Most regretable performance this season?

[Mathman]

In the LP at NHK, World Champion Miki Ando fell three times and finished behind Leslie Hawker, Laura Lepisto, and four others, for seventh place. (She redeemed this disaster at Japanese nationals.)

But was any performance more *ouch* this year than Alissa Czisny at Cup of China? In the LP she attempted five triple jumps. She fell on four of them and popped the other into a single. Her total points on her five triple jumps combined was negative 0.88!

 

[Bennett]

I would say, yeah, Miki's NHK, which left the audience with a long, stunning silence. It was good that she did a performance of her life at Nationals despite some injuries.

Joubert's LP at his first event before falling into sick.

I may also list Carolina's CoC LP. But she was getting better and better after that.

Many of Mai's performances were also regrettable

Fumie falling down in CoC in SP. and went up? but not really...in her LP.

Mao's SPs at Canada, TEB, and GPF were also a great shock to me. Although 3F-3L seems to be a very consistent jump for her in practices, she missed it 5 times in row in SP since the Worlds. I felt nervous every time Mao performed SP. But I admired the way she remained really strong and never gave up at TEB and GPF and finally had a perfect performance at Nationals. She scored 72.9 at Nationals

I felt sad for Johnny that he couldn't medal at GPF. But he fought well despite an injury.

 

[Wrlmy]

Being a fan of Alissa has always been heartbreaking. But when she's on, no matter how rare the occasion is, the fandom is soooooooo rewarding!
Yuna's CoC sp was shocking because it was the first time she botched 3-3 of any kind. Aki Sawada's TEB sp was shocking in many ways. first at how out of shape she was. Second at her jump contents. Third at possibly the lowest score in GP history.

 

[McWicked]

My beloved Kimmie's GPF LP performance

 

[Tinymavy15]

mao's SP at the GPF
kimmie meissner LP GPF
Miki Ando NHK
Patrick Chan GPF

 

[flying camel]

I think Alissa & Bebe were my big disappointment of the season. I think they really need to examine their skating & make some changes. I don't know if they need to see a sports psychologist or they need to change coaches. Every year its the same old thing. They can't land the jumps. As much as I love them as skaters I would be scared to death for them to be on a team together.

 

[waxel]

I think Alissa & Bebe were my big disappointment of the season.

They both have so many fans. Myself included. I just think it isn't going to happen for these talented ladies. Honestly, they've had many opportunities to prove or to redeem themselves but nothing concrete materializes. If neither places well at Nats, they may want to consider moving on. It's sad.

 

[Tinymavy15]

I think Alissa & Bebe were my big disappointment of the season. I think they really need to examine their skating & make some changes. I don't know if they need to see a sports psychologist or they need to change coaches. Every year its the same old thing. They can't land the jumps. As much as I love them as skaters I would be scared to death for them to be on a team together.

they are both beautiful skaters. I do not know what allissa's probelms are... but it seems that they are psycological. Bebe meaninwhile has a lot of trouble with her lutz and flip even in practice. ( i train at her rink). It's not competiton nerves with bebe, just the fact that she never really mastered those jumps. Also, the fact that she usually skates a good SP and a poor LP makes me think that perhaps stamina is an issue as well, athough bebe does a lot of off-ice training and skates very fast and energiticlly at home.

I think that Frank and Ken should have Bebe doing more of the simpiler jumps in her programs, instead of giving her the same conetent as a michelle or a sasha when bebe is not up to that level up jumping. 2 loops, one in combo, instead of two flips would be a good option. bebe has a beautiful loop. take advantage of what she has instead of pushing her to land things she dosen't have.

 

[JonnyCoop]

My nomination would be Fumie Suguri at Cup of Russia. No, it wasn't a complete disaster, but my criteria is slightly different -- I'm willing to overlook a "rough night" or two, but in Fumie's case, even without any technical problems -- the choreography was bad, the music was bad, the music EDITING was bad, the sound quality of the tape of the music was bad, and worst of all, the quality that I have always loved most about Fumie -- her musicality -- was just nowhere in the building. She just bore NO resemblance whatsoever to the Fumie we know. That performance, coupled with that totally weird long program she did last year, leads me to wonder, WHO IS THAT WOMAN OUT THERE AND WHAT HAS SHE DONE WITH FUMIE SUGURI??

 

[mizu_iro]

My nomination would be Fumie Suguri at Cup of Russia. No, it wasn't a complete disaster, but my criteria is slightly different -- I'm willing to overlook a "rough night" or two, but in Fumie's case, even without any technical problems -- the choreography was bad, the music was bad, the music EDITING was bad, the sound quality of the tape of the music was bad, and worst of all, the quality that I have always loved most about Fumie -- her musicality -- was just nowhere in the building. She just bore NO resemblance whatsoever to the Fumie we know. That performance, coupled with that totally weird long program she did last year, leads me to wonder, WHO IS THAT WOMAN OUT THERE AND WHAT HAS SHE DONE WITH FUMIE SUGURI??

She came back for a little bit during the short at Japanese Nationals, but then she was gone once it came time for the long...that's my pick for most disappointing performance this season. She had a chance to clinch that third spot and she blew it big time.

