So, welcome to the predictions for the 2014 World Championships. For anyone who follows skating closely, you know that this event will be somewhat… less exciting to put it lightly because so many skaters opt out of the competition after an exhausting Olympic season.
Men
As expected, many of the top contenders have opted out of the World Championships this year, leaving the door wide open for reigning Olympic Champion, Yuzuru Hanyu, to strike gold on home ice. Yuzuru will be looking to improve on the Olympic performance of his LP, which was flawed but nevertheless was enough to win him the gold. Another competitor to look out for is Javier Fernandez who was skilled enough to win the Olympic medal but was kept off because he violated the zayak rule. Hopefully, he will have learned his lesson and will come out strong here.
Other contenders to look out for: Tatsuki Machida who’s had a strong season so far and also has home ice advantage. Maxim Kovtun, the windmill guy who beat Plushenko at Russian Nationals but didn’t go to the Olympics, therefore he’ll be more rested than the others and Han Yan, a young and talented newcomer. Jeremy Abbott may somehow prove that he can survive under pressure while Takahiko Kozuka, who is also well-rested may show us why he was once the World silver medalist.
There has been quite a big buzz over the fact that Sotnikova isn’t going to Worlds and that the South Korean Olympic committee has filed an official complaint over the judging of the ladies competition. The big story then, is one of redemption by Mao Asada, who did not get the result we expected her to in Sochi. I hope that we’ll see her strong and that we can see her finish her career with a smile. Going against her is the young Russian phenom, Julia Lipnitskaia, who hopefully, has had less disturbing media attention since the Olympics and the Olympic bronze medalist Carolina Kostner. I have no doubt again that the judges will lowball Carolina’s PCS even if she’s the best performer with the best choreography this season.
A few other contenders to look out for: the rising star, Gracie Gold, who may actually be the Next American Ice Princess, Akiko Suzuki, who will undoubtedly be lowballed in PCS as always and Anna Pogorilaya, a Russian youngin who did well earlier in the season and will be well-rested for not going to Sochi.
Predictions:
Gold – Mao Asada Silver – Julia Lipnitskaia Bronze – Carolina Kostner
Pairs
The pairs competition will be a race for gold between Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy and Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov. The latter pair surprised us all but pitching in 3 solid performances in Sochi. S&S, I think, still has what it takes to win it but they’ll have to skate clean. As for the bronze medal, there are a few teams that have the technique, choreography and steadiness of mind and character that can take them to the podium and I think those teams are: Cheng Peng & Hao Zhang, Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek, Meaghan Duhamel & Eric Radford and Kirsten Moore-Towers & Dylan Moscovitch. The bronze is going to be a tough call. As will be the gold. So here goes…
I expect these predictions to be completely and totally wrong.
Ice Dance
The ice dance competition will be less exciting without the Davis & White and Virtue & Moir rivalry but this competition may end up being the most revealing of them all. With them two dominating team gone, this competition may give us an idea of how the ice dance field will look like next season and for the next Olympic cycle.
Although I think that Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat should’ve won the bronze at Sochi (I knew they wouldn’t because they’re not Russian), they may see themselves on the podium, just not at the top. That spot will probably belong to Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov who will likely be the top Russian team for the next cycle. Whether they can maintain this top position is a completely different question – not all the competitions are held in Russia, you know. We may see two Russia teams on the podium if Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev are well received in Saitama. However, we still need to keep an eye out for Igor Shpilband’s top team: Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte who have been skating strong all season. Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje will no longer be in the shadow of Virtue & Moir but they will likely be lowballed as they have been all season. However, I wanted to make this comment because Maria de Buenos Aires is a lovely FD and I want you to watch it.
I’m somewhat unused to this roster and so I’m guessing that these predictions will be laughably wrong. What are your predictions? Share them with me in the comments!
The Japanese Figure Skating Championships are one of the few more exciting National Championships out there because the entire competition isn’t just a one pony race. In the singles events, the field is tough and the sad thing is – if some of the lower ranked competitors were from some other country, they’d be going to Sochi right now. In any case, here is the video announcing the Japanese team for Sochi 2014.
In case you can’t quite pick out the names in the flurry of Japanese, they are: More
I managed to catch the competition on CBC this week for the NHK Trophy and now that the coverage has ended, let the commentary begin!
