Saturday, April 30, 2011

2011 World Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Free Skate Live Blog

1) Irina Movchan (UKR)
  Music: Verano Portento
  • I've not seen this skater before, she is gorgeous
  • She seems  very young and inexperienced
  • I wish we could see more passion and intensity in her performance
  • She kind of looks like she is just in practice right now
  • Popped a double axel to a single
  • She seems to be running out of steam
  • In her combination spin, it doesn't seem she is holding each position long enough to achieve top levels
  FS Score: 39.87 (TES) + 37.90 (PCS) - (DED) = 77.47
  Total Score: 45.68 (SP) + 77.47 (FS) = 123.15


2) Elena Glebova (EST)
  Music: Cappricio Espagno
  • She had a lot of highs and lows in the warm-up
  • She is a very sassy skater, especially in her Sex and the City short program
  • Decent opening 3z
  • Fall on 3lo
  • Good double axel, singles the combination jump
  • Another shaky 2a
  • "shaky" is a good word for this program, she doesn't look confident in her landings
  • Even her spins look wobbly and she is traveling
  • I admire her effort and her flair in the choreography between elements
  • Elena isn't thrilled with that overall
  FS Score: 38.29 (TES) + 41.21 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 78.50
  Total Score: 46.28 (SP) + 78.50 (FS) = 124.78

3) Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)
  Music: The Drummer/Sad Romance/ August Rhapsody
  • The Helgesson sisters are coached by their mother; Joshi had the better short program here
  • Popped her opening jump, not a good way to make up ground after a poor short
  • Hand down on 3F, adds two doubles to make a series
  • Nice strong 3lo to recover
  • This is a gorgeous musical selection and it suits her style very well
  • I'd love to see more freedom in this footwork sequence, she is concentrating so hard
  • That spiral could use a lot more stretch
  • Good 3T
  • Another strong 3lz, but hardly any speed coming out to get into the 2T
  • I love this August's Rhapsody section, she seems to be hitting her stride here
  • She saved a lot of jumps for the second half so she'll get extra credit
  FS Score: 49.94 (TES) + 47.18 (PCS) - (DED) = 97.12
  Total Score: 45.40 (SP) + 97.12 (FS) = 142.52

4) Juulia Turkkila (FIN)
  Music: Don Quixote
  • I have Juulia on my fantasy team so I'm pulling for a great skate
  • Good opening double axel
  • I'd like to see her pick up the speed
  • Nice 3lo-3T combination
  • A solid 3s-3t combination
  • The speed isn't great, but so far a clean skate
  • She has nice posture and the look of a ballerina on the ice
  • She is only 16 so this is a good youthful musical selection for her
  • Good double axel
  • She is replacing the injured Laura Lepisto at worlds and she is doing a fine job
  • It is great to see that Finland is building a talented ladies field
  • She is fizzling off toward the end, needs to keep her energy up
  • That crossed leg sit spin position was really interesting
  • The crowd is getting behind her in this footwork
  • Great clean skate overall, she is very pleased!
  FS Score: 46.91 (TES) + 44.07 (PCS) - (DED) = 90.98
  Total Score: 45.70 (SP) + 90.98 (FS) = 136.68

5) Bingwa Geng (CHN) 
  Music: Red Violin
  • Bingwa has been up and down all season so I'm hoping for a solid skate from her
  • Yuna Kim is her idol so it must be quite an experience for her to skate in the same competition
  • A fall on the opening 3z
  • Good strong 3T
  • Nice 2A to recover
  • Let's hope she's found her stride now
  • Two solid 3-2 combinations with only slightly shaky landings
  • It's good to see her finally finding her stride
  • I wish she could pick up some more speed
  • She is really trying to use her entire body for expression in this footwork
  • She is concentration so hard and that shows on her face; I'd like more of a performance
  • Her 2a covers a decent amount of ice
  • Slow camel spin, but it picks up speed when she hits the donut position
  FS Score: 50.93 (TES) + 42.96 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 92.89
  Total Score: 47.89 (SP) + 92.89 (FS) = 140.78

