Wakaba Higuchi
- Thread starter gsk8
- Start date
Wakaba's free skate was MAGNIFICENT!
Silver medal in China gives her an excellent chance of reaching the GP final!
For the 2nd time this season, she has gone up against Zagitova and come within a hair's breadth of beating her. Zagitova is stronger on technical elements, and the more "technical" aspects of PCS (like Transitions)... but I'd rate Wakaba's "performance" aspects higher - speed, program construction and choreography, delivery, interpretation etc. I think she was unlucky not to have won in China!
Silver medal in China gives her an excellent chance of reaching the GP final!
For the 2nd time this season, she has gone up against Zagitova and come within a hair's breadth of beating her. Zagitova is stronger on technical elements, and the more "technical" aspects of PCS (like Transitions)... but I'd rate Wakaba's "performance" aspects higher - speed, program construction and choreography, delivery, interpretation etc. I think she was unlucky not to have won in China!
- Joined
- Nov 29, 2015
Congratulations to Wakaba!
She was wonderful, both in the SP and the FS. Just magnificent. And robbed. Ah well. It looks like it's still going to be enough for the GPF so that's a major victory for her. Everything crossed!
She was wonderful, both in the SP and the FS. Just magnificent. And robbed. Ah well. It looks like it's still going to be enough for the GPF so that's a major victory for her. Everything crossed!
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2006
#RobbedAgain
I mean, if they could rob Yuna, they can rob anyone...
(Lowballing everyone in the SP seems like a perfect strategy for this).
On a happier note, I LOOOVED her James Bond. She can pull it off like only one skater I have seen do it before.
The little hand gun motion in her footwork never gets old. She also looks so polished and smooth, reminds me of Michelle Kwan all the time. Also, I discovered this.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpkjHe1gYJI So beautiful, cant wait for the COC gala!!
I mean, if they could rob Yuna, they can rob anyone...
(Lowballing everyone in the SP seems like a perfect strategy for this). On a happier note, I LOOOVED her James Bond. She can pull it off like only one skater I have seen do it before.
The little hand gun motion in her footwork never gets old. She also looks so polished and smooth, reminds me of Michelle Kwan all the time. Also, I discovered this.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpkjHe1gYJI So beautiful, cant wait for the COC gala!!Enough for the GPF hopefully! I really hope something's figured out about her PCS scores because they seem to get lower and lower even if Wakaba's consistently skating
it is not something, it is somebody!
because Judges have NO clue!!!
when wakaba's FS first debuted at Lombardia. Even I called the choreo stsq is the one matching to 007 medley in the first half of program where wakaba did her squad spread eagle and bond girl finger gun point（where the audience applauded in COC fs).Yet The judges thought the last lay-over spiral into final layback spin is the choreo stsq!!Just because some other skates has used that ideal before...
It took the "Judges" sooo long to figure this out (shake my head:noshake
.No wonder it will take them forever to figure out Wakaba's PCS!
Wakaba is the real skater (and very few skaters at the moment) that embody's cohesive choreo and meaningful, purposeful and diverse (not only in types but 3 dimensions and whole body) transitions!!(NOT programs with interchangeable background music and cluttered transitions!)
This is the the real legacy of figure skating lady's PCS (since the start of IJS), which is inherited and exhibited at the moment by this one girl Wakaba!!
We need a lot more of Eurosports type of knowledgeable commentary to speak out for Wakaba. so that the clueless JUDGES can be reminded over and over again until they register...
I guess at this point, it is no doubt Wakaba has the best set of programs of ladies this season.
And everybody including Europsortz boys will be satisfied with this pair of programs to wins a world championship title (can you confidently say that about others ).
okay a few words about COC judging, my impression(just a 2 cents impression) is they has no clue, usually just comply with status quo, reference previous international competition scores etc., nor has any guts like some other GP judges to inflate their own skaters.
EDIT: I just hope wakababy can made it to the OG, so this pair of programs representing the epitope of both TECH and PCS of real lady's figure skating could be shown on the highest stage and widest audience.
if she gets ROBBED again there, I will not be too sad, since I am sure her programs will get people's appreciation and love.
