2018 Skate America Mens FS

[el henry]

I don't think what the judges are saying is "don't try hard things". I think what they are saying is "Don't just throw out things to score points because you land them 10% of the time in practice".

A well done triple loop should score better than a fall on a 4 loop IMO. But then I prefer clean skates to messy ones.

But as far as tech panels go I only really have one request: Call everything or call nothing but the most blatant things because otherwise it is unfair. Call everyone's e or ! or no ones. Do not give an e to low ranked skater that you wouldn't give to the current world or Olympic Champion. Same with urs. Heck.. I'm a huge Satoko fan so UR are a big issue but I don't want her to win if she is ur and another lady is not. There has to be some fairness.

Exactly.

It is not progress, it is not athletic, it is not some sort of "ultimate sportsmanship" to go out there and throw every jump up in the air and see what sticks, literally.

For me, that is ho hum boring

A skater should do what they can do. Well. Precise. Clean. In the context of a well executed and well choreographed program. And if not, improve it, or do what you can do until it is improved.

That is sport

 

[Seren]

Sergei Voronov saw my ‘We Sergei’ sign so my day is perfect.

 

[hippomoomin]

Could a jump have full 3 or 4 full rotations in air but still have a hooked landing?

I mostly notice he has those hooks when landing. Usually when a jump is rotated, the skater lands and then skates straight out. When one URs, there is this small curve. Its kinda visible on all Vincent's URd jumps

 

[karne]

Could a jump have full 3 or 4 full rotations in air but still have a hooked landing?

No. By definition, a hooked landing is one that is short of rotation and then "hooked" on the ice so that the skater appears to land backwards.

 

[msteach3]

I also think Johnny and Tara do a disservice too by saying "It's not UR" several times. They've definitely slammed other skaters for URs, repeatedly, so I'm not sure why they were so adamant about Vincent not having them.

Just one technical correction... it's the technical panel, not the judges, they have to convince.

Wow, I watched Vincent's programs over and over on the big screen and just did not see those UR jumps. I totally agree with Johnny and Tara.... very questionable calls. Vincent's programs were far superior to a few who placed above him, so I hope his next event is more successful for him.

 

[Mrs. P]

Wow, I watched Vincent's programs over and over on the big screen and just did not see those UR jumps. I totally agree with Johnny and Tara.... very questionable calls. Vincent's programs were far superior to a few who placed above him, so I hope his next event is more successful for him.

Keep in mind the technical panel is looking a much closer view of the landing. But YMMV. I'm not even one of those people who are particularly great at looking for URs, which is why I'm inclined to believe the calls are correct.

Also, I think it was telling that the technical caller was American. But as I said, it wasn't just any American tech caller, it was Scott Davis, who was pretty strict in the past.

 

[karne]

Wow, I watched Vincent's programs over and over on the big screen and just did not see those UR jumps. I totally agree with Johnny and Tara.... very questionable calls. Vincent's programs were far superior to a few who placed above him, so I hope his next event is more successful for him.

Not questionable at all and quite obvious.

His next event will be more successful if he rotates his jumps.

 

[kevinVchicago]

Does anybody have a video of Alexei Bychenko's FS? Trying to catch up on this and can't find it.

 

[SnowWhite]

Can someone please do a slow motion analysis to show how and in what way Vincent's textbook under rotations were achieved? Some of his jumps with ur calls, I cannot see in real time, and in replay. But I can clearly see Karen's under rotations even in real time when they were called. I am just a casual fan with no skating experiences at all. If he under rotated with pre-rotations, please point out that too, even though that should not be called under rotations, right?

I think when the competition is over, have a thread in the Arena would be helpful. It seems there are quite a few different ways to under rotate.

I'm not great at recognizing URs, but one of the tells is if the landing kicks up a lot of snow off the ice. I saw that for several of Vincent's jumps.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Does the tech panel have slowmo?