6) Jenna McCorkell (GBR) 
  Music: Voice of Violins/Allegro from Music for Strings
  • Jenna has been up and down all season but she looked good in warm-up
  • She is  married to Kevin Van Der Perren
  • She is taller for a skater and can build good speed with those long lets
  • Awkward 3Z, but solid 3F to follow
  • Hands down and turn out of 3T
  • None of her landings are really happening correctly for her today
  • She doesn't seem to be working to interpret this music, all she is doing is smiling
  • She looks exhausted by the end of this footwork and her limbs are flailing
  • She is not happy with that performance at all
  FS Score: 33.55 (TES) + 42.22 (PCS) - (DED) = 75.77
  Total Score: 45.99 (SP) + 75.77 (FS) = 121.76

7) Cheltzie Lee (AUS) 
  Music: Yentl
  • Is she going to channel Barbra?
  • She took it easy in the warm-up, which is understandable for skating first
  • She is very expressive, particularly with her upper body, straight from the top
  • Good 3f-3t-2t from the beginning
  • Bails out and two-foots the 3z
  • Could use more speed in that sit spin
  • She is really focused; she'll need more reckless abandon to channel Barbra
  • Good 3T
  • She looks very unsure in all of her jump landings
  • Step out of 3S-2T
  • She needs to stretch in her neck and drop her shoulders
  • Needs much more stretch in spiral
  • 2a is the very las movement of the program, hand down
  FS Score: 42.85 (TES) + 42.60 (PCS) - (DED) = 85.45
  Total Score: 48.20 (SP) + 85.45 (FS) = 133.65

8) Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO) 
  Music: Phantom of the Opera
  • Nice solid 3z-2t to open
  • She has good speed and flow across the ice
  • Strong 3z
  • She is so hit or miss because right now she looks strong
  • I clearly spoke to soon because she fell on the 3F
  • I hate Andrew Lloyd Webber
  • 2a into a 3 jump series
  • 4 of her jumping passes are out of the way in the first minute
  • She is very expressive with her face and arms
  • She needs to shake out her hands before she skates so they don't clench up like claws
  • Good strong solo 2a
  • I adore this costume
  • The Masquerade music is a good choice for the foot sequence
  • She is definitely showing that she is a fighter with this program
  • There is nothing tentative about her skating and she attacks everything
  FS Score: 54.66 (TES) + 50.97 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 104.63
  Total Score: 51.61 (SP) + 104.63 (FS) = 156.24

9) Amelie Lacoste (CAN) 
  Music: Sheherazade
  • I hate how she stays still for those opening notes, they are so dynamic and are dying for movement
  • 2 strong 2a's with a stumble on one
  • Popped open the 3z
  • I love the wally entrance into the 3F, her feet get tangled and a hand must go down
  • She could use a lot more stretch in the spiral
  • I love that she uses her arms well and is so strong, but I want to see more on her face
  • Fall on 3T
  • She made such a strong debut this season with a bronze at Skate Canada; such a shame she couldn't find that magic the rest of the season
  FS Score: 44.58 (TES) + 48.20 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 92.78
  Total Score: 51.98 (SP) + 92.78 (FS) = 144.76

10) Ira Vannut (BEL) 
  Music: Children of Dune
  • Very tilted in the air on her opening 3z, couldn't save the landing
  • This costume is too over the top for me, with the gloves and all its too much red
  • I want to see some expression on her face
  • I want her to turn out that foot on the layback spin
  • She is in dire need of some ballet to help her skate more elegantly
  • Is that pink underneath her costume? Why is that necessary?
  • I feel that she is just going through the motions and is not engaged at all with the performance
  • She really needs to stretch through those fee in her spins so they don't look like they are just hanging off of her legs
  FS Score: 47.31 (TES) + 42.74 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 89.05
  Total Score: 49.23 (SP) + 89.05 (FS) = 138.28

11) Joshi Helgesson (SWE) 
  Music: Palladio/Feeling Good
  • I love Joshi, she's had a great season so far
  • She takes a very  hard fall on her opening 3z
  • Nice 3S to get back into it
  • I admire that she didn't let the fall hurt her and she is still putting 100% into the performance
  • She seems to really enjoy this footwork
  • She needs to keep her speed up because its one of the best things about her skating
  • She is definitely the more athletic of the Helgesson sisters while Viktoria is more elegant
  • She seems to have the crowd on her side
  • I love the way she attacks every element
  • Aside from the fall, what a great free skate
  • She and her coaches seems so pleased
  FS Score: 53.47 (TES) + 46.36 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 98.83
  Total Score: 50.25 (SP) + 98.83 (FS) = 149.08

