2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Cup of China Mens Free Skate LIVE BLOG

1) Richard Dornbush (USA)
     Music: A Fistful of Dollars, The Lone Ranger

• Nice Quad toe, just a hand down
• Solid triple lutz
• 3a-3t combination, stumble out of the 2nd jump
• He's a good spinner as well
• He really does have the whole package and he'll continue to grow and improve as he matures
• Nice big triple axel there
• I really do love this program
• So far so good on the technique
• He really goes after this footwork, I love the choreography of the whole piece
• It's a very American program, how will it hold up in International competition?
• Good set Ricky!

FS Score: 76.78 (TES) + 65.56 (PCS) = 142.34
Total Score: 62.93 (SP) + 142.34 (FS) = 205.27

2) Kevin Reynolds (CAN)
     Music: Chrono Trigger

• A struggle on the jumps, two falls thus far
• Jumps are his strength, he's in for a tough ride if he can't land them
• That was a tough program for him
• After the falls on the jumps he couldn't get himself back into it
• The audience was really wowed by his final headless scratch spin

FS Score: 79.30 (TES) + 62.80 (PCS) - 2.00 (DED) = 140.10
Total Score: 64.31 (SP) + 140.10 (FS) = 204.41

3) Jialiang Wu (CHN)
     Music: Tango

• I'd love a costume deduction
• Huge 3 axel combo, shaky in the air but he found his feet
• Stumble and fall on 2nd 3A attempt
• I wouldn't call this a program, it's really just a string of jumps
• I thought the music stopped there for a minute
• 2A-2-2 sequence, the landings are getting really messy at this point
• A designer needs to come in and re-costume the entire Chinese team
• He kind of looks like Hao Zhang

FS Score:  (TES) +  (PCS) - (DED) =
Total Score: 65.06 (SP) + (FS) =

4) Nan Song (CHN)
     Music: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 2

• A really good jumper this guy
• Huge Quad toe combo and solo Quad toe
• Plus he attempts to actually put together and perform a program unlike the other Chinese men
• He really is quite a charming skater to watch
• He'll need more speed and better choreography if he ever hopes to contend for medals
• It's good to see the Quad is alive and well in China
• The upside down butt spin is big in China, I wish it would die

FS Score: 86.46 (TES) + 67.58 (PCS) = 154.03
Total Score: 72.72 (SP) + 154.03 (FS) = 226.75

5) Nobunari Oda (JPN)
     Music: Les Parapluies de Cherbourg

• To Quad or not to Quad?
• His attention to artistry and interpretation has improved greatly
• Huge 3a-2-2 with the softest knees of anyone out there
• 3lz-3t
• I love the footwork out of that triple loop
• Huge stumble, not sure if it was quite a fall or not
• He needed to perfect to win without the Quad, now he needs to hope for mistakes from the rest of the field
• Great triple axel, lands so low in the knees I just die for it
• He lands so low, he practically get's eaten up by the fog
• I appreciate that he is now paying attention to things other than just the jumps
• Fast steps into a very abrupt ending

FS Score: 74.30 (TES) + 76.16 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 149.46
Total Score: 77.65 (SP) + 149.46 (FS) = 227.11

6) Jeremy Abbott (USA)
     Music: Exogenesis

• Went for a Quad toe and sat it down, it looked rotated to me
• Nice glide out of the triple axel
• I'm dying over his toe point on the low sit spin
• Wonderful use of the upper body and overall carriage
• Triple lutz into footwork
• This is wonderful choreography, not a moment is wasted
• Doubled the 2nd triple axel attempt
• 3lutz-2-2 combo
• He is carrying really nice speed and overall flow across the ice
• He seems to be in great shape, doesn't look tired at all here in the final section
• This is a really well paced, smartly composed program
• Yuka will be pleased!

