Official Figure Skating Thread

[Riserise]

I thought it would be nice to have a thread where we can discuss figure skating.

Both the Olympics and the anime Yuri!!! on Ice have brought more fans to the sport. There's also the Olympic silver medalist Evgenia Medvedeva, who made news in South Korea with her love for EXO. She was so excited meeting the band.

 

Skate of the Week

Alena Kostornaia, NHK Trophy

(suggestions for Skate of the Week are welcome)

 

Winners Grand Prix, 2019-2020 season

Skate America

Ladies: Anna Shcherbakova (RUS)

Men: Nathan Chen (USA)

Ice Dance: Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue (USA)

Pairs: Peng Cheng/Jin Yang (CHN)

Skate Canada

Ladies: Alexandra Trusova (RUS)

Men: Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)

Ice Dance: Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN)

Pairs: Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii (RUS)

Internationaux de France

 

Meet the skaters

Here are some of the skaters being their funny selves

 

Handy Links

ISU: official website of the International Skating Union

So you want to watch Figure Skating: Website with lots of information

Youtube Junior Grand Prix: they live stream the Junior Grand Prix and also have all the old videos.

The Shibsibs: The Shibutani Siblings who won bronze at the Olympics, show their fun behind the scenes vlogs.

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva Twitter: The 2015 World Champion is really funny.

Anything GOEs: Here you can form a team of skaters to play the Grand Prix with. It's explained on the website.

If anyone from a smaller country is interested in skaters from their countries, but don't know where to look, let me know. I can probably find them if your country has a federation (and there are more of those than you might think ).

 

If there is anything you would like me to add to the OP, let me know.

Edited November 23, 2019 by Riserise

[Riserise]

Here to start I guess 

 

I’m a big fan of Yuzuru Hanyu, though I haven’t really been keeping up lately 

 

I will loosely follow the results of this year’s Grand Prix assignments and the final as well as World’s but probably not live stream it like last year (which btw almost gave me a heart attack) and will not follow as vigourasly like from 2016/17 and 2017/18 seasons due to school and other interests. I still hope all the figure skaters stay healthy and happy 

I'm not sure what moment gave you a heart attack, as quite a few things could have caused it. Since you're a Hanyu fan, I assume it was at the NHK Trophy?

[Riserise]

I've been trying to get into figure skating for ages but it's hard for me. It's a beautiful sport that I enjoy watching but which have no visibility where I live so it's hard for me to find things about it (like rules, important figure skaters, where to watch it and when etc...). I mean, it's not like football of rugby which are accessible sports.

 

I'll probably lurk here often ~ so maybe one day I'll know things about figure skating and I'll call myself a fan hehe.

This website gives a lot of info:

 

https://soyouwanttowatchfs.com/

 

It also gives info on how to watch the Grand Prix, which is going on this weekend.

 

You can also look up programs on Youtube. I don't know where you live, but a lot of smaller countries are currently building their skaters. On the Junior Grand Prix there were skaters from all continents apart from Antartica, including countries like New Zealand, India, Malaysia and Mexico.

 

Don't worry too much about the rules. I think everyone goes from 'not sure what's going on, but they didn't fall, so that's good!' to slowly recognizing jumps and other moves.

 

Tigerandbambi included a few nice programs already. Thanks for that!

Question for you, what was your favourite Yuzuru Hanyu program?

Edited October 27, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

 

He's gone through so much in life and put his body through a lot. I believe him when he says he'll do the 4A (or probably die trying). However, I didn't believe him for a second when he said he doesn't have to prove anything anymore to himself after his 2nd Olympic gold, because here we are, 7 months later and him saying 'It's meaningless if I don't win'. lol this guy's fire will never be quenched.

 

From his new programs, so far I like Otonal a bit more than Origin but that could be because Origin still seems like a work-in-progress, a bit unpolished and still in the early stages of growing into its skin.

 

I also believe he will do 4A one time. There have been reports that he is very close. Plushenko says it

too.

And I also agree that he still wants to win very much, haha.

 

I like Otonal more. Perhaps because I like the music . He made some mistakes in Autumn Classic, but I think it will be an absolute master piece by the end of the season.

 

Did anyone watch the Grand Prix this weekend?

 

Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès really stepped it up.

It got the World Record now.

 

I also loved the battle in ladies. Evgenia missing the combo in the short program was a bit of a shock to me, as she's one of my favourites, but she fought herself back to a medal. Liked the flower crown too!

And winner Liza's Triple Axel was there without a turn out this time.

People talked a lot about Rika Kihira's strength, but I think the top Japanese ladies need to worry about Mako Yamashita as well.

I wouldn't be surprised if Satoko, Rika and Mako will go to the World Championships this year.

