2024 Skate Canada Women's Short Program

[rain]

The "q" for Liu's combo was generous, in my opinion. I could see the underrotation in real time. And I find her music snoozy.

Oh, Sarah-Maude, she was skating so, so well and then bailed on the lutz. They even picked the right kind of music for her this time around — big and powerful, which emphasizes her speed and power.

I prefer Dupuis's stronger basic skating to Kaiya's. Kaiya seems to be working on improving and it's getting better, but the choreography doesn't seem to come naturally to her — she has to think about it — and she definitely deserved the "q" on the first part of that combo. Nice to see her deliver, though.

Yelim Kim is one of my favourites and I thought she was beautiful here. Others could learn something from her carriage, her ease across the ice, and her ability to actually listen to and skate to her music.

I actually thought Maddie was really underscored in the PCS. I know she's right in there with the top group, but I thought she skated that flat out and it was exciting.

I have to watch Kaori Sakamoto's program again to decide what I think. She skated very well here, and there are parts of it that I like, but tango can be a bit of a tough sell for me, and I'm not sure how I feel about the choreography as a whole.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I just watched the competition. If you have VPN, I suggest setting it to Canada and watching the competition on the CBC. Ted and Kaetlyn are a nice commentary team. Kaetlyn gives some very balanced feedback that is totally focused on the material.

It wasn't the best competition from a technical standpoint. But, most of the issues were pops or URs so it wasn't as painful to watch as some.

Kaori was in her own league. Still isn't really performing this SP the way I am sure it was designed, but better than it was at her first competition. It requires more upper body control and performance than comes naturally to Kaori. I appreciate that she is pushing herself. 3-3 is still giving her trouble and her lutz is absolutely a flutz and should be called as such... I like her blonde hair.

I love Hana but I don't particularly love this SP. Her LP is much more in her wheelhouse. Benoit works for some but I don't like what he did for Hana here. Her jumps are questionable in both rotation and technique. (but she's still my favorite here because I don't really care about jumps haha) . I don't think she was performing and she's capable of so much more. Hope she does better in the LP. Rino floats across the ice but the rest of the program was a total mess.

Yelim looked like she couldn't jump in practice but she managed to do better than the Seoyeong in the actual competition. She's a good competitor. I always found Yelim a bit boring but she has some very qualities. Great height on her jumps, good speed across the ice, generally quite empty programs but that allows for flow. Seems like she might get it together and be on the World's team this year. Seoyeong is a beautiful girl. I don't have much to say about her skating. Her placement is correct.

Alysa is such a good competitor. That's always been her greatest strength and I'm glad she is happy. She used to look happy as a junior and that changed the last few years before she retired. I'm glad she is happy again. The SP is nice although not special IMHO. I think she needs more speed across the ice to help with her PCS and that 3-3 doesn't look in any danger of being rotated soon. Maybe it will be by the end of the year. I think she is in the mix for the World's team but that certainly isn't guaranteed. Elyce Lin-Gracey is probably the best skater here from a purely technical aspect. Rotated jumps (when she doesn't pop or fall), good SS, proper edges on her jumps, nice spins. But, she is so inconsistent and the programs could put me to sleep.

I thought that Canadian women here were nice to watch. Madeline has never been my favorite skater but she was really committed to the performance here, seemed feisty, and happy. I really like Sara Maude. She's so powerful and my favorite Canadian woman. Pity about the popped 3Lz. She might have been close to the top had she completed that jump. Kaiya did quite well here. Her jumps are always questionable in technique and rotation. However, I like her skating style and performance qualtiies.

Kimmy did well. I like her SP. I've never been drawn to her skating but she is growing on me and I was impressed by the way she's trying to add height to her jumps. I like Kurakova's program. It's fun but more mature. Good choice. The jumps were what they were.

a good synopsis although I am biased as I have seen many of these competitors live and I am emotionally biased toward them and can not be objective. And I will not be negative against the skaters who I did not enjoy one bit. I do wish the pool of announcers was bigger as this guy, although probably a nice person, had no business being a skating announcer. Thankfully, there were periods where he did not talk. Ted during the JGP is still the gold standard.

 

[Violet Sky]

Congrats to Kaori Sakamoto, Alysa Liu and Kimmy Repond in the Short program at Skate Canada - good programs, music and performance - well done

 

[Violet Sky]

Did Alysa's coach not come?

Philip is her coach and he was with her

 

[Violet Sky]

Philip is her coach and he was with her; Massimo Scali is her other coach but is the coach for the Finnish pairs and I think they had a competition so he was with them.