Daisuke still has IT
I admit, I didn’t really enjoy Daisuke too much last season. His programs were forgettable and there lacked a spark in his skating that draws you to his performances. With a disappointing 4th place at Skate Canada, I thought we were going to see more uninspiring Daisuke but I’m so glad he proved me wrong. I’m still not a huge fan of his LP but his SP was mesmerizing, just as all Daisuke programs should be.
The program was smooth, his jumps were solid and his performance and expression were beautiful as always. I hope we see more of this Daisuke this season.
Look out for Adam Rippon
I know that most people are looking at Jeremy Abbott right now for unexpectedly winning the bronze at the NHK Trophy but I think the one we should really be keeping an eye out for is Adam Rippon. While Jeremy did win a bronze here, he did finish 6th at Skate Canada when he could’ve finished a few places higher. Despite a 4th place finish, what Adam Rippon has shown is that he has become increasingly consistent by finishing in the top half (and winning a silver at Skate America) in both his GP assignments. Abbott, on the other hand, has shown more of the same old: when he’s good, he’s very good and when he’s bad, he’s very bad.
Super Javi falters
PJ Kwong pegged Javier Fernandez for gold while I pegged him for silver. Either way, both of us expected him to finish on the podium at NHK. For a bit, my prediction seemed to ring true until he tripped up and made a lot of mistakes in his long program which led him to a 5th place finish. Javier was a strong contender for the men’s field going into the Olympic season but now that the Olympic season has started, I wonder if he has the momentum to get on the podium with this relatively poor result for him at NHK. Time will tell, I suppose.
Mao is going up
Mao has been having a few rough seasons since the Vancouver Olympics but it looks as if she’s back on track for this season. She might need to up her technical ability in order to beat Yuna but every performance has been a steady improvement for her as the GP series has gone on. I’m very impressed with the expression, grace and maturity she’s shown this season and I look forward to seeing her skate again in the Grand Prix Final. Her two golds have guaranteed a spot there.
Honourable Mention: Akiko Suzuki
Akiko finished lower than expected with a bronze medal at the NHK Trophy but in my eyes, she’s still an amazing skater. I hated her Phantom of the Opera LP at the beginning of this season, partly because I generally don’t like skaters using this overdramatic, overused piece of music (with some exceptions… like this* and this) and partly because I couldn’t quite look past the mistakes and see the choreography and skating. This time however, Akiko managed to sell her program a lot better despite the mistakes and I’ve grown to like it better. I’m so sad she’s going to retire at the end of this season. I mean, look at this, she just gets better at expressing the music with her skating every year, mistakes or no mistakes…
*Note: Even though I do like Davis/White’s Olympic FD, I’d still wish they skated with similar choreography to some other uber dramatic music.
We’re going to miss you, girl.
Rising Star: Elena Radionova
I’m very miffed at myself for not factoring her in my predictions even though she is one of my favourite skaters this season. If my brain had been working, her name would’ve registered and I would’ve probably put her in for bronze rather than Gracie Gold. Well, the deed is done and my predictions would’ve been wrong anyways since she’s won the silver! She’s probably earned a spot in the GPF and I can’t wait to see her there. So much potential and star quality in spades.
She could’ve finished off her movements a little more in this performance but this might be the best she’s skated this program this season.
The way Olympic spots are awarded to each country is total bullsh**
I really hate the way slots are allotted to each country for each Worlds and the Olympics. Please refer to the table on this wikipedia page for more information. What I hate about the way they give spots to each competitor is that they do it by country. If you haven’t read the wikipedia page, the basics of it is that each country has a certain amount of spots at the Olympics according to how well the country’s competitors rank in the World championships in the season prior to the Olympics. This may seem fine at first glance but the problem comes when certain countries have tons of talented skaters but not enough spots. These skaters may be much better than most of the field but they won’t be able to qualify for the Olympics because some of their fellow countrymen are better than they are.
Case 1: Japanese single skaters – In the men’s competition at Japanese nationals this season, Daisuke Takahashi, Yuzuru Hanyu, Takahito Kozuka, Nobunari Oda and Tatsuki Machida are going to duke it out to take 1 of 3 spots at the Olympics. Three out of five of these men have won medals at the World Championships while all of them have had many medals and victories in the GP series. I would honestly rather allow Japan two extra spots and watch two more amazing performances at the Olympics than give two spots to skaters whose careers have been much less illustrious and will likely give out two (at best) mediocre performances.
