual spelling of her name if you use the bae word, you should remember a goes before e in kaetlyn
Costume : LOVES IT
Music : I grew up with Edith Piaf songs and if there's one person who can skate to those nicely it is indeed Kae the Bae now, this is how a music cut should be made. Really nice introduction of the Milord song blending over the previous one and leading to the footwork.
Jumps : Lutz was huge, double axel had a superb flow. I think there was room for her to add a 3T at the end of the 3F... hopefully she will get there eventually.
Spins : all level 4. well done... could have been a bit more centered and fluid if I am being picky.
Overall impression : Kaetlyn has this timeless look. She could look like a beautiful actress/singer from decades ago. I think her natural elegance, presence and beauty are perfect for her music. Very nicely packaged.
Scored : New PB and this without a triple triple... I'd mark her just a bit above in PCS. To me, she was the best today in that category.

Liza
Costume : NO. The skirt is short and young looking while the white stuff just looks like something an old maid would wear... not a good outfit.
Music : Mozart must be rolling in his communal grave.... One of the most beautiful slow movement from his concertos is totally destroyed here with some sort of accordion weird thingy becoming a tango for the step sequence later on... WHAT THE TANGO! I never thought I'd say this twice in my lifetime... imagine in the span of 4 SPs. I have no idea what is going on these days with trying to do such weird combinations of styles and music ...I just don't understand this at all... If I thought the costume parts were clashing, well the music sections are even worse.
Jumps : glad to see some confidence coming back. Her free foot was near the ice on each one of the 3 landings though. I think she will get better and better and that's very encouraging.
Spins: I am no expert but yeah... after looking at protocols, it confirms what I thought... simpler, easier spins... MEH level
Overall impression : I don't like her packaging which irks me as I like comeback stories and I wish her to be strong and get back on the world team for Russia. However, it will either take a couple triple axels to do that or a complete reconsideration of her packaging/skating skills.
Scored : I think she was scored better than she deserved here by a couple points... not by much... jumps landings weren't very strong and PCS wise, she would have been scored lower if I were in the judges seats...


So here we are. Very excited for the LPs : the top 4 is definitely going to bring us a great competition! How things change in a year is crazy though... last year : there was this thread MAO vs LIZA... oh well... yeah...

 

[[email protected]]

I see them a bit differently. Even when Gracie makes mistakes, she still maintains nice carriage and lines. I don't feel that way about Liza. When she nails her 3A it brings more excitement to the sport and I tend to overlook the fact that she doesn't extent her limbs when she moves across the ice. Aside from the jumps, I find her to be very mediocre.

We are just fans not judges. I do not see that Gracie has outstanding SS - many other people keep saying that. OK. What baffles me is that as soon as Liza started to have problems with jumps judges reduced her pcs dramatically down from the 2015 66-68 peak. Similar trend can be seen with Mao who to my mind should have a small but still an edge over everybody else in pcs. Gracie's pcs are somehow prtotected by judges despite her serious jumping instability.

 

[MIM]

I watched top 5 skaters.
GREAT start of a new season for the ladies!

Anna's program is choreographed by Ge, right? Maybe it was easier for her to communicate with Misha, her peer than with her previous choreographers? I feel she believes in the character she is portraying and she reveals her persona with great energy. There is nothing passive about her performance. Based on the trust built between the choreographer and the skater, they created this strong and convincing program. It is not super sophisticated or original, but they found the right vehicle for her. A gorgeous skater and a gorgeous program!
Room to improve(?); For her spins (esp. first and last), I guess Misha intended series of position changes as the music goes. But it was not quick and smooth yet. It could be polished/coordinated better?

Mao is exquisite. This style of choreo is something that I thought Lori would have given to Caro. (I cannot help but imagine Caro skating to this program. ) Caro is like a big bird, wheres Mao is a delicate butterfly. Obviously, their style differs. However, I like Mao's take on this modern dance and expanding her artistic range even further. She can skate to anything and look beautiful. Secretly though I wish her SP were to Bach ; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuMCGGlPOUU. This program is INSANE! it was made only for Mao and Mao only. So SPECIAL. I hope she brings it as her competitive program someday. Anyways, I find the idea of having same music but different parts for SP and LP interesting. I loved it for D10 last season, although it did not happen at the WC. Go MAO!