FS Score: 69.67 (TES) + 80.50 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 149.17
Total Score: 79.32 (SP) + 149.17 (FS) = 228.49

7) Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)
     Music: Romeo & Juliet

• Huge Quad there
• Huge triple axel
• He is skating like a bat out of hell, he needs to calm down or he'll run out of gas
• This kid is amazing, he has the whole package and he may be the one to challenge Chan once he can learn to reign in his power
• Very hard fall there, nearly a face plant and a hard time getting up, lead to another hard fall that he struggles to get up from
• Two major splats and he'll still score quite well on the strength of the rest of the program
• I think he is the only man doing a Bielmann nowadays

FS Score: 72.80 (TES) + 75.36 (PCS) - 2.00 (DED) = 145.16
Total Score: 81.37 (SP) + 145.16 (FS) = 226.53

8) Artur Gachinski (RUS)
     Music: Interview with a Vampire, Bram Stoker's Dracula

• Eats it on his opening Quad
• Wild triple axel, stumble out
• At this point he's given away the 2 point lead he had in the short on the fall and the steps out
• This step sequence is so slow, he's practically walking out there
• Opened up another jump
• He is just like Plushenko, cat-like in that he can save many jumps that are really ugly and contorted in the air and still find his feet
• He looks really tired whereas Jeremy maintained his energy level throughout 
• That was a very messy program, if Jeremy doesn't win this is a problem

FS Score: 69.04 (TES) + 72.86 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 140.90
Total Score: 81.64 (SP) + 140.90 (FS) = 222.54

2011 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Cup of China Men's Short Program LIVE BLOG

1) Jialiang Wu (CHN)
     Music: Poeta en el puerto

• Good triple-triple to start things off
• The Chinese Men have always been good jumpers, where he'll be lacking is in the components mark
• I really liked his music choice
• Sorry for the lack of commentary, my feed cut out mid-program

SP Score: 37.35 (TES) + 27.71 (PCS) = 65.06

2) Nan Song (CHN)
     Music: Requiem for a Dream

• NICE QUAD
• He too is a very strong jumper but will be lacking in the components mark
• This is a big day for the Chinese men, they don't get much international exposure
• Good effort on the footwork
• I hate that butt in the air spin
• The home crowd will love that!

SP Score: 41.38 (TES) + 31.34 (PCS) = 72.72

3) Richard Dornbush (USA)
     Music: The Fifth

• Come on Ricky (my mom loves him!)
• Ricky start, fall right off the top
• Hand down on the triple axel
• He had really awesome speed
• I appreciate that he is really going after the program, but he looks a little wild out there, there are times when you need to reign it in
• That being said I do like this program and he needs to find the appropriate intensity level, he'll get there by Nationals

SP Score: 31.50 (TES) +32.43  (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 62.93

4) Kevin Reynolds (CAN)
     Music: Chambermaid Swing

• Look for some big Quad action to come
• Nice toe-tapping footwork to start off
• 4s-3t like it was nothing
• His hair is too much for me, I just can't stop thinking of Frodo
• Wild turn out of the triple axel, tries to save it and does a few turns and puts a hand down
• I like that knee down entry into the triple lutz
• He has moments of performance, but slips in and out a lot
• His spins really hold him back, he'd do well to work with somebody like Lambiel or Buttle to teach him some artistry

SP Score: 31.36 (TES) +32.95  (PCS) = 64.31

5) Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)
     Music: Etude in D sharp minor patetico

• Only 16, a baby in Men's figure skating but so strong already
• I love this program
• 4toe!!
• Really nice triple axel, he has really good flow on the edges out of his jumps
• He looks like Johnny Weir out there in that donut spin in baby blue
• Huge 3f-3t
• Really beautiful footwork
• Good sit spin variations, I like the arms out at the sides
• He is really something special, he has a bit of polishing to do but I bet anything he'll be a World champ someday

SP Score: 44.93 (TES) + 36.44 (PCS) = 81.37

6) Jeremy Abbott (USA)
     Music: Bei mir bist du schoen, Swing Kids

• Nice opening choreography
• 3f-3t
• I hope we'll see a Quad later this season
• Solid triple axel
• I'm obsessed with the toe point in the sit spin!!
• I'm no fan of Benji Schwimmer but this is really good choreography, not a second is wasted
• Funky landing out of that triple lutz
• I like the costume too, it's understated

SP Score: 40.39 (TES) +38.93  (PCS) = 79.32

7) Artur Gachinski (RUS)
     Music: Saint Louis Blues

• Quad-triple, messy and slanted in the air just like his idol Plushenko
• That was a very ugly spread eagle into that triple axel
• That broken leg camel spin is horrendous looking, as is that wrapped sit spin
• I feel about this like I feel about a Plushenko program; good jumps, not much else happening

SP Score: 44.63 (TES) + 37.01 (PCS) = 81.64

8) Nobunari Oda (JPN)
      Music: Memphis Soul Stew

• Gigantic triple axel, he has the softest knees of any skater I've seen
• Nice big triple-triple
• But where is the Quad?
• Loved that little West Side Story jump!
• Triple flip
• He has the springiest legs I've ever seen, like Tigger
• Perfect technique on the jumps, and more performance than I'v seen from him in a while

