Ladies' SP

[bekalc]

I think Mao and Yu-na should be closer. But I don't think you can compare Mao/Yu-na with Plushy/Evan. Because yes Mao does the 3axel, but from what we know she's not attempting a 3/3, a 3lutz, or a 3sal, all of these things add up.

Kim's 3lutz/3toe and double axel/3toe, may not be as sexy as Mao's 2 3axels but they are darn difficult. I'm wondering if Kim goes clean if Mao will attempt a 3flip/3loop because than what will she have to lose?

 

[bethissoawesome]

I mean, obviously you're going to be biased if you're Korean-American. That, in combination with your admittedly fairly fluent Japanese, makes your observation of the emotional undertones to these message boards less than reliable. I guess we'll just have to find a Korean-speaking Japanese-American on the board!

How about a full-blooded American (blonde hair and blue eyes to prove it lol) that speaks Japanese and Korean fluently? I can take position in the battle of the nations lol.

 

[Phoenix347]

I feel like sasha cohen with arnold schwarzenegger's guns and anthony hopkins' face would be more monstrous.

I don't think Sasha could pick up Arnold's guns and you're giving me a nightamare matchin Hopkin's face to Sasha's body. Ewwww.

Back on topic, I still can't believe that Flatt was scored better than Mirai... I guess that the way it goes...

 

[miki88]

I think Mao and Yu-na should be closer. But I don't think you can compare Mao/Yu-na with Plushy/Evan. Because yes Mao does the 3axel, but from what we know she's not attempting a 3/3, a 3lutz, or a 3sal, all of these things add up.

Kim's 3lutz/3toe and double axel/3toe, may not be as sexy as Mao's 2 3axels but they are darn difficult. I'm wondering if Kim goes clean if Mao will attempt a 3flip/3loop because than what will she have to lose?

She should! Anyways I still feel the Bells programs is a bit tooo gloomy and may pull down her PCS. I wish she done something along the lines of Czardas. I think at the Olympics, upbeat and crowd pleasing numbers is the way to go!

 

[treshot]

I mean, obviously you're going to be biased if you're Korean-American. That, in combination with your admittedly fairly fluent Japanese, makes your observation of the emotional undertones to these message boards less than reliable. I guess we'll just have to find a Korean-speaking Japanese-American on the board!

I'm not Korean-American - just simple Korean living in the USA (that's what I said in the very beginning of the post, I never meant to pretend to be anything else). What I meant to portray is that they are both very emotional, and extremely biased towards their own skaters. As I said in my original post, I think they are both correct, so I'm confused about where bias comes from. If you think I exaggerated about a lot of Japanese fans being super mad, I don't know what to tell you. Even on this board Mao fans seem very unhappy that she's 5 points behind Yuna. You need to be in Japan for only a couple of weeks to know how invested as a nation they are in Mao.

 

[bethissoawesome]

I agree with you. I think I finally understood why Mao is choosing to do her 3A-2T even if the base value is less than a 3-3. Because if she gets a UR on the 3-3 like Miki did then she will be so behind. Of course the 3A is risky as well but I think Mao is more comfortable with that jump than her 3-3.

Very true... and she has been hurt my UR calls in the past on her combinations (although she did plenty without getting dinged), but the 3-3 is always a gamble... even Yu-Na only had 1/2 of her 3Lz+3T combinations marked as fully rotated going into the Olympics, and hers are beautiful and huge compared to others. The other thing is how important the 3A is to Mao. In her interview, she started crying over the thought of losing her 3A and not being able to skate with it. It's something more to her than just another element or jump to get points, she's emotionally attached to it to the extent that I would wager everything I own that she would quit competing if she lost the ability to execute it.

 

[ehdtkqorl123]

She should! Anyways I still feel the Bells programs is a bit tooo gloomy and may pull down her PCS. I wish she done something along the lines of Czardas. I think at the Olympics, upbeat and crowd pleasing numbers is the way to go!

Not to blame Mao for the song choice at all, but I hope the Bells won't make a gloomy atmosphere of a cemetary..

