2024 Four Continents Men's Free Skate

[labgoat]

i'm speechless

YUMA!

 

[labgoat]

Kaitlyn kitten tried to catch Yuma but he was too fast.

More tired brain ideas - Hawayek & Baker exhibition to Cats...

 

[labgoat]

I see quite a few people thinking so, but I don't really get it. I don't know about his personal personality, but as a skater he is able to express the music because he owns the technique - he doesn't have to be careful. Because he is so secure in elements and skating skills he has the head space and freedom to concentrate on interpreting the music throughout, his intensity is there from the start and does not drop before or after the elements, he doesn't lose power in the end, he doesn't turn his head already in the direction of the jump a minute before.
I have often said I think the programs could be better. Especially the short program music really doesn't offer much for me - it's a very one note, staccato pop song with few nuances or colours, but I think he did everything that was possible with this music. Every detail there is, he reacts with an adequate movement.
The free, like most free programs nowadays, is very much a jump drill up to a certain point, and also it's now such a warhorse, I feel like there's not much to find there either. But he does his best to make it a whole.
I've also seen the impression that he's "too perfect". Maybe that bothers people. Maybe he's not edgy enough, you cannot see where he leaves the music and brings in something "of his own"?
Personally I still think the Bublé was the best for him so far, that light footed swingy smiley stuff looked like his. But then of course for most people Bublé is the personification of bland.

I don't know. For me, he's thrilling to watch because I feel like someone takes me on a flight with them. It's very freeing and satisfying to watch someone on the ice with such control, ease, power, glide and flow, cheating nothing, but with a deep understanding of what he's doing.

I love Yuma and I love his happy soul.

 

[labgoat]

Wow that's a livestream of my tired brain right now. Time for bed.

 

[SmileHappy34]

Saw the news free part of it
. Yuma skated great I thought a bit overscore. I thought he should have received a 198. Or 199 for the free skate. I thought the 299 is generous. I am not judged so what do I know.
Junhwa skate well .he could have stayed second.
Shun skated great.

The men did great. O thought the men's overall did well
Andrew impress me by skating well and improve since Nat'ls.
Tomoki needs to skate more consistent .
Michael shaidrov was a bit overscore.
I am sorry but weslely didn't impress but skated consistently.
He skated about like all men skated.
Great job medalist . Congratulations Yuma for reaching 200 point in free skate.

Great skate all.

 

[zebobes]

... I will not attempt to explain my feelings/thought process further, it's going to be meaningless. I will just say that we do not, I repeat do not have enough men. We currently have 10 (domestic) seniors and 7 (domestic) juniors. That is 17 in total. And considering the physical characteristics a pairs man needs (not everybody can be Han Cong) our hopes of building a native Korean pairs team is non-existent.

The thing is, a lot of Korean men are quite tall, so if they built up their body strength and had the interest, I think they could do really well as pairs men. Junhwan is such a star as a singles, and Sihyeong has too many injuries, but I think there is a lot of potential there if they got the right training and started to build more muscle.

I suppose the problem of there not being enough men is still there, but I think the right Korean man will come along some day, especially as Junhwan brings more men into the sport.

 

[rain]

When you have that beautiful ballet posture and carriage you can sell any clothing off the rack...

Nathan is/was a great skater with good artistic expression of music, but he had hunched shoulders a lot of the time. Once I saw it, I couldn't unsee it.

 

[4everchan]

I see quite a few people thinking so, but I don't really get it. I don't know about his personal personality, but as a skater he is able to express the music because he owns the technique - he doesn't have to be careful. Because he is so secure in elements and skating skills he has the head space and freedom to concentrate on interpreting the music throughout, his intensity is there from the start and does not drop before or after the elements, he doesn't lose power in the end, he doesn't turn his head already in the direction of the jump a minute before.

I don't know. For me, he's thrilling to watch because I feel like someone takes me on a flight with them. It's very freeing and satisfying to watch someone on the ice with such control, ease, power, glide and flow, cheating nothing, but with a deep understanding of what he's doing.

