Replay Lounge 2025-26 Grand Prix Final

[noskates]

Just watched the Women's SP. Mone Chiba was amazing. She has such grace and lightness when she skates. BUT - it always makes me smile to see the joy and happiness that Alysa exudes when she skates. You know she wants to win when she takes the ice but you also get the feeling that no matter what happens she's having a good time and is enjoying being on the ice. Wish more skaters had that attitude. Amber - what can you say. She looked nervous and shaky when she started and the 3Axel showed it. And while Kaori has never been a favorite of mine, I have huge respect for what she's accomplished. It was so sad to see her crying and upset after her skate. I hope she comes back with a vengeance in her freeskate in front of her home crowd.

And reading the discussions in here and after other competitions, it seems like some people don't like anything about figure skating anymore. Why do you still watch? The good ol' days are the good ol' days and aren't happening again. Try to find some enjoyment in the here and now.

 

[yfan1]

Why do you still watch?

I imagine for at least some of us it's a job? And for some of us, we watch it because it's been a long time hobby. And for some of us it's recreation - both in terms of socialization, and perhaps in terms of skating itself.

Is there a reason we shouldn't express concerns about what we perceive to be lowered quality of skating?

 

[Mathman]

My conspiracy theory for the day is that Ilia went for that content because he wants the total score World Record before the rules change next year, and he's not going to risk it at the Olympics. So last chance for glory, so to speak,...

If Ilia really wants to set a record, I hope he does Four Continents this year and wins. He and his mom will become the first and only mother-son duo to accomplish this feat.

(Tatiana Malinina won the very first 4CCs in ladies in 1999 . )

 

[Skating91]

Tech panel got it wrong not giving Liu the underrotation on the 3Lo. Sorry to be so no negative, but it I've never seen every call go someone's way.

Missed the unclear edge on the flip again. Mone needed to have the skate of her life to beat it. Rinka it seems the calls always go against her. Kaori the only one with a level 3 step sequence . Amber can win a medal.

 

[lariko]

Why do you still watch? The good ol' days are the good ol' days and aren't happening again. Try to find some enjoyment in the here and now.

I am hanging in there to see if something changes in terms of inclusion for next season. If there is no changes, I will take next season off, because, yes, I no longer enjoy what is being presented versus what I like and the schism is frustrating.

 

[Skating91]

No adjustments required. The "risk and reward" scenario played out perfectly. Ilia went for huge content, he didn't deliver, and now he's down. Yuma went for a more conservative layout, he delivered, and he's up.

My conspiracy theory for the day is that Ilia went for that content because he wants the total score World Record before the rules change next year, and he's not going to risk it at the Olympics. So last chance for glory, so to speak, at an event I'm not sure he cares if he wins or not. So he threw it at the wall hoping it stuck. It didn't - so no record this time, and he's unlikely to win the title, although he certainly cannot be written off.

Even Ilia's backflip at the end of the SP lacked some energy felt like he barely landed it. Maybe the pressure is getting to him?

 

[mrrice]

The real game is the LP anyway.

100%

 

[noskates]

To answer yFan1 (who just joined 3 day ago) it absolutely isn't wrong to express your opinions. That's what this thread is for. But it seems like some have opinions that are always negative, critical, unhappy observations of the sport for every competition. I'm just asking if it's always that bad for you why waste your time watching it. There are still beautiful programs in all the disciplines and skaters with excellent skating skills. Yes sometimes they UR and the judges don't get it and sometimes their costumes or their music is dreadful and sometimes the falls and mistakes are awful, but it's still a sport and each and every skater is trying their best to grow and develop. So far I've been both pleased and disappointed in the Grand Prix final short programs but I'm very much looking forward to the free skates with renewed hope that my favorites will have a good skate. That's all I was trying to say!

 

[ladyjane]

Just watched the pairs Free Skate. Poor Deanna and Maxime. They can do so much better. I don't know what is happening, but I truly hope they pick themselves up soon! Miniki were fabulous. They rightly scored the best Free. I am sorry to say that somehow Maria and Alexei just don't engage me. They skated well, certainly. Just not my cup of tea for some reason (while they seem to be lovely people, that's not it). When Luka lifts, my heart bumps into my face (I thought up this expression myself because this is how it feels). Sara and Niccolo were also great. Their skate was wonderful. I was crying (in a positive way). Not so with Riku and Ryuichi. I love them, but I would rather have had them 2nd or 3rd this time. They seem to be held up, and it's not good if you're remembered for that.

 

[Karoltyna]

Just watched the pairs Free Skate. Poor Deanna and Maxime. They can do much better. I don't know what is happening, but I truly hope they pick themselves up soon! Miniki were fabulous. They rightly scored the best Free. I am sorry to say that somehow Maria and Alexei just don't engage me. They skated well, certainly. Just not my cup of tea for some reason (while they seem to be lovely people, that's not it). When Luka lifts, my heart bumps into my face (I thought up this expression myself because this is how it feels). Sara and Niccolo were also great. Their skate was wonderful. I was crying (in a positive way). Not so with Riku and Ryuichi. I love them, but I would rather have had them 2nd or 3rd this time. They seem to be held up, and it's not good if you're remembered for that.

