2018 Internationaux de France: Thoughts, Analysis & Reviews

[gsk8]

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[tokoyami]

Congratulations to all that skated well over the weekend!

I'm still a little too heartbroken over Zhenya and Boyang to talk about the actual skating but one highlight for me was the French fed spending all of their funding on the FIREWORKS that were rigged on the boards.

Meanwhile medalists are getting plastic clipboards and the rink is literally falling apart

 

[Ziotic]

It was a lackluster end to the initial Grand Prix assignments.

With the retirements and withdraws I feel as though some skaters/teams got exceptionally bad deals. Having one or both of their assignments be in such a deep field while others got all the breaks.

While you can’t really compare scores across competitions there are some pretty telling results looking at overall scores for those who did and didn’t make GPF.

I truly hope those who made the final skate to their fullest potential.

Here is looking forward to nationals and the ISU championships!

 

[DSQ]

Pairs:
I only watched the Free.

Messy but James and Cipres fought through. If they’re to beat the Russians in the GPF they just need to tighten up a few little things. See you in Canada!

Kayne/O’Shae. I liked them off the ice, they had nice energy but if the two Nutcrackers my favourite was...

Boikova/Kozlovskii. Omg Boikova is a cat the way she saves those throws, such energy they really suited their music. I think they also qualified? If they didn’t it didn’t matter as they’re rising stars!

Dance:

Papadakis/Cizeron. The second level 4 pattern of the season (though they messed up and got a 1 on the first part!) this Tango was everything. Such intensity they look like they’re in a world of their own on the ice which is what you want in Dance. The FS they just looked so effortless, that lift where he is parallel to the ice - wow! The music isn’t catching me right now but I expect it to grow on me. See you in Croatia (?) for Euros!

Sinitsina/Katsakapov - I 100% don’t remember their RD unfortunately despite watching the entire event. Their free on the other hand was lovely and very accomplished. However I know they’re not as technically good but I prefer Stepanova and Bukin...

Gilles/Poirier - I’m not sure why their levels are so low... because they are lovely and very memorable. Plus there’s no tacky costume change like at the Olympics. I really liked them. Perhaps to much on two feet.

Men’s

Nathen Chen - I wasn’t worried (mostly) he really seems to aiming to peak at worlds and team Raff has twigged in quick with Nathan (and as we saw at NHK Mariah) the new rules mean it’s better to do a triple well than a quad and fall. Yes he fell on the flip but he’s no longer six quad Chen. He ups the tech content for France but not much.

Didn’t perform as well on the SP as he did in America but that FS improves every competition. Interested to see him at Uno spar for silver if Hanyu is still in the final and goes clean. We’re a long way from the Nathen of the Japan Open.

Jason Brown - Lovely to see Jason Skate so well. He was a class of his own on Friday and his experience showed. Very happy for him.

Alexander Samerin - I hope he was paying attention to Jason as that is the skater he needs to emulate if he wants to capitalise in his recent success. Otherwise I remember liking Samerin at his last GP and I still do.

Ladies -

Rika Kihira - Not just talented but smart, her presence make every competition exciting. Not much else to say but we’ll see you in Vancouver. (Also love the Free music)

Mai Mihara- In the dictionary under Female Figure Skater there is a picture of Mihara. She everything you expected in a girl skater. So while he consistency impressed me (other than that unfortunate pop, coulda been in the GPF girl!) I was neutral on her. That was until I saw her off the ice. That hug she gave Tennell and her giggling with Kihira at winning - I wish I’d seen that bubbly skater on the Ice! I really do like her but her programs don’t do her justice.

Bradie Tennell - Wow she fought for this medal and really deserved it - she lay it out in the Free. So happy for her to be one of the two skaters to medal who weren’t from Russia or Japan!

Special mention-

Evgenia Medvedeva- The minuet I saw her face in the Short I knew this was gonna be a hard competition for her. Such a heartbreaking Free.

Mae Maite and Marin Honda - They weren’t perfect but both fought. Let’s regroup and smash nationals. Especially in Marin’s case.

Boyang Jin - He was so nervous!

Kevin Aymoz - His marks in his masterpiece of a FS were criminal.

Dimitr Aliev- Thank you for breaking the splat fest curse. Also well done on second in the Free!

 

[lavoix]

Very sad to see that Gilles/Poirier didn't make the GPF, they are second reserve and it's rather unfair because their skating is amazing.

Boikova/Kozlovskii I feel were also robbed of a spot.

