#also amber landing her 3A……

[lilfishiefigureskates]

Grand Prix Final Preview

Men - My Predictions

Ilia Malinin (USA) - No one has been able to top the 301.82 he scored at Skate Canada (although Yuma got pretty close with a 300.09 at NHK), and he hasn’t brought out the 4A yet. If he puts down his technical content like he usually does the win should be his. He has had trouble with his 4Lo, he doubled it at Skate America and only did a triple at Skate Canada, so it’ll be interesting to see if he can land the 4Lo here. Super nervous to see his new costume for the free because I don’t see it getting any better than his current one.

Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) - If we’re being honest I really want Yuma to win this. In order for that to happen he’s gonna have to skate like he did at NHK (minus the fall in the free) and Ilia might have to make some mistakes. His skating is absolutely breathtaking and I’m so excited to his perform. His short program is stellar, however I don’t care for the bull on the back of his free program costume

Shun Sato (Japan) - The only way Shun is keeping Kevin at bay is if he goes clean because he does have the higher tech content, but Kevin’s PCS will blow Shun’s out of the water so I think it will be close. His short has been great, but he’s had some trouble with his free where he does attempt four quads. Also, he keeps getting a stsq2 so hopefully he’ll be able to bump that up a bit.

Kevin Aymoz (France) - His short program is so groovy and he moves so well to it and just gives great attitude overall. He’s been making some mistakes in his technical content but his PCS balances it out. This event is where things started to go wrong for him last season, so hopefully history doesn’t repeat itself. It is a home event, so I think the pressure will be a little stronger but hopefully Kevin doesn’t let it get to him.

Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan) - It’s very sad that Adam had to withdraw but I’m so excited to see Mikhail here! He has improved so much this season in terms of his performance skills (although he still has a long way to go) and he made history with the 3A4T! I think the has great momentum going into this event after scoring so well in the Cup of China. I just hope he’s able to go out there a do his best (and pls no falling on the choreo sequence!)

Daniel Grassl (Italy) - If his jumps don’t get called at this event I’m gonna lose it. I think both of his programs are boring and I think he’s very slow on the ice. Wish pizza king was here instead tbh.

Women - My Predictions

Kaori Sakamoto (Japan) - She’s had a bit of a rough start to the season, but her performance at NHK was phenomenal. She definitely has the opportunity to get a repeat win here, but mistakes will be costly as the competition here is fierce. She is truly the one to beat here, and the same can be said for JNats which is happening later this month.

Amber Glenn (USA) - As the only competitor with a reliable 3A in both the short and the free program, Amber is a shoe in for a spot on the podium. She’s made a couple of small mistakes on her technical elements but she’s had a pretty solid season so far. Doing well here will give her great momentum going into US nationals.

Mone Chiba (Japan) - Had it not been for her fall in the stsq at the Cup of China she may have beaten Amber so the competition between these two is going to be close. She’s been looking solid all season and gets pretty consistently high GOE on her technical elements.

Wakaba Higuchi (Japan) - If she wants a spot on the podium she’s really going to have to make sure she’s getting her rotations all the way around. I’m so excited to her the final and I just hope she does her best.

Hana Yoshida (Japan) - She was last year’s bronze medalist, but she has yet to go over 200 points this Grand Prix series although she was very close at Finlandia Trophy. The 3A hasn’t been working out for her this season, so we’ll see if she will attempt it or play it safe with the 2A.

Rion Matsuike (Japan) - I love her so much, but she has yet to put down a solid short program, and I don’t think she’ll be able to make a comeback in the free with the level of talent that is present among these competitors. However, her skating skills are stunning and both of her programs are beautiful so I’m looking forward to seeing her performance.

Can’t believe it’s already the Grand Prix Final! It’s been an interesting 6 weeks with some twists and turns, but I think all the disciplines will be very interesting and fun to watch. I’m not gonna be able to watch anything live on Thursday but I’ll be able to watch everything on Friday and Saturday! Happy watching and I hope everyone has an excellent Grand Prix Final weekend!

[f-ferrari-forever]

Skate America Ladies SP Thoughts

I may have stayed up until 3 a.m. after watching the F1 qualis just to see how Sasha vs Daria played out...oops.

1. Sasha improved artistically, the program actually felt fiery this time around, BUT, and I say this with all the love in the world, that component score was inflated. The program was nice, it was better than we’ve seen her do before, but it wasn’t that good.

2. Daria should have been first after the SP, I stress again that I adore Sasha, but without the 3A to up the technical score, Daria’s interpretation, spins and skating skills are better.

3. I feel like they (Team Tutberidze) are afraid of another Budapest Throphy maybe possibly happening, and with the rumored/confirmed injury to Sasha, it might happen if she doesn’t land the quads she will attempt well. However, if she goes just for the simpler quads (Toe, Sal, and maybe repeats one of them) and drops the Flip and the Lutzes, she could still easily win.

4. The Team T. dresses were slightly better than what we’ve seen so far, I think. Sasha’s is definitely my favorite, but it still doesn’t scream Frida Kahlo.

5. Starr Andrews had the most beautiful spins in the entire competition in the second half of the program, and nothing can change my mind about that. Also I love the dress.

6. I really liked Amber’s music.

7. Yelim Kim stole the show for me and I feel like she should have placed higher.

8. Kaori my baby, I’m rooting for her triple-triple combination like no other.

9. I’m not sure I agree with Kseniia placing third. I feel like it should have been one of the Koreans, not even Kaori, even though I love her, but Yelim man, she was something else.

