2018 Internationaux de France Ladies Free Skate

[Ophelia]

Changing technique takes time -is a perfect excuse for bad coaching or lack of abilities. Whoever says Eteri ‘s technique does not survive puberty, is just an Eteri hater. You have to work harder, that’s what can take you to a new level. Who is that magnificent coach whose girls survive puberty? Who are those consistent jumpers? I have one name-Osmond, however her tes did not allow her to beat Eteri ‘s girls. Names please...The problem is that FS is getting harder, we will see more and more junior champions, because they are taught difficult jumps from a young age.
New era, new names, there’s nothing bad about it,

Yuna Kim
Tukt - prime example
Kostner

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Thank god for the JGP

 

[DSQ]

My only problem is do we have to see new names every season? It’s exhausting to see new girls every season and it’s always girls.

 

[satine]

I don’t disagree — like I said, I don’t like that he said it (on camera), and it’s not a great look. But I think the substance of the comment is less offensive than the part where he said the quiet part out loud. Nor do I think it was an actual dig at Kihara.

Fair enough. I am actually a fan of Brian, he's a great personality figure. That statement just doesn't come off the greatest

 

[surimi]

Lovely skating from all three of the Japanese ladies. They have great programs and great packaging this season. I cannot say as much about Evgenia and Maria at the moment unfortunately. Ah well, there's always next season. I hope they both calm down by then, and are able to perform clean programs that suit their styles. I'd love to see them fight for gold medals again. And I think Mai's and Rika's PCS could have been a bit higher...
Bradie must have performed really well, but I haven't seen her program yet.

 

[Tavi...]

I have to say I’m appalled by some of the comments here. This young woman is devastated and Brian and Tracy are devastated for her. She’s under intense pressure and had a horrible, horrible fall on her very first jumping pass. Stop being so sure you know better than she does what’s best for her and show some compassion.

 

[moriel]

Zhenya is not becoming the next Yulia. Shes visibly struggling, but the payoff could be tremendous if she is able to fix her jumps. She’s going to be missed at the GPF, but she’ll have time to grow and train more to be ready for RusNats.

The thing about payoff.
Every year, new juniors turn seniors. Quite a few of the current juniors (and I am not talking about quadsters - Kim Ye-lim, Alena Kanysheva, Anastasia Tarakanova, Anna Tarusina, Kseniia Sinitsyna, Yuhana Yokoi, You Young - all those girls scored 180-200 as juniors this season. Some of them will turn senior next year.) have a tech content similar to what Zhenya at her best can realistically do. Also, they are 15-16 years old, which means jumping and jumping consistently is much easier for them than it is for Zhenya.
Zhenya, whatever she does, cannot realistically outjump them, she can just keep up with them. Her main advantages are PCs, high levels and high GOE.

And this is why people are alarmed: not simply because she struggles with jumps:
1. Lots of StSq3. Ok, they are fixing her jumps. But she should be still able to pull out a StSq4, specially if they are also working on improving her skating skills. And this is important. For example, take this event: with a StSq4 in SP she would be 1st going into the FS. Maybe that would have given her the extra confidence she needed for FS?
2. Generic programs and bad packaging. Once the novelty wore off, i suppose most people here agree that Zhenya's programs this season do not flatter her and are not a good vehicle for her. They do not help her to get high PCs even when her jumps are not there. Her dresses are also quite debatable this season.
3. Performance. Performance is not there, and it shouldn't disappear because jump technique is being reworked.
4. Bad jump layout decisions. Edge issues with Lz? Lets put 2-3 of them across two programs. Struggling to get into GPF? Lets change the jump layout right before the competition! Honstly, if she is having troubles, they could have kept her old layout, which she was used to and would have better chances to skate clean, not rework the jumps and increase difficulty at the same time.

