2013 Skate Canada: Ladies Preview

Julia Liptnitskaia (RUS) is the one to beat here. She doesn't necessarily have the best skills or artistry of the field, but she is the best competitor and at these early events, that generally wins the day. She has her sights set on Sochi and as long as she can stay healthy, she is all but guaranteed to make the Olympic team. She has fared the best overall of the "Russian babies" as she transitioned from the junior to the senior ranks and I appreciate her skating more than that of Sotnikova, Tuktamisheva, or Radionova. She qualified for the Final last year and likely would have done quite well if not for that concussion. My only concern for her is that Schindler's List is beyond her current range as a performer. We shall see.

Akiko Suzuki (JPN) is a longtime favorite of nearly the entire skating world, but the biggest question mark with her is a competitive edge. I'm afraid that her window of opportunity has passed her by and and that she reached her peak in 2012 with that World bronze. She recently finished behind Lipnitskaia at the Finlandia Trophy. I question her choice of Phantom of the Opera for her free skate because I think she can do better than that warhorse. She is so classical and refined that I'd prefer she choose something more nuanced.

Kaetlyn Osmond (CAN) won this event last year and she has the potential to do it again. However, she won primarily because she was simply cleaner that the other women. I personally don't believe that she has the maturity or performance quality to beat a clean Suzuki, Lipnitskaia, or even Gao. I truly believe this event will be decided by who makes the fewest mental errors.

Gracie Gold (USA) is the "no pun intended" Golden Girl in US Figure Skating. USFS wants her to be the answer that we've all been looking for, the next Michelle Kwan who can dominate national and international events. She is almost guaranteed a spot on the Sochi team, but she needs to prove that she has the mental game to compete and that's where she's been lacking recently. Luckily for her, she is a late bloomer across the course of a season. She bombed at this event last year, but went on to win silver at Cup of Russia, silver at US Nationals, and placed a respectable 6th at Worlds. If the wheels fall off here, we don't need to lose our minds yet, but it will be cause for concern for Team Gold if Gao or Hicks beat her here.

Christina Gao (USA) is a personal favorite of mine and I am really pulling for her to make the Sochi team. She has a much more international look than many of the US ladies and much more classical elegance than either Wagner or Gold. We know that she is an extremely hard work and my biggest fear for her, opposite of Gold, is that she will peak too early. She has finished 5th at US Nationals for the past four years, so she's going to have to show USFS that she is the real deal on the Grand Prix before their judges will PCS her high enough at Nationals to make the podium.




My Podium Predictions:
Gold: Julia Liptnitskaia (RUS)
Silver: Akiko Suzuki (JPN)
Bronze: Kaetlyn Osmond (CAN)

The Rest of the Field:
Amelie Lacoste (CAN)
Veronik Mallet (CAN)
Natalia Popova (UKR)
Christina Gao (USA)
Gracie Gold (USA)
Courtney Hicks (USA)

2012 Grand Prix Final: Ladies Preview

One lady has dominated the 2012 Grand Prix and that is Ashley Wagner (USA). Sure, Mao Asada won two events as well, but the NHK results were spotty and her programs have not been perfect. Ashley is like a rocket steadily climbing toward Worlds and the Olympics. She has reinvented herself yet again. She is a lady, a diva, on the ice and she invites audiences to simply come along for the ride. I don't feel nervous when she competes, I feel like I'm watching a seasoned professional performing. The rest of this season is hers for the taking if she just keeps on keeping on.

I do love Mao Asada (JPN) and her new programs, but she gets a lot of her points on reputation. Let's just say that she can make little mistakes and get away with them. That being said, we love her and her Swan Lake is to die for.

Akiko Suzuki (JPN) is one of those skaters who never gets the credit she deserves. She basically has to skate perfectly and others have to fall apart if she wants to medal-but that's how it's always been for her whole career.

Kiira Korpi (FIN), other than her beauty, has really never done much for me. In terms of her skating, she's just kind of "there". She is elegant and pleasant to watch, but she just doesn't bring much excitement to the sport.

After starting out with such a bang last year, this Grand Prix was a slight disappointment for Liza Tuktamisheva (RUS) but she's still done quite well for herself. She's getting used to a growth spurt and she's survived. She didn't falli into a complete sophomore slump, so I think she's here to stay.

Christina Gao (USA) is certainly the surprise of the Grand Prix. Who ever would've thought the US would have 2 ladies at the GPF? She has skated with such joy this year and I am so happy to see her doing well, especially being a Harvard student. The balance in her life is unreal.

