I couldn't sleep for several hours after the ladies event. I was so impressed by the competitors overall. What a difference a year makes when you think about the scores required by skaters to make the podium or the placements they obtained (or even just to make the free skate) this year as compared to Worlds in Shanghai.
I don't usually love the Russian wunderkinds - but Evgenia was the deserved winner. She proved she wasn't a robot with her slightly shaky SP (where I thought she was overmarked), but she nailed the FS. Maybe not world record-worthy, but a well-deserved win.
Absolutely pleased for Ashley - more than deserved her 2nd place. I thought she was undermarked in the SP for going early, so even with her small technical issues in the FS, I felt like she should have gotten the silver overall. I love Moulin Rouge and the changes she made to it over the past year. And I say thumbs up to the judges for giving her the highest PCS scores. Her performance quality over the others was palpable - and sadly, all the more apparent just after Gracie's flat performance. I knew coming out of the GPF where Ashley received PCS scores of 71.55 skating first versus Evgenia's 72.37 skating last that if she delivered, the judges were willing to go her way. I hope she skates with all the confidence in the world now that she's got the monkey off her back of getting a world medal and skating a clean SP at worlds.
Very happy that Anna got the bronze. I hope this makes the Russian federation stop treating her likely the ugly stepsister. She skates with speed and great jump technique. Now, I think her programs/presentation leave me cold and her jumps (while clean) are stiff, but there's no denying that with her awesome SP that she deserved to be on the podium.
Gracie - I admire her natural talent tremendously, but I've never viewed her as US' great hope. I don't think she's packaged correctly - she just doesn't move me the same way that Ashley does, and there's a very mechanical and stiff quality to her presentation. I thought she was overscored in the SP. That said, 4th overall is not a bad placement and I hope she takes some positives from this competition. After all, she placed 1st after the SP and didn't implode in the FS.
Satoko - such beautiful and subtle skating programs, which unfortunately the judges don't seem to get behind when everyone skates well. Combined with her small jumps, she is going to have rely on others to make mistakes to podium (like last year). But she should be encouraged that she placed 3rd in the FS.
Elena - she did 7 triples, but every jumping pass was a struggle/fight. And her wild, flinging of her arms was atrocious. Not to mention her posture, which I thought was worse than Rika's. She's just not my cup of tea.
I thought Mao was solid but cautious. Rika - she brought so much joy to that Riverdance program...she needs to work on her posture stat!
I think Mirai redeemed herself and finishing in 10th place is nothing to sneeeze at.
So disappointed in Alaine, but nice to see Gabby finishing in 9th. I was not surprised Gabby had scores as high as she did given that she fully rotated 7 triples, so the 2 hands down were minor issues in my mind.
An incredible event!!!!!
I don't usually love the Russian wunderkinds - but Evgenia was the deserved winner. She proved she wasn't a robot with her slightly shaky SP (where I thought she was overmarked), but she nailed the FS. Maybe not world record-worthy, but a well-deserved win.
Absolutely pleased for Ashley - more than deserved her 2nd place. I thought she was undermarked in the SP for going early, so even with her small technical issues in the FS, I felt like she should have gotten the silver overall. I love Moulin Rouge and the changes she made to it over the past year. And I say thumbs up to the judges for giving her the highest PCS scores. Her performance quality over the others was palpable - and sadly, all the more apparent just after Gracie's flat performance. I knew coming out of the GPF where Ashley received PCS scores of 71.55 skating first versus Evgenia's 72.37 skating last that if she delivered, the judges were willing to go her way. I hope she skates with all the confidence in the world now that she's got the monkey off her back of getting a world medal and skating a clean SP at worlds.
Very happy that Anna got the bronze. I hope this makes the Russian federation stop treating her likely the ugly stepsister. She skates with speed and great jump technique. Now, I think her programs/presentation leave me cold and her jumps (while clean) are stiff, but there's no denying that with her awesome SP that she deserved to be on the podium.
Gracie - I admire her natural talent tremendously, but I've never viewed her as US' great hope. I don't think she's packaged correctly - she just doesn't move me the same way that Ashley does, and there's a very mechanical and stiff quality to her presentation. I thought she was overscored in the SP. That said, 4th overall is not a bad placement and I hope she takes some positives from this competition. After all, she placed 1st after the SP and didn't implode in the FS.
Satoko - such beautiful and subtle skating programs, which unfortunately the judges don't seem to get behind when everyone skates well. Combined with her small jumps, she is going to have rely on others to make mistakes to podium (like last year). But she should be encouraged that she placed 3rd in the FS.
Elena - she did 7 triples, but every jumping pass was a struggle/fight. And her wild, flinging of her arms was atrocious. Not to mention her posture, which I thought was worse than Rika's. She's just not my cup of tea.
I thought Mao was solid but cautious. Rika - she brought so much joy to that Riverdance program...she needs to work on her posture stat!
I think Mirai redeemed herself and finishing in 10th place is nothing to sneeeze at.
So disappointed in Alaine, but nice to see Gabby finishing in 9th. I was not surprised Gabby had scores as high as she did given that she fully rotated 7 triples, so the 2 hands down were minor issues in my mind.
An incredible event!!!!!
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7th place in Long Program is even more ridiculous but don't get me started.
however I doubt Yuna Kim is loosing any sleep over her record been broken. She probably didn't even know World was this weekend 
I'm also surprised because my friend who is over 25 is actually smaller and less developed than Zhenya and has a minor thyroid issue but other than that she is considered perfectly healthy. I didn't know doctors could determine such things without physical consultations and tests.
:shock2: I don't know why but almost all American commentators have that manner of bringing up trivialities and talking too much 