Come on Wakaba! I wish she had won a medal

 

Junhwan Cha made a few mistakes, but he was good enough for bronze. Keegan Messing did a good job, but Shoma Uno's jumps are of such high difficulty that he couldn't be caught, even with mistakes.

 

Finally, Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue from the USA enjoyed their Free Dance so much that they wanted to do another one

Edited October 28, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

After big competitions, there's usually a gala. Performances go from dramatic to wacky, since they don't have to worry about points.

 

The one for the Canadian Grand Prix is now being streamed live

Edited October 28, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

READY FOR THIS THREAD. Has anyone else been watching the GP events? Finlandia is a bit of a mess so far.

 

Poor Kaori. :( She was sobbing after her SP. I also find it suspect that Alina ended up with such high PCS and in first place after popping the second jump in her combo, but what else is new with Eteri girls and inflation.

 

 

Just as a note: Min/Gamelin separated before the start of the season (it was super dramatic, actually — they were calling each other out on social media). Muramoto/Reed of Japan did as well, and I believe that was also pretty acrimonious.

 

Raises hand. I felt sorry for Rika Hongo too, yesterday. She was so distressed. I'm glad she finished the competition on her own terms.

And Alina won. Not really surprised there . She got an enormous owl. Glad that Kaori got herself on the podium. Had never expected Stanislava to get a silver, but there we are.

 

But Yuzuru did so well! New World Record

 

I didn't know Min/Gamelin seperated! I'll remove it from the OP.  I knew about Muramoto/Reed, but not them. If they keep this up, East Asia won't have any Ice Dance teams that are even remotely competitive for Beijing 2022. I don't remember seeing dance teams from Japan or Korea doing

well in the junior grand prix either.

Edited November 3, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

Rika is rather slow, isn't she? She reminds me of Tuktik in that way. I feel like I'm watching her on half-speed, which is pretty strange, because all of the other Japanese ladies fly across the ice. I wonder if she's hurt?

 

omg that owl is precious. I don't begrudge Alina, but her PCS scores are just incredibly inflated. She's not even happy with her performance, but you'd never know that based on the scores.

 

Yuzu usually ends up getting silver in his first GP event due to some mistakes but I don't see that happening this time, LOL. That twizzle into the 3A? A Momentâ„¢.

 

Stanislava got no UR calls. Zero. Even Alina got one! You can see that Stanislava had several URs with the naked eye. I don't know what juice the judges were sipping on, but I want some. Now Kaori is on the precipice of making it into the GPF instead of being a sure thing.

 

I think Min and Muramoto will have new partners by next season, but who knows how well they'll do with them. Muramoto/Reed were Japan's chance of qualifying two teams to Worlds next season, but now that won't happen. They do have some young talent, but they have very little international exposure, so they really have no idea how they'd be scored on that stage (and therefore don't know where they need to improve).

Perhaps Yuzu was so annoyed about the issues at the Autumn Classic competition that he was hell-bent on improving. He totally seems like he would beat himself up over them. It was awesome to see the Pooh Rain again. And yes, his axels are always a high point. Literally, in this case. He's obviously practicing the 4A. I don't think we will see it tomorrow, but we never know with mr Hanyu.

 

It was less great to see Mikhail mess up his SP. He has great potential for high scores, but so often he loses bucketloads of points with errors. I like the guy, so I hope he will do better tomorrow.

 

Yeah. I agree about the Alina PCS thing. She improved a lot, but she's no Satoko. And Stanislava.... (note: I don't mind her as a person, but I do think she got a lot of freebies this year, like being sent to Junior and Senior Worlds that was a bit over the top).

 

Muramoto/Reed break-up was sad. It's too bad that those skaters quit over disagreements. Building a new team costs time, even if they find a new partner.

[Riserise]

 

I can't decide what I think is the issue with Kolyada. I'm worried that his basics aren't down well enough for him to ever land quads consistently. And at this point, he's kinda too old to reverse that. Had Russian men's been as stacked as women's is, I think his fed would have given up on him a long time ago.

 

Yeah, you're right. In ladies, even Olympic medalists will have to fear for their Worlds spots next year, when Alexandra Trusova, Anna Shcherbakova, Anastasia Tarakanova and Alena Kostornaia will likely move to seniors. This while there is less competition in the men, which will make Mikhail Kolyada likely to keep getting these spots. When he's on, he can medal at major competitions. He was the first Russian male world medalist in quite a while this year. It's too bad that it so often goes wrong.

