Figure Skating

[apgold]

 

What is required of elite athletes in this sport is truly astounding.

 

Agreed, and don't forget Gracie's stress fracture.  It took Karen a long time to recover from her ankle injury to get the point where she could skate lights out like she did at Nationals.  I always wonder why some skaters are more prone to injury than others.  It could be their coaching schedule and possibly technique or a mixture of those.  

[MaryMitch]

I just watched the European Championship highlights on NBC. On the ladies side, Tuktamysheva was the only one that seemed to connect with the audience; the others were just jump, wave arms, slow spin, jump, jump... she played a character. Very enjoyable to watch.

[specialj67]

 

Tuktamysheva was the only one that seemed to connect with the audience

 

I think that's why I like her over any of the other Russian ladies on the scene right now. Her experience, even though she's only a couple of years older, is such an asset when you notice how she projects through her whole programs and the other do not. I want to like Radionova more, but she still seems quite junior-ish in some of her movements, which you know, 16 and all--to be expected. And Pogorilaya doesn't connect AT ALL in her long program this season, noticably so at Euros. The ladies' competition overall at Euros was kind of a bore since it was pretty obvious who was going to medal, barring major meltdowns, which is too bad because the two Swedish skaters had some nice qualities but were nowhere close on the technical score. I hope it'll be more of a contest at Worlds.

[alexa]

The skating gymnastics special was not good. They choose boring musical acts and instead of seeing skaters and gymnasts I see just Cody and the girl from the voice. I wish they would not have live music at these events. I did like Charlie and Meryl's first routine.

Edited February 9, 2015 by alexa

[attica]

Tip to skaters using opera vocalists in their programs: when the singer hits an extended high note, your choreography should not have you scrunching up into a crouch spin (even if you pop out of it dramatically later). You're not being inventively interpretive; you're doing it wrong. Yes, Mr. Brezina: I'm talking to you.

[Barbara Manatee]

The skating gymnastics special was not good.

 

The combination of skating, gymnastics, and singing was so awkward, because they all basically ignored one another. Terrible camera work, too. I don't mind live performers on the skating shows, and I thought O.A.R. worked very well last week. But Danielle and Cody didn't seem to have a clue how to connect to the atheletes. It got to be kind of funny, watching her staring off into space while the gymnasts were tumbling all around her. I could almost see her thinking "I'm going to kill my agent for this."

[Good Queen Jane]

This provides the broadcast schedule for Four Continents, which starts on Wednesday in Seoul, Korea.

 

As usual, icenetwork.com will provide live stream of the event, although some of it will be in the wee hours of the morning, especially if you are in the Eastern or Central time zones. They also will have video of the events on demand. Universal Sports TV will broadcast the short programs and the Pairs Free Skate and Free Dance on tape delay. NBC will air the Ladies and Men’s Free Skate, but not until February 21.

 

Here is a list of the live streaming and broadcast times for Four Continents. All times listed are EASTERN:

 

Icenetwork Live Streaming

Wednesday, February 11:    9:30 pm - Short Dance

Thursday, February 12:       12:10 am - Pairs Short Program

                                             3:15 am - Men’s Short Program

                                            11:30 pm - Free Dance

Friday, February 13:           3:00 am - Ladies Short Program

Saturday, February 14:       12:30 am - Pairs Free Skate

                                             3:30 am - Men’s Free Skate

                                          10:30 pm - Ladies Free Skate

 

Universal Sports TV

Thursday, February 12:       2:00 pm - Short Dance

                                            3:00 pm - Pairs Short Program

                                            4:00 pm - Men’s Short Program

 

Friday, February 13:           2:00 pm - Free Dance

                                            3:00 pm - Ladies Short Program

Saturday, February 14:       10:00 am - Pairs Free Skate

 

NBC

Saturday, February 21:       3:00 - 5:00 pm - Ladies and Men’s Free Skate

 

As always, check your local listings for the times in your area and for any changes.

 

The draw at Four Continents is a weighted draw, meaning that the “not ready for prime time” skaters draw for the early groups and the ranked skaters draw for the later groups.

[specialj67]

Only caught the end of the coverage on Universal this afternoon--super stoked to see Denis Ten do so well. I hope this time he carries that through the free skate. I tried to check the other results on the ISU website but kept getting redirect errors; is anyone else having this problem?

