2018 Nepela Trophy Ladies Free Skate

[leoleo]

Marin doesn't like it either. The real bloodbath is Japan and not Russia - at least this season.

i think Russian nationals are gonna be world war III for who places on the podium but since the juniors competing there are not going to worlds this season it's gonna be fine. For the japanese girls tho, the fight for worlds spots is gonna be tough and i'll probably be crying since i love so many of them

 

[moriel]

i think Russian nationals are gonna be world war II for who places on the podium but since the juniors competing there are not going to worlds this season it's gonna be fine. For the japanese girls tho, the fight for worlds spots is gonna be tough and i'll probably be crying since i love so many of them

yep i think the bloodbaths will happen at both locations, but in different ways.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

It's just so refreshing to see a skater get such a big score because her tech content is incredibly difficult, and not because her GOEs and PCS are incredibly high.

Sasha Trusova would like to have a word with you.
Anyway, I'd love to see a clean Sasha and a clean Rika go head to head. Neither was clean at JGPF last year.

 

[Tolstoj]

It's just so refreshing to see a skater get such a big score because her tech content is incredibly difficult, and not because her GOEs and PCS are incredibly high.

Alina Zagitova last year had an incredibly difficult tech content, you don't necessarily need the 3A for that, although for sure two 3A is a big deal in ladies figure skating.

Rika Kihira has the potential to be the top contender this season, if she gets consistent i think this could be her season.

I'm a fan of Elizabet Tursynbaeva this season: she has now more mature and competitive programs (i like both the short and the long), spins are improved, the 3ltz is back, 3lo still a little UR, anyway silver medal here beating the russians is definitely a great way to start.

Stanislava Konstantinova: i like her SP, the FS was very messy here, she will take the bronze, not great (especially the low components) but it could have been worse.

Polina Tsurskaya: oh boy... she looks so undertrained, everything is a mess right now. Hard to judge, hard to watch. We'll see if they can get back on track but they don't have much time left.

 

[rikaquegira]

OMG! I didn’t even notice the new exit in the 3A! She did not have that last season!
I’m telling you, girl is not playing!!! [emoji122]

https://twitter.com/cantileverlove/status/1043500428963577856?s=20

 

[MaiKatze]

It's not only the 3As. While they alone are awesome, the whole program is great. The entire package is fantastic, the music, the interpretation and yes, the dress. It all works, it all fits. I just soooo hope she can keep it together. I loved her back at Japanese National 2017 but then she disappointed so at Worlds. I hope the pressure doesn't get to her.

 

[rikaquegira]

It's not only the 3As. While they alone are awesome, the whole program is great. The entire package is fantastic, the music, the interpretation and yes, the dress. It all works, it all fits. I just soooo hope she can keep it together. I loved her back at Japanese National 2017 but then she disappointed so at Worlds. I hope the pressure doesn't get to her.

I feel like I have wrote this a dozen times here but I’ll write it again: her meltdown at JW was not due to nerves, she had problem with her blades. Basically, she needs to adjust them from time to time(I think it’s short intervals, can’t remember exactly) and she, um, she... forgot! [emoji23][emoji23][emoji23]
She forgot to calculate when she would need to adjust the blades to be ready for the competition. When she remembered it was too late. If the blades aren’t perfectly adjusted she’s not able to land the 3A and other jumps get messed up too. So that’s what happened.
Of course she could’ve bomb it anyway because she’s that kind of skater! [emoji23] Or was... [emoji120]

 

[yume]

Sasha Trusova would like to have a word with you.
Anyway, I'd love to see a clean Sasha and a clean Rika go head to head. Neither was clean at JGPF last year.

I was talking about seniors. But yes (since you want to bring a Russian in discussion) i like Trusova's big scores in FS because it mostly come from an incredible technical content.

 

[[email protected]]

Rika Kihira was impressive. By far and large the best performance among senior skaters this season so far.

 

[leoleo]

PROTOCOLS http://www.kraso.sk/wp-content/uploads/sutaze/2018_2019/20180920_ont/CSSVK_Ladies_FS_Scores.pdf

 

[invisiblespiral]

Yay Rika!

Sad for Polina, though...

 

[LiamForeman]

Rika: I wasn't sure they were 3axels because they looked so easy! Nice program, but wish she'd improve more on the SS and spins. She was incredible don't get me wrong, but she can improve much more.

LilBet: Hmm. The way she skates for some reason makes me think of Fumie Suguri, and that's not a good thing. Really needs to work on her basics. I can't believe she's 18, she skates so juniorish. But apparently this is an improvement from a few months ago, so maybe Eteri can work her magic.