Room to improve(?): I wanted her to do the 3-3 like many posters here. It has been the issue for her especially in the SP for a long time. If she does not feel like doing 3T as the second jump in a combo, can she do 3R3R and 3F, whether of not she attempts 3A? It will guarantee her some BV for SP.

Kaetlyn has been my favorite Canadian lady. She is amazing in that she lets the audience feel her warm heart through her beautiful skating. I could see people in the seat smile and clap when she finished her program. So did I. Spins, steps, dress, flow out of jumps are all beautiful.
Rooms to improve: Her STSQ at the end of the program has a short pause without sound. Timing IS essential to have the desired impact, but she was slightly behind a beat today. I think it can be better.

Elizaveta brought back her huge 3T(great distance!!)-3T and 3Lz. I will have no doubt in her technical abilities what so ever.
Rather, I have a problem with her performance today. I don;t think her choreo is bad. But her SS needs to be improved ASAP. I can get what she wants to express in the program. However, during her STSQ, her SS sets a limit and prevents her from being as free and expressive as she could have been. After watching Anna, Mao, and Kaetlyn, the lack of SS in her performance really shows. And the shirt is unnecessary.

Courtney's program suits her very well. I would like to see her STSQ clean. She always incorporates dance jumps(split, falling leaf i.e.) in the STSQ, which I love.
Room to improve: Her combination jump continuously has a turn in-between. I cannot think of anyone who has this issue except for her. I hope she consults some experts before GP starts. Because I really want her to be in the podium.

 

[largeman]

Here's an alternative video of Mao's program (thanks mikaboo for sharing in Mao's fan fest), one where you can actually see her jump combo and more importantly her face :luv17:

(You can see that her triple loop was landed somewhat roughly)

 

[solani]

I think she is capable of a 3/3, she just doesn't have any good options for the solo triple if she does 3F/3Lo.

She could always do 3F-3Lo and a solo 3S. I see no problem with that. BV would be 14.9 for that, more than 2 points higher than it is now. And I think that her PCS would go up with a 3-3 (it is the 2nd most difficult 3-3), also of course if she includes the 3A as well later in the season. But if she wants to beat those little girls she needs a 3-3 in the SP, more than she needs that 3A imho. If she can do both she's going to win Worlds anyway.

 

[SXTN]

She could always do 3F-3Lo and a solo 3S. I see no problem with that. BV would be 14.9 for that, more than 2 points higher than it is now. And I think that her PCS would go up with a 3-3 (it is the 2nd most difficult 3-3), also of course if she includes the 3A as well later in the season. But if she wants to beat those little girls she needs a 3-3 in the SP, more than she needs that 3A imho. If she can do both she's going to win Worlds anyway.

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

She needs a solid 3-3 (yes solid, not 3F-3L<) as a buffer for mistakes on the 3A. And only if she goes clean, the 3A risk will pay off.

It freaks me out that a top level skater like Mao is obviously not able to produce a 3T-3T at least.

 

[Sugarpova]

Looool my sister-in-law is LIVID that Elizaveta is not first (I'm a bit shocked, too, and I'm biased because I love Kaetlyn so that's saying something)

All I could say was "welcome to figure skating"

thx to your sis
ugh I do loike Kaitlyn but but...:disapp::disapp:

 

[Jaana]

- WOW, Anna P. was wonderful, the music and choreography really suited her
- Mao has a beautiful program but I missed more passion in her interpretation. Maybe it will show up as the season goes on
- Kaetlyn did really well and I´m very happy for her placement
- Elizaveta got the scores she deserved, IMO

 

[russell30]

Can I just say MAO & KAETLYN - absolutely fabulous - the choreography and artistry excellent.......

Anna - I agree love the costume and commands you attention and like some of you don't like the hip hop STSEQ.... would have been great to have the Por Una Cabeza instrumental all the way through......she didn't need that to excel herself- I love Anna - but something holds me back with her - maybe its her general skating.. I was surprised she got 69 - should have been close to Mao and Kaetlyn.....

Mao & Katelyn.........PCS too low....

Liza - not sure on the program -I love her FS but her SP I would like her to change....

My placements:

1) Mao
2) Kaetlyn
3) Anna
4) Courtney
5) Liza