 

 

What kills me is that Satoko has to fight to break into the 8s in PCS. How absurd is that? She has the international clout and experience, so surely she must have climbed up the "reputation" ladder for the judges at this point. Kaori and Wakaba struggle with PCS scoring as well; this is by far the highest I've ever seen Kaori's PCS get. But even Loena broke into the 8s on three of the five components, so they were actually somewhat reasonable at this competition. (I guess they'd have to be, to justify Stanislava being in the mid 7s and Alina breaking into the low 9s...)

 

 

Totally agree with you!

I don't get it with Satoko at all. She should be the PCS queen and have the rep for it. She's also a two time world medalist and was fourth at the Olympics.

 

These feds ask a lot of folks like Reed and Gamelin who have to move elsewhere, learn the language, apply for citizenship. It heightens the pressure, because they want to feel like all of that was worth it. Both splits were concerning "directional differences" on paper with the men pulling the trigger, so I guess they just thought they wouldn't improve fast enough. Min has also been through quite a few partners and is thought to have "personality issues", so best of luck to the South Korean fed on finding her a new partner.

 

Aw, that's too bad. They got quite a lot of favourable press during the Olympics, so it's a shame that it's all gone now. I'd like to see dance teams from South Korea, China and Japan doing well at Worlds soon . There's one Korean team that participated in the Junior Grand Prix: Jeongeun Jeon/Sungmin Choi. These are their programs in Bratislava:

,

. I like their attitude in the Kiss and Cry. They are a new team, so let's see how they do next year.

 

Finally, I can't wait to see how the men will do this afternoon. Hopefully, Yuzuru skates clean(ish) so we can get a good feel of his Free Program. I liked what I saw at Autumn Classic, and I think it will be one of his greats when he has refined it by the end of the season.

Edited November 4, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

The Men's Free Skate was wild. Lots of falls, but great favourite Yuzuru Hanyu managed to stay on his skates.

Loved his performance. He won by a big margin, but there are still things that can be improved. Can't wait to see what it will be like at the end of the year. And World Records

 

I also loved Michal's air guitar both on the ice and in the Kiss and Cry . He was so joyful. Great to see him on the podium.

Edited November 4, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

 

I'm so happy he's locked into the GPF. What a fun skater. I wish Raf could have been with him again so he could freak out in the K&C, lmao.

Didn't see that coming at the start of the season. He's the first single skater who got a lock, right? Kaori could have made it, if not for her disappointing Short Program.

 

This is next week's schedule (in Japanese time).

Edited November 4, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

Yup, because he's the only medalist who's already done his two assignments and gotten higher than bronze at both.

 

I want to have faith that Kaori will make it now that I've looked over the updated assignments. There's a good chance the GPF will be three Russian and three Japanese ladies. Loena was the biggest dark horse and we already know she won't qualify. Bradie would need gold in France, essentially, and that's not happening. The only real spoiler left is Eunsoo Lim — and while I want her to make it, it's her first senior season and she's adjusting to a new coach and she has back-to-back assignments. Who knows how she'll do.

 

I'm going to guess the GPF will be:

1. Zagitova
2. Tuktik
3. Medvedeva/Samodurova/Konstantinova
4. Miyahara
5. Yamashita
6. Kihira/Sakamoto (Kihira might bump out Yamashita and put her in this maybe spot, depending on how she does at NHK)
7. Or otherwise, Lim

The ice was apparently hot garbage for the ladies SP and it just makes me so angry, knowing how hard Kaori fell. I know Finland had to step up and replace China, so the scheduling was sudden, but geez. I just don't think Kaori would bomb like that without outside factors. She's known as the most consistent Japanese skater by far and she was so devastated.

 

In better GP news: Kailani Craine of Australia has been assigned Gabrielle Daleman's spot at NHK! This will be her GP debut. Well deserved! I've been waiting for her to finally get an assignment.

 

My initial predictions for GPF for ladies is already out the window. Wakaba won't be going and neither will Loena. I am still rooting for Evgenia, even though she is not in the secure position I'd hoped her to be. It was wrong to underestimate Mako. I did the same last year with Junior Worlds and she medaled, while Rika Kihira didn't. In a way, I compare Rika Kihira to Mikhail Kolyada; they both have high Base Values. When they make their jumps, they can medal at any competition, but they so often don't. They still tend to get sent by their feds though. Let's see if Rika is more consistent this year.

 

Apart from predicting, it's also hard to root for anyone. There are so many people I want to see in the GPF. I don't dislike any skaters, and wish they could all go sometimes. Evgenia is one of my favourites, as is Elizaveta, so hope they'll make it. Elizaveta is on her way, but Evgenia will have to get gold to be secure. I also like Satoko's quiet strength and determination, but want to see Kaori and Rika Kihira there too. Alina, reigning Olympic Champion should have a spot, but I would also like Sofia to make a case of herself. And then Eunsoo and .... you get my drift

 

Kailani Craine: I am happy for her too. I like her attitude and she seems to have quite a fan following.