10. Props to Young for attempting that 3A.

11. Loved the dresses for Yelim and Young.

12. Satoko is beautiful on the ice, she has such ease.

[tripleaxeldiaz]

So out of Alysa and Bradie, who will successfully petition onto the Olympic team? Are Mariah and Karen the other two spots? Does Gracie Gold have a shot at all? It's super intriguing! I think the men's is pretty sewn up with Nathan, Vincent and Jason. Pairs is a big ??? with only two spots available. And who gets the 3rd ice dance spot between Hawayek/Baker and Green/Parsons? So many questions!

ANON I AM SO GLAD YOU ASKED because i have some THOUGHTS

predictions for the us olympic team:

men: nathan, vincent, jason

easy peasy, barring absolute DISASTER. i don’t even know who the alternates would be because these 3 are It for us. yarisov?? maybe camden?? idk but this is indeed locked up

ladies: mariah, karen, alysa

bradie’s been dealing with a foot injury all season so i don’t even think she’s planning to petition for a spot. but if anyone can petition successfully for the first time since like 2006, it’ll be alysa. she’s been our international golden girl since she landed her first 3A, and i don’t think usfsa is gonna let her go. and mariah and karen have both worked so hard this olympic quad and FLOURISHED, so they’re in as well. alternates will probably be amber glenn and lindsey thorngren — as much as i would LOVE a Gracie Gold Olympic Comeback™️, she doesn’t have the international minimums to qualify for a spot 😓😓 i am fully prepared to cry watching her fs tho

pairs: cain-gribble/leduc, calalang/johnson

this might be Unpopular, but i don’t think knierem/frazier’s petition will be accepted. they’ve only been a team for 2 seasons, and while some teams are looking to compete at the games with even less time together (cough cough james/radford in canada cough cough), i don’t think they’ve proven enough consistency together to be a shoe in. yes alexa has already been to an olympics, but it’s different with a different partner. CGL have been solid for the past couple seasons, and CJ just keep rising. alternate will probably be lu/mitrofanov

dance: hubbel/donahue, chock/bates, hawayek/baker

i’d say this is pretty zipped up too, and again, it’s about consistency. HB has been the us #3 team for the whole quad, usfsa won’t drop them unless they need to. plus we do tend to favor experience, and green/parsons have at least another quad ahead of them, maybe 2. they’ll probably be alternates, along with carreira/ponomorenko if christina has her citizenship sorted out?? also side note: i am SO glad this is HD’s last season, can’t wait to never look at zach’s face ever again (sorry maddie)

WHATEVER HAPPENS, it’ll be Wild and i’m excited to embrace the chaos

[fs-rambling]

Reactions to SkAm 2020 - ladies short program

This isn’t really a formal analysis, just some thoughts and opinions upon watching the ladies’ short programs at Skate America this year.

Gracie Gold:  Aww, Gracie... I feel like she’s lost a bit of confidence, and it’s affecting her skating, but I think that the music she chose is personal to her and with time and practice she’ll be able to sell it really well.  The double Axel was excellent, but the triples didn’t work out today - I could feel some hesitation going into the jumps and I think it was mostly her holding herself back a little that caused her to double them.  I hope the free will go better for her.

Finley Hawk:  It was a pretty nice program, and I like her layback spin.  I noticed she doesn’t hold spiral positions long, so longer spirals is a thing I'd like to see from her.  I also think she needs a little work on performance and interpretation; I couldn’t feel that much emotional involvement, but she’s young and I’m sure she’ll develop more as an artist as time goes on.  Her Lutz edge looked a little questionable to me, though the flip and the Axel were both really strong.

Audrey Shin:  Absolutely lovely.  I could tell right away that her mind and feelings are really focused on the music and performance - I love how expressive she is, and the passion and commitment with which she skates is magnificent.  Her jumps all looked well done, and her spins were good but not outstanding.  Plus, she has a really pretty costume and it matches the program well.  I like her a lot and I’ll definitely be keeping an eye out for her in the future!

Paige Rydberg:  Very nice overall.  I think she needs to tone up the intensity a bit in some places, and I didn't feel enough from her movement, but I do like her confidence in her ability. Her jumps looked good, and her spins were nice as well, so she did very nicely and the program does have a consistent, tangible vibe to it.

Pooja Kalyan:  I liked her program a lot!  She has a lot of energy, so I really enjoyed watching her.  I kinda wish she held that layback Ina Bauer a bit longer; it was a really important moment and it could have had more impact.  Concerning jumps, a few mistakes, and I think her air position could be a little tighter, especially in the first rotation, but they were alright, and overall her program was a pleasure to watch.

Sierra Venetta:  She’s a very nice skater.  I like her transitions; they’re numerous and very interesting, and her spins aren’t bad either.  A fair amount of commitment to the choreography, so that was good, but perhaps in between elements a little more attention to her hand movements would go a long way.  Her jumps were all fairly decent, besides the doubled toe in the combo, and again, she has a lot of transitions so I can’t exactly fault her too much.

Shan Lin:  Right off the bat, I can already tell that I like her costume - the soft variation and blend of colors looks awesome, and the design is pretty as well.  The darkening gradient on the gloves really calls attention to her hands at the right moments.  Also, I really, really love this program.  The way she uses the music and reflects its character with her skating makes it so nice to watch, although I’d like to see her emphasize some more choreo in the beginning.  The long, drawn out Ina Bauer, into the Besti squat, into the spiral?  I loved that.  Plus, her spins are good - very fast, with controlled, flexible positions.  Her double Axel was incredible too - so much height and distance, and so much flow throughout the jump.  There were some mistakes in the combo and the solo jump, so that’s unfortunate, and her air position could be better in the flip and the Lutz. Still though, it was a magnificent program.

