2023 Cup of China Men's Free Skate

[Ares]

What I meant is, seeing the amount of stuffies thrown on the ice for Boyang IMO justifies my belief that Chinese fans were primarily responsible for Yuzuru's pooh-rain

I didn't know Yuzuru was also very popular in China. Sure he was popular almost everywhere, save for countries where figure skating is very unpopular but still ... the antipathy that Chinese people have for Japanese and vice versa is rather widely known.

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

Yuma and Shoma now have a 6-point difference overall in total score this season, (279.98 to 273.14) with Yuma eking out the FS win by exactly half a point. They will go head-to-head at NHK, with Yuma possibly going back to a 2-quad SP. That will be a fascinating event, I'm so excited.

Adam has qualified for the GP Final, with Shoma just needing a medal at NHK to get in. But Sota... what will happen? With a 6th place here, I find it unlikely he will be in the Final but we shall see.

 

[yuumagical]

Woke up just in time to see the beautiful performances of Adam and Shoma! Amazing job from Adam and glad to see Shoma still smiling after that!

 

[Ares]

So much beauty to Shoma's skating that leaves me breathless

IKR, Shoma is in a league of his own.

 

[YuBluByMe]

Correct podium. Siao Him Fa repeats at GP champion and punches his ticket to the GPF. Congratulations to Shaidorov for the bronze and for his first GP medal.

Yamamoto won’t qualify as he finished in sixth.

 

[16Olympics]

Boo hoo Shoma on the wreck of a start but cheers for maintaining on the rest of the program. Such beautiful pictures made with every stroke but not enough today.
Congrats and props to Adam...2 weeks of wow.
Great showing for Misha in his first GP season.

 

[readernick]

Shoma was so beautiful. I loved this program. I'm afraid my favorite is going to retire after this season. He seems uninterested in his scores and focused on acheving something beautiful. That's great but also something skaters who want to retire focus on.

Obviously, Adam deserved to win but the judges went a bit crazy with the GOE for those opening jumps which were barely squeaked out. I don't like the program but I enjoyed his performance.

 

[lileychristie]

I liked Uno’s SP better. This free skate just…dies in the middle. It reminded me of Tomono’s free but multiplied. And he absolutely should not win.

I was thinking that the whole Shoma's FP. It's very similar to Tomono's FP but with less facial expression I hope we won't need to watch it back to back in Japanese Nats

That being said, there were some beautiful moments in Shoma's FP for sure. Love his bladework to the music as usual.

 

[TallyT]

I didn't know Yuzuru was also very popular in China. Sure he was popular almost everywhere, save for countries where figure skating is very unpopular but still ... the antipathy that Chinese people have for Japanese and vice versa is rather widely known.

Just briefly so as not to derail, the Chinese fans adore him, he's the most popular skater in the country.

But let's leave that right here because this is Adam's triumph and Adam's night. That was an amazing skate he put out, well deserved 200+ and gold medal. I do not envy you people who do the picks when it comes to the GPF now, but he has to be a major contender, and if he goes clean in both he's going to be tough to beat.

Congrats!

 

[tsuyoboogie]

Sorry OTT

Oh I get it. In Beijing, very possibly.

Not only at the Beijing Olympics but for years
I'm sure it was Japanese fans who started the Pooh trend but for the most part they tend to give handmade gifts more than throwing plushies on the ice (at both domestic and international events)

I didn't know Yuzuru was also very popular in China. Sure he was popular almost everywhere, save for countries where figure skating is very unpopular but still ... the antipathy that Chinese people have for Japanese and vice versa is rather widely known.

He is EXTREMELY popular in China! Even now
This is why many people say he is good for relations between China and Japan


To bring it back on topic,
Congrats to the Medalists!

 

[reader3]

Congrats to the Medalists. A shame about Uno's fall but I do like his skating.

Frankly, with Adam, I have the sense that we are looking at the next Olympic Champion. Can't see anyone stopping him. He won't be my favorite (so I'm not trying to be a bandwagoner) but he has earned my respect and I don't mind his skating style. Hope he stays injury free so that it can't be said that another skater won only cause AS wasn't there.

Someone mentioned being irked by Adam's hand in front of the face move. I don't mind it at all. It reminds me of a fave skater who did that in a routine from the past.