[Riserise]

I wanted Wakaba to make it so badly. :( At this point, I think it's better that she withdraws from her second assignment and takes a moment to let her injury heal. She's literally skating with a fracture in her ankle. Girl needs rest. And Loena...I had such high hopes after her Challenger Series event but her inconsistencies came to bite her. I just want more girls from smaller feds to succeed.

Wakaba always has to struggle for everything :( I hope she slays at Nationals and will get those 4 Continents and Worlds spots.

I'm a Loena fan as well. I hope she can stabilize. Belgium FTW.

 

 

 

Kihira murdered the competition at her Challenger event and then qualified for her second GP assignment at NHK after competing for it against the other Japanese skaters who were also waiting to receive a second. She seems like she's on the right track this year. Plus, her 3A-3T is at least quite reliable. It's her second 3A that gets her sometimes. But the base value of the combo alone...everyone besides Liza will be chasing her (if Liza lands hers, anyway). I find it quite interesting that literally the only two female skaters with a reliable 3A will be competing against one another. It'll be interesting!

 

Yeah, if Kihira keeps it up, she'll be a major contender. I remember from last year when she fell even when she wasn't jumping at her second JGP event, and some other times when she faltered. It's good for her to be out of juniors, and insane that it will be easier for her to medal in the senior division. Am rooting for her. I don't think the 3A is the limit for her yet.

 

I will just reply to rest of what you said without quoting :

Yeah, Eunsoo should have gotten that second assignment before. She's been one to watch for quite a while now, and like Kihira, it's good for her to have a year away from the powerhouse juniors. It would be nice if she could make the final, so it won't be the likely Russian-Japanese ladies only event that it seems to become. For ladies, this week is the first week that we'll likely see some people locking into spots. I always love NHK, because they love figure skating so much and are enthousiastic about skaters from all countries (though Yuzu most of all).

 

It's kind of sad that people like Polina Tsurskaya and Marin Honda aren't contenders for GPF. They won major medals in their junior careers, but are not even really in the conversation right now. In another country they could have been the top lady, but not in Russia or Japan.

[Riserise]

I'm suddenly reminded of the JGPF being five Russian girls and Kim Yelim, lmao. The dominance is truly in the extreme at this point. The US has completely fallen off. I feel so bad for Kim Yuna who really hoped to make South Korea into a bigger fed. I think the talent is finally there, but Eunsoo will have to fight for the recognition she deserves.

 

NHK is always super fun, if not one of the hardest assignments, lol. Skate Canada was just the pits with the complete lack of enthusiasm for anyone who wasn't Canadian or French. That just isn't in the spirit of the sport.

 

I think Polina is done, tbh. :/ Internationally, anyway. And I don't see Daria competing internationally after her GP showing either. Plus, Radionova just got married and I think it's likely she'll withdraw from her second assignment at the last minute. I think we're going to see a lot of the Russian ladies who dominated in the last quad just disappear, and a lot of Russian juniors shoved aside after being given one shot. They're just so flippant with their ladies because they know they have Trusova and co coming up. I'm actually very surprised Leonova just got assigned NHK, but I think they just don't have anyone else at this point and had to indulge her.

 

There's hope for Marin, I think. She just started with Raf and he's very supportive of her. I've never seen him be that nice to anyone in the K&C, lol. She's seventeen just like Wakaba, she has time. Japan is less ruthless with their ladies despite the fact that there are just so. many. of. them. Plus, she won't give up because she's now a part of a huge figure skating dynasty just with her siblings, lmao.

Well, too be optimistic, Korea was the second country in ladies JGP. Apart from Yelim Kim, Lee Hae-in and You Young also managed to get a medal. You're right about the dominance, though. The USA ladies did not get one medal (think it was the same last year).

 

Pairs was even more Russian dominated, by the way. Only one bronze medal went to another country. And that was it. I would have thought China would have put up more of a fight, especially since I'd think they'd be investing a lot in skaters for the upcoming home Olympics. Maybe we'll see a new team do well next year.

 

Aw, poor Marin in the K&C. She seemed a bit out of it, and Raf tried to cheer her so much. And yeah, she can't give up . Her little sister Sara is already impressing people. As a former junior world champion, I hope she shows more than what she had last season.

 

As for marriage, I think you mean Pogorilaya, or did I miss something?

Yeah, as a Russian lady, you can't make many mistakes at all. Poor Gubanova's fourth place in a JGP last season cut her off from lots of opportinities. Even Gulyakova, who was second (!) did not get a second JGP.  Just her bad luck that she was up against Trusova.

