Well, he did win Finlandia Trophy. He has to practice somewhere before the GP and one competition isn't enough for him I assume. He could do a Russian Cup event I suppose... As for Helsinki, the GP may not even be there next season.
Yes, he clearly went out there wanting to get it over as best as he could, there was no expectations of bouncing. And throughout he was concentrating on getting through it rather than performing. That program should not be skated with the facial expression of someone doing a calculus exam. On rewatches I am more certain he had balance/coordination problems. Even the EX had some odd clumsy movements and was not up to his usual standard. He also clearly had trouble breathing normally, is his nose always blocked now or what? I think we should stop blaming everything on his mental state.
One good competition definitely won't resolve everything, it's not like he hasn't had good competitions before, even this season. It doesn't magically impart lasting confidence. I don't think there is a simple solution, I just want his health to be OK for now so he doesn't have to struggle against that too.I am already throwing this to the wind: NO JUMP IS SAFE. The last time I talked about one he flubbed his moneymaker, I'm staying quiet in my corner.
On another note, it's hard to find really just one reason for this or that, in the end it's a long equation with a thousand factors and it won't get resolved with one good competition, even if he has one at COR or the next or the other one. I think he's taken measures to try and work on some of those factors - like going to Raf, putting aside the quad lutz, lowering his planned content - but there's a lot of other stuff that needs to be straightened out, and it's a mystery how or when that'll happen.
): https://www.fsrussia.ru/intervyu/2852-mikhail-kolyada-ne-lyublyu-toropitsya.html It was fascinating to go back and re-read it. He sounds so young and fresh and bright-eyed. Can't imagine an interview like that now even if he decided to be frank and open, he's right that he's grown up. And that interview was not in the fun laid back 2015-2016 but in 2017 and after a highly disappointing experience. I think those Euros was the first time he'd crashed head-first into reality and didn't yet realise it won't be the last ("I gave reason to doubt myself"....yeah). Worlds 2017 had a more sobering effect if you go by post-Worlds interviews (including in how "kindly" Russian #1 man gets treated when he falters). I think it was hard for him to absorb that wanting to do well and working hard doesn't just make it happen and there is no easy recipe (unlike that soy sauce chicken). He still has trouble with that fact.I vote for the 3S (outside of the euler combo). Never screwed it up in his entire senior career I believe, while he's fallen from the triple lutz a number of times (although popping the lutz was new and original). 3S always looked like a jump Misha could do in his sleep moreso than the lutz to me, it's light and easy and one of the highest in the field. There was a recent short video of Misha helping Dmitri Ialin with his 3S and I honestly could have watched Misha jump 3S all day. I wonder why Misha has such a pathetic loop.I am already throwing this to the wind: NO JUMP IS SAFE. The last time I talked about one he flubbed his moneymaker, I'm staying quiet in my corner.
but we could deal with Misha hypotheticals all day....
