2019 Internationaux de France: Day 2

[TontoK]

Sorry if my reply sounded intense. : Tone can't be easily conveyed in a post. In my mind my posts are all said in a conversational and laid-back tone with a neutral emoji on top.
Just a counter-opinion about where jump layouts form. -Probably from a lot of different influences and personal preferences and a hard look at the protocols. (there's my reach)

What might be an upgrade from a 4T-eu-3F for Nathan? -to get things back on topic of the winner here at IDF?
-Can there be a higher scoring combo than this?

Well, this is a pretty big stretch... but I couldn't help notice that he didn't have a 4F in his long, and that's a pretty reliable quad for him. Does he add that, and if so, where?

Could we have a 4T-Eu_4F in our future?

He carries a fair amount of speed out of the 4T, and that makes me think it is at least possible. Other possibility is a 4T-Eu-4S and replace the 4S with a 4F.

But I don't see him keeping the 4F out of the long for the whole season.

I think the longterm plan is 5 quads, 2 3A.

 

[lariko]

It was indeed heartbreaking to see him in the K&C going through these tough moments alone, with no coach to comfort him. I'm not familiar with Japanese coaches, and I don't know whether he would be willing to relocate. I think it's safe to say that neither Arutunian nor Orser could take him to avoid the perception of conflict of interests or disloyalty to their current top male skaters. But I'm sure some top coach would be interested in taking an elite athlete with such impressive accomplishments? Assuming he wants to stay in Japan, would someone like Mie Hamada be an option for him?

Tutberidze’s little shop of champions didn’t seem to mind that perception, heh. They practically made it into a cottage industry. Jokes aside, Uno said he’ll be entering into a coaching agreement earlier rather than later, by new year. So, we’ll see.

 

[Kinga]

Pairs:
I like the mood CG/L create in their free skate, their presence is 'sharp'.

Dance:
Finnstep is really not my cup of tea, I cannot take most of the RDs seriously. Having said that, I thought P/C "fame" would be more fun (it is still ok though).
Italians G/F finally came up with something fresh and interesting. It needs some more work, but their FP has potential to become memorable. Her costume is stunning, spot on. They should finished 2nd, IMO. It seems that getting the levels and having the effortless technique means not that much in ice dance anymore.
C/B improved a lot after the coach change, but I still have that feeling that he is a random skater paired with Madison just before the competition started : not in terms of skating skills, flow and lines, but when it comes to interpretation and overall packaging. His costumes are almost always horrible (to start with). He is literally just a background (although I appreciate his skating skills).
I am not convinced with this dance: all I see is a great dress, great hairstyle (Madison), some "tricks" (fun steps), but the rest just leaves me cold. Also, I'm so over the Egyptian hands
I still need to figure out what to make out of the P/C free dance.
I don't see any progress from Poles. They make all the elements look difficult. Also, rehearsing dirty dancing is a let down.

Ladies:
Kaori needs to be more fierce throughout the program, sell it better. She starts projecting only at the end, when the choreo sequence begins. She lacks expression and energy during the step sequence. Otherwise, she has a phenomenal material this year. It will be a masterpiece if she nails both the technical side and interpretation. Her speed and skating skills are to die for.
Alena is on another level compared to Alina when it comes to flow, elegance, line clarity, movement finish and overall "moment creation". Like someone said before: it is pretty amazing it is her senior debut. She is such a mature skater.
It was such a joy to watch Mariah. There is something different about her this year.. She is in top shape, she is crisp and oozes confidence. Interesting! She has earned the 2nd place, IMO.

Men:
Seems to be the least interesting segment for me. Questionable music choices, horrid costumes. Why are there so many programs to dull pop songs that do not carry any musical accents and aren't a good skating material? (well, it concerns not only Men).
Shout out to Kevin, he skates his heart out and I lure how he uses his body to accentuate the music.


Overall, the PCS judging is worse than ever....

 

[lappo]

Another year, another rink that seemed at times more suitable for a swimming competition than a figure skating one...maybe the organizers should take the safety of athletes more seriously and fix the ice...:noshake:

 

[1111bm]

I like Kevin but I dont think the FS is very good. The SP is better. And sorry but his PCs should be in the 8s because I dont really see much skating skills to be better to be fair. It is improving but feels slow in the ice and not much edge.

