The Casual Figure Skating Fan's Guide to Sochi 2014

I know more than my fair share about figure skating and follow it very closely every season, but I'm also aware that most people do not. Therefore, I give you "The Casual Figure Skating Fan's Guide to Sochi 2014". If I see a facebook status asking about Johnny Weir, Michelle Kwan, or 6.0, I will probably post this link on your wall to keep me from saying something catty.

General Notes:

-Figure Skating is no longer an art form, it is a math problem

-You will be confused and frustrated because the best programs rarely score the highest

-If you think all the programs look the same, you're probably right; IJS programs are very cookie cutter

-Skaters are scored on TES (the old technical mark) & PCS (the old artistic mark)

-Every element (jumps, spins, lifts, throws, footwork sequences) is given a base value and/or a level and a grade of execution mark

-There is no "best score," though the NBC commentators will likely compare skaters' scores to their own Season's Best of Personal Best

-This season will be the debut of a Gymnastics-style Team event where skaters from all 4 disciplines will combine their scores and the "top country" will win gold; this even will begin before Opening Ceremonies and conclude before the individual disciplines begin

-Here is a link to the full IJS code of points if you want to confuse yourself even further

http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pair-skating-and-ice-dance/isu-judging-system/introduction

Ladies:

2013 WORLD Medalists: Yuna Kim (KOR), Carolina Kostner (ITA), Mao Asada (JPN)

-If anyone outside of Kim, Asada, or Kostner win Gold it will be a Sarah Hughes-esque surprise

-If we do have a Sarah Hughes moment, it will be Russian teen Julia Lipnitskaia

-If Yuna Kim skates cleanly, expect her to win a 2nd OGM, regardless of how the other ladies skate

-The US ladies have an outside chance at a medal but are in no way favored

-NBC will talk up Gracie Gold, and probably Ashley Wagner as medal favorites, but they will only medal if others make mistakes

-The fully rotated triple-triple combination is key for the ladies, expect NBC commentators to talk that to death

-You will be able to tell which skaters NBC loves because they will drop phrases like "complete package," "complete program," or "fantastic transitions"

-A US lady hasn't won an Olympic or World medal since 2006, expect to hear that from NBC commentators on repeat

-A certain 'top lady' waves during her spiral sequence, I'll let you look for it in Where's Waldo fashion

Mens:

2013 WORLD Medalists: Patrick Chan (CAN), Denis Ten (KAZ), Javier Fernandez (ESP)

-Johnny Weir has retired and Evan Lysacek is injured, neither will compete

-Patrick Chan has won the last 3 World Titles, and though he is sputtering this season, it will be an upset if he doesn't win Gold

-The Quadruple jump (Quad) is key in the mens event, it will be hard to get near the podium without one

-The elder statesman Evgeni Plushenko has returned for one final hurrah and the Russians will be doing their best politicking to get him back on the podium

-You will probably prefer Yuzuru Hanyu's more artistic programs and you'll hate it when Patrick Chan wins regardless

-US men have little to no chance of winning a medal, we haven't won a World or Olympic medal since 2010

-Jason Brown (USA) will be one of the darlings of the games and will probably rise to the occasion under pressure, but without the Quad he will have a hard tim finding the podium unless others make mistakes

Ice Dance:

2013 WORLD Medalists: Davis & White (USA), Virtue & Moir (CAN), Bobrova & Soloviev (RUS)

-There are no longer 3 phases to the Ice Dance competition, there are now only 2

-Expect to hear the phrase "Finn Step" a lot as it is the compulsory pattern that all teams will perform in the original dance

-Free Dances range from Classical and Opera to Musical Theatre and Michael Jackson

-Gold & Silver will go to Davis & White (USA) or Virtue & Moir (CAN) and it will likely be very close; they are far above the rest of the field and will take the top spots on the podium

-Davis & White are slightly favored for Gold because they beat Virtue & Moir at the 2013 Worlds and this season's Grand Prix Final and their scores have been consistently higher

-Bobrova & Soloviev (Russia) will likely win bronze, primarily because of Russian politics; if you personally feel that their performances are not deserving of a medal, you would be correct

-The other teams that have a shot at bronze are Pechalat & Bourzat (FRA), Ilinykh & Katsalapov (RUS), Cappellini & Lanotte (ITA), and Weaver & Poje (CAN)

-The top dance teams are coached by the same small cluster of coaches; become familiar with names like Marina Zoueva, Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Nikolai Morozov, and Alexander Zhulin

