2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Cup of China Ladies Short Program LIVE BLOG

1) Kexin Zhang (CHN)
     Music: Piano Concerto No. 3 by Rachmaninov

• The Chinese ladies struggled last Grand Prix season, I'd like to see them do well here at home
• 3-3 attempt, I couldn't tell from the angle if it was rotated
• Hand down on a very tilted triple lutz
• She is very stiff in her upper body, some ballet would go a long way for her
• She needs to extend the movement even through the fingertips
• Nice donut spin position
• Footwork into a double axel, so far clan on the jumping
• I want to see more use of levels in this footwork, but she has begun to relax her upper body
• She'll be happy with that skate

SP Score: 31.47 (TES) + 21.38 (PCS) = 52.85

2) Quiying Zhu (CHN)
     Music: Nutrckacker

• She is gorgeous!
• From that costume I was expecting the Plum pas de deux music and I was correct!
• Fall on the first triple attempt, just not nearly enough speed and or height
• Triple-double completed, but still lacking speed and height
• She goes into the double axel almost at a stand-still
• She is so tentative going into these elements
• Her hands are really broken at the wrist which really disrupts the arm line she's creating
• Spins are a bit wobbly, traveling a bit
• No don't pick your skirt out of your butt on the ice! 

SP Score: 16.40 (TES) + 19.88 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 35.28

3) Bingwa Geng (CHN)
     Music: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

• I love this costume, it's very dynamic
• I hate this overhead camera angle, but nice 3-2
• She has more speed and is more aggressive than the other more delicate Chinese ladies
• That catch foot spin should be much more stretched if she's going to attempt it
• The spins really lack speed
• That ina bauer needs much more stretch, clean double axel
• That fog on the ice is really distracting
• Nice layback into final ending position
• An easy skater to watch

SP Score: 29.66 (TES) +22.95 (PCS) = 52.61

4) Adelina Sotnikova (RUS)
     Music: Bolero

• Very strong opening stance, drastically different from her programs of last season
• She is coming out very aggressive
• Fall on the triple lutz, had no speed coming out
• I hope she's smart enough to tack on a combo to another jump
• And she does add a 2T to the 3F
• Very fast spinning and nice position changes
• That lutz looked rotated, so she'll just lose the 1 point deduction and some GOE marks
• Solid double axel
• I'm loving her spins, that is where she is much stronger than Elizaveta
• Her step sequence movements are a little repetitive for me, but I appreciate that she is giving it her all
• That low sit spin variation is rally interesting
• She is not happy with that, but should still bring in a strong score

SP Score: 29.66 (TES) + 25.08 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 53.74

5) Christina Gao (USA)
     Music: To Love You More

• I like her even more now that she's tall, is that strange?
• She's getting the Yuna look!
• 3F-3t, looked solid to me
• Slow approach to the double axel, can't keep it on her feet
• I like this program on her
• I'd like a stronger flow out of that triple lutz
• She has lovely spin positions but lost a lot of speed by the time she hit the Bielman
• I'd like to see more facial expression, she's in the ballpark here on her step sequence
• Aren't bangs really distracting for a figure skater?

SP Score: 29.34 (TES) + 23.65 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 51.99

6) Valentina Marchei (ITA)
     Music: Johnny's Mambo, Ronny's Mambo

• Yuka is here for Team Detroti, no surprise b/c of her connection with Jeremy Abbott
• Again, I hate the braid, it's immature for her age
• Her opening combo took off from and landed on very straight legs
• She came out firing today, seems to really have her legs under her
• This program doesn't do much for me, the transitions are really just crossovers with sassy facial expressions
• She's landed all of the jumps, but none of them really have much height at all
• Pretty quick rotation on the spins, she must be studying Alissa

SP Score: 26.46 (TES) + 25.96 (PCS) = 52.42

7) Ksenia Makarova (RUS)
     Music: Maria and the Violin's String

• What a lovely program this is if she can just stay upright
• The choreography is fantastic, the opening is so unique
• Fall out of the opening 3F, I really don't know that the coaching change did her any favors
• This audience really gasps when a skater falls
• Step out of the triple loop,won't get full credit
• I don't know where this girl's mind is, if I had that choreography I wouldn't be throwing away jumps
• This poor girl, she's so lovely if she could get her mind in the game and learn to compete

SP Score: 20.44 (TES) + 26.46 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 45.90

8) Kanako Murakami (JPN)
     Music: Violin Muse

• Wow she's grown up since last season!
• 3lz-3t, 2nd jump likely underrotated and maybe two-footed
• Triple loop, UR probably
• This is a much more mature program for her, she's improved her sense of interpretation
• A bit of a funny layback position; broken leg line
• Her hands are a bit stiff for me, softening them would do wonders for her arm line
• Double axel, good to see she's maintained her jumps even with the growth spurt

SP Score: 25.80 (TES) + 27.29 (PCS) = 53.09

9) Mirai Nagasu (USA)
     Music: Danzarin

• Lord I don't even know what to think anymore when Mirai steps onto the ice
• It looks like good Mirai came out to skate today, all jumps landed
• She really does a fantastic job of not traveling at all on that layback spin
• I like that camel variation into the donut that she does
• Sassy Mirai is out there today, Frank is looking on as seriously as ever
• I like this step sequence a lot
• Mirai is one of the best spinners around in terms of speeding up rotation as she goes

SP Score: 31.75 (TES) + 29.21 (PCS) = 60.96

10) Carolina Kostner (ITA)
      Music: Alegretto from Trio No. 2 by Shostakovitch

• The illusion mesh is still horrible but the costume as a whole has grown on me
• The more I watch it I like this program
• She went for the 3-3, wasn't watching closely enough for rotation
• She really carries a lot of speed with those long legs
• Two hands down on the triple loop
• Nice sharp double axel
• I appreciate the way the subtleties of the choreography mirror the music
• Nice deep edging, she'll likely pass Mirai in PCS but not in TES after the hands down

SP Score: 31.44 (TES) + 30.44 (PCS) = 61.88