He strikes me as a true performer it not artist, all his moves and choreography always feel authentic like it's truly coming from within and not just something rehearsed that he was told to do.
That being sad I agree that the FS doesn't really suit him, or rather his style of skating. It really lacks softness and fluidity in his movements. I saw a short fancam of it, and it was even more apparent looking from afar. His SP is better suited to his strengths by A LOT (stating the obvious here).

 

[skylark]

Men
Tomoki Hiwatashi ! This was such a great moment and great skate for him. A wonderful comeback after a low SP showing.
Shoma: Some suggest he needs a good jump coach right away. I wonder if it's the other way round ... maybe the encouragement of a good coach is what he's lacking right now. Faith in himself. It's hard to go it alone.
Kevin. His being hard on himself after SP, his emotions overcoming after the FS, all are part of what I see on the ice: a true artist, connecting the emotions with the performance.
Nathan had a few more bobbles than usual; people expect him to be perfect. His system is to improve constantly through the season. I doubt if he's perturbed about comparisons with Yuzuru. He's on his own journey.

Ladies
Alena Kostornaia. She's just a breathtaking skater. I feel like she built her gorgeous artistry, her movement and expression, right into the elements, probably from a young age. Rather than putting the artistry on at the end. This, I feel, distinguishes her skating from many of her compatriots and competitors. To me, Alena is several degrees above just about everyone, a real phenomenon. Really looking forward to her future. I'm glad she's got the triple axel, because if she hadn't, let's face it, the TES scores and "Olympic champion" PCS might have doomed her progress this year.
Mariah Bell. We've long known she has all the talent in the world, all the personality we could want from a skater. With this season and especially this skate, she's shown that she's put the whole package together at last. What a triumph! She said in an interview that she has a great technical coach in Raf, and that this year Adam Rippon has been her coach for everything else. His work ethic impressed her last year ... doing everything Raf said, and then going beyond that, one extra run-through, long hours at the rink. So she's emulated that. I have a feeling that her emotional connection with Adam and his encouragement have helped work the "miracle." But hey, who knows?

I showed my husband (the quintessential "casual viewer") Alena's and Mariah's FS. He said that he preferred Mariah's and that Alena's seemed a little too sped up. I have to admit that the first time I saw Alena's Twilight, I thought the same; but as I've re-watched it, I get more and more out of it. What I love especially is that she loves it, and she seems like a kid as she skates, more like her true age. And that's refreshing. I'm really glad she went with that choice (contrary to the opinion of many GS posters). Even though I'm a super Alena fan, I couldn't help thinking as I watched Mariah, "Now this is a woman skating." And I love that.

Dance
Gabriella and Guillaume. Well, to me they're showing why they're the champions. First, they seem to have responded to the constant criticism that "all" they do is lyrical skating. With "Fame" and the FS too, they're showing that their brilliance is simply unmatched. They perfectly portray the SP, and as for the FS ... they perfectly express the drama generated by the music and the voice-over, which I love. They're artists in Ice Dance. Of course, it's proven by so many negative comments on these fora that this radical change didn't please a lot of people either. That's okay ... I feel they know themselves, and their talents. They'll keep on with their Vision.
Madison and Evan. I've loved them since most GS posters seemed to speak of them with scorn. I still love them and am so happy now that they have the brilliant Gadbois team who understand how to make more visible the brilliance of every team. I love both their programs this year.

Pairs
Haven and Brandon have been my "babies" for years, ever since their first Lion King. I'm so happy that now people can start to talk more about their gorgeous qualities: the twist, the throws, the spectacular lifts during which Haven absolutely glows with happiness, and she sells lifts like no other. I think it was smart of them to regain their pre-injuries confidence by returning to music they did well with. Kudos to them for becoming a force in pairs skating. Also, Brandon is one strong dude!
Ziegler and Kiefer. (I only remember Miriam's first name.) I was thrilled to see them skate a clean FS, and happy that they were so happy. They have many lovely qualities interesting to watch. One thing I love is that they're (usually) subdued with their costumes. The rich dark blues of their FS exemplify Z/K for me, and really add to the qualities that they express so well.
Ashley and Tim. The happiest thing about their FS is that they conquered the Lutz throw 3-times-failed demon. I expect their concentration on it was what caused the fall on the SBS 3S-2T-2Lo. Which is a shame, because that's a big points-getter for them (as is their 5Axel Lift, which they also had a bobble on yesterday). But I think they'll feel they can move forward with confidence now, and as Jackie Wong said on a SA broadcast, they're a team who are spurred on by adversity. I was re-watching some of yesterday's pairs FS, and I'm struck by the compelling aspect of their duo, and their skating. You get that it's about competition and scores, but also something way deeper. I'm really glad that they decided when they partnered up, to emphasize Ashley's height and their statuesque look; they decided to make it an asset. The result is that they're not like any other pair on the ice; they catch the eye. They've really developed their own vision and style. Well done!

