2013 Skate America: Ladies Short Program Recap

Can I watch Mao Asada (JPN) on repeat until the next event? That was so easy to watch. I felt like I was going to the ballet. Everything was fantastic down to the costuming. Nobody glides seamlessly out of the jump like Mao does. The 3A was two-footed, but how remarkable that she is still doing it? Short Program Total: 73.18!!!!!

Aside from the wrong colored tights and the slow final spin, Ashley Wagner (USA) threw it down today. We are finally seeing her competitive mettle now that she gave us the 3-3 combo. I appreciate her punched landings on the jumps; there's nothing weak about her skating. Thank goodness she ended with that hair toss. Short Program Total: 69.26

I try not to think about these tween skaters until they make it past their grown spurts, and Elena Radionova (RUS) is no exception. She is so itty bitty and she has so much growing to do before we take her seriously as a senior lady. For now, what a great moment for her to make her debut with a clean program. Let's not call her the future of skating yet because that didn't work out so well for Mirai or Caroline. Short Program Total: 67.01

Valentina Marchei (ITA) blew me away today. I don't give a crap about the technical content because that was a thing of beauty. This is what figure skating should be. This is why I fell in love with figure skating because of the quiet, delicate beauty. Short Program Total: 59.25

I love me some bubblegum pink, but Viktoria Helgeson (SWE) showed us a classic example of a costume that distracts from the skating itself. It's unacceptable. The skating content itself was ok, nothing blew us away, but it was pretty clean. Make a costume change ASAP or the Olympic audiences will eat you alive!  Short Program Total: 58.80

How interesting for Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO) to follow Radionova. We go from a 10-year-old to a mature lady. That skate was easy to watch because, other than the peeing dog sit spin, there were no distractions, just nice smooth skating. However, why on earth wear flesh colored gloves?? Short Program Total: 56.68

Mae Berenice Meite (FRA) is kind of just there for me. I want some fierce when you are skating to prince and she just isn't giving it to me in any sense of the word. The jumps are a pleasure to watch when they're on because they are so straight and so strong. She is an athlete through and through, but where is the art? Short Program Total: 55.84

Samantha Cesario (USA) did us proud! Not only did she go for the 3loop-3loop but she looked sexy while doing it. All we can ask for is firepower and she brought it. She could go even more all out, but I predict this will bring the house down at Nationals. Girlfriend has "it"! Short Program Total: 53.51

Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS) oh honey why? Cursed puberty! Why must you ruin so many careers! She has not adjusted well to her body's changes. Can she and Caroline have a support group? She is upping the sass level though, especially on the footwork. Sans the gloves, the costume is not nearly as garish as we've seen from her in the past. Short Program Total: 53.20

Caroline Zhang (USA)  had a pretty skate and there's not much else to say about it. ALW is just so overdone, especially Phantom. There was no spark, no life to that program so let's just call a spade a spade. Go out there and fight like you mean it! Short Program Total: 45.76