2021 World Team Trophy: Thoughts and observations
- Thread starter gsk8
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I actually could write a short essay about it but my two take aways are:
1. I am too old to stay up all night watching skating anymore. By the midway point of the second night I was dunzo.
2. Competing is really important for skaters. Russians got to compete the most and, while I have no doubt they would have won handily here as they are the ones with the most depth, it definitely helped them to be the most prepared.
Congratulations to Team Russia on the win.
Final thought: I really think Italy is in a good position to win the bronze at the Olympics. If Japan's pairs team can continue to improve they are also going to be threat. The race for bronze is going to be exciting. They can put Russia's gold in the mail and I'd bet on the US for silver.
1. I am too old to stay up all night watching skating anymore. By the midway point of the second night I was dunzo.
2. Competing is really important for skaters. Russians got to compete the most and, while I have no doubt they would have won handily here as they are the ones with the most depth, it definitely helped them to be the most prepared.
Congratulations to Team Russia on the win.
Final thought: I really think Italy is in a good position to win the bronze at the Olympics. If Japan's pairs team can continue to improve they are also going to be threat. The race for bronze is going to be exciting. They can put Russia's gold in the mail and I'd bet on the US for silver.
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Haha, I wish. Alas, I am just an ordinary owner of some ugly vases.Are you a WTT winner in disguise?
Anna really needs a new style of programs next season. In Worlds I could get invested in watching til the end of her program because of the competitive value of the jumps. But in a low stake competition where landing the jumps didnt hold much at stake, I really couldnt bother watching through that entire dull program. And her skating skills always looks worst in the fs. Despite how much Russian girls are pushing the boundaries of figure skating recently, its really only in the jumping. Choreo and artistry wise they are very mediocre, not as astronomically better than the rest of the world as their huge pcs would suggest. Some are very mid ranking (trusova and elizaveta). Okay maybe Alena and Kamila can say they are somewhat at the top.
Kaori 
you were robbed at Worlds with such a low score. This competition was like going back to reality. Her speed and power around the ice is simply amazing! Even the host was stunned by her and commented several times about her flying around the ice. She finished second overall with 228+. So happy for her! The judges here were accurate. She was the best Japanese lady skater this year.
Also, loving the chemistry between Mishina and Galliamov. I think I’m rooting for them for Olympic Gold.
you were robbed at Worlds with such a low score. This competition was like going back to reality. Her speed and power around the ice is simply amazing! Even the host was stunned by her and commented several times about her flying around the ice. She finished second overall with 228+. So happy for her! The judges here were accurate. She was the best Japanese lady skater this year.Also, loving the chemistry between Mishina and Galliamov. I think I’m rooting for them for Olympic Gold.
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Kaori stole the show. Her speed, flow, power and ease. This is what I like in a skater.
Those who are making predictions about the Olympic team event based on WTT need to slow down. Yes, Russia is probably a lock for gold. The USA have an all-around strong team, especially now that they have solved their weakness in pairs... However, the team event has a completely different format at olympics, and some teams will not send their B skaters to it. Italy collected most of their points thanks to dance and pairs, but would lose a lot of these points if Canada (for pairs and dance) China (for pairs) and France (for dance) send their A teams. It will be interesting to see how the season goes, leading to the Olympics to see how things unfold. I believe the race for bronze is wide open to pretty much everyone but the top two teams... Strategy also comes to play at the Olympics while at WTT there is absolutely no strategy ...
Font reduced about the team event at Olympics as really, it's just a second thought... the main event for me here was Kaori.
Those who are making predictions about the Olympic team event based on WTT need to slow down. Yes, Russia is probably a lock for gold. The USA have an all-around strong team, especially now that they have solved their weakness in pairs... However, the team event has a completely different format at olympics, and some teams will not send their B skaters to it. Italy collected most of their points thanks to dance and pairs, but would lose a lot of these points if Canada (for pairs and dance) China (for pairs) and France (for dance) send their A teams. It will be interesting to see how the season goes, leading to the Olympics to see how things unfold. I believe the race for bronze is wide open to pretty much everyone but the top two teams... Strategy also comes to play at the Olympics while at WTT there is absolutely no strategy ...