Case 2 (and why it’s pertinent to the NHK Trophy): China only has 2 spots at the Olympics and this week, Peng & Zhang have skated well while their teammates, Sui & Han have suffered in their scores and rankings since Sui was sick while she was competing. Either way, both teams have shown themselves to be worthy of future medals but only one will make it to the Olympics. What makes me angry is that the teams who have ranked under them consistently this season (*cough* pointing at Swiegers/Lawrence and pretty much all the American pairs teams) might or will likely get a spot because the competition isn’t as stiff in their respective countries. Sigh.
So, let’s be clear on a few things:
1. It is so frustrating to see really talented competitors not make it to the Olympics just because they happen to be in a nation where they might not be at the top but they are on the A-list of competitors anyways.
2. Yes, I know I can be a bitchy figure skating snob. Deal with it.
Shibsibs recover, Ilinykh & Katsalapov still #2 in Russia
Yes, yes, Meryl & Charlie won (FD here). That’s no surprise anymore. The Shibutanis, however, seem to have recovered and got back on the podium! I was surprised because I thought that Ilinykh & Katsalapov were going to take the bronze but the Shibutani siblings seem to have improved and have captured the bronze.
A bronze for I/K may have been a signal that times were changing and that they were challenging Bobrova & Soloviev, the top Russian team. By being in that top spot nationally, they have a shot a fighting for Olympic bronze but it seems as if I/K need a lot more work, especially since there are so many “empty” spots in their program… usually full of posing.
I’m happy that the Shibutani siblings did well this competition but their FD still confuses me. That slow musical part in the middle of their FD makes it a little incoherent and I’m confused as to what the concept of the FD is.
As for the SDs in ice dance, I have yet to find one I’m totally in love with but I think that’s the nature of the beast. At least, for me.
The Trophee Eric Bompard is next week! (Sorry for the lack of accents.) Are you excited? Let me know why in comments or share your thoughts on the NHK Trophy!
I’m still sorting out my thoughts on the Cup of China this year so there may be a combination CoC and NHK thoughts post in the future but for now, a predictions post is due.
Let’s hope these predictions will go a little better this time…
Men
There are three Japanese men skating at NHK this week and somehow, I can only see one man skating well. Usually, I’d name Daisuke Takahashi to that charge but Daisuke hasn’t been skating to the standard I expect from him lately. Instead, I’ll pin my hopes for two solid skates on Nobunari Oda, who’s done well this season and would’ve won silver at Skate Canada if he hadn’t violated the zayak rule within the first minute of his long program. (Yes, I’m still miffed about that.)
However, another person to watch would be Javier Fernandez who took the bronze at Worlds this year. I expect him and Oda to be duking it out for gold. It’ll be a tough call as to who will win.
Adam Rippon may be another skater to watch since he’s seems to have matured and done rather well at Skate America. I’m not sure if he’s still at that stage where the audience has no clue which Adam will show up (the angel or the headcase) but I guess this is a test. If he skates well here, I may have to peg him as a serious competitor in all my predictions this season.
Predictions:
Gold: Nobunari Oda
Silver: Javier Fernandez
Bronze: Daisuke Takahashi
Ladies
I cannot tell you how happy I was to see Mao Asada skating well again. This season, Mao just looks longer, leaner and skating with a maturity and strength that I’ve never seen before. Yes, her programs have not been perfect but her win at Skate America might give her some good momentum for the Olympics this season. As for this competition, I think she can grab the gold if she skates well. She’ll have tough competition from her fellow countryman, Akiko Suzuki, who won silver at Skate Canada.
I think that the podium will be rounded off by Gracie Gold, who’s shown that she’s something of an entity in the Grand Prix circuit but will need to skate more consistently and give us more if she’s to become the top U.S. lady.
Predictions:
Gold: Mao Asada
Silver: Akiko Suzuki
Bronze: Gracie Gold
Pairs
There is no doubt in my mind that the winners of this event will be Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the gold was theirs every time their name pops up. Looking at the competitors, I’m sure they could fall once or twice and still win.
