Nathan Chen

[1111bm]

I'm super confused about the new spins... why did they suddenly decide to change them after so many seasons and when? I didn't even see that camel in any of the practice footage (also I hate catchfoot camels with an edge change ).

 

[discode]

I am a Nathan stan but some part of me was curious too if a situation like this would fire him up for the free. But the pessimistic side remembers that a fired up Nathan was also what I was hoping for after the team SP at the Olympics.

It's odd that Hanyu goes clean now that he's training away from his coaches whereas Nathan went the other way. But maybe it's because you focus on the things you can do when you're on yr own but try more ambitious content when the coach is around. Oh well, better here than the Olympics. And he will need a huge tech advantage to make sure his fate is in his own hands (and not the judges).

Well, this is a bit different that he absolutely nailed the other two jumps in the program after making a mistake. He didn't let it rattle him. So I have high hopes for the FS.

 

[1111bm]

Yeah I was actually curious to see what would happen if Nathan had to follow a clean Yuzuru, because he hasn't been in that situation since the Olympics. Oer rather, I was hoping for it to happen before the next Olympics so he can experience it. So yeah, of course not happy about his skate, but hoping it'll be a good experience for him in the long-term

 

[Apple1078]

Shocked that he fell on the 4lz but vaguely recall that he had trouble with it at USNats, too. I think the pressure got to him. Hopefully, this will take some of the pressure off and fire him up.

 

[1111bm]

Do you think he moved the Lutz-kick jump from the SP into his FS choreo sequence or did he just leave it out completely?

 

[georgia]

Ι can’t say I am happy he is in third place, but he can win the whole thing with a good skate. If a skater out there can do it, Nathan can!
Because he is beautiful, athletic and mature!

 

[Apple1078]

Might also be a disadvantage (but don't know) that he'll have to skate before Yuma and Yuzu in the free.

 

[georgia]

Might also be a disadvantage (but don't know) that he'll have to skate before Yuma and Yuzu in the free.

He has to learn how to skate after them.

 

[Apple1078]

He has to learn how to skate after them.

Agree. I think the only reason there's no FS draw is because of covid so chances are that he'll have to skate after them in the future, too. I'm really curious to see how he handles the FS and what the numbers game in regard to BV will look like now.

 

[discode]

Not having to worry about what other skaters did should help him. Just go out there and skate the best he can.

 

[Ella5555]

The 4Lz had been clean and perfect (as far as I know) all week in practice - maybe too perfect. LOL. Nathan seems to always learns from his mistakes though - whether adjusting his training after his hip injury or learning from his Olympic experience. After winning everything for so long, this may be a good thing - and may help bring him back to Earth/relieve some of the pressure and expectations for next year. Currently, he‘s third with a major mistake and just 8 points off lead. Not too shabby. I wish him best of luck for free skate.

 

[georgia]

If Nathan skates the way he knows , no one can beat him. He is technically superior to the rest out there, hands down! Personally I love his artistry, no matter how much *some experts* are trying to deny his ability to skate with pathos and quick feet! They consistently question the judges!
Lets remember, he is just a human...
But I am sure his FS Will be great!

 

[purplecat]

Darn, the lutz pass was the one I wasn't too worried about. Sigh, hope he does come out on fire in the FS. More importantly I hope he and Jason can keep the three spots!

 

[discode]

He said he might take out the 4lz https://twitter.com/olyphil/status/1375124428087033863

He lands it so beautifully in practice, don't really think it's a 4lz issue exactly.

 

[shine]

He said he might take out the 4lz https://twitter.com/olyphil/status/1375124428087033863

He lands it so beautifully in practice, don't really think it's a 4lz issue exactly.

That doesn’t sound very confident.....

 

[Apple1078]

He'll lose BV advantage if he takes it out. I think he has a 10-12 pt advantage when including the 4lz and 5 quads. But I guess it comes down to confidence and risk vs reward. And I'm not sure how often he skates a clean FS with 5 quads. Probably not that often. So...

 

[luckyu2]

Quad lutz is a super risky element. You can land it perfectly in training still messing up in competition. I noticed a bit of hesitation going into that jump at Nationals FS and this time it was an even softer take-off. That’s why I do not agree with lowering the 4lutz base value. It is not a bad idea if he omits the lutz in FS if he is not confident. But at the same time, I worry about the new entry into 4S too.

 

[1111bm]

Kinda worried now, that he'll change one of his 4Ts into a second 4F... which would be a totally new layout for him and super risky, but somehow I wouldn't put it past him...

 

[georgia]

Maybe the coach wanted different lay out.....How about that thought!! Then again, I don’t want him to run away from his gorgeous Q. lutz. That will be a mistake in my opinion. But then again, he has a coach, and brains. Let them figure this out!.

 

[Apple1078]

I think he'll be fine in the FS. Super impressed with how he regrouped and skated the rest of the SP. Shows real character.