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Felt bad for Shoma - definitely his worst competition, but hopefully he can regroup for the next one. I will say (as a Shoma fan) I am glad the judges decided to actually nail him on the PCS scores for so many mistakes in his program. I really can't stand it when the top tier skaters get huge PCS for programs with a major flaw(s). A couple years ago, an established/popular skater like Uno might have still gotten 82-85 for a FS like that, but the judges were at least fair about it in this instance.

Not feeling P/C's FD yet (loving C/B's programs though, even if not everyone else seems to). Their elements are high quality though. Kudos to G/F for being the only team to hit all their levels in the FD!

Poor Ashley/Tim .. they really had multiple chances to score a bronze here but too many costly errors. Kudos to D/F, but I still think C-G/L are the better team.

Chen's landings were shaking here but it really is astonishing that you never know what jump layout he will throw at you. Good on him for getting the 4T+Eu+3F as well. His layout is still safe at the moment but I can see why he wouldn't want to peak too early. It will be an interesting battle at the GPF between him and Hanyu. And with Uno/Jin/Cha/Rizzo failing to light it up in their first GPs, there's a lot of opportunity for someone unexpected like Nguyen/Tanaka/Samarin (bless his tacky costumes, lol) to get to the GPF, and contend for the bronze. Really hoping Aymoz makes it there - his programs were wonderful (plus the adorable ugly crying, lol)!

 

[Tahuu]

Shoma will be alright. His 3A is super . His 4T is great. His 4F is getting better. Clean short with 1 4F, 1 4T and 1 3A, and clean long with 1 4F, 2 4T, and 2 3A, he is definitely in top 3 at worlds.

He just needs to calm down and get back into his groove in training and competitions.

 

[LanaD]

I'm glad she's got the triple axel, because if she hadn't, let's face it, the TES scores and "Olympic champion" PCS might have doomed her progress this year.


it is just sad, that people still trying to undermine Alina's Olympic championship. Why word this like this, why make make statement - "Olympic championship" PCS - as it is something she unfairly has.

 

[randomfan]

it is just sad, that people still trying to undermine Alina's Olympic championship. Why word this like this, why make make statement - "Olympic championship" PCS - as it is something she unfairly has.

Because it IS unfair. Even if she deservedly won the Olympics, it’s still not right to give her an automatic PCS boost at every competition she enters because of it. Sure, Alina’s not the only one benefitting from this kind of thing...I guess there’s nothing that can be done at this point

 

[rain]

Because it IS unfair. Even if she deservedly won the Olympics, it’s still not right to give her an automatic PCS boost at every competition she enters because of it. Sure, Alina’s not the only one benefitting from this kind of thing...I guess there’s nothing that can be done at this point

I agree. It's not about undermining Alina's past achievements. But her PCS are ridiculous for what she's putting on the ice here and now and it is disadvantaging deserving skaters. Reputation judging has always been a problem, but this is a particularly blatant example of it that's effecting the here and now.

 

[Seruleane]

I agree. It's not about undermining Alina's past achievements. But her PCS are ridiculous for what she's putting on the ice here and now and it is disadvantaging deserving skaters. Reputation judging has always been a problem, but this is a particularly blatant example of it that's effecting the here and now.