Karen Chen:  Oh, how I love Karen.  And this program.  Holy cow.  Every one of her movements pulls in attention, and the choreography is exquisite.  Her commitment is indomitable.  Her emotions are so clearly in it.  Also, her spiral!!!  So amazing; I’ve been waiting so long to see her incredible long spirals again.  And as always, her layback was incredible.  The combo wasn’t quite perfect, but I loved the transitions into the loop, and the double Axel was so powerful.  I’m definitely going to be rewatching this program again and again and again.

Amber Glenn:  She’s incredible.  I like the costume, it fits the program well, and the design and movement of the skirt definitely helps.  Her performance was good, and the program is really well-crafted.  Also, her Biellmann spin was so nice to see - I’m pretty picky when it comes to Biellmanns and Amber’s isn’t perfect, but it is lovely.  The mistakes on the combo were unfortunate, and I really think the toe loop wasn’t too bad, but the double Axel looked light as a feather (can’t wait for her 3A!!!!) and the loop looked good as well.  Overall it was super good.

Starr Andrews:  A very enjoyable program.  I love her interpretation, and each of her movements is controlled and deliberate, which makes the choreography really stand out.  I also like Starr’s spins - especially her donut spin, and the layback spin was pretty nice as well besides that tiny bit of traveling.  The twizzles and that bit of choreo out of the double Axel were so nice.  Plus, I also liked that spiral she did, matched the music nicely.  Her costume is also super cool.  The popped loop killed her score, but the program as a whole was excellent and with more time I think it could be absolutely brilliant.

Mariah Bell:  Overall, it was a pretty nice program.  I do like Mariah’s spins - very nice layback, lovely catch-foot camel, and she does a Y-spin (my favorite!!!).  I loved her energy in the step sequence, though I feel that some parts of the program could have been better connected.  The double Axel looked effortless, but the combo was a little shaky and I’m not sure I liked her landing posture on all her jumps.  The score was a bit higher than I’d expect.  However, she did fairly well and I’m happy for her.

Bradie Tennell:  I really like this program!  I enjoyed Bradie’s interpretation, and her spins were very nice - good speed, and that I-spin at the end looked really flexible.  I would like to see Bradie really throw herself into her choreo though, because I couldn’t feel that she was really in it.  I did love that triple flip, plus the transitions out of it, and the double Axel was fine, but she didn’t get enough height on the toe to fully rotate.  Nice program though, so it will do nicely for her.

[kittyprincessofcats]

RIKA LIVED!!!

Okay, so a few thoughts:

- Karen Chen was amazing.

- Amber Glenn is such a good performer! Shame about the Axel.

- Interesting that even the commentator remarked that the judges gave Hongyi Chen an UR call while not giving Amber one. If even commentators are picking up on how selective the calls can be, maybe there’s a bit of hope for change? It was pretty obvious here that the Americans were being scored generously.

- Yelim was really good! I was worried after she fell twice in the warm-up, but I’m glad she managed to put out a good performance. The first combination looked a bit shaky, but she did get negative GOE on it, so that’s fair.

- I don’t get Bradie’s scores. I admit that she was good today and I found her more enjoyable to watch than usual, but still... only 0.02 behind Rika in PCS? Lots of +5 and +4 in GOEs despite those stiff knees? I can’t really say I agree there.

- Young did great and I’d say her score by itself was fair. She still has a lot of room to grow in the PCS department, but she’s so promising.

- RIKA MY CHILD!! You’re doing amazing, sweetie!!! I’ve got to say my favourite moment in this entire Ladies SP was when she landed that Lutz after months of not being able to include it and the audience just broke into spontaneous applause in the middle of her program. THAT’S THE SUPPORT SHE DESERVES. WELCOME BACK, RIKA’S TEXTBOOK LUTZ, WE MISSED YOU!!!

- I’m so glad she did well and is leading, but Rika’s score also took my excitement away a bit. Not that I really want to complain about an 80+ score, but... that should have been higher. She got 81.35 at SCI where she did a Loop instead of a Lutz, and now she added the Lutz back in, skated clean, and got a slightly lower score than at SCI? How?? I’m looking at her scoresheet right now and there’s exactly one +5 among all of those GOEs. One. From J4 for the StSq. That’s it. No other +5s at all. And the only +4s are for the spins and step sequence, never for the jumps. They capped her jump GOE at +3 and I’m just... angry. At this point I don’t get what else they want her to do to get a +5 or +4 on them.

(Let’s be real - if Rika was Russian or American, this exact same performance would have scored 85+. Let’s not even pretend that’s not the case. The message they’re sending her here is ‘You have no chance at Worlds; we won’t score you fairly no matter what’ - and that’s sad. I want to focus on being happy for her right now, but it’s still sad. No wonder she seemed disappointed. Imagine working for months on getting that Lutz back and then it doesn’t even give you any advantage because they’ll just lowball you in all other aspects.)

- Eunsoo is so lovely to watch and I really like this program for her. I hope she can give it her all in the free and end the season on a high note.

- Wakaba was so good! I’m so glad she got a new SB here, but I’d have scored her higher as well. She’s also apparently planning to include the 3A in the free. I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good idea at this point (not sure how high her success rate for it has been), but she seemed very determined about wanting to try it, so good luck! I really hope it works out for her.

- Kaori!! Out of all the jumps she could have messed up on, I didn’t expect it to be the Loop... that’s usually her forte. But otherwise this was a really nice performance to watch. I love how fast Kaori is on the ice and how huge and powerful her jumps are. Would have scored her higher as well. All of the Japanese ladies are underscored imo, but what else is new.

[nirvana-era]

“Traitor.”