Two Chinese teams showed that they still had it this season and I expect them to round out the podium as well. I’m talking about Wenjing Sui & Cong Han and Cheng Peng & Hao Zhang. The former won silver at Skate Canada while the latter won bronze, to my utmost surprise last week at the Cup of China. Stylistically, there’s an elegance reminiscent of Shen & Zhao that I see in Peng & Zhang but I think Sui & Han might have the advantage this season at least for their big tricks. We’ll see how these these two teams do. I’m so sad that China only has two slots for pairs at the Olympics and one of these teams will likely not go.
Predictions:
Gold: Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov
Silver: Wenjing Sui & Cong Han
Bronze: Cheng Peng & Hao Zhang
Ice Dance
I’m pretty sure that the number 1 and 2 slot will be filled in quite handily by Meryl Davis & Charlie White and Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte, respectively. It’s the bronze that might be a bit of a tough call. The fight for bronze will likely be a showdown between Maia & Alex Shibutani and Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov. We have yet to see I/K’s programs but I can’t quite seem to connect with the Shibsibs’ MJ/whatever free dance. It’s a strange choice for the Olympics since it’s not at all anything that we’ve seen from them and the concept of it is unclear to me. I think for that I’ll give the edge to I/K. Who will hopefully give us something better than that terribly tacky Ghost FD from last year.
Predictions:
Gold: Meryl Davis & Charlie White
Silver: Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte
Bronze: Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov
What are your predictions for the NHK Trophy? Let me know in the comments!
Skate Canada is upon us! Onwards with the predictions! I apologize for any typos, by the way. My house is really cold and my fingers aren’t cooperating with me at the moment.
Men
Patrick Chan is competing. In Canada. If you still don’t get it, I’ll put it in an equation for you:
Chan + skating in Chanada = instant gold. Sigh.
As for silver and bronze, expect a tough battle between the young prince, Yuzuru Hanyu, and his older teammate, Nobunari Oda. This is going to be a tough call.
Predictions:
Gold: Patrick Chan
Silver: Yuzuru Hanyu
Bronze: Nobunari Oda
Ladies
The ladies competition is another tough call. Little youngin’, Julia Lipnitskaia recently beat veteran, Akiko Suzuki, at the Finlandia Trophy. However, Akiko starts out the season a little rough and improves throughout the GP series. (After the GP series, she gets undermarked in the PCS and drops in the rankings at competitions…) As for Lipnitskaia, I really do wonder about her skating career. She may be winning the medals now but puberty is acoming and her jumps are frightfully low and she doesn’t come out of them with a lot of speed or flow. That’s a very bad sign for things to come when the ice and gravity is less forgiving once puberty sets in.
Katelyn Osmond has home ice advantage (and I swear I see her Olympics feature ad more often than any other skater on CBC for some reason) and she’s the defending champion but according to PJ Kwong’s CBC article, she’s been struggling with injuries lately. That and I attribute her win last year more to the mistakes of her competitors than her own skating. Gracie Gold may be the one to snatch a medal away from Katelyn if the latter’s skating is abysmal enough. Though it will be a tough call with the home ice advantage that Katelyn has…
Predictions:
Gold: Akiko Suzuki (please, Akiko, don’t let me down!)
Silver: Julia Lipnitskaia
Bronze: Gracie Gold
Pairs
I hate doing pairs predictions. Or pairs competitions in general. They’re just not as exciting or beautiful as they used to be.
In any case, Meaghan Duhamel & Eric Radford are in a position not unlike Joannie Rochette 4 seasons ago: they’ll never touch the top two teams – S&S and V&T – just as Joannie couldn’t really touch Mao or Yuna but they’re better than the rest of the field, which is why their improvement in the rankings and skating ability is so exciting: they’re poised to take Olympic bronze. At Skate Canada though, they’ll probably take the gold. As for the rest of the medals, lets just say that these predictions won’t be pretty.
Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek let me down at Skate America by not getting bronze but I know they have it in them to get on the podium at GP events. I’m not a fan of their programs but they are lovely to watch. There was also a time where I absolutely adored Wenjing Sui & Cong Han but after missing a season, I’m not sure where they stand amongst their competitors, especially after a 12th place finish at Worlds. Another team to keep an eye out for: Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers. I was quite impressed with Paige’s drive and competitiveness in the CBC documentary, “Ice, Sweat and Tears,” but I hope that it will translate into the team’s skating. Home-ice advantage will also give their scores a boost which might help them in their quest to medal. In all honesty, I’m not confident about these predictions beyond the gold.