 

[Interspectator]

I thought that the skaters deserved better organization and medals and ice conditions and not having to dodge a falling advertisement. :sad21:

Nathan is such a cool guy. -I love his SP and want to see it clean. The LP can use a bit more substance in the middle...but that is how I feel about everyone's LP right now barring Kevin Aymoz.
Jason didn't loose it in the LP...I was really nervous for him. This will help his confidence and I hope will lead to a good performance at Nationals as well.

Boyang has not fully arrived. He's not ready yet. See you in the second half of the season, and knock our socks off then.

Samarin was meh. -A horrible thing to be. But someone must like his skating, prove me wrong, tell me what you like about Samarin. Note my constant praises of Mai- which others have accused of being meh as well. Is there a Samarin enthusiast out there?

 

[Ichatdelune]

It was a disappointment overall personally and as a competition, the former because nearly all my favorites had disasterous skates and/or results (Thank you Jason for showing us what good skating is like and getting that silver), the latter because there were too many bombed skates and not enough phenomenal ones to make up for them. I can't say there was a standout performance in any discipline except for Jason's SP (and maybe P/C, but I know nothing in ID), and with the sheer number of falls and pops and missed key points, even Jason and his magical skating pales a bit. Oh, and plastic pentagonal plates instead of medals and adverts falling onto the rink don't help.
I am still heartbroken over Zhenya Medvedeva, Boikova/Kozlovskii, Gilles/Poirier, and Dmitri Aliev to an extent, so I'd just like to say that the whole highlight of the competition was the moment when Piper got NoNameFace's beautiful sunflower bouquet.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

This event destroyed my predictions game :curse:

 

[NoNameFace]

It was a disappointment overall personally and as a competition, the former because nearly all my favorites had disasterous skates and/or results (Thank you Jason for showing us what good skating is like and getting that silver), the latter because there were too many bombed skates and not enough phenomenal ones to make up for them. I can't say there was a standout performance in any discipline except for Jason's SP (and maybe P/C, but I know nothing in ID), and with the sheer number of falls and pops and missed key points, even Jason and his magical skating pales a bit. Oh, and plastic pentagonal plates instead of medals and adverts falling onto the rink don't help.
I am still heartbroken over Zhenya Medvedeva, Boikova/Kozlovskii, Gilles/Poirier, and Dmitri Aliev to an extent, so I'd just like to say that the whole highlight of the competition was the moment where Piper got NoNameFace's beautiful sunflower bouquet.

Dear Ichatdelune , thank You for being with us so much and valuing this moment so much. I am still shaking inside a bit seeing on YT that it all happened. I do not regret anything about this experience. Seeing Piper and Paul and some other skaters solidified my perspective on watching figure skating and my thoughts on different aspects of it. Glad me and other users were able to get the GP to you a bit close. More thoughts to follow as I am heading for a bus to the airport

 

[Ichatdelune]

Dear Ichatdelune , thank You for being with us so much and valuing this moment so much. I am still shaking inside a bit seeing on YT that it all happened. I do not regret anything about this experience. Seeing Piper and Paul and some other skaters solidified my perspective on watching figure skating and my thoughts on different aspects of it. Glad me and other users were able to get the GP to you a bit close. More thoughts to follow as I am heading for a bus to the airport

That was a beautiful and touching moment for anyone, you can be proud of yourself. You crafted a beautiful present for Piper and Paul, and by giving it to them you created something even more wonderful. Beauty inspiring art and that art bringing more beauty to inspire, that was you and your sunflowers.

 

[Mrs. P]

I think I'll have more to share once I watch more of hte competition, but I have one thought for now and I want to answer Specs' question.

First of all, I only really watched the men's event. I had to work and do other things this weekend and the men's event was scheduled early enough so I could watch it in its entirety. I did watch the free dance entirely (and seeing Beatrice, aka NoNameFace, give Piper that beautiful bouquet and card was definitely a highlight knowing how much work and thought she put into the gift) and the pair's free skate just now.

But my sole thought for now: Jason Brown put the men's skating world on notice with that short program. Honestly, we've seen him score well with quadless programs, but this short program truly melded together the best of what he had prior to coming to TCC (Rohene's choreography, his flexibility, great spins and his connection with the audience) and what he has gained over the last few months (a mature look and feel in his overall packaging, new jump technique and newly developed skating skills from Mama Tracy). I think we're used to seeing Jason as this sunshine and happy-go-lucky guy and here, he was confident and ready to attack. It's honestly the best I've seen him skate ever.

A lot of folks speculated that Jason would benefit from the new +5/-5 GOE and the reduced base values on quads. But he also benefits from what has been a clear shift in the technical calling for steps and spins. Getting a level 4 is much harder and judges expect much more to get the +GOE. He skated clean and there you go, a 96.41. Only three skaters have beat that score. I think it was hard to deny that quality skating should matter more (not just hitting the HARDEST jumps or base value) after seeing a program like that.

