Gosh, I just wanted to send a big hug to her! My heart breaks for her. The wipeout on the spin seemed to zap any confidence left in her. I still love her skating so much and hope she can put her injuries and difficult skates behind her!Jr Women FS. Kanon Smith a sad sad skate. I think she has the goods but she totally imploded. Here's to a better 2024 season.
I have not finished, but F/D rhythm dance was amazing. Loved the music, loved the choreography, loved everything about it.Both teams have talent. F/D are quite magical together. And their West Side Story FD is very beautiful and moving. It took so long for F/D's score to come up, which smacks of nitpicking and trying to keep their score down to ensure placement behind W/T. If W/T are scored 111+ in the FD, then F/D deserve at least 110+ if not higher.
Even in the RD, the judges assessed Bella a full point for a fall, but there wasn't a fall. She was in a choreo move in a split position with Vanya twirling her around. Bella did not come up smoothly, she leaned a bit forward before rising to her feet, but it wasn't a fall. The best equivalent I can see is that it was like a lean or a hand down on a jump landing. How is it a fall if she's already down on the ice in a choreo move?
The sport is so unfair. If you examine the scores between W/T and F/D, they were obviously closely scored. Except at Dallas Classic, where both teams debuted, and F/D were assessed music & choreo violations in both programs, which was confounding. Both of their programs were choreographed by top ice dance choreographers who are former ice dancers.![]()
Dallas Classic wasn't made available for fans to view, but apparently Bella had a problem on a twizzle in the RD, and they really dinged her by a lot. So that was the reason for the difference in scores there. F/D made changes, came back at Lake Placid, and there was only 2+ points difference between them and W/T overall, with only 1+ difference between their FDs. How does that suddenly increase at the finals to over 7 pts difference overall, and 3+ pts difference in the FD? To me that smacks of unfairness. Even the icedance.com editor, in her review of Lake Placid, said she felt F/ D were not being given enough credit for their wonderfully emotional WSS FD. She felt that Bella & Vanya deserved to win at Lake Placid. I would agree.
Obviously, it's very close between these two teams. They have comparable skill sets, except that Bella/ Vanya have much more of a connection. Their chemistry is palpable and compelling. Meanwhile, I found W/T's tango somewhat boring. It's effective as a genre for a new team to sink their teeth into, and it highlights their tech skills. But I don't feel a real connection between them yet. I've always admired Katarina's talent, yet her skating has never drawn me in. Still, W/T are promising, but so are F/D. Nationals is gonna be a battle. I just wish the favoritism and unfairness in the scoring was not part of it.![]()
I wouldn’t have taken you for a Def Lepperd fan, @monnvine! It must have been those pink sparkly gloves on Isabella, yes, I can see where those would be more your styleI have not finished, but F/D rhythm dance was amazing. Loved the music, loved the choreography, loved everything about it.
I'm sure I could look it up and figure it out, but did will this qualify them to nationals?Both Wolfkostin & Tsarevski and Flores & Desyatov were great in the free dance but something about F&D just compel me to love them. They skate with such abandon. I love it!I like W&T very much too. They are more controlled and precise. I think the tango suits them.
Yes, from what I understand as it stands now all but the last team qualified for Nationals (6 teams out of 7).I'm sure I could look it up and figure it out, but did will this qualify them to nationals?
Good free skate by Sonja Hilmer. I wanted her to skate 110 in this segment and she did just that. Now I just have to wait patiently for her to hopefully qualify
Edit: Sonja has officially made it to Nationals. She finished inand her score of 163.31 gives her the second highest non-automatic qualifying spot!!!
There were three spots up for grabs, I believe. Now, she just has to fine tune her elements a bit, more to aim to score over 170, to be around 10th at Nationals, where she was last year.
If Bradie WD, it goes from 3 to 4 spots.Do the 3 spots reflect the WD by Bradie? Or will there now be 4 non-auto spots?
She already withdrew. So 4 spots.If Bradie WD, it goes from 3 to 4 spots.
She announced it on IG. Broke her ankle, withdrawing from "the rest of the season."I didn’t know this.![]()
She announced it on IG. Broke her ankle, withdrawing from "the rest of the season."
I disagree, but to each their own. FYI: there are only two music cuts and three music selections, wisely chosen from the WSS sound track to express the love story between Maria & Tony. I think choreographer, Kaitlyn Weaver, did an excellent job, which enhances F/D's strengths, and also sparks their steady growth as ice dancers.I like F/D but all those music cuts made me think I was watching a Free Dance from the late 1970's. They're very good but it was a bit uncontrolled for me. I preferred the sophistication of W/T. Their program appeared much more fluid and dancey. But congratulations to all the medalists. I wonder where these skaters will place at Nationals?