- Joined
- Nov 2, 2013
Huh, didn't even Medvedeva get 56? That's sorta nuts...Not if you get a fast headstart like Alysa Liu starting on a 69 pcs in her first com .
Huh, didn't even Medvedeva get 56? That's sorta nuts...Not if you get a fast headstart like Alysa Liu starting on a 69 pcs in her first com .
Yeah, she has the push of the US Fed now behind her as the top US lady. But all the other big Fed skaters will also have that push, so it will come down to the actual performance. And on that front, the Russian ladies really have nothing to fear.It was quite ridiculous but she's always been a "little" pushed.. not that it matters much in comparison with Russian girls...
58 at Nepela then 67 at SA. Almost 10 points from one comp to another.Huh, didn't even Medvedeva get 56? That's sorta nuts...
Watered down content, and lost the battle of the Master and Margarita programs to baby Mishin skater earlier today—his is much better IMHOBut how did Shcherbakova not deliver?
Totally agree!Sasha, Liza, and Anna!
I think this captures it. It's not really choreography as such, but at least it's not choreography for the sake of choreography either. It works with her speed, she's improved her glide, and if she hits her jumps, the program will remain explosive. I do hope she shows a tiny bit more excitement and variation in speed once she reaches the "triples section" at least. She's already brought it home at that point, might as well let it start showing. (the Biellmann needs to go, though, it's strange choreo for that music, and she doesn't even need it for the level)Sasha... she was the best for me. I always thought she should go in the direction of a Brian Joubert program, no complex choreo, just a strong image on the ice and some memorable moments in between and then let the music and the quads do the work for her and they did. I think the choreo sequence was a bit weak and the step sequence could use more expression, but other than that it was good. I'm also happy she no longer does two 2As after the first two quads, because this always looked weird, those tiny jumps after those huge quads.
Good! My placements seem to be in agreement with the judges. At least in regards to these fiveOne guy at the test skates checked with binocular a judges' monitor. He've checked the following results for ladies free skate: Trusova 190.72 (TES 119.52+PCS 71.20), Kostornaya 153.96 (80.76+73.20), Khromykh 145.72 (77.34+70.40), Usacheva 138.65 (68.75+70.80), Tuktamycheva 122.90 (55.90+68.00). For others he couldn't see (for Shcherbakova he could only check PCS as 75-76 points). Here is his profile with Russian comments on this: https://www.sports.ru/profile/1058759829/comments/
TL/DR I don't like Eteri.I was pleasantly surprised by the short programs and depressed by the free skates.
Sinitsyna... she looks unhealthily skinny(I've seen pictures of her mother, and she is very skinny too btw). I'm very un-PC about these things. I believe elite sport often requires extreme diets that in normal people would be considered unhealthy. I really hope they have a good nutritionist looking over her.
OT: I'm also very un-PC on "mental health"... I think the worst thing one with mental health issues can do is to openly talk about it to the public as that can increase anxiety about what the public now think about you... and you can sulk in whatever sympathy they give you. Keep it between yourself, friends, coaches, and psychologist.
Samodurova... much, much better than her short program... which was not good.
Tuktamysheva... I only caught parts of her FS. That year she won Worlds she had a FS that both exalted her and was fun... and this one lowers here(come on with those hand movements) and while it tries to be fun the energy is off.
Khromykh's FS music(Moulin Rouge) is terrible and a comic choice but there are moments where it seems like they put some actual thought into the program.
Kamila's Bolero is just an awful, awful vehicle for her.There's nothing interesting in it at all and it actually accentuates some of her bad qualities that can be papered over which more airy lyrical music. I personally think that part of the reason they chose Bolero because sometimes Kamila has somewhat jerky movements on ice(she moves elegantly doing movement doing off-ice choreography) and they thought they could kind of cover that up. But it really amplifies it. I think they also chose it because she's doing quads and it's somewhat "masculine" music that monotonous enough they could easily rework the program if they had to.
Regardless, it should go. Bring out Storm for the FS and cut in whatever music you want with it. If you bring Bolero to the Olympics, it won't received well by the public. And what concerns me about Team Eteri is that it seems like they don't even care anymore.