The free skate isn't there yet with melding what Jason already has and what he's gained in his new coaching environment and in a new skater/choreographer relationship. But I found it encouraging that David Wilson and the rest of the TCC gang were open to making changes that made Jason connect it more. The new choreographic sequence is a nice mesh of old -- the beautiful Kerrigan spiral -- and new -- the Ina Bauer and the leaps throughout. The judges thought so too, giving it a whopping +2.31 GOE (compared to 1.50 GOE at Skate Canada). There were a bunch of silly mistakes, which seem to be a bit of a lapse in competition -- but his emotional connection to that program is leaps and bounds from when he first performed it at Autumn Classic International two months ago.

The quad of course is still a big work in progress, but Jason clearly knows that, but he turned in one out-of-this-world performance and one solid, if not amazing one. I think a lot more people took note of Jason's silver because it was honestly so unexpected after so-so performances in his two former competitions. Anyway, I'm proud of him. He gave a lot for his fans, including me, to be excited about.

Samarin was meh. -A horrible thing to be. But someone must like his skating, prove me wrong, tell me what you like about Samarin. Note my constant praises of Mai- which others have accused of being meh as well. Is there a Samarin enthusiast out there?

For me what makes Samarin so endearing is that he loves what he's doing. He shows great investment in his programs, even if the execution isn't quite there, and I can't help but appreciate that.

I think Sasha looks better in person, IMO, then on television. He has massive jumps, but like many others, he has a hard time controlling them. I think he has fairly good speed and he does have some power to him. From an overall skating/performance/choreography standpoint, I prefer Dmitri Aliev, but I think Sasha's good qualities deserved to be highlighted.

I do agree with DSQ's post from earlier and I hope he's keeping track of skaters like Jason and how important it is to maintain overall quality not just getting the big money jumps.

 

[NoNameFace]

That was a beautiful and touching moment for anyone, you can be proud of yourself. You crafted a beautiful present for Piper and Paul, and by giving it to them you created something even more wonderful. Beauty inspiring art and that art bringing more beauty to inspire, that was you and your sunflowers.

I am really moved by what You have written, because it is the truth: their creativity and uniqueness in their artistic craft inspired me on the first place to create something one of a kind myself. For some, it might be nothing fancy, but for me it represented me and a strong relation I found with Piper and Paul's programs and existence as not only skaters, but people and creators, artists.

 

[colormyworld240]

Last time Rika skated, she showed her massive scoring potential and ability to fight for top spots/scores. This time, she showed that she is a fighter by saving that 3A and quick thinker by opting for a 2A combo and adding her second combo onto the lutz as she didn't repeat the 3A. And whatever she and her team are doing to up her mental game, it's working very well as many of us remember Rika imploding at the first sign of struggle in juniors. She's come a long way in many regards and I'm excited for what's next.

Marin giving a pikachu to Raf was endearing.

Mai and Evgenia were heartbreaking . I didn't know it was possible to be so affected by skaters who aren't anywhere close to my favourites. They both are under a lot of pressure given the depth of their respective federations, but I hope (and believe) they'll come out stronger.

 

[Ichatdelune]

I do agree with IChatDelluxe, that I hope he's keeping track of skaters like Jason and how important it is to maintain quality not just getting the big money jumps.

Is this me, Mrs. P? I think I should change my username to this, Une chat de luxe est magnifique I have no idea what I've said about Alexander Samarin though.

 

[Jaana]

I think that Medvedeva not making the GPF might be a blessing in disguise! She will have now more time to practice and concentrate on her programs for the Nationals & Europeans. She was injured in the summer if I recall correctly?

Jin not making the GPF was a surprise, but maybe he´ll be in good condition at 4CC...

The highlight of this men´s event for me was Cha making the GPF, WOW!!! He had very difficult GP events and I did not expect him to medal in either of them.

Such a pity that Aliev did not skate his sp a little bit better, just a few points more and he would have gotten a medal here (as he was second in the freeskate!!!

After Samarin had a successful sp I did not expect him to shine in the freeskate...

Chen did what was expected from him, congratulations for two wins at GP events!!!

 

[zanadude]

I loved the fans with the "Make GOE Great Again" hats!

 

[lusk8]

The bad:

- That melted ice rink full of puddles. That can’t be good for people’s skating. Then one of the adverts fall apart during a team’s performance and crashed on the ice. Boyang, with his love for the boards, don’t know how lucky he was that this didn’t happen during one of his skates.