12) Cynthia Phaneuf (CAN) 
  Music: Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini
  • She needs to do well here to hold onto 2 ladies spots for Canada at 2012 worlds
  • Nice strong 3T
  • Very tilted in the air, falls on 3z
  • I wish she would've picked a stronger piece of music; her short is much better suited for her
  • She has really good speed
  • She is popping jumps now, she is losing her concentration
  • This won't be the 5th place finish she had last season
  • It has to be a lot of pressure to go out and know that your teammate didn't skate well and that it falls on  your shoulders to hold onto the spots
  FS Score: 47.94 (TES) + 53.22 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 100.16
  Total Score: 52.26 (SP) + 100.16 (FS) = 152.78

13) Sarah Hecken (GER) 
  Music: Zazdrosc i Medycyna/Smuga Cienia/Revolutionary Etude
  • Sarah is probably the surprise of this group
  • A fine opening so far
  • Her entrances are very long, I'd like to see more choreography into the jumps
  • She really needs to concentrate on pointing her feet, they are especially noticeable in spins
  • She is really committing to this footwork which is great to see
  • Some of her spin positions are truly heinous, skaters shouldn't sacrifice beauty for levels
  FS Score: 53.88 (TES) + 50.22 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 103.10
  Total Score: 52.73 (SP) + 103.10 (FS) = 155.83

14) Kiira Korpi (FIN) 
  Music: Evita
  • Nice 3t-3t; redemption from the short program
  • Great jump on that flying sit spin
  • After a doubled triple and a fall, this will not be the clean free that she wanted
  • That spiral position really needs to be stretched out
  • I would have worn a white dress rather than purple
  • Another double
  • The catch foot is a nice spin position, but that ending was very abrupt
  FS Score: 52.65 (TES) + 58.06 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 109.71
  Total Score: 55.09 (SP) + (FS) = 164.80

15) Kanako Murakami (JPN) 
  Music: The Mask of Zorro
  • So she changed her fabulous short program costume but kept this mess?
  • Nice 3-3
  • Now this looks like the Kanako we've been seeing all season, very solid
  • She has nothing to lose, starting in 10th, so its good to see her going all out
  • Fairly nice stretch on her spiral
  • A single flip, that certainly won't do
  • I wonder how she feels about skating before her idol Mao
  • She looks pleased and if she is happy, I'm happy
  FS Score: 55.62 (TES) + 56.62 (PCS) - (DED) = 112.62
  Total Score: 54.86 (SP) + 112.62 (FS) = 167.10

16) Mao Asada (JPN) 
  Music: Liebestraum
  • Here comes one of the two headliners
  • The 3a looked two-footed to me
  • This lyrical program suits Mao so much better than her short
  • Does Mao always wear long sleeves?
  • You can tell Mao has a ballet background by looking at her arms
  • A bit wild on the camel spin, but she controls it by the sit spin
  • 2a-3t (two-footed)
  • Mao you can't pop jumps like that if you want to move up; she's letting it get away
  • Nice spiral position
  • I can see she isn't completely happy
  • Nice to see a little smile though
  FS Score: 54.19 (TES) + 59.94 (PCS) - (DED) = 114.13
  Total Score: 58.66 (SP) + 114.13 (FS) = 172.79

17) Mae Berenice Meite (FRA) 
  Music: Concertino pour guitare/Hable con ella/Fiesta Flamenca
  • Wow after a great short, she is struggling with a fall and a huge stumble in the opening sequence of jumps
  • Her footwork seems so slow
  • Her leg is wrapped very high in these jumps which slows rotation
  • Another stumble, this just is not her day
  • But either way, that good short shows she can hang with the top skaters and sets her up well for next year
  • The faster part of this music suits her better than the opening
  FS Score: 50.63 (TES) + 47.55 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 97.18
  Total Score: 53.26 (SP) + 150.44 (FS) = 150.44

18) Rachael Flatt (USA) 
  Music: Slaughter on Tenth Avenue
  • This new costume adds a level of elegance
  • 2a-3t (maybe under-rotated and stumble, hand down)
  • Popped 3F
  • She needs perfection from here on out to help team USA
  • 2a was nice
  • She needs to eek out every fraction of a point right now
  • Another popped Flip; has to be related to the injury
  • This score is just not going to be pretty at all
  • And she will not be held up by PCS like some of the other skater
  FS Score: 45.45 (TES) + 51.94 (PCS) - (DED) = 97.39
  Total Score: 57.22 (SP) + 97.39 (FS) =154.61

