2014 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic

[Tavi...]

I thought Max's Gladiator program was nice. Definitely more his style than Carmen last year. A few errors, but overall a good start.

He ought to stop being so hard on himself! It's only September!

He got 161+ and he's still look unsatisfied. Good lord! Tom Z was more thrilled than he was.

Well I guess it's human nature to feel that way when you didn't do a perfect program. But still 161! That's close to his PB....

Agree. I actually liked a lot of what he did in FS. Re his reactions: got the feeling, which could be totally wrong, that he wanted to start season on fire & achieve Hanyu-level scores after not having been sent to Olympics.

 

[Hyena]

Agree. I actually liked a lot of what he did in FS. Re his reactions: got the feeling, which could be totally wrong, that he wanted to start season on fire & achieve Hanyu-level scores after not having been sent to Olympics.

I agree. In his interviews after both programs he talked about wanting to compete with the best including Yuzuru and Javier. I think this year he really, really wants to win Nationals and be up there with the best in the world, so he wants his scores to measure up.

 

[ice coverage]

Aaron wins third straight International Classic title
Miner takes silver medal; Razzano finishes fourth; Moeller seventh

Posted 9/13/14 by Lynn Rutherford
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/09/13/94487592​

More IN photo galleries:

Senior Men's FS

http://www.icenetwork.com/photos/94475814 (10 photos)​

Senior Pairs FS

http://www.icenetwork.com/photos/94466326 (6 photos)​

Senior Ladies SP

http://www.icenetwork.com/photos/94403762 (10 photos)​

Senior SD

http://www.icenetwork.com/photos/94388466 (6 photos)​

Friday backstage

http://www.icenetwork.com/photos/94478438 (5 photos)​

 

[Mrs. P]

Agree. I actually liked a lot of what he did in FS. Re his reactions: got the feeling, which could be totally wrong, that he wanted to start season on fire & achieve Hanyu-level scores after not having been sent to Olympics.

That is true. But you also don't want to psych yourself our either. You can want it too much and make silly mistakes.

 

[mskater93]

Mirai's program is really beautiful. Too bad about the combo. But if she hits it, she will be right in the mix. I think she was underscored on PCS.

She wasn't underscored on PCS in comparison to Polina, so no she wasn't underscored.

 

[IcyEdges]

Oof, poor Jordan. I love Rohene's idea and choreography for his FS and I thought Jordan was doing a great job delivering it, right up until that fall on the spin. I bet that's a mistake he'll never make again!

I don't entirely blame that on him. The ice was extremely hard and crunchy and brittle. It failed to let him pick in for the spin.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

Mirai Nagasu SP
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9ufNgyhUG6A

Courtney Hicks SP
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=9ufNgyhUG6A

Thank you dorispulaski!

 

[Tavi...]

That is true. But you also don't want to psych yourself our either. You can want it too much and make silly mistakes.

I think that's exactly what happened - when thoughts about audience response, or fear about an upcoming element, or the result, intrude while you're skating (or performing or presenting at a meeting or whatever), it takes you out of the "now" and prevents you from fully concentrating on the task at hand, making the kind of mistakes you're talking about much more likely.

 

[slider11]

I agree that Mirai was underscored. The mistake in the initial jump combo is on her. But her spins and especially footwork had a new maturity and I'd like to see that reflected more in her second mark. Good luck this evening!

 

[ice coverage]

I think that's exactly what happened - when thoughts about audience response, or fear about an upcoming element, or the result, intrude while you're skating (or performing or presenting at a meeting or whatever), it takes you out of the "now" and prevents you from fully concentrating on the task at hand, making the kind of mistakes you're talking about much more likely.

According to Max's own comments after his SLC skates, at least two issues were involved in his mistakes:

Although he referred to the "mental game" as one of them, another factor was his focus on making his movements big, which has the risk of getting him off balance.​

I would add that based on what other skaters (and perhaps Max) have said at other times, it is possible that excessive concentration on the task at hand does not help -- and in fact could hurt, leading to mistakes that a skater never makes when training at home. I've read/heard many skaters talk about the importance of trusting their training when competing and letting muscle memory take over.