[Good Queen Jane]

I couldn't get on until late last night. It's working now.

 

Jason Brown decided to try out his quad for the first time in competition. It didn't work out too well and threw off his Triple Axel too. But it's good that he is at least trying.

[apgold]

Denis' SP was gorgeous to watch - what a huge 3A he had.  He's so far ahead points wise, I think he will take gold over Shoma Uno, who's another junior to senior level superstar in the making.  It was nice to see that most of the top men had SB points.  Josh Farris is in 5th place - he was the only US man to skate clean.  Good for Jason for trying, but I think he got about 2 points for his quad, which hurt him. Otherwise he would've been in the low 80s with his score.

 

Ladies' was more underwhelming - Gracie is in 2nd behind Satoko Miyahara, despite a subpar SP where she singled her axel and ran into the boards during her 3-3.  If Gracie wasn't Gracie, her score would've been much lower, IMO.

[honeywest]

Silver for Josh Farris!

 

I thought Pang and Tong were retiring after last season. 

[ChicksDigScars]

Holy crap. The Chinese Federation STILL won't let those two retire? They're both 35 years old! I hope that they at least were allowed to get married. 

Edited February 15, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[Brattinella]

How are you folks getting to see all this competition?  All we have is crappy NBC.

[BelleBrit]

I assume that it's a mix of people watching on Universal, Ice Network, or on Youtube.  Since it's over, hoping that people are ok with me posting now...

 

Well I thought that maybe Gracie wouldn't quite keep it together in the free since she has had tendency to double triples/pop some this season, but she did a lot worse than I was expecting her to. It wasn't a Lipnitskaya level meltdown, but she seemed even more "off" this time around than she has at other times this season. Is something else going on? I know that she had the injury, but she seemed to be showing some overall improvement in the LP at nationals  as compared to the rest of her season. I'm not even particularly a fan of hers (though she can be enjoyable when "on"), but I was rooting for her here just to keep things spicy leading up to worlds. I do think, both in the SP here and in general this season, that she has been doing some error filled performances that would not have been so generously rewarded if she was a newcomer as opposed to being Gracie Gold. Maybe not medaling here will help renew her focus? I know that lots of people are complaining about her packaging/programs being a component in her not being able to do as well, but I disagree and think it's all mental. As for Polina, good for her, I think that I might be more of a fan of the actual skating if I liked her programs/packaging/personality better. I know the part about her personality is  terribly unfair, but I am a skating fan and not a judge so I can admit to being biased. Mostly it was her inability to acknowledge the edge calls on her flips and saying it's a question for "other people" in her teleconference  that bugged me. Still, it has to feel good to not only win, but to beat Gracie, since Gracie has kind of been underperforming this season but has continued to place higher than Polina. I actually liked Polina's LP at the beginning of the season (not sure why, I think it was the twizzles), but it kind of fizzled out for me in the end.

[selkie]

I can get behind Polina like I can Ashley because neither come across as malicious even as they signal that they aren't happy playing the same old 'I went out and skated my best and hoped the judges liked it' game, a game that seems to encourage the same old waiting of your turn unless you're Russian.

 

I also find Polina more visually interesting than a lot of the women out there- she just needs to work on programs that seem to fit her interesting body language (maybe her graceful-awkward is like ANTM's ugly-pretty)  on the ice better.

Edited February 16, 2015 by selkie

[BelleBrit]

I can get behind Polina like I can Ashley because neither come across as malicious even as they signal that they aren't happy playing the same old 'I went out and skated my best and hoped the judges liked it' game, a game that seems to encourage the same old waiting of your turn unless you're Russian.

 

Yeah, for me the difference is that Ashley seems to acknowledge a lot of what her shortcomings are and that she is working on them, whereas Polina did not seem to want to acknowledge them in the teleconference. But again, she otherwise seems like a sweet girl and even if she were a horrible person it should be all about the skating (plus sometimes it's asking a lot of these women to be so media trained, especially at the age of 16). Hard to know what she really thinks since I'm just basing it on her press conferences. It was just surprising that she gave that response instead of saying that her team is working on it. Though if people are telling her the edges are fine, then I guess I can see why she would have that response? I think I'm just trying to pinpoint what isn't "wowing" me about her, and was wondering if it was my own biases. What she is doing should technically be very impressive to me...even with the underrotation and edge calls, she still landed everything in her LPS on the grand prix. Not sure. Does her skating seem slow to people at times? The triple flip half loop triple salchow is not pretty to me when anyone does it. I do like her spins.