-All 3 American teams are likely to finish in the top 10

-It's tough to tell the difference between average, good, and great ice dance programs because there are no jumps/falls; you should look for speed, overall flow across the ice, synchronization, and smooth transitions in and out of lifts

Pairs

2013 WORLD Medalists: Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS), Savchenko & Szolkowy (GER), Duhamel & Radford (CAN)

-US Pair Teams will be very fortunate to finish in the top 6 and have about a 1% chance of winning a medal

-Volosozhar & Trankov (Russia) will win Gold unless they make major mistakes

-Savchenko & Szolkowy (Germany) will win Silver unless they make major mistakes

-Pang & Tong (China) will most likely win bronze, but Canadian teams have a shot

-The pairs event directly follows the Team Trophy event; fatigue/training could play a role in this event

-Expect some drama with the top two teams, they've been going back and forth in the standings for several years

-Commentators will make a huge deal about Russians retaking the top spot on the Olympic pairs podium

2012 World Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Short Program Results

Pl.	Qual.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Q	Alena LEONOVA	RUS	64.61	34.64		29.97	7.29	7.07	7.64	7.57	7.89	0.00	#20
2	Q	Kanako MURAKAMI	JPN	62.67	34.61		28.06	7.18	6.75	7.07	7.00	7.07	0.00	#27
3	Q	Carolina KOSTNER	ITA	61.00	30.26		30.74	7.82	7.43	7.57	7.71	7.89	0.00	#28
4	Q	Mao ASADA	JPN	59.49	30.89		29.60	7.61	7.14	7.43	7.32	7.50	1.00	#19
5	Q	Akiko SUZUKI	JPN	59.38	30.67		28.71	7.39	6.82	7.25	7.14	7.29	0.00	#29
6	Q	Ksenia MAKAROVA	RUS	58.51	31.30		27.21	6.79	6.61	6.86	6.75	7.00	0.00	#22
7	Q	Elene GEDEVANISHVILI	GEO	58.49	30.86		27.63	6.86	6.57	6.96	6.93	7.21	0.00	#21
8	Q	Ashley WAGNER	USA	56.42	28.80		27.62	6.96	6.64	6.96	6.82	7.14	0.00	#24
9	Q	Kexin ZHANG	CHN	55.00	32.76		22.24	5.86	5.18	5.61	5.61	5.54	0.00	#13
10	Q	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE	54.19	28.35		25.84	6.50	6.11	6.61	6.46	6.61	0.00	#30
11	Q	Valentina MARCHEI	ITA	52.14	27.28		24.86	6.32	5.75	6.29	6.25	6.46	0.00	#25
12	Q	Jenna MCCORKELL	GBR	50.42	27.56		22.86	5.89	5.32	5.82	5.68	5.86	0.00	#14
13	Q	Amelie LACOSTE	CAN	49.37	25.80		23.57	6.14	5.57	5.93	5.82	6.00	0.00	#17
14	Q	Elena GLEBOVA	EST	49.04	28.47		21.57	5.64	5.07	5.46	5.43	5.36	1.00	#8
15	Q	Yretha SILETE	FRA	48.42	27.60		20.82	5.46	4.93	5.21	5.18	5.25	0.00	#16
16	Q	Alissa CZISNY	USA	48.31	23.26		27.05	6.82	6.43	6.64	6.96	6.96	2.00	#26
17	Q	Juulia TURKKILA	FIN	47.75	28.18		19.57	5.11	4.57	5.00	4.89	4.89	0.00	#2
18	Q	Sonia LAFUENTE	ESP	47.36	26.98		20.38	5.32	4.79	5.25	5.07	5.04	0.00	#4
19	Q	Polina KOROBEYNIKOVA	RUS	46.71	25.36		21.35	5.54	5.11	5.25	5.43	5.36	0.00	#3
20	Q	Natalia POPOVA	UKR	46.60	26.57		20.03	5.18	4.75	5.11	5.00	5.00	0.00	#18
21	Q	Sarah HECKEN	GER	46.39	24.99		22.40	5.82	5.29	5.64	5.68	5.57	1.00	#23
22	Q	Kerstin FRANK	AUT	45.80	26.86		18.94	4.96	4.43	4.82	4.68	4.79	0.00	#12
23	Q	Alisa MIKONSAARI	FIN	44.16	24.90		19.26	4.82	4.54	5.07	4.71	4.93	0.00	#10
24	Q	Romy BÜHLER	SUI	44.02	23.78		20.24	5.18	4.64	5.18	5.14	5.18	0.00	#5
25		Victoria MUNIZ	PUR	43.27	24.56		18.71	4.79	4.32	4.75	4.64	4.89	0.00	#15
26		Isabelle PIEMAN	BEL	38.45	21.59		17.86	4.57	4.25	4.54	4.43	4.54	1.00	#11
27		Alina FJODOROVA	LAT	38.06	22.11		16.95	4.46	4.00	4.32	4.29	4.11	1.00	#9
28		Min-Jeong KWAK	KOR	36.91	18.26		18.65	4.96	4.29	4.68	4.68	4.71	0.00	#7
29		Clara PETERS	IRL	34.03	17.43		16.60	4.25	3.75	4.21	4.21	4.32	0.00	#1
30		Lejeanne MARAIS	RSA	32.22	16.96		16.26	4.18	3.79	4.14	4.11	4.11	1.00	#6