The voice was rough and filled with hatred. The clouds hung low in the sky, giving the surrounding area a disturbing aura. The sky above was dark, only a few specks of Silverpelt could be seen. A new moon. Something was wrong and it wasn’t the fact that Splotchedsky had just walked into Fallingsky’s group or that he was surrounded immediately by other cats, including his own clanmates. It wasn’t the fact that his own apprentice, Sweetpaw, was in the mix either. His pale blue eyes landed on the cat which had spoken. Oatburr. He should have known. Had the large warrior brought his apprenticed daughter along just to corrupt her kind and energetic spirit? The tom’s claws seeped into the grassy ground as he watched the scene unravel in front of him. “Stop-” Splotchedsky tried to speak but felt claws scratch across his face. The tom let out a hiss and flinched back, ears pressed flat against his head. The warrior closed his eyes as the scratch sent a burning sensation through his body and blood began to slowly appear from the fresh gash. What was going on? Why were cats of all the clans here?

“This doesn’t concern you, suck up.” The voice came from another cat he also knew fairly well. Splotchedsky growled and opened his eyes to slits, to be nose to nose to ShadowClan’s medicine cat. “Well, if it isn’t Wrenstar’s new second in command. The only tom in the clan who’s too soft to even be a warrior.” His voice dripped with venom, each word making the gray tabby cower. “What’s this? Scared, Splotchedsky?” A smirk appeared on the medicine cat’s face, his eyes giving no other emotion except excitement. For what exactly? That he had just caught a new victim?

“Scared,” Splotchedsky repeated, getting back to his paws. His legs wobbled beneath them as if he was just a tiny kit learning to use his paws for the first time without being guided by his mother. “No, I’m not scared. I’m disgusted in what you’ve done.” The tom snarled and unsheathed his claws to keep himself steady. No, not to fight. He’d be outnumbered in a heartbeat. Instead he turned his attention back to the cat which was also cornered. Silverdawn, deputy of WindClan. Was she mouse-brained enough to listen to what the medicine cat of an entirely different clan had to say? “Let her go. She’s the scared one here.”

“No,” Fallingsky meowed with a grin. His sharp teeth glistened in the faint starlight as he turned his attention back towards Silverdawn and unsheathed his claws, but instead of instantly attacking the she-cat, he stopped and glanced at Sweetpaw and then towards her father. “Oatburr, why don’t we have that daughter of yours prove herself tonight?”

“No-”

“Silence!” Fallingsky ordered towards Splotchedsky and slashed him again across the face. “You’re an unwelcome guest. You don’t get a chance to speak.” His flaming amber eyes narrowed in disgust and hate. “Isn’t it a shame, Sweetpaw? That your own mentor would rather live his life cooped up in a nest in care for kits than to protect his own family, friends, and clanmates? Don’t you feel shame for him? Maybe you should… prove to us that you’re better than this dung.”

The young she-cat shivered as she looked up at Splotchedsky. Her eyes filled with fear and regret, turning away to keep herself from making direct eye-contact with her mentor. Sweetpaw felt her father’s intense gaze on her pelt, her fur burning with embarrassment now. The calico feline turned her head to face the deputy of WindClan. She had to battle a deputy?

Splotchedsky felt his chest tighten with anxiety. His apprentice could never win this fight. Run. That’s all she had to do. Run back to ShadowClan and get help. Tell Wrenstar what was going on and go from there. Instead, he watched as the she-cat unsheathed her small claws and faced the much larger but just as scared deputy. A scared cat always fights harder than a cat who thinks they’ll win. “Sweetpaw, don’t do this.” Splotchedsky’s voice croaked with sadness and anger. “You know better.”

The molly didn’t answer the tom. She merely narrowed her eyes and inched forward. Her stance was almost perfect. Splotchedsky watched as the fight between life and death ensued. Screeching and yowls between the two she-cats echoed around him and rang in his ears. The scent of blood entered his nose. “Stop it!” He screeched, pushing past the other cats and getting in the middle of the two. Splotchedsky watched in what seemed like slow-motion as Silverdawn’s claws moved closer and closer towards Sweetpaw’s throat. Without thinking, the large tom lashed out an unsheathed paw, feeling his claws sink into flesh.

A gasp escaped the deputy’s mouth before dropping onto the ground. She desperately tried breathing as the blood from her neck wound flowed onto the green grass, staining it a sickly red. Sweetpaw stood behind him, her eyes wide in panic. Silverdawn’s eyes filled with pain and sadness.

“Well…” Fallingsky’s voice broke the stunned silence. “Look at what you’ve done. A murderer now. Poor Wrenstar. It would be such a shame if she ever found out about this, don’t you think? You’ll be banished from ShadowClan and never step into StarClan’s territory ever. Don’t you feel… anything?” The medicine cat’s voice seemed oddly calm and proud.

“Sweetpaw,” Splotchedsky softly hissed, “go get Wrenstar. Now.” He turned towards his apprentice and noticed her hesitate. “Sweetpaw, go.” Splotchedsky growled and looked at the other cats. “Unless you want to have the same fate as Silverdawn, I suggest you all leave. This meeting or whatever is going on is over!”

Suddenly, Splotchedsky’s blue eyes opened with a startle. Birds chirped outside and he was laying in a nest, his fur pressed against another. The tom groaned quietly as he glanced around and felt his heart pound as ginger fur filled his vision. “Wrenstar?” The tom spoke softly, his nerves still on edge.

“Hm?” Her voice sent a wave of relief through his body as the she-cat looked up and glanced at the male beside her. She yawned and tilted her head a bit before pressing her face against his. “Is everything okay?”

Splotchedsky instantly calmed down and closed his eyes once more, his breathing returning to normal. “Everything is now. Just a terrible nightmare.”

“Is it about…?” Wrenstar’s soft yellow eyes stared at Splotchedsky with concern for the tom, wondering why his fur was stuck up and why he seemed like he had just seen a badger.

