2017 Four Continents Ladies SP

[Mango]

Don't be so glum everyone. We need some levity. Have some emojis:



There, now we've cleansed our systems from the sadness of this event.

Happy thoughts for the FS! Big combos, beautiful spins, and level 4 step sequences for all. And no !

 

[Osmond4gold]

As for consistency:
At Nebelhorn, Gabby got an edge call on the flip, fell on the second lutz, and singled the loop. 3rd place finish (Bronze)
At Skate America, Gabby fell on the lutz, got an edge call on the flip, and doubled the loop. 4th place finish
At TDF, she fell on the opening 3T, so no combo, then singled the flip. 4th place finish (with questionable ice conditions)
At 2017 Nationals, Gabby put a hand down on her lutz and stepped out of her combo. 2nd place finish (Silver)

Thanks chuckm, for proving my point re consistency!

 

[Meoima]

I would give some ! Flat calls to some ladies here after closing up on their edge,

3 top Canadian ladies all jumps very huge and they're all super fast. But they lack control of their speed.

I am quite disappointed at Wakaba and her team, not only weak programs (they never give her good package at all) but unwise program structures. :noshake: I know she's injured. But it's not like she did much better during the season until now.

Zijun deserves higher PCS!!

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Thanks chuckm, for proving my point re consistency!

I think you could have bolded everything he wrote and it still would have shown consistency

 

[skatelikewind1966]

What a non-event. But woo-hoo, so happy for Gabby, always nice to see her on top. Karen, what can I say, just consistently unable to bring it to the rink day in and day out. Nothing wrong with the coaching, just something Karen is going to have to figure out on her own. Mirai, always a joy to watch her compete and perform. My expectations are to only enjoy watching her before she is gone. A true joy! Mariah, she did just enough and in looking back at her year, this is what she has done all year, never enough to win but enough to put her name in the hat. I might have to change my thought process if she can only earn a medal at this competition. Looking forward to the FS, can it be any worse than what we witnessed in the short?

 

[[email protected]]

Also, another thing I just noted that has sort of irked me. The judges give high GOEs and ignore mistakes if Medvedeva does the Tanos, like in the case of Lutz where there is no negative GOEs even with a ! or when she does a squeaked out 2A. But here, you have double Rippon combo from Elisabet (although a bit stretched) and it gets 0.4 GOE? Where is the consistency or the pseudo objectivity that is required in these things (I say pseudo because let's face it, there can never be a true objectivity in skating).

Osmond usually gets huge GOEs for her flutz without tanos. Does not that irk?

 

[Eclair]

ahhh skating fans newbies, let me give you an advice: Don't give out your heart to a skater from a small federation if she's not out of the world good. It will break your heart again and again. :sad46: Because there's no outcry when they are judged unfairly or their improvements are not aknowledged.

First, can someone explain to me how Broklee Han's superb performance (good speed, edges, and she stays in character the whole time) is a 24 in PCS, while Mirai (love her, who doesn't?) with same speed, edges, less performance gets 30?

Or why Zijun with her brilliant choreographed program (great edge work, stunning lines, good speed today) gets less than a juniorish performed programs by Tursynbaeva (high energy, same edges, but very unfinished presentation)?

Actually since the highest PCS was 32, I was kind of OK with Zijun's 28, but not with Elisabeth's 29 or Mirai's 30 in comparison. PCS judging really is just Russian roulette. Get your technicals together people, that's something the judges can't overlook.

Plus, this event has one of the worst camera work ever. Don't zoom in at the step sequence! Don't zoom in at choreographic highlights! Don't zoom in at all except for the beginning and the ending of a program!!!!!:hslap:

 

[4everchan]

For what it's worth...

Many people wonder about Eli's low PCS.

Go to an event and watch her live.

She has so many qualities but one thing is missing : it doesn't reach out to the audience nor the judges. It is also difficult in terms of ice coverage. On TV, we see all the wonderful details in her skating... on the ice, it's hard to tell. It's unfortunate but yes, she is tiny and it makes it tougher for her to project. I saw her in the fall and I am not surprised about the scores she received. It is always easy to blame the judges but they were there... they lived the performance in a completely different manner than on the screen... there are no close ups in the rink...nothing that facilitates connecting with a skater. I like lil bet a lot. My advice would be to simplify her movements, too many small details, and open up to the audience... She may lose levels in her stellar footwork (or even spins) doing so, but she perhaps would be easier to relate to from the judges' perspective.

 

[skatelikewind1966]

The event our best skaters tend to ignore. Well...you get what ya get. Worlds hasn't happened so obviously we can't be talking about that. Until we send our best skaters to 4CC I won't care if we only have one spot TBH.

