COI open rehearsal on Friday

[nymkfan51]

Didn't see this posted already. Anyone in the Binghamton area might want to check it out.


http://www.pressconnects.com/thursday/news/stories/ne040104s78810.shtml

 

[Mathman]

Thanks for posting the article, Nymkfan. That's a nice opportunity for the Special Olympics. Two cool pictures of good friends Sasha Cohen and Johnny Weir and of Michelle and Elvis! I have read that Elvis, along with Brian Boitano and Dorothy Hamill, when they were in the cast, were Michelle's best buddies on tour.

Mathman

 

[show 42]

Nice article....I would assume that Michelle and Elvis have a lot in common and thus a lot to talk about.......both have numerous National and World Titles, each have two Oly medals.......but no Gold to add to their collection........I wish COI were coming my way, I would love to see Johnny Weir and Sasha skate.....haven't seen those two yet.........42

 

[brenlynn]

i really wish this would have been announced sooner, it's within a few hours of me and would have definetly been worth the drive :\ ah well, hopefully someone on the boards will get to go and report back! sounds like a great idea!

 

[heyang]

I'm actually surprised that they allowed this due for security reasons. After all, what's the difference between open show and backstage passes, which are no longer offered (unless you know someone.)

 

[mzheng]

Just come back from the COI show (NJ). It was great, much better than last year.

I love both Michelle and Sasha new numbers. Michelle landed that beautyful lutz just like she did at Worlds gala smooth exit edges. I was thinking only if she didn't miss it twice at Worlds. LOL. Sasha's new number might be the work of Robin a lot of curved edges. Her edge quality really improved a lot in past year. And I think winning a silver at Worlds really help her confidence. Her skating really shows. Now talk about a dead horse. The spiral? Both of them performed the COE, in arena view MK's better hands down. Sasha's change edge part was in a 45 degree strate line, while MK's in true S pattern.

S&Z were great, especially their delaid twist and huge throw. They skated with such an emotion that I seen several ppl gave them a SO. Watching T&M alive, I really apreciate their beautyful line and smooth edges. But I can't help thinking they could not skating at Worlds Gala but COI, but I'm glad they made it at COI so I was able to watch them alive.

And glad Tim is back to skate again. He landed all his jump no problem.

On a side note. If you want get good seat don't buy from website, go box office 2 or 3 days before directly. We got 108 section 16 rows at ticket price ($65) it would've cost more than $200 at some websites.

 

[imanta]

so you got to see Michelle and Sasha's new exhibitions!!? What did Sasha's dress look like? Did Michelle have a new exhibition too?

 

[Ogre Mage]

MK and SC new numbers

Michelle Kwan is skating to "You Raise Me Up" by Josh Groban. I believe this is the first time she has skated to a male vocal.

Sasha is skating to "My Fair Lady" in honor of her idol, Audrey Hepburn.

 

[dorispulaski]

mzheng,

Did Tim do the 3S or 4S in the performance?

The people who watched the COI rehearsal said it was a 4S there.

 

[mzheng]

Sorry, I didn't pay attention to 3S or 4S. But all his jumps were great and secure. Given his Nats performance,I think at this point the important for him is to get the confidance back. And from the look of hist skating. He dose.

I forgot to mention, I really really like this year's COI costumn theme, all in shade of sky blue color, very pretty. The one MK's wares for group number is gorges. She use her Nat's SP costumn for her solo number.

And it is good to see Irina and Elena teamup do a group number in four.

 

[Koroleva]

Irina and Elena team up? I had heard that they do side by side spins...

It would be adorable since they are very good friends.

 

[mzheng]

It would be adorable since they are very good friends.

Yeah. I forgot the 2 male skaters who teamed up with them for a group four number.

Now come to think about another thread that talking about IS and MK's friendship. I guess with Irina and Elena both in COI tour and spend much of leisure time together, MK has to go with S&Z. Hope MK's broken manderine gets improved during the tour. Shen had a lot respect to her in an after SLC interview that I read from SinaSport.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Mzheng, I'm interested to know what Shen said about MK in that post-SLC interview you read, if you remember.

For some reason, I'm interested in what skaters think of other skaters outside their discipline.

 

[mzheng]

Following are the part of translation from a chatting with fans on SinaSport conducted at 2002/3/01 (I'm afraid some place I didn't get the esense in chinese to english):

Q: What's your take about Kwan's mistake in LP?

Zhao: We felt very pity (for mine lack of better word here). We were good to each other off ice, and sometimes we performaned together. Sometimes we went to congratulation her after the competetion, she was very warmly.

Shen: Every skater (MK) has kept the top form for four years, It is very difficult. It was really not bad at all.

Zhao: A little pity (for mine lack of better word again). She could've do the best, but Olympics is Olympics, the pressure every athleter felt was totally different.

BTW, in the same interview, Shen also mentioned it is really very difficult to performe high risk elements and at the same time go out emotionally to express yourself.

That's why I loved all MK's performances after 2003 season. Some of her pre 2003 season's skates, (such as 1996 worlds, 1998 national, 2000,2001 worlds, and many more) good or great as they were, but never gave me the feel she went out of her shell to perform. It was untill last season I saw that in MK and also in S&Z's skating.

 

[Koroleva]

Yeah. I forgot the 2 male skaters who teamed up with them for a group four number.

Now come to think about another thread that talking about IS and MK's friendship. I guess with Irina and Elena both in COI tour and spend much of leisure time together, MK has to go with S&Z. Hope MK's broken manderine gets improved during the tour. Shen had a lot respect to her in an after SLC interview that I read from SinaSport.

Well I didn't think they were that close to begin with. I mean weren't Elena Berezhnaya and Michelle friends? That didn't last too long. I know that Elena and Irina have been good friends probably longer than Irina has been a friend with Michelle. I don't think that she'll just have to go to S&Z. They seem like they all enjoy touring together.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I think Irina and MK are friendly towards each other during tour and when they see each other in competition, but like most people, I don't think they are close friends.

About Elena Berezhnaya and Michelle, I remember in an online interview when a fan asked MK who her favorite people to hang out with on tour, she listed Elena Berezhnaya as one of them.

Not sure how true this is, but I heard that when COI had a break some years ago in SoCal, MK invited Elena to her house and to go to Disneyland with MK and her family.

I doubt they speak with each other anymore though since they are both doing their own thing.

 

[IDLERACER]

Now THIS is a funny photograph. One can almost visualize a thought bubble above Sasha's head with the words "Man this guy is good! He's like Yuka Sato and Richard Simmons rolled into one!"

 

[mzheng]

Well I didn't think they were that close to begin with. I mean weren't Elena Berezhnaya and Michelle friends? That didn't last too long. I know that Elena and Irina have been good friends probably longer than Irina has been a friend with Michelle. I don't think that she'll just have to go to S&Z. They seem like they all enjoy touring together.

Actually I never thought they were that close as ppl like to think. But just that during the toure, if you need to hang out with someone, then there was Irina about the same age as MK. Now with Irina has someone else to hangout. And given the fact that neither S&Z is fluent in English, she might like to help out and they might tend to get along with.