Podium Preductions:
1) Ashley Wagner (USA)
2) Mao Asada (JPN)
3) Akiko Suzuki (JPN)

Skate America: Ladies Preview

This should be Ashley Wagner's (USA) event to lose. She has the home ice advantage, and all the confidence in the world. Black Swan was such a statement piece for her last year and I'm very much looking forward to this year's programs. She's looking for her first Grand Prix gold medal.

Though Alena Leonova (RUS) medaled at the 2012 Worlds, I feel like she's a one-year-wonder. Her clunky, masculine approach cannot sit well with international judges much longer. She is usually quite clean, but a number of other ladies could pass her if they skate cleanly.

Adelina Sotnikova (RUS) was a highly publicized "Russian Baby" just a year ago. Though she didn't make the debut we had all hoped, she still did quite well on the 2011 Grand Prix, but she looked scared and timid. I pray that she unleashes her inner diva and swipes the silver.

Viktoria Helgesson (SWE) was the surprise bronze medalist at this event last year and even though she only medaled because other ladies failed spectacularly, she still has a legitimate shot this year if some of the "fragile competitors" meltdown. She has a very mature look on the ice that we do not see from the babies.

Rachael Flatt (USA) was once the darling of US Figure Skating. Last year we wondered if she could balance school and skating and the answer was clearly no. Has she gotten her insane schedule under control and stayed in good enough shape to return to a high level of competition? I've always had a soft spot for her so I hope so!

Will Christina Gao (USA) ever get it together and live up to her potential? She was once a lovely junior lady that we thought would be the future of US figure skating. Alas, her fragile competitive psyche would not allow that to happen and now that she is a Harvard student, will she become Rachael Flatt 2.0? She had a rough 2011 Grand Prix, so at least she has nowhere to go but up!


Podium Predictions
Gold: Ashley Wagner (USA)
Silver: Adelina Sotnikova (RUS)
Bronze: Alena Leonova (RUS)


The Rest of the Field:
Mae Berenice Meite (FRA)
Sarah Hecken (GER)
Valentina Marchei (ITA)
Haruka Imai (JPN)

2012 US Figure Skating Championships: Senior Ladies Free Skate LIVE Coverage

1) Morgan Bell
  Music: Avatar

• Rough short for Morgan, I want a really great free, I"m pulling for her
• Good 2a, two-foot on a 3lz, little stumble
• She is always intense out there on the ice, I think the music fits her well
• 2lz-2t, really close the boards
• Spread eagle into the 3t was a highlight
• Rough 3s and a fall, seemed like she was lacking energy getting up in the air
• She looks really tired in this step sequence, very rigid in the upper body
• I think she's just run out of steam here
• Only one fall, and a very respectable program from Morgan

   38.46 (TES) + 38.47 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 73.93
   38.55 (SP) + 73.93 (FS) = 112.48

2) Joelle Forte
  Music: 13th Warrior

• She was really able to shine in the free skate last year at Nationals
• She looks a little tentative here tonight, very relaxed
• She is just really missing a spark here tonight
• I don't think this music is pushing her as much as it should, there's not a lot of energy behind it

   49,98 (TES) +  41.71 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 91.69
   48.13 (SP) + 91.69 (FS) = 139.82

3) Angela Wang
  Music: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

• Calm and collected off the bat
• 3f-2t, and 3lz-2t back to back
• Any position with the booty up in the air should be banned
• I like this music, it sounds like the theme from Survivor Thailand
• She is just ticking off her elements
• She's not doing the hardest elements, but she's putting out a clean performance
• I love the placement of that layback spin right on the crash in the music

   62,61 (TES) + 47.07 (PCS) = 109.68
   48.98 (SP) + 109.68 (FS) = 158.66

4) Aimee Buchanan
  Music: Medley by Michael W. Smith

• Not crazy about the design, but love the color of the costume
• That donut spin is fantastic
• Oh no, her jumps aren't with her today, but she's so happy just to be there as a last minute replacement
• She achieves a fantastic Biellmann position, the leg was almost completely straight in the back
• The music was lovely, but I don't think it had enough drama to propel her through the program

  31.75 (TES) + 35.37 (PCS) -3.00 (DED) = 64.12
   37.77 (SP) + 64.12 (FS) = 101.89

5) McKinzie Daniels
  Music:

• I love her body lines on the ice, nice long limbs
• It's a difficult transition from Junior to Senior
• I love a good Wally jump!
• This program is simply lacking in excitement for me, I think she's holding back as to avoid mistakes
• She looks exhausted, probably some under-training

  49.17 (TES) + 42.29 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 90.46
   49.96 (SP) + 90.46 (FS) = 140.42

6) Kiri Baga
  Music: La Strada

• We love Kiri, she's a dynamic little firecracker
• Kiri actually belongs in a later group, but issues in the short can kill you
• I don't know that she's tapping into the character of La Strada
• She still looks a little junior-ish to me, I'd love to see her choose totally revamp her costuming, make-up and artistry
• Needs to point the foot on that Sit spin
• She's starting to bring it home here toward the end
• Strong finish

