2022 Worlds: Men's FS - Thoughts?

[Anna K.]

My feeling was from watching JGP that Ukraine didn’t really have much. They had Kokura who didn’t move into seniors. I thought he would be interesting to watch but he seemed to have disappeared. Now there is Shmuratko. I thought he was great in Budapest earlier this year, then in Olympics, but he doesn’t seem to have technical base.

Oh, well. Sounds like nothing much is left to save. I hope it makes us all feel better

For reference, all previous medals EC, OG, WC junior and senior that Ukrainian skaters got since 1992 when the Ukraine was admitted as an ISU member state:
Men
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk 1994 WC bronze, 1994 EC silver, 1995 EC bronze, 1996 EC gold, 1997 EC bronze
Dmitri Dmitrenko 1993 EC gold, 2000 EC bronze
Viktor Petrenko 1994 EC gold
Women
Oksana Baiul 1993 WC gold, 1993 EC silver, 1994 EC silver, 1994 OG gold
Elena Liashenko 1995 EC bronze, 2004 EC silver, 2006 EC bronze
Yulia Lavrenchuk 1997 EC bronze
Pairs
Galina Maniachenko (later – Efremenko) / Evgeni Zhigurski 1994 JWC bronze
Evgenia Filonenko / Igor Marchenko 1995 JWC bronze, 1996 JWC silver
Julia Obertas / Dmytro Palamarchuk 1998 JWC gold, 1999 JWC gold, 2000 JWC silver
Aliona Savchenko / Stanislav Morozov 2000 JWC gold
Ice Dance
Irina Romanova / Igor Yaroshenko 1996 EC bronze
Natalia Gudina/Vitali Kurkudym 1996 JWC bronze
Elena Grushina/Ruslan Goncharov 2004 EC bronze, 2005 EC silver, 2005 WC bronze, 2006 EC silver, 2006 OG bronze
Oleksandra Nazarova/Maxim Nikitin 2015 JWC bronze

 

[lariko]

Oh, well. Sounds like nothing much is left to save. I hope it makes us all feel better

For reference, all previous medals, junior and senior, that Ukrainian skaters got since 1992 when the Ukraine was admitted as an ISU member state:
Men
Viacheslav Zagorodniuk 1994 WC bronze, 1994 EC silver, 1995 EC bronze, 1996 EC gold, 1997 EC bronze
Dmitri Dmitrenko 1993 EC gold, 2000 EC bronze
Viktor Petrenko 1994 EC gold
Women
Oksana Baiul 1993 WC gold, 1993 EC silver, 1994 EC silver, 1994 OG gold
Elena Liashenko 1995 EC bronze, 2004 EC silver, 2006 EC bronze
Yulia Lavrenchuk 1997 EC bronze
Pairs
Galina Maniachenko (later – Efremenko) / Evgeni Zhigurski 1994 JWC bronze
Evgenia Filonenko / Igor Marchenko 1995 JWC bronze, 1996 JWC silver
Julia Obertas / Dmytro Palamarchuk 1998 JWC gold, 1999 JWC gold, 2000 JWC silver
Aliona Savchenko / Stanislav Morozov 2000 JWC gold
Ice Dance
Irina Romanova / Igor Yaroshenko 1996 EC bronze
Natalia Gudina/Vitali Kurkudym 1996 JWC bronze
Elena Grushina/Ruslan Goncharov 2004 EC bronze, 2005 EC silver, 2005 WC bronze, 2006 EC silver, 2006 OG bronze
Oleksandra Nazarova/Maxim Nikitin 2015 JWC bronze

I didn’t start watching figure skating till 2018, so I watch toward the future, not the past. I watch the juniors and follow some guys into seniors. Since it takes quite a bit of time to build a strong school, and careers are short, I think it makes more sense for the Ukrainians to train abroad atm.

 

[TontoK]

Thinking back, and prompted by @Mathman thoughts earlier...

This is the third big competition in a row (US Nats, Olympics, and now WC) where (looking at the field as a whole) the short programs have been really good, and the long programs haven't measured up. The medalists were fine and they deserved their placements, but I'm not rewatching any of those LP's.