Predictions:
Gold: Meaghan Duhamel & Eric Radford
Silver: Stefania Berton & Ondrej Hotarek
Bronze: Wenjing Sui & Cong Han
Ice Dance
Just like their rivals, Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir will take the gold quite handily unless they withdraw. *hopes that that doesn’t happen* Their teammates, Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, seems to have overcome their injury from last season and are skating strong as they have in the past few seasons. I expect them to get the silver. The bronze medal seems to be the tough call since there aren’t that many standout teams in this competition. If I were to hazard a guess at the bronze medal team, I’d say that it could go to Ekaterina Riazanova & Ilia Tkachenko, who medaled at two GP events last season (both bronze), which makes them a head above the rest of the list after the two Canadian teams.
Predictions:
Gold: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir
Silver: Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje
Bronze: Ekaterina Riazanova & Ilia Tkachenko
What are your predictions for Skate Canada 2013? Let me know in the comments!
More pre-season skating videos have popped up and here are my two cents again! There weren’t that many A-list competitors at Finlandia, so I decided to combine this post with my thoughts on some of the Japan Open programs.
Finlandia Trophy
First of all, can I say, I am so thankful that the Yankee Polka is done. Honestly, the next skater(s) who do a cowboy program, I’m just going to walk away from my laptop before I break something. As for this SD, I like the songs but I wonder why Marina never gives Tessa and Scott an SD with music derived from one soundtrack or source like Meryl and Charlie. I find SDs that take their music from one source are a little more coherent and these two work well when they have characters. Overall, there were a few bobbles, especially with the twizzles but I’m not too worried since I know these two can do better than that. I’m not sure if I’m totally sold on the program (I don’t think I’ve been sold on a lot of Marina’s SDs to be honest) but I’m curious to see what will happen to it in the future. So far, it looks like the classic Tessa and Scott elegant dance sort of theme but I wonder if there’s a way to take this program up a notch and make it stand out a little more.
I like Tessa and Scott’s FD a lot better than the SD – it has a clean, elegant vibe that brings out what fans love best about these two: their chemistry, lines, elegance and romance. Luckily for them, Marina didn’t totally succumb to overly-cluttered lift-itis for this program as she did for a lot of her programs in the past two seasons. (I love that first lift especially, if only the camera angle could show it off better.) Overall, I’m glad that this could be their Last Program. It’s a good last hurrah for them as it has echoes of some of their greatest moments (Mahler, Umbrellas of Cherbourg) and it feels like it’s the story of Tessa and Scott in a program. A fitting goodbye if they decide to retire after this season. A few minor changes I wouldn’t mind seeing – changing the lines in that lift where Tessa flips onto Scott. The lines feel a little jarring but maybe that’s just me. Also, this is such a flowing program that it would be really nice if they could stop that momentary pause before going into their dance spins. Actually, it’s a little frustrating that at their level, they’re not transitioning into their dance spins like Meryl and Charlie, which is more difficult and adds to the flow of the program. Otherwise, I look forward to seeing this program again.
Madison Chock & Evan Bates took the silver at Finlandia but their SD was definitely not their best performance, with Evan falling on the twizzles. Also, it is just me or is the music as irritating as f$%&? I also felt that their midline step sequence was soooo slow. Come on, I expect more from a team that trains under Igor – even if it is the pre-season! As for anyone who thinks Meryl and Charlie’s FD was “pose-y,” I’ll reiterate again that I disagree and point to this program as an example of too much posing. At the beginning and in the middle. Let’s hope their FD is a lot better than this.
Chock and Bate’s FD. W.T.F. My brain is having such a hard time processing it that I’m not even typing properly. Let’s make a list to help me work through my confusion:
1. Were they trying to emulate Meryl and Charlie? I mean, I swear Meryl and Charlie have done those exact lifts or something really similar in the past.
2. Was there cheering in their music cuts? Addendum: Isn’t that kind of lame?
3. All those voices… so much going on in the music. The simple movements don’t match. Nor does their on-ice presence. Is Igor trying to shoot these two in the foot?
4. The first set of twizzles were spot on… the other two… not so much.
5. I just don’t understand the chaos that is the music. I just don’t.
One silver lining: that light but pretty transition into the dance spin. That’s something I’d like to see from Tessa and Scott.