 

[LazyFuzai]

As long as it's not going to be a nightmare...

Thankfully i fall asleep 10 minutes before it started.Otherwise i would have nightmares for years after this.

 

[Joekaz]

a good synopsis although I am biased as I have seen many of these competitors live and I am emotionally biased toward them and can not be objective. And I will not be negative against the skaters who I did not enjoy one bit. I do wish the pool of announcers was bigger as this guy, although probably a nice person, had no business being a skating announcer. Thankfully, there were periods where he did not talk. Ted during the JGP is still the gold standard.

How on earth can supposed professional announcers still not know how to pronounce Kaori's name? Unbelievably disrespectful.

 

[LazyFuzai]

How could we start with such a beautiful skate that get you in a mood for nice 2 hours and end this with high level one meanwhile the middle is just a miserable joke..

First time seeing Alysa is really impressive.You can feel how good she is.The level is going out of her with every movement.Every moment of this skate was wonderful.

Not happy with Rino performance.Starts with popping 2A? Really?Then it was just getting worse.

Wi?Same as always.Boring and uniteresting choreo.Just non existing choreo part.Stop it please.

Elyce will again be mad at herself.She need to be perfect to be satisfied.That is big plus.Hope she will became more calm for next starts.

Yelim decide last year she will fight with bands and is doing it again.I don't know what's in her kind with this boring program where she struggle to jumps.2 years going to waste.

Ekaterina last 2 years are a joke after coaching changes.Its not even fun to watch her and her awfull dress anymore.

Madeline clean solid short,unfortunately after her good short we know what is going to happen in free so whatever.

Just love to watch long legs and hands of Kimmy in movement.Nice dress and performance,but not having Lutz in short is quite shocking.

Hana again with her strange taste to music . It was really good even tho she pops combination.Hope to see that 3A in free.

And we end with a woman that skating is about.Her levels as always way way way above.Even tho i still think she is too lazy in this program.Can do more especially in part after 2A.Interesting to not see 3L+3T.Easy competition for her unless she works hard to messed it up in long program.

Overall a misery to watch.I thought Skate America was bad,but this was much worse version.I don't know what is going on with girls..Barely any interesting programs,terrible dresses.Not much to watch for now...And it's last season before Olympics.In this tempo figure skating will die before we get here

 

[Rebecca Moose]

Sakamoto was superb. Pure class, musicality for days, easily her best program in years. If I could ignore Bobek's flutz, I can ignore Kaori's.

Alysa solid. Quite good, but I'd like more speed. I regret doubting her fitness level last month.

Schizas was spectacular. Underscored.

Swiss girl, fine and fast. Probably held up by European bloc

Kurakova, baffling, to say the least.

Why was attendance so appalling? I thought I was watching a "senior B" event, not a Grand Prix. Is Skate Canada in even more dire straits than the USFSA? #yikes

 

[TallyT]

Why was attendance so appalling? I thought I was watching a "senior B" event, not a Grand Prix. Is Skate Canada in even more dire straits than the USFSA? #yikes

The attendance for pairs was actually better, still not great but better. I suspect that ID with the Canadians' good chances of medals will also be better.

 

[yelyoh]

You can make that argument. I would prefer the judges get both marks correct. Im sure you agree. Btw, its seems PCS has been very low so far this season for everyone except the chosen one. Lol

Chosen one? Who might that be?

Just like the judges disagree with you on her PCS

Well unlike you I don't reduce skaters to "the chosen one." If you were referring to Alysa then her PCS would have been higher than Kimmie and Kaori, etc.

 

[Joekaz]

I was referring to Sakamoto. She was overscored in her PCS margin compared to the others, which in skating unfortunately isn't unusual for a 3 time champion. And as often happens her obvious e on her lutz was ignored. We both know the political nature of skating.Its obvious who the US and Japanese Fedrations put their support behind, and since both girls have been successful, they will continue to do so. And as we both know, unfortunately the ISU rewards past success in the scoring. Im not picking on Liu, I just like to try to reflect reality and not just compliment the emperor on his new clothes, as many do in this sport.

 

[Demandred]

Looking at the protocols, the GOE variations between individuall judges are pretty wild on some spins, Kaori's combination spin got a +3 from one judge, +2 from another but also two -2 marks and one -3 mark.

