2013 Skate America - Ladies Free Skating Report | Golden Skate

2013 Skate America - Ladies Free Skating Report

Joined
Jan 22, 2004
2013 Skate America
Ladies – Free Skating

Detailed Classification
Judges Scores
Final Result


Links to other Reports:
Ice Dance – Short Dance
Ice Dance – Free Dance
Ladies – Short Program
Men – Short Program
Men – Free Skating
Pairs – Short Program
Pairs – Free Skating

Disclaimer: The GOE values listed next to the elements are ones I would award if I was a judge and they’re intended to give you a general impression of how each element was executed. I try to describe each of the elements but there's not always time to be as detailed as I would like and a numbers can sometimes say a thousand words.

I am generally very nitpicky, try to pay a lot of attention to detail and attempt to notice various errors that judges might have missed. I realise that I’m being very harsh but I try my best to apply the same high standard to all of the skaters.

Any questions, comments, criticisms and discussion are all very welcome.

1. Caroline ZHANG /USA/
Butterfly Lovers Concerto by Chen Gan and He Zhanhao

1flip [-1] – a little wild
1flutz [-2]
2axel [0]
flying camel coe to upward twist [0] – could use a little more speed
circular step sequence [-1] - slow
1loop [-1] – telegraphed
all the way across the rink setting up the second flip but she aborted it before take-off
2axel [0]
3loop [-3] – underrotated over 1/4, fall
camel/sit pancake/change up var to Y [-1] – quite slow
choreographic sequence: front spiral, some footwork [0] – lovely extension on the spiral but then she just ‘walked through’ the steps
layback to sideways to layback catch [1] – decent rotation speed

She skated right through the music with a blank facial expression. Very long entries into the jumps. Another very sluggish performance from her.

On a positive note, her axel technique seemed slightly improved. It has been reported that she had a bad fall in practice that resulted in her doing a full split so maybe an injury was an issue here.

I don’t understand why USFS has selected her as a host pick. She is clearly not in a good shape, she didn’t have any good competition results last season, she hasn’t competed at any summer events (which could prove her readiness) and she seemed to have put on more weight. Zhang might be going through a very difficult time at the moment, things can happen to people. But it’s USFS’s responsibility to monitor their athletes. Hicks – who had a very successful outing at a summer comp – has been denied this opportunity and this kind of performance and result might knock Zhang’s confidence even more. Everybody loses.

2. Elizaveta TUKTAMYSHEVA /RUS/
Malaguena by Ernesto Lecuona

3lutz(high)/2toe [1]
3lutz [2] – high and solid, quite effortless
3flip [-1] – foot down
sideways to layback catch to biellmann [0]
flying sit to cannonball to coe to catch [0]
2axel/3toe [0]
3salchow/2toe [0]
3loop [0]
circular step sequence [2] – fast footwork, good expression
choreographic sequence: Y spiral / cantilever [1]
2axel [2] – high and solid, landing into a fan kick
camel to upward catch/up/change sit broken leg to catch/up catch [1] – good rotation speed

A very impressive display of jumping prowess. Her jump technique is top notch.

Not much else in the program however. Ice coverage and use of the ice surface seemed quite limited (this is something that has always been an issue for her). Her movement didn’t reflect the character of the music very well and she didn’t respond to it much outside of the step sequence. The program lacked transitions as well.

3. Samantha CESARIO /USA/
Carmen by Georges Bizet
Carmen by Rodion Shchedrin

3flutz [0] – very solid but off an outside edge
3loop [1] – solid
3flip/2toe [0]
flying sit cannonball to pancake [1] – quite good rotation speed
3salchow [0]
to steps to layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [0]
3loop(cheated over 1/4) into 2axel [-1]
3flip/2toe/2loop [0]
straight line step sequence [2] – sharp footwork, good expression
camel coe/sit broken leg/change camel upward catch/up L [0] – rotation speed not bad but off-centred a little
2axel [1] – solid
choreographic sequence: coe spread eagle / split jump /front spiral [2] – powerful and done right on the music

A passionate, confident performance, responding to the music throughout and showing sharp aggressive movements very much in character of the music (all of which are things Tuktamysheva – who skated to similar music – was lacking; the two of them skating one after the other provided an interesting contrast).

The program layout was quite generic however with jumps being frontloaded and mostly planted at either short end of the rink.

