Cheers to an Outstanding 4CC

[rain]

However, Cynthia's skates are standouts to me.

She's been down such a hard road and almost quit skating. I knew it would take two years for her to comeback if she did and...Look at what's happening!! What's got me really excited for her though is seeing the fire back in her eyes. Yes she's still skating a bit cautious, but nothing like she did at Skate Canada and unlike the Fall, you can actually see when Cynthia's being interviewed that she's starting to believe in herself again.

I completely agree with this. She could quite conceivably make the top 10 at worlds if she skates there like she did here. I really noticed how much more confidence she is showing on the landings of her jumps. Even at the beginning of the season she looked as if she was never quite sure she'd gotten them. So much more sure of them now, and it only adds to her exquisite presentation. I think she may be one of the best ladies in the world right now in terms of musical expression and program presentation. It's so exciting to see her back and skating so well.

Kim has lovely presentation as well and skated beautifully, as did Rochette. I sincerely hope Asada changes her programs for the Olympic season. She's one the the top ladies who could quite conceivably become Olympic champion and it would be rather disappointing to me if the program she's using now, which I find terribly ho-hum, is what ends up the gold medal skate. I still think, gorgeous skater as she is, that she has yet to make any kind of connection with a piece of music. There's just never any emotional conviction to her performance, yet she has a floating quality across the ice and a lovely natural balletic movement style.

I was really impressed to see how far Virtue and Moir's programs have come in the couple of short weeks since the Canadian championship. I think they're looking on-track for worlds, though it will be six weeks of hard training to get them where they need to be to challenge for the gold medal. But seeing the level of improvement already, I think they can get there.

The judging (especially in men )was absolute garbage. I am canadian, and I was embarrassed. Shameful overscoring of Canadians seriously needs to stop. Now.

This kind of mass generalization is hardly helpful — or remotely true, for that matter. Aside from the arguable scores of Chan (who was still, by the way, absolutely the rightful champion of this event) where else were any Canadian skaters undeserving of their scores? Rochette? Dube/Davison? Duhamel/Buntin? Chipeur? Ten? Crone/Poirier? Phaneuf?

There is no such thing as this so-called "shameful overscoring of Canadians" and I really wish posters would knock it off.