I wonder what will happen to Daria. A Challenger here and there to get better SB's and hope for a GP next season? She won't medal in Russian Nats, so that's her only hope.

Edited November 6, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

 

 

GP update: Wakaba Higuchi has indeed withdrawn from her second assignment at Rostelecom.

 

The next alternates according to rank are as follows:

26 Yuna Shiraiwa (FIN)

31 Rika Hongo (FIN)

41 Courtney Hicks (NHK)

46 Hanul Kim (FIN)

53 Emmy Ma

56 Rino Kasakake

58 So Hyun An

59 Kailani Craine (NHK)

62 Matilda Algotsson (IDF)

63 Viveca Lindfors (FIN)

 

Russia typically selects a European skater in last minute situations, so I'm expecting Algotsson or Lindfors. Shiraiwa and Hongo are unlikely because they pose a bigger threat to Samodurova's placing.

 

EDIT: Russia has surprised and given the spot to Yuna!

 

Also pending: Papadakis/Cizeron have withdrawn from NHK due to an injury, but it's likely too late for them to be replaced. Chock/Bates have finally withdrawn from their second assignment at Rostelecom.

 

I hope there can be as many replacements as possible. It will mean the world to those skaters who can get a(nother) GP spot.

Love that Yuna got a spot.

 

Have you watched the ladies SP at NHK? That was magnificent. Even better than last year's Cup of China, which was one of the best ladies events of the season.

 

Elizaveta's 3A was stunning. Eunsoo Lim really delivered. The British commentators went wild over her. Satoko showing what's she's made of. Elizaveta and Satoko are so close, so let's see what happens tomorrow. And Mai Mihara having a good SP was nice too.

 

Maria seems to be no competition, while she was second at GPF last year. Let's see how she does tomorrow.

[Riserise]

I think there are still more to come. I know Karen Chen is training, but no one has seen any hint of actual programs. I'd be happy to see her, but I won't be shocked if she withdraws within the next couple days.

 

What an iconic SP. I'm still shook. It was worth staying up to watch, lol.

 

Satoko and Eunsoo were definitely my favorites, but Liza delivered as always. I just think she's way overscored in PCS, given how slowly she skates and, honestly, how boring she can be to watch aside from the fantastic jumps. Eunsoo was scored lower than both Liza and Rika in components, which I just find kinda absurd — especially since Rika fell? But Satoko was nearly three full points above everyone else, which I was glad for. Rightfully deserved.

 

Otherwise, I think Rika showed great improvement, because her junior self would have just allowed the program to fall apart after that fall. I have high hopes for the 3As in her free, and the podium better watch out if she hits them. And Mai is as consistent as ever. Looking forward to her free.

 

I thought Kailani really killed it for only having a week to prepare! Her new short suits her style wise.

 

Maria is in a transition season, it seems, given the sharp change in her packaging. I think it suits her better (even if I thought the costume was ugly), but she needs to sink into it a little more.

Iconic is the right word. Same for the free. This ladies competition was out of this world!

I also agree about Maria's packaging. It was very different from what we've seen from her. She must be disappointed with the result. And yes, Eunsoo deserved more PCS in the SP.

 

Some of the highlights this competition:

-two ladies landing triple axels

-Rika's absolute dominance in the Free. Only Zagitova has a shot at beating her when she's clean

-Satoko and Liza ending this close to each other. Both making it to the finals.

-Mai doing great

-Eunsoo left quite an impression on people

-Mariah Bell was awesome too. Hope to see more of her this way.

-The Japanese audience was very supportive of all skaters, as usual.

[Riserise]

Oh nice, i thought many a time that i should make this thread but i never had the energy for it lol. Good to see one up! 

 

I was wondering if any of you guys were at GP Helsinki? It was my first (big) figure skating event that i attended and i met so many amazing people (and the skating was solidly amazing!). I literally stayed all day for every event as to not miss anything :> 

 

Looking forward to streaming men's at Rostelecom cup this week (and any other events that fit my schedule!). 

Thanks for joining us

I wasn't at Helsinki, but maybe someone else here was? Nice to hear that you met many nice people.

 

Who is your favorite skater? I assume it's one in the men's discipline?

[Riserise]

sadly couldn't keep up with NHK cause of time difference, but WOW at Rika!

 

I know its to early to call but if she keeps up like this, I can see her winning worlds 

 

my poor bby Eunsoo was so shaken up from crashing into Mai at practice she underperformed, but I'm still so impressed by her. I can see her being a dark horse in the future

 

Also, I'm loving Mariah Bell, she's such a ray of sunshine and she got her best score at this comp. 