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2006
^^ Great post, I agree. Unfortunately I think that given how political the sport is right now, it would take a superhuman program to keep the judges from lowballing clean programs and leave the field open for the political favorites. :disapp:
Also, looking at the score table, is Wakaba's score (24) likely to get her to GPF? I'm getting worried.
Also, looking at the score table, is Wakaba's score (24) likely to get her to GPF? I'm getting worried.
i am worried too, not tracking GP scores, Can some knowledgeable wakaba fan's here explain a little about Wakababy's chance to make the final with a silver and bronze.
- Joined
- Oct 21, 2017
I think that Wakaba still has a chance to go to the Grand Prix Final. :agree:
Here's the thread where people track GP scores:
http://goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?66620-Who-will-qualify-for-the-Grand-Prix-Final
Basically, presuming Med & Zag perform like they're expected to perform in their 2nd assignment, they're in. If Caro (2nd in Ros) and Osmond (1st in SkCa) skate well and medal, they should be in as well (for Osmond, even 4th place should suffice). Sotskova (2nd in SkCa) is next on the list and a potential qualifier as well but she has to place in top 2 in France to beat Wakaba because of the tiebreaker score. Miyahara hasn't skated yet and is a big question mark. So, looks to me like Wakaba has a very good chance of qualifying but we don't know for sure yet.
Let's assume that Evgenia and Alina will win their respective 2nd GPs (NHK and IDF) -- they will be in with 30 points each
NHK -- Kostner will probably not beat Evgenia, and Polina Tsurskaya & Satoko Miyahara would challenge with her for podium spots assuming that Satoko is in shape. Let's go with Carolina 2-2 in her GP's which would put her in with 26 points. If either Satoko or Polina (but not both) beat Carolina, she (Carolina) needs 203.71 points in 3rd to beat Wakaba on total score (which is plausible).
IDF -- Kaetlyn Osmond is up against Alina, with Maria Sotskova and Mai Mihara in the mix, plus also Tursynbaeva and Liza Tuk as possible spoilers. If Kaetlyn ends up anywhere from 2nd to 4th, she will be ahead of Wakaba. The two ways for Maria to get ahead of Wakaba are either to beat Kaetlyn for 2nd place, or to score more than 227.17 in 3rd place (not likely).
That leaves Skate America, where Ashley or Polina Tsurskaya are in a good position to win. A win + 3rd for either Ashley / Polina / Satoko will get that one ahead of Wakaba, but if Ashley is 2nd she needs > 235.75 to beat Wakaba on total score (which probably won't happen either).
So in short, Wakaba is still in the GPF fight but may miss narrowly. Evgenia, Alina, Kaetlyn and Carolina have the strongest chances of getting in ahead of Wakaba, so the 5th and 6th spots will probably be a 5-way fight between Ashley, Wakaba, Satoko, Maria and Polina. Would be rooting for Polina + Wakaba to get the spots!
NHK -- Kostner will probably not beat Evgenia, and Polina Tsurskaya & Satoko Miyahara would challenge with her for podium spots assuming that Satoko is in shape. Let's go with Carolina 2-2 in her GP's which would put her in with 26 points. If either Satoko or Polina (but not both) beat Carolina, she (Carolina) needs 203.71 points in 3rd to beat Wakaba on total score (which is plausible).
IDF -- Kaetlyn Osmond is up against Alina, with Maria Sotskova and Mai Mihara in the mix, plus also Tursynbaeva and Liza Tuk as possible spoilers. If Kaetlyn ends up anywhere from 2nd to 4th, she will be ahead of Wakaba. The two ways for Maria to get ahead of Wakaba are either to beat Kaetlyn for 2nd place, or to score more than 227.17 in 3rd place (not likely).
That leaves Skate America, where Ashley or Polina Tsurskaya are in a good position to win. A win + 3rd for either Ashley / Polina / Satoko will get that one ahead of Wakaba, but if Ashley is 2nd she needs > 235.75 to beat Wakaba on total score (which probably won't happen either).
So in short, Wakaba is still in the GPF fight but may miss narrowly. Evgenia, Alina, Kaetlyn and Carolina have the strongest chances of getting in ahead of Wakaba, so the 5th and 6th spots will probably be a 5-way fight between Ashley, Wakaba, Satoko, Maria and Polina. Would be rooting for Polina + Wakaba to get the spots!
