Replay Lounge 2025 GP de France

[Karoltyna]

I'm not a fan of voiceovers in general. But what kind of program would please you? What recommendation do you have for him?

Running is the answer - energetic and showcasing his strenghts.

 

[lariko]

One interesting tidbit from this weekend is that Ilia has some new jump that he plans to introduce after the Olympic season, but he doesn't want to risk injury this season, so he's holding off.

What I find interesting is not that he can add to the arsenal (a quint? a 4-4 combo?) but that he's not planning to be a one Olympics kind of skater. He intends to continue. I've suspected this would be the case, but I think this is the first time I've heard commitment out of his own mouth.

I noticed it as well. I guess he might try a quintuple, unless rules change to reduce number of jumping passes that would stir him in favor of 4-4 combo to keep the technical score high with 6 passes, 2 combos. But why hurry the next season to come, when this one has barely started?

 

[Karoltyna]

Sorry for going out of topic and general (for the rest, I have no valid opinion to give on Ice Dance anyway).
Even if a song is strongly associated with a movie and a particular meaning, I believe that it remains the freedom of a skater or a team or any interpreter in fact, to stick to the words, or to a general impression, or in fact to interpret it in any convincing way.
I may be called a "purist" whenever Chopin is at stake, yet during the second round of the ongoing Chopin Competition in Warsaw (sometimes dubbed the Olympics of Piano but it's misleading), a Korean pianist, Hyuk Lee, played the (Fifth) Polonaise in F sharp minor op.44 in a coherent and not empty way, without what is considered (out of all witnesses' account, including Chopin himself if I remember correctly) the chief element in the piece, a sense of painful labour (let alone the title time has given it, Tragic, which I have never taken for mine). It was really convincing, and why not, even at the Chopin Competition (I didn't manage a direct link, but one just has to click, sometimes twice, on the corresponding video):

International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

Official website of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

www.chopincompetition.pl

These two candidates had different but excellent interpretations reflecting the traditional feeling of this Polonaise:

International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

Official website of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

www.chopincompetition.pl

International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

Official website of the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

www.chopincompetition.pl

BTW, to continue this offtopic, David enters the stage right now

 

[throw_triple_flip]

I'm not a fan of voiceovers in general. But what kind of program would please you? What recommendation do you have for him?

I didn't say he should change it.
Why would he care what I think anyway?

I may find it a little silly. That doesn't mean I think he shouldn't do it..

 

[midori green]

@DizzyFrenchie
@4everchan
You don't like my song? It's catchy, and lyrics make me laugh. It probably doesn't meet ISU requirements, but it was always fun when it came on the radio. It would definitely be something unique! Just thought I'd share for those who missed its 5 minutes of fame in the late 90s.

 

[Arigato]

A few skaters were asked who their Olympic hero is, while at GPDF:

TikTok - Make Your Day

 

[TwinnerA]

There are more of us than you think. I would love to see what Kaitlyn Weaver, Shae-Lynn Bourne or Jeff Buttle could do with her choreography-wise.

Choreography from a different choreographer would be nice to see. However, I doubt this will happen as Isabeau has had the same coach/choreographer since she was three years old. I wonder if that’s something that US Figure Skating ever suggests to a skater.

 

[Weathergal]

A few skaters were asked who their Olympic hero is, while at GPDF:

TikTok - Make Your Day

I'd love to see more of those. Nika Egadze's made me laugh. I thought Isabeau Levito naming Evgenia Medvedeva was pretty cool - definitely fits!

 

[TontoK]

Cizeron's lifts have never been very good. Throwing huge GOEs at relatively simply lifts, done gliding on two feet or rotating slowly in place, or while throwing snow from his skates while doing just a turn or two is just wrong, especially throwing high GOE for the FD serpentine lift, which was only level 3.)

And throwing PCS 9.5s at an RD routine with a fall on a choreo stunt is equally wrong, as is 10s for a same old Cizeron narrow range of programs - a droning almost beat-less theme, (to showcase his beautiful glide, while hiding his insensitivity to the beat) this time from a movie about the toxic relationships between a very obese man and his relatives (meanwhile fans going on about how well they expressed the intent & nuance of the music, which they think is about blue whales rather than about a fat man. They are deceived by the titles of the songs.)