 

And wow @ ice dance rly dying. Tho hey Kaitlyn and Jean-Luc are my number 1 this season for ice dance so im glad they won 

Yeah, Ice Dance is really in a 'in between season'. Especially now that Papadakis/Cizeron have withdrawn from the GP. Nice to see Kaitlyn and Jean-Luc doing well. Their Exhibition was great fun too. Austin Powers, hahah.

 

And it was too bad that crash happened. It was clear both were very surprised. The British Eurosport commentators went wild over her skating, though. It was like they wanted to throw all the medals at her.

 

As for Rika, I think you might be right about her winning Worlds...

 

 

Yeah, men's is definitely my favourite discipline haha. 

 

Yuzuru Hanyu is definitely my all time favourite and the reason i started following skating (also the main reason i payed to go to GP Helsinki...), but recently i've really started to enjoy Junhwan Cha's skating. He has this amazing fluidity and he moves completely differently on the ice than most men, the exception might be Yuzu. I think it might be a TCC + maturity thing, since Javi had it too and it's only shown up in Jun lately. 

I thought it might be

 

Junhwan is definitely rising. It shows how TCC's approach takes a bit of time, but then does great wonders for the skaters. I hope it's the same for Evgenia, because unlike the men, she will have to fend off very strong competition from her home country for world spots.

 

 

 

I really like Kolyada as well, and it's a shame that he's so inconsistent. Actually, i don't think there is any top man that i don't enjoy to some extent. Even Nathan Chen and Shoma Uno have things that i really enjoy about them (mind you, these are skaters i used to not be able to stand just a season or so ago). While in Helsinki Michal Brezina was really enjoyable as well, and i need to check him out and keep my eye on him haha. He's such a dad though lmao. 

 

I enjoy a lot of the lower ranked skaters as well as juniors too, but i don't follow them the same way that i do some of the top men and i even forget their names at times (until i see them again), so shame on me ;-; 

 

Other than that i like the Japanese ladies, with Kaori Sakamoto being my favourite girl. I'm not really into the russsian ladies, but props to them because they're often impressive technically. 

 

My favourite pair is the North Korean one (Tae Ok Ryom and Ju Sik Kim i think?) and for ice dance i enjoy Maia and Alex Shibutani. Although, there was this one russian ice dance team (Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin) at GP Helsinki that were really great ín the free dance. I know almost nothing about how ice dance or pairs is scored or what anything is called, but i usually enjoy watching it when i take my time to. 

 

It's always great to see the top men competing. One of my favourite comps was Worlds 2017 (in Helsinki again), where they were all just fighting for those medal. And Yuzu winning with  WR after being in fifth after the SP

Michal Brezina is so much fun and he had a lot of fun himself as well, that was clear. Good to see older guys still making it to GPF.

 

I like following both the Japanese and Russian ladies (and the others, but those two countries are at the top now). Kaori Sakamoto really came out of nowhere it seemed last year. Well, not entirely out of nowhere, but everyone was watching Marin Honda as the new Japanese senior and Kaori just passed her. Mako Yamashita has something similar going on: third at junior worlds, not the spotlight focus, but fighting her way there. If you like the Japanese ladies, I have two for you to stan:

, who got a surprise bronze medal at the Junior Grand Prix, and

i, who got a silver the year before. I hope both stay in juniors for one more year. Anastasia T, Anna S, Alexandra, Alena and Yelim et all should move up to seniors next season, and then there will be a bit more room for them to medal, go to JGPF, set good personal bests, build a reputation and grab those GP spots for the 2020-2021 season.

 

I'm a bit similar to you. My focus is more on singles skating, though I am watching more Dance and Pairs lately. I wish the Shibutanis were competing this year. They always brought a lot of dance both on and off the ice. I still like watching their vlogs. Those are really good quality too.

 

Tae Ok Ryom and Ju Sik Kim did well at the Olympics and they got that Four Continents medal. They'll be back in Grenoble, right?

Edited November 12, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

By far the best two programs of the GP so far. What an insanely packed field. With so many clean skates, too! I wish Eunsoo could have pulled it out in the free as well, but we can't have it all.

 

I thought Maria would fade into obscurity, tbqh. But she seems to be trying something new, so I hope it works out for her. She's definitely piqued my interest way more than she ever has before!

 

Rika Kihira is a legend and she needs to be in the GPF like yesterday. She'll only need a bronze at IDF, and I think that's definitely doable despite all the competition unless she completely bombs. And I much prefer her to Zagitova, but let's not even get into that, lmao.