Font reduced about the team event at Olympics as really, it's just a second thought... the main event for me here was Kaori.
Very happy for our italian team.
4th place with one skater less than the other federations (Rizzo WD and couldn't get replaced), is a great result.
Redemption for Gutmann, she couldn't qualify for the free at worlds but did good here. I really liked her Shcherezade free, interesting choreography, not the usual reused music cuts. (even Ginevra's programs were very good i must say). Her lutz looked improved, she's getting better at keeping it together in the free, going forward she needs a 3-3, to get in that top group, could be lutz-toe.
Ginevra also needs a 3-3, but great debut for her here. Very good short, some mistakes in the long with the 3toe, the easiest triple. I think she can really become a big star if they start to address the area of improvements with the jumps, cause she skates with great speed, great flexibility (beautiful and unique spins and spirals), the artistry really could become her strenght in the future.
I'll say for the stuff he does (like having quad lutz, flip and loop all in a program) Grassl should aim at higher scores, this season was very difficult for him with the covid, i hope in the summer he can work a bit more on speed and flow, they need to work on that second mark.
Guignard/Fabbri perfect as always, Della Monica / Guarise also better than worlds.
As for the others, i'm happy to see Sakamoto skating great and being market appropriately, i also thought she deserved way more in Stockholm, and Liza also continuining the momentum from Worlds, and Mishina/Galiamov again very strong in the free, i hope they'll work more on the connection in the summer: they're great individually, their pair elements also great, they could work more on that in-between. Team Russia in general here was i think, the strongest it has ever been at WTT (close to 2006), Men skating used to be their weakness in the past years, but with Mishin now they're doing great there too, Kolyada is very consistent now and Semenenko is a huge talent.
4th place with one skater less than the other federations (Rizzo WD and couldn't get replaced), is a great result.
Redemption for Gutmann, she couldn't qualify for the free at worlds but did good here. I really liked her Shcherezade free, interesting choreography, not the usual reused music cuts. (even Ginevra's programs were very good i must say). Her lutz looked improved, she's getting better at keeping it together in the free, going forward she needs a 3-3, to get in that top group, could be lutz-toe.
Ginevra also needs a 3-3, but great debut for her here. Very good short, some mistakes in the long with the 3toe, the easiest triple. I think she can really become a big star if they start to address the area of improvements with the jumps, cause she skates with great speed, great flexibility (beautiful and unique spins and spirals), the artistry really could become her strenght in the future.
I'll say for the stuff he does (like having quad lutz, flip and loop all in a program) Grassl should aim at higher scores, this season was very difficult for him with the covid, i hope in the summer he can work a bit more on speed and flow, they need to work on that second mark.
Guignard/Fabbri perfect as always, Della Monica / Guarise also better than worlds.
As for the others, i'm happy to see Sakamoto skating great and being market appropriately, i also thought she deserved way more in Stockholm, and Liza also continuining the momentum from Worlds, and Mishina/Galiamov again very strong in the free, i hope they'll work more on the connection in the summer: they're great individually, their pair elements also great, they could work more on that in-between. Team Russia in general here was i think, the strongest it has ever been at WTT (close to 2006), Men skating used to be their weakness in the past years, but with Mishin now they're doing great there too, Kolyada is very consistent now and Semenenko is a huge talent.
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2021 World Team Trophy: Day 3
The 2021 ISU World Team Trophy concluded with the Ladies’ and Pairs’ Free Skate in Osaka, Japan, on Friday. Team Russia won the event with 125 points, followed by Team […]
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Have mercy on us squinty one-eyed pirates.
after the tide of emotions I also want to say I congratulate to the Italians, who skated bravely despite their handicap and deservedly won the "mini-competition" for the 4th place. My favourite european country as for the figure skating apart from Russia (and my own of course 
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Perhaps it was factors beyond control, but I don't think its an unrealistic question to pose (especially coming into the off-season) is a stricter style coach the best way to go. Look at the difference in Kostornaia from last season to this season and yes we know she had illness to deal with but as did Shcherbakova and Tuktamysheva both had illness and they managed to keep it together well enough to get to first and second at Worlds. I read on here that someone said at Worlds that Shcherbakova was still needing to modify training due to recovering from her illness. Below is a statement from Daniil after WTT (disclaimer this is via google translate).