Well, there are those who disagree. I'm a fan of Alina, so of course I'm biased, but I personally find her skating beautiful and expressive, even if there are mistakes on the jumps. She has great presence on the ice, even if her skating skills are not up to par with Kostarnaia's. Just as Medvedeva fans find her skating and programs beautiful and expressive even when she makes mistakes, or Liza's fans still enjoy her programs due to her performance ability despite the lack of transitions, etc. etc. I'm sure there are many who disagree with me, but PCS is known to be subjective. For instance, I could never for the life of me understand why Carolina Kostner still got such high PCS despite mistake-riddled programs. But many other posters feel Carolina's high PCS was deserved. Fans will always complain about other skaters getting undeserved PCS (usually they are not fans of the skater in question) but I feel Alina has been targeted non-stop. First, it was fans stating that Aliona was unfairly matched against Alina during GP events because Alina would get undeservedly high PCS due to her OGM/WC status. Then, even though Aliona won (I admit due to superior technical content as opposed to PCS), the same people continue to lambast Alina for getting higher PCS. Come on- everyone knew Aliona was not going to get as high PCS as Alina on her first senior outing. You guys predicted it yourselves already and already tore Alina apart even before the GPs started! It is unfair, but you guys are acting like this is some kind of unprecedented injustice in the skating world. Aliona won, deservedly so! Her PCS will rise rapidly. I wouldn't be surprised if Alina's PCS dropped a bit, especially if she remains inconsistent. Let's move on.

 

[Mishaminion]

Well, there are those who disagree. I'm a fan of Alina, so of course I'm biased, but I personally find her skating beautiful and expressive, even if there are mistakes on the jumps. She has great presence on the ice, even if her skating skills are not up to par with Kostarnaia's. Just as Medvedeva fans find her skating and programs beautiful and expressive even when she makes mistakes, or Liza's fans still enjoy her programs due to her performance ability despite the lack of transitions, etc. etc. I'm sure there are many who disagree with me, but PCS is known to be subjective. For instance, I could never for the life of me understand why Carolina Kostner still got such high PCS despite mistake-riddled programs. But many other posters feel Carolina's high PCS was deserved. Fans will always complain about other skaters getting undeserved PCS (usually they are not fans of the skater in question) but I feel Alina has been targeted non-stop. First, it was fans stating that Aliona was unfairly matched against Alina during GP events because Alina would get undeservedly high PCS due to her OGM/WC status. Then, even though Aliona won (I admit due to superior technical content as opposed to PCS), the same people continue to lambast Alina for getting higher PCS. Come on- everyone knew Aliona was not going to get as high PCS as Alina on her first senior outing. You guys predicted it yourselves already and already tore Alina apart even before the GPs started! It is unfair, but you guys are acting like this is some kind of unprecedented injustice in the skating world. Aliona won, deservedly so! Her PCS will rise rapidly. I wouldn't be surprised if Alina's PCS dropped a bit, especially if she remains inconsistent. Let's move on.

In a fair world Alyona's PCS would be higher than Alina's already. Without this first year senior vs Olympic champion thing, and scored exclusively for what they put out there on the day...Alyona should get more, It's that simple.

I'm not undermining her, I LIKE Alina, I like her very much in fact.
She had a program interrupting near fall and some messy landings and still got highest PCS. Alyona was almost foot perfect, yet Alina got the higher PCS...I do not know how you can explain that without using the same "first year senior vs Olympic champion" argument you objected to in the first place.

Normally I'd say it wouldn't be a problem for Alina to get the highest PCS, but her FS was sloppy this time.

Her program, in my opinion, seems to actually draw attention to her hunched over posture, lots of bending forwards. It's one if the few genuine criticisms I have of Alina, that her posture could be significantly improved.

 

[Seruleane]

In a fair world Alyona's PCS would be higher than Alina's already. Without this first year senior vs Olympic champion thing, and scored exclusively for what they put out there on the day...Alyona should get more, It's that simple.

I'm not undermining her, I LIKE Alina, I like her very much in fact.
She had a program interrupting near fall and some messy landings and still got highest PCS. Alyona was almost foot perfect, yet Alina got the higher PCS...I do not know how you can explain that without using the same "first year senior vs Olympic champion" argument you objected to in the first place.

Normally I'd say it wouldn't be a problem for Alina to get the highest PCS, but her FS was sloppy this time.

Her program, in my opinion, seems to actually draw attention to her hunched over posture, lots of bending forwards. It's one if the few genuine criticisms I have of Alina, that her posture could be significantly improved.

Well, my point was that many other skaters have fallen and still gotten sky-high PCS, and of course people (usually non-fans) will complain. I personally have found the complaining for Alina's PCS to be louder than that for any other skater in recent years, but perhaps I just notice it more as her fan. Also, for the life of me, I can't understand why people complain about her posture that much. Many other skaters bend their waist while doing crossovers. While I certainly would not say Alina's posture is one of her strong points, I don't think it's as terrible as people say. There is definitely room for improvement though, I can agree with you on that. I find it strange that her team has not already worked on that years ago.