“Yes, but everything’s fine now. Go back to sleep.”

————————————-

Hey guys! You can find my WA profile here: http://aminoapps.com/p/uyqnzo

Make sure to like and follow for more!

[sashas4t]

Cup of China: Ladies

Wow, were URs and edge calls called here... again? WOOOOOW! Anyways, I actually couldn’t watch this event live so I don’t have impressions of all the skaters... sorry!

1. Anna Shcherbakova - RUS

Anya’s quad lutzes this competition were so effortless! They really looked like triples - perhaps that's because the first one was UR. Her steps and spins kinda seemed off today, and her dress change was a little rushed too but the charisma and effortlessness was still there. I really like her SP actually, she wonderfully portrays a mysterious girl (for those saying her SP has nothing to do with the movie, thank god, that movie is kinda horrifying). I really like how the musical accents are brought out with actual poses. In comparison, there are so many musical accents in her FS, and yet, only like two out of ten are used. Daniil! Why? Anna has such innate musicality and interpretation and honestly I kind of feel like her FS doesn’t match how good she is. But I do like her SP a lot! Those jump transitions though! I love her costume too! The details and the roses? Yes. 

2. Satoko Miyahara - JPN

Oh my god! Tiny queen slays! Her SS are honestly so good and her movements flow so easily. She has such speed and control over the ice and once she steps out you know you’re watching an artistic master. I actually kind of like her SP, its so difference from her usual style and yet she pulls it off nicely. There could be more sass but the step sequence really show how wonderful her SS are. There’s so much speed and ice coverage, especially for such a tiny person. Her jumps though, yeah there were definitely some URs there. But honestly, who cares about jumps when you’ve got good SS, good spins, and good artistry? If Satoko

3. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva - RUS

I have no idea why Liza fell on a 3A. It’s honestly more consistent that her 3F and her 3Lz. Speaking of which, I can’t believe Liza fixed her flip edge so quickly. Respect. Also, what’s up with Liza’s 3Lz, its so textbook and beautiful, but she can’t seem to land it super consistently. Nevermind the jumps, I’m kind of glad Liza brought back her old FS. It was energetic, fun and Liza performed it extremely well. Bummed that her chance at the GPF is gone now. If she had just landed the 3A!

4. Young You - KOR

Again! The 3A! But honestly, I wasn’t expecting Young to land both of them, or honestly even one of them. Her 3A isn’t a very consistent jump. But I can’t believe she fell on her 3F! I like her SP a lot, even though its a basic R&J program I feel like the music cuts work well and the music climaxes with the jumping passes. Young, being a new senior, isn’t the best at artistry, but her ina Bauer is a gift from the heavens! I really reminds me of the Yuna Kim and Mirai Nagasu ina bauers. Its on such a dramatic musical climax too! I love her costumes too! They’re so classy and elegant!

5. Sofia Samodurova - RUS

Um yes! Consistency queen is back at it! Of course we’ve got some URs here and there, but that's not important at all! She was struggling so much at test skates and her first CS event, and I’m so glad that she’s finally gotten her jumps in order. While her programs are rather empty, I still love them because Sonya brings so much energy to her performance. Her Moulin Rouge is actually very well done, full of passion and facials. I can’t wait to see her interpretation grow even stronger throughout the season.

7. Marin Honda

Oh my Marin. You are soooooo good. And yet, those jumps. They just... don’t work. As somebody on Tumblr said “when will Marin’s jumps return from war, they pop in now and then for a visit, but never return consistency.” Her IN has grown so much and both her programs are oozing charisma and joy. Truly a star in terms of PE. I really hope Marin will get her jumps in order because she’s one of my favorite skaters of all time and her programs are incredible. She is incredible. 

Also got to say - BOYANGGGGGGGGGG! That 4Lz was godly!

I’ve yet to watch Amber Glenn but I’m kind of excited, people have pointed out similarities between her and Masha Sotskova and I LOVE MASHA. 

[jennibeultimate]

Personal recap CoC 2019 - Ladies FS

Well actually there wasn't much that impressed me at this competition...but...

Congratulations to all medalists! 🎉🎉🎉

Anna Shcherbakova - It wasn't a question that she would win, just the points were a question...or maybe not because scores don't mean much atm I feel...for me she still does not feel much emotion during her program and for me it's still juniorish, but she did well and deserved this win. So congrats to the 2nd win and welcome to the GPF!

Satoko Miyahara managed to get 2nd place! ☺️ Very happy she received the highest PCS, UR calls seemed ok...I would be so happy if she can grab a spot at the GPF to have a non-Russian skater there. I am not a real fan of the program, but it hasn't something to do with the cultural appropriation stuff, more that for me the music does not set real highlights. I think the cultural appropriation discussion was really more of a hate against Satoko than anything else, because neither is she the first nor the only skater to use Schindler's list that is not of Jewish origin and not even the first to use this version. There is Roman Sadowsky who is using the music, there was others like Peter Liebers in the past and also there are much more disturbing music cuts like the one from the 15 year old Bulgarian girl who has machine shots sounds in her program. If people would talk as much about those skaters I would consider the discussion more appropriate, but if it's only against Satoko it feels more like an excuse to hate on her. Don't get me wrong I think discussing the topic is fine, but the behavior doing so most of the time was simply bashing and nothing else. If one skater can bring the emotion of this music to live it is her.