I guess they don't need to peak at GPF, there is much more important competition ahead and maybe they are still in progress. TBH I wasn't so sure if Italians should be ahead of Germans. I know it was all about SP score, but still I'm uncomfortable.

 

[cathlen]

I watched Pairs FP while peeling potatoes, so I couldn't write in competition thread, but I'm so glad the Germans had a redemption skate, I absolutely loved it! Also, while still peeling potatoes, I finally realized whom Nikita reminds me of. Daniel Day-Lewis in "In the Name of the Father".

 

[Karoltyna]

I watched Pairs FP while peeling potatoes, so I couldn't write in competition thread, but I'm so glad the Germans had a redemption skate, I absolutely loved it! Also, while still peeling potatoes, I finally realized whom Nikita reminds me of. Daniel Day-Lewis in "In the Name of the Father".

calling @elektra blue

 

[Mathman]

No adjustments required. The "risk and reward" scenario played out perfectly.

Yes, it did. The risk-reward thing seems to be in nice balance... for the short program. If you flub on your top point-getters, that is reflected in the placements.

In the LP, though, the equation is a little different. It is quite possible for a super quadster to tally up so much base value that he can make multiple mistakes and still dominate over competitors that skate better overall.

 

[Arigato]

Missed the unclear edge on the flip again.

I entered my own statement about the difference in visibility of edges between flip and lutz into AI and the response was:

Yes, you are correct; spotting the proper inside edge on a flip jump is generally considered more subtle than identifying the strong outside edge required for a lutz.

This difference stems from the fundamental mechanics and entry patterns of the two jumps:

Feature

	Flip Jump (Fl)	Lutz Jump (Lz)
Required Edge	Backward Inside Edge (BI)	Backward Outside Edge (BO)
Typical Entry	Usually a 3-turn or mohawk turn	A long, straight glide backward toward a corner
Rotational Flow	Co-rotational (direction of edge matches rotation)	Counter-rotational (edge curve opposes jump rotation)
Edge Visibility	More subtle/quick; the ice trace is often straight or only a slight curve	More pronounced/sustained; a deep, clear curve is visible on the ice

Why the Flip Edge is Subtle


The flip jump typically uses an entry that flows naturally into the direction of the jump's rotation (co-rotational). The skater transitions quickly onto the inside edge just before picking into the ice. This makes the edge engagement subtle for both the skater to "feel" and the judge to visually identify.


Why the Lutz Edge is Pronounced


The lutz jump requires the skater to actively push against a strong outside edge while rotating in the opposite direction (counter-rotational). This demands significant edge control and a visible lean to maintain the edge against the rotational impulse. The sustained nature of the entry and the required deep lean make the correct outside edge much more obvious when executed properly. A common error, the "flutz," involves the skater flattening the blade or switching to an inside edge just before takeoff.

Technical panels at competitions examine video replays to check for these edge violations, using visual cues like the depth and shape of the skate blade's trace on the ice.


Some people used to complain about Shoma's inside edge, when in reality the mistake was their own.



Just because the inside edge of a skater performing a flip may be unclear to you does not mean it's unclear to anyone else, and more specifically: the tech specialist.

 

[Jammers]

If Ilia really wants to set a record, I hope he does Four Continents this year and wins. He and his mom will become the first and only mother-son duo to accomplish this feat.

(Tatiana Malinina won the very first 4CCs in ladies in 1999 . )

Ilia thinks so little of 4CC that he always skips it so why in an Olympic year would he go with the Olympics right around the corner?

 

[Arigato]

How many quads did they do?
They cheated their jump!
Can't skate clean to save their life.
The judges got it wrong again.

Yadda, yadda, yadda.

But did anything actually move you? Yes. I was moved. Alysa Liu's SP. The magic never fades: It transports me to another place. To have that in skating is a treasure. I wish we had more of it. Good luck to the men in their upcoming FS even though Ilia will again tell me, "I know nothing."

 

[Jammers]

I love how people are saying that they wish skating was like it was back in 2017 but people were bitching back then that the good ole days were gone according them the men were doing too many quads and the ladies was just turning into a jumping contest with horrible backloaded programs that had nothing but jumps for the last two minutes.

 

[Mathman]

But did anything actually move you? Yes. I was moved. Alyssa Liu's SP. The magic never fades: It transports me to another place. To have that in skating is a treasure...

'Tis.

 

[Mathman]

Ilia thinks so little of 4CC that he always skips it so why in an Olympic year would he go with the Olympics right around the corner?

To honor his mom, Olympic gold medalists come and go. Your mother is a forever friend...

 

[throw_triple_flip]

I imagine for at least some of us it's a job? And for some of us, we watch it because it's been a long time hobby. And for some of us it's recreation - both in terms of socialization, and perhaps in terms of skating itself.

Is there a reason we shouldn't express concerns about what we perceive to be lowered quality of skating?

You're entitled to your opinions but I admit I find it a little odd to for someone to continue watching something if it makes them so unhappy. It makes me wonder if the negativity is the point for some people.

Even if you skate that doesn't oblige you to watch current skating competitions.