 

[Anna K.]

The medalists were fine and they deserved their placements, but I'm not rewatching any of those LP's.

I will rewatch Shoma. It's a PB after all
But I can see your point.

 

[chuckm]

Cmon---Camden Pulkinen's FS was every bit as good, if not better, than his SP. He was 12th in the SP because he skated early, but he placed THIRD in the FS to finish in 5th place.

 

[el henry]

Thinking back, and prompted by @Mathman thoughts earlier...

This is the third big competition in a row (US Nats, Olympics, and now WC) where (looking at the field as a whole) the short programs have been really good, and the long programs haven't measured up. The medalists were fine and they deserved their placements, but I'm not rewatching any of those LP's.

Not even Camden's LP at Worlds? I've already rewatched a few times.

And sadly, I can't say that for all of Camden's skates

Of course, I will be rewatching Jason's Olympics LP, but I am a tad biased.

 

[4everchan]

Camden is definitely one to rewatch. Shoma as well, though not perfect. Not everyone can land 5 quads,2 triple axels and still be musical and have interesting choreo.

 

[lariko]

I feel that both Uno and Zhou had excellent free programs. So did Fa. I feel that SPs by their nature are either 0 or 100%. I like frees because they allow some room for error.

 

[TontoK]

Not even Camden's LP at Worlds? I've already rewatched a few times.

And sadly, I can't say that for all of Camden's skates

Of course, I will be rewatching Jason's Olympics LP, but I am a tad biased.

My post wasn't clear. I was thinking of the WC medalist's LPs.

I thought they were OK, but no more than OK. Shoma slightly more OK than others.

 

[Sai Bon]

Here's a little video with pups watching Shoma and sweet bit of what looks like mama Uno with the pups in Japan I'm guessing after Shoma's win.

Oh bless...Mama Uno must be so thrilled!

 

[DreamSkates]

I found this competition to be exciting and amazing that now the standard for men's long programs is 5 quads. Not confident that's healthy for all, but enjoying the programs, especially the top 10 men. So happy for Shoma to finally win gold, and handily.

 

[Anna K.]

Here is an article in which Ivan Shmuratko talks about his impressions: https://www.perild.com/2022/03/27/u...out-programs-to-convey-feelings-and-emotions/

 

[Apple1078]

Not even Camden's LP at Worlds? I've already rewatched a few times.

And sadly, I can't say that for all of Camden's skates

Of course, I will be rewatching Jason's Olympics LP, but I am a tad biased.

So have I. His performances were so unexpected - we've always known he had massive potential and to see him put it all together in both programs was really special - but what I loved about them was that they didn't seem unexpected to him.

He looked confident in a way I've never seen him and I'm so curious what his training has been leading up to Worlds.

 

[Ali81]

Absolutely thrilled for Shoma Uno . I was always a bit worried that he may never get the one big title to cement his legacy . We all know what a magnificent skater he is and he has been denied by the indomitable Hanyu and Nathan Chen on multiple occasions on the biggest stages. He is one of the all time great skaters that Japan has produced and this is a very fitting feather to his cap.

 

[lariko]

I thought they were OK, but no more than OK. Shoma slightly more OK than others.

Holy cow, I thought Shoma Uno was out of this world and nobody ever skated better than he did in that WC. It was awesome, fabulous and amazeballs.

 

[YuBluByMe]

Well, it's been two days and Uno's free is the only one I rewatched. Well, I re-watched Kagiyama's but that doesn't count because I only rewatched because I was distracted and not really paying full attention the first time. I think the issue is that, with the exception of Uno and obviously Pulkinen - most everyone skated their programs better in other competitions. So if I wanted to rewatch Vasiljev's free skate for instance, I would go to Europeans, not Worlds. I still think it was an overall great competition, though. Matter of fact, I would even go as far to say it was the best Worlds this quad (men's event only). I'm drawing a blank with 2019. 2020 was cancelled. The only thing I remember from last year is Chen's unbelievable free skate, Kagiyama got the Silver, and Russian men got a third spot. I'm getting the feeling I'm going to have clear memories of what went down in 2022 for quite some time.