Shaidorov was a nice surprise.

 

[lariko]

Shaidorov, bronze! That's all. Me, gonna get a cake today.

 

[reader3]

Shaidorov, bronze! That's all. Me, gonna get a cake today.

Make it cannoli flavored please.

 

[lariko]

Make it cannoli flavored please.

I was just thinking Black Forest to go with the costume, but they do sell canolli kits here I never tried before.

 

[yuumagical]

Congrats to the Medalists. A shame about Uno's fall but I do like his skating.

Frankly, with Adam, I have the sense that we are looking at the next Olympic Champion. Can't see anyone stopping him. He won't be my favorite (so I'm not trying to be a bandwagoner) but he has earned my respect and I don't mind his skating style. Hope he stays injury free so that it can't be said that another skater won only cause AS wasn't there.

Someone mentioned being irked by Adam's hand in front of the face move. I don't mind it at all. It reminds me of a fave skater who did that in a routine from the past.

Shaidorov was a nice surprise.

Are you talking about the part where Adam eats the typewriter? I'm wondering if the typewriter is cannoli-flavored! Okay, maybe I need to go back to sleep now...

 

[lariko]

All right! 3.45 GoE on 4Lz! They gave Shaidorov ice and he used it. His skate was lovely!

i did like Tomono'a FS as well here.

Adam rallied, so huge round of applause to him! Two competitions in a row at the opposite ends of the world is a hard ticket and he did it! Dunno how he hang in there on 4Lz and 3T, but he did. Nothing like France though...but, understandable.

Uno is Uno. I love the guy, but if injuries are accumulating, gosh...Hanyu and Uno shows would be something!

Next week promises a blood bath for the remaining GPF places.

Okay, I am off to buy cake, canolli or whatever. I mean, they can't eat it, but I sure can!!!

 

[Arriba627]

Congratulations to all the medalists! Adam was a warrior -- tough assignment back to back, travel and jet lag, and I heard he had a bad problem with his boots Thursday. In spite of it all, he came out ready to fight! Very happy for him. He has come a long way since I first saw him at Skate America in 2019! Good job!...I'm not so sure I "get" the typewriter. And did someone have to explain to Adam what a tyepwriter is?! I think the last time I used one might have been 1990, and he wasn't even born until 2001. Anyway, I don't think it would hurt the program if he lost the typewriter part.

Congratulations to Shomajesty! He didn't lose the gold, he won the silver! Tough start to have trouble on the first two jumps, but I loved his perseverance and determination in spite of that. I was probably most excited over seeing his successful 4T-3T in both programs, especially since that 3T has been his nemesis. I find him mesmerizing and sometimes forget to focus on the jumps. I want to see the "other" stuff... I look forward to seeing him again at NHK where he'll go up against Yuma. Good fight here...On his free program, I think many like to see a program that builds at the end, and this program becomes very still instead. I liked that, but from some things I'm reading, it seems like some people instead found that kind of dull. Well, something new...VERY late start to the season for him. He almost always does Skate America or Skate Canada.

Whoa -- Mikhail was definitely not on my Bingo card! Congratulations to him! Great job for the bronze. Beautiful quad lutz. Makes me very happy to see someone from Kazakhstan in the mix again.

Fun competition. I look forward to seeing the whole thing on rewatch. Only saw the top 3.

 

[CrazyKittenLady]

Don't get me wrong, I think the podium is exactly right here and I'm not trying to start another one of these debates, I'm just genuinely baffled. Shaidorov got a q on his opening 4Lz and his second half 4T and 3A. I just rewatched his free and even in the slow-mo these jumps look clean as a whistle to me. Any more rotation and he would overrotate and not be able to land them anymore. Are those calls a bit harsh or have I entered blinded fan-girl territory?

 

[Ruthypegs]

Lucas Broussard was the standout for me of this event - he may not have scored highly this time, but his posture, elegance, skating quality and attention to detail are all exceptional. I'm really looking forward to watching him in future.

 

[Ruthypegs]

i was going to say that he got this made same place as levito's... and then looking further... it's even worse than her white crow dress...

no need for nomination. he goes directly to the GPF of WTF costumes

I like his costume! I think it goes well with the wintry music choice.