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Avaleigh

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Everything posted by Avaleigh

  1. I know Dave is controversial, and I understand some of the criticism, but I applaud the deep dive he's done into Russia and various skating topics over the years. I don't always agree with him, but I absolutely love that he loves skating and does his best to get others excited about it. I love Jonathan and will miss him too. I can't justify spending money for his commentary on OnlyFans Patreon, but I absolutely wish him the best and hope he and Jonathan are successful with it.
  2. The only reason I can think of is, for whatever reason, Elena still wants Zubak alive. That was the most interesting scene in the episode for me. He really did a number on her as a parent. I'm curious to learn more about her mother. Did she really go mad or did the father just tell Elena that because he needed to give her a reason for why her mother was no longer present? Not many comments. It's telling that it took me an extra week to get to this episode. It's not exactly must see TV for me the way that Mildred Pierce and Mare of Easttown were.
  3. Ilia was awesome! Hopefully the world takes notice and some young people will be inspired enough to give skating a try. Adam jumped from 19th to third! I never thought he'd finish on the podium. Proud of him for not giving up.
  4. I don't follow Donovan--did he have an injury? I think he's really improved the past three years. As far as the skating countries that don't get as much attention, I feel Italy and Estonia both have a nice group of skaters right now. Georgia is basically Russia lite, but collectively they seem like they'll be competitive in the team event.
  5. Wow, Adam!! I really enjoyed that. Such a fiery second half. He definitely brought it. I hope he's able to have that same energy level next season. Piper and Paul were amazing. I'm a huge Chock and Bates fan, but I'm glad Piper and Paul won the long.
  6. Isabeau!!! How exciting for her! Her first world medal. It's a beautiful program. I'm glad she got to end her season with such an awesome skate. I don't think the Americans have had a silver medal since Ashley. So proud of her! Amber...I just want her to realize one day that she can do this. She's has so much potential, it's hard to see her miss jumps that are so easy for her in practice. Chaeyeon Kim's jumps are fabulous. I thought she had one of the best combos of the night. Loena falling was heartbreaking. I actually yelled an expletive when she fell on the flip. Hubby thinks I'm nuts. I was really hoping this would be Loena's year, but Kaori really threw down though. Kaori! How amazing to have three in a row. She just proves year after year what an incredible competitor she is. Very happy for her. Yeah, I didn't miss the Russians one bit. This worlds has been so fun to watch.
  7. It was really frustrating during the pairs. There were at least three times where the cameras didn't catch both skaters during the side by side jumps. With Deanna and Maxime, I didn't see her land the triple toe, she was completely out of the frame. I only caught it when they were showing the replay before the scores. That happened a couple of other times that night, I think with Miura and Kihara too. So annoying. Watching the ladies now. Maddie's dress is gorgeous. Lots of wonderful skates so far. Gubanova, Kurakova, Kimmy, and Mone Chiba were all great. I'm getting ready to hold my breath during Amber's program.
  8. We are in 100% agreement on this point. The audiences always perk up with the skaters who choose to have a more upbeat program. That isn't to say that there isn't room for softer, delicate, and/or dramatic programs. However, imo, only the best skaters can pull off the emo ballads and the hallelujah warhorses that are so frequently used by skaters these days. I actually liked Deniss's Hallelujah even though Hallelujah is by far my least favorite piece as far as the overdone music choices elite skaters use. Deniss is so talented and artistic that I'm pretty sure I'd like any musical selection he'd choose. There are a handful of skaters who are talented enough where they can skate to anything they want and I'm here for it. The people whose skating skills aren't quite on that level, I think with the short program it's better to choose popular, uptempo music. Make the choreography fun and win the crowd over--to me that makes more sense than choosing music that drags and feels even more sad when a skater makes a mistake.
  9. I edited my post. I'm not sure why I thought that especially since I saw Camden fall. Watching the pairs now. A lot more mistakes from people this time around.
  10. Yikes, you guys, my heart hurts for Adam. That was hard to watch. 19th is even worse than I expected. Shoma was wonderful. He's everything a skater is supposed to be. The perfect balance of artistry and athleticism. Ilia definitely wasn't happy with his scores but I think the judges got it right. Yuma was great. Jason is 4th! Not bad at all. So far this has been a very entertaining worlds. There have been some disappointments but there have been a lot of greats skates. I hope this energy continues into the long programs.
  11. Anybody else having audio issues with Peacock? Doing the live watch of the men--Donovan! I can definitely say that he has improved each year. I remember when he didn't have any quads at all. His skating needs more polish and he needs to work on his skating skills, but he definitely seems like he loves the sport and that's always nice to see. I haven't seen Roman skate that well in awhile. He has an elegant quality to his skating that I really appreciate. He has the potential to be a full package skater. I hope he keeps it up for the long. Jason was great. Anyone who thinks he still shouldn't be in it--Camden might have the jumps, but he hasn't really been able to deliver. Jason can still deliver, even without a quad. Deniss was great. He seemed so happy! Selevko had a rough skate, but I still think he's one to watch. Lukas reminds me of Jacob on Abbott Elementary. Ready for the final flight.
