2024 Ephesus Cup | Jan 22-28

[CaroLiza_fan]

The first skater, Elif ÖZCAN (TUR), had a very interesting programme.

She came out in a black dress and black stockings, but the design of this dress meant she didn't have the same problems as the girl I mentioned earlier.

The music seemed to be a typical modern song from a female singer with a voice that is pretty generic, and I was enjoying it. But when I heard a familiar series of notes about half-way through the song that I realised that it was based on Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" music. And that Elif was portraying the Black Swan.

I would love to find out what the song was, so that I could hear it properly without the echoes of the arena.

Needless to say given she was first to skate, but she goes into the lead.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

At the end of the opening group, the only change to the order is that the final skater, Nehir DENER (TUR), has dropped 2 positions to 3rd.

Consequently, the only international skater in the group, Sevinch RAKHIMOVA (UZB), is leading.

We now have an all-Turkish group. In fact, Dener was the first of a run of 9 consecutive Turkish skaters.

EDIT: I only noticed there now. The penultimate skater in Group 1, #4 Sevinch RAKHIMOVA (UZB), and the penultimate skater in Group 3, #14 Amira IRMATOVA (KAZ), are the only international skaters before the resurfacing. The other 13 skaters are all Turkish. ​

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

This music that skater #8 Zeynep Naz DOGAN (TUR) is skating to sounds very familiar. It's as if I heard it only a few minutes ago...

Oh, wait. I did!

Well, the last girl to skate to it, skater #6 Esma OKTEM (TUR), is currently leading. So is that an omen?

It took a very long time for the scores to come through, but Zeynep has gone into 2nd in the FS, and taken the lead overall. So, we have a "Sarabande Suite" 1-2, with the two programmes separated by just 0.85 points in the FS standings.

I should add, the two skaters are not from the same club.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

The Warm-Up for the final group before the dinner break is starting. But, I'm going to pause the stream now and get ready, because it is getting very late to be still sitting around in my pyjamas. There's plenty of time to play catch-up before Group 4.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Well, thanks a bunch!

We spent the first 2m 55s of the programme from skater #13 Defne Gunce KILIC (TUR) watching an empty results area because they forgot to switch back to the rink camera after skater #12 Yagmur Derin KEVINC (TUR) got her scores (she had gone into the lead of both FS and overall). Then we watched an empty spot of ice for 15s, and then the stream reset istelf and we saw Defne getting into her finishing pose.

Defne went into 2nd in the FS, but 1st overall.

And although we heard the music, we didn't see any of it!

Oh, and for the next skater, #14 Amira IRMATOVA (KAZ), it was the other way around. We saw the skating, but the sound was muted!

Amira had a couple of falls. And she had nobody sitting with her.

She went into 5th in the FS, and 3rd overall.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Drat! I missed the Warm-Up because they came back 5 minutes earlier than scheduled.

And I didn't realise because, after finishing catching up on Group 3, I spotted that there was entertainment during the dinner break, and I decided to watch the middle part of it.

About 15 minutes into the break, there was some speed skating. And this was followed by an Ice Dance programme. Not sure who they were, but they were doing a Prince programme ("Purple Rain" followed by "1999").

EDIT: After looking up current Turkish Ice Dance partnerships, I think it might have been Jillian Autumn PREVER / Ağahan Berk DÖRTKOL (TUR)​

Then there was some more speed skating.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Right, Group 4 consisted of the last 2 Uzbek skaters, followed by the last 2 Turkish skaters, followed by the penultimate Kazakh skater.

The two skaters from Uzbekistan each had 2 falls, but still managed to hold onto their positions.

The first of the Turkish skaters, #18 Selin AKBULUT, was from a club in Istanbul. Although not a local skater, the crowd were still cheering her on during the programme. She went clean. And she was delighted when she got her scores, and retained her lead.

The second of the Turkish skaters, #19 Derya TAYGAN, was a local skater. Needless to say, the crowd were really getting behind her during the programme. She went clean too. Afterwards, there was a very happy team around her. But it was very noticable that when her scores were announced and she went into 2nd in both the FS and overall, there wasn't much reaction from the audience.

The girl from Kazakhstan, #20 Sofiya KOVALENKO, was getting a lot of support from the audience. Particularly when she fell and took a while getting up. Because she had another fall as well, she went into 5th in the FS, behind the Uzbek girls, and 4th overall, splitting the Uzbek girls.

And it is all international skaters from now on. I didn't notice before, but the Top 6 from the SP were all different nationalities.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[Orchidea]

Congradulation Elina Goidina from Estonia for winning junior ladies events by 50 points

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

And to end the day, and the Junior Singles competitions, we have chaos! 7 boys, arranged into a group of 3; followed by a group of 4.

Livestream for Junior Men's FS is now on air.

