Ladies SP

[Piel]

Who says hard work doesn't pay off

So who determines what "hard work" is? All of these gals seem to work hard. What proof is there that Slutskaya works any harder than the others? Effort does not always equal points earned .

I wonder if the COP was developed to play to IS's strengths much like changes in the value of the LP to help out Janet Lynn? Just a grassy knoll kind of thought.

 

[Doggygirl]

I wonder if the COP was developed to play to IS's strengths much like changes in the value of the LP to help out Janet Lynn? Just a grassy knoll kind of thought.

It's that darn Right Wing Kwanspiracy. Just teasing you - I hope you know you are one of my favorite Kwan fans!! Heck, I'm voting for YOU to be one of the FS commentators of the future!!

DG

 

[cianni]

Red Dog

I agree. Did you ever doubt its setup this way Give points over the top for the SP and no skater can win no matter what. Dont you think the judges have figured that out. The winner will be the skater they already have decided will win. What a setup this is for the OLYS.

 

[Excidra2001]

So who determines what "hard work" is? All of these gals seem to work hard. What proof is there that Slutskaya works any harder than the others? Effort does not always equal points earned .
.

What are you talking about? Thats not what my above post is implying. I'm well aware that all athletes work hard to get to the top of their sport and in the case of Irina, she is now reaping the rewards.

 

[Piel]

But why aren't other skaters who have worked just as hard reaping their rewards? I just don't get why Irina is scored so highly. Granted she has some good points I can accept her being rewarded fro them. What I have a problem with is that she is not marked down for her shortcomings as much as other skaters are for theirs. It's like the COP was written to reward her strengths and ignore her weaknesses.....is it a Slutskspiracy? (Toni, it just does't roll off the tongue the same)

 

[Doggygirl]

But why aren't other skaters who have worked just as hard reaping their rewards? I just don't get why Irina is scored so highly. Granted she has some good points I can accept her being rewarded fro them. What I have a problem with is that she is not marked down for her shortcomings as much as other skaters are for theirs. It's like the COP was written to reward her strengths and ignore her weaknesses.....is it a Slutspiracy?

Who do you think has not been rewarded? Have you seen Irina's SP from today? IMO it was a CLEAR cut above the rest. Once the vid is available for download (I watched it on CCTV-5, but don't have the SW to record it) I plan to watch it compared to Irina's previous PB SP which was GPF last year.

IMO, Mao was just a young joy to watch - my (face) cheeks actually hurt from smiling when she was done. She has lots of difficulty, and yes while she is still a bit "juniorish" in her presentation, I think everything about her package was very good. Not the maturity, powerful jumps, command of the ice, etc. as Irina - but I thought she ended up in the right place.

Shiz - OH I love Shiz. Totally different style than Irina. Finesse. But IMO today, some of her elements were rather tentitive. While her presentation in a general sense is far more developed than Mao, Mao skated with a certain free abandon (nothing tentative IMO) where I think she ended up in the right place too.

Of course, this is all just my opinion. And I ain't the judge.

I'm just facinated by the "wuzrobbed" sort of discussion - I'm totally unclear about who exactly wuz robbed.

DG

 

[Excidra2001]

But why aren't other skaters who have worked just as hard reaping their rewards? I just don't get why Irina is scored so highly. Granted she has some good points I can accept her being rewarded fro them. What I have a problem with is that she is not marked down for her shortcomings as much as other skaters are for theirs. It's like the COP was written to reward her strengths and ignore her weaknesses.....is it a Slutspiracy?

You can take that up with the ISU judges. But If you were to ask me, maybe she is that talented, has the thought ever crossed your mind?

 

[Mathman]

And 10,000 miles way, in the Torino opera house, the fat lady sings.

That's it, folks. Irina's on a pace to go well over 200 points. No one can come within 20 points of her.

MM

 

[Doggygirl]

And 10,000 miles way, in the Torino opera house, the fat lady sings.

That's it, folks. Irina's on a pace to go well over 200 points. No one can come within 20 points of her.

MM

Well, here is what I think we should do about all the latest.

1) Mail Irina her gold Oly medal and conserve our collective blood pressure.

2) Mail MK her popularity medal for Marshall's.

3) Buy Sasha the sort of bridesmaids dress that you really CAN wear again.

Then we can dispense with all this FS season nonsense, and all GET BACK TO WORK!!!!! Bosses will be happy. The Gross National Product depends on this.

DG (HEY I've been up since 3:30, and am a bit punchy. Isn't there some sort of Die Hard Fan award I should get??????)

 

[gkelly]

Doesn't Mao often do 3/3s in the SP?

She hasn't often done 3/3s in the SP because most of her SPs to date have been in junior competitions, which do not allow 3/3s in the SP for junior ladies.

Now that she's on the senior circuit, "often" may become applicable.

 

[rain]

Oh man. Irina is light years ahead of everyone else. I haven't seen her SP performance but they'd better hand her the OGM right now...that is INSANE. If one doesn't think Irina will win this event then that person's totally out of it...

Sorry- I never liked Irina- especially since I don't feel she gets the scores she deserves (esp. now under this new system). But whatever...

