Rostelecom Cup: Ladies Free Skate LIVE BLOG

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Kiira KORPI	FIN	177.19	2	1
2	Gracie GOLD	USA	175.03	1	2
3	Agnes ZAWADZKI	USA	166.61	3	4
4	Kanako MURAKAMI	JPN	166.34	6	3
5	Adelina SOTNIKOVA	RUS	157.98	5	7
6	Alena LEONOVA	RUS	157.27	4	8
7	Polina KOROBEYNIKOVA	RUS	153.32	8	6
8	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE	151.48	7	9
9	Valentina MARCHEI	ITA	148.67	9	5
10	Caroline ZHANG	USA	138.21	10	10

Pl.   Name Nation TSS = TES +   PCS + SS TR PE CH IN Ded. - StN. 1 Kiira KORPI FIN 115.64 56.12   60.52 7.68 7.07 7.61 7.71 7.75 1.00 #9 2 Gracie GOLD USA 112.87 54.77   58.10 7.54 6.93 7.32 7.39 7.14 0.00 #10 3 Kanako MURAKAMI JPN 109.56 53.22   56.34 7.32 6.46 6.96 7.29 7.18 0.00 #5 4 Agnes ZAWADZKI USA 106.43 51.10   55.33 6.93 6.61 7.04 7.18 6.82 0.00 #8 5 Valentina MARCHEI ITA 102.42 50.88   51.54 6.29 5.82 6.71 6.71 6.68 0.00 #2 6 Polina KOROBEYNIKOVA RUS 101.87 52.45   50.42 6.68 5.86 6.29 6.61 6.07 1.00 #3 7 Adelina SOTNIKOVA RUS 100.87 48.28   55.59 7.14 6.50 6.79 7.25 7.07 3.00 #6 8 Alena LEONOVA RUS 98.42 41.17   57.25 7.39 6.71 6.86 7.50 7.32 0.00 #7 9 Viktoria HELGESSON SWE 97.38 43.60   53.78 6.75 6.46 6.79 6.93 6.68 0.00 #4 10 Caroline ZHANG USA 92.06 48.57   43.49 5.93 4.93 5.29 5.71 5.32 0.00 #1

1) Caroline Zhang (USA)
  Music: Nessun Dorma

• I love that deep color on her
• What I'd really like to see on her jumps is a nice, long glide out of the jump
• The jumps are looking especially small today
• I feel like she normally has more extension in the spiral than she does today
• I love that ending-how she just comes straight out of the spin and finishes, nothing fancy about it
• 48.57 (TES) + 43.49 (PCS) = 92.06
• 46.15 (SP) + 92.06 (FS) = 138.21

2) Valentina Marchei (ITA)
  Music: The Artist

• I'm sorry I didn't get to watch you Valentina, i was switching feeds
• But you look happy coming off the ice!
• 50.88 (TES) + 51.54 (PCS) = 102.42
• 46.25 (SP) + 102.42 (FS) = 148.67

3) Polina Korobeynikova (RUS)
  Music: Swan Lake

• Very clean jumping, fast rotation
• This costume is a choice
• This program looks very calculated
• She is ticking off the elements, but where is the performance?
• Girl-Please give us some face!
• Oh no, a fall on the final jump on the most dramatic piece of the music, not a good picture ot leave in the judges' minds
• This program is looking very labored, there's just no fire in her belly
• 52.45 (TES) + 50/42 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 101.87
• 51.45 (SP) + 101.87 (FS) = 153.32

4) Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)
  Music: Spellbound Concerto

• This costume is perfection, I love how white goes into ice blue
• This is how a woman skates, not a little pixie girl
• I feel like there is a lot of fluff in this program-too many simple crossovers and long approaches to jumps
• A lot of these jumps look UR and a lot of turns out of the landings
• This program was easy on the eyes, but there also was no excitement either
• 43.60(TES) + 53.78 (PCS) = 97.38
• 54.10 (SP) + 97.38 (FS) = 151.48

5) Kanako Murakami (JPN)
  Music: Oblivion & Fuego Lento

• Aww look at our little girl, she's growing up!
• There's not a lot of drama in this music
• This music might still be a little sophisticated for her, it's subdued and you really need to work to bring out the accents
• She'll be hit with some underrotations on her TES mark
• Something was off with that 2A combo
• 53.22 (TES) + 56.34 (PCS) = 109.56
• 56.78 (SP) + 109.56 (FS) = 166.34

6) Adelina Sotnikova (RUS)
  Music: Burlesque

• For a girl who has the potential to be a World Champion, this is not a World Champ program
• I do like the skirt of this costume
• I love her jumping, nice quick rotation
• Why did Tarasova choreograph this mess?
• Oh no, 2 falls in a row; this piece is going nowhere fast
• I hate when good skaters sell themselves short with garbage programs
• I've heard enough riffing for the day now
• 48.28(TES) + 55.59 (PCS) -3.00 (DED) = 100.87
• 57.11 (SP) + 157.98 (FS) = 157.98