 

[bethissoawesome]

I'm not Korean-American - just simple Korean living in the USA (that's what I said in the very beginning of the post, I never meant to pretend to be anything else). What I meant to portray is that they are both very emotional, and extremely biased towards their own skaters. As I said in my original post, I think they are both correct, so I'm confused about where bias comes from. If you think I exaggerated about a lot of Japanese fans being super mad, I don't know what to tell you. Even on this board Mao fans seem very unhappy that she's 5 points behind Yuna. You need to be in Japan for only a couple of weeks to know how invested as a nation they are in Mao.

mmm... true. After being to both countries, Mao's face is all over the place in Japan; but the same can be said for Yu-Na. She is getting paid 9 million US dollars per season... and since this is an Olympic season, she is getting her normal 9 million in endorsements, plus another 7 million for the Olympics, plus an extra million if she wins the OGM. That is pretty invested too lol. I was actually surprised there wasn't any Korean backlash against her when she said she "wasn't going to the Olympics to win a medal for Korea" but only for herself.

 

[peg2010]

I was rooting for Miki, but her music sounds like we are being led off to the executioner.

Well, you're on the right lines. It was two parts of the Mozart Requiem, a funeral Mass. Some of my favorite music ever, but it didn't really work for a figure skating program.

 

[DesertRoad]

She should! Anyways I still feel the Bells programs is a bit tooo gloomy and may pull down her PCS. I wish she done something along the lines of Czardas. I think at the Olympics, upbeat and crowd pleasing numbers is the way to go!

There's nothing wrong with gloomy. Gloomy done well could get to the judges and audience just as well and boost your PCS. The problem with Bells is that the music is repetitive and lacks dynamics and color. There isn't much you can do with it emotionally or choreographically. The lack of variety and climax hurts her PCS, and rightly so. It doesn't show off the full range of Mao's interpretation and performance skills. She would've been much better served by even the interjection of another pice of music (much as I hate such medleys).

 

[Moxie]

She should! Anyways I still feel the Bells programs is a bit tooo gloomy and may pull down her PCS. I wish she done something along the lines of Czardas. I think at the Olympics, upbeat and crowd pleasing numbers is the way to go!

That's a possibility, but I feel like it hurts her more that she took out so much of the choreography. I hope now that she's gotten two good LPs under her belt and more confidence that she brings it back.

 

[treshot]

ITA I'm very flexible, and when learning my jumps... for me, flexibility was a bit of a problem because it was so easy to hammer toe jumps like the lutz and flip without even realizing it and then winding up with a wonky, inconsistent air position. I never "felt" like I was lifting my leg up very far, because lifting it to that extension required no extra effort; I'd only realize what I had done once I saw it replayed. It took quite a while to correct. (not that it matters now... stupid meningitis )

Mao was amazing that season... I think her mental lapse was the fact that she thought she was going to lose her 3A, the single most important thing in figure skating to her. I hope she continues to skate after this season, because now that she knows she has it back and doesn't need to prove it to herself and the world again, there will be more versatility from her, and she could return to being that skater she was in the '07-'08 season.

Oh, thanks so much for sharing your memory, that was something I always wondered about but never really understood because I've never figure-skated and this isn't something that skaters talk about. Nice to know what it really feels like from someone who's experienced it first-hand. Sorry that your career had to be cut short. I'm sure everything happens for a reason and you will enjoy success at whatever you choose instead of figure skating.

I really do hope to see Mao from that season back (hopefully with fixed lutz, but I'll take her without it). She's the second skater that I gave my heart to (first was MK) and it's been just heartbreaking to see that she lost some of that wonderful skating because she was so fixated on her 3A (tonight aside).

 

[chiocciola]

Hah! Thanks for posting your observations. It's very interesting to hear what the coverage is in various parts of the world. Nationalistic fervor can be fierce, can't it? :

In Russia people say that Yuna, Flatt, Rochette, Kostner, Finns were overscored and Japanese underscored. How come Miki has the same scores as Flatt (doing even worse than her)? Commentators said: "Sarah Hughes FOREVER"...so sad!

It should have been a battle ending in a very close skating of Yuna, Mao and Miki and now left empty hearts...
Yuna - definately gold, Mao - has a chance to take a silver but a single flaw and she'll be underscored and Rochette will be put forward. SHE IN NO WAY DESERVES TO GET THAT SCORE, IT'S A SCANDAL!!! IT'S A MATTER OF SPORT, NOT PERSONAL LIFE ISSUES!!! They left no chance for Miki...

