2025 Four Continents Women's Free Skate

[Joekaz]

One thing everyone can agree on: Get Rid of the ridiculous Q. This competition was the Four Qontinents. Landing exactly on the quarter should be much less common than either a clean jump or an under rotation, not more common. Why do the judges pretend to care about being so exact on rotation on landing when they don't care at all about when or how the rotation started on takeoff. Lol

 

[cailuj365]

I think Bradie really had nothing to lose tonight, and her experience really shone through. Neither of her programs are spectacular, but she sells the heck out of them.

Chaeyeon is a machine. I am totally down for her to challenge and put the pressure on Amber and Kaori. I find her expression to be pretty aloof most of the time, somewhat similar to Sarah, but she makes it work for her better.

Sarah was better at US Nationals performance-wise, but she made everything count and comes away with a medal. For an 18-year-old who was a complete unknown even in the US one year ago (and she was 13th at the US Junior level in 2023!), she has seriously made the most of her opportunities. I'm not sure I've ever seen such a consistent skater. She has not had a fall or pop all season (knock on wood in case her season isn't over). I'm actually kind of in awe. Also, now both Sarah and Ilia's mom have something that Ilia does not - a 4CC medal! I hope they rub that in at home and lord it over him.

Yeah, Alysa won't let it get her down, but she certainly knows if she hadn't doubled that salchow, she'd be on the podium here.

Second time in a row where an obvious error on one element cost her either a title (the spin at US Nationals) or a medal (the 2S here). But that's what makes competition exciting - you can't give anything away.

 

[labgoat]

But that raises more questions! Who'd leave a cake outside?!

Per Wikipedia:
"MacArthur Park" was written and composed by Jimmy Webb in the summer and fall of 1967 as part of a cantata. The inspiration for the song was his relationship and breakup with Susie Horton.[4] MacArthur Park, in Los Angeles, was where the couple would occasionally meet for lunch and spent their most enjoyable times together.[5] At that time (the middle of 1965), Horton worked for Aetna insurance, whose offices were across the street from the park.[2] When asked by interviewer Terry Gross what was going through his mind when he wrote the song's lyrics, Webb replied that it was meant to be symbolic and referred to the end of a love affair.[6] In an interview with Newsday in October 2014, Webb explained:

Everything in the song was visible. There's nothing in it that's fabricated. The old men playing checkers by the trees, the cake that was left out in the rain, all of the things that are talked about in the song are things I actually saw. And so it's a kind of musical collage of this whole love affair that kind of went down in MacArthur Park.

My own take is that it is about Alyssa's love affair with skating, then her own breakup with it. The cake was a symbol of celebration of their love affair, but left in the rain after the breakup. The Yi-Haw in the music signals moving on mentally and rebuilding oneself. For Alyssa it is her comeback to experience the good times and joy of skating again

 

[readernick]

Actually, it does. Isabeau's assignment to Worlds is conditional, based on competition readiness. It is not guaranteed and USFS always leaves themselves an escape hatch they can activate. But this is a discussion better continued on the general US ladies thread.

Competition readiness was a requirement. But, outscoring other skaters who participated in another competition isn't. The US never puts off assignments until after 4CC because they don't use it as a skate off. Anyway, if they did, what would these results even show? The skater here who is assigned to Worlds was third among the three participants. Are they going to take Isabeau and Alysa off the team and replace them with Bradie and Sarah? Clearly not. Isabeau might be taken off the team but it isn't going to be because of this event. That will be determined by whatever benchmarks the USFS has set for her over the next month. We know she met the current benchmarks. If she meets the future benchmarks, she'll be on the team.

Anyway, it was a pretty exciting competition. I am particularly excited for Bradie. This is the first time in the last four years, when she has actually been healthy and skated in a way similiar to the way she skated between 2019/2020. I'm happy for her and I don't think it is any surprise that she consistently gets the highest PCS among the three US women here. She is always 100% committed to her program. Sarah did well here but she doesn't perform, she needs better material in the LP, and she needs to work on her SS. Alysa's SP is really great but I haven't liked any performance of this LP so far. She really doesn't know how to sell this type of program and it just seems messy to me.