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Aliona has injuries as well though. As far as we know Anna and Liza aren't injured, at least not more than the "usual".
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1. Anna Shcherbakova never sacrifices artistry while she's showing technical brilliance. That to me is the whole ball game. She expresses the music so delicately with every delicate movement of arms, hands, and with her eloquent face. I don't agree with a poster above that her choreography is so simple. I think her team makes the right decision to keep the choreo pure and straightforward and transcendent. That fits her character and personality perfectly. With her skating, Anna exemplifies the ideal of making the extremely difficult look deceptively easy. That's part of the charm and appeal of figure skating, and when a skater accomplishes it, she elevates her performances.
2. I was very busy this week and hadn't watched the earlier days (thanks, Peacock, for the Replays!). But when watching the Pairs, I felt that Cleo and Denis's short program was the one. They danced! they expressed beautifully their music, they have that magical connection, and they didn't make mistakes. It was a program that all audiences could enjoy. It was noticeable to me that they had everything, and yet their scores didn't reflect it. It was more noticeable because they followed Alexa and Brandon -- I'm not on the K/F bandwagon yet -- whose elements were great, but who IMO lacked the complete skating qualities of Cleo and Denis. Then, the whole expression/connection/musical factors were emphasized by the beautiful programs and skating of Riku and Ryiuchi, and then Nicole and Matteo. The elements and the good technique have to be there -- that's always been the case in figure skating -- but they're elevated when in service to something greater.
3. Other great moments: Bradie Tennell's gorgeous redemption skate, Riku & Ryiuchi's elation with their best-ever FS, and Anastasia and Alexandr adding the gleam of being World Champions to their fabulous FS!
2. I was very busy this week and hadn't watched the earlier days (thanks, Peacock, for the Replays!). But when watching the Pairs, I felt that Cleo and Denis's short program was the one. They danced! they expressed beautifully their music, they have that magical connection, and they didn't make mistakes. It was a program that all audiences could enjoy. It was noticeable to me that they had everything, and yet their scores didn't reflect it. It was more noticeable because they followed Alexa and Brandon -- I'm not on the K/F bandwagon yet -- whose elements were great, but who IMO lacked the complete skating qualities of Cleo and Denis. Then, the whole expression/connection/musical factors were emphasized by the beautiful programs and skating of Riku and Ryiuchi, and then Nicole and Matteo. The elements and the good technique have to be there -- that's always been the case in figure skating -- but they're elevated when in service to something greater.
3. Other great moments: Bradie Tennell's gorgeous redemption skate, Riku & Ryiuchi's elation with their best-ever FS, and Anastasia and Alexandr adding the gleam of being World Champions to their fabulous FS!
I'm not going to question what you wrote. Except this doesn't apply to Lambiel and his students.
The OP said it was Lambiel's coaching style fault that his students did poorly at WTT. In answer I noticed that Shoma had a boots problem and Rika was injured, which is probably connected to her jump training in the USA.
Last season Shoma, who had been under Lambiel for a couple of months, won the Japanese Nationals. This season, he was second behind stellar Yuzuru. Rika won Japanese Nationals by 12 points ahead Kaori. Both of them stayed in Champery for at least six months before JpnNat. But after the Nationals Rika dropped by to Champery shortly before Worlds, where she was already injured. So what is the point of talking about the coaching style in this situation?
And, most importantly - I know that everyone thinks that such a kind, helpful and smiling Lambiel cannot be a strict coach. Except that everyone is wrong. Just talk to his students. He's nice, but he's very demanding and doesn't allow you to slack off.
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I loved the players as coaches. In a way, it was great that the Americans decided not to bring their coaches for various reasons, as we got to see the skaters in all their coaching glory Nathan and JeanLuc were adorable too
Nathan and JeanLuc were adorable too
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