2022-23 GPF Senior Women's Free Skate

[rain]

Oh my, this was a competition where I really really really missed the women from you-know-where.

Five women under 200 points hasn't happened since the GPF in 2014.

I enjoy watching clean skaters, even when they don't have their best night.

The short programs were a barnburner; this was rougher. I think everyone was feeling the pressure. Mihara put out the two cleanest programs and thus deservedly won, but I find her boring as all get-out. One thing I did find very admirable was how almost all of the women picked themselves up after their falls and went on to continue with great jump content and expression.

I'm still waiting for Kaori to skate this LP clean, because I think it will be absolutely stunning when she does. It showcases perfectly her speed and power. Other favourite programs from women's this season include Yelim Kim's SP, Leona Hendrickx's SP, and both of Bradie Tennell's programs.

 

[DancingCactus]

That was mostly horrible.
I'm gutted for Kaoei, I hope she's alright. From the stumble at the very beginning I felt something was off and then those pops...I hope she just had a bad day.

Not that the rest of them were much better. I think Ted cursed them what with his "noone should fall more than one time".

 

[elektra blue]

It looks like translator

We are all ready for your daughter Lara Naki Psycho program and we are curious if she has chosen this program because of her relation with mother

of course! psycho is my middlename!

 

[elektra blue]

Like Matteo's shirt, hum?

after a couple of glasses that may look fun too

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

of course! psycho is my middlename!

And here is @elektra blue, slightly shaken but otherwise unscathed - emerging from GPF and getting ready for Italian Nationals.
(Yes, I started watching too, it's super!)

 

[liv]

I've been very happy watching ladies this year. The skaters seem happy, less stressed out... It's just refreshing. No one denies the abilities of the girls who are not participating right now, but I don't miss the overchoreographed choreo, the misery over a small mistake... the stress you feel through the tv screen.... but this is the way it is.

 

[elektra blue]

And here is @elektra blue, slightly shaken but otherwise unscathed - emerging from GPF and getting ready for Italian Nationals.
(Yes, I started watching too, it's super!)

View attachment 6139

this is the exact moment when Daniel came last

 

[Jontor]

I was thinking she could do a triple lutz, double axel sequence and then a solo triple loop later and take advantage of the new sequence rule. But maybe she doesn't like jumping double axels after a jump - she does two solo double axels.

If you don't have the 3A or a quad, the max you can get out of a program is 7 triples. You are allowed to repeat two types of jumps, and of course, you want those two triples you are allowed to repeat to be the most valuable ones - Lutzes and Flips.

The Russians know this, and we all know it, but sometimes I wonder if coaches around the world even have a clue how the scoring system works.

So what did Isabeau do??

3Lz+3Lo
3T
2A
3F
2A
3Lz+1Eu+3S
3F (there was supposed to be a +2T here, but she fell)

She has the two 3Lzs and two 3Fs, but the jump scenario is poorly worked out.

In combos, you only get GOEs on the most valuable jumps, so the 3Lo and the 3S get no GOE here (and the 2T that was supposed to be added to the last jump). So why have the 3Lo in the combo, when it would have gotten better GOE than the 3T on its own. It makes no sense, and the combo is more difficult as well.

 

[Fluture]

Thankfully, some of the incredibly nasty comments have been deleted. Still, since I was in Torino (still am, in fact, until tomorrow) and thus watched all the practices as well, I'd like to contribute something positive about the women.

First of all, they had an amazing SP. Yelim's waxel was the only obvious error. The FS was bad, yes, I think everyone will acknowledge that. But they're only human and most of them are recovering from a very stressful Olympic season. Also, they were all much better in practice.

Mai: She's lovely to watch live. Her SP was so moving - beautiful, emotional, subtle, soft skating. Loved every second of it. She didn't really perform in the FS (although that spiral was GREAT) but put her head down and got it mostly (let‘s just ignore the loop lol) done. Deserving Champion. Finally! I was so happy for her. I only wish she could have shared that moment with Kaori, like she said she wanted so badly.

Kaori: She's insane live. So much speed, so much ice coverage, so much power. Her practices have all been a struggle, so I was really stressed for her. The SP alone was a testament to her strength and character. I think she just has a lot to deal with this season — as the World Champion the pressure is just much higher. Also, she had tape on her back and spent about an hour on Thursday at the Edea booth, trying on new skates and comparing them to her old ones. So, no idea if this contributed or if the FS was just one of those days. I hope she can come back strongly and share a podium with Mai this season!

Isabeau: I saw her in Linz last season and was really impressed. She's even better now! Her speed and ice coverage have improved and she's still as charming and charismatic. Great spins, too. Yes, the jumps are problematic but she's clearly trying to fix them. She still slows down quite a lot but she at least tries to maintain the speed now. Unfortunately, everything else being so great makes this one flaw even more pronounced. But I just hope she keeps working on it. It would be a real shame if we didn't get to see her artistry for years to come.

Loena: she had great practices, I don't think I saw her miss even one jump! If I had to guess, I'd say she's just not used to being one of the favorites yet. At Worlds she said herself she didn't expect anything because she was injured. But now she knows what she's capable of and she knows everyone else knows, too. It's a lot to handle. She'll grow with it.

Rinka: tried a 3A! It wasn't as good in the SP as some of the ones she did in training/warm-up but I was impressed she landed it. To think she didn't even have a single GP event at the start of the season and ended it with a GPF fourth place! She has a lot to be proud of. I liked her FS a lot, despite the mistakes. I think the SP is still a bit much for her, but maybe she'll grow into it as the season progresses.

Yelim: KSU truly knows how to ruin their skaters, don't they? She just looked exhausted throughout the entire event. And no wonder, having to compete just a few days before at another useless ranking competition. Still, she's incredibly elegant and her Ina Bauers are amazing! Got quite a lot of gasps and cheers. I wish I could have seen her at her best but it wasn't meant to be.

So, yes, overall the women had a tough time in the free. It happens. For once, the men were consistent instead. And so? One bad free skate doesn't define them as athletes. And if anyone thinks they're "disasters", or "embarrassing" — kindly, you should just not watch. No one is forcing you. Thankfully, there are other competitions that you can enjoy and call "World Championship" if it makes you happy. We're all entitled to our fantasies

At the end of the day, Mai, Isabeau and Loena are GPF medalists through their own years of hard work. The sport is (in all disciplines) in a rebuilding phase after the Olympics + retirements. But the GPF had tons of promising moments in all competitions (even pairs), so what gives. I, for one, had a lot of fun and loved the line-up of women I got to see and wouldn't change a thing about it.

 

[lariko]

Mihara was pretty cool and I am glad Levito had a great first senior season. Other than that, I also felt final was a bit underwhelming.