2019 4CCs: Ladies' FS

[Step Sequence4]

To the discussion about Kaori's PCS earlier, I'm glad im not the only one who thinks she oozes artistry. Personally I think she has the best edge quality of the Japanese (which is a subjective thing, really). If lilbet lands the 4S at worlds id be interested to see where she ends up.. time to get going on a 3Lz-3T for the sp! If anyones interested in seeing her 4S-3T, https://www.instagram.com/p/BtfLerAlLDl/ . If only Mariah (and Bradie) would go clean again...

 

[chopinskate]

General comments:

I think Mihara is not that great of a performer. Great skating skills, but sometimes she just looks a little lost to me in terms of performance. There's immaturity there. The SP is tragic, and while the LP is better, she doesn't bring any depth to it.

Tursynbaeva skates like a junior, for me. And those programs are simply not good, extremely generic. Her jumps are not pleasing to the eye, either.

Kihira. Her jumps are my least favorite thing about her skating, actually, but I appreciate the technical difficulty she brings. Her SP is just not that great -- the moonlit quality is absent. Her LP has a bit of gravity to it, and she is slowly mastering the way to deliver her gesturing, and it's wonderful to see as it comes together. There is immaturity there, but there is also quality.

Finally, Sakamoto. One of my least favorite things dancers can do is when they contrive their emotion and movement. Kaori doesn't; she's quite honest. Yes, she's a little clunky, but what she has is priceless and I'll take it any day over a line here and a pointed foot there. Her SP isn't that good, but her LP is wonderful for her. I hope she can somehow win worlds.

 

[lanceupper1114]

I can't tell if it's truly a big point difference. Sticking the 3T on her 3Lutz on the second half seems more valuable points wise. Wouldn't it be better to do a 3A-2T instead of 3A-3T? If she does a 3A-3T, will adding a second 3T on a lutz Zayak?

Same reason most top skaters don't just do two 2A-3T in their long programs even though the points would add up the same and it's easier; including triple-triple is for overall impression, but not necessary points-wise.

 

[esteticlove]

If Rika wins Worlds title next month, will she become the first skater to win all international competitions where she enters on senior debut ?

I think yes. Evgenia had a great success in her senior debute but didn't win one of her GPs (Rostelecom Cup). The same applies to Alina - she was awesome, won even the Olympics but didn't podium at Worlds.

 

[ladyjane]

I've finally watched the ladies FS, and I now understand why some posters are a bit grumpy and feeling a bit double minded. Not because of bad judging or anything (although remarks were made, but that's always the case), but because of Sakamoto's non-podium finish, even though everybody seemed really happy for Lil'bet to finish on the podium. Personally, I would have had Kaori there because I like her skating. Actually, I love all the Japanese ladies' skating, and Lil'bets skating doesn't appeal to me as much. Very juniorish (albeit she hasn't been a junior for quite some time now), and I would love to watch her at a Juniors' championship. That has nothing to do with the points (I assume she deserved them, she did try a quad after all and rotated if not landed it) or not being pleased for her. I am. Very much so. It's always so lovely to watch someone being really, really happy. She must feel like she's finally following in her famous countryman's footsteps (or rather: skates) and she must have worked real hard to get here. Kudos! Just not my personal favourite here. I enjoyed Mariah Bell though, fall and all. She has been a joy to watch all season. Now hoping she'll get the consistency in and skate well at Worlds.

 

[lusterfan]

The ladies' free was my first live figure skating competition and it was a surreal experience.

Rika: She solidly landed some triple axels in the warmup and proceeded to land one again when it mattered. I wasn't expecting her to intentionally double the second one, but it made sense given her injury. Her jumps did not look as effortless, but she was still solid. And she received a mega standing ovation from the audience (there were so many Japanese fans)!

Mai: She really came to life for her step sequence and it was absolutely beautiful watching her skate to that dramatic part of the music. She nailed everything so solidly! I think she should've been above Elizabet, but it was close anyway. She received the only other standing ovation (aside from Rika) and it was well deserved.

Elizabet: I would've never guessed she would land on the podium, but she earned it with that quad and the otherwise solid jumps. I personally felt that her performance quality and expression were a bit lacking compared to some of the others, but it's great to see her have the jumps nailed for now.

Kaori: Oh Kaori. After Rika only did one triple axel, I was rooting for Kaori to take the gold. She was already in the lead from the short, she just needed to go clean and it would've been close. Watching her live further reaffirmed her as my favorite current ladies skater. While she did not have the most intense or intricate choreography, her skating was, as cliche as it sounds, smooth like butter. She glided through the ice and landed her jumps effortlessly. My heart shattered when she popped her double axel, but she threw in an extra double after her final triple loop. I wish she had thrown in an extra 2lo somewhere and that should've given her the silver. I was shocked to see her in fourth. Yes she threw away a triple, but that did not affect the rest of her performance at all. The crowd was very upset and booed when she was in 4th, and I was gutted to see her reaction :sad4:

Bradie: It was hard to see her drop her lead completely, but she was outskated by the others. She had some amazingly fast spins and was suitably dramatic, but I don't think she performs her free nearly as well as her short program. Hopefully she figures it out before Worlds.