19) Miki Ando (JPN) 
  Music: Piano Concerto in A minor by Grieg

  • I think Miki is going to give this all she possibly has in the tank
  • I don't see her letting go of any easy points
  • I think her flexibility has improved
  • She is so focused, but I'd love to see a bit of that smile we saw in the short
  • She started doubling some jumps, so she definitely did not give her best performance of the season
  FS Score: 65.75 (TES) + 64.46 (PCS) - (DED) = 130.21
  Total Score: 65.58 (SP) + 130.21 (FS) = 195.79

20) Alena Leonova (RUS) 
  Music: The Witches of Eastwick

  • The costume, hair, gloves, it all looks like a tacky drag show
  • Very solid triple-triple
  • She has hit everything so far
  • I don't like anything about this program or performance, but must admit she is looking solid
  • This is the tackiest thing I've ever seen, but she landed the jumps and she'll score well
  • Its great to see such unbridled happiness; Irina Slutskaya loved it too
  FS Score: 62.35 (TES) + 61.82 (PCS) - (DED) = 124.17
  Total Score: 59.75 (SP) + 124.17 (FS) = 183.92

21) Yuna Kim (KOR) 
  Music: Homage to Korea
  • THE QUEEN
  • This program is an homage to Korea, the homeland
  • Amazing 3z-3t
  • Such gorgeous flow and glide across the ice
  • That was what, 2a-1t?
  • This is a gorgeous piece of music
  • 1F
  • 2a-2-2 sequence
  • This is the Yuna Kim we should have seen at the first grand prix of the season, not at Worlds
  • Her basic skills are so fantastic that she can afford jumping mistakes and still be okay
  • It looks like she has lost flexibility in her spiral
  • I would love to see more passion on her face since this piece is so near to her heart
  FS Score: 61.72 (TES) + 66.87 (PCS) - (DED) = 128.59
  Total Score: 65.91 (SP) + 128.59 (FS) = 194.50

22) Alissa Czisny (USA) 
  Music: Winter and Spring by George Winston
  • Come on Alissa!!
  • I love that opening moment where she just takes her time to breathe
  • Fall on the opening jump, this cannot bode well
  • Nice 3-2 combination
  • 3-2-2 sequence
  • She looks very nervous, I want to see her face light up
  • If the opening jump was fully rotated and she can avoid edge calls, she may be able to hang in
  • Old Alissa would have crumbled after one fall, but this is new Alissa
  • Gorgeous despite that one pesky fall
  FS Score: 60.65 (TES) + 61.13 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 120.78
  Total Score: 61.47 (SP) + 120.78 (FS) = 182.25

23) Carolina Kostner (ITA) 
  Music: Afternoon of a Fawn

  • This program is so unbelievably boring
  • There is no drama to the music so you need a very nuanced performer, which she is not
  • She normally tanks the free skate but she's been unusually clean today aside from a few bobbles
  • If she medals I'm going to vomit
  FS Score: 60.30 (TES) + 64.63 (PCS) - (DED) = 124.93
  Total Score: 59.75 (SP) + 124.93 (FS) = 184.68

24) Ksenia Makarova (RUS) 
  Music: Evita
  • Yay so far so good!
  • She has really grown up as a performer this season!
  • I want her on the podium so bad!!
  • She needs to keep fighting for every fraction of a point
  • Very hard fall 
  • Nice 2a-2-2 sequence
  • She may still hang on for a medal
  • She is such a little fighter out there
  • Nice 2a to end her jumps
  • Her spins are positions are much improved this season
  • I like when she goes into the Buenos Aires section for footwork
  • The sound design of her Evita is far superior to that of Korpi
  FS Score: 46.52 (TES) + 60.08 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 105.60
  Total Score: 61.62 (SP) + 105.60 (FS) = 167.22

4 comments:

  1. thanks for the live PBP!
    im gutted for Yuna and Alena, absolute crap judging IMO..

    ReplyDelete
  2. Great commentary, thank you!

    -- Mathman :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ando, No emotion. no 3-3. her musicality is practically nonexistant.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Ando's program was very slow...I thought she'd stop in the middle. no 3-3. political bullshit like German commentator said.

    ReplyDelete