- Joined
- May 24, 2013
Hello, I'm really sorry that I write this post 3 days after the end of EC, but I was pretty busy in Bratislava and then I had to do all school homeworks and studying which I missed, so I had no time before. But better late than never right?
First I will write something about pairs competition:
Very nice surprise was the couple from Lithuania-Goda Butkute/Nikita Ermolaev. I didn't expect such a nice performance, because I've never heard of them before. But it was very nice, they have got good technique and remind me Atakhanova/Spiridonov. They will need more difficulty but overall it was very good skate. Also liked Ziegler and Kiefer. SP was very solid, FP not so good, but SBS 3Lz was very nice.
Astakhova and Rogonov have interesting programs and some of their elements were on a very good level, but for me it doesn't look so elegant or clean like ohers. But I still think they were underscored a little.
In SP Vartmann and Blommaert was just great and I liked her dress, but in FP it was not very good, pretty bad actually because of their mistakes. Not their day at all.
James and Cipres were pretty good in FP. In SP it was such a shame with death spiral. I don't even have an idea how it happened, one moment they were going into death spiral and next she was out of it. I was sad for them, especially her, she looked so disappointed. Without that mistake it would be really good, they look great together. Vanessa is elegant but at the same time, very strong, has power, I liked it. FP wasn't perfect either but I good enough. I was worried at the end, during that lift, it looks scary
Valentina and Ondřej were great in the FP!!! She looked focused on the elements but other parts were really joyful. Everybody enjoyed the dancing part, the end of the program, it has brought a lot of energy to the arena
Tarasova and Morozov are really strong couple, but there is still something missing. The personality is just not there yet. They have a huge 3Tw, when they land a jump it looks really good, technicaly they are just strong. FP wasn't so interesting but I pretty enjoyed SP. It looked boring for me, when I watched it on TV during GP, but here it was pretty good I was able to get into the program in the end.
Volosozhar and Trankov deserved a gold. In SP they were really better, it looked cleaner and I think they were really sure about themselves. Aliona and Bruno were just beautiful in the SP, program was great, I saw Aliona how she was enjoying it, she looked really happy to be back, I saw the experience during lifts in SP, when she was smiling high in the air . But V/T were a little bit better there.
In FP, it was a shame about lifts. But I think Aliona and Bruno had better twist. V/T have of course a really good twist, perfect position, high in the air but just not so good. I think in 3Tw V/T were behind T/M. I mean, all top 3 couples have the amazing twist, but Aliona and Bruno have a really really huge twist. Just amazing to see it live. Also I liked SBS spin, also pair spin and death spiral more in case of Aliona and Bruno then the others. Again, all top 3 are great, but Aliona and Bruno looked faster during spins. But giving gold medals to V/T was fair. Aliona and Bruno had a mistake in the FP, V/T skated clean. Just the program of V/T...they're good, but there is nothing so special for me in their FP choreography, however their elements looked superb.
I was so happy seeing Aliona back, smiling, I just don't know about this comeback. Of course I love her being back, I just still remember her crying in Sochi 2014. I don't wanna see her like this again...But for now, they proved they have a potential together and have chance to medal at big competitions.
About Ladies FP:
First about Nicole Rajičová. It wasn't so bad, but could've been much better. Maybe she was nervous in front of home crowd I don't know. She's done some mistakes. But the support from the people was amazing, arena was cheering for her really hard, it was great atmosphere and I love her music.
Joshi Helgesson and Roberta Rodeghiero looked in tense a little bit, Roberta a little bit more. Viveca Lindfors was nice but quite slow, comparing to others. I enjoyed Mae Berenice.
First four:
Elena just stole the show. Whole arena was in the program with her. Last year, while watching her on TV I thought she is overacting too much, but this year watching her live was amazing. I think she is more matured now and has good lines and better posture. I also liked her dress more than the previous one. Some jumps looked a little bit out of the axis (I don't know the right word in English for it, sorry) but overall performance and impression was great. Standing ovation from many people including me.I could really feel something from her performance. For me she was better than Evgenia that night. Evgenia has really beautiful lines and posture, she is very elegant but the effect just wasn't the same like from Lena's performance. Beautiful spins and skating, but then fell on 2A. I think she should've been 2nd, it just wasn't clean. Lena was clean and beatiful too and should've been first. I know this is how the system works, I know it all. Just saying I really felt something from Lena's program more than from Evgenia's. JJust my opinion. And I get why Lena looked so upset. She put everything into her program and still didn't win, was second despite Zhenia's fall. And I'm not saying Zhenia wouldn't try. I'm sure she also tried really hard. Not really sure about the placement.
