SKATE AMERICA 2014: Ladies Preview

We are about to kick off the 2014-2015 figure skating season and I couldn't be more excited! I'm still feeling a little bit of the post-Olympic hangover, of course, but I love the fresh feeling of starting a new Olympic cycle. These skaters have a blank canvas ahead of them and the youngsters will start emerging as the favorites. Many of our favorites are returning and a handful of the great juniors have moved up, so here we go! Skate America kick off on Friday October 24th from Chicago, IL.

Podium Predictions:
Gold: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS)
Silver: Gracie Gold (USA)
Bronze: Elena Radionova (RUS)

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) was a phenom on the senior ISU circuit a few years ago, but the growing pains hit her hard last season. Missing out on the Sochi team was certainly devastating for her, but she appears locked and loaded to make a comeback. She swept the senior B events earlier this season, winning Nebelhorn, Finlandia, and Coup de Nice. This could be her year to go for a world title.

Gracie Gold (USA) has everything needed to be a perennial world medalist, and certainly the drive, but we question whether she can put everything together in the same competition. Her Phantom of the Opera program choice is a red flag for me, because I question if she has the musicality to really sell that grandiose music. If she tells us one time that she "watched the movie" for inspiration, I'm going to vomit. She generally peaks later in the season, so while I think she will have a strong competition, I think she will make one more mistake than Liza and take the silver. She finished a strong 4th at the Sochi games and is poised to remain at the top of the field for the next Olympic cycle.

Elena Radionova (RUS) was the surprise of the senior ISU circuit, but was not eligible for the Olympics. She's been known for her technical work, not her artistry, and I think that will hurt her against Gold and Tuktamysheva. Don't be surprised if you see a drop off from last season, as we did with Liza last year, but she will still be competitive.

The Rest of the Field
Brooklee Han (AUS)-14th at 2014 Four Continents, 20th at 2014 Olympics, 19th at 2014 Worlds, 6th at 2014 US Classic, 4th at 2014 Nebelhorn Trophy
Mae Beranice Meite (FRA)-5th at 2014 Europeans, 10th at 2014 Olympics, 15th at 2014 Worlds
Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO)-10th at 2014 Europeans, 19th at 2014 Olympics
Haruka Imai-4th at 2014 Four Continents
So Youn Park (KOR)-9th at 2014 Four Continents, 21st at 2014 Olympics, 9th at 2014 Worlds, 3rd at 2014 Asian Open
Natalia Popova (UKR)-23rd at 2014 Europeans, 28th at 2014 Olympics, 21st at 2014 Worlds, 4th at 2014 Coup de Nice
Samantha Cesario (USA)- 8th at 2014 Four Continents, 2nd at 2014 Finlandia Trophy
Mirai Nagasu (USA)-4th at 2010 Olympics, 10th at 2014 Four Continents, 5th at 2014 US Classic

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

2013 Skate America: Ladies Preview

We won't see the Ladies until Saturday (10/19) at 1:30pm EST for their short program and then on Sunday (10/20) at 4:15pm EST for their free. This Ladies field is all over the place, and while there are about 3 clear cut favorites, anything could happen.

Mao Asada (JPN) is my personal favorite for the Olympic Gold Medal this season, but I'm not sure how much of that is from my heart and how much is from my head. Regardless, let's start with her. After all the changes of coaches and jump technique shenanigans, she finally seems settled. Her World medal last season proved that. She was bested by Yuna, yet again, but Yuna is injured which could give Mao the space she needs to pass by. Starting off well here will be important for Mao's confidence and luckily, she only has two major competitors to work against. She is returning to her classical roots for both programs (Chopin & Rachmaninov) and though I loved her spunky short last season, classic Mao is best suited for the big song and dance of the Olympic season.

Ashley Wagner (USA) is our best hope for an Olympic medal this season, but she won't do it without

the triple-triple. She did it at the Japan Open and she needs to do it here, at least attempt it, or I don't think it will happen all season. She won Skate America last year so she has nothing to prove in terms of winning the event. I would rather she try the triple-triple, fall, and not win the event, rather than skipping it to play it safe. Grand Prix titles are great, but we only really remember Olympic medalists. Julia Sebestyen, anybody? Give us that sexy Romeo & Juliet and give us that 3-3 combo and we will all be thrilled to death!

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS) is a tale of two skaters. She blew us away her first year on the GP circuit with her jumps and her Slutskaya-fierce dramatics, but last year she fizzled out. Which skater is she? How is the Plushenko circus affecting her? Will she even make that Olympic team? There are so many questions surrounding this skater, and hopefully we will get some answers this week.






Elena Radionova (RUS) is the 2013 version of the 2011 Tuktamysheva.

She is the next best thing in a long line of "next best thing" Russian figure skaters. She is the reigning Junior World Champ and she's knocking at the door of the other Russian ladies. She's a teeny tiny peanut with great jumps until I see otherwise, but in a field of head cases, she could win out.

