Men's Short Program, Sat. Nov. 12 at 2:30 am

[evangeline]

I don't know what's worse, Tomas' performance or that truly horrible version of Carmina Burana.

 

[Serious Business]

Mroz got the second highest PCS, my eyes can't roll back far enough. Thankfully not higher than Machida, but still. Yes, he's skating in the second group and he attempted a quad lutz, but please, it doesn't make the rest of his so-so skating any more so.

Verner just plain gave up. Even beyond the mistakes, he really let the effort go in so much of that skate. Disturbing lack of commitment. I liked his entrance to his sit spin, though.

 

[sequinsgalore]

Verner

Score: 62.96 and into 6th

 

[Violet Bliss]

Is there something in the ice? What is with these freak falls?!

No, all the falls could be seen coming, each one the skater's error. Chan's SC fall before the 3Lz was freaky.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Looked clean in slomo replay.

Mroz's toepick didn't appear to leave the ice until 3/4 of the way into the rotation. In my mind, that means he needs to land completely backwards in order for it to be a real Quad Lutz. I perhaps should not make a sweeping declaration without seeing a better view, but I definitely remain suspicious of this "Quad".

 

[Mrs. P]

No, all the falls could be seen coming, each one the skater's error. Chan's SC fall before the 3Lz was freaky.

Ah, we'll I have to admit I was multitasking, so they kind of looking freaky looking to me.

 

[FlattFan]

They don't care about prerotation unless it's a toe loop. Adelina got away with her full rev prerotated triple loop.

 

[Nadine]

I don't whom I would put in last place, Verner or Contesti? No, I think Verner.

 

[Violet Bliss]

So, Mroz' quad Lutz got him high PCS?

 

[sequinsgalore]

Samuel Contesti (ITA)

Music: Hungarian March by Hector Berlioz
La Gazza Ladra (The Thieving Magpie) by Gioacchino Rossini
1812 Ouverture by Petr I. Tchaikovski

3Lz+3T - a hop on landing
3A - stepout
3F<< - landed facing forwards
FSSp
SlSt
CCSp
CCoSp - a bit late to the music

 

[Serious Business]

I like Contesti normally, but this was a mess. And miming a conductor in a routine set to classical music is just lazy and clichéd choreography.

 

[sequinsgalore]

Contesti

Score: 63.83 and into 5th

 

[skateflower]

Contesti's skating is pathetic. His spins are pre-novice level.

 

[sequinsgalore]

Takahiko Kozuka (JPN)

Music: Inner Urge by Joe Henderson

3F - a bit shaky landing, no quad?
3A - nice
FSSp
3Lz+3T - nice
CCSp
SlSt - good speed
CCoSp

 

[Mrs. P]

Wow. Taka! That was amazing. =)

question: What's that pointing thing that he does in the middle of his program? I noticed it on one of his signs too.

ETA: It think he saw that he didn't need the quad, so he decided to do the 3F instead. It seem sort of last-minute.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Kozuka, finally someone who flows. Even if he seemed a bit careful.

 

[Nadine]

I automatically know Daisuke and Takahashi will finish 1st & 2nd here at NHK, thus my interest is more on bronze.

Good job by Kozuka, even though I find him stiff (my favorite performance by him was the Jimmy Hendrix one), but I love the "fly" he gets on the death drop (twice as big as Mao's).

He'll probably get a huge score.

 

[skatinginbc]

Kozuka Horay!!

 

[sequinsgalore]

Kozuka

Score: 79.77, SB and into 1st

 

[Serious Business]

Kozuka makes the ice look smooth and slick when he skates, unlike some other skaters who seem like they're grinding on sand. The music, however, seems like an intro to some late night talk show that won't stop playing because the host is too busy cleaning up his nose.