2017 GP Skate America Ladies SP

[moriel]

She messed up period. Her SP has always been the more effy but she will come back with the FS I am sure.

I know she messed up but still =(
Also I worry if she may be injured or something (after watching men lols)

 

[NoNameFace]

woke up, checked results and , seriously want to hide under the rock as for my predictions, just make a soup from it

have only time so far to re-watch Satoko and boy - has she matured into amazing performer, the way she led that performance makes you wanting more of that kind of experience. For me, this year-almost separation from competition, skating, performing gave her more control, confidence and 'hunger' for it, she seems to be more engaged into the moment right now, focusing on making performance sound and getting the best of out her in every area: choreography, execution, interpretation. Love, love the mix of strenght and delicacy encompassed in that masterful choreography - and Satoko is such a great it for that kind of stuff requiring mood/tempo balance in terms of movement, integration between speed, edge work, movement finishing. And I love this aura of mysterious seduction/sensuality about that program - performed in such intricate way by Satoko, it really allows you to focus on the moment created, not solely on elements executed, movements done; her musicality, gracefulness of arms, flow and detail-oriented attention, lack of pushing through/going through the motions proves how thoughtful, sensible performer she is in terms of integrity between stuff she lays on ice and how she cares about it. And love her humble nature, reaction in K'n'C, shows that she's grateful of being there and that she's there for a purpose, to mark her presence - not to win necessarily, but this SP could be a statement, an important one for her confidence on road to Olympics

 

[Blades of Passion]

Miyahara's program has become quite good, she's doing the most to make all of the required body flailing look elegant and controlled. The program ending needs to be bigger though, she just stands there demure in the end, it doesn't fit. She also got a big gift from the tech panel on the jumps, no underrotation calls at all is very off base when you look at those closely.

Kaori Sakamoto was very nice yet again, have to love that opening layback. It's too bad she made a small mistake on the last spin.

Lots of unfortunate mistakes or boring skating from everyone else. Ashley did give a solid performance but those jump underrotations are damaging and the overall performance still needs to be more precise and quicker in some areas.

 

[jenaj]

With Satoko, the step-out was penalized though. The only thing that was possibly controversial is the UR call on the loop not being more negative, but even that wouldn't put her down in 65-66 at all, especially when her mid-8s PCS scores are deservedly above the group. Instead it would put her maybe a hair lower than Kaori in the 69 range at best.

Claims of bad judging with Satoko here are greatly exaggerated IMO.

Agree. Satoko was the best skater of the night--on both marks. Sometimes the judging system gets it right.

 

[Tolstoj]

Agree. Satoko was the best skater of the night--on both marks. Sometimes the judging system gets it right.

As i said many times, i can't find a single reason to give even a +1 on Satoko's jumps: they are small and short, they don't look effortless, this year she watered down the transitions, no arms variations,...

Actually there should have been some -1 on the 3lo because she looked a little lost in the air, and she saved the landing and it was probably UR.

Artistically it was the best the SP (for the performance, not the skating skills) but technically she should have been behind Serafima.

Kaori Sakamoto looks a lot like the japanese version of Evgenia Medvedeva, and it works.

 

[GGFan]

woke up, checked results and , seriously want to hide under the rock as for my predictions, just make a soup from it

have only time so far to re-watch Satoko and boy - has she matured into amazing performer, the way she led that performance makes you wanting more of that kind of experience. For me, this year-almost separation from competition, skating, performing gave her more control, confidence and 'hunger' for it, she seems to be more engaged into the moment right now, focusing on making performance sound and getting the best of out her in every area: choreography, execution, interpretation. Love, love the mix of strenght and delicacy encompassed in that masterful choreography - and Satoko is such a great it for that kind of stuff requiring mood/tempo balance in terms of movement, integration between speed, edge work, movement finishing. And I love this aura of mysterious seduction/sensuality about that program - performed in such intricate way by Satoko, it really allows you to focus on the moment created, not solely on elements executed, movements done; her musicality, gracefulness of arms, flow and detail-oriented attention, lack of pushing through/going through the motions proves how thoughtful, sensible performer she is in terms of integrity between stuff she lays on ice and how she cares about it. And love her humble nature, reaction in K'n'C, shows that she's grateful of being there and that she's there for a purpose, to mark her presence - not to win necessarily, but this SP could be a statement, an important one for her confidence on road to Olympics

The woman is skating on a world class level. I just keep coming back to the footwork sequence as a microcosm of the whole program. It encompasses two musical transitions and she creates art with her body!