This is how i feel as well.
When a skater owns his blades the way Yuma does, then I get connected into the music and the emotion. It's so smooth. I follow the blades on the ice as I follow the musical phrases.

Of course, someone else could do that before, and he did receive the same flack from some fans... Do I need to write his name down ? HAHA

To me personality, musical expression etc is not in the face and arms, it's on the ice... how the blades carve the ice. That is where the musicality comes from. Perhaps I feel like this because it's the same in my field. A musician cannot be truly and fully expressive without flawless technique. Musicality comes from flow. Most of the skaters lack flow. They may bring some emotional and musical moments here and there... and that's great, but the lack of technique creates interruptions in the flow... So there are constant moment of disconnection.

With Yuma, I can go from one note to the next, and until the last one... effortlessly.

Sure, I would be better with better musical choices and programs... but the music is made on the ice...

 

[4everchan]

The thing is, a lot of Korean men are quite tall, so if they built up their body strength and had the interest, I think they could do really well as pairs men. Junhwan is such a star as a singles, and Sihyeong has too many injuries, but I think there is a lot of potential there if they got the right training and started to build more muscle.

I suppose the problem of there not being enough men is still there, but I think the right Korean man will come along some day, especially as Junhwan brings more men into the sport.

not enough men... how many men does Korea need for singles anyway ?

I don't think that a few men leaving singles to do pairs/dance would create a shortage of single skaters in Korea to the point that it's a problem. Some of the Korean men will never get out to big events anyway, just like it is in other countries... Some of these taller skaters could indeed do very well.
Maybe Korea needs to follow Skate Canada and allow same sex pairs and dance... at least the young women that way would get some skills from a younger age.

 

[el henry]

Because I am not going to pull an all nighter in my time zone, have only watched five on replay so far:

My faves thrived! (on their terms)

Donovan lived! Yes, not perfect, but I'll take stumbles over falls any day. Donovan gave an interview to Mexican press last week where he talked about how he chooses Mexican music for at least one program every year to show pride in his country and to bring Mexican music to figure skating and the world. Not to mention the world's best bling.

Andrew clean (thank God, either a pop or a planned triple, no fall on the first jump). I do not love love love this program like the SP; I merely love love it. Still enthralling to watch.

Yuma is a force of nature. Boyang's glow-up is still amazing. Jun is so smooth, but I can't get over his music this year.

So far, so good with this comp.

 

[kimganos]

Great podium!! As Chris would say, World's is going to be a Cracker!!!

 

[Ruthypegs]

15. Roman SADOVSKY
Nureyev by Alex Baranowski

4S<(forwards, hand)+2A+SEQ
3Lz+3T
3Lo+1Eu+3S
2A
StSq4
4S< (fall)
3Lz (forwards, holds on)
3F (holds on)
FCCoSp4
CCSp4
CCoSp3
ChSq* (not called throughout the program)

FS: 145.39 (2nd)
TOT: 217.83 (1st)

For Roman's first international competition, not bad, but I fear we will never experience the magic of two clean Romsky programs in competition. The maple cactus energy is strong.

I have hope for Roman - I think he and Camden are spiritual brothers who have been similarly amazing and similarly inconsistent these last years. Camden is showing a steady improvement in consistency, and I reckon Roman could, too. Roman's experience at the Olympics would be traumatic for anyone, plus he is still young. He's also super-talented and seems pretty self-aware. I really hope he gets chance to shine.

 

[Ruthypegs]

I just didn't find the event to be fabulous, but to be honest yes I will never be over it

w

 

[Skater Boy]

Great podium!! As Chris would say, World's is going to be a Cracker!!!