It's Olympic medals and not giving credits to countries..So sad for those who are talented and robbed(((

V/M really TRULY DESERVED THE GOLD, the only fair judging in the most subjective category.

 

[CassieH]

Not to blame Mao for the song choice at all, but I hope the Bells won't make a gloomy atmosphere of a cemetary..

Jeffrey Buttle's Bells of Moscow was just beautiful. I wished mao changes it to the piano version like his but...

 

[chiocciola]

Joannie is the most elegant skater on the planet. YUNA does not compare. Rochette deserves Gold. Do these judges not see she has done what no other athlete here would be capable of? She is first in my heart forrever!

Joannie is NOT the most elegant... and she should not even be scored equally to fantastic Asian girls... that's unfair!

 

[aurora100]

They showed a slow-mo of both Mao's combo and Yu Na's combo, and it looked like Yu-na's second jump was UR'd. Don't shoot me I don't even have a favorite between the two.

Scotta Hamilton said both of Yuna's jumps were fine and Mao's too.

 

[aurora100]

In Russia people say that Yuna, Flatt, Rochette, Kostner, Finns were overscored and Japanese underscored. How come Miki has the same scores as Flatt (doing even worse than her)? Commentators said: "Sarah Hughes FOREVER"...so sad!

It should have been a battle ending in a very close skating of Yuna, Mao and Miki and now left empty hearts...
Yuna - definately gold, Mao - has a chance to take a silver but a single flaw and she'll be underscored and Rochette will be put forward. SHE IN NO WAY DESERVES TO GET THAT SCORE, IT'S A SCANDAL!!! IT'S A MATTER OF SPORT, NOT PERSONAL LIFE ISSUES!!! They left no chance for Miki...

It's Olympic medals and not giving credits to countries..So sad for those who are talented and robbed(((

V/M really TRULY DESERVED THE GOLD, the only fair judging in the most subjective category.

Take it easy. Breath. They didn't leave no chance for Miki. Miki left no chance for Miki. That's what olympic skating is. You have to put down your best performances down and Miki didn't do that in short tonight.

 

[Tonichelle]

Joannie's strength is absolutely amazing. Such a beautiful person.

And, say what you will about Scott Hamilton - but as if I wasn't crying hard enough already seeing Joannie skate and her dad's reaction - his voice breaking through obvious tears did me in... the pain that she's feeling I can't imagine, but he knew all too well and I can't fault him for pulling for her.

 

[bethissoawesome]

Jeffrey Buttle's Bells of Moscow was just beautiful. I wished mao changes it to the piano version like his but...

I said the exact same thing! lol. (Bells of Moscow is actually Rachmaninov's PIANO Prelude in C# Minor, Op. 3, No 2. Rachmaninov intended the piece to be played on the piano... the orchestra version is just an interpretation) I don't know why Mao is only about the first 32 measures or so, repeated over and over. The agitato section of the song would be amazing for her footwork sequence, and the last third of the piece has all of the passion. The version Mao is skating too lacks the change of tempo, mood, and quality in the original. If anyone wants to hear what it supposed to sound like, here is a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ytY57u8_4

 

[treshot]

mmm... true. After being to both countries, Mao's face is all over the place in Japan; but the same can be said for Yu-Na. She is getting paid 9 million US dollars per season... and since this is an Olympic season, she is getting her normal 9 million in endorsements, plus another 7 million for the Olympics, plus an extra million if she wins the OGM. That is pretty invested too lol. I was actually surprised there wasn't any Korean backlash against her when she said she "wasn't going to the Olympics to win a medal for Korea" but only for herself.

I can say with confidence that Korea loves Yuna enough to forgive her even if she doesn't win gold - they'll be disappointed, but they will appreciate everything she's done for the country so far (she put Korea in the figure skating map) and they'll just let it slip because they love her so much (they may blame judges or whoever else in the process). Some of Korea's love for Yuna has something to do with the fact that so many people discovered the delight of figure skating for the first time through Yuna - that's not something Mao can say. I can't say with confidence that Japan will forgive Mao if she doesn't skate perfectly like she did today. I may be biased, but I can't forget how cruel Japanese were to Miki after Torino - I've never seen any country turn its back to their own athlete like that (even though the athelete didn't do anything wrong). Again, these are just my observations + opinion.