2023-24 Canadian Figure Skating

[4everchan]

well well.. it will be hard not to send wesley and roman to worlds after conrad's very awful 4cc event.

silver lining : conrad has improved a lot on overall skating, presentation and spins... he needs to regroup because he does land the quads ... and then just loses focus. I think it's 100% mental.

so in all, not so bad.

pairs : it was a messy event... something is going on with Lia and Trennt... they didn't go for their usual 3s but a 2loop... weird... they did okay on the throws though.... i like them more and more, especially since they are improving their lifts.

kelly ann and loucas were great... one throw sal away from a clean skate... which would have been massive because there was absolutely NO team with a green card tonight.

Deanna and max were the clear winner though they struggled on the SBS jumps.. no falls... a popped axel but mostly very. rough landings..

tonight they lost also a lot of points on their twist but that never happens... so i am not worried... they do have a very nice program compared to a lot of the insipid things we saw at 4CC

GOLD for Canada !!!! Probably Gold for Canada again tomorrow.

 

[almiranara]

something is going on with Lia and Trennt

they said after the skate that Trennt has been dealing with a back injury since nationals, that's why they toned down the jumps and didn't look as sharp as usual. also Deanna hurt her arm in the twist catch i think?

 

[4everchan]

they said after the skate that Trennt has been dealing with a back injury since nationals, that's why they toned down the jumps and didn't look as sharp as usual. also Deanna hurt her arm in the twist catch i think?

i hope they both are going to be fine for worlds !

 

[Sackie]

Do some CAN skaters push themselves too hard at the start of the season then fizzle a bit by the end. Lea and Trennt win a GP event but then have not been the same since. But I agree there is something going on with them. Hope they get well soon.
Really impressed with Kelly Ann and Loucas but they seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Between the short and free they were one of the cleanest teams. Is it because they just have not been out there enough or do they just not have a 'style' yet to set them apart.
And is it possible that the injury may be a good thing for Roman. Maybe it is just me but he seems to be putting more effort in this skating then he did when he was healthy. Sometimes he used to just seem to not care. He just doesn't have all the tricks back yet. Maybe if he can add a few more by worlds he might do better then expected.

 

[FlossieH]

well well.. it will be hard not to send wesley and roman to worlds after conrad's very awful 4cc event.

silver lining : conrad has improved a lot on overall skating, presentation and spins... he needs to regroup because he does land the quads ... and then just loses focus. I think it's 100% mental.

Conrad needs to go out to some senior B events so that he can compete under less pressure and find the strategies which work for him. He is caving in under the pressure at big events. I don't honestly think going to Worlds would help him at the moment - it would be more likely to reinforce the current problems rather than helping him to break them.

 

[rain]

they said after the skate that Trennt has been dealing with a back injury since nationals, that's why they toned down the jumps and didn't look as sharp as usual. also Deanna hurt her arm in the twist catch i think?

This makes so much sense, since Lia looked great on the throws. I, too, hope they have adequate time to get better, because I think Lia and Trennt have made tremendous progress this season. Some people have complained that they don't think they are gaining polish fast enough, but I see a big difference.

 

[rain]

Really impressed with Kelly Ann and Loucas but they seemed to get lost in the shuffle. Between the short and free they were one of the cleanest teams. Is it because they just have not been out there enough or do they just not have a 'style' yet to set them apart.

Laurin/Ethier have been great at Canadians and here, but had a very mediocre rest of the season, so that plays a part in the eyes of the judges. Also, while I love them, I acknowledge that they are VERY rough around the edges and need some major work to just clean everything up in order to move into the upper echelon of teams. That's my hope for what they work on before worlds and in the off season because they have tons of potential.

 

[4everchan]

Conrad needs to go out to some senior B events so that he can compete under less pressure and find the strategies which work for him. He is caving in under the pressure at big events. I don't honestly think going to Worlds would help him at the moment - it would be more likely to reinforce the current problems rather than helping him to break them.

i don't disagree with that at all... but will Skate Canada care ?

 

[yyzskater]

I saw he and Fiona skating together today…. I am surprised at his post which does sound like he is retiring. I wonder what Fiona will do.

I wonder if he is retiring because Fiona wants to focus on singles again and he doesn't want to start from scratch with another partner. Or they are skating together to help Fiona continue to develop while they find her another partner.

 

[Heather T]

TSL just put up a great interview with Carol Lane: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9W3fv3IPeKk
I really wasn't sure how this was going to go, since Dave Lease, the interviewer, has been campaigning hard against Piper and Paul this season, but this is a great watch.

I thought this was one of his best interviews.

 

[Heather T]

I wonder if he is retiring because Fiona wants to focus on singles again and he doesn't want to start from scratch with another partner. Or they are skating together to help Fiona continue to develop while they find her another partner.