Anna's FP is really good, and she is beautiful but those two hard falls. It was really good how she recovered after and ended her program with some more good jumps. The first and second combination looked great, jumps are very solid when she lands the.
Angelina was really good ending of the evening. She was going from one jumps to another like nothing and I think many people in the arena were with her. When the score was announced many people started whistling. I must say I was very angry as well. Angelina skated super clean and Anna had two falls. I know this is the system,Anna had more difficulty , and as some time has already passed since then I've dealed with it a little bit, but that moment I was really upset to the judges. And I still don't know about the results.
Free dance:
Will be quick, I don't understand ice dance technique anyway.
I don't really like Stepanova/Bukin's FD. It is a weird music and choreography and I wasn't able to see something in it. Still superb twizzles in a sit position.
Sinitsina/Katsalapov have really nice lifts, I really liked their rotational lift (I believe that's how is it called??). But I felt like music is maybe too big for them in some moments.
Bobrova and Soloviev have never been my cup of tea but I quite like their Anna Karenina. It fits them perfectly and I think they're actually really telling the story.
Cappellini and Lanotte have a very fresh and joyful FD and after P/C's FD I liked it the best. P/C were just amazing. Already their last year's FD looked so easy, but seeing this FD and live...it was beautiful. They made it look so effortless. They're really skating so easy. And Guillame is really a DANCER. When I saw him on the practice before FD it looked so great. They were doing just crossovers and it already looked very very easy and it looked to me their gliding is the best out of everybody. Which could be of course just my subjective feelings, I'm not really specialist to technique in ice dance. But I just loved it and was so happy for them when the score came up.
This is pretty much everything. I could also write a post about who I saw where, who has been the nicest while giving me their autographs etc...But it still some time after the end of EC so I don't wanna boast with my signatures from skaters or be annoying with it or something. So I will write something more from off-the ice just if you want (so let me know if anyone is interested). Also if you're interested in something and have some question ask me. I don't know if I will know the answer, but you can ask
First I will write something about pairs competition:
Very nice surprise was the couple from Lithuania-Goda Butkute/Nikita Ermolaev. I didn't expect such a nice performance, because I've never heard of them before. But it was very nice, they have got good technique and remind me Atakhanova/Spiridonov. They will need more difficulty but overall it was very good skate. Also liked Ziegler and Kiefer. SP was very solid, FP not so good, but SBS 3Lz was very nice.
Astakhova and Rogonov have interesting programs and some of their elements were on a very good level, but for me it doesn't look so elegant or clean like ohers. But I still think they were underscored a little.
In SP Vartmann and Blommaert was just great and I liked her dress, but in FP it was not very good, pretty bad actually because of their mistakes. Not their day at all.
James and Cipres were pretty good in FP. In SP it was such a shame with death spiral. I don't even have an idea how it happened, one moment they were going into death spiral and next she was out of it. I was sad for them, especially her, she looked so disappointed. Without that mistake it would be really good, they look great together. Vanessa is elegant but at the same time, very strong, has power, I liked it. FP wasn't perfect either but I good enough. I was worried at the end, during that lift, it looks scary
Valentina and Ondřej were great in the FP!!! She looked focused on the elements but other parts were really joyful. Everybody enjoyed the dancing part, the end of the program, it has brought a lot of energy to the arena
Tarasova and Morozov are really strong couple, but there is still something missing. The personality is just not there yet. They have a huge 3Tw, when they land a jump it looks really good, technicaly they are just strong. FP wasn't so interesting but I pretty enjoyed SP. It looked boring for me, when I watched it on TV during GP, but here it was pretty good I was able to get into the program in the end.
Volosozhar and Trankov deserved a gold. In SP they were really better, it looked cleaner and I think they were really sure about themselves. Aliona and Bruno were just beautiful in the SP, program was great, I saw Aliona how she was enjoying it, she looked really happy to be back, I saw the experience during lifts in SP, when she was smiling high in the air . But V/T were a little bit better there.