 

[lariko]

Well, it's been two days and Uno's free is the only one I rewatched. Well, I re-watched Kagiyama's but that doesn't count because I only rewatched because I was distracted and not really paying full attention the first time. I think the issue is that, with the exception of Uno and obviously Pulkinen - most everyone skated their programs better in other competitions. So if I wanted to rewatch Vasiljev's free skate for instance, I would go to Europeans, not Worlds. I still think it was an overall great competition, though. Matter of fact, I would even go as far to say it was the best Worlds this quad (men's event only). I'm drawing a blank with 2019. 2020 was cancelled. The only thing I remember from last year is Chen's unbelievable free skate, Kagiyama got the Silver, and Russian men got a third spot. I'm getting the feeling I'm going to have clear memories of what went down in 2022 for quite some time.

I also feel that between short and free, it was the better event than any preceding men's events. After watching Kolyada skate in the Skate Saransk and how prepared he seemed, I felt that he was missing (would have loved him compete instead of Kvitelashvili). I also felt that Zhou, Grassl and Fa did a whole lot to raise the level of the event. Seeing strong performances from the very first warm up was also quite nice. I also felt that there was no heart-breaks in this event as opposite to pretty much every man's event I had seen since 2018. And, yes, I am bias, because skaters I like less than others didn't participate, so sue me. Like, sure, if it were Grassl on the podium instead of Kagiyama, I would be happier, but I would take it. The podium that would have made me ecstatic is only possible in fiction, so, realistically it was just the best ever. And, yeah, I've missed Nathan Chen, but not so much as to make the event lose its glitter.

Malinin for me played the role of Trusova in women's competition and it gave the vibe I need to be invested in the competition, someone who just doesn't play the same game everyone else plays and the suspense he brings to the game. I am really looking forward to seeing his trajectory and because he skates again in 2 weeks it's even more fun.

The men's event imo was the best of the 4 disciplines.

 

[el henry]

So have I. His performances were so unexpected - we've always known he had massive potential and to see him put it all together in both programs was really special - but what I loved about them was that they didn't seem unexpected to him.

He looked confident in a way I've never seen him and I'm so curious what his training has been leading up to Worlds.

As someone who has been watching Camden since juniors (because I like the junior men ), I'm not sure it's physical training.

Camden has always had the goods, high jumps, good expression, but not always the headspace. He is his own worst enemy. I have seen him from ten feet away at summer comps, and he had a difficult time recovering from falls or mistakes in elements. I don't mean to be too dramatic, but you could almost see his confidence leave him.

Whatever he is doing to regain that confidence, keep it up

 

[kolyadafan2002]

As someone who has been watching Camden since juniors (because I like the junior men ), I'm not sure it's physical training.

Camden has always had the goods, high jumps, good expression, but not always the headspace. He is his own worst enemy. I have seen him from ten feet away at summer comps, and he had a difficult time recovering from falls or mistakes in elements. I don't mean to be too dramatic, but you could almost see his confidence leave him.

Whatever he is doing to regain that confidence, keep it up

I feel like he calmed down and kept his focus.
In past hes had one gear in his programs - and that's all out. It's fantastic to watch but comes at the cost of the jumps.
Now he is a bit more sensible before the jumps - and he just needs to keep doing that until he can be comfortable with them.
And honestly, a clean, toned down performance is much nicer to watch than messy performances regardless of performance (IMO), and even toning it down Camden still showed some of the nicest lines and skating skills that we know he is capable of.

 

[clairecloutier]

Here's an article about Keegan Messing, based on interviews with him and his coach at Worlds:

"Everything he does is extreme": Keegan Messing - A divine sport

Last week, Keegan Messing competed in his fourth ISU World Championships in Montpellier, France. Messing’s 14th-place finish in Montpellier was well off his career-best 6th place at 2021 Worlds in Stockholm last year. However, the Canadian skater was unfazed. “It’s always a pleasure to represent...

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