I am sad for Mone. She isn't my favorite skater but it was nice to see her make a lot of progress with performance and confidence this year. She seems to have lost that all here. Wakaba was very good in the LP. She would have gotten a higher score if she had skated in the last group, but there were probably a few too many mistakes in that progam to think of getting on the podium. Rino is just an amazing skater and this LP highlights that , unlike the SP, the jumps are what they are but the judges should be giving her much much higher SS marks.

Haein's program was good if imperfect. Ahsun is like Sarah but with worse programs and without the consistency. Lots of technical talent. Chaeyeon was incredible and absolutely deserved the win but that score was home cooking! She does not perform in her programs. However, I just watched the gala and she was having a blast in her LaLa Land program. She should get a program like that.

 

[throw_triple_flip]

I'm so impressed with Chaeyeon Kim as a competitor. Mone having that skate beforehand could've thrown her off but she went out and skated like that. Amazing.

 

[museksk8r]

Also, I was super impressed with the American Ladies!! They even trumped two of the Japanese ladies going to Worlds, and two of the podium ladies aren’t even going to Worlds

It makes sense that Bradie and Sarah would go full out here and really attack since they are not having to conserve energy in order to peak for Worlds. 4CC is their world championships. Bradie seems like such a good sportswoman off the ice, is supportive to her competitors, and I know she is a hard worker who has overcome so much adversity, but bless, her programs, music and packaging have always bored me. I fell asleep during her skate last night and I’m again having to force myself not to fall asleep watching her again this morning on replay. She’s never had a program that just grabs my attention to take notice of her. Sarah has the makings of USFSA’s future leading lady and I expect her to gain more confidence in her performance ability as she matures and gains more life experience. I got the impression during Alysa’s FS that this was just a practice run through of her program; she is the most carefree, relaxed skater I have ever seen. I have serious doubts that things are going to go well for Isabeau at Worlds. The technical panel and judging panel are going to have a field day penalizing her jump technique and she is noticeably slower now with worse posture, which should affect her PCS scores as well. It will take a miracle for her to finish top 10 at Worlds if everyone else skates well and if she is judged properly for her faults.

 

[lariko]

The scores hinted at drama and I am here for it heh. Look at that, no Japanese women on the podium, Samodelkina in 7th beating out a lot of big feders, Scizas not even first of Canadians, and Tennell with silver ahead of Everhardt. I expected Kim to win, but everything else seems like a lot of drama on ice.

 

[lariko]

Well, my contribution to drama is that Liu was overscored though her music track was at least not grating vs two women i would have put ahead of her. From TV I would have had Everhardt ahead of Tennell, but one thing about Tennell she is significantly more impressive live. Really curious to see how USFS deals with it, though Tennell is probably all around better and far more American choice.

 

[throw_triple_flip]

The scores hinted at drama and I am here for it heh. Look at that, no Japanese women on the podium,

Rare sight at a 4CC. And no Japanese medals in the men either.

Thank heaven for the Pair team.

 

[lariko]

Rare sight at a 4CC. And no Japanese medals in the men either.

I would even put it as Japan only won one medal, in pairs

 

[4everchan]

I would even put it as Japan only won one medal, in pairs

a few years ago, nobody would have bet anything on Japan's ability to win a pairs medal.... especially gold, let alone being it their only medal at 4CC... Shows the cycles of the sport once again... Even Tran Takahashi, the first Japanese pairs team to win an ISU championship medal never placed above 5th at 4CC...

 

[Joekaz]

Competition readiness was a requirement. But, outscoring other skaters who participated in another competition isn't. The US never puts off assignments until after 4CC because they don't use it as a skate off. Anyway, if they did, what would these results even show? The skater here who is assigned to Worlds was third among the three participants. Are they going to take Isabeau and Alysa off the team and replace them with Bradie and Sarah? Clearly not. Isabeau might be taken off the team but it isn't going to be because of this event. That will be determined by whatever benchmarks the USFS has set for her over the next month. We know she met the current benchmarks. If she meets the future benchmarks, she'll be on the team.

Anyway, it was a pretty exciting competition. I am particularly excited for Bradie. This is the first time in the last four years, when she has actually been healthy and skated in a way similiar to the way she skated between 2019/2020. I'm happy for her and I don't think it is any surprise that she consistently gets the highest PCS among the three US women here. She is always 100% committed to her program. Sarah did well here but she doesn't perform, she needs better material in the LP, and she needs to work on her SS. Alysa's SP is really great but I haven't liked any performance of this LP so far. She really doesn't know how to sell this type of program and it just seems messy to me.