2012 World Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Short Program Skate Order

StN.	Name	Nation
	Warm-Up Group 1
1	Clara PETERS	IRL
2	Juulia TURKKILA	FIN
3	Polina KOROBEYNIKOVA	RUS
4	Sonia LAFUENTE	ESP
5	Romy BÜHLER	SUI
6	Lejeanne MARAIS	RSA
	Warm-Up Group 2
7	Min-Jeong KWAK	KOR
8	Elena GLEBOVA	EST
9	Alina FJODOROVA	LAT
10	Alisa MIKONSAARI	FIN
11	Isabelle PIEMAN	BEL
12	Kerstin FRANK	AUT
	Warm-Up Group 3
13	Kexin ZHANG	CHN
14	Jenna MCCORKELL	GBR
15	Victoria MUNIZ	PUR
16	Yretha SILETE	FRA
17	Amelie LACOSTE	CAN
18	Natalia POPOVA	UKR
	Warm-Up Group 4
19	Mao ASADA	JPN
20	Alena LEONOVA	RUS
21	Elene GEDEVANISHVILI	GEO
22	Ksenia MAKAROVA	RUS
23	Sarah HECKEN	GER
24	Ashley WAGNER	USA
	Warm-Up Group 5
25	Valentina MARCHEI	ITA
26	Alissa CZISNY	USA
27	Kanako MURAKAMI	JPN
28	Carolina KOSTNER	ITA
29	Akiko SUZUKI	JPN
30	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE

2012 World Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Preview

This is an interesting year for the Ladies because while the field is depleted of the World and Olympic Champions and the hot young Russian phenoms, but it should still be a great competition. You could call this year's Worlds a battle of the underdogs and the ladies who "deserve" to win. The ladies skate their Short Program on Thursday March 29th at 7:30 am EST and their Free Skate on Saturday March 31st at 1:30 pm EST.

Podium Predictions
1) Carolina Kostner (ITA)
2) Mao Asada (JPN)
3) Ashley Wagner (USA)


Top Contenders

Carolina Kostner (ITA) has never been my favorite in the past, you know that if you've followed my posts, but she's finally grown on me. I've decided that her style is an acquired taste, like highbrow theatre or postmodern dance. The fact that has been winning all season with a watered down jump arsenal, but I say more power to her if she has figured out how to add up the points in other ways. I hate to suggest that people should be given more favor because of past performance and longevity, but if anybody is deserving of this World title, Kostner is.

Mao Asada (JPN) is another skater that you could call completely deserving of a title. She's bounced back remarkable after a series of battles in an out of skating. She reworked her technique and the poor thing had to deal with the death of her mother this season. She was great at Four Continents and would have won had she not watered down jumps in the Free Skate. The good news is she still has room to improve and looks poised to peak at Worlds.

Can you believe we're mentioning Ashley Wagner (USA) as a top World contender in the same breath as Kostner and Asada? Yet another person who is deserving of a medal for all she has gone through in getting away from the "almost girl" label. US Champ...check. Four Continents Champ...check. World Medalist...check? I think so! She isn't held in the same high esteem as Kostner and Asada with International judges, so if either is perfect, I think they will win. However, Wagner has been consistent and keeps adding more technical difficulty so if she is perfect and the others aren't, she may leave Nice with her third Gold in a row.

Akiko Suzuki (JPN) has had a solid career, but has only competed in one prior Worlds, placing 11th in 2010. She looked fantastic in her Grand Prix events and at The Final. We haven't seen her since the Final, but she did place second at Nationals against some very stiff competition. The judges love her and reward her with high PCS marks, which could be the difference maker against some of the younger, more technically advanced skaters.

