Ladies - LP

[blue_idealist]

This was an ok ladies' event. My personal favourite was Akiko, even though she messed up some jumps. I feel sorry for Mirai, but she was injured, so that could be an explanation. Her score was extremely low though. Miki was pretty good, but kind of dull, like Kurt Browning said, haha. Leonova was pretty good. I think that's everyone who CBC actually showed, and I didn't watch a live feed.

 

[christinaskater]

I love Akiko! Incredible charisma, musicality, soul and passion when she skates!

 

[bigsisjiejie]

Zhu competed with an injury. It was always unclear whether she'd be able to skate the LP.

Then she should have been withdrawn from the competition well before it started, and not risk further injury. This would also have left a spot open for somebody else to be invited, most likely non-Chinese. Yan Liu was scratched also. When 2 out of 3 of the assigned Chinese ladies (= 16.7% of the total field) can't do the competition in their own home territory, expect it to be noticed and commented upon. The excuses don't matter.

 

[museksk8r]

I love Akiko! Incredible charisma, musicality, soul and passion when she skates!

Akiko is a doll! So full of joy and energy! She's so lovable! Beautiful, radiant smile! IMO she had the best programs in this competition by far! Too bad about her performance in the LP; if not for the jump mistakes, she could have easily won this title for the 2nd year in a row.

 

[FlattFan]

Hate to say it but i'm about done putting my faith in Mirai. Injury or no injury she doesn't seem to have the mental toughness to be a champion. All she had to do to medal was stay on her feet and not be sloppy. This was a weak field and she still didn't win a medal. These LP meltdowns are getting to be a habit. Are we seeing the new Sasha Cohen?

The new Sasha Cohen? I think not.
Sasha, at worst, made 2 mistakes and still stood on the podium.
Mirai made about 5 mistakes every times. She's no Sasha. She hasn't even medaled at a GP event yet.
I'm convinced Mirai's Olympics LP was a fluke. That was maybe the only time she did a clean long program.

Thank goodness Akiko is getting the highest PCS in the LP and second highest PCS in the SP. :thumbsup:

 

[R.D.]

While people continue to count out Nagasu- that might be just what she needs- I'll play the waiting game a bit longer. It's still too soon IMO to tell what direction she's headed in. Remember that she was injured for a bit of the off-season period. Also I don't think she is well-known for peaking in this time period anyway. Better now than at Nats.

 

[Blades of Passion]

She still should have been on the podium. Even if you want to disagree with my "the judging system is stupid for discounting the entire 2Axel rather than just the extra jumps", Alena Leonova did 3 Triple Flips. That first "Lutz" was NOT a Lutz. That is a Flip entrance, so one of her Flips actually deserved to be discounted entirely, unlike Mirai's 2Axel.

 

[Krislite]

She still should have been on the podium. Even if you want to disagree with my "the judging system is stupid for discounting the entire 2Axel rather than just the extra jumps", Alena Leonova did 3 Triple Flips. That first "Lutz" was NOT a Lutz. That is a Flip entrance, so one of her Flips actually deserved to be discounted entirely, unlike Mirai's 2Axel.

That turn immediately before the toe-pick makes it so evidently a flip that I'm wondering what the ISU's definition of a lutz vs. a flip is. Her edge was rather flat, too. The tech caller is supposed to be a technical expert, no? He/she should have called it flip or worse a lip (if Alena had an outside edge).

 

[kalle]

Mirai looked very good in the gala though. So smooth, and a great to see a happy smile on her face

http://tvali.ge/index.php?action=sat&channel=70954

(I think the program starts around 12:05)

 

[alexeifan]

Her gala was good but no lutz, flip or sal

 

[burntBREAD]

She still should have been on the podium. Even if you want to disagree with my "the judging system is stupid for discounting the entire 2Axel rather than just the extra jumps", Alena Leonova did 3 Triple Flips. That first "Lutz" was NOT a Lutz. That is a Flip entrance, so one of her Flips actually deserved to be discounted entirely, unlike Mirai's 2Axel.

I agree! She does three-turns before every Flip/Lutz, which makes it a Flip! And she definitely isn't on an outside edge :disapp:

 

[Jammers]

Mirai has certainly grown up in just the months since we saw her last at Worlds. I would even say she looked sexy at the gala. Am i allowed to say that since she's still only 17? LOL

 

[R.D.]

Mirai has certainly grown up in just the months since we saw her last at Worlds. I would even say she looked sexy at the gala.

Wait hold up say WHAT??

 

[ks777]

I really like Mirai's LP this year. I love the way she used her arms and hands, very beautiful.

 

[silverlake22]

Mirai has certainly grown up in just the months since we saw her last at Worlds. I would even say she looked sexy at the gala. Am i allowed to say that since she's still only 17? LOL

I thought she looked great at the Gala too. I really liked her dress, it showed off her nice figure.

 

[Layfan]

Yes, it did. She was OTP by just 2.38 points. With a Double Axel worth 3.3 plus + GOE she probably would've gotten, she would've been easily on the medal stand.

Sigh. Well, regardless of whether she was on the podium I'm sure the most disappointing thing was the skate itself. I really like the choreo - nice spin combo to percussion at the beginning and her costume is great. But after the mistakes, Mirai was just going through the motions, I thought... And her spiral was slow, wonder if there's something she can do about that.

But I really like the program quite a bit and if she can do it clean and sell the performance, I think it's a winner. I don't know if she got behind on training because of the injury or if it's nerves or what but she just needs to practice.

I haven't watched the others yet. Sorry to hear that many thought Miki was boring. It seems she can't seem to find a style that really suits her. I didn't love her SP at all.

 

[R.D.]

Going through the motions? But Nagasu did that last year too.

 

[Jammers]

I just wondering how long we are going to wait until it dawns on us that maybe Miria will never fullfill her potential. She doesn't seem to have it together mentally and maybe never will. Say what you want about someone like Sarah Hughes but even when she was 14,15 she was medaling at senior events and almost always kept it together. She was a bit like Rachael Flatt in that she was solid as a rock but with superior skills.

 

[seniorita]

What song did she skate in the Gala?I thought she was wonderful there, I didnt see much, they cut many performances from the feed!

 

[R.D.]

I just wondering how long we are going to wait until it dawns on us that maybe Miria will never fullfill her potential. She doesn't seem to have it together mentally and maybe never will.

Well, there are two major counterexamples: Nationals 2009 and Olys 2010.

It's not like she's Kostner or Czisny or anything- although I can understand if one only watched last year's Worlds and this year's COC why one would think that way.