I am sad for Mone. She isn't my favorite skater but it was nice to see her make a lot of progress with performance and confidence this year. She seems to have lost that all here. Wakaba was very good in the LP. She would have gotten a higher score if she had skated in the last group, but there were probably a few too many mistakes in that progam to think of getting on the podium. Rino is just an amazing skater and this LP highlights that , unlike the SP, the jumps are what they are but the judges should be giving her much much higher SS marks.

Haein's program was good if imperfect. Ahsun is like Sarah but with worse programs and without the consistency. Lots of technical talent. Chaeyeon was incredible and absolutely deserved the win but that score was home cooking! She does not perform in her programs. However, I just watched the gala and she was having a blast in her LaLa Land program. She should get a program like that.

I agree about the home cooking for Kim, although it was hardly unexpected since this is figure skating after all, and didn't really affect the order of finish, just the score. Especially with the way they were giving out q like candy, no way she should have been judged clean compared to everyone else. She is such a fast rotator with her technique and so light on her feet that the judges should review every jump because it is impossible to tell in real time. I re watched in slow mo and there were at least 3 times she should have gotten at least a q on jumps that looked ok to me live.

 

[throw_triple_flip]

I would even put it as Japan only won one medal, in pairs

But it was the gold.

 

[Artemisa]

well.. after watching the ladies ... even if I know that high PCS are a combination of other factors then a particular skate .. I think the PCS of sofia S. are very low in relation to the other skaters ... just a little more ( and wasn't need much for her to be near the podium) ...

 

[bigsisjiejie]

<snip> I have serious doubts that things are going to go well for Isabeau at Worlds. The technical panel and judging panel are going to have a field day penalizing her jump technique and she is noticeably slower now with worse posture, which should affect her PCS scores as well. It will take a miracle for her to finish top 10 at Worlds if everyone else skates well and if she is judged properly for her faults.

Agree. And because this Worlds determines Olympic entries for 2026, the USFS should be looking to maximize their chances that their highest two ladies' placements at Worlds can fall within the magic X + Y </= 13 formula. And not to keep a recovering-from-injury and undertrained competitor on the assignment list merely because of tradition or overweighting of her status as last years World silver medalist. Isabeau's longstanding technique problems and how this is finally catching up with her with tech/judging panels, are another topic entirely.

 

[Arigato]

One thing everyone can agree on: Get Rid of the ridiculous Q.

No, everyone cannot agree on X, Y, or Z just because it is your personal opinion. Long live the Q!

 

[Joekaz]

No, everyone cannot agree on X, Y, or Z just because it is your personal opinion. Long live the Q!

Any explanation of why you like it?

 

[Arigato]

Any explanation of why you like it?

It motivates people to do better - I see nothing wrong with that.

 

[Violet Sky]

4CC's is wiping out the top skaters...Piper/Paul; Deanna/Max; Maddie; Chiba, Kazuki, and her my big beef was that pathetic kiss and cry area where who ever decorated it was out to lunch or had no training to consider how it looked on tv.

THe American ladies are looking strong 2,3 4 and Isabeau was second at the Road to 26 and I am guessing will get to go to worlds. I guess you have to respect her as she is the world silver medallist although quite frankly Bradie or Sarah would be fine going in her place. The way things have gone she would not be missed score wise.

The US ladies were solid if not not unspectacular. Just well done skating with solid content and not big errors. Kim has really set herself up as the challenger for the world title if not favourite. Even without some of the top Japanese skaters here it looks like the US ladies, Korea and Japan are ahead of the current Euro crop. Remember Europe has lost this year some top skaters especially Lorena. These other ladies are so inconsistent and appear to be a step down from the very best skaters.

4CC agree had some top skaters pulling out of the gala due to illness. Some bug going around. The US women figure skating team do look strong - all have gotten stronger as the season progressed. Even though Isabeau was reigning silver world champion, she will not be able to compete with on the same level as C. Kim of Korea. Her triple triple combination still looks shady

 

[Violet Sky]

Thank you Jimmy Ma. What a class act - remembering your fellow skaters from Boston club - I’m sure they were like Guardian Angels guiding you to that medal performance. I hope USFS will reconsider World team and put you on along with Andrew and Ilian.