Mens SP

[Bennett]

I really like his coach -- he also coaches Yukari, doesn't he? He looks so dignified and kind all at once.

He's Nobuo Sato, Yuka's father, who has coached Yuka, Yukari, Fumie, Shizuka, Miki and many others. Yuka's mom has also coached Yuka, Shizuka and many others.

I agree with you. He looks very calm, gentle, and kind, but I heard that students are concerned a lot about what he would say because he could be strict and they value his opinions. A favorite quote of mine from him that I read in Yukari's interview is "Buy one good apple, rather than five cheap ones," by which he meant that mastering quality basics was very important and there was no short cut to do so.

Good lucks to everyone! I am glad for the top three!

 

[luckyguy]

For me it is interesting to compare the results of Rippon and Reynolds at 2008 Junior Worlds and now.

SP Junior Worlds:

1 Adam RIPPON USA 69.35 37.85 31.50 6.50 6.07 6.43 6.18 6.32 0.00 37
13 Kevin REYNOLDS CAN 55.77 29.80 25.97 5.36 5.00 5.21 5.29 5.11 0.00 42

SP Skate America:

4 Kevin REYNOLDS CAN 67.18 37.08 30.10 6.20 5.65 6.05 6.10 6.10 0.00 #7
8 Adam RIPPON USA 59.60 29.90 30.70 6.35 5.90 6.15 6.20 6.10 1.00 #8

 

[Okami]

Well, with a fall and a doubled jump one can hardly expect a personal best.

I hope Adam will have better luck in the LP, I love his skating. His LP at Jr.Nationals last season was fabulous. I would love a Takahiko-Adam podium. Though that might be impossible now, I hope that Adam will move up. He has all the qualities, he just needs a consistent 3A.

I haven't watched the videos yet, so no comments about the actual skating from me.

 

[Wrlmy]

Yay my prediction was dead on for the sp portion Although I was expecting more gap between the top 2 and Kozuka.
I liked what I saw of Evan and Kozuka. Johnny not his best, but the program looks promising.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

It would be a shame if Kozuka doesn't win the LP.

Rippon hit the nerve demons

Schultheiss did well despite his injury. Will it hold up during the LP

Reynolds could do better.

Johnny was much too slow and cautious resulting in a lack luster routine, and I am a fan.

As one poster remarked, Evan is not musical. That's true. While I hate that monotonous music, it begs to be stylized and suave. Kevin didn't meet the challenge, but his Tech was excellent. Those straight leg-all the way down Sitspins are the best in figure skating.

I am anticipating a good LP performance from the newbie on the block, MARTINEZ. He has the charisma to win a lot of fans. The best kept secret in Canada.

 

[bekalc]

He's Nobuo Sato, Yuka's father, who has coached Yuka, Yukari, Fumie, Shizuka, Miki and many others. Yuka's mom has also coached Yuka, Shizuka and many others.

I agree with you. He looks very calm, gentle, and kind, but I heard that students are concerned a lot about what he would say because he could be strict and they value his opinions. A favorite quote of mine from him that I read in Yukari's interview is "Buy one good apple, rather than five cheap ones," by which he meant that mastering quality basics was very important and there was no short cut to do so.

Good lucks to everyone! I am glad for the top three!

And you say that with Sato's skasters. Arakawa's basic skating, Yuka's, and now Kozuka's is amazing...

 

[Medusa]

The very nice GS-article about the first day shed some light on the results:

Johnny's Flip was not only two-footed, but also got an edge-call (something he supposedly worked on over the summer) - getting a Quad in the short should sound somehow way more appealing now, he can't allow himself to lose that many points with the element (probably 3 points - because he tends to get good GOE on his jumps). He could also substitute the Flip with the Salchow.

Lysacek started his choreography one second early, and finished too late - that's why he got the deduction. Tiny question: how can you start your choreography too early? I thought every element and move has a place and is to be executed according to the music? That really proves that he is rhythmically and musically somewhat challenged and that his superfast body movements and arm flailing are perhaps there to hide this flaw.