Basically, her PCs, heavily based on reputation, are slowly going down the drain. Not making GPF will further hit it. Russian nationals are just a month away. Can she recover and be #3? Not making Euros and Worlds team will also hit her PCs big time (and will likely mean that she will not be skating in the last group next year, which would also hit her PCs).

And that is the whole thing - Russia has tons of skaters, and tons of juniors. Yep, some struggle, but the sheer amount of them mean that there will be always 3 skaters who can skate clean at nationals. Zhenya cannot afford not making Worlds and Euros in any given year. Look at Tuktik - yep, she is back. But notice her PCs and her GOEs - do you think those would be higher if she was in the mix every year? Yes they would be. But Tuktik at least has a 3A and a pristine jump technique.

If Zhenya's PCs drop, there will be no payoff. She will win nothing with 60-70 PCs, regardless of her jump technique. She will not make the team for Worlds and Euros with such PCs.

 

[ranjake]

I know PCS is largely just a reputation parameter, but for Evgenia to receive the HIGHEST PE (performance) score at 8.46 is kind of insulting. Not even counting her lack of expression or emotion (that she's normally known for excelling at), she nearly fell several times and had one hell of a floor spin after her 2A. It just seems a tad bit high to me.

I had unexpected (but welcome!) company during the Ladies', and I missed it- and now I don't want to watch Evgenia (scared). I REALLY saw improvements that I thought could be sustained in Skate Canada- and hopefully they still can <3 I'm not giving up!

 

[DSQ]

I have to say I’m appalled by some of the comments here. This young woman is devastated and Brian and Tracy are devastated for her. She’s under intense pressure and had a horrible, horrible fall on her very first jumping pass. Stop being so sure you know better than she does what’s best for her and show some compassion.

I think people are just frustrated, it was heartbreaking to see. Everyone just wants her to succeed so much and that comes out in different ways. Some times less than kind ways.

Med will come back from this. If there’s a will there’s a way.

 

[GGFan]

wrong thread

 

[DanseMacabre]

I have to say I’m appalled by some of the comments here. This young woman is devastated and Brian and Tracy are devastated for her. She’s under intense pressure and had a horrible, horrible fall on her very first jumping pass. Stop being so sure you know better than she does what’s best for her and show some compassion.

Yup. The favored pastime for a good chunk of regular GS posters is verbosely quivering with glee over certain skaters' misfortunes.

 

[Tavi...]

I think people are just frustrated, it was heartbreaking to see. Everyone just wants her to succeed so much and that comes out in different ways. Some times less than kind ways.

Med will come back from this. If there’s a will there’s a way.

I’m sure you’re right that some people are just frustrated. But with others it appears to go beyond that.

 

[DSQ]

Aw Mai running up to Bradie x

 

[DSQ]

It’s a much bigger feat to win a medal away from home, well done Bradie!

 

[bigsisjiejie]

Apart from the 2A there is no improvement on jumps.

I disagree with you. She is close to getting that lutz on the correct takeoff edge. I've been watching the slow-mos and where she's placing her picking foot, it's definitely changed for the better. I suspect she can do it in practice but it's not quite ingrained yet to make it solid in competition. It's not automatic, she's thinking too hard about it. IMO, her other jumps look more powerful as well. The 2A is the biggest immediate improvement, and that's huge. Axels are hard enough to learn the first time, let alone relearn.

Anybody who thinks that a skater can completely and successfully change technique that they've been doing for a decade+, in only 6 months, has obviously never skated themselves.