SP Score: 39.68 (TES) + 37.97 (PCS) = 77.65

2011 Cup of China: Men's Preview

Can you believe we're approaching the 3rd Grand Prix event of the season already? If you live in the US, we'll be watching Cup of China in the wee hours of the morning but I'll be awake and live blogging every moment! The men will skate their short program at 6:45 a.m. EST on Friday November 4th and their free skate at 6:15 a.m. on Saturday November 5th. This Men's event is interesting because there are no front runners, but rather a mixed bag of young rising stars and more experienced skaters trying to revive their careers.

Jeremy Abbott (USA) is one of the skaters looking to revive his career this season after landing off the podium at US Nationals and failing to make the World team. He is a delicate skater in terms of the mental game and last year he struggled with his skate boots which threw off his preparation. He's solid with his boots this year and aims to add the Quad back into his programs, which he'll need in order to be competitive. Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) seems to be the next heir to the throne of Japanese Men's figure skating. He had a very strong start to his season, winning the Nebelhorn trophy even with some pretty major mistakes. He'll have to clean up his programs to medal here though. Nobunari Oda (JPN) is another skater looking to come back to top form this season after screwing himself out of a World medal last season. He has consistent Quads but he often loses major points for performing too many combinations in his free skate. He must learn to stick to his programs or he'll find himself off the podium again. Artur Gachinski (RUS) is the reigning World bronze medalist. He's aiming to prove his win wasn't a fluke. He does have a good Quad, but he lacks artistry. He looks like a mini-Plushenko, but I hope he'll work toward finding his own identity as a skater.  Richard Dornbush (USA) had a rough debut this season at Skate America. He placed 4th but he made many errors and he'll have to keep those to a minimum as this field is much stronger. He's such a crowd pleaser, but I don't know if that will translate to the Chinese crowd. Kevin Reynolds (CAN) could play spoiler with his strong Quads, but he usually fails to put together two strong programs in the same competition. Brian Joubert's (FRA) was scheduled to compete but has withdrawn as of 11/1 due to back problems.

My Podium Picks:
1) Jeremy Abbott (USA)
2) Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)
3) Nobunari Oda (JPN)


Competitive History:


Jeremy Abbott (USA)-3rd at 2011 Four Continents, 3rd at 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 2nd at 2010 NHK Trophy, 4th at 2009 Grand Prix Final; PB: 237.72 at 2009 GPF


Richard Dornbush (USA)-4th at 2011 Skate America, 9th 2011 Worlds, 1st 2010 Junior Grand Prix Final, 1st 2010 JGP Germany, 4th 2010 JGP Austria; PB: 222.42 at 2011 Worlds


Artur Gachinski (RUS)-3rd at 2011 Worlds, 5th at 2011 Europeans, 6th at 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 7th at 2010 Skate Canada, 1st 2010 Coup de Nice, 1st 2010 Finlandia Trophy; 241.86 at 2011 Worlds


Jinlin Guan (CHN)-6th 2011 Four Continents, 4th 2011 Winter Universiade, 8th 2010 Cup of China; PB:201.98 at 2011 Four Continents


Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN)-1st 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, 2nd 2011 Four Continents, 7th 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 4th 2010 NHK Trophy; 228.01 at 2011 Four Continents


Nobunari Oda (JPN)-6th 2011 Worlds, 1st 2011 Winter Universiade, 2nd 2010 Grand Prix Final, 2nd 2010 Skate America, 2nd 2010 Skate Canada; 244.56 at 2006 NHK Trophy


Kevin Reynolds (CAN)-7th at 2011 Skate America, 20th 2011 Worlds, 11th 2011 Europeans, 4th 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard, 4th 2010 Skate Canada; PB: 218.62 at 2010 Skate Canada


Nan Song (CHN)-22nd 2011 Worlds, 9th 2011 Four Continents, 3rd 2011 Asian Winter Games, 6th 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard, 10th 2010 Skate America; PB: 209.68 at 2010 Four Continents


Jialiang Wu (CHN)-8th 2011 Four Continents, 5th 2011 Asian Winter Games, 10th 2010 Cup of China, 7th 2010 NHK Trophy; PB: 203.60 at 2010 Four Continents