Cesario has been prone to under-rotations in the past and whilst she landed all of her jumps, the rotation seemed questionable on some of them. If you’re not sure, you need to give a skater the benefit of the doubt and judges aren’t able to watch jumps in slow-motion but my skating nerdiness would like me to go through Cesario’s program with a fine toothcomb (I wanted to get this report actually completed though ;P).

A new personal best for her (FS and total).

4. Mae Berenice MEITE /FRA/
Europa by Jean-Pierre Danel
We Will Rock You KCPK
La Grange by Jean-Pierre Danel

2axel [1] – solid
3salchow/3toe [0]
3lutz [1] – high and solid
3flip [0]
3loop/2toe(landing a little weak and had to do half a turn out) [-1]
circular step sequence [1] – quite fast footwork, good upper body movement
camel to upward twist/jump to change sit broken leg(off-centred a little) [0] – decent rotation speed
3loop [0]
3toe/2toe/2toe [0]
flying camel var/change sit cannonball to broken leg/up [1] – good rotation speed
choreographic sequence: fast footwork, front spiral [1]
sideways to layback catch to biellmann [2] – good flow and rotation speed

Meite has a stiff back and rounded shoulders and she’s not the most elegant of skaters. But she uses her arms quite well and she has found a style that works for her, skating to modern music with a strong beat. Choreography could have used some more highlights and light and shade but she seemed to be mostly moving in time to the music.

A new personal best for her (FS and total).

5. Elene GEDEVANISHVILI / GEO/
Giselle by Adolphe Adam

3lutz [-3] – two-footed, fall
3salchow/2toe [0]
2axel(over the toe)/2toe [-1]
flying camel to upward twist to upward catch/change sit cannonball/up sideways to layback [1] – quite good rotation speed
straight line step sequence [1]
3salchow [0]
3toe(over the toe)/2toe(cheated over 1/4) [-1]
2axel [-3] – fall
flying sit holding foot [0]
choreographic sequence: footwork / front spiral [-1] – ‘walked through it’
2toe [0]
camel coe/change sit cannonball/up var to Y [-1] – rotation speed quite good but off-centred throughout

Decent speed and power throughout and the program seemed to cut a nice curvy pattern over the ice but there wasn’t much transitions or upper body movement and her movement in general lacked variety.

6. Viktoria HELGESSON /SWE/
Harem Cobra Goddess by Les Baxter
Harem Silks from Bombay

3toe/2toe/2loop [1] – solid on all three jumps, decent flow throughout
3lip [-3] – off an outside edge, underrotated over 1/4, fall
3toe [-3] – heavy step out
camel/sit/up Y/change camel/jump to sit var/up [0]
sideways to layback with speed increase [0] – extension not very good but fast rotation, off-centred at the end, however
3loop [-3] – underrotated under 1/4, fall
straight line step sequence [0]
3salchow [0]
3loop [-3] – underrotated over 1/2, two-footed, fall
2axel [0] – landing a little weak
choreographic circular step sequence featuring a Y spiral [0] – needed more attack
flying sit holding foot to broken leg to catch [0] – could use more speed

Quite smooth and light basic skating. I am not sure that this program works particularly well for her. She’s an archetypal “lady.” Very feminine, quite elegant, soft movements. Longato music with a powerful crescendo used to work for her very well in the past. Both her skating and her upper body movement reflected the more languid music at the start of this program decently enough (although more variety would have been nice). But the last section where the music picks up and has a strong beat and oriental character required more outward and powerful interpretation and that was lacking so the end impression was not the best one. The program could have used some highlights as well.

I wish somebody was able to fix her jump technique as she has a number of positive qualities but jumps are unfortunately not her forte (even when landing them, she often suffers from underrotations).

7. Valentina MARCHEI /ITA/
Nyah (from "Mission Impossible" soundtrack) by Hans Zimmer

3lutz [-3] – heavy step out with hands down, long entry, good height though
2axel/3toe(underrotated over 1/4, fall) [-3] – long entry
2lip [-3] – telegraphed entry, off a clear outside edge
2axel [1] – solid
flying sit coe/jump to sit pancake [0] – a little off-centred, could use a little more speed
sideways to layback catch [1] – quite good rotation speed
circular step sequence [0]
3salchow [0] – very slightly cheated
catchfoot spiral towards 3lutz [-3] – messy fall, took her a while to recover
3salchow(not a lot of flow out)/2toe [0]
camel/sit/up Y to up/change camel catch/sit catch [0] – could use a little more speed
choreographic sequence: footwork / a nice front spiral [1]

She was quite elegant and showed suitably understated but passionate upper body movement throughout. The program lacked transitions, however. There was a lot of cross-overs and the entries into most jumps were very long.

