Is there a video of Caroline? I want to see her 3F/3T for myself. She got the biggest TES of the evening! Against quite a few girls with much sounder jump techniques. That's remarkable! Hard to believe that the technical panel would grant any special favors to a newbie who just had probably the largest number of downgrades in a GP (5). Plus the judges certainly seemed to be holding her down through the PCS. No Chinese member in the tech panel, I don't see why Caroline's Chinese last name should make any difference.
When I was watching Yu-na, I couldn't help thinking that this is the kind of music that naturally fits Mao, because it has this steady, bouncy cheerfulness to it, and no drama at all. It's just not as fitting for Yu-na, who's particularly good at interpreting dramatic music that have highs and lows. This hides her strength, while enhancing her weaknesses, like her lack of toe-pointing, etc. Mao actually has better positions frame by frame. I understand Yu-na wants to challenge herself this season, and skate to something really different -- better figure out now what's good for you rather than wait for Olympic year.
Her jumps all had great height and distance, even the 3F was great on take-off and in the end, just the dodgy landing. Maybe she's a bit nervous? I bet even with that wonky 3F landing, normally she could've salvaged the combo with a decent 2T? She looked so mad at the end of the program...
I think this will be a little like SC, with Yu-na coming back from behind to take the gold. I just hope Caroline doesn't fall out the podium like Emily, and Carolina dropping to the bottom of the pile like Laura Lepisto! (Actually, thinking about Carolina's many disastrous LP's, it suddenly fills me with angst.)
One last thought on Caroline's dark circles under her eyes -- must be the eye liners smearing on her second outing with makeup, she's too young to be having "bags"!
