2016 Trophée de France Ladies FS

[gotoschool]

I can understand what Carolina wants to end her career on her own term, so it has nothing related to her ex.
But Mao... she can barely rotate triples now, it's so sad.

Mao is competing with a left knee injury that is getting worse with every competition. I do wish she wouldn't compete in this condition and take time to treat and recover from her left knee injury, but the trouble she is having now with triples is due to the injury not her ability when healthy. She is getting lowballed in PCS as well.

 

[winky97]

As expected, Daleman self-distracted. Except for Medvedeva and Sotskova, what an awful day of skating indeed.

So it looks like Osmond has a very good chance of qualifying as I don't see Radio making podium at COC.

Except for Ashley Wagner Radionova is one of the better one's in the COC, and even Wagner is hit or miss. Last year she won SC and came in 4th it NHK so I am not so sure why u can't see her making the podium at this event but I guess we shall see.

 

[Hyena]

I've been looking forward to Maria and Wakaba debuting on the senior level for a little while now and they didn't disappoint! Both have things they need to work on, for sure, but I'm excited to see them develop.

That's pretty stupid because the only people that will see that punishment are the ones who are out there cleaning the ice for the next competitor. They should instead give them a milkshake or something

Great idea. I vote for a milkshake "penalty" for three falls or more and a bottle of wine for 5+. :agree:

 

[4everchan]

i'm so glad to read this. sometimes, we fans, forget that not all skater have the same schedule... some get ready very early in the year or are at a comfortable place in life and career, while others either have started late, got new programs later than expected, may be injured, or are just going through stuff... YET, they all perform in a 2-3 hour timeframe, where they are all supposed to deliver... someone could have a cold... etc... I can tell you from experience that it's very tough to always be in the zone at all times. Wishing her happiness whether or not she reaches podiums.

From Ice Network:

"Gracie Gold had another rough outing and never put herself in medal contention. The talented yet struggling American opened her free program to Ravel's Daphnis et Chloé with an exquisite choreographic sequence that only the best skaters can perform, and landed her double axel with speed and ease.

Gold was just as determined when she went into her triple lutz-triple toe combo, but she fell after the lutz. She landed her loop and double axel-triple toe but lost her energy and missed her remaining jumps. Her three spins and step sequence were rated Level 4.

"I definitely felt better today," a relieved Gold said. "You know, I had a really slow start of the season, which started August 1 instead of May 15. There is nothing wrong with this program, and I am progressing. I have to speed up my timeframe and now have to get ready rapidly."

At least we know that Gracie isn't devastated over her result but rather relieved that it is over and sounds positive going forward!

 

[Kirei]

Congrats to both Wakaba and Maria for their GP debuts!

I like Sotskova, she's one of the few skaters who have the right edge for both the flip and lutz.
I just don't think this year's programs are good for her - her junior programs were way more interesting.

 

[MIM]

I have more thoughts on other ladies I couldn't timely post, watching a live-feed.
Gracie
Gracie was not good with Lutz and Flip. But the rest of the program was rock solid. I have a mixed feeling about her program. I know she has to move away from the ice-princess packaging, and skate for herself. I also support her changing coach. Conversely, I kinda like this program since she debuted it at the JO. The dress, hair, choreo, music is top notch. Frank makes sure she gets the best. :thumbsup: Can she run-through with all the make-up and costume on, like a real competition? I want her to skate this program clean just ONCE.

Anastasia
Her Gubanova-esque SP was very impressive, so I paid extra attention to her FP. The program was ambitious (7 triples), but underwhelming (5URs and a bad 2axel technique). But, I can't deny that she draws my eyes, so I watched her last year programs at WC. Wow, she made a vast improvement for a short amount of time. If the SP yesterday is any indication, I would give her time to mature and hone her technique. If she continues to develop, I am sure she can jump up to the top tier next season. Oh, it does not hurt that her style slightly reminds me of Artemieva's. (my girl crush:luv17

Alena
Her FP has been continuously disastrous. No exception here. Sigh... I wonder why she wouldn't skate a more character-driven LP. She is an excellent actress and performer. I don't want her to waste her talent by skating to generic programs designed for someone else for the sake of showing a range. She can do that with two difference characters in the SP and the LP.

