Cup of China: Ladies Free Skate LIVE BLOG

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Mao ASADA	JPN	181.76	2	1
2	Julia LIPNITSKAIA	RUS	177.92	1	2
3	Kiira KORPI	FIN	169.86	4	3
4	Mirai NAGASU	USA	163.46	3	4
5	Zijun LI	CHN	160.06	5	5
6	Amelie LACOSTE	CAN	135.46	6	9
7	Joshi HELGESSON	SWE	134.43	7	7
8	Ying ZHANG	CHN	130.65	9	6
9	Sofia BIRYUKOVA	RUS	127.36	8	8

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Mao ASADA	JPN	118.87	54.53		64.34	8.14	7.75	7.96	8.11	8.25	0.00	#9
2	Julia LIPNITSKAIA	RUS	114.86	57.43		57.43	7.21	7.00	7.32	7.25	7.11	0.00	#10
3	Kiira KORPI	FIN	110.17	51.03		59.14	7.43	7.04	7.32	7.54	7.64	0.00	#7
4	Mirai NAGASU	USA	103.70	45.89		57.81	7.39	6.96	7.25	7.32	7.21	0.00	#8
5	Zijun LI	CHN	100.85	51.58		51.27	6.61	6.21	6.32	6.54	6.36	2.00	#6
6	Ying ZHANG	CHN	87.27	46.97		42.30	5.61	4.96	5.36	5.29	5.21	2.00	#2
7	Joshi HELGESSON	SWE	84.76	38.16		47.60	6.04	5.64	6.04	6.04	6.00	1.00	#4
8	Sofia BIRYUKOVA	RUS	82.97	37.07		45.90	6.21	5.50	5.50	5.86	5.61	0.00	#3
9	Amelie LACOSTE	CAN	78.03	31.06		48.97	6.46	6.11	5.71	6.25	6.07	2.00	#5
WD	Bingwa GENG	CHN											#1

1) Ying Zhang (CHN)

  Music: Soul Dance

• She is loving the blue costumes at this event
• She needs to straighten those legs and point the feet
• I knew that jump was going down from the minute it went up
• 3F-2T very low to the ground
• This program isn't doing anything for me, she is just going through the motions
• Nice scorpion position in that spiral, but the standing leg really needs to be straight
• 46.97 (TES) + 42.30 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 87.27
• 43.38 (SP) + (FS) = 130.65

2) Sofia Biryukova (RUS)
  Music: Turandot

• She is a beauty!
• This costume looks Asian to me; funny we don't see that more for Turandot
• Bad slip, hands down; I'm always surprised when hands down can actually stop a fall on slippery ice
• 2-foot crossed landings, we aren't starting out well here
• Very sloppy, I can't even comment on anything because it's so labored and sloppy
• That spread eagle into 2A was nice, but the eagle could've been on a deeper edge to enhance the drama
• She was not happy with that, looked like a mental lapse
• 37.07 (TES) + 45.90 (PCS) = 82.97
• 44.39 (SP) + 82.97 (FS) = 127.36

3) Joshi Helgesson (SWE)
  Music: Burlesque, Express, Blues in Night

• That white bodice is not that flattering, a brighter color like magenta or turquoise would've been nice
• There's absolutely nothing going on here right now
• She is totally going through the motions, not nearly enough sass
• Only 1 fall, but a lot of potential underrotations
• 38.16 (TES) + 47.60 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 84.76
• 49.67 (SP) + 84.76 (FS) = 134.43

4) Amelie Lacoste (CAN)
  Music: Rhapsody in Blue & Concerto in F by Gershwin

• I love her intensity, how she attacks everything
• Even if she's technically not sound, she's still exciting to watch
• Starting out with a fall usually puts her on a downward spiral, let's see how that plays out
• Of the first 4 jumps, all have had landing issues thus far
• She cannot land a clean jump to save her life, that's not a technical issue, that's confidence
• The program is composed beautifully and the choreography is well executed; if she had the jumps she'd be right in the thick of things
• 31.06 (TES) + 48.97 (PCS) -2.00 (DED)= 78.03
• 57.43 (SP) + 78.03 (FS) =

5) Zijun Li (CHN)
  Music: Sleeping Beauty

• She is at the perfect age to skate to this music, it's light and ethereal
• Jumping bean!
• Nice 2a-3a combo, 2 footed
• This is so sprightly, the program is just perfect for her
• I didn't realize Chengjiang Li was her coach, he was such a great jumper when he competed
• I also see that Karen Kwan choreographed this piece, it's lovely
• Her jumps are very small, quick, but small
• She is losing speed in the middle; as we saw at last year's 4 continents, it seems the Chinese skaters often aren't very well conditioned
• 51.58 (TES) + 51.27 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 100.85
• 59.21 (SP) + 100.85 (FS) = 160.06

6) Kiira Korpi (FIN)
  Music: Once Upon a Time in America

• This dress is divine, as all of her dresses always are
• I love the drama in that opening
• 3T-3T to open, very strong
• Feed froze in the middle of the program, missed a good chunk
• Jumps are starting to unravel, very squirrely landings
• A couple popped jumps, not want she wants or needs to get on the podium
• She's left enough of a door open technically that Li will pass her
• This is a very well composed program, once she builds up her stamina it should be lovely
• I think we have  clean triples, lots of wonky landings, she'll get there
• 51.03 (TES) + 59.14 (PCS) = 110.86
• 59.69 (SP) + 110.86 (FS) = 169.86

7) Mirai Nagasu (USA)
  Music: Symphony No. 3 by Saint-Saens

• Let's get this one Mirai
• Nearly into the boards on the first jump
• Clean 2a, 2-footed the combo
• Why are all of these jumps so close to the boards
• Feed froze, missed a good chunk of the middle
• This dress is lovely on her, I love the neckline/haltar detail
• I want more intensity in these steps, right now it looks like she's going through the motions
• Clean 3-2-2 combo, all of these landings are nice too, good flowing edges and straight free legs out of them
• This has been a great skate for Mirai, she looks really free out there
• Much more passion on that last step sequence
• She should be very happy and relieved right there
• 45.89 (TES) + 57.81 (PCS) = 103.70
• 59.76 (SP) + 103.70 (FS) = 163.46

8) Mao Asada (JPN)
  Music: Swan Lake

• I hope we get good Mao today, she has so much speed!
• That costume is to die for!
• She looks so delicate out there
• Gorgeous combination spin, every position is fantastic
• This is so graceful and lyrical
• I like the musical selection, she used in interesting arrangement with sections that aren't completely overdone
• This is going to be phenomenal by Worlds
• Very strong ending, what a beautifully composed and choreographed program
• Tarasova choreographed that, I wonder if it is odd working with your old coach as choreographer
• 54.53 (TES) + 64.34 (PCS) = 118.87
• 62.89 (SP) + 118.87 (FS) = 181.76

9) Julia Lipnitskaia (RUS)
  Music: Nutcracker

• Leaning very far over on landings of first combo
• Fall out of 2nd combo, one more little mistake like that and she'll give it away to Mao, she needs all the TES she can get
• There is no attempt at expression, she's just ticking the elements off the list
• I like this step sequence a lot, it's well placed in the music
• Best I-spin since Sasha Cohen
• She has a lot there to work with in that program; just let it develop
• 57.43 (TES) + 57.43 (PCS) = 114.86
• 63.06 (SP) + 114.86 (FS) = 177.92