In comparison, in singles, Ilia, (who similarly has real skills others don't) had to work to get better spin scores. And although people complain about his PCS, nobody is chucking 10's at him. He wants to improve, so he creates his Raspberry entry into a spin combination, and does a Surya Bonaly back flip with a one foot landing, into three turns (brilliant). And he has a miss by doing voiceovers (when you try to improve , some things won't work...and he is only 20). I respect his effort to be better.

Cizeron has no such incentive. Worse, his scores on lifts inspire other teams to do the least possible thing to get level 4 and expect that your other areas of excellence will just magically inflate your lift scores. And the droning beat- less music has been adopted by other teams who also can't manage to hit a fast beat without a metronome pinned to their costumes. I had hoped he would learn or thing or two from Laurence, but no such luck. In fact, I hope he will retire again, after he & Laurence win the Olympics, because I find his FD programs in his style very boring, and I hate the effect on other dancers.

First off, a thousand flowers for the section I highlighted in red above. I've only now quit laughing. I chuckled at the digital butt-kissing this program was receiving, but seeing you call it out is an even bigger hoot.

Anyhow, speaking of being a hoot... Gabi Papadakis is set to release her book in January, and I bet she's got some interesting things to say... just before Europeans. I cannot wait. "You go, queen. Slay!" as the younger folk say.

Edit: And just in case anyone thinks she DOESN'T have anything to say, or that she's going to whisper it: https://x.com/kaorigladiator/status/1980003309147607088

 

[skylark]

These are my favorite quotes from Paula's article on the pairs. From Katie McBeath and Daniil Parkman. I love how their partnership is progressing from tech and artistic sides, and their connection and relationship on and off the ice make icing on the cake!

“I’m just so proud of all the work that Daniil and I have done and put in since Nebelhorn Trophy,” she said. “I just really enjoy skating with Daniil. Ever since I teamed up with him, I’ve been so excited to skate with him because he’s such a wonderful human. He treats me very well on and off the ice, and our elements together work so well. I mean—when he throws me, he throws me so high up in the air. That’s just amazing.”

“Katie is the hardest worker I’ve ever known,” said Parkman. “Sometimes I’m like, ‘Okay, let’s get that off the ice.’ I really admire her work ethic and spirit. I really enjoy her as a partner and as a person to be with. And she has a real special talent for handling Daniil Parkman.”

 

[skylark]

I'm confused. Or maybe just out of it. But if this is the Replay Lounge, where are the replays? there's no Rewatch thread either.

 

[TontoK]

I'm confused. Or maybe just out of it. But if this is the Replay Lounge, where are the replays? there's no Rewatch thread either.

The replay lounge is a new feature where we've been invited to voice thoughts and opinions in an effort to keep the competition threads a little cleaner. It's been moderately successful, although I admit I've muddied things up on the competition threads myself. I'll try to do a better job in future. I think it will catch on.

 

[Marius]

The women's event was definitely the highlight of the competition. I found Ami, while lovely, a little bit overscored in PCS, while Rion a little underscored. There's a maturity to Rion's skating and a finesse in every movement that it's just beautiful to watch. I really hope the consistency she has found rn progresses as the season goes on. Ami is a lovely skater and I think her SP is wonderful for her; her FS is a little bit generic but nevertheless she sells it beautifully. Overall she deserved her win here.
Kaori - just one thing before I start - please get rid of those gloves! They draw attention to her hands which are not always elegant and are overall distracting to me. Also I like gloves when they are part of the dress or are coherent with the music (e.g. her Nina Simone program or Chicago), in this case they are just there. Her programs this year are beautiful, in particular her SP - that Step Sequence might be my favourite one from Kaori, ever. Her free is a little bit conservative but I get it, it's the Olympic Season, you gotta nail your elements. Her jumps still not look quite as sure as they were in the past, she is a little bit slower with the free leg in getting out of the jumps, but the goal for this season is peaking later in the season. This was an encouraging start to her GP campaign (just get rid of the gloves pleaseeee)
Men: Ilia is an amazing jumper. He's just not that amazing of a skater. I like the acrobatic innovations he is bringing in both of his programs this year while not necessarily liking his programs overall. I would not give him 9s in PCS tbh. Good competition for Adam, and hopefully for him a one he can build on for the rest of the season.
Pairs: the free was a mess, apart from Riku and Ryuichi. I love their SPs, but their FS does nothing to me; atm, it's just a series of elements set to a big big music. I hope the program will grow and it will also grow on me.
Dance: the robbery of G/F in daylight is just astounding. I predicted them in 3rd, but having them 4th and with PCS in line with D/S and R/A was surprising to say the least. They've never been a couple deserving of high 9s to me (though their SS are undoubtedly some of the strongest in the field), but having them getting PCS 4 to 5 points lower overall than what they got for 3 straight years is simply wrong.
F/G have a good RD. The FD is not my cup of tea (yet) but well, it works for them. I think it needs polishing.
FB/C's FD is unfortunately amazing and I agree with @DizzyFrenchie that "it remains the freedom of a skater or a team or any interpreter in fact, to stick to the words, or to a general impression, or in fact to interpret it in any convincing way." Is it a groundbreaking program? No. Is it a departure from what Cizeron always did with Papadakis? No. Is it one of the best FDs we have seen in the last quad? Yes. But anyway, support skating survivors.