This is a lovely program for Akiko – very warm and graceful. She’ll have to work on her jumps but overall, I think she’ll grow into this program quite well.
It makes me really sad to see Akiko messing up her jumps AND skating to the “Phantom of the Opera” after she skated to such a masterpiece like “O” as her LP last year. I really hope that Akiko can sprinkle her magic dust on this program later in the season because this is just painful to watch.
I was curious about Julia Lipnitskaia after learning that she won gold at Finlandia. I can see that she’s beaten Akiko with her jumps but to me, Lipnitskaia looks and feels like a mini and awkward version of Sasha Cohen. Without Sasha’s musicality. She’s still quite young so who knows if that will change in the future.
While watching Julia Lipnitskaia skate this long program to “Schindler’s List,” I couldn’t help but notice how 1. her jumps are a little low and 2. how she comes out of a lot of her jumps with such little speed. She’s 15 now but I’m not sure if those jumps will last. She also seems like another “checklist skater” where her program is a list of things she needs to do. Maybe musicality will come to her with age but this is a good start to her season, she beat Akiko Suzuki at Finlandia to win the gold.
Yuzuru reused his “Parisienne Walkways” SP for this season. I love this program but what makes me angry is that he messed up the 3A – his best jump and the best jump in that program because of that difficult entry. Get it together, Yuzuru!
I was surprised to see Yuzuru skate to Romeo and Juliet again. I prefer the other version better but what can we do, really? Yuzuru did land two quads, which is impressive but let’s hope he doesn’t completely tucker out during the second half of the program. Maybe then we could have a veritable rival for Chan.
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva had a rough SP with a popped jump and fall. This girl still has starpower in spades but I’m not sure if her newfound curves will allow her to skate in the top echelons of the sport anymore. On the bright side, she did win bronze in this competition.
Elizaveta’s LP wasn’t as disastrous and was less painful to watch. There were a few bobbles here and there but she reminded us here how she can sell a program so well. Malaguena is an overused piece of music but she made it her own. I’m happy that she’s proven that she’s better than that SP at Finlandia.
Japan Open
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Daisuke so sloppy and uninspiring. If it weren’t for that final step sequence, I would have totally forgotten why I liked this guy in the first place. It is the beginning of the season and mistakes are aplenty but I have the sad feeling that the his reign as the top Japanese man is decisively at its end with the only consolation that Prince Yuzuru is a worthy successor. Daisuke is as expressive as ever but his jumps seem to have failed him and his final spins were rather sloppy. Furthermore, I actually have more scruples with his program more than anything. I love the Beatles and all but a depressing accordion (or accordion-sounding) version of Beatles songs? And don’t get me started on the numerous pauses throughout the program. I hate pauses in ice dance programs but even that pales in comparison with the long, unnecessary, nonsensical, pose-y pauses in singles skating. I smell Morozov, even though the internet says Lori Nichol choreographed this.
This wasn’t a terrible skate other than the singled triple axel combination jump but why is it that I can’t seem to remember any distinctive aspect of this program? Takahiko Kozuka is talented but we’ve seen the same thing for so many years. In terms of his actual skating, it’s miles ahead of where Daisuke is right now. I think if we combined Daisuke’s flair for drama and emotion on ice with Takahiko’s current skating ability, we’d have a great skater who might be able to beat Yuzuru at Nationals (and a less tough decision as to who to send to the Olympics) but right now, the Japan’s figure skating union seems to have a very interesting conundrum on who to send to Sochi.
Some minor bobbles, but Javier Fernandez is off to a good start. Did I count 3 quads in that program? I think this program will grow on me as the season goes by but it’s quite a charming thing – very Kurt Browning-esque. What I am worried about it that Javier tends to peak early in the season and he tends to lose a little steam after the GP series. However, if his bronze at the last World Champions is any indication, I think he’s getting better at being prepared for some of the more important competitions at the end of the season.
I think this is the best I’ve seen Mao skate in a while. Her triple axel was two-footed and there were a few bobbles and a double rather than a triple-toe tacked on the back of a double axel but there was something in that performance that I haven’t seen in a while from Mao. Also, I can’t help but feel that Mao looks taller, longer and just lean this season. She doesn’t look like the wisp of a thing she was even back in Vancouver and I can’t help but wonder if she had her growth spurt a little later. In any case, this is actually quite a good program for Mao. It’s heavy but not too heavy like her “Bells of Moscow” LP from the last Olympic season and she’s matured to the point where she can be fierce and pretty. I like this new Mao and I hope that she grows stronger and stronger.
