I personaly believe a healthy Slutskaya, Kwan, and Cohen, are a total lock to sweep the podium in SLC in some order, nothing any of the Japanese has done of late has particularly impressed me, nor did Kostner at Worlds last year.
Red Dog said:This type of thinking may be OK for other events, but this is dangerous thinking for the Olympics. People are just ASKING for something to happen.
Red Dog said:This type of thinking may be OK for other events, but this is dangerous thinking for the Olympics. People are just ASKING for something to happen.
I like your positive thinking.kyla2 said:I think both Sasha and Michelle can give Irina a real run for her money at the Olympics in terms of performance, content and style.
It should be, if you consider choreography not as something separate from the tricks but part and parcel of them. For example, to me, choreography includes the way Michelle, for a few years in the late '90s, would hold the landing edge after her jump for a loooong time with her free leg in an arabesque position horizontal to the ice and doing some kind of arm movement. Choreography can be the way a skater enters his/her jumps, with steps, 3-turns, Ina Bauer, whatever, as well as how s/he exits the jump. Nancy Kerrigan used to go directly into a 3flip from a shoot-the-duck position with no steps or strokes between being in the full sit position, standing up (with no help from the free leg), and having to jump from that leg. VERY tough technically (higher GOE) and interesting choreography (high component scores for choreography, providing the rest of the program holds up as well).Mathman said:Rgirl, to me, your post reinforces what Frank Caroll is saying. Just because something is difficult does not mean you should do it. I'm sure it is very difficult to spin with your finger up your nose. Maybe that change of position with raise your spin from a level 2 to a level 3, under the New Judging System.
I think Caroll's point is, all that creative choreography that you mention -- yes, it is possible under the NJS, but it is not rewarded in the point totals, so why waste your time doing it?
About Michelle's spiral, while I don't feel sorry for Michelle about it, I feel sorry for us. We don't get to see the second most spectacular move in the history of skating any more.
slutskayafan21 said:Kostner ended up virtualy tied with Kwan at worlds, but if she is reasonably healthy I could not imagine Kwan showing up as unprepared as she was last year, and at the least she would be safe to beat the likes of Kostner I would believe. Who knows though, maybe Kostner will be motivated from that success enough to greatly improve her maturity, suspect endurance in the long program, and musical sense, which she greatly needs to have any chance vs an even reasonably COP-comfortable Kwan. As for Sokolova, 2003 was her career peak IMO, and she is riding out the wave of the remainder of her career happily, with no big goals in mind IMO, seeing her Skate America win, the thought of her as a serious Oly medal contender left me thinking .
Jaana said:I saw the broadcast of recent Turin gala and thought that Kostner was really awesome. That is something that I have not seen in her earlier...
kyla2 said:I think both Sasha and Michelle can give Irina a real run for her money at the Olympics in terms of performance, content and style. What truly worries me is this: will the ISU judges give them a fair shake if they don't compete in any Grand Prix competitions? Sure they may let them land in 2nd or 3rd, but will they really have a shot at the gold?
Jaana said:I saw the broadcast of recent Turin gala and thought that Kostner was really awesome. That is something that I have not seen in her earlier...
That's absolute rubbish that Irina should get the benefit of the doubt at the Olympics. It should be the best skate wins period. Michelle has NEVER EVER been given the benefit of the doubt. She has simply won the competition hands down. Your kind of thinking is exactly what disturbs me. The fact that you think Irina (or anyone for that matter) is owed something because they showed up for the Grand Prix Series or is "favored" to win. Favored by who, you?
If you don't mind being spoiled, Carolina is competing at Skate Canada right now. You can check out her SP in the Events folder, if you havent already.slutskayafan21 said:Thanks for the info. I even more look foward to seeing Kostner for the first time this season now. As I said perhaps she will use the surprise bronze from Worlds to build from, and mature her pleasent but rather childish skating look. Does she look like she has endurance to complete a long program strongly now?