 

A lot of folks are railing against the choice to rank Satoko above Liza, but Liza's skating doesn't compel me in the slightest. She's just so, so slow. She has beautiful jumps, but I'm just waiting for those and don't care about anything in between. That being said, Satoko's URs came back with a vengeance, and her PCS is the only thing that saved her in the end. I hope we're not going back to that. I thought she finally had them under control.

 

Also, Mariah Bell for US champ 2k19. Bradie is boring, Karen is a mess, and Starr needs better coaches. I need Mariah to stay consistent for once!

 

The usual GP update: USA's Chock/Bates and Karen Chen have withdrawn from Rostelecom. Denney/Frazier, also of the USA, have withdrawn from IDF. All are due to long-standing injuries.

 

In the case of the first two, I find it so ridiculous that they decided to wait until now to withdraw when it's too late for anyone to replace them. Chock and Chen must have known that they weren't healed enough weeks ago. Just withdraw! Especially in the case of Chock/Bates, because that ice dance competition is a joke now. Stepanova/Bukin are practically guaranteed the gold after already getting lucky with a lackluster field in Finland. 

 Thanks for the update. People pulling out at the last moment if they know they won't participate before annoys me as well. A spot would mean the world for some skaters, so it would be nice if they became available when there is still time to fill them.

 

I like Liza, also the in between jumps part, though she is slow. She really sells her programs and has a specific type of personality few others have on the ice nowadays. I do think she and Satoko were quite evenly matched (though with very different strong points). Either one of them winning is fine with me. Mariah for US Nationals champ? Didn't think of it, but why not?

 

So for the ladies, it's Alina vs Mako vs Sofia when it comes to GPF hopefuls. Unless something crazy happens, there's no way Alina won't win. Sofia will be looking for a silver to stay in the race, while Evgenia will be keen in Canada to see what she and Mako do. Eunsoo won't make it to the finals, but she might well be a spoilsport for Mako and Sofia if she wins silver. With Elizabet in the mix too, it's not obvious if either Mako or Sofia will medal.

 

It will be nice to see Gracie Gold compete. I think she is very brave to come back after all she has been through.

[Riserise]

I will be replying more in depth to you all soon (now watching the Men's SP ;)).

 

It's just that I would like to say that I put a new thing in the OP called Skate of the Week, which I will change every week. I chose Rika Kihira's FS for the last week, but will change that once Rostelecom has finished.

Please give any suggestions for this week and the weeks after. I watch a lot, but my bias is Ladies Skating, so please help me not be too biased. Ladies skate suggestions are welcome too, though ;)

Edited November 16, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

I think Yuzuru's SP is in the running, LOL.

 

Men's was pretty much a disaster aside from first through third, but Kolyada was the worst to watch. :(

I only know you from this thread, but I already had a feeling you were going to say that

I totally agree, btw,  I don't think anyone in any discipline will top that, apart from Yuzuru himself possibly.

 

 

I would understand it if they needed a GP event to qualify for nationals (via a bye for sectionals) but they both placed in the top 4 at nationals last year, so they automatically qualify. So it's not like they have no shot at 4CCs or WC. There have been seven withdrawals in the GP without a replacement because of the time constraints, and I gotta wonder how much those places would have benefited skaters who needed the world standing points.

 

I do love Liza's personality. She's a serious badass and takes no shit. It's just that her skating doesn't do enough for me. :/ And I think a clean Satoko is better than her, but...she was far from clean, lmao.

 

Sofia grabbing silver would lowkey devastate me. I do like her, but she'd make the GPF if there's a spot open because she'd beat Kaori in a tiebreaker. Eunsoo and Elizabet will both have to spoil to give Kaori (and potentially Evgenia) a shot.

 

I'm not a fan of Gracie (personality wise) but she's made wonderful progress. I'm very surprised to see she's gotten back all her jumps besides the 3Lo, according to her proposed FS layout. No 2A-3T yet, or triple combo besides a 3Lz-3T, but getting back all those triples after a year off at her age is pretty extraordinary. Jeremy Abbott choreographed both her programs and from the practice the FS really looks like something special. I don't think she'll be clean, but it might be a great starting point for her.

 

Thanks for the Gracie update! I only knew she was competing, but didn't know if she was in form. I hope thing will go well for her, so she can build from there, as you say.

 

Yeah, it's sad when there are only 10 skaters like in the Men's event today, when there could have been 12. There were some people who did withdraw early and gave others a shot. Can't remember who they were (Wakaba-> Eunsoo?), but good for them.

 

Satoko has slowly made it to become one of my favourite skaters. I know she has UR issues, but her quality in some many aspects is top notch. I also like her personality a lot; she takes no prisoners despite her humble personality. As for Sofia, I liked her last year in JGP. Apart from Rika, she was the only non-Eteri skater to make it to the finals. She came back more mature as she entered seniors. Her jumps are quite small though. And if I need to choose between her and Kaori, I would pick Kaori as well.