 

[oleada]

they are both beautiful skaters. I do not know what allissa's probelms are... but it seems that they are psycological.

I don't think Alissa's problems are all psychological. I do think she has big-time competition nerve issues, but on top of that her jump technique is just not good. Her upper body seems completely out of synch with her lower body, and she ends up habitually under-rotating and falling on her jumps. Whoever taught her to jump did her a huge disservice...a shame because the other parts of her skating are so beautiful.

Back on topic...My most disappointing performances were definitely Miki at NHK and Kimmie at the GPF. Miki is back on track with her amazing skates at Nationals and I hope Kimmie can do the same!

 

[sorcerer]

Happy New Year!

...definitely Miki at NHK and Kimmie at the GPF. Miki is back on track with her amazing skates at Nationals and I hope Kimmie can do the same!

ITA.
OTOH looking another way, I think Lepisto's long in SC was the most regrettable because without that chain of falls she would have made a sensational debut in the GP scene and would have established more attention from the media!

 

[fourclover]

I don't think Alissa's problems are all psychological. I do think she has big-time competition nerve issues, but on top of that her jump technique is just not good. Her upper body seems completely out of synch with her lower body, and she ends up habitually under-rotating and falling on her jumps. Whoever taught her to jump did her a huge disservice...a shame because the other parts of her skating are so beautiful.

Back on topic...My most disappointing performances were definitely Miki at NHK and Kimmie at the GPF. Miki is back on track with her amazing skates at Nationals and I hope Kimmie can do the same!

I agree. Whenever Alissa jumps I somehow know she's going to fall because of low height in her jump and she hits the ice before she rotates fully so she trips and falls.

 

[flying camel]

I think that Frank and Ken should have Bebe doing more of the simpiler jumps in her programs, instead of giving her the same conetent as a michelle or a sasha when bebe is not up to that level up jumping. 2 loops, one in combo, instead of two flips would be a good option. bebe has a beautiful loop. take advantage of what she has instead of pushing her to land things she dosen't have.[/QUOTE]


I think she should do the loop jump in her sp and maybe the flip.

 

[skatergirl45]

For me, the most disappointing program was Fumie's long at Japanese Nationals. Going into the long in third place with a chance at the World team and missing it just broke my heart.

Also, Alissa at CoC broke my heart. I love the way she skates and I could not stand her just bombing her jumps.

 

[sillylionlove]

This might be totally off track but.....here goes. Alyssa skates with those hinge skates and I think she is the only skater that skates with them (well at least that i know of). Do you think these "different" skates might affect her jumping? I am just asking because I am not a skater just a skating fan.

 

[Kati]

For me and for many other Finns, it was Susanna Pöykiö's free skate at the Nationals, which dropped her out from the 2008 Europeans and Worlds. Of course I'm glad we have three other ladies - Kiira Korpi, Laura Lepistö and Jenni Vähämaa - to send, but none of them have Susanna's experience and self-confidence. I wish they can keep Finland's three spots for the next year's Europeans (which will be held in Helsinki) and the two spots fro Worlds in 2009.

 

[Mathman]

This might be totally off track but.....here goes. Alyssa skates with those hinge skates and I think she is the only skater that skates with them (well at least that i know of). Do you think these "different" skates might affect her jumping? I am just asking because I am not a skater just a skating fan.

Well, she has tried different kinds of boots, and this is what she decided she felt the most comfortable with.

But yeah, the knock on the hinged boot is that you don't have as much control. In exchange, you get landings that are easier on the ankles and hips (so maybe Alissa will get the last laugh when everyone else is too crippled to walk and she is still skating).

Boot maker Spiteri, by the way, says this is nonsense. He says that the issue is not the hinged design, but the stiffness of the leather. The stiffer the boot, the more control you have on jumps, but the greater the damage to your body. Most skaters go for maximal results now, and face the future when it comes.

IMHO, the only solution is for the ISU and its member federations to have some kind of regulations about boots (sort of like when the NHL insisted that hockey players wear helmets, even though the players themselves didn't like it -- helmets = sissy; risking brain damage = macho.)

About Alissa, though, I don't think the boots are the problem. In addition to the question of nerves, she seems to have a slightly strange take-off technique on her jumps, where her upper body gets ahead of her legs, or something. Under adverse conditions like Cup of China, where the ice was too wet and everyone was falling a lot, she was unable to adjust and cope.

 

[sillylionlove]

Thanks for the info Mathman. I should have known you would have an answer.

 

[Bennett]

But was any performance more *ouch* this year than Alissa Czisny at Cup of China? In the LP she attempted five triple jumps. She fell on four of them and popped the other into a single. Her total points on her five triple jumps combined was negative 0.88!

I am not following Alissa very closely. But she seems to have a tendency to miss lots of her jumps. I hear that she has a nerve issue. But I wonder if her program also may be too ambitious for her. The more difficult are the jump contents, the more nervous she may feel. Can't she use only jumps that she feel most comfortable with? Yukina used only jumps that she is relatively good and still placed pretty high because of her excellence in non-jump elements. Alissa is also superb in non-jump elements. So I wonder.