Ladies LP - 2014 European Championships

[elif]

Lipnitskaia just got the highest season score and the second highest score in skating history.

This is 4th highest total score ever. Top three were Yu-Na Kim.

http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/o100lto.htm

 

[UnsaneLily87]

Hmmmm a 10 for interpretation is way too high for Julia. A 10 for manipulative choreography sure.

How can choreography be manipulative? This confuses me. I'm not a fan of people using Schindler's List as music, but surely manipulative choreography just means that it fits well with the music and evokes an emotion.

 

[wallylutz]

Lipnitskaia was fantastic. You can quibble about her presentation- she can leave me cold- but her jumps and spins were fabulous. She still looks like a little girl out there, but as the commentators were saying, that's why this "Schindler's List" program is perfect. It allows her to be restrained and youthful and both of those qualities benefit the program.

She is definitely being packaged very well. Despite her youth, her programs suit her very well. Kudos to her, her team and all the support she has that makes this possible and make her a serious contender.

 

[wallylutz]

I totally disagree. I would say this is one of the better judged competition especially compared to national inflation and the States in particular.

For the GOE, levels and other technical related calls, I think this competition has been well judged for the most part. As far as the PCS for the top skaters however, it feels seriously inflated vs. those who are 5th and below. Then again, it's an Olympic year, I fully expect big numbers considering Europeans in many way resembles more a national championship given many of the participating countries don't have a proper National of their own.

 

[tulosai]

This is 4th highest total score ever. Top three were Yu-Na Kim.

http://www.isuresults.com/isujsstat/o100lto.htm

Yes, but Julia would have beaten the third score and would have the third highest score ever if the spiral sequence was still around. She'd have gobbled up points on that like no one's business in the SP, and the spiral sequence would also be worth more than the choreo sequence in the long. She would not have passed the 1 and 2 scored though.

 

[Artistry]

I just saw Adelina and Kostner so far, but I am worried about how little in PCS separates them. Others have noted the same problem in the men’s sp thread. When I watch the two of them, I feel that Adelina really lacks the finish, polish and finesse in her movements, both upper body and generally speaking - her style, but it doesn’t seem to be reflected in the mark, as compared with Kostner - there should have been more of a spread. Basically, I never really get into Adelina’s skating. Does anyone else feel the same way? Like she will maybe grow into a mature style in a few years, but isn’t there yet?

 

[Mao88]

LADIES FREE SKATE - VIDEOS & RESULT - Updated

1. Julia LIPNITSKAIA (RUS) - 209.72 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
2. Adelina SOTNIKOVA (RUS) - 202.36 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
3. Carolina KOSTNER (ITA) - 191.39 Free Skate
4. Alena LEONOVA (RUS) - 178.15 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
5. Mae Berenice MEITE (FRA) - 173.37 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
6. Valentina MARCHEI (ITA) - 165.25 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
7. Elena GLEBOVA (EST) - 155.71 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
8. Nathalie WEINZIERL (GER) - 151.88 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
9. Joshi HELGESSON (SWE) - 146.45 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
10. Elene GEDEVANISHVILI (GEO) - 141.82 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
11. Roberta RODEGHIERO (ITA) - 141.25
12. Juulia TURKKILA (FIN) - 140.31 Free Skate, 2nd Copy
13. Laurine LECAVELIER (FRA) - 139.42
14. Viktoria HELGESSON (SWE) - 138.73 Free Skate, 2nd Copy

Medal Ceremony

 

[elif]

Am I the only one who thinks Kostner's Bolero program is a bit cheesy and over the top?

Yes I'm thinking same. I love Bolero but this time Kostner smiled too much and shaking her hips a lot. I don't know. This program should be more elegant I think.

 

[Frenchie]

Y'all! Does anyone know what the music is you can hear at 14:40 here? (right after the medal ceremony)
If you don't know, but know of a better thread to ask this question, let me know...
thanks!

 

[MsLiinaLii]

I don't get everyones love about it either. Too cheesy. Plus, in some moments it is empty for me.

 

[Alex D]

The result of the top 3 is alright. Julia deserved the PCs.

If someone expects a smiling girl at SL then he might should watch the movie first.

Leonova and Mae, i dont know. Maybe the distance is to high. First had under rotated flips however.

Inga did very well today, makes me very very happy.

 

[Robeye]

Lipnitskaia just got the highest season score and the second highest score in skating history.

She's definitely a gold medal contender now.

Ziggy, are you high, or getting swept up in Juliamania?

Yuna still has at least 3 scores higher than Julia's in international competition: Vancouver Olys (228+), London Worlds (218+), and 2009 TEB (210+). That would put Julia's skate at number 4 on the ISU list.

And on an apples-to-apples judging basis, I would argue that Julia's Euro performances would not be 209+, and there would be more Yuna skates that would beat them in the same competition (e.g. her 2009 Worlds performances of Danse Macabre/Scheherazade which received 207+).

I always thought you were a serious skating observer.

 

[wallylutz]

The level of detail in Kostner's FS is just mindblowing. There is constant upper body movement, interesting layout, no 'empty spot' (well some of the jump entries are a bit longer they way they are laid out makes sense).