I'm not sure if I understand this comment. I agree, "our best skaters" typically have not been represented at previous 4CCs (primarily Ashley), but this event has 3 of the top 4 US Ladies at the moment (once again, excluding Ashley). If Ashley would have competed in the short we might have 1 skater in the top 3, but that would be pure speculation. Rather, what we have is 3 out of our top 4 skaters competing and not doing too well so far (still very early though).

 

[katymay]

Thank you

Not in a place to watch the competition, so for those providing play by play, thank you very much! Also thank you to those adding video links!

 

[Li'Kitsu]

Gabby missed the podium due to slushy ice conditions which created havoc in takeoff/landings for a big jumper like Gabby, in favour of petite jumpers like Maria and Wakaba. Gabby's consistency is a strength of hers.

I've been biting my tongue so far - but man are you taking the patriotism too far. Gabby is awesome and I really like her, but by no means whatsoever does that mean Maria and Wakaba have petite jumps. How can anyone in the world come up with that? Maybe if you'd look through glasses instead of maple leaves you'd see some reality.

 

[Yatagarasu]

Plus, this event has one of the worst camera work ever. Don't zoom in at the step sequence! Don't zoom in at choreographic highlights! Don't zoom in at all except for the beginning and the ending of a program!!!!!:hslap:

I wanted to mention this before but had to run. Yes! This was driving me bonkers! I hope someone is going to tell them this because it is seriously messing with how the audience can see the programs.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

I wanted to mention this before but had to run. Yes! This was driving me bonkers! I hope someone is going to tell them this because it is seriously messing with how the audience can see the programs.

Maybe they are zooming to hide that no audience is in fact there watching the event. I agree the zoom is the worst.

 

[Meoima]

I wanted to mention this before but had to run. Yes! This was driving me bonkers! I hope someone is going to tell them this because it is seriously messing with how the audience can see the programs.

Actually Cup of China had some more interesting cuts loll

 

[Yatagarasu]

Actually Cup of China had some more interesting cuts loll

Now that you mention it, it was bad. But mostly I am just afraid we'll end up with this same zoom creativity for the Olympics and please, no

 

[burntBREAD]

Wakaba has a right foot injury. Her foot has been hurting all time since she started practicing in Korea.
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20170216/fgr17021622270011-n1.html

In the practice videos posted, she's been missing every right toe pick jump (flip, lutz), and has been shaking out that foot like she's in pain. This SP was honestly pretty decent considering how horrible her practices were.

 

[Eclair]

I wanted to mention this before but had to run. Yes! This was driving me bonkers! I hope someone is going to tell them this because it is seriously messing with how the audience can see the programs.

OMG I hadn't watched dance yet when I was complaining about the camera work .. Now, if you're looking for worst zoom in zoom out action, watch Tessa and Scott's SD step sequence.

 

[Violet Bliss]

The camera worker probably appreciates figure skating in his own way, priding himself for capturing and highlighting the dramas, expressions, and beauty of the show and those beautiful people on ice, without any understanding of the sport of figure skating. Why show their feet in those clunky boots when they have such beautiful and expressive faces? Very nice bodies too in alluring poses. :dumb:

I wish a crash course would be given to camera persons of all major skating events in any country without much skating history.

 

[OS]

Wakaba has a right foot injury. Her foot has been hurting all time since she started practicing in Korea.
http://www.sanspo.com/sports/news/20170216/fgr17021622270011-n1.html

Thanks for confirming, I thought she looked pale and ill actually. She is normally feisty and if she under performs she get upset. She looks contented and even unsurprised by the under performance. She is a better skater than what she is able to show today.

Same with Karen, I read she has the flu, which explains so much. Get well soon dears.

I thought Lil Elizabeta's PCS is not surprising, and actually her skating presence looks even smaller and even juniorish when she skate immediately after the likes of Karen, Mirai, Kaetelyn and Gabby. Had she skate in the previous flight, the contrast wouldn't be so obvious.

 

[Eclair]

The camera worker probably appreciates figure skating in his own way, priding himself for capturing and highlighting the dramas, expressions, and beauty of the show and those beautiful people on ice, without any understanding of the sport of figure skating. Why show their feet in those clunky boots when they have such beautiful and expressive faces? Very nice bodies too in alluring poses. :dumb:

I wish a crash course would be given to camera persons of all major skating events in any country without much skating history.

Didn't you see all those spins that only showed the foot + blade? Didn't you see those nice body zoom ins when it was was about the arms movement?