Soyoun
I think Aranjues highlights a lyrical, emotional side of SoYoun so well. Her LP content is getting weaker from 3s3t, 2a3t to (2)2a3t to (1)2a3t, 3r2t. But I think it was a smart move, which allowed her execute the program almost clean and get some PCS boost. The beginning choreo is really good, but the middle is reserved. Her CHSQ at the end of the program is to die for and I wouldn't mind the program goes on a little longer from that point. It will be the next step to spread her energy and emotion throughout the program.

 

[rollerblade]

I agree! I've always loved her skating. She is so expressive and musical, and the judges don't give her any credit for it.

I don't understand this either!

Do coaches still talk to judges anymore? I know Tamara Moskvina ask judges about low scores (re: B&S Chaplin FS), to find out what judges don't like about it etc. I wish we could find out what judges hate about SoYoun's skating because it has been rather infuriating to see her lowballed PCS.

 

[randomfan]

As expected, Daleman self-distracted.

I'm not trying to aim this at just you, because a few others have been saying the same things, but this is what I wrote earlier

Seriously, the ice is responsible for at least half of these results...

Because there was a big puddle of water in one of the corners. And the corners are usually where the skaters place their jumps. Gabby's 3T-3T was set there, So Youn's 3Lz, and Evgenia's 3Lz were as well, and they all fell.

 

[solani]

I don't understand this either!

Do coaches still talk to judges anymore? I know Tamara Moskvina ask judges about low scores (re: B&S Chaplin FS), to find out what judges don't like about it etc. I wish we could find out what judges hate about SoYoun's skating because it has been rather infuriating to see her lowballed PCS.

I'm pretty sure that judges like So Youn's skating because she is a lovely skater and her programs this season are very good. I think that her skating skills/transitions are holding her back, musicality and interpretation isn't her problem. I'm sure that her coaches know that, it's not that this is a big secret, I think it's quite obvious. And she should do either a flip or a lutz in the short, I think that the judges still want to see this.
I prefer watching her this season over f.e. watching Evgenia, although it's obvious that Evgenia is the better skater (the best in the field right now), but I'm not much into Evgenia's programs and I like So Youn's. This shouldn't be infuriating, figure skating is a sport with certain rules (I don't like some of the rules, but that's a different story). The judges have to judge her according to those rules. And we all can enjoy watching her skate.

 

[Meoima]

Mao is competing with a left knee injury that is getting worse with every competition. I do wish she wouldn't compete in this condition and take time to treat and recover from her left knee injury, but the trouble she is having now with triples is due to the injury not her ability when healthy. She is getting lowballed in PCS as well.

Let's face it, Mao got generous PCS with almost no clean triples and ton of doubles, and she was very slow.
And frankly it's not just her knee anymore. Her confidence goes down badly. It's almost like she gave up even before starting.

 

[SarahSynchro]

Will the Japanese girl who did the 3A in the past continue skating after that double jump festival? Does anyone have informaton about that?

LMAO @ "That Japanese girl". As if she's some D-list skater skater with no previous accomplishments whatsoever to be remembered by, only her nationality.

I believe it's been discussed on the last page, but Mao has a knee injury, and it would appear she is hindering its healing process by continuing to train and compete.

 

[Rissa]

Wrong. LOTS of people have had the same reaction. It's not a matter of fragility, but disgust.

Huh? I watched with two casual fans. One of them asked what the program was about, I explained and their reaction was "oh, Ok, I see it now" and they went on to focus on how young and graceful Med was. No disgust or even surprise whatsover.