  12. I was surprised by how engaged I was. Pairs might not quite be in top tier shape, but the bright spots were very bright indeed. I am not familiar with Minerva and Nikita of Germany, but I thought they were wonderful! I'm very curious to see where they'll be by the time the Olympics roll around. Deanna and Max are exciting to watch. Deanna in particular has so much fire. She wants it so much, it's so exciting to watch her at this point in her journey. It was a lot of fun to watch them have such a solid skate. Miura and Kihara were very good. There program wasn't as exciting as Deanna and Max's, but I enjoyed it. Is it too much to hope that two American teams can crack the top ten?
  13. On the plus side: I'm glad that Isabeau had a strong skate especially after that tough nationals. She seemed really happy with the program so that was nice to see. Haein Lee and You Young were both so good!! I'm glad to see that You Young is stronger than she was looking earlier in the season. Sometimes it ends up being the other way around. Loena was great. I don't mind her dress or her program. She always looks like she's having a blast, so that helps make her programs exciting to me. Bummers: With Amber, this sort of thing is becoming pretty habitual. I can't remember the last time she put two clean programs together. We know the loop is one of her easiest jumps that's why she chose it as her solo jump for the short. It's clearly not about her training or talent or anything like that. Nina Pinzarrone--what a shame. She's been having such a terrific season, it's a bummer to see her finish this way. Fingers crossed she kills it in the long. Kaori--she almost seemed like she had too much power and energy. It wasn't a bad skate at all though. Glad she's still in striking distance. Gubanova--I almost thought she wouldn't qualify for the free skate. That missed combo was so odd. There was no reason she couldn't have squeaked out a double toe. It looked like she gave up. Almost like she forgot this wasn't a practice run.
  14. As much as I love Kaori, I'd like to see Loena bring home gold this year. Regarding Amber, if she delivers two clean programs and one triple axel, I don't see why she couldn't finish third. I'm pretty sure that first and second are out of the question though unless a lot of mistakes are made from the top medal contenders. AFAIK she isn't planning on trying a triple axel in the short. If she could do it in both programs though that would go a long way towards her being a major threat to the other top tier ladies.
  15. Same. I'm going to keep watching, but it hasn't had that spark moment for me yet where it takes off and I'm pumped for the next episode or the overall journey. I liked the scenes with Winslet and Martha Plimpton. Her character is a little patronizing with Elana and seems to think this is going to be easier than it turns out to be. Then the moment where she realizes that Elena is disturbed enough to have her people threaten her physical safety--the tension there was good and I wasn't entirely sure how far they were going to take this intimidation tactic. Regarding the lack of comments, yeah, I thought there would be more for both episodes. I finally looked at the reviews from critics and we're not alone in finding the show uneven and, at times, even a little underwhelming. I feel validated that at least some critics think The Regime is all over the place in terms of deciding what kind of show it wants to be. I just thought I was too dense to get it, but when even the people whose job it is to write about this stuff can't figure out what this show is trying to be, I think it's safe to say the showrunners didn't hit the mark.
  16. I think she needed a break to reevaluate whether or not she still has a passion for skating. I think she's coming back with the goal of wanting to compete in the team event in the next Olympics. I say this because if it was really about the Russians then she would have continued to compete knowing the Russians wouldn't be in for the 2023 and 2024 seasons. She was well positioned to be the American frontrunner if she'd stayed for the last two seasons. (Will the Russians be back for the 2026 Olympics?) I just hope her coming back is what she wants to do and that she isn't being pushed by others. Hopefully we'll get to see programs where her personality shines through and it's less about what other people think she should be as a skater. I don't think she needs to worry about quads, but it would be nice if she could hit a fully rotated 3A. It would be awesome if she and Amber could both consistently land them to the point where they could include it in their short programs too. That would give the Americans a real advantage in the team event.
  17. I didn't hate it, and I enjoyed Kate Winslet's other HBO projects so much that I'm hopeful I'll come around to enjoying this series almost as much. It's definitely flawed, but there were some bright spots here and there. There's definitely some offbeat humor. This brings me to one of the problems with the show though. There are some parts that are sort of funny, but not funny enough for me to label this a comedy, not even a dark comedy. It's not really a drama either though. I honestly couldn't tell you which genre they're going for and that in itself is problematic at least IMO. As far as tone, it's kind of all over the place. Still, I'm intrigued enough to want to know more about the Elena character. How did she turn out this way? What was her father like? What's her ultimate objective for her country? What I found interesting is how she has just enough awareness to not want the Americans to see her obsessive side. It's funny that she has no problem giving a not so great musical performance for the American politicians, but draws the line at them finding out about her humidity obsession. The show hasn't won me over yet, but I want to see more. I'll have a better sense by the next couple episodes.