Mariah: So underscored in the PCS. Yes, she doesn't have the international reputation yet, but that just blows. She was not 3 points below Bradie in PCS. Her performance was expressive and charming, but the jumps weren't at the same level.

Yelim: She was the most elegant one out there! The performance aspect was not yet the best, but she was so graceful and overall solid! A few jumps were wobbly, but I heard she was dealing with an injury (?) so that may explain it. The crowd loved her too and kept complimenting how pretty the program was.

Eunsoo: The crowd loved her music and dress! It's a shame she couldn't perform her best, but there were some charming moments.

Yi Christy: She was fierce! She was notably faster and more powerful than the ladies who had gone before her. I think her program really suits her!

Ting: It's a shame she couldn't put out the same skate she did at nationals. Her short here and her free at nationals would've been a dream. I noticed she ditched her rippon hands in a lot of her jumps, but she still couldn't land them. Hopefully she sorts everything out before Junior Worlds. She was a beauty on the ice, but those falls couldn't be ignored.

 

[rachno2]

My personal podium was Rika, Mai, Kaori. Rika skates that free like a champ; Mai's performance brought tears to my eyes (I don't find her skating boring at all); Kaori, despite the technical errors, performs with such warmth and athletic grace. The landings on her jumps are to die for. 67 PCS for the Kobe girls was inexcusable.

While I may not agree with the podium, I have to admire Lil Bet for attempting the 4S. It's especially heartwarming to see a Kazakh skater medal this season.

 

[zanadude]

Was this the first 4CC medal for an Eteri skater?

 

[lusterfan]

Was this the first 4CC medal for an Eteri skater?

I believe so! If Alina medals at Worlds, and if at least one of 3A medals at Junior Worlds, Eteri's team will be represented on every major international competition podium (GPF, JGPF, Euros, 4CC, Worlds, Jr Worlds). Wow.

 

[Tolstoj]

I'd take these year programs from Elizabet (i even said a while ago that to me she has better programs than Zagitova) anyday over the Celine Dion - Bocelli generically loveliness of last season (her carmen SP was lovely though), she needed a change in her style and that is something she also acknowledged in the John Wilson interview earlier this season

As for her skating there is room for improvements but one thing often underrated about her is that she skates fast, she was definitely among of the fastest here.

I'd personally try to hold more certain positions like the spirals or the spread eagle in the choreo sequence: she has many positions in the choreo sequence and they are all very nice but you can tell the audience would clap for it if you hold it a little longer.

 

[lanceupper1114]

I believe so! If Alina medals at Worlds, and if at least one of 3A medals at Junior Worlds, Eteri's team will be represented on every major international competition podium (GPF, JGPF, Euros, 4CC, Worlds, Jr Worlds). Wow.

That would be 6 out of 6 raisins. That's alotta grapes!

 

[DSQ]

I understand that you were trying to make a point but I did not get what exactly the point was. It's an international board so that simple language is very welcome by those like myself for whom English is not the first language.

After reading tons of **** about Eteri, her methods, about skaters who leave her the very same moment when they reach the legal age, etc. I surely can have my moment of joy. May be Lizbet won't have the same success in the future (I hope she will). Today she had her moment of glory. And it was during the first season since she returned to Eteri. And it's a very legitimate thread to express this joy no matter how deeply it touches someones feelings.

They just said that LilBet wasn’t a child but is tiny and that Eteri doesn’t get picked on all the time.

Well done to all the skaters and better luck next time to Bradie, Mariah and Kaori.

 

[[email protected]]

They just said that LilBet wasn’t a child but is tiny and that Eteri doesn’t get picked on all the time.

This would be really low: Eteri can coach only kids and women with small frame. I don't believe they meant that.

 

[DSQ]

This would be really low: Eteri can coach only kids and women with small frame. I don't believe they meant that.

You may be right. I can *only* speak English and it was a tad confusing. xD

I’m only fairly certain.

 

[el henry]

I understand that you were trying to make a point but I did not get what exactly the point was. It's an international board so that simple language is very welcome by those like myself for whom English is not the first language.

After reading tons of **** about Eteri, her methods, about skaters who leave her the very same moment when they reach the legal age, etc. I surely can have my moment of joy. May be Lizbet won't have the same success in the future (I hope she will). Today she had her moment of glory. And it was during the first season since she returned to Eteri. And it's a very legitimate thread to express this joy no matter how deeply it touches someones feelings.

I apologize if I was unclear, I will try to rephrase.