ETA: I remember everyone was worried that Aliona was paired with Alina, as they did not think Aliona could beat the reigning OGM/WC. Well, it turns out everyone should have been worried about Alina, because everyone looks inferior compared to Aliona...

 

[Amei]

I'm glad she's got the triple axel, because if she hadn't, let's face it, the TES scores and "Olympic champion" PCS might have doomed her progress this year.


it is just sad, that people still trying to undermine Alina's Olympic championship. Why word this like this, why make make statement - "Olympic championship" PCS - as it is something she unfairly has.

Its not undermining her Olympic victory to point out that just because someone won the Olympics 2 years ago that they should not get a score boost in future competitions. Reputation judging has been a complaint from fans for a long time before Zagitova was a senior and it will be a complaint from fans for a long time after Zagitova retires. I remember when Sasha Cohen first came onto senior US Nationals and barely lost to Michelle Kwan and Dick Button made a comment that she would get points eventually but that she had to put her time in the sport first (I can't remember his exact wording now) - annoyed the heck out of me then, and I'm pretty sure Zagitova wasn't even born at that time. Just because someone's been around longer doesn't mean they should get a scoring boost over a newcomer, these medals aren't supposed to be lifetime achievement awards but for what was put on the ice on the days of the current competition.

 

[Mishaminion]

Well, my point was that many other skaters have fallen and still gotten sky-high PCS, and of course people (usually non-fans) will complain. I personally have found the complaining for Alina's PCS to be louder than that for any other skater in recent years, but perhaps I just notice it more as her fan. Also, for the life of me, I can't understand why people complain about her posture that much. Many other skaters bend their waist while doing crossovers. While I certainly would not say Alina's posture is one of her strong points, I don't think it's as terrible as people say. There is definitely room for improvement though, I can agree with you on that. I find it strange that her team has not already worked on that years ago.

The complaining is just as loud for another skater who I won't name and her PCS.

But...I do see why there is frustration over Alina's PCS in this particular free skate, it was nowhere near her best, yet her PCS was less than 1.5 points lower than her fantastic and clean 2019 Worlds Free.

2019 Worlds: 74.26
IDF: 72.97

Alena Kostornaia IDF: 71.07

 

[rain]

Well, there are those who disagree. I'm a fan of Alina, so of course I'm biased, but I personally find her skating beautiful and expressive, even if there are mistakes on the jumps. She has great presence on the ice, even if her skating skills are not up to par with Kostarnaia's. Just as Medvedeva fans find her skating and programs beautiful and expressive even when she makes mistakes, or Liza's fans still enjoy her programs due to her performance ability despite the lack of transitions, etc. etc. I'm sure there are many who disagree with me, but PCS is known to be subjective. For instance, I could never for the life of me understand why Carolina Kostner still got such high PCS despite mistake-riddled programs. But many other posters feel Carolina's high PCS was deserved. Fans will always complain about other skaters getting undeserved PCS (usually they are not fans of the skater in question) but I feel Alina has been targeted non-stop. First, it was fans stating that Aliona was unfairly matched against Alina during GP events because Alina would get undeservedly high PCS due to her OGM/WC status. Then, even though Aliona won (I admit due to superior technical content as opposed to PCS), the same people continue to lambast Alina for getting higher PCS. Come on- everyone knew Aliona was not going to get as high PCS as Alina on her first senior outing. You guys predicted it yourselves already and already tore Alina apart even before the GPs started! It is unfair, but you guys are acting like this is some kind of unprecedented injustice in the skating world. Aliona won, deservedly so! Her PCS will rise rapidly. I wouldn't be surprised if Alina's PCS dropped a bit, especially if she remains inconsistent. Let's move on.

I personally have not commented at all before the grand prix about the match-ups set up by the Russian Fed., and as I don't watch juniors, this year is the first time I've seen Kostornaia. I don't actually think Alina skated particularly badly here, but nor was this a tour de force performance. I'm one of those who doesn't actually have a big problem with skaters still getting good PCS with some mistakes. But it did take some of the wind out of her sails, it seemed, and her performance was most certainly not 9s in PCS. I think she does not have the skating skills of Kostornaia. She should not have gotten more PCS in the performance categories than Mariah Bell, whose performance on the day was radiant. It's like rewarding skaters for elements they didn't actually do, or didn't do as well as others. It's not fair to skaters who have put out superior performances on the day.

