2018 JGP Kaunas Mens Free Skate

[4everchan]

Honestly, I would never want to assess whether a change has done a skater good or bad just based on such a meagre competition sample, especially when the overall results of a change are best assessed a season or two afterwards. Adjusting to how elements are differently taught takes serious time and Joseph has been at TCC for not very long, certainly not the full off-season? I would not declare Conrad's coaching change a resounding success atm any more than I would pronounce Joseph's a resounding failure. We actually know so little of the skaters' inner and day to day lives and really have little idea unless they make direct statements about it. And we have no idea of the motivations for a change and how they are feeling about it, unless again they are direct about it.

So let's be fair to the coaches and skater and maybe allow them time to learn each other before making frantic assessments?

sorry but i think it's perfectly fine to make such assessments at this point... and if things evolve in the other direction later on, then I will be the first one to credit TCC and Brian and his team for Jo's success.... figure skating is part similar to performing arts... and that is the part that is broken with Jo... he lost his confidence, rhythm and momentum... and that is sometimes much harder to gain than fixing technique... on top of that, Jo was well-known for having great technique...

Conrad showed up to TCC with this awkward vaulting technique on his toe pick jumps... which he has almost already fixed... he is even smiling... at events LOL... he seems very positive, even when things don't go his way... Jo was beating himself up after the SP on IG.... that's not the right attitude to come back the next day and skate a good program... there was no reason for him to pop both his lutzes...

Jo has lost his rhythm and momentum... whether or not it's too soon to see the long term influence on TCC, the short term results are not promising... he is out of JGPF this year... that's a given already... now there are only two men going to JWC for Canada... if the fed had to choose right now, it would be Stephen and Conrad going and rightfully so.

A figure skater career is relatively short... momentum is something to be cherished. I am simply saying that this was a very risky move for Jo.. and right now, it's not paying off.... for Conrad, he had way less to lose because he was not improving anymore and really needed help on skating skills and technique... Jo, IMHO is one of the best, if not the best skater among all juniors... he matches many seniors on basic skating alone... His spins are gorgeous. He is a hard worker. But the results right now, not promising.
TCC is not for everyone and I wonder how he feels, living in English, in Toronto, far away from his family etc... Boyang certainly didn't feel it was worth it.

 

[Colonel Green]

This year, he started with a 4th at his first event, but instead of falling apart his second event, he managed to pull it together, and get a first, giving himself a pretty good chance to make the final. We'll see how he does there. I hope his hand gets better!

This competition assisted Andrew's drive to the Final in a couple of ways. Most obviously, the gold medal, but Kirill taking the silver is also good for Andrew, because Iakovlev probably has to be considered unlikely, given his technical base, to get another silver medal, meaning that one of the seven silver medals has been taken off the table in terms of rivaling Andrew's points total. And, obviously, Joseph bombing, so even if he gets it together in his next competition, that would also just have the effect of taking another medal out of the game.

 

[Mrs. P]

Well I'm glad I didn't attempt to wake up early for this one. I watched the last group plus Murashov just now.

First Murashov -- his shirt give me Maxim Kovtun "I Can't Dance" SP vibes and less than Javi Bowling shirt collection. ... and those random gestures! Like skate, jump, skate, random "cool guy" gesture, repeat.

Congrats to Andrew and good for him for fighting through it....honestly I think the fist-pumping is just that he didn't completely meltdown (and sadly there are a few examples) last season. Whatever works for his mindset. That said, I hope he'll clean up those jumps for his next competition, which looks to be JGPF.

I like Kirill Iakovlev and I don't mind if he's going for the GOE over BV route, it served him well here. He isn't officially assigned to a second event, but I'd imagine he'll get one based on his good placement here, maybe one of the two last events depending on how others do?

 

[Sabrina]

I've completely missed the men free. I checked the protocols. Of course I am sad Josef had such a big implosion. I don't want to start harsh, I am sure he will come back strong, but it's a pity as he had the potential to even get the GPF. I hope Liu has no big injury.
Congratulation to the winners! I hope I'll watch videos later.

 

[el henry]

Andreeeewwwwwww

Number one, having seen that program live from 100 feet away and having seen it over the course of two years now, that is the best step sequence from junior men and most of the senior men. Boy do I it. it is impossible to “oversell”

Number two, jumps, oh please Andrew get your jumps I don’t care about quads, just get consistent triples, puh leeeeze.

I don’t watch in real time and have only seen Andrew. Might not get back to the others for some time, so for all I know everyone else wuzrobbed.

Don’t care

 

[el henry]

Sorry, just saw Mrs. Ps comments.

Is Murashov still wearing that God awful maybe it’s Stevie Wonder and Ray Charles shirt to that horrible non-program? A waste of good music and Egor looks more talented than that program he was given.

Scratch that off the “to watch” list:noshake:

 

[zebobes]

Andreeeewwwwwww

I don’t watch in real time and have only seen Andrew. Might not get back to the others for some time, so for all I know everyone else wuzrobbed.

Don’t care

I feel bad for him... his Free skate on Youtube is getting filled with "wuzrobbed" comments.

The thing is, nobody skated ideally. If Kirill hadn't messed up his spin, he would have won the competition.

Why is it that Christy Krall always has the skaters where everyone gets super angry that wins because of PCS?

 

[4everchan]

Andreeeewwwwwww

Number one, having seen that program live from 100 feet away and having seen it over the course of two years now, that is the best step sequence from junior men and most of the senior men. Boy do I it. it is impossible to “oversell”

Number two, jumps, oh please Andrew get your jumps I don’t care about quads, just get consistent triples, puh leeeeze.

I don’t watch in real time and have only seen Andrew. Might not get back to the others for some time, so for all I know everyone else wuzrobbed.

Don’t care

well nobody here on GS has said Andrew robbed anyone... the sad reality is that nobody in the final flight skated very well... except Kirill and he lost a spin which mean 2nd place. I am one of the ones who think Andrew scored a bit too much for his SP based on the mistakes... but here, in the LP i don't think he was rewarded too much... i just think nobody else stepped up.

Congrats to Andrew. I am still not a fan... perhaps it's the music and packaging... we will see with the years

 

[el henry]

I do feel bad for Jo, he is a talented skater, and I quite agree that no coach is the best coach for everyone. I am glad Andrew won, but I never like to see that happen because a competitor failed.

And Kiril is quite the little cutie, but I am getting deja vu all over again, to coin a phrase. Ilia Skirda was quite the adorable cutie one year, and then.....:noshake: I want to see the adorable little Russian kids skate for two years in a row before getting excited.....