2017 GP NHK Ladies FS

[fredtx121]

...A very simplistic way to look at it. In fact, jumps are likely my least favorite element in figure skating.

I could look at beautiful, swift and varied footwork with gorgeous expression for ever.

If that’s the case, don’t watch the singles events and just watch ice dance.

 

[SteveK1986]

We should Not forget that figure skating is determined to be ART. Judging will be never fair to anyboday. Concerning Carolina it is just amazing to see the way she is fighting back ( to have also in mind how old she is.) Due to the new point collecting system we see a lot of skaters doing the same to get as much as points.
I am not a fan of Medvedeva and Polina. I get the feeling Eteri is trying to build an army of invincible warriors. Technically mostly perfect, but still immature. A perfect cunstruct to hide things which are not there already. I speak about Mature emotion , elegance in movements and details that came from inside. Mao Asada, Carolina Kostner and For me Ashley Wagner as well have that. These athlets play in another class because of there development over the years. And I am very happy to see that at NHK this was reflected by judging for Carolina even she was not perfect in the technical content.
In my opinion the age limit should be reviewed. Senior Ladies 18 years and older.

 

[millie]

Regarding Zhenia's mistakes, did anyone else notice how in both cases her blade glided sideways over the ice before she fell/stepped out? I find that rather peculiar. I have analyzed quite a few jumps in slo-mo, and rarely have I seen a blade losing grip like that so easily, particularly twice in the same program. It was a significant cause for her fall.

She is having problems with something! She also had a fall in the Gala finale.

 

[IleK]

Well, I am very confused. I love Carolina but I hope this is not the way she wants to stay on the olympic podium. If this competition would have been the Olys.... some flawed medals would have been given. And what did Medv understand from this? The olympic gold is mine, even if I fall and make some mistakes PCS will always save me no matter how many perfect programs will be skated that night. PCS should not make up for big mistakes. Polina darling don't give up, mathematics in figure skating is not the same as in school.

 

[Mathman]

It should be about what? Mysterious skating skills? Ha-ha

Figure skating IS about jumps and transitions, better skating skills should be a bonus, not instead.

Then again, what else could figure skating be about besides blade to ice skills. Jumps? What does jumping have to do with ice skating? Jumping is not an ice skating skill. Maybe we are confusing ice skating with pole vaulting?

Although I do have to admit that barrel jumping was a cool sport.

 

[Aino]

I think I will like Polina. Her jumps look so good, her programs are not so busy, the spins also look very good. In the SP she had some weird hand movements which may be related to the music? (I have not watched Game of Thrones), and I also don't like the miming, but everything else was good. Does she like gothic style, or am I imagining it? It would be new I guess.

 

[Ender]

Biggest issue with Kostner is that, her programs are absolutely boring. Her SP is actually better than her LP. I just struggle to find what should I remember from the FS and mostly it’s just blah? For once, Medvedeva’s FS is quite memorable despite her mimicking.

 

[treeloving]

Kostner's skating quality is light year above any ladies completing right now, she has superior movement, line, carriage and body control. No one can move their body the same way. Although she was less clean here, her performance was actually improve (so much) from cup of Russia. There are no drama regarding her score here, and the fact that she doesn't cramp ้her routine with meaningless transition doesn't mean that she should get less PCS score.

If there is any scandal on pcs, it is how Medvedeva got almost the same pcs as her.

 

[jenaj]

Biggest issue with Kostner is that, her programs are absolutely boring. Her SP is actually better than her LP. I just struggle to find what should I remember from the FS and mostly it’s just blah? For once, Medvedeva’s FS is quite memorable despite her mimicking.

Funny, I think just the opposite. Med's programs are boring, to me. I think Carolina's long program really shows off her artistry.

 

[Shayuki]

A very simplistic way to look at it.
I wonder if there was any study to actually figure out what makes FS interesting to general public.

Well, people would assume it's "jumps" but I really don't think so - Judging by my very subjective conversations with people who aren't really figure skating fans and what kind of things they enjoy. And also judging by what sort of skating stuff it is that actually becomes a social media phenom, for example.

 

[jenaj]

Then again, what else could figure skating be about besides blade to ice skills. Jumps? What does jumping have to do with ice skating? Jumping is not an ice skating skill. Maybe we are confusing ice skating with pole vaulting?

Although I do have to admit that barrel jumping was a cool sport.

Agree. But the way they are judged is kind of mysterious. How about just three bullet points--use of edges, continuous flow and speed.

 

[Lenny318]

I think I will like Polina. Her jumps look so good, her programs are not so busy, the spins also look very good. In the SP she had some weird hand movements which may be related to the music? (I have not watched Game of Thrones), and I also don't like the miming, but everything else was good. Does she like gothic style, or am I imagining it? It would be new I guess.

I think I remember reading that her short program is supposed to be about an artist who keeps working on their painting or something like that, hence the arm motions at the beginning of the SP. I don't think anything Game of Thrones is really conveyed in the program itself.

