Ladies SP

[Buttercup]

Katrina is 18.

Toni, ITA about the pressure. I think there's a difference between saying someone has potential to be great vs. labelling them as the next great hope of US figure skating at the age of 14. No 14 year old should have to deal with that kind of pressure, no matter who good she is. Let the skaters grow and learn.

 

[ManyCairns]

TA with Toni and Buttercup. I think fans as a group have a tendency to get way too excited about a skater after one or two fabulous comps ~ and then just as quickly dismiss them after a bad showing.

NHK is exciting so far! Thrilled for Wagner, hope Suzuki, Phaneuf, and the rest keep it together for the LP. Glad Johnny had a good program even with a cold and WOW fun to see Rena and John lying in second.

 

[Kinga]

Wow, quite a good ladies event!

I will start with Ashley,because her program just wowed me! It was lovely!! She was charming and definitely became more beautiful too .

Am I the only one feeling she looks like Czisny at times in this SP:think:

Yes, I had that feeling too!
Back to Ashley's skating - spins were great, steps were going nicely with the music, she had great speed and excellent expression. People loved her!!! And so did I!

Mao - it was a nice performance, but Ashley impressed me more. Anyway - I liked it although I am not into Mao skating too much, but I guess that this year she has a chance to charm me (I find her LP very interesting). However, I did not like the spins and the spiral. And the make up!

Nakano - I like her very much, but I found her SP boring..

Lepisto - nice choreography, good skating skills, every time I see her she is more and more 'convincing'

Finally, I enjoyed Katrina. She was sweet! So many small details were so nicely emphasized in her choreography. And what a spiral sequence!

 

[Medusa]

I think that musicality-wise Suzuki is in a league of her own among the ladies, comparable to Chan, Weir, Abbott and especially Lambiel among the men. She is just astonishing, the way she stays in the music, every movement has a meaning. I just love it. But she only got the 6th best PCS. That's a pity.

 

[ks777]

I think that musicality-wise Suzuki is in a league of her own among the ladies, comparable to Chan, Weir, Abbott and especially Lambiel among the men. She is just astonishing, the way she stays in the music, every movement has a meaning. I just love it. But she only got the 6th best PCS. That's a pity.

I haven't seen Akiko, Ashley and Hacker yet. Can't wait!!

 

[Medusa]

You know, Ladies is just not my thing and therefore I only watch the few that interest me, this time Suzuki and Asada. But then I thought - Ashley Wagner is still quite new, you can give her another shot - and, boy, was she great! Amazing! The way she rushes into her jumps is actually quite sneaky, it's probably really hard to see wrong edges etc. - but it also makes the program very enjoyable, everything went fluently from element to element... And she looks as if she is really enjoying it - compared to Zhang who kind of looks as if she is in constant pain, Flatt looks as if she is reading from the telephone book... What a fantastic performance for Wagner, really amazing.

 

[ks777]

You know, Ladies is just not my thing and therefore I only watch the few that interest me, this time Suzuki and Asada. But then I thought - Ashley Wagner is still quite new, you can give her another shot - and, boy, was she great! Amazing! The way she rushes into her jumps is actually quite sneaky, it's probably really hard to see wrong edges etc. - but it also makes the program very enjoyable, everything went fluently from element to element... And she looks as if she is really enjoying it - compared to Zhang who kind of looks as if she is in constant pain, Flatt looks as if she is reading from the telephone book... What a fantastic performance for Wagner, really amazing.

I agree with you, I was so impressed by Ashley!! Can't wait for her LP tonight!

 

[propronia]

I have an understanding that the UR call of Mao's 3F+3Lo is a message from the tech panel to be careful about GPF. They must be determined to nitpick on Mao's every move in Korea. A borderline 3-3 could be an easy target. I don't think there's anyone who can see "very underrotated" by one sight unless he/she doesn't know how to count rotations of loop jumps. Even the commentator Arakawa says "it could be underrotated from an angle" after watching a slow motion. And from another angle, she says "it seems fully rotated." Asada and Tarasova have two options -- changing the combo to 3F+3T or using a "long jump" technique like she did in worlds SP. Either way, she'll be much stronger in two weeks.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I honestly thought that Mao's program was 100% clean jump-wise. I didn't see the flutz or the underoation.

Ashley though does not even try to hide her flutz. It is actually a flip it is so unlike a lutz. I really liked her program...but you guys were right about the lenient technical caller.

 

[ks777]

Was Todd Sand the tech caller? Is Jenny Meno there too?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I honestly thought that Mao's program was 100% clean jump-wise. I didn't see the flutz or the underoation.

Ashley though does not even try to hide her flutz. It is actually a flip it is so unlike a lutz. I really liked her program...but you guys were right about the lenient technical caller.

ooo. You have eyes that even the tech panel doesn't have.
Mao won the SP only because of a lenient Tech Panel? Mao has quite a Tech repertois. I thought the panel was comprised of 3 different nationalities. No conspiracy for me.

 

[lmarie086]

Just watched Ashley's SP. I've got to say, that was something special IMO. From the very start of the program she held my attention; just beautiful the way she moves across the ice. She could stand to slow down her movements even a little more still, but her energy and enjoyment of skating comes across loud and clear. I especially love the moment when she enters into the spiral sequence; that note of the music is just wonderful.

And that's a great score for not having a 3-3. Is she planning on working up to it later in the season? With one, a clean SP would get even higher.

Can't wait to see her in the LP; off to watch some of the others now.

Edit: just watched Mirai. Some really great characterization going on there. She has a fun personality that shows through the program. Unfortunately, so problems with the jumps but I still thought it was a lovely performance- better performed than at SA. I could still personally do without what I see as a few gimmicky moments in the choreography, but I realize others might not see it that way. Still, really enjoyed watching her skate.

 

[Mathman]

^ Thank you for that post, Imarie.

To me, this thread is the perfect excample of what the IJS has reduced figure skating to. The majority of the posts are not about skating and skaters, but rather about whether the technical specialist erred in not giving someone an "e."

In other words, the technical specialist has become the star of the show. The skaters -- not so much.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Edit: just watched Mirai. Some really great characterization going on there. She has a fun personality that shows through the program. Unfortunately, so problems with the jumps but I still thought it was a lovely performance- better performed than at SA. I could still personally do without what I see as a few gimmicky moments in the choreography, but I realize others might not see it that way. Still, really enjoyed watching her skate.

One thing about Mirai's music is that it has change of pace and rhythm. Can't say that about all the others who got stuck with the sugary melodic tonality. No versatility whatsoever.

 

[cassieandcheetah]

One thing about Mirai's music is that it has change of pace and rhythm. Can't say that about all the others who got stuck with the sugary melodic tonality. No versatility whatsoever.

ITA. this performance was so much better than the one at SA. and I'm so amazed by her speed. if she can land all her jumps, I don't think she can be beaten by Wagner or Flatt.

 

[lmarie086]

One thing about Mirai's music is that it has change of pace and rhythm. Can't say that about all the others who got stuck with the sugary melodic tonality. No versatility whatsoever.

Oh definitely; it's full of vitality and I think it's a perfect piece of music for Mirai. She uses it wonderfully; she's very expressive but the thing about that is it seems to come naturally for her-nothing put on there at all. I find the same quality in Ashley as well.