Alissa Czisny (USA) is another skater who has been through so much on her way here...are we sensing a theme? It seems like last year was her window of opportunity after winning the GPF and US Nationals, but this girl has revived her career countless times and she can do it again. She melted down at her recent competition, The Challenge Cup, but I'm really hoping she lives out the the old adage "bad dress rehearsal, great performance."

Alena Leonova (RUS) has been all over the place this season. She gradually improved from fourth, to third, to second over her Grand Prix series, and then took third at the Final. But then she dropped to seventh at Europeans, the last event before Worlds. I could see her placing anywhere inside the top ten depending on which Alena shows up in Nice.

In The Hunt


Kanako Murakami (JPN) has hit a bit of a sophomore slump after having an impressive senior debut last year, but the good thing is she's gradually improved all year. Sixth at her 1st GP, 4th at her 2nd JP, and 4th at Four Continents. The most important thing is she held off all the competition at home and finished 3rd at Nationals to make the World team. Her programs are beautiful, much more mature than last year, and she's growing into them more and more each season.


Polina Korobeynikova (RUS) competed on the Grand Prix as a Junior placing fourth, second, and finally third at the Junior Grand Prix Final. However, she was the surprise of the European Championships placing fourth and beating all of her Russian teammates. She likely won't feel the pressure of the top ladies here and she could be a dark horse to sneak into the final group.

Ksenia Makarova (RUS) has been up, down, and all over since she hit the Senior level, but lately it's been more down. She didn't medal in either Grand Prix and took fourth at her Nationals. She even had to compete in a qualifying event before the Russian federation would add her to the team for Worlds. I love both of her programs this season because they are so different from what all the other ladies are doing these days. However, she seems to have lost her competitive edge and if she doesn't get it back before all of the Russian babies can compete at Worlds next year, this may be her last ISU Championship.

Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO) had truly resurrected her career this season. Brian Orser has done wonders for this girl that was once so fragile and turned her into a warrior. She got better throughout the Grand Prix season and she surprised everyone to win Bronze at Europeans. If she comes out guns blazing, she is a threat to make the final group.

Valentina Marchei (ITA) was a skater I counted out until she beat Alissa Czisny a few weeks ago at the Challenge Cup. She's struggled all season, but winning Silver there may have just been the confidence booster she needed to up her game.

Viktoria Helgesson (SWE) was the surprise Bronze medalist and she was solidly in the second tier of skaters all season. Her fifth place finish at Europeans was solid and a top-ten finish at Worlds would be a great accomplishment for her.

Amelie Lacoste (CAN) won Canadian Nationals, finally beating Cynthia Phaneuf, but Skate Canada still didn't trust her enough to send her in the one Canadian spot to Worlds. They made her compete with Phaneuf with a spot at Four Continents and she was the higher scorer so here she is. Perhaps going it alone and being out of Phaneuf's shadow will help her to live up her potential.

The Rest Of The Field


Chantelle Kerry (AUS)
Kerstin Frank (AUT)
Isabelle Pieman (BEL)
Daniela Stoeva (BUL)
Kexin Zhang (CHN)
Melinda Wang (TPE)
Mirna Libric (CRO)
Eliska Brezinova (CZE)
Karina Johnson (DEN)
Elena Glebova (EST)
Alisa Mikonsaari (FIN)
Juulia Turkkila (FIN)
Yretha Silete (FRA)
Sarah Hecken (GER)
Jenna McCorkell (GBR)
Georgia Glastris (GRE)
Viktoria Pavuk (HUN)
Ami Parekh (IND)
Clara Peters (IRL)
Alina Fjodorova (LAT)
Inga Januleviciute (LTU)
Fleur Maxwell (LUX)
Reyna Hamui (MEX)
Anine Rabe (NOR)
Zhaire Costiniano (PHI)
Victoria Muniz (PUR)
Min-Jeong Kwak (KOR)
Chae-Yeon Suhr (KOR)
Sabina Mariuta (ROU)
Marina Seeh (SBR)
Alexandra Kunova (SVK)
Dasa Grm (SLO)
Lejeanna Marais (RSA)
Sonia Lafuente (ESP)
Romy Buhler (SUI)
Mimi Tanasorn Chindasook (THA)
Sila Saygi (TUR)
Natalia Popova (UKR)