Interesting comments because I was at their training rink yesterday and I had more time to watch than usual. They did both throws, triple twist, death spiral and a spin (I think), during that time. I also saw Jazmine and Kieran very focused on their training. At one point Gab came over to them and helped them with their combination spin. I guess we will have to wait and see what the future is for Gab and Fiona.

 

[Weathergal]

Did Zach Daleman ever find a partner? Would he and Fiona be an option?

 

[skatingguy]

well well.. it will be hard not to send wesley and roman to worlds after conrad's very awful 4cc event.

silver lining : conrad has improved a lot on overall skating, presentation and spins... he needs to regroup because he does land the quads ... and then just loses focus. I think it's 100% mental.

Conrad has a program layout problem that we used to see more often when most skaters only did 4T with a handful of 4S's in a competition. As soon as he triples one of those 4T's he's got to start doing jump math, and making decisions about which jumps to change to make sure he doesn't have an invalid jump element, and suddenly he's missing other jumps because he's distracted. I'm not sure if he's got a higher level quad that he could add, and give him some leeway, or if he needs to be happy with two different quads, and then focus on clean triples to build the technical score, because having to downgrade the jumps later in the program is causing him all sorts of quality issues that negate any advantage gained from the quads.

 

[4everchan]

Conrad has a program layout problem that we used to see more often when most skaters only did 4T with a handful of 4S's in a competition. As soon as he triples one of those 4T's he's got to start doing jump math, and making decisions about which jumps to change to make sure he doesn't have an invalid jump element, and suddenly he's missing other jumps because he's distracted. I'm not sure if he's got a higher level quad that he could add, and give him some leeway, or if he needs to be happy with two different quads, and then focus on clean triples to build the technical score, because having to downgrade the jumps later in the program is causing him all sorts of quality issues that negate any advantage gained from the quads.

yup

conrad could do all quads in training when he was at TCC. He even attempted the lutz a couple times in competition.

But i agree.. his layout is not good... his 3f 2a 2a gets nixed as well if he misses the 3a. his 3lz-3t also gets nixed.
on top of that, his flip has never been that good.

he could do

4s
4t-2t
3a
3loop

3lz-2a 2a
3lz-3t
3f or even 3s
one less quad... but this would have scored properly without math issues...

or he could do a program with the euler


4s
4t-3t
3a
3loop

3lz-eu-3s
3lz
3f-2a

 

[4everchan]

I think the second layout is better because if there is a pop into a triple here, it's still legit. Same with the axel pop into a double.

for instance

3s pop
4t-3t
2a pop
3loop

3lz eu 3s (still counts)
3lz
3f-2a (still counts)


and of course, there is no issues with the 4t-3t.. he can pop this any way he wants in here haha

 

[Colonel Green]

After a morale-dampening nationals, 4CC was a nice turnaround for the Canadian skaters in general.

After not winning a 4CC title since 2017, we got two here. Wesley probably had the best performance for a Canadian man so far this season. And Madeline put a disappointing nationals behind her.

 

[4everchan]

Canada indeed ends up with two titles : Bravo Piper and Paul and Deanna and Max.
Laurence and Nik earned silver as well.
Marie-Jade and Romain earned a small medal in the free dance. As a matter of fact, that lift penalty in the RD cost a podium sweep to Canada. I didn't expect such results when Marjorie and Zac had to withdraw. It speaks loudly about the depth of Canadian ice Dance.
Pairs were not too shabby either. Unfortunately, injuries and lack of training didn't help Lia and Trennt : I am in awe with them. Every event, they improve : they got rid of their ugly lift position They are truly working in improving their elements to stand out. Kelly Ann and Loucas are just making tons of progress as well. Let's not forget she is only 18 (he is 23). They are babies in a pairs world where it's not uncommon to see skaters in their 30s.

Singles : Wesley and Maddie did better here than at Nationals. I am relieved.
Let's not forget Sara-Maude's performance. She truly is growing as well. I hope Skate Canada will invest on her because at this point, Kaiya has some rotation issues she better fix if she wants to confirm her national dominance. (Fée Ann should get assignments too.)

Roman: still a work in progress and a watered down content (no triple axel at 4CC).
Conrad : imploded after landing his two first quads in the LP. I am not sure what he needs to get steady. I really like him. The few times he's skated well, his jumps are big with fast rotation and he is spectacular. He has developed his presence on the ice... and improved his spins. So I hope he figures out how to skate on the competition ice. I will use my "needs a performance anxiety therapist" card for him.

So yeah, in all, very exciting 4CC compared to the doom and gloom that were Nationals.

I will be at worlds in 6 weeks. I hope that Canada will indeed double its medal harvest from last year. One medal in pairs and dance would be nice. I don't care about the colours but if our skaters skate to their best, I will be happy.