8. Elena RADIONOVA /RUS/
Frida (soundtrack)

3lutz [-3] – fall, got the timing off on take-off and her left shoulder was too far back
3lip [-2] – landing a little shaky, off an outside edge
3loop/half-loop(cheated over 1/4)/3salchow [0]
camel/up Y/change up butt out/sit catch [0]
3lutz/3toe [0] – lutz landing didn’t have a lot of flow out, very impressive of her to get the triple toe done
spread eagle into 2axel [0] – landed on inside edge
steps to 3loop/2toe [0] – not a lot of flow out
to spread eagle into 2axel [-3] – underrotated over 1/4, step out
to flying sit cannonball/change camel upward catch coe/up cross-foot [0] – off-centred a little bit
sideways to layback catch to hyperextended biellmann [1] – great positions and good rotation speed but off-centred at the start
straight line step sequence [1]
choreographic sequence: Y spiral / steps / catchfoot spiral [1]

She was committed to selling the program and showed playful movements throughout but there wasn’t much range or variety to them (shaking her arms and hips whilst smiling). It left a ‘juniorish’ impression but then she is only 14 years old after all and you can’t really expect nuanced and mature interpretation. This program seemed to play to her strengths.

Ice coverage and use of the ice surface could have been better but as I wrote after the short, it’s to be expected given how tiny she is, she’ll probably developed more power in her skating with time.

9. Ashley WAGNER /USA/
Romeo and Juliet by Sergei Prokofiev

3flip/3toe [0] – both jumps solid but toe was slightly cheated
2axel into split jump [2] – solid
steps into 3salchow [0]
circular step sequence [0]
flying sit (camel position in the air) sideways twist to catch [0] – quite good rotation speed but a little bit off-centred
catchfoot spiral to spread eagle into 3loop into 2axel [-1] – very solid but both cheated (loop over 1/4)
3flutz [-3] – slight change of edge, two-footed
3loop [-2] – two-footed
3flip/2toe/2toe(slightly cheated) [0]
layback to sideways to layback catch to biellmann [0] – could use more speed
choreographic sequence: biellmann spiral / steps [1]
transitions to camel to upward twist/jump to change sit broken leg/up scratch [0]

Good speed throughout, another powerful performance. A decent opening and a very strong ending (suicide of course as it’s R&J ;) but the rest of the program could use some more fleshing out and some more character, making her movements ‘bigger’ and more pronounced.

A new total personal best for her.

10. ASADA Mao /JPN/
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor by Sergei Rachmaninov

3axel [-3] – underrotated over 1/4, fall
3flip(quite good height and solid but seemed slightly cheated – a ‘hooked’ landing)/2loop [0]
3flutz [-3] – change of edge before take-off, two-footed
turns into camel/up Y/change sit broken leg to pancake [1] – quite good positions and rotation speed
scratch butterflies into flying camel upward twist to upward catch coe [1] – well extended positions
2axel/2toe [1] – light and solid
3salchow [0] – very slightly cheated
3flip/2loop/2loop [-2] – flip cheated almost 1/4 and both loops just over
3loop [0]
flying camel upward twist to illusion/sit holding foot/change up layback catch to biellmann [1] – quite good rotation speed
straight line step sequence [2] – strong footwork, very good use of upper body movement
choreographic sequence: fan kick / steps / front spiral(very good extension) [1]

Another very good music choice for her. Her gentle and soft movements reflected the character of the music quite well. Quite light over the ice.

I remember that my initial reaction at seeing Asada’s music choices for this season was a big yawn. Both of the pieces have been done to death. But I was wrong. Both of her programs play to her strengths and she’s not pretending to be something that she’s not.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
2013 Skate America
Ladies – Free Skating
If you’re not sure, you need to give a skater the benefit of the doubt and judges aren’t able to watch jumps in slow-motion


Actually, the tech panel DOES watch in slow mo if there is a review called on the jumps and they can look at several angles if available and stop at the point of take off/landing.
 
Joined
Jan 22, 2004
Actually, the tech panel DOES watch in slow mo if there is a review called on the jumps and they can look at several angles if available and stop at the point of take off/landing.

Yes, the technical panel can watch the landings (but not the take-offs) in slow motion. Judges aren't able to, though.
 
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