Javier Fernandez

[evergreen]

It is said that Javier has arrived at Beijing and went for practice at the main rink this afternoon.

I will leave for Beijing tomorrow and meet Eppen there. Ironically, although all the major social medias are blocked in China, I can assess to this forum even though the connection is painfully slow. We will sure keep you updated on Javier at COC.

 

[xeyra]

Good luck, Javi!

 

[Mussique]

Oh my!!! I'm so nervous! Good luck Javi!! @evergreen, @eppen, I hope you have a great time there!
edit More social media links!
Yup, he's arrived and apparently there are postersabout the competition in the city :luv17:
And we should be getting ready be getting ready!!!
(I know I'm not )

 

[eppen]

It is said that Javier has arrived at Beijing and went for practice at the main rink this afternoon.

I will leave for Beijing tomorrow and meet Eppen there. Ironically, although all the major social medias are blocked in China, I can assess to this forum even though the connection is painfully slow. We will sure keep you updated on Javier at COC.

Oh that's why... I was wondering about earlier - how funny is that! This is good news and we'll see how much can be done when we get there. No practices open to the public which is always a pity...

I am curious to see have they done anything to the SP costume - the JO gala one was different from the one in ACI, but will it be that, the ACI one or something else? And will he be able to get the FS step sequence finally to level 4?

E

 

[Jaana]

It was great to read that Javi and his skates have arrived safely in China... Besides, now there is a practice video of his freeskate on the Cup of China forum / practice reports, the link posted by Eclair:

https://m.weibo.cn/status/4169595789765475

 

[evergreen]

I have arrived in Beijing and checked in the hotel just next to the official hotel. Grabbing a drink at the lobby bar at the official hotel, no skater has showed up but an ISU officer. Tom Zakrajsek came later for dinner.

 

[eppen]

The fs runthrough was excellent - well, apart from the first two quads... - the second jump section worked like a dream and he has a new end pose!!!

In Helsinki waiting for the flight to Beijing...

E

 

[tureis]

I can't believe Javi's first GP is upon us! :hopelessness: The 2nd half of that practice was indeed wonderful. The highlight to me is the 3Lo, and I adore everything leading in and out of that jump! It's just so incredibly seamless and elegant.

Have a fabulous time eppen, evergreen, and cheer him on for us!

And of course most importantly, best of luck to Javi!

 

[rosacotton]

Gah, I am both so excited and so nervous! Go Javi!!!!

 

[xibsuarz]

Only a few hours left until the SP! Vamos Javi!
Oh and do we know which coach went with him? Was it Tracy?

 

[eppen]

I have arrived safe and sound - an uneventful journey is the best kind! We found each other at the enormous airport easily enough and got to the hotel with no problems.

When I got to my room, it was clearly an added bonus - the window faces the entrance to the official skaters hotel and I have the perfect opportunity to stalk people walking to and from the rink... this happened about when men's SP practice was starting, so we stops by the window a little while wondering when one Javier Fernandez might pass by...

And then he did - on his own. Most others had coaches or other people with them... Grey pants, blue shirt, blue bomber jacket, white sneakers. Looking relaxed and signing and selfieing for fans on the short distance.

I am sure they have not sent him on his own to his first real serious comp of the season...

And btw Mussique, I have met him at close range in meet and greets in the recent years and those eyelashes are ridiculously long around his eyes which are more like plates in his rather narrow face...

E

 

[eaglehelang]

There's no news or sightings of who is the coach accompaying Javi and Gabby at COC?
Or they still rushing the visa for Brian Orser's replacement?

 

[Mussique]

Practice looked good! A new interview with Javi. Some Spanish media coverage about his first big competition of the season

That's great eppen, evergreen!! Cheer for him extra loud for him!! Thanks so much for the reports (I'm super envious you got to meet him, eppen! But I hope you can do the same in both his GPs this year so you can tell us all about it!)

Does anyone know what's he doing as EX this year?

Aw, I'm really worried about Orser. I hope they don't run into any troubles with visas and stuff!

 

[eppen]

Well, this is life, I guess? We had figured out that Lee Barkell would probably be there standing in for Brian because he was here for Gabriella Daleman.

I don't know how much of the warm-up you saw, but Javi was having a rough time. Lots of traffic preventing his quad combo tries and was getting visible upset about it. On the last try there was even a bit of shouting, but then it worked out. He finished with a pretty 4S.

He does not like to skate last and again got to hear Kolyada's good result. His coach was out of play. Who knows what his mindset was in the end...

We were upset... but the program is overall absolutely gorgeois live, somehow even bettet than on tv because you can see the use of space and all. Hope to get to see it perfect! The audience was reacting audibly to the spins and the steps because they were soooo good.

Tomorrow we will cool and clear our heads by visiting pandas before the FS.

E

 

[tureis]

Well that was a rough skate to say the least. And it's such a shame because the program really is glorious. But he did try his best not to let the jump mistakes bring down the performance. It will be something to behold when the jumps will be there. But I do think he was lucky to place 3rd now...

I would think a skater of Javi's caliber and experience shouldn't get phased by a 103 when he knows he can top that. But then again, look at what happened in Helsinki... I just hope that wasn't a contributing factor here because these sort of marks are now flying around all the time, from more and more skaters.

Having to do this without his coaches must definitely suck though. I don't recall him ever skating at a major event without both Brian and Tracy. It didn't even occur to me until this morning that neither of them would be there because it would be impossible for Tracy to arrange a visa in such short time. Oh well, if this has to happen, better now than at the Olympics.

I guess things can only go up from here, so I hope he'll be able to clear his head and put out a good FS tomorrow.

 

[Jaana]

Eppen, thanks for the report! Oh, it was disappointing to watch as he failed in those jumps, but it was a great program and he did not give up! Actually it is good for him to get used to listen to other skaters´ big scores, because that is going to happen this season a lot, I´m afraid.

Anyway, tomorrow will be the freeskate and it might be another story as there will be a question of stamina and I´m sure that Javi has done a great number of run-throughs by now. Hoping that it will be a good jumping day for him!

 

[DelRetiro]

Good and bad in Javi's SP. The bad is obvious, yet I thought there was a lot for Javi fans to feel good about. First, how he was able to perform the rest of the program so well despite the jump struggles. Watching the balance of the program, you never would have known that Javi botched the opening jump combination. His spins and step sequences were the best I've ever seen from him. Probably as the result of his overall presentation, I really liked this program whereas this SP left me pretty lukewarm the first time I saw it. But when skated properly, jumps aside, the choreography really comes alive.

Hopefully Javi can pull it together in the free. He knows that a lead in the SP, even as big as 13 points, doesn't guarantee a win. But more important than his final placement, I want to see Javi make the choreography in his free skate come alive just like he did in the SP.

 

[cathlen]

The program itself is really, really good. He's just that awesome of performer. What's left is jump execution But I'm not worried. The jumps will come to him, I'm sure.

 

[Bcash]

I agree, both of his spins looked the best I've ever seen them. Step sequence is just a brilliant piece of choreography and he executed so well.
Hope he has a more settled mental state going into the free.

 

[Sam L]

The step sequence, the skating skills, the spins were so perfect. If only the jumps were there for the SP. I wish him luck for the FS, I'll be cheering for him.