2021 Skate Canada: Men's Free Skate

[century2009]

Nobody is upset? I knew it was going to happen and that he would be in the final. It would be Chen, Zhou, Brown, Hanyu, Uno and Kagiyama. If they didn’t want Brown in the final, they would have let Semenenko take silver, that’s all. Semenenko still solidified his hold on the potential Olympic spot.

I like this list of skaters for the GPF. It is basically

USA vs Japan

I would like a Russian man in there like Kolyada but they are all so inconsistent.

 

[anonymoose_au]

I would like a Russian man in there like Kolyada but they are all so inconsistent

Zhenya S is pretty consistent! He might make it if he does well at his next event...I think he has one?

Mark K and Mika Kolyada are still possibilities I think!

 

[readernick]

Zhenya S is pretty consistent! He might make it if he does well at his next event...I think he has one?

Mark K and Mika Kolyada are still possibilities I think!

Honestly, who knows? Men's skating is too unpredictable to have any clue who will make the final. Obviously, Nathan is almost certainly guaranteed to make it now.. but that rest of the field is completely up in the air

Semenenko could make it if he wins his next competition. I don't think this is likely but possible certainly

Mark is quite a reliable skater ( shocking given his wild jumps) . But, does he have two events?

Kolyada seems that most likely. Judges love him when he hits and he was 5th at Worlds so qualifying for the GPF seems likely ( if he doesn't melt down)

Does Petr have two GPs? I thought his performance this weekend was impressive.

 

[lariko]

Zhenya S is pretty consistent! He might make it if he does well at his next event...I think he has one?

He has a next event… with Hanyu and Kolyada. His best bet is 2 bronzes. He will not make the final with 2 bronzes. Two silvers like Uno or Brown or potentially Kolyada is the lowest entry point without a gold medal—and they will do the same thing on Rostelecom if Kolyada gets silver in Italy if it’s again vs Semenenko, cushioning PCS to ensure Kolyada has a shot at the final.

 

[lariko]

Does Petr have two GPs? I thought his performance this weekend was impressive

Gumennik has on GP in Italy, and his performances prior to Ten’s Memorial were painful to watch, including in his first stage of CoR, with multiple, hard falls. It is unknown what will happen with the NHK space Samsonov had vacated, and if it would be offered to him.

Kolyada still has 4T more or less but his other jumps are not there consistently so far, including 3A.

 

[Tolstoj]

Honestly, who knows? Men's skating is too unpredictable to have any clue who will make the final. Obviously, Nathan is almost certainly guaranteed to make it now.. but that rest of the field is completely up in the air

Semenenko could make it if he wins his next competition. I don't think this is likely but possible certainly

Mark is quite a reliable skater ( shocking given his wild jumps) . But, does he have two events?

Kolyada seems that most likely. Judges love him when he hits and he was 5th at Worlds so qualifying for the GPF seems likely ( if he doesn't melt down)

Does Petr have two GPs? I thought his performance this weekend was impressive.

Semenenko is the most consistent of the russians by far, and i'd say a bit underrated still, he should get higher marks even for components.
He's not the most artistic skater, but he performs, the movements are purposeful, he's very expressive with the arms and he has the speed and stamina.

Tbh i had him in second place here, and even the commentator from ISU was surprised that Brown still got it somehow. If he medals at the next event too, even if it's bronze, he'll be in contention for a spot at the Olympics for sure. Kolyada is 99% in.

Did you see the others? Samarin and Danielian are not ready and this first GP has been a disaster for them, Ignatov as always good but stamina and spins are his big weaknesses. Mark has no recognition internationally to get the big scores, and the technique is not great.

I'd say Aliev can still make it too, his free skates in the challenger events showed that he can skate a long program to the end now.

 

[martipellow2]

Watching Roman is suffering. He loses points everywhere, starting from jumps, then losing levels on Stsq and spins, ugh. And the porgram could be really amazing when clean. or at least relatively clean.

I love his skating but sadly I have never seen him skate a clean LP, ever.

 

[martipellow2]

Roman finishing behind Conrad here... how bad do we think this for him?

I think it will be Keegan and Conrad. Roman is a beautiful skater but doesn't seem to be able to skate cleanly in competition.

 

[martipellow2]

Roman doesn't look reliable. Conrad look hungry and want that second spot olympic. My feeling.

I agree. Roman is by far the superior skater but in competition the nerves get the better of him. I wish they could get a sports psychologist to help him. Orzel's jumps are more consistent even though his spins are terrible and his artistry not really there in the same way as Roman.

 

[martipellow2]

Dammit Roman! Why do my faves always have to be hot messes with lovely skating skills??

Those are always my faves too. Skating history is full of beautiful skaters who can't quite put it together in competition. Caryn Kadavy, Paul Wylie (although he finally won an Olympic silver after years of disappointments).

 

[el henry]

I've never been a fan of Jason's supposed artistic prowess so I cannot share the same enthusiasm his fans shower upon him. What I demand though from top skaters is a commitment to excellence in all departments especially the ones that receive top PCS. I'm not satisfied at endless attempts of UR quads and iffy 3A's. This is not ice dancing.

Artistry is subjective, it’s true, so not everyone will like the same skaters. I do take comfort that others share my view of Jason’s artistry.

I am entranced and excited by Jason‘s athletic gifts: the amazing core control and athleticism needed for those spins, those steps, those spirals and Ina Bauers.

although I appreciate good well-placed jumps, for me counting revolutions in the air is boring and not enough I do understand that some find it exciting. We all like what we like. Exciting is subjective.

this is not ice dancing, indeed, it is men‘s competitive skating and Jason brings something special to men’s competetive skating. As Nathan said, he pushes us (and Jason of course said the same thing about Nathan and Zhenya S. said he was honored to be on a podium with both of them).

I agree with them.

 

[Tonichelle]

I don't understand people being upset with Jason here. Aside from one fall he stayed up on his feet a heck of a lot more than all but ONE other man in this competition (Nathan Chen, who deservingly won). I'm not a Brown "stan" by any stretch of the imagination, but getting upset about his scores against others who weren't even AT this event is so over the top hyperbole. We all know that these scores don't stay consistent from week to week so all the nitpicking is just a way to keep your blood pressure dangerously high for absolutely no good reason.

I mean his sinnerman beat out my favorite's SP (barely) and even I can tell my reaction was more because it was my favorite and not because OMG he didn't jump the jumps my guy did how unfair.

 

[georgia]

By the way Jason failed 2 jumps. I am just saying!

 

[el henry]

By the way Jason failed 2 jumps. I am just saying!

I think everyone who watched the comp saw that Jason fell on one 3A and the 4S was UR and two footed. I assume that is what you mean by "fail".

Other skaters (other than Nathan who justifiably won) "failed" just as much or more in the LP. (sadly, I never want to see a skater "fail") Comps are won or lost on the day that they are skated. Comps are won or lost combining the SP and LP scores.

Jason justifiably won a silver on this day based on his combined SP and LP. He has won medals on other days when he did not fail jumps, and when other skaters did not fail jumps. He has won medals on days when he did not fall and other skaters did. And so has every other skater, as far as I know

That is the nature of skating. Instead of any given Sunday, it is any given comp.

 

[Tonichelle]

By the way Jason failed 2 jumps. I am just saying!

yes but he only fell on one. he at least stayed up right. the others spent more time popping and falling than Jason or Nathan. Not sure why that's even an issue.