 

[mskater93]

I agree that Mirai was underscored. The mistake in the initial jump combo is on her. But her spins and especially footwork had a new maturity and I'd like to see that reflected more in her second mark. Good luck this evening!

Maturity is not a pcs criteria. Pcs is mostly a measure of speed, flow, and transitions

 

[jenaj]

Maturity is not a pcs criteria. Pcs is mostly a measure of speed, flow, and transitions

Mirai had nice transitions and good speed and flow so those shouldn't be an issue. And maturity can play in on the subjective Performance/Execution and Interpretation marks. All the time, we hear that someone is "juniorish." So maturity does matter to at least some judges.

 

[ice coverage]

‏@MaxTAaron

Not the best season opener but learned a lot! Can't wait for the Grand Prix season! Thank you @USFigureSkating for another great event!
2:53 PM - 13 Sep 2014
https://twitter.com/MaxTAaron/status/510909222574256128​

ETA, and now TZ's perspective (and photo with Max):

Tom Zakrajsek ‏@CoachTomZ

.@USFigureSkating Congrats to 3-time IC champ @MaxTAaron on great start to the season. #Gladiator #challengerseries pic.twitter.com/T0yqEJ3nqi
3:45 PM - 13 Sep 2014
https://twitter.com/CoachTomZ/status/510922237961326592​

 

[mskater93]

Mirai had nice transitions and good speed and flow so those shouldn't be an issue. And maturity can play in on the subjective Performance/Execution and Interpretation marks. All the time, we hear that someone is "juniorish." So maturity does matter to at least some judges.

Nagasu's score was in the same corridor as Edmunds and Hicks, which is why I say she was not underscored. I thought Edmunds should have scored MUCH higher PCS than everyone (maybe between 1-3 points) else based on where that program is in its development, speed, flow, transitions, and construction and the content and yet her PCS was fairly stingy.

 

[MK's Winter]

Nagasu's score was in the same corridor as Edmunds and Hicks, which is why I say she was not underscored. I thought Edmunds should have scored MUCH higher PCS than everyone (maybe between 1-3 points) else based on where that program is in its development, speed, flow, transitions, and construction and the content and yet her PCS was fairly stingy.

I don't think the discrepancy between Polina and Mirai' PCS is the issue. Why Courtney Hick's PCS are even close to theirs is the issue for me. Courtney has the jumps but not much else. Her skating skills should be no where near the level of Mirai or Polina, same with transitions. Her footwork sequence was pretty sloppy as well.

 

[coolboogie22]

Nagasu's score was in the same corridor as Edmunds and Hicks, which is why I say she was not underscored. I thought Edmunds should have scored MUCH higher PCS than everyone (maybe between 1-3 points) else based on where that program is in its development, speed, flow, transitions, and construction and the content and yet her PCS was fairly stingy.

Everyone PCS where well judge to me. Polina Edmunds doesn't deserve more than what she earn because there is a lot of telegraph in her jumps and the program miss the attack on the element that the others ladies in the competition have. Yes, she complete all her stuff, but the whole program miss the something magic that the others ladies bring into their program.

 

[coolboogie22]

I don't think the discrepancy between Polina and Mirai' PCS is the issue. Why Courtney Hick's PCS are even close to theirs is the issue for me. Courtney has the jumps but not much else. Her skating skills should be no where near the level of Mirai or Polina, same with transitions. Her footwork sequence was pretty sloppy as well.

I thought that Alaine Chartrand should have score much more in the PCS, I like her maturity, transition and unique style in her skating.

 

[bixby]

Ladies LIVE streaming?

 

[MK's Winter]

Ladies LIVE streaming?

I'm watching it on Ice Network

 

[Figureskaterr]

I don't think the discrepancy between Polina and Mirai' PCS is the issue. Why Courtney Hick's PCS are even close to theirs is the issue for me. Courtney has the jumps but not much else. Her skating skills should be no where near the level of Mirai or Polina, same with transitions. Her footwork sequence was pretty sloppy as well.

My thoughts exactly!