Stasi: Meh. I would think those awful Tano-ish jumps would be a detriment to her scores? So ugly. She's not a bad skater, but she could be much better, and stop with those Tano's.

Polina: Uggh. She just needs to do runthroughs over and over. I'm befuddled that she would end her program with that layback spin, which is her worst element. Do a Lipinski and get it over with in the beginning so people will forget about it. Don't use your worst element as the lasting impression.

 

[yume]

alina zagitova last year had an incredibly difficult tech content, you don't necessarily need the 3a for that, although for sure two 3a is a big deal in ladies figure skating.

Yes. Zagitova's program was very challenging and deserved high TES. I was mostly thinking about Medvedeva's and Yuna's programs which were not the most challenging but scored the most in the previous scoring systems (I think 2004-2010 system is different of 2010-2018 system. Even if the scores were not made historicals).
For me, the most difficult tech contents i've seen, cleanly or almost cleanly executed, are:
1) Trusova's FS this season. which hardest elements are (4lz/4T/4T-3T // 3lz-3lo/3lz-1lo-3S). She fell on a quad but still impressive.
2) Trusova's last season jworlds FS (4S/4T // 3lz-3lo/ 3F-3T/3F-1lo-3S)
3) Kihira's FS today (3A-3T/3A // 3lz-2T-2lo/ 3lz-2T)
4) Mao's 2007 GPF FS (3A/3F-3T // 3F-3lo/2A-2lo-2lo)
5) Mao's Sochi FS/Kihira's Lubljana JGP
6) Zagitova's last year FS (...........// 3lz-3lo/repetition of 3lz and 3F)

 

[rikaquegira]

Protocols are up and I’m super confused. [emoji23]
These judges.....

 

[cathlen]

Rika did amazing! As I love 3A I'm all for this girl smashing it this year!

 

[Leonardo]

Yay Rika!

Sad for Polina, though...

My feelings exactly.

 

[moriel]

Yes. Zagitova's program was very challenging and deserved high TES. I was mostly thinking about Medvedeva's and Yuna's programs which were not the most challenging but scored the most in the previous scoring systems (I think 2004-2010 system is different of 2010-2018 system. Even if the scores were not made historicals).
For me, the most difficult tech contents i've seen, cleanly or almost cleanly executed, are:
1) Trusova's FS this season. which hardest elements are (4lz/4T/4T-3T // 3lz-3lo/3lz-1lo-3S). She fell on a quad but still impressive.
2) Trusova's last season jworlds FS (4S/4T // 3lz-3lo/ 3F-3T/3F-1lo-3S)
3) Kihira's FS today (3A-3T/3A // 3lz-2T-2lo/ 3lz-2T)
4) Mao's 2007 GPF FS (3A/3F-3T // 3F-3lo/2A-2lo-2lo)
5) Mao's Sochi FS/Kihira's Lubljana JGP
6) Zagitova's last year FS (...........// 3lz-3lo/repetition of 3lz and 3F)

dont forget Shcherbakova, after all she attempted a 4Lz too and will likely attempt it soon again.

 

[Leonardo]

Rika: I wasn't sure they were 3axels because they looked so easy! Nice program, but wish she'd improve more on the SS and spins. She was incredible don't get me wrong, but she can improve much more.

Interesting. I actually think that her spins and her skating skills are two of her strongest qualities. Imho, she could improve the quality of her jumps. Better use of the toe pick, bit more height and distance and a bit less pre rotation, especially on the 3A. But I don't think it's going to happen under her current coach and I'm not sure she should actually change her technique since it's working and it's not weak at all.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Rika's layout is not too optimal, even though she does 3A-3T, she still has two combos with just doubles on the end. (the Tuktamysheva Syndrome )
Why doesn't she try:
3A-2T
3A
3Lo
3Lz
---
3Lz-3T
3F-1Lo-3S
2A

I know she likes 3A-3T, but it's kind of pointless to do that if you're just going to do -2T and -2T-2Lo, and she's already got her name in history for that combination.

 

[rikaquegira]

Rika's layout is not too optimal, even though she does 3A-3T, she still has two combos with just doubles on the end. (the Tuktamysheva Syndrome :biggrin[emoji4]
Why doesn't she try:
3A-2T
3A
3Lo
3Lz
---
3Lz-3T
3F-1Lo-3S
2A

I know she likes 3A-3T, but it's kind of pointless to do that if you're just going to do -2T and -2T-2Lo, and she's already got her name in history for that combination.

Honestly, I’m pretty sure she wanted to be the first lady to land a 3A3T in senior international competition.
And I don’t think she could backload all her combos, maybe in the future if it is a necessity.

also, she can’t have three axel jumps, right?