Here is the link for the livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eakC6dabTHM

Here is the Time Schedule:
https://onlinesonuclar.buzpateni.or...JUNIOR----FNL-000100--_StartListwithTimes.pdf

And here is the live scoring:
https://onlinesonuclar.buzpateni.org.tr/Sezon/2024/222801ephesus/SEG008.htm

Hope this helps

ALL THE BEST EVERYBODY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Congradulation Elina Goidina from Estonia for winning junior ladies events by 50 points

Yeah, I thought the lead she had from the SP was massive, but it was tiny compared to the lead she pulled out in the FS! She absolutely demolished the field today!

It's not often you see somebody win a segment by as much as 35.63 points. Or the title by 45.36 points.

After those performances, she had better get selected for Junior Worlds.

By the way, the reason I didn't comment was that I had to rush off to make my dinner, so as to be back in time to watch the chaos while eating it.

And here is the first guy starting now. So, have to go.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

"Hotel California" by the Eagles playing during the Group 2 Warm-Up.

That'll get them going!

Boys, but that song has made some great skating programmes over the years. I wish it would be used more often.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Well, the Junior chaos wasn't quite as chaotic as we normally expect. They largely followed the script from the Short Programme. Only 2 skaters finished the FS in a lower position than they finished the SP. One of them, Furkan Emre INCEL (TUR) dropped from 3rd in the SP to 5th in the FS and overall.

The other was the leader from the SP, Ali Efe GUNES (TUR), who was 2nd in the FS. But his lead from the SP was enough for him to win overall.

The Top 2 were very fortunate that they were so far ahead of the rest of the field after the SP, because neither of them had a great FS. They each had 2 falls, as well as other mistakes. Lukas VACLAVIK (SVK) somehow managed to win the FS with an invalid element as well as the two falls!

Well, now all we have left is the Junior Ice Dance, and the Senior categories. Shorts are tomorrow, and Frees are on Sunday.

I don't know what way I'll approach the next couple of days, though, because this clashes with the Youth Olympics. Which to watch live, and which to delay.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Given that it is now 10 minutes after we were supposed to start, and they are still playing the promotional video on loop, I take it there are withdrawals, and they are starting the competition later as a result.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Day 5 marks the start of the Senior competitions. And we start with a Singles double-bill. 7 girls; followed by 3 boys. The girls are arranged into a group of 3; followed by a group of 4.

Livestream for Senior Ladies SP is now on air.

Here is the link for the livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=saOmcH8_CKk

Here is the Time Schedule:
https://onlinesonuclar.buzpateni.or...----------QUAL000100--_StartListwithTimes.pdf

And here is the live scoring:
https://onlinesonuclar.buzpateni.org.tr/Sezon/2024/222801ephesus/SEG003.htm

Hope this helps

ALL THE BEST EVERYBODY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Finally!

If I had realised this was going to start half an hour late, I would have watched some of the Youth Olympics.

All three girls that were supposed to be in Group 1 are on the ice. So, if there are withdrawals, they must be from Group 2. Or the boys.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

That was strange. Gracheva had barely sat down in the results area, before she left. And we were sitting watching empty chairs while waiting for her score to be announced.

She scored 45.38 points, which by my reckoning is her second lowest ever international SP score after her score from 2023 Europeans. (It would take far too long to look up her SP scores from domestic competitions in Russia. But I suspect it doesn't compare favourably to them either).

Somehow, I think she knew a score like that was coming.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

You know, with the less than ideal lighting, it was hard to identify the skaters during the Warm-Up because they were all wearing black! One of them was wearing a black dress, and the other two were wearing black jackets!

Luckily, two of the skaters had bare legs, so it didn't take long to work out that the one that didn't was Aleksandra. (One occasion where I am thankful for her wearing a jumpsuit!) And then it became easier once Gracheva took off her jacket to reveal her red dress.

Everything she did that was within camera shot was good.

And already it is time for her to skate.

ALL THE BEST ALEKSANDRA!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Lovely combination jump to start. I was worried she was too close to the corner, but there was plenty of space.

Next jump and combination spin were both beautiful.

Hand down to stop a fall on the next jump. Too big too close to the corner.

Combination spin beautiful. As was the rest of the programme.

She got lost coming off the ice. Went to the wrong gate.

Oh. She's on her own.

Awwww. She looks so lonely and forlorn. I just want to go and give her a big hug.

She goes into the lead by 11.19 points.

And you know what - it's her second highest ever SP score!!! Just 0.91 points below her highest from the 2021 Tayside Trophy.



WELL DONE ALEKSANDRA!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Just by the way, all four girls in Group 2 were present and correct for the Group 2 Warm-Up. So, if withdrawals were the reason for the very late start, they must be from the boys, who follow straight after the girls.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Very spread out competition so far. After 4 skaters, there are gaps of roughly 10 points between each of them.

It will be interesting to see where the remaining 3 skaters slot in.

CaroLiza_fan