 

[Shayuki]

Agree. But the way they are judged is kind of mysterious. How about just three bullet points--use of edges, continuous flow and speed.

How about more "tricks" or technical elements that aim to actually make use of skating skills, apart from just a free form step sequence? Jumps are all essentially set in place and it's very strict how they're performed - How about some strict and very difficult, short duration technical elements that actually have to do with skating skills?

Wouldn't that be much better than just some blanket rating that's largely subjective?

There needs to be something more that's "impossible to achieve" and something to work towards that's not just jumps with 1 more rotation. Something that's magical when it's performed and something where you can improvise and improve at endlessly and are forced to push more and more. Rather than just sticking to the same formula of "max levels"(why is there a max anyway?)

Has anyone ever found themselves thinking "Wow, this girl / boy is going to revolutionize this sport"? And if so, how would they revolutionize it? By jumping quads? But you haven't actually thought that they might skate in a way nobody has before, right?

Figure skating just doesn't reward skating enough as is and there's not much to work towards there, unfortunately. Medvedeva herself is hardly a pinnacle of skating skills or the peak of human evolution in that regard yet her scores are so good there's no point to try to achieve something greater.


Just as an example, we could have something like all sorts of different spirals up to ones that require great difficulty and with all of the spirals having a base value. And some spirals would actually need to be ones no one has ever performed before(at least in competition). Are there spirals that difficult? In any case, something like that would give far more meaning to skating and holding a position like that rather than just a "choreo sequence" that gives maybe 2 points in total. Allowing for some real separation in TES elements that have to do with skating skills would be so useful - With the TES elements clearly defined so we wouldn't have all this subjective nonsense.

 

[jenaj]

Carolina came in third in the free skate. Her medal was the result of her short program score. Kostner is going to score in the 9's, mostly, in PCS because she is considered the best in components. Similarly, on the men's side, Jason Brown scores very high in PCS without the technical content. For those who think falls should affect PCS, what about Medvedeva? She fell and still got a big components score. I don't agree that because a skater doesn't have a 3-3 or does easier jumps, she should be penalized in PCS.

 

[Ender]

Layout and skate orders do have some power over PCS. Unless you have huge reputation as an artist.

 

[SteveK1986]

Kostner's skating quality is light year above any ladies completing right now, she has superior movement, line, carriage and body control. No one can move their body the same way. Although she was less clean here, her performance was actually improve (so much) from cup of Russia. There are no drama regarding her score here, and the fact that she doesn't cramp ้her routine with meaningless transition doesn't mean that she should get less PCS score.

If there is any scandal on pcs, it is how Medvedeva got almost the same pcs as her.

Absolutly ! I can't remember when she was getting more PCS than Medvedeva in the past.
This is a good sign. I am very happy for her ! By the way She seemed very surprised when she regognized her FS score.
In COR for sure there was no chance to get higher PCS than Medvedeva

 

[Viiktoruu]

The lack of understanding of the PCS scores seems to be a chronic disease here.

In order to understand that PCS is not a single number you write based on how much you like a skater's program, and that more goes through a judge's brain than just "oh she fell and double footed a landing so I'll give her an 8.25 here, 8.50 there", please refer to the rulebook, pages 78 and 79.

 

[Heleng]

Great to see Mirai's fight and determination to show she deserves a spot on the Olympic team! I'm cheering for her to have the skate of her life at Nationals.

I personally love Evgenia's Anna Karenina program, including her costume, more than any of her prior programs. Too bad about the uncharacteristic falls, and I really hope her injury is minor and short-lived. I don't really follow juniors much (I can barely keep up with seniors, lol), so Polina was a real revelation to me. I think she has a captivating presence on the ice, along with her superb technical abilities, and I wouldn't be surprised if she made the Olympic team.

 

[kevinVchicago]

Regarding Zhenia's mistakes, did anyone else notice how in both cases her blade glided sideways over the ice before she fell/stepped out? I find that rather peculiar. I have analyzed quite a few jumps in slo-mo, and rarely have I seen a blade losing grip like that so easily, particularly twice in the same program. It was a significant cause for her fall.

That fall and step out shook me so bad. I had to leave the room. I agree that they were strange. Was it to do with her position in the air or her take off? :/ Also, the double axel is looking more and more precarious.

And what about this mysterious injury? Is she okay?

 

[slider11]

I was most impressed by Mirai Nagasu's free program, which was a thrilling performance. Her free program score was 129.29 and she finished with 194.46 overall. Since the US has three slots for the next Olympics, she's getting closer to going to Pyeongchang. Mirai has the highest short program, free skate, and total scores of all the US ladies on the grand prix so far this season.

Love the strategy! Keep improving and keep working on the artistry. Her "mad" face during the SP was a little comical but it's better than the "deer in headlights". I am genuinely sad for Gracie but I am pulling for an Ashley-Mirai-Karen Olympic team for the US.