  18. I wanted to reply to this before the forums went down. Yes, it was a little hard to watch how thin the pairs field is right now. I'm guessing some of these teams didn't have much competition at sectionals because there were only 10 teams. Gone are the days when there'd be 12-15 pair teams at nationals. Honestly, the field isn't that deep internationally either. Even though I don't enjoy admitting it, I can be fair enough to acknowledge that pairs is the only discipline where I absolutely feel the absence of the Russians. Men, ladies, and dance are still incredibly deep. There are multiple top notch exciting skaters who keep the competition interesting and make it feel like it isn't set in stone who will win. I don't miss the Russians in those disciplines at all. That being said there are some notable bright spots in pairs that keep me watching. Miura and Kihara have been a delight to watch the past three years and are hopefully inspiring the next generation of pairs skaters. Conti and Macii are getting better every season and I look forward to seeing how they do in the team event at the Olympics in two years. If Italy gets the right woman they could have a real shot for the bronze in 2026. Deanna Stellato is beyond fierce and inspiring. I love how many men and women in figure skating are proving that age really is just a number.
  19. Yeah, I'm im the minority about Adam and Ashley although I will admit to enjoying Adam's commentary over Ashley's. That's why I said in a perfect world my new line up would be Adam, Polina and Terry. It's a fair point that they talk a lot, but I think for me the content of what they have to say doesn't grate on my nerves the way Johnny's commentary does. At this past nationals he particularly annoyed me during Jason Brown's long. Hey, it wouldn't be the first time I've disagreed with people over at Golden Skate. They can be extra savage with the commentary over there. That's why I only lurk.
  20. Agreed that Johnny and Tara are better than Scott and Sandra, but after ten years I'd like to see a new lineup. Terry can stay though. I think he's great. Thinking on old commentators, I also can't say that I miss Peter Carruthers. I still remember the way he seemed more preoccupied with certain skaters looks as opposed to their skating. Regarding Lindsay Thorngren, my biggest issue with her is that she seems miserable out there. It's entirely possible that skating is her greatest joy and I'm totally reading it incorrectly, but she reminds me of the kind of skaters who are skating because they feel they have to, not because they particularly want to. As far as her actual skating, the jumps need work and the UR issues with her are pretty constant--that being said, I do see a big improvement this season with her overall skating skills save the jumps. I think her spins are, to quote Uncle Dick, first rate and her footwork has definitely improved. Next season I'd like to see her with programs that she really enjoys and maybe that will help. Starr Andrews skating skills aren't quite as good as Lindsay's (IMO) but the joy she has for skating is obvious and it makes her programs fun to watch even when she makes mistakes. Part of the appeal to me is that she generally chooses music she connects to.
  21. I enjoyed listening to Adam and Ashley at nationals. I'm hoping they're going to be the B team I get to listen to when the Olympics rolls around. It's funny that I very much prefered listening to Johnny and Tara back when they were the B team at Sochi. They were much better to listen to than Scott and Sandra. Now though I'd like to see them replaced. My perfect team would be Adam and Polina, but I'd settle for Adam and Ashley. With Johnny, I'm a little tired of his bias towards the Russians. It even extends to favoring Russian Americans and skaters who are coached by Russians and/or former Soviet skaters. Like he thinks no other skating school styles have anything to offer.
  22. Pairs skaters have been able to do side by side triples since the late 80s and early 90s. Yes, side by side triples are a challenging element, but many teams complete them successfully. Too many to list. Also, this isn't a male female issue. Consider when Aliona Savchenko was with Robin Szolkowy. He fell on their side by side triples at two different Olympics while she landed hers. There are other examples of women hitting their jumps while the men make mistakes. Mistakes happen, there's nothing to suggest that side by side triples are too difficult for most women to perform. I also don't like the idea of making an element easier on the grounds that the women supposedly aren't strong enough to handle it. US pairs might not be in a great place right now, but it'll eventually get better. It just takes one strong team to light a fire that inspires others.
  23. Go Amber! I'm so happy she's finally a national champion. I gasped audibly when she doubled the lutz. Prior to that moment I honestly thought she was finally going to have that magical skate. Then when she popped I was so bummed. I thought Isabeau had it in the bag. I feel so bad for Isabeau. I was surprised by the first fall, but by the third I was absolutely stunned. I don't think I've been that surprised with the ladies long since Michelle tanked in '97. I'm so happy for Amber and Josephine but feel terrible for Isabeau. The competition was more exciting than I thought it would be.
  24. Too bad. I was so looking forward to seeing her compete here. Hopefully she has an amazing skate at 4CC and is chosen for the world team. I too am curious why nationals is so late this year. I always look forward to nationals, but I feel like this year isn't going to be especially exciting. I don't think there are going to be any surprises as far as the winners go.
  25. I didn't think that backflips were illegal because of any potential danger factor. I thought the decision to keep them out of competition early on was to keep the sport from becoming gymnastics on ice. I'm curious now to know though what the "official" reason is. That being said, I mostly agree with you. I think my primary concern is that I don't want a backflip to become yet another element that everyone feels they have to do in order to get more points. I worry that every program will include them even from skaters who don't do them well. Still, I don't think skaters should lose points with these tumbling style elements. I just don't want a backflip to turn into an unofficial requirement. Theoretically though if people want to have the option of including a "leap" of some kind on the choreo sequence, I'm more than okay with that. It seems to excite the audience and viewers, and skating is in a place where it really needs a shot in the arm. If it takes backflips to get more people to watch, I say why not?
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