 

[rain]

Canada indeed ends up with two titles : Bravo Piper and Paul and Deanna and Max.
Laurence and Nik earned silver as well.
Marie-Jade and Romain earned a small medal in the free dance. As a matter of fact, that lift penalty in the RD cost a podium sweep to Canada. I didn't expect such results when Marjorie and Zac had to withdraw. It speaks loudly about the depth of Canadian ice Dance.
Pairs were not too shabby either. Unfortunately, injuries and lack of training didn't help Lia and Trennt : I am in awe with them. Every event, they improve : they got rid of their ugly lift position They are truly working in improving their elements to stand out. Kelly Ann and Loucas are just making tons of progress as well. Let's not forget she is only 18 (he is 23). They are babies in a pairs world where it's not uncommon to see skaters in their 30s.

Singles : Wesley and Maddie did better here than at Nationals. I am relieved.
Let's not forget Sara-Maude's performance. She truly is growing as well. I hope Skate Canada will invest on her because at this point, Kaiya has some rotation issues she better fix if she wants to confirm her national dominance. (Fée Ann should get assignments too.)

Roman: still a work in progress and a watered down content (no triple axel at 4CC).
Conrad : imploded after landing his two first quads in the LP. I am not sure what he needs to get steady. I really like him. The few times he's skated well, his jumps are big with fast rotation and he is spectacular. He has developed his presence on the ice... and improved his spins. So I hope he figures out how to skate on the competition ice. I will use my "needs a performance anxiety therapist" card for him.

So yeah, in all, very exciting 4CC compared to the doom and gloom that were Nationals.

I will be at worlds in 6 weeks. I hope that Canada will indeed double its medal harvest from last year. One medal in pairs and dance would be nice. I don't care about the colours but if our skaters skater to their best, I will be happy.

So, so close to that dance sweep, lol. Really hoping to see a revived Marjorie and Zach at the B competition they've been assigned.

I was impressed with both Wesley and Maddie for stepping up. I still think Maddie needs to get some joy back. Wesley has definitely earned a trip to worlds at this point. Ah Roman, every time I hope that this will be the day....

I admit I'm stupidly invested in hoping Piper and Paul win gold this year at worlds. It's not just national bias, I truly believe they have the two best programs this season and should be rewarded for their incredible work. I'm trying to let that go, because there's a lot working against them off the ice, and I want to just enjoy their performances. And I can be pleasantly surprised if it goes their way.

 

[4everchan]

So, so close to that dance sweep, lol. Really hoping to see a revived Marjorie and Zach at the B competition they've been assigned.

i hope they indeed attend it.... and are healthy.

I was impressed with both Wesley and Maddie for stepping up. I still think Maddie needs to get some joy back. Wesley has definitely earned a trip to worlds at this point. Ah Roman, every time I hope that this will be the day....

At this point, I just hope for Wesley and Maddie to skate with the confidence and joy they should have at worlds. I don't care for results nor spots.

I admit I'm stupidly invested in hoping Piper and Paul win gold this year at worlds. It's not just national bias, I truly believe they have the two best programs this season and should be rewarded for their incredible work. I'm trying to let that go, because there's a lot working against them off the ice, and I want to just enjoy their performances. And I can be pleasantly surprised if it goes their way.

Yes. They deserve it. Their programs are stellar. Some judges don't seem to like them as much as fans like them. Their loss really. Let's hope the crowd gets into their programs... You can count on me to go all-in. I am warning my friends to bring earplugs if they don't want to hear me cheer loudly !

 

[saine]

Let's not forget Sara-Maude's performance. She truly is growing as well. I hope Skate Canada will invest on her because at this point, Kaiya has some rotation issues she better fix if she wants to confirm her national dominance. (Fée Ann should get assignments too.)

3rd highest international score for a Canadian woman this season She's right behind Kaiya right now on the SB list now. My hope is that Skate Canada realizes that they can maximize spots by getting Maddie two non-host GP spots so that Fee Ann and Sara-Maude can both be at SCI next season (assuming that Kaiya gets a spot since she is the national champion.)

Roman: still a work in progress and a watered down content (no triple axel at 4CC).

I am iffy on him going to Worlds because of his content. He would have to be pristine clean to make the free skate since I don't know if he'll have the 3A back in by Worlds, or how well he can land the 4S by then. He has the highest PB of the men right now, but that is not going to happen for Worlds. I hope that if he is named that there will be monitoring going on to make sure he'll be at the level he needs to be for then.

Conrad : imploded after landing his two first quads in the LP. I am not sure what he needs to get steady. I really like him. The few times he's skated well, his jumps are big with fast rotation and he is spectacular. He has developed his presence on the ice... and improved his spins. So I hope he figures out how to skate on the competition ice. I will use my "needs a performance anxiety therapist" card for him.

Taking out a quad from each program would help him a lot, but when the high quad programs are rewarded I can see why he's going for that. He doesn't need them with the improvements he's made to the other aspects of his skating. He got some WS points here at least.

I don't think the turnaround time from Nationals helped. Some skaters are able to deal with a disappointing performance with a short turnaround time, but not everyone is able to do that. More time between Nationals and 4CC could have helped him. I hope he is taking care of himself since his comments from the mixed zone were concerning.