  51.08 (TES) + 48.15 (PCS) = 99.23
   50.15 (SP) + 99.23 (FS) = 149.38

7) Sophia Adams
  Music: Titanic

• We love Titanic around here, it was a thrill to see Simpson & Blackmer do it so well
• Not a good start so far, 2 falls
• Fantastic stretch on that catch foot spin
• Stumble out of that loop, I think she's not opening up out of those jumps quickly enough
• Lovely spiral, that stretch is fantastic, a true highlight of the piece
• The whole piece is really lacking speed
• Kind of anti-climactic, I don't feel the choreographer used the best parts of the music

   32.56 (TES) + 3.26 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 73.82
   51.40 (SP) + 73.82 (FS) = 125.22

8) Haley Dunne
  Music: Rondo Capriccioso

• Fall on the 3s, fall on the opening jump seemed to be the theme of this night
• Not her night tonight, I'd like to see more attack on this program
• I want her to just go all out
• This music has so much nuance, but I want her to accent it with her expression and her movements
• She looks just happy to be done with that program, but still seems upbeat
• I think she showed us a lot of good qualities and aspects of her skating, she can take away a lot from this and improve for next year

   43.46 (TES) + 43.41 (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 84.87
   51.41 (SP) + 84.87 (FS) = 136.28

9) Leah Keiser
  Music: Dr. Zhivago

• 3lz-3t looked to be in slow motion a little but, but hey, great combo
• Sat down that easy 2a after that great combo
• Gorgeous donut position on that spin
• She is lovely to watch, a little spitfire, but I'd love more speed
• She still looks very junior-ish in her skating, but good for her for trying to come into the senior level

   49.10 (TES) + 46.01 (PCS) = 93.11
   52.44 (SP) + 93.11 (FS) = 145.55

10) Yasmin Siraj
  Music:

• Lovely musicality, good nuanced use of the body
• Really crooked in the air on that 3f
• I love her style, she has a special air about her
• I keep forgetting about her injury, that will really effect flip and lutz
• The choreography suits her well
• Normally she is more of an explosive performer than this, but I'm afraid that a poor technical showing is throwing off her presentation skills

   41.92 (TES) + 44.95 (PC) = 86.87
   51.96 (SP) + 86.87 (FS) = 138.83

11) Nina Jiang
  Music: Turandot

• Fall on the 3lz, very short on that as well
• 3f turned into a 3t, nice and clean on that one
• She has a very fluid upper body, expressive arms
• Popped loop
• She looks scared to death out there, you can see it on her face
• Oh good old Nessun Dorma, why always purple for this piece
• Nice spread eagle, strong finish though 
• Beautiful moments, gorgeous qualities

   (TES) + (PCS) = 92.76
   53.66 (SP) + (FS) = 146.42

12) Rachael Flatt
  Music: Firebird

• I'm so nervous I can hardly watch
• Wobbly triple lutz, but landed
• Doubles the flip
• Nice accents with the arms and head
• I feel like she's just going from element to element, so nervous she's going to miss, that she's forgetting to attack the program
• There's a good triple flip in a 3-jump sequence
• Her legs are under her out there now, she can really start going after the performance now
• Nice seeing some passion on her face in the spiral sequence
• 3loop-2t
• Lovely stretch on the Ina Bauer
• I feel like this is really slow, but it's a very courageous skate for her
• Just letting it fly in the foot work, letting it fly 

   56.49 (TES) + 55.78 (PCS) = 112.27
   52.71 (SP) + 112.27 (FS) = 164.98

13) Vanessa Lam
  Music:

• Gorgeous skater if she can stay out of her own head
• Those gloves are bothering me
• 3lz-2l-2l
• These jumps lack height, but so far so good
• Stumble on the 3lo
• Very promising skater, lots to work with there and build on

  51.27 (TES) + 52.68 (PCS) = 103.05
   54.57 (SP) + 103.05 (FS) = 157.62

14) Christina Gao
  Music:

• She has such long legs, she's still growing into her height
• All of her landing are a little wobbly, she just looks slightly uneasy
• This program is lacking in excitement for me
• Very few of these landings have been clean and smooth, growth spurt is the cause of most of that
•  A choppy skate, but no falls!