Somebody here said that Weir's spins weren't good - and he said the same about his spins. I like that he can be honest with himself. He also said that he thanks the judges for judging and scoring his program so generously.

Kozuka got level four on all of his spins - way to go, little one!!! I hope that he can hold it together tomorrow. The Quad sounds ambitious, but at 19 Lambiel already became World Champion with two Quads in the long - so maybe Kozuka wants to give everything. If Kozuka really wins this thing - I will go nuts (more than usual). I predicted him to win!

And Icenetwork:

"The spins were slow," said Weir. "I don't know if they were a mistake per se, but I felt like I didn't do my best, so in my mind they were a mistake. Both step sequences were lethargic and lacking in passion in many ways."

Lysacek also got level 4 on all of his spins, Weir got one level 4 and two level 3. Did I mention that I love Lysacek's sitspin?

"I'm a little upset with how I skated today," Rippon lamented. "I'm just going to try to forget about what happened. I'm going to try and focus on what I need to do to skate well tomorrow.

"Mentally, it was harder than it was physically."

I want to give Rippon a big hug. Poor guy.

And one last tiny thing, than my rant is over (I am just overly happy because the season has started again and the boyz are skating again): how did Reynolds got 0.30 more on Skating Skills than Schultheiss, and only 0.15 less than Rippon? What were the judges smoking? But then again a Quad Sal is a big big part of the skating skills...

 

[Mathman]

Lysacek started his choreography one second early, and finished too late - that's why he got the deduction. Tiny question: how can you start your choreography too early? I thought every element and move has a place and is to be executed according to the music?]

I can totally understand that. He's like a racehorse that is so hyped up he charges out of the gate before the gun goes off. :yes:

 

[fiercemao]

Kozuka was brilliant. I always like 'take five' anyway!

I also like Lysacek. Johnny Weir's skating is becoming stagnant. Nothing new and innovative, nothing special about his programs since he switched coach except more consistency.

Adams was a huge let-down. It's not just he skated tentatively, the program was the same old, same old Morozov work.

 

[Tonichelle]

Lysacek is fresh out of the gate... IIRC the choreography start is what starts the clock, not the music, right? If he's "in the zone" chances are he just got too excited and stepped out a second too soon. just like olympic runners. they know darn well they don't go until the gun goes off and yet they do it anyway. same with football players starting a play before the whistle blows.

I don't think it's a lack of musicality. just opening season jitters.

 

[Ms.Anthrope]

Lysacek is fresh out of the gate... IIRC the choreography start is what starts the clock, not the music, right?

I think you're right. The clocks starts when the skater moves and stops when the skater finishes regardless of the music.

 

[momjudi]

I think you're right. The clocks starts when the skater moves and stops when the skater finishes regardless of the music.

Thank you for explaining that, I always thought the timing was based on the start and end of the music

 

[Dee4707]

it was classic Evans with frantic upper body movement and more arm flailing.

I was so looking forward to what TT would do for Evan...it seems like not much. I agree about the upper body and flailing arms.

Dee

Yagudin had quite a bit - not as much as Plushenko - but he used his arms in excess to make a 'point' in the program... yes I realize that Morosov was named choreographer, but I see no difference in his style to TT's

Toni, are you saying that Alexei had flailing arms???

Dee

 

[Jaana]

I have watched the clips of Kozuka, Lysacek and Weir and in my opinion Kozuka should have been second and Weir third. Anyway, I liked those three programmes very much!

Weir has great music, but his choreography looked very much the same old from the old days, so to speak. The girlish looking make-up was too much, in my opinion. I did not like the costume at all, LOL.

Lysacek, WOW, power, speed & good music interpretation, I really loved this programme! His costume though, I hope that he will change it. I don´t understand the cross and otherwise I would not put on him that kind of neck, an open neck looks better. The standing ovation was well deserved.

It is wonderful that Kozuka seems to be great in this season, I noticed his skating a couple of years ago.