 

[Seren]

I was in the rink and of Vincent's jumps that the tech panel called under my friend and I guessed every one. The snow flying up was the biggest give away. He is capable of rotating them- the first quad lutz was great. But something isn't working.

 

[oatmella]

I can’t imagine that Vincent doesn’t have the goal of fully rotating his jumps and will be working towards that.

He has also grown since last season, which would make quads more difficult as well.

 

[kevinVchicago]

I thought that Nam did a great job. Ran out of gas halfway through, but the program really suited him. Hope he'll have a breakthrough sometime soon.

Also, I really like Morisi's new FS, and, also, Morisi is very handsome.

 

[kevinVchicago]

Ponsart was a mess, but his costume and haircut are both gorgeous. +100B(eauty)CS please.

 

[kevinVchicago]

I love Voronov, but that program is a sloppy, empty mess to me.

 

[Skater Boy]

Oh poor Jimmy. But yay, Nathan - still one wonders about school and skating are they conflicting. His hair is an issue; it was even more awkward tonight - He m ight be trying to growing it out. I would just say tongue and cheek - USA it is okay to have no guy with long locks or leave it to an ice dancer. Maybe he thinks longer hair is artisitci 0 I know the French ice dancer years ago used it to his advantage or tied too. Not a great competiton. Ho hum programs overall, too many errors and sloppy skating - not oly from Voronov. Not all Skate Americas are marvels - tis one isn'tlooking great.

 

[QueenOfTheRoad]

I love Voronov, but that program is a sloppy, empty mess to me.

Unpopular opinion: exactly what i think. I know who choreographed it, but i think it was still a work in progress and now looks just empty till the last steps, which are really gorgeous but don't make it for the emptiness of the rest. Sergei should take someone to polish it a bit and it could get quite good. He got lucky to get bronze, and i am happy with it, but i wish people would stop with that stupid "he should have got to oly". Instead of whom? Of Kolyada, no 1 in Russian team who was three times out of three in the number 10 at worlds - compared with only once in top 10 out of SIX times for Sergei? Or Aliev the public favorite and such a promise for Russian skating? Sorry, but i don't think he would have been able to get in Top 10 at oly. It is not like he didn't do it with his own feet at the Russian national that he was behind Kolyada with so much. I like him and his personality, i like how he tries to improve each year, i cheer for him, but at this moment i think there are other Russian men who should be supported and who are better than him.

 

[kevinVchicago]

I see Brezina took a page from Tóth Ivett's playbook!

 

[kevinVchicago]

I'm not a Kevin Reynolds fan, but personally I cannot understand how his PCS are so low while Brezina's (for example) are so high.

???

 

[Interspectator]

Just finished watching the Japan Broadcast. Some thoughts:
Nathan, as usual impressed me with his programs in the first GP event. I'm a bit wary, cause I felt this way last season too and then kind of got disappointed after that. I enjoy his performances much more with the (quite high) technical content he is presently trying. I'm not saying he shouldn't go for ALL the quads if he thinks he can, it's just that I enjoy watching him so much more when the performance and tech are melded together, balanced and presented like he did today. There are areas he can grow even more in his interpretation and inhabiting the music, it is great to see him skate free like this.

Delighted and happy for Michal, He's a favorite who I enjoy watching in any case, but he kept it together to get on the podium and his skating was as smooth and fast as ever.

Voronov, I'm less happy with. I'm in awe at his fighting spirit, and his ability to land such a good quality 4T3T still and going for the 4Lo. He's not coasting, that's for sure. But his program is soooooo empty. His skating seemed labored, and I feel the program is unfinished. I would like to see more.

I saw some chat about harsh calls, but I think in Vincent's case, from my point of view, the judges got it right. I hope they consistently call URS and other tech issues throughout the season so that QUALITY can truly be weighted more than QUANTITY, as is the whole point of the scoring shift. If not, they may as well have the old rules back.