Grand Prix Final: Ladies Preview

She's baaaaaaack. After a disastrous 2010 Grand Prix, World Champion Mao Asada is gradually returning to top form. Though she has yet to do 2 clean programs at one event, she is showing her fighting spirit and I believe in her, enough to think she can topple the only double Gold winner of this Grand Prix season, Elizaveta Tuktamisheva. Liza has been outstanding, but she's also been almost 100% clean in all 4 programs thus far, which the other ladies cannot say. Because she lacks the maturity and elegance of the other ladies, Liza is beatable if other skaters go clean. Akiko Suzuki is another feel-good story this season, becoming one of the oldest ladies ever to win a Grand Prix at NHK Trophy. She receives very high PCS marks if she can land the jumps. Carolina Kostner & Alissa Czisny have had very comparable seasons, each winning one event and medaling in the other. Both are elegant and mature, but often make silly mistakes and beat themselves out of titles. Alena Leonova is not my favorite and that is no secret. I respect that she does the best she can with what she is given but her choreography is crap, in my opinion. You can shoot me if I'm wrong, but I say she is the only lady who has no shot of winning this thing.

Placement Predictions:
1) Mao Asada (JPN) Season's Highest GP Score 184.19
2) Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS) Season's Highest GP Score 182.89
3) Akiko Suzuki (JPN) Season's Highest GP Score 185.98
4) Carolina Kostner (ITA) Season's Highest GP Score 182.12
5) Alissa Czisny (USA) Season's Highest GP Score 179.15
6) Alena Leonova (RUS) Season's Highest GP Score 180.45


Competitive History: 


Mao Asada (JPN)-1st at 2011 Rostelecom Cup, 2nd at 2011 NHK Trophy, 6th 2011 Worlds, 2nd 2011 Four Continents, 5th 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard, 8th 2010 NHK Trophy, 1st 2010 Worlds, 2nd 2010 Winter Olympics; PB: 205.50 at 2010 Winter Olympics (NHK Trophy, Rostelecom Cup)


Alissa Czisny (USA)-3rd at 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st at 2011 Skate America, 5th 2011 Worlds, 5th 2011 Four Continents, 1st 2010 Grand Prix Final, 3rd 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st 2010 Skate Canada; PB: 182.25 at 2011 Worlds (Skate America, Trophee Eric Bompard)


Carolina Kostner (ITA)-2nd at 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st at 2011 Cup of China, 2nd at 2011 Skate America, 3rd 2011 Worlds, 1st 2011 Gardena Spring Trophy, 2nd 2011 Europeans, 3rd 2010 Skate America, 1st 2010 NHK Trophy; PB: 184.68 at 2008 Worlds (Skate America, Cup of China, Trophee Eric Bompard)


Alena Leonova (RUS)-2nd at 2011 Rostelecom Cup, 3rd at 2011 NHK Trophy, 4th at 2011 Skate Canada, th 2011 Worlds, 5th 2011 Europeans, 9th 2010 Cup of Russia, 3rd 2010 Cup of China, 1st 2010 Coup de Nice, 3rd 2010 Finlandia Trophy; PB: 183.92 at 2011 Worlds (Skate Canada, NHK Trophy, Rostelecom Cup)


Akiko Suzuki (JPN)-1st at 2011 NHK Trophy, 2nd at 2011 Skate Canada, 7th 2011 Four Continents, 1st 2011 Triglav Trophy, 5th 2010 Grand Prix Final, 2nd 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 2nd 2010 Cup of China; PB: 185.98 at 2011 NHK Trophy (Skate Canada, NHK Trophy)

Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS)-1st at 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st at 2011 Sktae Canada, 2nd 2011 World Junior Championships, 1st 2010 Junior Coup de Nice, 2nd 2010 Junior Grand Prix Final, 1st JGP Romania, 1st JGP Germany; PB: 182.89 at 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard (Skate Canada, Trophee Eric Bompard)

2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Trophee Eric Bompard Ladies Free Skate LIVE BLOG

1) Lena Marrocco (FRA)
     Music: Notre Dame de Paris

• Hello Esmerelda!
• I missed the 1st 30 seconds so I don't know how she started off
• She's a decent little jumper when she's on...but her arms tend to kind of do whatever they want without exact placement
• She does a decent job of acting the character as well
• I'd like her to look up and out more
• This program looks very junior-ish, but she is very young
• Not really much too this program in the way of composition, I don't see the spins or footwork receiving very great levels
• She finally looked up on that spiral!
• A lot of little errors here and there