Her arms and hands build with the tension of the music. She gives you that twinkle of the eye and those subtle kicks of her feet. She hits the musical highlights so well. She moves from high to low. Notice how her movements are sharp during the most dramatic part of the music and then as she transitions to the coda her movements mimic the sweep of the music. She is playing chess in a world of checkers.

 

[MaiKatze]

Woah. Just watched this, what an unexpected result! Now Kaori, go for Olympics and well done Satoko and Bradie. And such fun seeing Plushenko in the kiss & cry. He seems a gentle coach, and you can see Serafima trusts him. Looking forward to more of them in the KnC!

 

[NoNameFace]

The woman is skating on a world class level. I just keep coming back to the footwork sequence as a microcosm of the whole program. It encompasses two musical transitions and she creates art with her body!

Her arms and hands build with the tension of the music. She gives you that twinkle of the eye and those subtle kicks of her feet. She hits the musical highlights so well. She moves from high to low. Notice how her movements are sharp during the most dramatic part of the music and then as she transitions to the coda her movements mimic the sweep of the music. She is playing chess in a world of checkers.

and she makes you pay attention of those supposed-to-be 'little, irrelevant things' done in the program. She had this manner about her skating about making small things/un-noticed things to pop out in a big, singnificant way that enhances the impression/impact on her skating. Yes, I totally get that her jumps are not the biggest, not always the clearest out there, but - she has the overall polish and balance about her skating in general, in every program she does (popping out in this season's ones bigger than ever I think), really doing a smart work of refining spins, steps etc. into perfection - it brings up the overall quality of performance up and is a valuable 'base' to rely on.

 

[Purv]

I found it hilarious that so many people now are specialist about transistions. Two years ago no one talked about it and no one cared. Now we have "she doesnt have transistions.." over over again.

 

[shyne]

The judges give Zero under rotation calls for Satoko! But they made sure to Catch Ashley's! [emoji849][emoji849] If under rotations are going to be penalized then they need to be for all girls, not just ones who have a "reputation" why is this concept so hard for the judges to execute??

Asheley‘s underrotations were way more obvious though.

 

[Tolstoj]

I found it hilarious that so many people now are specialist about transistions. Two years ago no one talked about it and no one cared. Now we have "she doesnt have transistions.." over over again.

Honestly because that's the new standard Evgenia, Alina, Kaetlyn and others have set, and if you look at the juniors who wins the competitions has even more difficult transitions.

Three years ago Liza won everything simply by skating clean programs, and relying on her jumping technique, but now we are used to expect more from the top ladies.

Outside this event where we have seen more mistakes than usual, clean programs aren't that rare anymore.

 

[GGFan]

Honestly because that's the new standard Evgenia, Alina, Kaetlyn and others have set, and if you look at the juniors who wins the competitions has even more difficult transitions.

Three years ago Liza won everything simply by skating clean programs, and relying on her jumping technique, but now we are used to expect more from the top ladies.

Outside this event where we have seen more mistakes than usual, clean programs aren't that rare anymore.

I think this is actually the source of a lot of controversy now. Since they generally cannot up the difficulty by adding revolutions the ladies have now taken to distinguishing themselves by adding more difficult transitions.

I think there are those who think this is a good thing: much like how we have a lot more visual stimulation from technology, programs that are empty now look retro to some. Since this is a sport it makes sense that people would want to see increased difficulty.

There are others who think that this focus on difficult transitions adds busyness but little substance. Today's programs leave little room for highlights because there's always something going on.

I'm probably closer to the latter view in that I love transitions and complexity but they have to be musical and intentional. I always go back to Jeffrey Buttle's SP at the 2008--everything was musical and had a purpose. I absolutely hate these 1 second spirals and other moves where you can see the skater already moving on to the next thing. I would want those to be rewarded on the TES side but hate that they're rewarded on the PCS side.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Oh Polina... it's okay baby Polya. There's only 7pts between you and Satoko. You can do it with that wonderful free of yours; don't lose hope. You're such a fighter and I KNOW you're going to fight your way to the top of that podium. Side note: same point difference between Alina and Kaetlyn last week. And Alina won.
Polina, summon your inner skating demon of wonder and transform that eighth into a first. We know you can do it. We all love you

I'm a little perplexed at how Ashley's URs were called and Satoko's weren't on home ice for Ashley. I think they both should have been called. And some lowered GOEs for Satoko--yes her program is beautiful but those jumps don't hit many GOE bullets.

Great to see Sima so happy! She deserves it and she's worked so hard to get back what she had a few years ago. Great job Sima!

Wowwwww Bradie!! Leading the US ladies! I think that might be the highest short program score for a US lady on the GP circuit this year? Now nail it in the free and make my silver medal for Bradie prediction come true!