Usacheva's FS is hilariously tropic and comically uncreative . It's like they thought "this music fits her" and have her do what she always does. The formalism is obnoxious. She should go back to last years program which while tropic had charm to it.
Kostnaias' FS is very empty... I think it will come off better with 2 3A.
Sherbakova's FS is nice in the beginning. The music cut she uses for the final three jumping passes is the best she's used for that portion of her program(she always has a music cut for her final three jumping passes). But the program delfates towards the end and I really hate the double spins in the end of the program. I wish those spins were spaced around the program more.
Trusova's FS is comical. I like it even though I know it's bad in it's own way and doesn't exactly scream "Olympics". It gave me a smile. But I forsee problems trying to warm up all those quads in the competitive warmup. The clean 4S she did in warmups could honestly be in the running for the greatest jump done in the history of figure skating. But the 4S is IMO the most problematic jump and the one I'd probably get rid of. And that goes for Kamila and Maia too.
Sherbakova and Trusova were the only ones from Team Tutberidze I felt skated with soul... like they were performing and not Eteri's and Danni's puppets or wanna be mirror images on the ice.
Someone in Russia really needs to sit back and ask hard questions about choreographing long programs... because nobody there is doing a good job with it. I think the key is to do a better job separating the different types of elements around. Ideally, there should be 3 or more different sets of jumping passes rather than 2. Ideally, you should not have 2 spins done right next to one another. The directionality on the ice should try to be less predictable. Choreographic sequences should be a moment.
I'm actually cheering hard for Plushenko to be successful. He has an artistic point of view but seems for more open to learning and delegating that than Eteri.
I'm okay with it. Nathan isn't exactly putting on a dance recital in between his quads. What I wish for Sasha and her Team is to focus on her edging, her crossovers, and just moving from pointA to pointB with speed, sureness, and deep edged skating. The choreo is fine, as little as there is, if she just moves across the ice like a champion. She'll never have Kamila or Anna ballet arms and extension, but she doesn't really need it if she improves her speed and edging.i wouldn't expect anything different from a 5 quads program honestly, but that's also its weakness
totally agree with you. it felt empty today, but again i don't think this is going to be her actual layoutI'm okay with it. Nathan isn't exactly putting on a dance recital in between his quads. What I wish for Sasha and her Team is to focus on her edging, her crossovers, and just moving from pointA to pointB with speed, sureness, and deep edged skating. The choreo is fine, as little as there is, if she just moves across the ice like a champion. She'll never have Kamila or Anna ballet arms and extension, but she doesn't really need it if she improves her speed and edging.
Callas is never wrong to any ears
In Sasha's FF yesterday, I was postulating the perfect layout for her. I was pretty close, but I never thought she'd plan BOTH of her 4lutzes in the back half!!!!! But I will admit that I was wrong, her layout is MUCH better that way. It makes sense. If she gets the "easier" 4toe out of the way in the first half, then she can go into the first 4lutz with little pressure, and if she hits it with a combo (preferably 3toe), all she has left is the --E-3sal combo to do in one of the final two jump passes. If she misses the first 4lutz though, she'd best do another 4toe and not risk a FALL + COMBO deduction on the 4lutz (It's still a risk to do 4toe, so maybe a backup if she really isn't feeling her quads would be a 3lutz? But I think if Sasha misses her first 4toe, she'd be able to do some kind of combination after the second 4toe). If she hits the first 4lutz-toe, she has ZERO pressure going into a second 4lutz of getting the F+C deduction. I just didn't think she'd have it in her to do both 4lutzes in the back half!!! Wow. She absolutely MUST go to the Olympics if she is skating like this. If she hits this program, she will be on the podium for sure, if not Gold.Guess I was wrong considering Kamila to be the favorite to win the Olympics...
I assumed that's what they meant. I've seen people substitute Nessun Dorma as the name for Turandot opera. My original comment was about how I'd only ever like to hear Pavarotti or instrumental Nessun Dorma (song), and I got the replies about Callas, and thought they were calling the opera "Nessun Dorma" instead. Searching "Maria Callas Nessun Dorma" on YouTube does give you this though, lol:But Callas never sang Nessun Dorma, nor would she have. She sang the role of Turandot.