2018 Olympic Figure Skating Mens FS
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- Joined
- Mar 29, 2009
It has been an incredible Olympics for skating fans and the men's event didn't disappoint. I am so thankful it wasn't a splat fest like Sochi.
However, except for the very top men, the quad is still a very elusive jump. And the ones who can integrate that technical difficulty into a pleasing program also remains few.
I am thrilled that Javi got a medal and that Hanyu repeated. Happy also for the US men. Adam really has become a media darling. Wish I could have followed along with the play by play but it was all my computer could do to keep up with the NBC stream.
I think all these years of watching skating on my computer has changed me. Even though I could have watched on my TV, I like being in my zone: computer, headphones, beer at the ready!
However, except for the very top men, the quad is still a very elusive jump. And the ones who can integrate that technical difficulty into a pleasing program also remains few.
I am thrilled that Javi got a medal and that Hanyu repeated. Happy also for the US men. Adam really has become a media darling. Wish I could have followed along with the play by play but it was all my computer could do to keep up with the NBC stream.
I think all these years of watching skating on my computer has changed me. Even though I could have watched on my TV, I like being in my zone: computer, headphones, beer at the ready!
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
Finally someone said it!
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
I certainly didn't mean to troll. I just can't remember personally witnessing anyone moving from 17th place to 5th place in any event I've watched. I know yall are way more encyclopedic on skating than I am, so has it ever happened before? I thought it was astonishing. I thought he'd be doing well to make top 10 after the SP.
It's also a fact that Javier Fernandez at his personal best would have won. Also a fact that Hanyu at his best and not injured would have blown the competition out of the water. Also a fact that Shoma with his best would have won. See my point? The what-if is continuous. You can't conveniently apply what if to one person and not the other. Its the person with the cleanest skate across both program that wins. That's why there's a short and a free. Had Nathan Chen skated cleanly across both programs it would be very close and sure he would be a rightful winner but he didn't. What's the point of speculating if he had skated a clean short he could have won and not speculate that had Hanyu not been injured he could have broken his own record? Want to play fact, then let's see Nathan with his spectacular 6 quad jumping did not beat Javi's and Yuzu's 3 quad best and no where near Yuzu's 4 quad best. He won over Shoma's 4 quad best by one point. The what if games are endless. What if Irina Slutskaya fell in the FS in 2002 and didn't beat Kwan, who would be the Olympic Champion. That's all just scratching the surface.
PS - I'm going to throw in that stupid cliche, you can't win the gold in the short program but you can lose it.
- Joined
- Sep 14, 2008
Why wouldn't he? He needed those Quads to win Gold.
Mao Asada went from 15th to 6th in Sochi.
Kurt Browning went from 12th to 5th in Lillehamer.
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- Jan 10, 2017
At Worlds last season, Mai Mihara went from 15th to 5th (she didn't win the FS, though, got only 4th there). Then there's Mao Asada at Sochi 2014, going from 16th to 6th (FS 3rd). There's been some cases, but apparently more in the ladies?
Mao Asada
- Joined
- Nov 1, 2005
I think the what if’s apply more to Nathan than the rest of the top 5 as he obviously underperformed in the SP when compared to all his SP’s in the senior ranks. It makes sense to think about how differently things would have turned out had he skated even close to what he has done this season. However, he didn’t, and that’s that. I’m thrilled for Yuzu and Javi as they were on my dream podium. Disappointed for Nathan, but he’ll have another chance in 4 years.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
lolol!!!
- Joined
- Jan 10, 2014
Boyang should be silver, Shoma 4th.
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2017
He does not have the mental strength if he skated in the final group, which means he actually has a shot at gold, he would not have risked skating a 6 quad program with that kind of pressure. And even if he has, looking at how he bombed the SP, it could be just as bad in the FS.
Also many ppl have already replied. there are no ifs in Olympics. I could also assume if Yuzuru didn't get injured and put out his hardest layout with 4lo, then he would have won anyways. So the fact that you just used the if on Nathan is absurd.
- Joined
- May 29, 2015
I think the GOE gap is too wide. The more levels, the harder it is for judges to decide. So tell me then, what would differentiate a quad from +3 and +4. Poor landing? Poor flow? Shouldn't your GOE be -ve for those things? 11 GOE steps is too difficult imo.
It was an impressive comeback but also because the SP scores of most of the guys in front of him (aside for the top4) were pretty close to eachother. That's also how Denis Ten came back from 9th place to 3rd in Sochi. Coming back on the free after a disastrous SP isn't unheard of (I mean Yuzu came back from 5th place to 1st and waaaaay ahead of everyone at the last Worlds).
I mean, don't get me wrong, Nathan's scoring was impressive and rightfully "awe" inducing. But you either take the competition as a whole or not at all. It's a combination of the SP and the FS. You need to do good in both to win. That's actually the one constant in figure skating. You can make mistake if the others make mistakes too but you can't make too many mistakes in one program or the other and expect to win.
Philippe Candeloro says very often that you may not win a competition only thanks to the short program, but you can sure lose it because of the short program.
So by all means, be impressed by Nathan's comeback, it's deserved. But speculating about "what ifs" will only keep you in what ifs because the actual competitions don't deal with "what ifs".
Another "what if" for Nathan. If he had been in first after the short, would he have skated with the freedom to get the record score he did in the free?
I knew b/c he messed up badly in the SP that he would most likely do well in the FP b/c the pressure was off him, and he said as much following his free skate.
I'm happy with the podium although would've preferred Javi to get silver, but that's a minor quibble. Nathan will have his time, at 18, he's already moved the sport forward and put the US men back in the international mix. He does have a long way to go to be on the level of a Hanyu or Fernandez, but I hope he gets there.
I knew b/c he messed up badly in the SP that he would most likely do well in the FP b/c the pressure was off him, and he said as much following his free skate.
I'm happy with the podium although would've preferred Javi to get silver, but that's a minor quibble. Nathan will have his time, at 18, he's already moved the sport forward and put the US men back in the international mix. He does have a long way to go to be on the level of a Hanyu or Fernandez, but I hope he gets there.
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2017
Quads are risky, too many quads means prone to mistakes. Historically, no top man who ever won Olympics had highest difficulty (or BV by today standards). Ok Hanyu did in 2014 but mostly because Chan bombed as well.
Nathan and Rafael did not study history well. Just my take.
Had Nathan skated well the SP, he would bomb the LP like Hanyu did. Only by this time, the other men are much stronger mentally and would not bomb so badly like Chan at Sochi.
- Joined
- Nov 11, 2013
What if Kurt Browning did not chocked at Olympics?
What if Tonya Harding had more dicipline and responsibilty for her skating career?
What if Sasha Cohen did not bomb Torino?
And don't forget Brian Orser in 1988!
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2017
Or what happened to Janet LynnAnd don't forget Brian Orser in 1988!
oh figures
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Thank you. I know someone would know. But 15th to 6th and 12th to 5th are still not 17th to 5th. 15th to 6 is 11 places, 12th to 5th is 11 places. 17th to 5th is 12 places. And Lillehammer was 6.0 system, correct? I don't know how to compare the two.
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