 

[Tonichelle]

Dee - in certain programs/footwork, yes...

I'm not opposed to "flailing" so long as it accents teh music. Evan 99% of the time gets it right.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Evan's costume was very Tatianna, similar to the one Shizuka wore with the crosses.... not sure how that fits the music but he looked nice, very tall. Does anybody know if he was planning to do the quad and took it out at the last minute? Very smart on his part, I knew he didn't need it. But where did that 1 point deduction come from?
Johnny was Johnny. He looked very nervous and still skated really well... but i feel like we are seeing nothing new.
Adam wasn not very impressive to me. The program looked a lot like Johnny's Chess program...only Morozovized.

 

[Pikachuusb]

My general thoughts:

Thank God skating is back on tv and yea!!! I get to see so much Skate America coverage on our tv, thank you Universal sports

back to the skating...

Ian MARTINEZ: We really liked his personality in his program and kept hoping his boot strap wouldnt trip him. We felt really bad for him when he saw his scores. His disappointment/embarassment was soo obvious, I just wanted to give him a hug.

Igor MACYPURA: It was great to see Karen Kwan there. I liked his outfit..kinda reminded me of Alexander Abt's I thought he was going to do well after the opening jump combo but it went downhill from there.

Shawn SAWYER: Love him, but Im going to cut off that other foot of his to stop the 2footing I gasped when he fell out of his spin..ok it was alittle bit louder than a gasp. He looked really frustrated, poor guy. Another hug goes to him I hope he does better in the LP.

Alexander USPENSKI: he did fine, but it was veeery boring for us. Is he wearing a Johnny Weir creation? It soo looked like it.

Adrian SCHULTHEISS: he has got some wonky jumps kinda like he is off his axis midair, he needs to go in and get his tires rotated He did good but I was shocked that he was higher in score than Shawn.

Takahiko KOZUKA: great job!!! Way to go!! He did outstanding. I hope he keeps it up for the LP. Not a fan of his sliced shirt though, had a weird look of stuff falling out during the program.

Kevin REYNOLDS: Props to him for doing the quad, BUT the rest wasnt too good. He just seemed sloppy and was throwing away movements. The tassles on that outfit just accentuated the overall sloppyness of the program. Not a fan of the costume at all.

Adam RIPPON: Wow not the Sr Grand Prix beginning I was expecting at all. The nerves monster got the best of him. Poor guy He gets a hug as well. Im really hoping he does better in the LP.

Evan LYSACEK: Well now we know where the male version of Shizuka's outfit went. It had a unique pleatherish look about it. TT was working with him?? You would have never known since it looked just like all the rest of his programs, flailing arms and all, just to Bolero this time. He didnt impress us.

Johnny WEIR: He looked really nervous which made me nervous. He did fine except for the laboured spins and 2 footing. His program did look similiar to previous ones but I love his style. 2nd with just a point behind isnt bad at all. I hope he has a great free skate.

 

[Tonichelle]

so basically if you love his style it's okay to have similar programs?

 

[Pikachuusb]

so basically if you love his style it's okay to have similar programs?

LOL possibly, but I get bored with anything TOO many times....Shawn do you hear me?? Even my boyfriend noticed Shawn was doing the same program from last year. He hates seeing anything done more than 1 season. I have to agree with him most of the time on that one.

Thought to be honest since it was similar Johnny didnt have the spark for me as usual. But part of that could have been his nervousness tranferring to me. I hope thats not the case cause I will be a mess for the ladies SP.

 

[Bennett]

That really proves that he is rhythmically and musically somewhat challenged.........

lol. Love your expression!

I can totally understand that. He's like a racehorse that is so hyped up he charges out of the gate before the gun goes off. :yes:

A great way to put it.


BTW, I didn't necessarily think that Johnny's program was too similar to previous ones as many people seem to think. Perhaps because he is so original and unique in his own way that his style never bores me. Although my favorite painter Marc Chagall painted virtually the same themes over and again in his distinctly unique style in his very long lifetime, his works have never bored me.