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 Ondrej Nepela Memorial: Men's Short Program Results

Men's Short Program Results

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Deduction -	StN.
1	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	73.19	38.85		34.34	7.29	6.67	6.75	7.00	6.63	0.00	#15
2	Grant HOCHSTEIN	USA	69.77	36.32		33.45	6.71	6.33	6.79	6.83	6.79	0.00	#11
3	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	64.88	34.04		30.84	6.42	5.83	6.21	6.21	6.17	0.00	#8
4	Jonathan CASSAR	USA	63.86	29.98		33.88	6.83	6.38	7.00	6.71	6.96	0.00	#5
5	Paul PARKINSON	ITA	59.98	28.87		31.11	6.33	5.79	6.33	6.33	6.33	0.00	#6
6	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	58.45	26.32		33.13	6.71	6.08	6.50	6.88	6.96	1.00	#4
7	Kim LUCINE	MON	53.59	27.67		25.92	5.25	4.92	5.17	5.29	5.29	0.00	#16
8	Artem GRIGORIEV	RUS	52.39	24.85		28.54	6.08	5.71	5.54	5.63	5.58	1.00	#7
9	Abzal RAKIMGALIYEV	KAZ	51.98	25.80		27.18	5.46	5.04	5.42	5.63	5.63	1.00	#21
10	Maciej CIEPLUCHA	POL	51.30	23.05		28.25	5.67	5.33	5.79	5.71	5.75	0.00	#3
11	Kento NAKAMURA	JPN	51.28	27.40		25.88	5.25	5.00	4.92	5.50	5.21	2.00	#2
12	Justus STRID	DEN	48.07	21.90		27.17	5.38	4.92	5.54	5.58	5.75	1.00	#10
13	Dmytro IGNATENKO	UKR	46.48	22.15		24.33	5.00	4.71	4.83	5.00	4.79	0.00	#17
14	Ghafik BESSEGHIER	FRA	44.13	18.30		25.83	5.42	5.08	5.00	5.25	5.08	0.00	#14
15	Saulius AMBRULEVICIUS	LIT	43.12	18.45		24.67	5.17	4.63	5.00	5.04	4.83	0.00	#18
16	Jakub STROBL	SVK	42.33	19.25		23.08	4.92	4.54	4.58	4.58	4.46	0.00	#12
17	Patrick MYZYK	POL	42.20	20.11		22.09	4.96	4.25	4.42	4.38	4.08	0.00	#1
18	David RICHARDSON	GBR	40.25	16.63		24.62	5.04	4.75	4.83	5.08	4.92	1.00	#20
19	Zheng Feng CHAN	MAS	35.31	15.44		19.87	4.29	3.79	3.96	4.08	3.75	0.00	#19
20	Miroslav DVORAK	CZE	31.15	12.60		20.55	4.42	3.92	4.04	4.21	3.96	2.00	#22

Men's Free Skate Start Order

StN.	Name	Nation	Current Rank	Points
	Warm-Up Group 1
1	Zheng Feng CHAN	MAS	19	35.31
2	Jakub STROBL	SVK	16	42.33
3	Patrick MYZYK	POL	17	42.20
4	David RICHARDSON	GBR	18	40.25
5	Miroslav DVORAK	CZE	20	31.15
	Warm-Up Group 2
6	Justus STRID	DEN	12	48.07
7	Saulius AMBRULEVICIUS	LIT	15	43.12
8	Ghafik BESSEGHIER	FRA	14	44.13
9	Dmytro IGNATENKO	UKR	13	46.48
10	Kento NAKAMURA	JPN	11	51.28
	Warm-Up Group 3
11	Abzal RAKIMGALIYEV	KAZ	9	51.98
12	Artem GRIGORIEV	RUS	8	52.39
13	Kim LUCINE	MON	7	53.59
14	Maciej CIEPLUCHA	POL	10	51.30
15	Samuel CONTESTI	ITA	6	58.45
	Warm-Up Group 4
16	Paul PARKINSON	ITA	5	59.98
17	Jonathan CASSAR	USA	4	63.86
18	Kevin VAN DER PERREN	BEL	3	64.88
19	Grant HOCHSTEIN	USA	2	69.77
20	Daisuke MURAKAMI	JPN	1	73.19