 

[Magill]

Anyhow, speaking of being a hoot... Gabi Papadakis is set to release her book in January, and I bet she's got some interesting things to say... just before Europeans. I cannot wait. "You go, queen. Slay!" as the younger folk say.

Edit: And just in case anyone thinks she DOESN'T have anything to say, or that she's going to whisper it: https://x.com/kaorigladiator/status/1980003309147607088

Wow, it really seems like Gabby was not wasting her time as is really out for a feast! She could not have chosen a better time for her book !
I am surely in for a read. Knowing who she is up against, I just hope she has some good lawyers and keeps them handy. And that the book is going to be available in English, and not just in French. But I think she's wise enough to have it in both languages.
Thank you for the info and the link! Preparing to make some space on my book shelf.
I bet some photos could be gorgeous too.

 

[streams4dreams]

I'm so curious how Sui and Han will measure up against the top teams here.

A bit off topic here, but this is my first time hearing my favorite pairs team is unretired Do you know how come?

 

[throw_triple_flip]

A bit off topic here, but this is my first time hearing my favorite pairs team is unretired Do you know how come?

No idea sorry!

 

[lileychristie]

Loved the top five women here but I did not agree with the PCS given particularly to Ami. Ami is an amazing jumper and has good SS but her programs are so empty. She's getting far too high of PCS for what she puts on the ice. (TES is deserved..her jumps are great). She should not be getting similar PCS as Isabeau and Rion who have complex choreo, great programs, and who are better performers. That's the magic of high TES that we always see in the mens. However, while men's PCS is often a joke (as it was here) in rarely actually changes the results. I think the PCS given to Ami may have been the determining factor in her winning over Kaori. I realize my opinion about this is unpopular and I've never been a huge Kaori fan so its not really about that. But, to me, the difference in programs was stark and not fairly marked.

I love Ami with all my soul (heck, I even asked for her Fan Fest adoption custody) but I actually agree with you.

I was very surprised with her free skate score, 149 in the first GP of the season is insane. Even Alysa's world-champion winning free skate didn't score that high. Not just the PCS, I thought some of Ami's jumps looked a bit tight (super-deep Japanese knee bend needed to save them) and I was expecting some q or ! here and there, but there were none.

To be fair though, I felt Kaori's score was also slightly inflated (148!!). We could clearly see that neither Kaori nor Ami was expecting those scores.

Which makes me wonder how Ami and everyone else will be scored for the rest of the season. Is this GP France the exception or the norm this season? Is this what they call the Olympic season inflation? What kind of scores will we see at the end of the season......

 

[lariko]

I think it is Olympic season inflation, yes, potentially impacted by the awkward inclusion of Team Teal and desire to place scores for those who compete internationally out of reach for those who do not. There might also be score race this season, with the highest scores on record if they expect the changes to the technical content go in effect next cycle with the score rollback. Sort of the last kick at the can for women scoring into 240s and men into 340s.

 

[DancingCactus]

So, I haven't been following figure skating since the end of last season basically, am a bit out of the loop and not really interested in rewatching the whole event. Any must-watch performances you guys recommend? So far I've seen Kaori's short, Lilah and Lewis's free (whyyyyy a medley, just do Loch Lomond!!!) and Adam's free.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

So, I haven't been following figure skating since the end of last season basically, am a bit out of the loop and not really interested in rewatching the whole event. Any must-watch performances you guys recommend? So far I've seen Kaori's short, Lilah and Lewis's free (whyyyyy a medley, just do Loch Lomond!!!) and Adam's free.

Definitely watch Miura/Kihara and Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps in the pairs event. I would also recommend Ami Nakai's short, Lea Serna's short and Reed/Ambrulevicus's RD. (I haven't watched the men yet myself)