The men really brought it and you can tell their still room to improve for Worlds. THe Japanese Men, Cha, Boyang just amazing. Especially Cha and Boyang for coming back strong after a rough year. But Yuma owned the competition nothing against his compatriots. He, Ilia, Adam and don't forget Shoma (though for some reason the way things are going he will be second or f ourth - he just seems to be always the odd man out. Wonderful skating. Impressed as boring as Wesley is he held it together with two solid skates for Canada and Andrew was wonderful. To be truthful I expected Andrew and Max to do well here even with little time off and certaily to beat the top two Canadians. I did not expect two Canadians in the top ten 1 was a stretch. Andrew and Roman are beautiful skaters and maybe a bit underscored pc wise. My uneducated eye thinks their quality of skating is better than Ilia's. Roman needs to get his jumps not sure if it is mental. The US already picked their world team I believe (I think Camden is pretty lucky because Andrew and Max are strong not to mention Jimmy) Not sure about Canada but other than Wesley for sure due to winning Nats and top guy at 4ccs and a lack of consistency from the rest who will get the second spot. If Roman had skater better here I would say for sure him - he certainly though did show he is getting better but then again he has missed the fs at a couple of worlds if my mind is correct. Oh Keegan where are you when Canada needs you and the worlds needs you because he is the one skater in the men who has total raw joy!

 

[TallyT]

He doesn't have a lot of character and personality, does he? I mean, he skates very nicely but he is not a very exciting skater to watch.

I see quite a few people thinking so, but I don't really get it.

It's probably got a fair bit to do with where he comes from - people are used to the Japanese top men (see the last three especially, plus quite a few of the others around them) having strong, unique and very individual skating styles and personalities that come through on and off ice - it's part of the reason they can become media stars in their own right. He may develop that, his skating is probably the best on the circuit atm and his slightly generic personal aura may help to concentrate attention on that which might actually be good for him overall. The way he's been improving all season, I can see him taking Worlds.

 

[cailuj365]

I can't believe that one would say Yuma isn't exciting to watch! He's incredible on the ice. Jumps, step sequence, skating skills, everything is great. We don't know much about him off the ice, but his reactions in the Kiss N Cry are amazing, lol. Personally, I think he is the best all-around skater, and he has great mental strength and fight. It was evident in Beijing. What was holding him back earlier in the season was his technical base value, but if he skates like this at Worlds and the others falter, I think he has a great shot at taking Worlds and even more in the upcoming years. It's really sad to know that one of Adam, Ilia, Shoma, or Yuma will be off the podium this year, but I don't think it's going to be Yuma.

 

[4everchan]

I can't believe that one would say Yuma isn't exciting to watch! He's incredible on the ice. Jumps, step sequence, skating skills, everything is great. We don't know much about him off the ice, but his reactions in the Kiss N Cry are amazing, lol. Personally, I think he is the best all-around skater, and he has great mental strength and fight. It was evident in Beijing. What was holding him back earlier in the season was his technical base value, but if he skates like this at Worlds and the others falter, I think he has a great shot at taking Worlds and even more in the upcoming years. It's really sad to know that one of Adam, Ilia, Shoma, or Yuma will be off the podium this year, but I don't think it's going to be Yuma.

I totally agree.
I also think that Yuma is the least likely not to podium from the top 4 contenders.

 

[lariko]

Yay, Shaidorov got 4F and his PCSs were almost all over 7! Yay!

 

[lariko]

I can't believe that one would say Yuma isn't exciting to watch! He's incredible on the ice. Jumps, step sequence, skating skills, everything is great. We don't know much about him off the ice, but his reactions in the Kiss N Cry are amazing, lol. Personally, I think he is the best all-around skater, and he has great mental strength and fight. It was evident in Beijing. What was holding him back earlier in the season was his technical base value, but if he skates like this at Worlds and the others falter, I think he has a great shot at taking Worlds and even more in the upcoming years. It's really sad to know that one of Adam, Ilia, Shoma, or Yuma will be off the podium this year, but I don't think it's going to be Yuma.

Boring though, and his jumps are just so small. He just doesn't deliver excitement, despite technical perfection the scores indicate.

 

[TallyT]

Boring though,

To be fair, every single skater that ever skated was/is boring to some of the audience...