Edit: I am not dismissing the fact that some Jews expressed their problems with Satoko having a David star on her back on one of her first dresses (which she changed immediately I guess because of the complaints), neither that some didn't like the reason she voiced for skating this program. As I said before any discussion is fine about it, but still I felt like this was a minority of people really trying to make aware the problems Jewish people may have with it, instead a lot of haters (who were haters long ago) kept using this as an excuse to hate her more. It's never about the discussion that tries to spread awareness in the fandom, it's the way people discuss that makes me question some motives of a discussion in the first place. If I hurted someone's feelings with what I wrote I am very sorry.

Liza Tuktamysheva back to her old program. I like this program much better, so I am glad with this. It's very entertaining to watch and a crowd pleaser, also she has a nice charisma on the ice. And 3As were awesome! Still she loses a bit because of her layout and lack of GOEs and PCS. She still does not receive much more TES than those without 3As...of course her lack in all the departments are also because she is not a Russian favorit...

First of all I was really happy that Young You got a 2nd GP after her good showing at SC 2019. Sadly she couldn't perform her 3As. Her SP was really bad and so she didn't got much of a chance in the FS. I also am not really a fan of this Evita program, it's really a bit much cuts in this and also not a fan of this particular musical in general. And Young didn't seem so much into the music, her technical side is good and also the ina bauer looked awesome, she just could work a bit more with the music. I like her SP much better.

Marin Honda - poor Marin back to old habits 😢 I love this program and she has such star potential, but she loses it with her lack of confidence in her jumps. I hope one day she can shine like she should! Love you Marin! ❤️ Good luck for next time!

Sofia Samodurova found back her consistency. She will never receive the highest GOEs nor PCS, but she is entertaining to watch. And consistency speaks for her. (I also feel she is from the wrong coaches to make her career rise, she is just not in favor in Russia, is she really this much worse than other Russians?)

I really love to watch Amber Glenn skate. She skates with so much emotion.

One thing that really disturbed me is the camera work. Really awful. Sometimes a camera in the picture. Filming the face during a jump and not showing the landing...what is this? 😣

[lilfishiefigureskates]

Grand Prix Final Review

Men:

Ilia Malinin (USA) Total Score 292.12 - 1st in the short, 2nd in the free. He had new costumes for the both short and the free. His new short program costume was so bad I found it to be distracting when I was watching his short program. His new free costume is not bad but I still prefer the original. Despite how bad the new costume is, he had a pretty solid short program. In the free he executed all 6 quads, and did a total of 7 quads in the free program, however not a single jump was fully rotated (although I think the 4A was fully rotated imo). 7 quads in one program is very impressive and a great technical feat but it cost him a good program. He looked exhausted which makes sense, and it just felt like a jumping drill. I wish he would cut back on some of the quads so he can connect with his program more.

Yuma Kagiyama (Japan) Total Score 281.78 -2nd in the short, 1st in the free. It’s so disappointing that the 4S was not working out for him this competition as it is usually his best jump. I feel like the pressure of competing against Ilia is starting to get to him, and isn’t allowing him to fully connect with his programs because it feels like he is second guessing himself. I am still in shock that he only got a stsq 2 in the free, he deserved a level 3 at the very least. JNats is quickly approaching and I’m looking forward to watching him compete! #FuecocoTrioForever

Shun Sato (Japan) Total Score 270.82 - 4th in the short, 3rd in the free. I was shocked that he went down on the 4Lz since he’s been so consistent with it this season, however I wish he would take out the 4F in the free because he’s only landed it once in competition this season. His technical content is amazing which was reflected in him getting the highest TES in the free. I would love to his him emote some more and really work on connecting with the audience. Overall he has had a great season I will be surprised if he does not make the Worlds team this year. Also looking forward to seeing him compete at JNats! #FuecocoTrioForever.

Daniel Grassl (Italy) Total Score 254.96 - 5th in the short, 4th in the free. I really don’t think he should have ended up ahead of Mikhail here. He has a new short program which I liked better than his old one, but I still can’t stand his free. He is so slow on the ice.

Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan) Total Score 253.75 - 3rd in the short, 6th in the free. I have really enjoyed watching Mikhail become a fan favorite this season! He is just so warm and endearing, you just can’t help but root for him. He had some very sweet moments with the ice sweepers and his Kung Fu Panda gala program is excellent. I can’t believe he landed a 3T in the panda costume lol. He did a 3A1Eu4A in the free, but didn’t have the cleanest program. He needs to put more work into his components, because his stsq and spins are costing him points, but he knows that.

Kevin Aymoz (France) Total Score 238.63 - 6th in the short, 5th in the free. Was not the performance he was looking to have here but It’s nowhere near the flop that he had last year. He still looked to be in good spirts and even though the jumps did not go the way he wanted he never stopped performing. Interested to see how the rest of the season will go for him.

Women:

Amber Glenn (USA) Total Score 212.07 - 1st in the short, 1st in the free. Had me super worried when she finished the short and was saying that she hurt her back. I love seeing how solid she is with the 3A. Her jumps looked a bit tight and she had a couple of two footed landings but this is such a great victory for Amber and I’m so happy for her. I think this win will give her plenty of positive momentum going into the second half of the season.

Mone Chiba (Japan) Total Score 208.85 - 2nd in the short, 2nd in the free. I am in love with the short program especially the second half when it picks up and her spiral in her free program lives rent free in my head. Her consistency this season has been so impressive and I’m pretty confident that we’ll be seeing her on the Worlds team which is not an easy feat considering that there were 4 other Japanese ladies in this event.

Kaori Sakamoto (Japan) Total Score 201.13 - 4th in the short, 3rd in the free. She is the love of my life and I love her so much. She had a rough short program but I’m glad that she was able to make it onto the podium. I’m really excited to see her at JNats since she had such an incredible performance at NHK. Her speed and the quality of her movement is unmatched and she demonstrated excellent sportsmanship at this event.