In FP, it was a shame about lifts. But I think Aliona and Bruno had better twist. V/T have of course a really good twist, perfect position, high in the air but just not so good. I think in 3Tw V/T were behind T/M. I mean, all top 3 couples have the amazing twist, but Aliona and Bruno have a really really huge twist. Just amazing to see it live. Also I liked SBS spin, also pair spin and death spiral more in case of Aliona and Bruno then the others. Again, all top 3 are great, but Aliona and Bruno looked faster during spins. But giving gold medals to V/T was fair. Aliona and Bruno had a mistake in the FP, V/T skated clean. Just the program of V/T...they're good, but there is nothing so special for me in their FP choreography, however their elements looked superb.
I was so happy seeing Aliona back, smiling, I just don't know about this comeback. Of course I love her being back, I just still remember her crying in Sochi 2014. I don't wanna see her like this again...But for now, they proved they have a potential together and have chance to medal at big competitions.
About Ladies FP:
First about Nicole Rajičová. It wasn't so bad, but could've been much better. Maybe she was nervous in front of home crowd I don't know. She's done some mistakes. But the support from the people was amazing, arena was cheering for her really hard, it was great atmosphere and I love her music.
Joshi Helgesson and Roberta Rodeghiero looked in tense a little bit, Roberta a little bit more. Viveca Lindfors was nice but quite slow, comparing to others. I enjoyed Mae Berenice.
First four:
Elena just stole the show. Whole arena was in the program with her. Last year, while watching her on TV I thought she is overacting too much, but this year watching her live was amazing. I think she is more matured now and has good lines and better posture. I also liked her dress more than the previous one. Some jumps looked a little bit out of the axis (I don't know the right word in English for it, sorry) but overall performance and impression was great. Standing ovation from many people including me.I could really feel something from her performance. For me she was better than Evgenia that night. Evgenia has really beautiful lines and posture, she is very elegant but the effect just wasn't the same like from Lena's performance. Beautiful spins and skating, but then fell on 2A. I think she should've been 2nd, it just wasn't clean. Lena was clean and beatiful too and should've been first. I know this is how the system works, I know it all. Just saying I really felt something from Lena's program more than from Evgenia's. JJust my opinion. And I get why Lena looked so upset. She put everything into her program and still didn't win, was second despite Zhenia's fall. And I'm not saying Zhenia wouldn't try. I'm sure she also tried really hard. Not really sure about the placement.
Anna's FP is really good, and she is beautiful but those two hard falls. It was really good how she recovered after and ended her program with some more good jumps. The first and second combination looked great, jumps are very solid when she lands the.
Angelina was really good ending of the evening. She was going from one jumps to another like nothing and I think many people in the arena were with her. When the score was announced many people started whistling. I must say I was very angry as well. Angelina skated super clean and Anna had two falls. I know this is the system,Anna had more difficulty , and as some time has already passed since then I've dealed with it a little bit, but that moment I was really upset to the judges. And I still don't know about the results.
Free dance:
Will be quick, I don't understand ice dance technique anyway.
I don't really like Stepanova/Bukin's FD. It is a weird music and choreography and I wasn't able to see something in it. Still superb twizzles in a sit position.
Sinitsina/Katsalapov have really nice lifts, I really liked their rotational lift (I believe that's how is it called??). But I felt like music is maybe too big for them in some moments.
Bobrova and Soloviev have never been my cup of tea but I quite like their Anna Karenina. It fits them perfectly and I think they're actually really telling the story.
Cappellini and Lanotte have a very fresh and joyful FD and after P/C's FD I liked it the best. P/C were just amazing. Already their last year's FD looked so easy, but seeing this FD and live...it was beautiful. They made it look so effortless. They're really skating so easy. And Guillame is really a DANCER. When I saw him on the practice before FD it looked so great. They were doing just crossovers and it already looked very very easy and it looked to me their gliding is the best out of everybody. Which could be of course just my subjective feelings, I'm not really specialist to technique in ice dance. But I just loved it and was so happy for them when the score came up.
This is pretty much everything. I could also write a post about who I saw where, who has been the nicest while giving me their autographs etc...But it still some time after the end of EC so I don't wanna boast with my signatures from skaters or be annoying with it or something. So I will write something more from off-the ice just if you want (so let me know if anyone is interested). Also if you're interested in something and have some question ask me. I don't know if I will know the answer, but you can ask