It's obvious you like Carolina a lot ever since you felt her multiple falls at last year's world SP deserved to be held up over some other skaters who are clean. I think she is a terrific skater in many ways and her power & speed is one of the best, if not the best. That said, it's clear to me her injuries have taken a toll on her overall performance. The Bolero FS has cop out written all over it. Given Torvill/Dean made Bolero a legend on ice, I feel it's very risky for any skater trying this piece of music given it is such a powerful piece of music and to me, if she had not been injured, she would have been able to bring out the passion and the power of it. As it stands, she is probably at 70% at most. There is just not the emotional impact that Torvill/Dean delivered, not even close. Her facial expression has been monotone even though this piece of music requires quite a variety of emotions, which she failed to project and also, didn't entirely do justice due to lack of difficulty below the waist. Europeans tend to emphasize movement above the waist but across the other side of the Atlantic, there is a stronger emphasis on what happens below the waist. So that's my $0.02

 

[tulosai]

Ziggy, are you high, or getting swept up in Juliamania?

Yuna still has at least 3 scores higher than Julia's in international competition: Vancouver Olys (228+), London Worlds (218+), and 2009 TEB (210+). That would put Julia's skate at number 4 on the ISU list.

I don't disagree that Yuna still has a serious advantage over Julia, but really, Julia's current score should be third on the list. In 2009 the spiral sequence was still a required element in both programs. Even if Julia had preformed one VERY VERY BADLY (which would not have happened, she'd be getting huge spiral scores) she'd beat the TEB score by at least a few points.

I do concede she'd still have the third highest score, though, and Yuna's scores would be the 2 highest.

 

[Robeye]

Yes, but Julia would have beaten the third score and would have the third highest score ever if the spiral sequence was still around. She'd have gobbled up points on that like no one's business in the SP, and the spiral sequence would also be worth more than the choreo sequence in the long. She would not have passed the 1 and 2 scored though.

On the contrary, if PCS [and GOE] were scored the way it is today, Julia's performance would not even be number 4 on the list, IMO. Not only would Yuna's 2009 TEB performance score higher, but her 2009 Worlds performances would beat Julia's Euro performances as well.

 

[samson]

How can choreography be manipulative? This confuses me. I'm not a fan of people using Schindler's List as music, but surely manipulative choreography just means that it fits well with the music and evokes an emotion.

Julia skates this program very well, but for me the whole concept and execution is manipulative. From wearing the red coat, to moves like making a bird with her hands, it's all designed to appeal to make us feel as if we're watching something courageous or important on the ice. Granted her team put this routine together with a much higher level of taste than say what Radianova is doing, but to me it's manipulative.

She's a young girl, and she does show a great deal of potential to be a great performer. It may even be the kind of potential we saw from Michelle or Yu Na. Her body line and positions are also really excellent. But my issue is that in fact, save for the first few seconds with the look over the shoulder, there's not much elan, or musical interpretation happening in this program. Her eyes don't tell me anything other than she's focused on executing her elements.

She gets away with it, because the character she's playing is a young girl. Her team was smart, they didn't try to have her play Salome or Odette, or interpret the work of Rachmaninoff, but they did package her well for the gifts she has now, but to me that does not mean they are equal to what we see from Carolina, Meryl and Charlie, Tessa and Scott or Patrick. The work is somber, but it's not subtle.

The gesture of the bird hands is obvious, and frankly really easy to play. Not I will give credit to the fact the she does not overplay her concept, like Bobrova and Soloviev, but ultimately I just find skating to Schindler's List, dressing up like the girl in the red dress - an easily identifiable and undeniable tragic figure - and creating moves like "sadly walk away, then look over your shoulder" creates a whole that is supposed not telling a story, or evoking a mood, but playing to the audiences emotions to give the affect of maturity and something important or special on the ice.

Again, I will give it to them, Julia and her team have executed this concept very well, but it is still manipulative.

 

[Shani]

It is not yet the Olympics. Amazing skates by top 5. What is the end goal? Kostner's is Olympic, and pacing but might miss. Mao's goal is perfection on her own terms. Gracie and Julia might get there yet. Adelina is here for the long term, as is Gold. And Akiko is perfection. Come on ISU, give us an Olympic champion whose legacy will remain in terms of persuading kids worldwide to get on the ice and go for it. And Kim backed off.

 

[seniorita]

Just came back from today's events, ladies brought it today, great pairs sp too, will try to write later!!

 

[wallylutz]

Trying to use historical scores from years ago to assess whether Yu Na can withstand a challenge today is just silly. Many of these scores were highly circumstantial to begin with so their relevance today is, well, not much.

To be honest, I think Yu Na will need to be worried about these Russians more than Mao or the Japanese. Mao has not been skating well all year and she has been inconsistent to the point of only finished 3rd at her own nationals. Had GPF not being in Japan, it's highly doubtful she would have beaten the Russians but that's another story.

 

[KwanIsALegend]

As great as Julia is, I think she still needs some development, fine tuning and polish. She needs to finish her moves more completely.