I have to totally agree with you and others who have said this is a set-up for nobody to be able to touch her for the Olympic gold. I have no problem with her winning the short program - heck I haven't seen it - but I do have a problem with her scores being SO VERY highly inflated that it looks like she's in another league than the other skaters, because it's simply not the truth. She has her good qualities, but she also has some weaknesses that she has NEVER worked past, eg. her somewhat ugly stroking position (though I would never question her speed), and her lack of musicality and awkward positions she hits - often including her overused Beilmann. Sigh. I wish it looked a bit more like a fair fight for the Olympics, but I have to say, unless Slutskaya has an absolute disaster, it looks like the judges have already made up their minds and the competition is a mere formality.

 

[nymkfan51]

I'm just facinated by the "wuzrobbed" sort of discussion - I'm totally unclear about who exactly wuz robbed. DG

I can't speak for anyone else, but as far as I'm concerned it has nothing to do with a "wuzrobbed" situation. I totally believe she belongs in 1st place for this SP today. It's the out of control PCS scores that bother me. There is no way, IMO, that this performance deserved scores in the 8's. I guess it shouldn't be a surprise though ... we all saw the scores she got at Worlds for a flawed SP, so this should have been expected.
If this continues throughout the rest of the season, the other ladies can forget about any possibilities of Olympic gold ... the judges will make certain that going into the LP Irina will have enough of a cushion to counter any problems she might have.

 

[Tonichelle]

is it a Slutspiracy?

ok you REALLY needed to put an e after the t lol ****espiracy reads better!


ok I really need to get a life or at least cut back on teh caffene intake!

 

[Piel]

All together everybody....... the first syllable in Slutskaya is pronounced like FLUTE not flutz.

Sorry Toni, I thought folks here were above that kind of stuff.

 

[Piel]

DG, I haven't caught her new SP yet but unless there's a new star in the east or something I figure there is about as much chance for her to have developed flow, line, and musicality as there is for Kwan to have a solid 3/3, Bielmann, and classic layback. There goes my chance to sit with Dick and Peggy and flirt with Kurt and Terry?

 

[Tonichelle]

All together everybody....... the first syllable in Slutskaya is pronounced like FLUTE not flutz.

Sorry Toni, I thought folks here were above that kind of stuff.

we are... but I seriously was not thinking slute.... it just didn't read that way

 

[Piel]

I'm just facinated by the "wuzrobbed" sort of discussion - I'm totally unclear about who exactly wuz robbed.

Not saying anyone "wuzrobbed". More like someone "wuzgifted".

You can take that up with the ISU judges. But If you were to ask me, maybe she is that talented, has the thought ever crossed your mind?

Wouldn't I LOVE to do that, LOL! Irina is talented as far as some of her jumps and in back flexibility, other than that I just don't see it. IMO FS is supposed to be a beautiful sport and to me Sluskaya's skating is just not pretty to watch. She always looks clumsy and unfinished. The struggle to get in the Bielmann positions, the crooked leg line, and the skating almost stopping after the jumps just distract so much from her programs. I am willing to be surprised if there has been a vast improvment in those areas since I last saw her skate. I find it hard to believe that being able to Bielmann her way through a program makes up for her shortcomings. To me it just doesn't add up.

 

[Doggygirl]

DG, I haven't caught her new SP yet but unless there's a new star in the east or something I figure there is about as much chance for her to have developed flow, line, and musicality as there is for Kwan to have a solid 3/3, Bielmann, and classic layback. There goes my chance to sit with Dick and Peggy and flirt with Kurt and Terry?

Hi Piel. IMO, IS and MK are VERY different skaters. In many ways, I think they couldn't be more opposite. Irina will never have the sort of musicality and flow you describe (and I'm taking that MK is your standard for that - which is fine - very high standard!). However she has her own style. It's powerful. It's in your face. It's fast, and it's aggressive. When Irina "pulls that off" in terms of a good performance within her own style, I think she is awesome to behold.

I think the same is true when MK pulls off a performance that showcases her strengths - the musicality and flow that you describe. When either one of them does their best, they BOTH command the ice in an exceptional and memorable way. Not the same way, but both in memorable ways none the less.

It's unfortunate that (IMO) we haven't seen one of those from MK recently, where (IMO) we have seen some more recent ones from IS. (and believe me, I don't think all of IS's performances reach her "best" any more than I think MK's performances all reach her "best!") I would say that IS's World's LP 2005, and her SP today were in that sort of category, at least for me.

I regret that I might never see Irina perform live on competition ice. I HOPE that I see MK at Nationals in January - best wishes to her for rapid healing.

I bet that they respect each other. I wish I could bet the same on all the Fantatics.

DG

 

[SusanBeth]

The videos should be available at all the finer video sites by now. Irina's skate was very, very good. There's no question that she deserved first in my mind. Technically, she was swift, sure, and ready. Artistically, I've never felt she was more than ok. I didn't see anything that changed my opinion here. It's all about getting the moves in and the music is background noise.

I simply have to say regarding Amber, "Bless her heart!" I think she deserves props for keeping her chin up and a smile on her face in the K & C. I kept wondering if it were possible to wind up with a negative score. OUCH!!!

 

[Mathman]

It's all about getting the moves in and the music is background noise.

Three words. COP.

I simply have to say regarding Amber, "Bless her heart!" I think she deserves props for keeping her chin up and a smile on her face in the K & C. I kept wondering if it were possible to wind up with a negative score. OUCH!!!

She must have been awful. But she's still going to rock at Nationals. With Angela Nikodinov and Jenny Kirk out of the running, Amber is going to spank the children and get that third spot!

MM