The crowd reaction was normal, by the way, they clapped.

To be honest, by now, I'm finding ostentatious "disgust" (announcing publically on the forum that "I left during Med's program. See? I was so disgusted that I left, did everybody get how disgusted I was?") even worse than Med's lack of sensitivity.

 

[viennaskater]

OH my God THE MUSIC CUTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yeah, that was bad, no wonder the poor girl (Laurine) looked nonplussed!

 

[viennaskater]

Evgenia fell. 2016-2017 SEASON IS CANCELLED.

Why???

 

[MaiKatze]

Thanks to Laurine I have the weird urge to watch Grease....

there is nowhere to hiiiiide, since you pushed my love asiiiiideeeee

 

[Lambari]

Why???

It was obviously a joke because of her consistency.

 

[Biellmann]

Right now, Medvedeva looks somehow spoiled. She had one fall after a long time and everything seems "horrible". She should get used to it because it's going to happen more often in the future and the judges won't always reward her with a new world record

 

[gotoschool]

Let's face it, Mao got generous PCS with almost no clean triples and ton of doubles, and she was very slow.
And frankly it's not just her knee anymore. Her confidence goes down badly. It's almost like she gave up even before starting.

Mao often suffers from her own reluctance to admit how serious her illnesses or injuries are because she doesn't want to be seen to be complaining. You seem to feel justified in taking advantage of her noble quality to attack her integrity and commitment to her performance. Even the announcers are not even mentioning her knee injury even though it was made public over a month ago, which kind of shows a bias against Mao which is consistent with her deflated scores this season. How do you know it wasn't primarily Mao's left knee? Were you out their skating in front of the world with her injury? The idea that you are saying a three time world champion, four time Grand Prix champion and Olympic silver medalist "gave up" on her performance is insulting and inconsiderate especially since you don't know how bad her injury was and since she had the guts to go out there in the first place, though I wish she would take the time to recover as I have said before. Is PCS merely a factor of how many jumps were landed? Where is that stated in the PCS guidelines?

Some skaters are getting very high PCS scores that are not fast and Mao does not look real fast even when she is skating quite fast because she doesn't make a lot of effort to gain speed through hunching over and doing a lot of overt pumping motions. Fluid efficient speed is more pleasing to many in figure skating and often faster anyway because it emphasizes elegance, posture and edging over these over qualities. Like a song that is fast but appears not to be when played by a guitar or piano virtuoso because of the fluidity and grace with which the fingers and hands glide across the strings and keys. Mao covered the corners and sides of the rink quite well and the rink was wet and most others got much higher PCS, so yes I think she was underscored in PCS. Besides, speed is just one among many other factors in PCS but has been given a value far out of all proportion to its worth in FIGURE skating because the speed skaters have controlled figure skating for so long, like the former long-term reign of ISU president "Speedy" Cinquanta who openly admitted he knew nothing about figure skating while pushing hard to get COP through.

 

[SXTN]

Right now, Medvedeva looks somehow spoiled. She had one fall after a long time and everything seems "horrible". She should get used to it because it's going to happen more often in the future and the judges won't always reward her with a new world record

I have noticed that too. I hope she stays grounded.

When the marks come up without a personal best score she looks grumpy - though she is still ahead of anyone else. I did not like her reaction after the freeskate either. It was her first fall in 2016 (I think?) and she seemed like she pulled a Leonova or Gracie. I don't know if that is confidence or borderline arrogance already.

 

[daphenaxa]

I'm not trying to aim this at just you, because a few others have been saying the same things, but this is what I wrote earlier



Because there was a big puddle of water in one of the corners. And the corners are usually where the skaters place their jumps. Gabby's 3T-3T was set there, So Youn's 3Lz, and Evgenia's 3Lz were as well, and they all fell.

Gabby and Evgenia (and Takahito and Javier) fell roughly on the same spot but SoYoun fell on the other side of the rink