  55.40 (TES) + 56.13 (PCS) = 111.53
   54.83 (SP) + 111.53 (FS) = 166.36

15) Mirai Nagasu
  Music: Spartacus

• I want to see her be gritty and gutsy
• Nice clean, crisp 3lo-2t
• 2a-2t, was going to be a 3t
• 3-2-2 looked like she had it but, tripped and stumbled at the end
• Another fall, and a pop
• I'm sorry, she just looks so bored out there, no expression
• She's crumbling, so rattled right now
• I feel like this program never suited her well all season
• There is no energy out there at all
• Fantastic as that layback is, it will not salvage that program

   50.74 (TES) + 56.23 (PCS) = 104.97
   59.02 (SP) + 104.97 (FS) = 163.99

16) Caroline Zhang
  Music:

• Stumble on the trip flip
• 3lz had that big donkey kick, but still lands it
• 2a, not a lot of height or distance, but hits it
• She is losing a lot of speed here, needs to be more aggressive at this point
• She has no expression on her face either
• Come on girlfriend, the jumps and elements are nice, but where's your spark? Where's your hunger to win?
• Now after the the last jump was landed, she's finally giving us some face!
• That's the comeback story of the last 5 years

   56.46 (TES) + 56.55 (PCS) = 113.01
   60.18 (SP) + 113.01 (FS) = 173.19

17) Ashley Wagner
  Music: Swan Lake

• Come on Ashley, you got this girl
• Awesome start, girl is competing hard
• Nice speed coming into this section
• Lazer beam focus here, beauty of a triple lutz
• I love that look in her eye on the spiral, such focus and passion
• Nothing even looks shaky, oh no spoke too soon, just singled a triple salchow
• No falls, but she'll be unhappy about that popped salchow
• People are applauding that port de bras, that you don't see everyday

   60.64 (TES) + 63.32 (PCS) = 123.96
   63.06 (SP) + 123.96 (FS) = 187.02

18) Alissa Czisny

  Music: Valse Triste

• I'm not loving this costume, it's very Nancy Kerrigan
• Hand down on that triple lutz, needs to relax and get it together
• 2a-2t, looking really tight
• She's finally coming to life with this more uptempo section
• Very crossed on that jump, fall and a very had one on the knees at that
• She needs to get out of her own head here
• 3lo-2t-2t
• The layback is to die for
• She just wasn't her usual self tonight, it was a struggle

  56.03 (TES) + 61.86 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 116.86
   63.14 (SP) + 116.86 (FS) = 180.00

19) Agnes Zawadzki
  Music: Rhapsody in Blue

• 2a-3t
• Big, big jumping tonight
• Big wipe out on that triple lutz, uh oh
• We'll see if that rattles her or not
• She looks like she's running out of steam her
• 3lz-2t almost into the wall, rough pass there
• Another fall, she's crumbling a bit
• 2toe
• Did she just make eye contact with her coach off-ice?
• I'm not really sure where this will finish at this point, could be a toss up at this point
• I love her toe point on that catch foot spin

   (TES) + (PCS) -2.00 (DED) = 107.86
   66.24 (SP) + (FS) = 174.10

Start No.	Name	Short Program		Free Skate		Total Score
		Place	Score	Place	Score
1	17	Ashley Wagner, SC of Wilmington	3	63.06	1	123.96	187.02
2	18	Alissa Czisny, Detroit SC	2	63.14	2	116.86	180.00
3	19	Agnes Zawadzki, Broadmoor SC	1	66.24	7	107.86	174.10
4	16	Caroline Zhang, All Year FSC	4	60.18	3	113.01	173.19
5	14	Christina Gao, Northern KY SC	6	54.83	5	111.53	166.36
6	12	Rachael Flatt, Broadmoor SC	9	52.71	4	112.27	164.98
7	15	Mirai Nagasu, Pasadena FSC	5	59.02	8	104.97	163.99
8	3	Angela Wang, Salt Lake Figure Skating	16	48.98	6	109.68	158.66
9	13	Vanessa Lam, All Year FSC	7	54.57	9	103.05	157.62
10	6	Kiri Baga, FSC of Bloomington	14	50.15	10	99.23	149.38
11	11	Nina Jiang, TX Gulf Coast FSC	8	53.66	12	92.76	146.42
12	9	Leah Keiser, All Year FSC	10	52.44	11	93.11	145.55
13	5	McKinzie Daniels, Broadmoor SC	15	49.96	14	90.46	140.42
14	2	Joelle Forte, SC of NY	17	48.13	13	91.69	139.82
15	10	Yasmin Siraj, SC Of Boston	11	51.96	15	86.87	138.83
16	8	Haley Dunne, WA FSC	12	51.41	16	84.87	136.28
17	7	Sophia Adams, All Year FSC	13	51.40	18	73.82	125.22
18	1	Morgan Bell, Rocky Mountain FSC	18	38.55	17	73.93	112.48
19	4	Aimee Buchanan, Colonial FSC	19	37.77	19	64.12	101.89