 

[gold12345]

The pairs field here isn't the focal point of most people's discussions, but it's my favorite discipline so I like to discuss it.

After somewhat strict pairs scoring at Skate Canada, the scoring here seemed more generous. A couple of these pairs may have been a bit better at Skate America, but their scores were higher here. It's strange that this field was so similar to SA, so these pairs lucked out twice with Zabiiako/Enbert's withdrawal. I wish the ISU would organize the rosters so the same field isn't going against each other twice. Pavliuchenko/Khodykin are a good team, but I think they would have been looked at a little differently in a stronger field. Here, their main competition was another team up from Juniors that still needs some seasoning. Mishina/Galliamov got practically the same PCS that Boikova/Kozlovskii got in Canada with a stronger performance. Both teams are great, but B/K are a superior team. B/K also have room to grow presentation-wise, but their elements are bigger and more exciting. The lopsided fields skew the scores to an extent.

I appreciate Denney/Frazier's Lion King program, however the music cannot dictate my thoughts on a sports performance. We know the crowd is going to get into it when Circle of Life starts (especially in the US) when Haven is up in that lift (their strongest element), but I'm looking for more. They're back in their pre-knee surgery form after several years of struggle, which is amazing. But they haven't been able to upgrade their major elements in many years and the quality has stayed about the same. If they were skating to different music, there would be more focus on how they're still not trying a second triple, and struggling to even get a 2A around. They look to be going for a bit more height and less distance on their Throw 3Lo than they used to, but overall their throws are smaller than top teams. I think they tried to do Throw 3F in practice years ago, but then she blew out her knee. So they might be at their peak ability. Haven is a great performer, but you can still tell she was a roller skater when she skates. Their LP is very front-loaded and could be better balanced.

Cain/LeDuc had an opportunity to beat D/F, but they have a deficiency in lifts. They have tried to make jumps their selling point, but I can't remember the last competition, if any, that they haven't had a botched jump or least one underrotation. And this is with them watering down their SP jump so far this season. They have a presence on the ice that the Russian teams from Jrs don't yet have, but they don't have amazing skating skills and the Russians have better quality pair elements. It was a victory to get that throw 3Lz on Ashley's feet after so many falls, but she's always pitched forward. Things like this made it possible for D/F to place ahead of them.

 

[skylark]

I'm glad she's got the triple axel, because if she hadn't, let's face it, the TES scores and "Olympic champion" PCS might have doomed her progress this year.

it is just sad, that people still trying to undermine Alina's Olympic championship. Why word this like this, why make make statement - "Olympic championship" PCS - as it is something she unfairly has.

I didn't use the word "unfair," and I didn't even think it either! I was just stating what I understand to be a fact, that TES scores which include one or more quad jumps by her competitors, and reputation PCS might possibly have had an effect on Alena's progress this year. I stand by both my words and the thought / meaning behind them. Maybe I didn't need to use the word "doomed," in retrospect.

eace:

 

[Mathman]

The NBC coverage just noiw showed the top few men and the top flight of ladies, plus Papadakis and Cizeron.

My cursory impression:

Papadakis and Cizeron were mesmerizing. Their dance was utterly unique, especially with respect to the lines and shapes they made as a couple.

In men's, Kevin Aymoz put his soul into it. As Tara Lipinski said, he skated with such cionviction that you forgot about all about the little mistakes. France has a lot to be proud of.

One thing I am noticing this year. The skaters are getting better and better at the euler + Salchow or flip combo. This move is starting to look like it was planned instead of a mistake.

Ladies. It is a new day. The only thing that can beat a triple Axel is a quad. If you have neither, why bother to show up? Kostornaia beat the field by 20 points and never (so it seemed) broke a sweat. The reigning Olympic and world champion did what she could, but was left hanging on to the silver for dear life. Mariah Bell gave a lovely performance ,and good for her ... but ... on the whole the event was an exhibition by Alyona accompanied by a competition among the others for second place.

Kostornaia should have got the highest PCSs as well as the highest tech.

Sakamoto had the most engaging program, to me. Higuchi just didn't have her head in the game this time. Starr Andrews maintained the character of the performance, but too many jump errors.