Ashley Wagner had the most solid skate of the Japan Open performances which will get her fans very excited. Somehow, though, I’m left feeling nothing. From the katakana text on the video, I believe she was skating to “Romeo and Juliet” but I don’t get that impression, even though she clearly stabs herself at the end and there’s a lot of angsty, angry music. Maybe it was the windmill arms during the first step sequence or that my brain is shouting at me, “She’s acting!” rather than “She’s living the character,” but that’s all a matter of opinion, I suppose. I think her fans will be happy that Ashley’s off to a great start while I will sit here for another five minutes to ponder upon how I felt about this performance. So far, I feel nothing, which confuses me a bit because, as I said, it’s a solid skate.
Watching Adelina Sotnikova skate made me want to pull out my hair. Actually, it would’ve been better if you watch this program on silent because Rondo Capricioso (at least, that’s what the Japanese text said what the music was called) is quite a pretty tune but the costume and the program just screamed tacky. I also didn’t even know what happened to that double axel in the middle of the program. What *kills* me is that Adelina could be so much better if she had better programs. Sigh. I’m not sure if I can digest that program again this season.
You could tell that Kanako wasn’t happy with that performance and I will tell you now, neither was I. Ok, she missed quite a few jumps – I’ll let that slip for now since it’s the beginning of the season and from what I’ve seen so far, there were a lot of uninspiring performances at the Japan Open. What bugged me even more than the missed jumps was the lack of expression. Last season, Kanako impressed me so much with this newfound maturity and musicality. Her “Prayer for Taylor” SP was gorgeous – great choreography, well-skated and with a calmness and quiet passion that went perfectly with the music. Her tango LP became a tough contender for my favourite LP of the season – and this is quite a statement seeing that her competition was Akiko Suzuki’s magnificent “O” program. I’m disappointed because I know that Kanako can do better than checking off a to-do list – which seems to be what she did here. This is “Papa, Can You Hear Me?” from Yentl. The song lyrics and melody and the plot of the film is simple enough – a daughter yearns for her dead father. I’m not too fond of the music cuts but the plaintive, sad melody shouldn’t be out of Kanako’s acting range.
So, in short, I expect Kanako to do better next time and I know she will too. I’m looking forward to seeing this program grow and develop though. I think this program has the potential to be heart-wrenching.
What are your thoughts on the figure skating pre-season?
So whenever I’m bored or procrastinating, I always find myself on modcloth. I don’t really buy stuff off the site since I’m not a huge fan of polyester clothing but occasionally, I’ll stumble upon a cotton dress that I’ll think about for a while and debate about whether or not I should get it. Nonetheless, I think there are a few looks currently on the site that have a figure skating feel to them. I’ll group them under the song that comes to mind when I see them. The dresses are currently available so I’ll put up links to them if you think you want to get it.
Let me know if any of you decide to purchase any of the dresses – strike a figure skating pose and send the picture in! I’ll put it up!
The 2012/2013 season is officially over with the close of the World Team Trophy. When the new season starts in October, the world will be watching. And people might actually care about figure skating in anticipation for the Sochi Olympics. So judges, you might actually need to give Chan marks he deserves next season. In any case, I thought it would be fun to do a state of the union/pre-season predictions post and see how totally slippery the ice is and how my predictions will be.
So barring major injury or meltdown, I think the Olympic champions next year will be…
Men
Patrick Chan may get unusually high marks but the unfortunate fact is that when he skates clean, he does deserve those high scores. Whether he makes you feel anything other than patriotism (if you’re Canadian) is another matter. With Javier still establishing himself, Yuzuru still struggling with his LP and with Daisuke struggling in general, there aren’t very many people who can come between Chan and the gold at Sochi right now. Chan’s GP scores will show whether the judges are bringing him back down to the ground during the Olympic season or if they’ll continue with Chanflation. We’ll be keeping an eye out for that.