Samantha Cesario (USA) is one of my new favorites because she is a diva. She has a swagger and she knows it. She's not afraid of how she comes across and that is exciting for US Figure Skating. She has that pizzazz that we've been lacking and I'm so interested to see how she will do in the National spotlight. This could go either way.






Podium Predictions:
Gold: Mao Asada (JPN)
Silver: Ashley Wagner (USA)
Bronze: Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS)

The Rest of the Field:
Mae Berenice Meite (FRA)
Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO)
Valentina Marchei (ITA)
Elena Radionova (RUS)
Viktoria Helgesson (SWE)
Samantha Cesario (USA)
Caroline Zhang (USA)

Junior Grand Prix Courchevel: Ladies Short Program Results

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Elena RADIONOVA	RUS	61.15	36.61		24.54	6.00	5.79	6.39	6.14	6.36	0.00	#26
2	Uliana TITUSHKINA	RUS	53.62	32.56		21.06	5.50	4.96	5.25	5.25	5.36	0.00	#4
3	Rika HONGO	JPN	53.16	31.79		21.37	5.79	5.21	5.25	5.21	5.25	0.00	#28
4	Ashley CAIN	USA	51.31	28.48		22.83	5.89	5.32	5.82	5.68	5.82	0.00	#8
5	Vanessa LAM	USA	48.40	26.92		22.48	5.68	5.46	5.71	5.57	5.68	1.00	#17
6	Julianne SEGUIN	CAN	47.05	26.57		20.48	5.18	4.89	5.18	5.11	5.25	0.00	#5
7	Hwi CHOI	KOR	46.27	25.33		20.94	5.14	5.07	5.21	5.36	5.39	0.00	#6
8	Ziquan ZHAO	CHN	44.80	23.65		21.15	5.36	5.18	5.32	5.25	5.32	0.00	#12
9	Yura MATSUDA	JPN	44.62	23.85		20.77	5.36	4.89	5.25	5.18	5.29	0.00	#19
10	Nadjma MAHAMOUD	FRA	43.21	24.21		19.00	4.82	4.43	4.93	4.71	4.86	0.00	#15
11	Laurine LECAVELIER	FRA	41.46	23.81		18.65	4.71	4.50	4.75	4.64	4.71	1.00	#24
12	Eveliina VILJANEN	FIN	39.51	20.54		18.97	4.89	4.57	4.75	4.68	4.82	0.00	#1
13	Micol CRISTINI	ITA	38.51	20.46		18.05	4.64	4.46	4.54	4.46	4.46	0.00	#16
14	Aleksandra GOLOVKINA	LTU	36.66	21.68		16.98	4.36	3.96	4.36	4.29	4.25	2.00	#7
15	Camilla GJERSEM	NOR	36.45	20.43		18.02	4.39	4.46	4.43	4.71	4.54	2.00	#25
16	Anita MADSEN	DEN	36.27	19.22		17.05	4.57	4.07	4.39	4.14	4.14	0.00	#9
17	Tanja ODERMATT	SUI	35.93	19.71		16.22	3.96	3.96	4.18	4.04	4.14	0.00	#3
18	Rebecka EMANUELSSON	SWE	35.24	17.86		17.38	4.36	4.25	4.29	4.46	4.36	0.00	#27
19	Kristina Isabel YNTEMA	AUT	30.70	16.90		14.80	3.93	3.57	3.61	3.75	3.64	1.00	#18
20	Sindra KRIISA	EST	30.26	14.60		15.66	4.11	3.71	3.96	3.93	3.86	0.00	#11
21	Ceciliane Mei Ling HARTMANN	SIN	29.69	15.35		16.34	4.25	3.96	4.11	4.14	3.96	2.00	#20
22	Angelina KUCHVALSKA	LAT	29.23	14.03		15.20	3.93	3.79	3.64	3.86	3.79	0.00	#21
23	Erika VITEKOVA	SVK	28.36	14.93		14.43	3.79	3.46	3.61	3.71	3.46	1.00	#22
24	Carla MONZALI	FRA	26.74	12.48		16.26	4.00	3.93	4.11	4.11	4.18	2.00	#14
25	Nastassia HRYBKO	BLR	25.04	11.67		14.37	3.82	3.50	3.57	3.64	3.43	1.00	#23
26	Anastasia YALOVAIA	UKR	24.84	9.67		15.17	4.11	3.54	3.75	3.68	3.89	0.00	#13
27	Kim BELL	NED	22.77	10.97		13.80	3.75	3.39	3.21	3.54	3.36	2.00	#10
WD	Marta GARCIA	ESP											#2

Elena Radionova (RUS)



Uliana Titushkina (RUS)



Rika Hongo (JPN)



Ashley Cain (USA)



Vanessa Lam (USA)