 

[rikaquegira]

I haven't watched the whole event yet but I had to say:
YASSSSSS, Rikaaaaaaa!!! She was amazing!!! To me this performance was even more amazing than NHK. Who knew Rika was so gutsy? How fast she thinks!! She saw the 3A was a no-no so she went for the 2A+3T(which is obviously beautiful) and also, the way she saved that 3A was like... WOOOOW, yes, gurl, hold on for dear life!!!
It was UR, sure, but still very impressive that she didn't fall, that was sheer will!
And she managed to do the 3Lz3T which was also not perfect but I don't even care. :eeking:
I think most of her landings were iffy, some more, some less. This certainly was not her best technical outing and the performance was also lacking a bit... The stsq got level 3, the spins were great though, especially the LSp, I love it and I think she doesn't get enough credit for it, it's just beautiful! To me she was a bit underscored in PCS(I have a theory as to why that is but I won't mention it otherwise I'll sound like a conspiracist). But I don't care, she won and is going to the GPF! :dance:

I was watching Evgenia live when my battery died in the middle of the program. It was sad. I haven't watched the full performance yet and I'm afraid to do so. Poor Evgenia! :sad21: But I still believe this is not the end of her. She's a very strong skater, she loves the sport so much, I'm heartbroken for her but I hope she can find her way and shine again.
And I think people are too "immediatist", is that a word in English? You know, people who keep wanting things to change drastically but doesn't have the patience to wait for the process to be over, it's all "now, now", if she doesn't deliver now than she can retire. And don't even @ me with "oh, but the juniors are coming" because who knows what the heck will happen tomorrow. Elizaveta is at the GPF. And sure, Medvedeva doesn't have a 3A or anything that sets her apart technically but again, who knows what will happen in the future? Let's not judge this so harshly and so quickly. Evgenia's mind must be spinning, I hope she can reset everything and be ready for Nats. Meanwhile, let's tone down the "she's done" rants a notch, please. :thumbsup:

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Let's not judge this so harshly and so quickly. Evgenia's mind must be spinning, I hope she can reset everything and be ready for Nats. Meanwhile, let's tone down the "she's done" rants a notch, please. :thumbsup:

Preach it! I know this is not the end of Zhenya

 

[yume]

I think one of the things that makes Medvedeva inconsistent and had made her consistent, is the stability of her technical content. She skated the same program during 5 seasons. Same elements at the same place. 3F-3T/3lz/spin/stepseq/3lo/3F/2A-2T-2T/3S-3T/2A/Chsq/Spin/Spin. When you do that, easier for your body to remember what to do.

 

[satine]

I think one of the things that makes Medvedeva inconsistent and had made her consistent, is the stability of her technical content. She skated the same program during 5 seasons. Same elements at the same place. 3F-3T/3lz/spin/stepseq/3lo/3F/2A-2T-2T/3S-3T/2A/Chsq/Spin/Spin. When you do that, easier for your body to remember what to do.

I didn't realize it was the same layout for quite that long. That's insane!

 

[frida80]

Changing technique takes time -is a perfect excuse for bad coaching or lack of abilities. Whoever says Eteri ‘s technique does not survive puberty, is just an Eteri hater. You have to work harder, that’s what can take you to a new level. Who is that magnificent coach whose girls survive puberty? Who are those consistent jumpers? I have one name-Osmond, however her tes did not allow her to beat Eteri ‘s girls. Names please...The problem is that FS is getting harder, we will see more and more junior champions, because they are taught difficult jumps from a young age.
New era, new names, there’s nothing bad about it,

You want to know who are ladies who’s jumps survive puberty? Seriously? DO you know how many skaters have done just that for 100 years? Sonya Henie? Dominated for 10 years and three Olympic cycles!

Think about this, Michelle Kwan, Irina Slutskaya, Lu Chen, Yuka Sato, Midori Ito, Nancy Kerrigan, Kristi Yamaguchi, Katerina Witt, Tonya Harding, Maria Butyrskaya, the list goes on! And if your talking IJS, how about Yuna, Gracie (prebreak), Carolina, Elizaveta, and so many more. Many women have survived pure ethnic for many generations, only suddenly there is a mad dash to use young skaters with low muscle to fat ratioqhen they can jump with the least effort. But this a sport. Just like Simone Biles can still dominate in her twenties so should we be able have longevity in our sport as well. It is very disappoint that anyone would think that post-pubescent skaters are apparently irrelevant.