FS Score: 43.14 (TES) + 39.88 (PCS) = 83.02
Total Score: 43.95 (SP) + 83.02 (FS) = 126.97

2) Yretha Silete (FRA)
     Music: Xotica

• Hello loud costume
• Those hair clips + flower + the dangles in the back are really distracting
• Fall on the opening jump
• She has a lot of power in those legs
• At least this program has more in the way of choreography than Marrocco
• She's taken 2 very hard falls, both out of jumps that looked underrotated
• That split jump needs more height and stretch if she's going to do it
• All her jump landings are shaky
• I don't know how those loose pieces on her costume aren't driving her nuts in the spins and jumps
• I hope she's not hurt after those hard falls she took

FS Score: 47.60 (TES) + 42.05 (PCS) - 2.00 (DED) = 87.65
Total Score: 48.25 (SP) + 87.65 (FS) = 135.90

3) Sonia LaFuente (ES)
     Music: Concierto de Aranjuez

• I've had quite enough Aranjuez for one event thank you
• Hand down on the opening jump
• Sonia is looking pretty good so far
• Hardly any height at all on these jumps, but she's landing at least
• She could really straighten out her free let on that sit spin and point the foot
• There is no attempt at expression here at all
• Very nice hair cutter spin position, ended after the music

FS Score: 42.99 (TES) + 43.82 (PCS)  = 86.81
Total Score: 49.51 (SP) + 86.81 (FS) = 136.32

4) Mae Berenice Meite (FRA)
     Music: Fever, Jessica's Theme, Hey Pachuko

• This costume is just way too much
• And when you can see your tights in the back, you know the dress is cut to low
• She is mostly hitting the jumps
• The other elements of her program are slowly improving each competition
• The home crowd is loving her
• Her free leg is wrapped really high
• She is putting on a show for the home crowd

FS Score: 51.87 (TES) + 44.08 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 94.95
Total Score: 50.49 (SP) + 94.95 (FS) = 145.44

5) Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)
     Music: Sunset Boulevard

• Nice 3 jump combo
• It's fun to watch the sleeve puffs as she rotates her jumps
• If we have to hear Webber, I'm glad it's something other than Phantom or Evita
• So much passion in this footwork, She's a much different skater now after the confidence boost of winning Bronze at Skate America
• This program is a joy to watch, she's really giving it everything she has

FS Score: 48.59 (TES) + 52.15 (PCS) = 100.74
Total Score: 54.16 (SP) + 100.74 (FS) = 154.90

6) Kanako Murakami (JPN)
     Music: Violin Concerto

• I like this music on her a lot
• She looks so much more confident than she did in China
• She is flying through this beginning, but its a little sloppy
• She still looks like a little girl wearing big girl clothes
• 2nd popped jump, she's had a look of surprise on her face both times
• A skate with 2 singles is not going to put any pressure on the top ladies
• She is flying through everything, not taking time to hit any positions or feel the music
• She's a very emotional skater, in China she was crying after a decent skate, and now after two pops she's laughing at herself

FS Score: 51.66 (TES) + 53.88 (PCS) = 105.54
Total Score: 55.77 (SP) + 105.54 (FS) = 161.31

7) Alissa Czisny (USA)
     Music: Valse Triste

• 2 clean triples, and then she singles the axel
• Gorgeous spiral of course
• Alissa & Johnny Weir could've done pairs because the both jump and spin the same way
• Beautiful arch in the back on the camel
• Triple-double, no attempt at the 3-3 combo today
• There we go with a clean double axel
• All of the jumps seem to be a little pitched forward, they aren't perfect but she's learned to fight
• That straight leg and pointed toe on the sit spin are to die for!
• She is interpreting the music and performing much better overall here than she did at Skate America
• Why do I even comment on the spins, they're always going to be beautiful!
• She should be pretty happy with that, will be enough to medal

FS Score: 60.06 (TES) + 61.84 (PCS)  = 121.90
Total Score: 57.25 (SP) + 121.90 (FS) = 179.15

8) Carolina Kostner (ITA)
     Music: Adagio from Concerto 3 by Mozart

• Huge spring on the opening triple
• Now she's doubling jumps
• Really great speed as usual
• There is a smile finally!
• Really tight rotation, body position is perpendicular to the ice

FS Score: 66.97 (TES) + 63.65 (PCS) = 119.62
Total Score: 59.70 (SP) + 119.62 (FS) = 179.32

9) Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS)
     Music: Latin Selection

• I wish she'd soften her hands
• Nice 3-3 combination!
• She's performing a little more today than she did in Canada
• This program still looks junior-ish, which it should since she's 14
• We'll see if the judges place her above or below the veterans, there's hardly room between them
• She really needs to straighten that foot on the sit spin
• What a little jumping bean!
• Very nice skate from Liza, do they give it to her? I think they have to unless there were deductions that we didn't see

FS Score: 63.66 (TES) + 57.19 (PCS) = 120.85
Total Score: 62.04 (SP) + 120.85 (FS) = 182.89

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Elizaveta TUKTAMISHEVA	RUS	182.89	1	2
2	Carolina KOSTNER	ITA	179.32	2	3
3	Alissa CZISNY	USA	179.15	3	1
4	Kanako MURAKAMI	JPN	161.31	4	4
5	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE	154.90	5	5
6	Mae Berenice MEITE	FRA	145.44	6	6
7	Sonia LAFUENTE	ESP	136.32	7	8
8	Yretha SILETE	FRA	135.90	8	7
9	Lena MARROCCO	FRA	126.97	9	9

Pl.   Name Nation TSS = TES +   PCS + SS TR PE CH IN Ded. - StN. 1 Alissa CZISNY USA 121.90 60.06   61.84 7.86 6.96 8.04 7.75 8.04 0.00 #7 2 Elizaveta TUKTAMISHEVA RUS 120.85 63.66   57.19 7.07 6.61 7.54 7.14 7.39 0.00 #9 3 Carolina KOSTNER ITA 119.62 55.97   63.65 8.11 7.50 7.82 8.14 8.21 0.00 #8 4 Kanako MURAKAMI JPN 105.54 51.66   53.88 7.04 6.25 6.82 6.82 6.75 0.00 #6 5 Viktoria HELGESSON SWE 100.74 48.59   52.15 6.57 6.14 6.64 6.57 6.68 0.00 #5 6 Mae Berenice MEITE FRA 94.95 51.87   44.08 5.79 5.00 5.61 5.61 5.54 1.00 #4 7 Yretha SILETE FRA 87.65 47.60   42.05 5.39 4.93 5.25 5.46 5.25 2.00 #2 8 Sonia LAFUENTE ESP 86.81 42.99   43.82 5.79 5.21 5.50 5.50 5.39 0.00 #3 9 Lena MARROCCO FRA 83.02 43.14   39.88 5.29 4.46 5.14 5.04 5.00 0.00 #1

2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Trophee Eric Bompard Ladies Short Program LIVE BLOG

1) Sonia LaFuente (ESP)
     Music: Cry Me A River

• I love this costume! The coloring on the straps is so interesting
• Nice triple lutz to start off
• Triple loop-double toe
• Spiral into a double axel
• All her jumps are landed, but none of them get a lot of height and they rotate pretty slowly
• She needs to really straighten that leg on the camel spin
• Decent footwork, but I wish she'd show a little more expression on her face
• She needs to look up and out instead of down at the ice
• She needs to straighten her knee on the I-Spin

SP Score: 27.43 (TES) + 22.08 (PCS) = 49.51

2) Yretha Silete (FRA)
     Music: Black Swan

• Interesting to use this this music for the short, it's been mostly a free skate piece all season
• She can jump, but there's not much style there
• Stumble out of the double axel
• This is somebody who shouldn't be doing a Bielmann spin, if you can't do it great, then don't do it at all

SP Score: 26.60 (TES) + 21.65 (PCS) = 48.25

3) Lena Marrocco (FRA)
     Music: Minnie the Moocher

• This is a very different sort of program, grabs your attention right away
• Doubles the flip, that will hurt
• Turn out of the lutz, double toe on the end
• Nice double axel
• Her hands are very stiff, that breaks the arm line
• I appreciate her attempt at performance, she should take some acting classes to teach her how to relax her face while still expressing the music
• This step sequence showcases the nuances of the music
• The whole thing looks a little frantic to me
• Hits her last pose slightly after the music
• That was a decent outing, not terrible, not great

SP Score: 22.95 (TES) + 21.00 (PCS) = 43.95

4) Elizaveta Tuktamisheva (RUS)
     Music: Tango by Piazzolla

• Go Liza!
• Nice 3-3 combo, get it girl!
• She is looking stronger that Skate Canada, going to give those top ladies a run for their money
• Her jumps just look so easy
• This program looks more mature that at Skate Canada