Wakaba Higuchi (Japan) Total Score 195.96 - 6th in the short, 4th in the free. No more saving the combo for last because it is not good for my stress levels and it betrayed her at this event. Her stsq in both the short and free were incredible. I still think the first half of her free is a bit boring and I just find myself waiting for it to get to the Kate Bush section. According to Jackie Wong this is the first time this season that she’s been given full credit for the 3Lz3T! I hope she does well at JNats because I really really want to see her on the Worlds team!

Hana Yoshida (Japan) Total Score 194.02 - 3rd in the short, 5th in the free. I think she has a great set of programs and it is clear that weird works well for her. Had a pretty solid short program, and her free was a little messy but she made it through. I love both of her costumes and I just think that she is so cute and enduring.

Rino Matsuike (Japan) Total Score 189.02 - 5th in the short, 6th in the free. I am praying that she can’t put down a clean short program at JNats because I need to see this program clean at least once this season! Put down a clean free but her GOE combined with her mistake in the short just wasn’t enough her get her higher. Her skating skills are absolutely unmatched. She looks so light and airy and her skating looks effortless.

Pairs:

Minerva Fabienne Hase / Nikita Volodin (Germany) Total Score 218.1 - 1st in the short, 1st in the free. They were so solid here. The only mistakes some hands down during the SBS jumps in the free. They both committed to the story and were great actors in the short, and they ate the Four Seasons free program as well.

Riku Miura / Ryuichi Kihara (Japan) Total Score 206.71 - 2nd in the short, 3rd in the free. I love their short program so much and I was surprised that they ended up in 2nd after the short although it was very close. Riku had a bit of a rough free program but I’m glad that they were able to hang onto the silver medal. Unlike the singles Japanese men and women at this event their JNats will be easy peasy so I’m looking forward to watching them perform with a little less pressure.

Anastasiia Metelkina / Luka Bergulava Georgia) Total Score 205.78 - 3rd in the short, 2nd in the free. Their 3Tw and throw jumps are stunning. I love their short program, they have such great energy and are great performers. I don’t really understand the story behind the free, so if someone knows and can fill me in that would be great! Shame about the throw 2Lo in the free as it cost them the silver medal.

Ice Dance:

Madison Chock / Evan Bates (USA) Total Score 219.85 - 1st in the rhythm, 2nd in the free. They are stunning. The short has grown on me a lot since the first time I saw it at Skate America, but I am obsessed with the free. Take 5 is so iconic and Maddy’s costume is amazing. Both of them are wonderful performers and they just look so good together. I could not look away.

Charlene Guignard / Marco Fabbri (Italy) Total Score 206.11 - 2nd in the rhythm, 3rd in the free. I really like the rhythm dance. They look like ketchup and mustard in a good way, and I think the program is cute and has a lot of personality. I am still conflicted with the robots program. I did not like the OG robot costume but the new costumes don’t look like robots at all so there has to be a happy medium somewhere. I am shocked with how close they ended up being with Lilah and Lewis.

Lilah Fear / Lewis Gibson (Great Britain) Total Score 205.18 - 3rd in the rhythm,4th in the free. I just now noticed that rhythm dance costumes has some purple in it! I feel bad because I was complaining about how plain and boring their costumes are but I apologize for my past actions. Still don’t like the music cuts between the two songs. I am a big fan of the Beyoncé program, I am such a sucker for Halo, and they eat the ending up. They brought back the Rocky program for the gala and omg it’s so iconic.

[lilfishiefigureskates]

Cup of China Preview

Men - My Predicted Top 6 (in no particular order)

Adam Siao Him Fa (France) - I really don’t know what we’re gonna see from him this weekend. He has gotta do better than he did at Grand Prix de France. I heard he is doing a different short program, which is good cause I wasn’t a fan of the gangster short.

Nika Egadze (Georgia) - Last time we saw him was a million years ago at Skate America, where he landed just off the podium in 4th place. His quads are pretty solid, but he needs to work on his performance skills more.

Matteo Rizzo (Italy) - Was pretty decent at NHK with his only problem being getting a UR on the 4Lo in both programs. Whatever happens I’m still very excited to see him back.

Shun Sato (Japan) - Had an amazing short program at Skate Canada but struggled a bit with the short. If he puts down two clean programs he will have a real shot at gold. #FuecocoTrioForever.

Mikhail Shaidorov (Kazakhstan) - Listen, if Mikahil wins we won’t see Daniel at the Grand Prix Final, so my boy really needs to lock in here. It’ll be interesting to see if he’ll do the 3A4T again. Really needs to work on his PCS

Deniss Vasiljevs (Latvia) - It’s also been a million years since we’ve seen him! I hope he skips the 4S in the short, but hopefully he’ll nail it in the free. I’m very excited to see him perform.

Women - Predicted Top 6 (in no particular order)

Mone Chiba (Japan) - Had an excellent performance at NHK, and only needs a silver here in order to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. I absolutely love her short program.

Rion Sumiyoshi (Japan) - I really hopes she doesn’t do the 4T so she can hopefully go clean. Still in a good place to make the final with her bronze medal from Grand Prix de France. Has gorgeous programs this season.

Rinka Watanable (Japan) - My fav! Our Skate America silver medalists! I really like her Moonlight short, and the tango suits her. I’m nervous to see if she’s gonna try and do the 3A. I fear will she try to attempt it in the short.

Chaeyeon Kim (South Korea) - Missed out on the podium at Grand Prix de France, which will make it a little harder for her to go to the Grand Prix Final. Whatever happens I love her and I’m very much looking forward to watching her Tron program!

Kimmy Repond (Switzerland) - I did not expect her to do as well as she did at Skate Canada! She was obviously disappointed with not making it onto the podium, so hopefully the fire will be lit!