 

[Purv]

Honestly because that's the new standard Evgenia, Alina, Kaetlyn and others have set, and if you look at the juniors who wins the competitions has even more difficult transitions.

Three years ago Liza won everything simply by skating clean programs, and relying on her jumping technique, but now we are used to expect more from the top ladies.

Outside this event where we have seen more mistakes than usual, clean programs aren't that rare anymore.

You dont understand that those girls do transistions but for sake of executing PROPER CLEAN JUMPS..Prerotations, wrong edges, are the results of those transistions. They just learned how to "cheat" by hiding those errors.Thats the trick . and you re buying it

 

[skatenewbie]

Ashley 3T should have been 3T<< she clearly land forward, also Satoko should get 3Lo< (not sure about her 3T) and Sima should get 3T<. other than that i think the judging was good. FS is anyone game, interesting if Leonova best her performance in NHK she could be a podium threat lol. Hoping Kaori to get in podium!

 

[quadrupleaxel15]

I like Polina's skating but I absolutely hate her short program since it has absolutely nothing to do with the music itself. If you are going to choose a piece so dearly loved from a hit TV show, at least make it thematically suitable to the original purpose of the music. They could have chosen any theme remotely similar to the storylines of Queen Cercei or even better Queen Margaery or even simply of death or sacrifice or madness for power and its consequences but no. All they could have think of was silly miming and something about an artist's something???

 

[Tolstoj]

I think this is actually the source of a lot of controversy now. Since they generally cannot up the difficulty by adding revolutions the ladies have now taken to distinguishing themselves by adding more difficult transitions.

I think there are those who think this is a good thing: much like how we have a lot more visual stimulation from technology, programs that are empty now look retro to some. Since this is a sport it makes sense that people would want to see increased difficulty.

There are others who think that this focus on difficult transitions adds busyness but little substance. Today's programs leave little room for highlights because there's always something going on.

I'm probably closer to the latter view in that I love transitions and complexity but they have to be musical and intentional. I always go back to Jeffrey Buttle's SP at the 2008--everything was musical and had a purpose. I absolutely hate these 1 second spirals and other moves where you can see the skater already moving on to the next thing. I would want those to be rewarded on the TES side but hate that they're rewarded on the PCS side.

In men figure skating you can still find lots of empty moments, because of the difficulty of quads. I'm not a fan of that, but at least a great quad is exciting to watch.

I love in juniors all these girls that are doing cantilever, split jumps, arabesque, casual entries, steps and turns into a 3f-3lo or a 3lutz, it makes these difficult elements looks so easy and effortless.

You dont understand that those girls do transistions but for sake of executing PROPER CLEAN JUMPS..Prerotations, wrong edges, are the results of those transistions. They just learned how to "cheat" by hiding those errors.Thats the trick . and you re buying it

I think that's partially true because there are also skaters with a good jumping technique and difficult transitions.

It's up to the judges to penalize a wrong edge or an underrotation and that call shouldn't be influenced in any way by the transitions. A flutz is a flutz with or without transitions in or out.

 

[Purv]

I think that's partially true because there are also skaters with a good jumping technique and difficult transitions.

It's up to the judges to penalize a wrong edge or an underrotation and that call shouldn't be influenced in any way by the transitions. A flutz is a flutz with or without transitions in or out

Yes, there re SOME, but this is not the answer The most unfair thing is that those skaters get the same score or less then the ones with fake jumps..Thats because there re some girls with clean jumps and difficult TR doesnt mean that every skater has to be awarded for trying.

A flutz is a flutz with or without transitions in or out

Not quite, if skater has to do TR before the jump , and she cannot execute clean 3 rotations, she has to find a way to do it. Sometimes it is a flat edge. Because is is easier to execute and perform a jump.Especially lutz and flip

 

[quadrupleaxel15]

I am happy for both Satoko and Kaori. I would want Satoko to be the first overall as well but it's not that easy with all these talented girls.

I liked seeing Serafima at the K&C, but I didn't particularly like her program. She had no connection with the music and it was boring at times because of it.

As for Ashley, the audience was so ready to be amazed but she didn't deliver today according to me. She was slower than usual and even her shoulder shimmies were less energetic. I really hope there is nothing wrong with her. I cannot handle an injury announcement from a favorite anymore.

 

[jenm]

Satoko looked like a Sakura flower being carried by the wind. So graceful, light, beautiful. I am in love with how seamless her movements are. This program is very cohesive. It never felt like a bunch of cool moves thrown together but more like different brush strokes creating a beautiful painting. Well done to both Satton and Lori Nichol.