7) Alena Leonova (RUS)
  Music: Poeta en la Mar

• This feed keeps sticking, so who knows what happened in the 1st minute
• This step sequence is strange, it's like she's trying to give us sassy face, but she's looking down toward the ice-it's odd
• This is a poor choice of music for her style
• This is so flat for me, she doesn't look like she wants to be there
• This piece of music sounds frantic, but the skating is slow; it's been an odd 4 minutes for me
• 41.17 (TES) + 57.25 (PCS) = 98.42
• 58.85 (SP) + 98.42 (FS) = 157.27

8) Agnes Zawadzki (USA)
 Music: Rhapsody in Blue

• Leaned way to the side, but clean 1st jump
• She looks so strong; she is in such good shape
• I love how expressive her upper body is
• She has interesting choreography out of the jumps, she doesn't just hang out and wait to get back into the piece
• I love her zippy, tight rotation
• She is having an "on day" I can see that right now
• This is a very mature program and well composed, I am happy she hung onto it
• This is a wonderful program, but this is the best execution I've seen from her in so long
• What a breath of fresh air to see somebody who wants to be on the podium
• 51.10 (TES) + 55.33 (PCS) = 106.43
• 60.18 (SP) + 106.43 (FS) = 166.61

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

• She is flawless
• Some of these jumps are really telegraphed
• Just when I was about to say that her jumps are crisp and clean today, she falls
• 56.12 (TES) + 60.52 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 115.64
• 61.55 (SP) + 155.64 (FS) = 177.19

10) Gracie Gold (USA)
  Music: Life is Beautiful

• Gracie, please excite me because nobody else has today
• Clean through the 1st minute, thank you feed for freezing
• I have nothing else to say because me feed went out on me unfortunately
• 54.77 (TES) + 58.10 (PCS) = 112.87
• 62.16 (SP) + 112.87 (FS) = 175.03

Rostelecom Cup: Pairs Free Skate LIVE BLOG

1) Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin (USA)
  Music: Legends of the Fall & Time to Say Goodbye

• I love to see them jump in opposite directions, when it goes well that is
• Seeing that death spiral from overhead made me dizzy
• This choreography seems so old fashioned to me
• Hard slip on the 2nd throw
• Even aside from that, this is light years better than their first GP outing
• I do like the positions on that final spin
• Ended after the music
• I wish he would shave, he looks scruffy
• 50.22 (TES) + 48.02 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 97.24
• 45.91 (SP) + 97.24 (FS) = 143.16

2) Nicole Della Monica & Matteo Guarise (ITA)
  Music: The Phantom of the Opera

• What do these costumes have to do with Phantom?
• Her upper body is very expressive
• She is clearly the better skater, he needs  lot of work on jumping and artistry
• Oh geez, he tripped and fell on a crossover
• He is clearly just there because he's strong enough to lift and throw her
• He looks so unsure and shaky out there that I'm concerned for her safety in those lifts
• They are just skating through this music, no connection to it at all
• This music may be overdone, but it's very emotionally charged and I don't understand how you can skate to it without feeling something
• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 50.25 (SP) + (FS) =

3) Anastasia Martiusheva & Alexei Rogonov (RUS)
  Music: The Mission

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 50.90 (SP) + (FS) =

4) Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (CAN)
  Music: War Horse

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 51.86 (SP) + (FS) =

5) Caydee Denney & John Coughlin (USA)
  Music: Phantom of the Opera

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 59.02 (SP) + (FS) =

6) Vera Bazarova & Yuri Larionov (RUS)
  Music: Spartacus

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 66.02 (SP) + (FS) =

7) Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)
  Music: Violin Muse

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 74.74 (SP) + (FS) =

Rostelecom Cup: Ladies short program LIVE blog

1) Gracie Gold (USA)
  Music: Hernando's Hideaway

• Who doesn't love Hernando's Hideaway?
• Nice 3-3 Gracie, I love the speed
• So far so good, but I feel like she's speeding through the choreography and just ticking off the elements
• Now that's she's put down a clean short on the GP, that's a huge step
• Our girl looks thrilled
• 34.92 (TES) + 27.24 (PCS) = 62.16

2) Caroline Zhang (USA)
  Music: Rushing Wings of Dawn

• I love everything that she does with her face at the beginning of this piece
• I love this music so much
• Uh on, pupped the first jump, not a good sign
• That stretched out camel is wonderful, but the bent leg position looks rough
• The step sequence is lovely in this piece, it perfectly fits the tone of the music
• 21.84 (TES) + 324.31 (PCS) = 46.15