- The medal ceremony. Acrylic is the new lead it seems. At least a plastic star meant “you’re a star!”, a plastic hexagon or pentagon means “I dare to find space for me at your home’s shelves”.

- Digital waiving flag gifs? Really! What’s next? “Mid” recordings of national anthems?

The good:

- Nathan Chen, he has the cool to deal with adversity and come out swinging. Deserved win. I’m glad he is at the final.

- like Jason Brown’s energy and excitement, major well done for him and also for Samarin.

- I’m glad Dima had a great FS.

- Mai Mihara was my happy moment at the ladies, she deserved a spot at the finals, but with only 6 places that isn’t possible. Still I’m happy she got a medal, she deserved it for what she showed on the ice

- congrats to Rika on her win she on thinking fast on her feat. 3A-combo wasn’t there this time but still remains the most amazing add on for her season and kudos to her for pulling it off.

The sad:

- I was sad to see Zhenya looking so nervous, she is a fighter, things will come together, she needs to keep doing the work and trust in her reasons for making these changes.

 

[esteticlove]

Yeah, organisation in France wasnt at top level as usually but one thing I appreciated were the replays with a camera focus on the feet. Those URs couldn't be hidden anymore.

 

[icetug]

I had one weird thought, just after Gabriella raised the throphy: when upside down, it remains Polish coffin portraits by shape. So sorry for this connotation...

 

[Roast Toast]

Overall, I'm not sure what to feel about this event. Going into it I thought it was almost unfairly stacked (except in Pairs) compared to other fields we have seen this grand prix season. However, not all the skaters lived up to their potential, and it ended up being quite a shaky comp with unexpected results. I went from highs to lows pretty constantly.

I'll just comment on ice dance:

Papadakis/Cizeron; I feel like this score was a big message from the judges: "please stay in the sport for the next four years!" I mean, seriously, it wasn't just a big GOE lovefest, they nearly maxed out the free dance BV already. What I love most about them is apparently something that tickles others the wrong way: they are always skating at their own pace. I love the newfound maturity with which they skate the RD, after playing the youthful card last season -- with Tessa and Scott out of the picture, it's the perfect time to break out this longing, mournful music that would have buried them in the rankings a few years ago. I loved the FD, especially the first part, the opposite of what I expected when I first heard the songs. If I had to describe it, I would say it felt like a big hug, very soft and intimate. Indeed, they are cuddling each other for most of it, including the dance spin and most of the lifts ^^ They clearly love their material this season so I can forgive them for being precious with their programs back at Masters.

Sinitsina/Katsalapov; They and Stepanova/Bukin are really benefiting from their unclear respective standings within their fed. I wonder if they will continue to get pushed quite as hard if they take second at Nationals. I thought they delivered two great programs under pressure (imagine following that score). They've always skated with enormous speed, but this feels like the first season where they have all that speed under control. Their pattern was HUGE and very fast, they stood out in a sea of Gadbois teams struggling with the TR. Their ganchos (am I using that term correctly? The sexy leg hook things) are to die for. Great flair throughout. I struggle a bit more with their free dance, I'm enjoying the beautiful orchestral music and then suddenly bam! they have that weird sounding last bit during their character step which brings the whole thing out of balance. It's like they can't help but remind us that yes, they are Russian, and yes, they have bad, tacky taste. :scratch:

Gilles/Poirier; I'm very frustrated with them, tbh. It feels like every other season they bring wonderful material (my favorite music choice of the season in the free) that gets everyone in their corner but then they run into a wall on the grand prix and never recover in time to capitalize on their momentum. Ironically it's almost like, compared to the Russians currently jockeying for the #1 spot, Weaver/Poje's great skate at ACI is holding them back as they are perceived as Canadian #2. I wonder if their desire to be adventurous and quirky might not be holding them back in the current fashion in Ice Dance where smooth integration of the elements into the program is key. Their weird twizzles are *really* cool but in both the rhythm dance and the free you could hear that the audience was unsure if it was a mistake or not. The judges are scrutinizing them for the tiniest details and dropping levels to get the "innovative element" GOE bullet doesn't seem like a great trade-off. Their free dance creates the most magical moment though and explores emotion I feel we've rarely seen in this sport. It's very compelling but technically I can't deny they were outperformed.

Honorable mentions: It can be so hard to establish and maintain yourself in this discipline that I will never begrudge the top teams for focusing year after year on more serious material. But nonetheless, lower ranked teams like Popova/Mozgov and Lauriault/Le Gac are really shining through with their fun music choices and crowd-pleasing elements. Ice Dance is dearly missing their Anna and Luca right now.