 

[readernick]

a good synopsis although I am biased as I have seen many of these competitors live and I am emotionally biased toward them and can not be objective. And I will not be negative against the skaters who I did not enjoy one bit. I do wish the pool of announcers was bigger as this guy, although probably a nice person, had no business being a skating announcer. Thankfully, there were periods where he did not talk. Ted during the JGP is still the gold standard.

We are all biased. We are all just biased in different ways and some of us are unaware of our bias. It's great you acknowledge yours. I don't dislike any skater on a personal level but there are definitely styles of skating I respond to and others I don't. What I think of as boring, others might find beautiful or elegant. Personal taste is truly personal, right? It's great that there is a skater for every fan.

 

[FlossieH]

a good synopsis although I am biased as I have seen many of these competitors live and I am emotionally biased toward them and can not be objective. And I will not be negative against the skaters who I did not enjoy one bit. I do wish the pool of announcers was bigger as this guy, although probably a nice person, had no business being a skating announcer. Thankfully, there were periods where he did not talk. Ted during the JGP is still the gold standard.

Chris Howarth, the commentator, was a competitive skater. He is a former British national champion and competed at the Lake Placid olympics (with a better placement than is the norm for British skaters). He knows a lot more about skating than you have given him credit for here and elsewhere in this thread (e.g. in your earlier comment about him being a golf commentator). His style may not be to your taste, and it isn't to mine either. However, he is doing exactly what the ISU and broadcasters ask from from senior GP commentators. They are told to talk during the skates and explain things in a way which casual viewers can understand. This is why Ted talks during skates when commentating on the senior GP - and also for thigs like Worlds. Ted has mentioned a few times that he gets told that he should be saying more, but that he hates doing so.

 

[4everchan]

The attendance for pairs was actually better, still not great but better. I suspect that ID with the Canadians' good chances of medals will also be better.

The attendance got better with pairs because it was later in the evening. I suspect the attendance over the weekend will be better simply because people are not working or having dinner, after a long day of work. As a Canadian fan who has attended all levels of competition on Canadian soil, Canadian skating fans support every skater, no matter the nationality and appreciate good performances no matter the nationality. So no, I don't think that ice dance will bring more people just because there is a chance for medals... If anything, the favourite discipline in Canada for years was men. (USA fans love their women skaters). Ice dance is popular but even with the successes of Virtue and Moir and many others, pairs are still better known, and singles way more popular.

Of course, just my own personal observation over 15 years or so of watching events from the venues themselves.

 

[4everchan]

For those talking about commentators
I had TED and Kaetlyn Osmond on the CBC network
For pairs, I had TED and KMT

 

[4everchan]

Sakamoto was superb. Pure class, musicality for days, easily her best program in years. If I could ignore Bobek's flutz, I can ignore Kaori's.

Alysa solid. Quite good, but I'd like more speed. I regret doubting her fitness level last month.

Schizas was spectacular. Underscored.

Swiss girl, fine and fast. Probably held up by European bloc

Kurakova, baffling, to say the least.

Why was attendance so appalling? I thought I was watching a "senior B" event, not a Grand Prix. Is Skate Canada in even more dire straits than the USFSA? #yikes

Should have quoted you. i wrote my thoughts on this a couple posts above... Time of day was probably the reason. I will be proven right or wrong today/tomorrow. I bet many people who had tickets skipped the Friday dinner time women SP and just went to the pairs or will only go today and tomorrow.

ETA I blame @TallyT for confusing me saying the pairs were better attended, I assumed they were second but they were first. I'd be surprised that fans watched pairs and skipped Kaori. Very surprised.

 

[Jeanie19]

Chris Howarth, the commentator, was a competitive skater. He is a former British national champion and competed at the Lake Placid olympics (with a better placement than is the norm for British skaters). He knows a lot more about skating than you have given him credit for here and elsewhere in this thread (e.g. in your earlier comment about him being a golf commentator). His style may not be to your taste, and it isn't to mine either. However, he is doing exactly what the ISU and broadcasters ask from from senior GP commentators. They are told to talk during the skates and explain things in a way which casual viewers can understand. This is why Ted talks during skates when commentating on the senior GP - and also for thigs like Worlds. Ted has mentioned a few times that he gets told that he should be saying more, but that he hates doing so.

I like Chris.

 

[Weathergal]

Should have quoted you. i wrote my thoughts on this a couple posts above... Time of day was probably the reason. I will be proven right or wrong today/tomorrow. I bet many people who had tickets skipped the Friday dinner time women SP and just went to the pairs or will only go today and tomorrow.

Not disagreeing with your observations in general, but the pairs was held first last night?