3) Polina Korobeynikova (RUS)
  Music: Romeo & Juliet

• I'm loving this braid into the bun
• I actually really love this dress
• Her body type reminds me of Alissa Czisny
• She seems like a very introspective skater to me, which is coming back to me now from the Junior GP
• 26.42 (TES) + 25.03 (PCS) = 51.45

4) Agnes Zawadzki (USA)
  Music: Sex and the City

• Agnes honey, what is this odd costume situation we've got going here?
• So, are you Carrie Bradshaw in Abu Dahbi?
• Well  I guess you can be whomever you want to be when you are jumping like this
• She is looking so slick today, so in a zone
• This is a great piece for a short program, it suits her energy
• I love all these arm variations in the combination spin
• 33.01 (TES) + 27.17 (PCS) = 60.18

5) Valentina Marchei (ITA)
  Music: Esperanza

• This program suits her fiery personality
• I feel like her spins and body positions are so improved this year
• Those swing programs last year didn't show of any of these wonderful things we are seeing from her this season
• The technical content is not at the level of the youngsters, but this is still a very solid program that will receive a good score
• 20.48 (TES) + 25.77 (PCS) = 46.25

6) Adelina Sotnikova (RUS)
  Music: Capriccio Espagnoi

• Nice 3-3
• Uh oh, baby popped her flip
• She is killing it in this footwork, you can tell that being at home helps her energy
• 29.11 (TES) + 18.00 (PCS) = 57.11

7) Kanako Murakami (JPN)
  Music: Prayer for Taylor

• Baby girl is killing it today
• I love that she reinvented herself into an artist, this is a beautiful piece
• Darn that fall, but still she's becoming quite the lovely skater
• 29.01 (TES) + 28.77 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 56.78

8) Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)
  Music: Poinciana

• I remember when it used to flip back and forth-who was better-between Viktoria & Joshi, but honestly it's not even close anymore
• That was just okay, iffy technique
• I like the short hair much better that last year's poofy up-dos
• Wait, doesn't her mom coach her anymore?
•  26.67 (TES) + 27.43 (PCS) = 54.10

9) Kiira Korpi (FIN)
  Music: The Girl with the Flaxen Hair

• This is my favorite costume of the season
• This is so delicate and soft
• That was pure enjoyment to watch
• 31.51 (TES) + 30.04 (PCS) = 61.55

10) Alena Leonova (RUS)
  Music: Slumdog Millionaire

• I never quite know what's going to happen when this one steps out onto the ice
• 
  
• (TES) + (PCS) =

Rostelecom Cup: Mens Preview

Can P-Chiddy-Chan bounce back from the upset of Silver at Skate Canada? Are Kozuka and Oda really back or were the medals at Skate America and Skate Canada just a fluke? What on earth will Johnny Weir look like in a legitimate competition? Is Brezina over, or will he get it in gear? And what on earth is up with Artur Gachinski? There are so many questions surrounding this event, so let's get started!

Here is the event schedule. http://backstagebarbie.blogspot.com/2012/10/2012-grand-prix-of-figure-skating.html I'll be covering the ladies short on Friday morning and all of the free skates on Saturday.

How do we feel about this season's programs from Patrick Chan (CAN)? I mean, it's great that he decided to grace us with two new ones. I am sensing more actual expression from him, particularly in the free, but the execution was a little bit of a hot mess at Skate Canada. Even home cooking couldn't put him atop the podium, so he'll need to up the ante in Russia, which I suspect he'll do. For all I complain about him, I really do appreciate the attempt to create a sense of artistry that is not so manufactured this season.

Takahiko Kozuka (JPN) surprised us all by coming back from a disastrous (by his standards) 2011-2012 season to win Skate America. We love his programs this year and wish him the best in Mother Russia.

Nobunari Oda (JPN) is another curious case. It seemed last season that he was phasing out, but he came back and won a bronze at Skate Canada. He is one of those skaters that is more likely to do well now that later in the season as it will take a killer set of programs at Nationals to make the World team with the success of Takahashi, Kozuka, Machida, and Hanyu this season.

Oh lord, who is ready for Johnny Weir (USA) to come back? Wherever he goes, drama ensues. Whether this comeback is for real and he actually makes it to Sochi or not, he has a huge fanbase and it's good for the sport. We all know that he doesn't play by IJS rules and he skates the way he wants to, so I'm not expecting much out of him at this competition. We don't know what his technical elements will look like and how well his program will fit the code of points, but regardless, I love him and I'm so happy he's coming back!

My Podium Predictions:
Gold: Patrick Chan
Silver: Takahiko Kozuka
Bronze: Nobunari Oda

The Rest of the Field:
Michal Brezina (CZE)
Denis Ten (KAZ)
Zhan Bush (RUS)
Artur Gachinski (RUS)
Konstantin Menshov (RUS)
Richard Dornbush (USA)