Ladies
A few factors come into play in this prediction. If Yuna Kim decides to actually participate this season (and I really think she should compete the entire season this time), her decisive victory at Worlds this year proves that she’s still easily a head above the pack. If Yuna doesn’t manage to skate two clean programs or if she doesn’t compete, Carolina Kostner seems to be next in line for the crown. Mao is not at her best these days and despite the JFSA’s insistence to put her above the rest, Akiko Suzuki has shown that she is capable of outskating Mao. Sadly, I’ll just have to cling onto the tiny impossible glimmer of hope that Akiko could win a medal of any colour. As for Mao, I’ve got a feeling she’ll have to feel the bitter bile of disappointment again.
Pairs
I think without a doubt, Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov will come out on top. They have the skills (although not necessarily the best choreography) and the right nationality. Mother Russia will get her pairs gold medal back. Or there will be blood.
Ice Dance
Meryl Davis & Charlie White are still embroiled in a bitter rivalry with Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, however this season, they’ve proven that they have the upper edge. While Tessa and Scott have been having issues with speed and power, Meryl and Charlie have soared ahead. Knowing Tessa and Scott, they will work hard in the off season to get back up to par and beat their rivals but for now, Davis & White are slightly ahead in the race for the gold in Sochi.
Who do you think will be the Olympic champions next year?
At the end of last season, icenetwork released a series of picks and I decided to follow suit with a post. I like the format so much that I think I’ll repeat it again. So, without further ado, my picks for the 2012/2013 season.
Best program:
It’s a tie this year between Akiko Suzuki’s LP to “O” choreographed by Pasquerale Carmelengo and Kanako Murakami’s SP to “Prayer for Taylor” choreographed by Marina Zueva. Both of them were interesting and more than just the cookie-cutter Morozombie programs you see with the CoP system. I love the final step sequence in Akiko’s program and the unusual sequence of elements in Kanako’s SP.
Best Performance:
Yuzuru Hanyu at the NHK Trophy, skating his SP – honestly one of the most mesmerizing performances of the season. A great program and a great performer. I’m kind of sad that he’s not the record holder for the highest score for the SP but he’ll get that score again one day. He has the potential to do it.
Best Rivalry:
Just like last year, this one goes to: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir vs. Meryl Davis & Charlie White
This year, the odds were tipped towards Meryl & Charlie who have skated brilliantly throughout the season. There are a few crazy fans out there who will bash against either team but I love both teams and how they push each other to be the best. *This* is what a skating rivalry should be about. Or skating in general. This element to the rivalry really brings back memories of the epicness of Plushenko vs. Yagudin. I think the level of epicness in this rivalry is pretty similar to that of the two Russian men. The Yags/Plushy rivalry was slightly more entertaining since the two men actually hated each other and would say it out loud on camera. LOL.
Biggest Upset:
Denis Ten at Worlds, especially in the LP where he won that portion of the competition. I don’t think anyone thought he had it in him to beat a whole slew of people for the silver medal. I also think that in a lot of people’s hearts, Denis won the gold at Worlds this year.
Favourite Breakthrough Performance:
Zijun Li at Worlds and 4CC. This girl can’t seem to skate a clean short but she’s just a little jumping bean in the long program! I’m keeping an eye out for this girl and her freshfaced look next season and I hope to see her improve more and more.
Best Comeback Story:
Yuna Kim. Duh. It’s pretty epic how she comes back to Worlds without competing at any major international competition and wins calmly and effortlessly. I just wish her programs were a little more compelling.
Best Moment:
Akiko Suzuki at the World Team Trophy – I wish there was a clip for this but right before she skated, Team Japan chanted her name and you could just see a look of surprise and a sudden glow of confidence light up her face. It was so sweet. She went on to do this:
Girl, at 28, you’re skating better than ever. She’s the female Plushenko – dauntless, awesome and timeless. Please keep skating.
Favourite Outfits:
I don’t care very much for their skating but I love the fun, quirky colours and patterns on Cathy & Chris Reed’s costume for their Beatles Medley FD. Super cute. Also, I feel as if someone needs to make a macro or meme using Chris’ face in this picture.
This season has been quite eventful. What are your picks for the season? Post them in the comments below or send me a link to your list!
Oh you aio;sfjsdifjadsl;kjf;asjfs. WordPress or my computer or the gremlins deleted the stuff I wrote just now. $%#@. Here we go again. Attempt #2 at writing this.
Also, this will be post #300 for the Rinkside Cafe! Woo!
The Rinkside Cafe 