 

And just because it was awesome:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6w44Fif2ank

Edited November 16, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

The ice is slippery for everyone but him, lmao. What can I say.

 

Every men's GP has truly been:

1. the guy everyone thought would be first
2. small fed dude
3. european uncle

We're holding to the pattern, folks.

 

 

 

 

 

I believe there was 12, actually? Lazukin pulled out but he was replaced with Erokhov immediately because host country, ease of access, etc. There will be 10 in women's, though, because Schott and Chen both pulled out at the last minute. Yuna was given Wakaba's spot. Eunsoo was always assigned Rostelecom; NHK was her addition.

 

You're right. I am dumb.

 

 

 

Here's Gracie's practice:

 

 

 

She marked nearly all of her jumps but we already have her layout, so.

 

I like that Satoko has a supreme sense of self-awareness. She knows her jumps aren't great and has endeavored to fix them. She's also very supportive of other Japanese skaters, even Rika (who's meant to be her direct rival since they have the same coach). I was also surprised to see that she speaks English so well! I didn't know she spent time in the States as a kid.

 

Sofia's taking advantage of the fact that she's just a tiny bit older than the rest of the junior crop, so more power to her. I wish her programs had more substance, though.

 

Thanks for that link of Gracie. Can't wait to see how she does in competition. I hope she has a good team behind her to look after her mental health as well.

 

Yeah, Satoko knew her weakness and worked hard to get past them. Last year's minor drama about her coach saying Satoko worked too hard and Marin not enough, does make me wonder if she's balancing other things with skating better. My guess is that her life is still hardcore all about skating, though.

 

If Sofia had been a tiny bit younger, she would have drowned next year. Now she is able to gain some fans and acclaim. I hope she continues to improve. I sometimes wish Eteri skaters and Mishin skaters could do summer camps with the other team, so they can learn from the other's strengths.

[Riserise]

Anyone watching the Ladies SP right now?

 

(will respond in more detail, but am with my eyes on Moscow now)

[Riserise]

So, the first day is over. Yuzu's amazing performance can be added to a Youtube collection of "Yuzuru breaks a World Record" reactions. Moris being second was unexpected, but let's see what he does in the Free. Alexei Krasnozhon does not have all his jumps back yet. If he hadn't been injured earlier this year, he would have been a podium favourite.

 

As for ladies, what was going on with Mako? Didn't see it coming, as she has been quite consistent so far. Eunsoo was also too bad. She's not so far behind that she can't medal, but she needs some help from the other.

 

I respect Eteri for being there and even smiling a little, as she just lost her mother.

 

So, Alina first, then Sofia and third Alexia.

 

Am looking forward to the Italy vs Russia battle in Pairs tomorrow as well.

 

@Fallingslowly

It's too bad that Gracie didn't do well, but I don't see it as a disaster. She just came back, though she has an eating disorder. I find it very brave. Good to know she's well supported.

I agree that Mikhail needs help. He can do very well, but it happens way too often that he bombs. It must hurt to be under such pressure.

Satoko is such a powerhouse. So far she's dealt with lots of younger skaters coming for her spots, but she's still managed to stay at medal contention level.

[Riserise]

It's been a wild ride.

 

Unless Elizabet gets way overscored (possible), Alexia...is going to be in third...

Definitely wild. Apart from those Men's first places and Alina dominating, nothing has been predictable this GP.

 

(should perhaps have added this to my other reply...oh well)

Edited November 16, 2018 by Riserise

[Riserise]

Ladies ranking for GPF right now

 

Guaranteed GPF spots

 

 Satoko Miyahara: 28 points

 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva: 26 points

 

Two competitions finished, but not with a guaranteed spot yet

 Kaori Sakamoto: 24 points

 

One competition finished, but still a good chance to make it to the Finals.

Alina Zagitova: 15 points

Rika Kihira: 15 points

Mako Yamashita: 13 points

Stanislava Konstantinova: 13 points

Sofia Samodurova: 11 points

Evgenia Medvedeva: 11 points

 

Those competing this weekend are underlined.

 

 

Here after men’s short in cor. Proud of Yuzu for performing after a pretty...meh performance from almost everyone.

MISHA WHYYYYYY THE DOOR WAS OPEN FOR YOU TO AT LEAST NOT MELTDOWN. I seriously think that his coaches need to focus on his mental training because technically and performance wise he should be one of the best skaters in the world right now...but he just crumbles under any pressure, even today when the highest scorer so far before him only scored about 89

 

I agree. This is not a one season thing; it has been going on for a while now.

Edited November 16, 2018 by Riserise