Amber Glenn (USA) - If she can put down the 3A in the short and the free, and goes clean she will have no problem winning it all this weekend. However, the competition is very fierce for the women this weekend so I think it will be hard for anyone to come back from a mistake.

I can’t believe we made it to the final Grand Prix event! My sleeping schedule will be happy that it’s already over, but not watching skating every weekend is so sad. I’m am looking forward to the break next week, before the Grand Prix Final! Happy watching and I hope everyone has a superb Cup of China weekend!

[kittyprincessofcats]

4CC - Ladies FS

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS NOT GOOD FOR MY HEART. I couldn’t watch live, but I watched the Ladies FS without looking up the results first (I even asked my sister to click on the video for me so the ISU’s Youtube channel wouldn’t spoil the top 3 for me). So here’s some thoughts.

- Yelim Kim was absolutely amazing. That was the first skate of the event that seriously impressed me and made me emotional. Very well done! I loved seeing the support for her from the home crowd and her reaction to the score was amazing. Super happy for her!

- Shame about Amber’s mistakes, but I’m glad she still managed to get a personal best score that she seemed very happy with.

- Ngl, watching Karen Chen’s performance made me tear up a bit. What a comeback! It’s so nice to see her skating so well again. I really hope her experience at this competition gives her a confidence boost.

- Eunsoo was absolutely lovely and I hope she can come back stronger next season. I really like this program for her.

- Wakaba was really great to watch. I really love her and even though I don’t think she’s quite on the same level as she was in 2017/18 (yet), I’m glad to see her getting better and better and working on getting back there. That said, I’m not sure if risking the 3A was a good idea at this point. I hope she lands it in competition one day, but for now it didn’t really have a high success rate in practice and I really wasn’t surprised to see her fall on it. I think for now she should focus on skating clean, landing all her other jumps, and making her choreographies a bit more complex. I loved the step sequence, by the way.

- Kaori, Kaori... what do I even say here. I’m sorry, but going for the 4T here was absolutely stupid and I’m not sure why she did it. The jump so clearly isn’t ready. I get risking it at a small local competition where the stakes aren’t high, but at 4CC? That I really don’t get. Did she think that she had nothing to lose anyway? But even then, what’s the point when you can’t land it and it’ll get downgraded? At least Wakaba managed to rotate the 3A before falling on it. Has Kaori not watched Alexandra Trusova this season and learned that “full risk” isn’t a good strategy? It was an especially stupid decision since Kaori hasn’t really had a good season so far and should have really focused on getting the rest of her program back in order instead of risking quads. And just to be clear: I’m not saying this to hate on her. I love Kaori and she’s one of my favourite skaters ever. Which is precisely why I don’t want her or her team to be so careless and risk stuff before it’s ready. Phew. Now that I got that off my chest - Kaori is still a joy to watch. I adore this Matrix program, how she interprets it and how fast she can get on the ice. But that opening 4T-attempt really kept me from fully enjoying it because I just internally screamed “Kaori, what are you doing???” the whole time.

- Bradie... okay look, I think her medal here was deserved, but her score was not. 147? For real? And higher PCS that Rika (barely higher, but still)? Sorry not sorry, but if Bradie gets 70 PCS and Young gets 69, then Rika should be getting 75. Anything else is unfair. I also really want her to learn not to get in people’s way in practice. And if she somehow can’t, they should let her practice by herself. I don’t ever want to see Rika flinch and look scared like that again.

- Young was absolutely amazing. I’m so glad she managed to land the 3A this time! I really enjoyed watching her here. That said, I do think her score was generous, especially the PCS. I really like Young and I think she’s incredibly talented, but right now she pretty much has the same expression on her face throughout the entire program. She’s not performing or interpreting the music well. And it’s understandable, she’s very young and most skaters aren’t amazing performers at that age, but the scores should reflect it. Her getting high 8s and 9s in PE and IN is not justified right now. She should not be getting higher scores there than someone like Wakaba or even Yelim Kim this time. I am happy for her though, congrats on a well-deserved Silver!

- And finally... let’s talk about Rika. God, watching this was really not good for my heart or my nerves. When she popped that first Axel I thought I was going to have a breakdown. I haven’t seen her pop an Axel since Saitama. So glad she managed to pull herself together and not let it get to her! And she even spontaneously added the 2T to the second 3A in the middle of the program. I’ve said it before - that girl has nerves of steel. I’m so happy for her! She’s now the first single skater (male or female) in history to defend a 4CC title. Congratulations on making history bby, you deserve it so much!!

- Also, I’m so glad Rika’s being careful and not giving into this whole sensationalist quad hype. Yes, she’s training a 4S, but she didn’t need it here and wisely decided not to risk it. Because there’s more important things than just adding a quad at any cost and I’m so glad she and her team understand that.

- Also just because I can’t hold back from making some calculations: Rika scored 151.16 here despite popping one of her two planned 3As. A 3A is worth 8.00 points. If she’d landed it with good GOE (let’s say +2), she’d have gotten around 10 points for it. For the 1A that she did instead, she ended up getting 1.10 - so that’s roughly 8.90 points that she left on the table here.

151.16 + 8.90 = 160.06 So basically, correct me if I’m wrong, but Rika would have scored 160 if she’d skated clean? And that’s without a 4S? Holy shit. It’s what she deserves, but I don’t want to get my hopes up for Worlds - I doubt they’ll be as fair to her there. (Or if they will, they’ll just start giving the Eteri girls 170 to make up for it.)

[Edit: I realize now that it’s not quite that simple since she also spontaneously added another -3T to still have the max number of triples... I keep being amazed by how she’s able to improvise, though!]