2015 Europeans Ladies Free Skate, Jan. 31

[Mrs. P]

Oh boy! I promise I was not trying to wage skating cyberwar with my post.

 

[Meoima]

But this is figure skating, there is no direct confrontation. Anna can only take down herself. I guess we can expect more bitching from Ashley in the weeks to come, hoping to make Anna nervous...

But Anna doesn't know English. seriously, for sure being US no.1 will give Ashley major support in term of PCS. So even if Anna is faster (indeed she is) and jumps better, she is still in short in this race since she is just Russia no.3, especially when Ashley look less sloppy and more mature.

 

[Meoima]

But it's true that Anna could wind off the podium if the Americans are just as clean, or even slightly messier. It's a bit worrying that even at the so-called inflated Europeans, with marks tending to rise as the season goes on, Anna's total score barely beats out Gracie's NHK score. She landed 5 triples to Gracie's 4, rotated everything, and didn't fall. I honestly don't think Gracie's any better at performance/interpretation than Anna, but the judges seem to prefer her polished look. (Granted, I also think Gracie's NHK score super inflated and she'll never score like that for 4 triples when she actually competes against the world's elite, but who can say for sure...)
I agree that Anna should already have a World medal (before Liza, Elena, and Adelina, no less!). I pulled for Carolina in the past but now I wonder, what the heck was I thinking?! But keep in mind Ashley and Gracie will not pull Carolina-PCS.

Anna landed 7 triples in her LP at Euro, with some mistakes but it's 7!!

 

[DexterK]

I really didnt like Pogorilaya in this event. A beautiful girl, but she's incredibly sloppy, especially with those bent knees. Those illusion spins sum up her sloppiness.

Those bent knees irk me so much. I'm sure she watches her performances...how she is seeing that and not correcting it- I have no idea. If not her, her coach should have made her correct those knees long ago.

 

[Sandpiper]

But this is figure skating, there is no direct confrontation. Anna can only take down herself. I guess we can expect more bitching from Ashley in the weeks to come, hoping to make Anna nervous...

Whenever Ashley speaks about the Russian girls seriously (not making jokes--which the "sonogram" and "girls" comments clearly were), she describes how amazing they are and how she has to up her game to match them.

Anna landed 7 triples in her LP at Euro, with some mistakes but it's 7!!

She "rotated" seven triples. But landed five cleanly. Counting hand-downs is a slippery slope for me. I go with the 6.0 definition of clean, or I worry that one day, I'll start yelling to the skies that Michelle Kwan "landed" 7 triples in SLC.

 

[EdgeCall]

Oh boy! I promise I was not trying to wage skating cyberwar with my post.

No doubt the NSA has already hacked the judging devices ...

 

[Violet Bliss]

Those bent knees irk me so much. I'm sure she watches her performances...how she is seeing that and not correcting it- I have no idea. If not her, her coach should have made her correct those knees long ago.

Anna may have placed more attention on the public face lessons than on the knee lessons. "Don't smile, don't smile...." plays more in her head than "Don't bend, don't bend."

 

[hikki]

(I'm sure this has been raised many times already but) Radionova's program is SO packed with contents that there is not a single moment where she holds any meaningful line nor does she seem to listen to and feel the music! Her PE, CH and IN should not be higher than say Satoko Miyahara or Ashley Wagner at Words. It's amazing what she can do and her competitive spirit is impressive, but she needs better direction from a better team. Maybe Michelle can teach her a thing or two

That said, to Tuktamysheva and Radionova for keeping the ladies' level high this season!

 

[hikki]

I think Radionova needs to hold her landings more - maybe add more transitions on them... She seems to rush a lot and showing greater control on the exit would help her GOE. I also think she was overscored on her ChSq, the first spiral was okay but the following spirals and the outside bestamionova spread eagle were just blips. She needs to take more time to present stuff - just a split second more on each element.

I'm hoping next season we will see a much more refined side of Elena. Now that she has high PCS she can afford to remove inbetween extra transitions/movements and complete her movements and show more finesse.

I totally agree.

 

[Watermelondrea]

A happy 1st, a happy 2nd and a not so happy 3rd Russian lady.

I think Anna is just frustrated that she has to do something mind blowing at worlds cuz she will NOT be relevant next yr. She was lucky last worlds and this yr, she better make the most it.

 

[Ekm]

I wouldn't throw dirt on Anna's grave just yet, there's no guarantees that the younger Russian ladies will keep their jumps as they continue to mature (this includes Elena and Lip as well as the juniors).

I think I inadvertently started the Anna vs. Ashley thing (or at least added fuel to the fire), but both ladies (along with Liza) would be on my ideal podium for worlds.

I also really enjoyed Viktoria H's skating, technically she's far off the top ladies, but I really appreciated the performance aspect.

 

[turgon97]

Those bent knees irk me so much. I'm sure she watches her performances...how she is seeing that and not correcting it- I have no idea. If not her, her coach should have made her correct those knees long ago.

She seems plenty flexible enough to straighten her legs. Plus a lot of commentary mentions her ballet training, so shouldnt fully-realized positions and pretty legs be a given? . Im sure it uses up more energy, so she does the safe route and bends. I do the same thing when playing tennis: i take shortcuts in technique, especially on my serve, when Im tired or am in for a long match.
However, Anna is a world-class athlete, whereas Im not. So, if far less flexible women can skate with tidy legs and do proper illusion spins, there's no reason why she cant stretch out positions and give it her all.

 

[jenaj]

USSR =/= Russia

Except when people are saying that Russia is the top skating nation. For the record, most of the skaters who skated for the Soviets were Russian. Do you think if Russia had been a separate country, they would have had a ladies European winner before Irina?

 

[jenaj]

No I mean switch the 2nd lutz with the 1st or 2nd double axel.

Oh, OK. Thanks.

 

[BlackPack]

So how many posts have there been about Anna Tsareva's face in the K&C?

 

[Skategmt]

I think the Liz/Elena rivalry is more interesting (right now) then the Gracie/Ashley rivalry

 

[SXTN]

So how many posts have there been about Anna Tsareva's face in the K&C?

haha, I love her B*face and had to laugh so hard.

Her face was gorgeous again today. She was at her best

 

[jkun]

haha, I love her B*face and had to laugh so hard.

Her face was gorgeous again today. She was at her best

I just watched Anna's program to see this. I wasn't planning to because I really don't think firebird is the program for her.. and it still is not working.. at all. I think firebird requires a lot of showmanship and she has none of it. Her spins are great though! I hope she can get better programs that fits her strengths. Also, her and Elena should stop just randomly throwing in 2As at the end of their programs to fill up their allowed jumping passes. They should find places where they go along with the music. I really like Liza's 2A usage--she makes an "easy" jump more impressive by using the phrasing of the music.

 

[satine]

She only had one UR, in the -3S of her 3Lo-1L-3S combo, at GPF. And she's been getting ! on her 3Z, which garners -GOE but is not a hit on BV.

I asked my friend (who I do frequently talk to fs about, but he is by no means knowledgeable) to decipher what this meant.

He thought UR = ultra-rotate; GPF = Girl Power Finals; & she's been getting ! on her 3Z = she's been getting a 'that's no good!' on her 3Z

 

[Ekm]

I think the Liz/Elena rivalry is more interesting (right now) then the Gracie/Ashley rivalry

In the short term I agree, but the later has more long term potential as, barring injury, I don't think it is that huge of a jump to see Ashley and Gracie as two of the ladies representing the US over the next few years, perhaps into 2018, whereas the situation with the Russian ladies is much murkier with the depth of talent coming up.