SP Score: 34.99 (TES) + 27.05 (PCS) = 62.04

5) Mae Berenice Meite (FRA)
     Music: Derniere Lettre du Prince

• She always wears such loud flashy costumes
• Solid opening combination, she rotated very quickly
• I think she would have done quite well under the 6.0 system
• Did she go through a growth spurt in the off season?
• She is going through the motions really slowly in this step sequence
• Love the music by the way
• Some one of her muscular build should FLY across the ice
• Very nice stretch in the came spin
• I don't know that that costume is the best for showing off her body line

SP Score: 28.71 (TES) + 21.78 (PCS) = 50.49

6) Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)
     Music: My Funny Valentine

• What lives under that hair
• I don't like this version of My Funny Valentine, but that's just a personal opinion
• So far so clean
• She looks like a new skater today, that Skate America medal has given her so much confidence
• Interesting spin variations
• I love that she skates like a woman and not like a little girl
• I liked this program much better here than at Skate America

SP Score: 28.13 (TES) + 26.03 (PCS) = 54.16

7) Kanako Murakami (JPN)
     Music: Violin Muse

• She needs to get the confidence back that she had last year on the Grand Prix
• She is in a similar situation to Mirai Nagasu, she had a rough 1st Grand Prix so now she can skate lights out here
• Funky second landing, but hits the 3-3!
• She is carrying good speed throughout!
• She is really looking good in this step sequence
• I'd love to see her look up and out more rather than down at the ice
• She is so happy, so different from her last outing!

SP Score: 28.88 (TES) + 26.89 (PCS) = 55.77

8) Alissa Czisny (USA)
     Music: La Vie En Rose

• I love this program on her
• Triple lutz, a little shaky on the landing, let's hope that's the only bobble
• Turn out of the triple loop-double toe
• Weird swing out of the double axel
• Her jumps are not there today, but at least she didn't fall!
• This is such an elegant program
• Her PCS and the spin levels should hold her up pretty close the top even though the jumps were off
• Not her best, but she recovered from early mistakes and didn't fall

SP Score: 27.49 (TES) +  (PCS) = 57.25

9) Carolina Kostner (ITA)
      Music: Allegretto From Trio No. 2 by Shostakovitch

• Awesome speed
• Triple toe-triple toe, very tight quick rotation
• Is he underlayer of her costume different
• Was that a hand down on that triple salchow?
• A lot of ice coverage on the double axel
• Oh goodness, a fall on footwork, a simple concentration break
• She had a dear in the headlights look there for a minute and had trouble finding where to restart it

SP Score: 29.88 (TES) + 30.82 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 59.70

Pl.	Name	Nation	Points	SP	FS
1	Elizaveta TUKTAMISHEVA	RUS	62.04	1
2	Carolina KOSTNER	ITA	59.70	2
3	Alissa CZISNY	USA	57.25	3
4	Kanako MURAKAMI	JPN	55.77	4
5	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE	54.16	5
6	Mae Berenice MEITE	FRA	50.49	6
7	Sonia LAFUENTE	ESP	49.51	7
8	Yretha SILETE	FRA	48.25	8
9	Lena MARROCCO	FRA	43.95	9

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Elizaveta TUKTAMISHEVA	RUS	62.04	34.99		27.05	6.68	6.25	7.07	6.89	6.93	0.00	#4
2	Carolina KOSTNER	ITA	59.70	29.88		30.82	7.86	7.36	7.61	7.82	7.86	1.00	#9
3	Alissa CZISNY	USA	57.25	27.49		29.76	7.50	6.93	7.43	7.64	7.71	0.00	#8
4	Kanako MURAKAMI	JPN	55.77	28.88		26.89	6.86	6.39	6.79	6.79	6.79	0.00	#7
5	Viktoria HELGESSON	SWE	54.16	28.13		26.03	6.57	6.14	6.68	6.57	6.57	0.00	#6
6	Mae Berenice MEITE	FRA	50.49	28.71		21.78	5.61	5.18	5.50	5.57	5.36	0.00	#5
7	Sonia LAFUENTE	ESP	49.51	27.43		22.08	5.68	5.21	5.71	5.61	5.39	0.00	#1
8	Yretha SILETE	FRA	48.25	26.60		21.65	5.46	5.18	5.43	5.61	5.39	0.00	#2
9	Lena MARROCCO	FRA	43.95	22.95		21.00	5.32	4.93	5.32	5.43	5.25	0.00	#3