It is very frustrating to me to read that Eteri is somehow subjected to more criticism than other coaches. In my opinion, she is not. No coach is perfect, not Eteri, not Brian, not Kori Ade, not Mishin, not Rafael A. in my opinion, and in my view, they all receive the same amount of criticism.

so when I see what I feel are comments that Eteri is criticized *just because* she isn’t liked, rather than simply doing or saying something that someone disagreed with, I do respond, because I don’t agree with those comments.

I do not think it is “trash” to point out that Eteri’s skaters do not appear to skate with her past the age of 16 or so. I think LilBet is a special case because 1) she skated elsewhere for four years? I don’t know the exact number and 2) she is a very small woman. ETA: and the criticisms I read are that Eteri’s methods work with persons of a small size. I do not know enough about her methods to know if this is true. But such criticisms, right or wrong, are not automatically “trash”

The conclusions to be drawn from that may be disagreed with, but I do not think it is fair to call them “trash”.

I do salute LilBet. This is a great result for her. I don’t know if her season until now has been disappointing, because I don’t know enough about her, but she fought back and pulled it out.

I hope this is clearer I know it’s longer, and for that I apologize too

 

[[email protected]]

I apologize if I was unclear, I will try to rephrase.

It is very frustrating to me to read that Eteri is somehow subjected to more criticism than other coaches. In my opinion, she is not. No coach is perfect, not Eteri, not Brian, not Kori Ade, not Mishin, not Rafael A. in my opinion, and in my view, they all receive the same amount of criticism.

The point taken but let's be objective. No other coach earned "the privilege" of having multiple threads in the edge dedicated to them specifically. The number of critical posts - it's an impossible task to count them but I am sure that Eteri would collect not fewer than all of the others combined. And when the same thing: "Eteri can only teach kids" - is repeated like mantra over and over again for me it becomes "trash".

Because the critics are not tired, I am also not tired to say yet another time: Eteri is a relatively young coach in the transition period when the complexity of women's figure skating is experiencing a tremendous growth. That has overall effects on everyone and everything. Rika is 16 - what will be with her, when she is past 18 - we don't know.

Hence, Eteri's having young skaters now is objective. We don't know if 3A won't last - they can. But even the case of Tursynbaeva shows that Eteri is simply a terrific coach who brings the results to those who aspire to have results.

 

[madison]

I understand that you were trying to make a point but I did not get what exactly the point was. It's an international board so that simple language is very welcome by those like myself for whom English is not the first language.

After reading tons of **** about Eteri, her methods, about skaters who leave her the very same moment when they reach the legal age, etc. I surely can have my moment of joy. May be Lizbet won't have the same success in the future (I hope she will). Today she had her moment of glory. And it was during the first season since she returned to Eteri. And it's a very legitimate thread to express this joy no matter how deeply it touches someones feelings.

I also hope she will have, especially at Worlds. I hope she will land a clean quad and take the medals from the Russians. She can share the podium with Rika, as both of them have C elements.

 

[Maria Anna]

I finally have time to write my thoughts. First of all it was an unexpected podium for me except for Rika winning gold.

Rika: She became my favorite this season. Her skating, jumps, artistry is magnificent. I was so sure that she'd win 4CC and she did, I'm very happy about it. I hope she wins Worlds too.

Elizabet: I never like her skating. She skates like a little kid and her jumping position is not good at all. Also she has zero artistry.

Mai: I wasn't expecting her to get bronze medal but I'm glad that she did. Mai has good skating skills and she is very pleasing to watch.

Kaori: That was so heartbreaking. My favorite thing about Kaori is her artistry. She literally flows on ice. Sadly, she couldn't get a medal but it doesn't change the fact that she is an amazing skater.

Bradie: I can't never connect with her skating. She always has UR problems and she has nothing speacial to show.

Mariah: I kinda wanted her to get a medal because I love her programs a lot this year but at least she has a small medal from SP.

Ensoo: I have so much hope in her next season. She is young and she keeps improving. I'm sure she'll become better.

 

[[email protected]]

I also hope she will have, especially at Worlds. I hope she will land a clean quad and take the medals from the Russians. She can share the podium with Rika, as both of them have C elements.

Let the strongest win. If Alina has another meltdown, if Liza (provided she is in the team) cannot land triple axels while Lizbet lands the quad sal I will only applaud if she gets the podium.

 

[Klarnet]

I'm really happy for Elizabet. She seems to have been competing for so long,always hanging out somewhere far from the podium,and only now she finally reaps some serious reward,how sweet that must feel. I personally lost faith in her long ago, never liked her jump technique and thought it was impossible to change,but she and her coaches proved that wrong - her jumps really got higher and stronger,kudos to them. I hope she continues to grow in all aspects of her skating,it's always inspiring to see a progress,especially from adult skater who you already gave up on and don't expect anything from.