[apgold]

4CC's was certainly a mixed bag this year.  The men were mostly fantastic and congrats to Denis Ten on his well deserved win as well as Josh Farris and Han Yan, who both overcame challenges from the Grand Prix series to medal here.  

 

The ladies, OTOT, were not so great.  I loved Zijun Li and wish she had placed higher - she has the prettiest layback I've seen in a long time.  Congrats to Polina for surprising everyone with 2 clean performances and winning here.  Gracie, what can I say?  She could have easily taken gold here, but her nerves and mental issues got to her.  I'm glad I'm not a huge Gracie fan b/c I'd be so disappointed that she continues to struggle this season (I have enough of that w/Mirai!).  I love Samantha Cesario and her portrayal of Carmen, but she needs to retire that routine and work on her speed and edge issues.  She almost always skates clean and is a great performer and I wish her results were higher.

 

Not so into pairs and Ice Dance, but glad the Shibs had an awesome showing in their SD.  Congrats to Duhamel/Radford on another win - I don't love their style but love how they push the technical envelope.  And I loved Pang/Tong's routines, even though they weren't perfect.  Nice to see some old folks show them how it's done!

 

Now we have a long break until Worlds in late March.  That should be exciting :)

Edited February 17, 2015 by apgold

[Good Queen Jane]

Pang and Tong want to skate at Worlds this year since it is in China. They skated at 4CC as a warm up. Hopefully, they will in fact retire after Worlds and go off and have babies.

 

I had such hopes for Adam Rippon after Nationals, but he seems to be following in Jeremy Abbott's footsteps. Adam got a one point deduction for starting late. C'mon, they call your name, you skate to your starting position, and you go. How hard is that?

[Brattinella]

Oh, boy!  NBC is gonna give us two whole hours of skating today!

[Harry24]

The men's event was great; the ladies ... meh.  Although I'm happy for Polina, I don't like her programs this year.  Anyone know why she's not working with Klimova anymore?  I thought her programs last year were charming.

 

It's so weird that the winning pair that's dominating the season is like the fifth best pair in the world.  I really enjoyed all three Chinese pairs at the 4CCs, although I had the following question and comments about Sui/Han: 1) Sui really looks like Michelle Kwan's skating double; same body type, same knee action; 2) powder blue with fluttery blue hair ribbons made weird costuming for the darkly dramatic Tchaikovsky of their long.  Question for our experts (Good Queen Jane, are you around?): what happened with their pair spin?  Why did they get no points for it?  I couldn't see anything obvious like a foot coming down that shouldn't.

[Good Queen Jane]

Han did touch the tip of his skate down during the second spin. It was brief but with the super slo-mo the technical specialists have, it was noticeable. When the skate touches the ice, they stop counting revolutions, which meant he didn't make three turns for that spin, which means it didn't count and, since the element requires three spins with changes of positions, they didn't complete the element. No points. (I know, I know, but rules are rules.) For whatever reason, the Chinese pair skaters are not good spinners, so they usually do the minimum and sometimes that bites them.

 

In other Pairs news, the Russian news service R-Sport reported Saturday that reigning World Pairs silver medalists Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia won't compete at the 2015 World Championships. Their spot will be taken by Kristina Ashtakova and Andrei Rogonov, who finished 4th at the Russian Nationals and 3rd in the Rostelecom Grand Prix event. According to the report, Russian Skating Federation President Alexander Kogan and the team’s coaches decided months ago that Stolbova and Klimov would end their season before the World Championships. This would allow Stolbova and Klimov to start working on adding a quad throw to their Free Skate for next year, as well as get an early start on next year’s programs.

 

This is a very odd announcement. Isn’t the point of skating all season to get to Worlds? Why would you deny one of your top Pairs teams an opportunity to possibly win a medal at Worlds? Yes, Stolbova and Klimov don’t have a quad throw in their repertoire, but really, only a couple of teams have that move. Stolbova and Klimov could win a medal - maybe even a gold medal - if they skate their programs clean and some of the other teams mess up their jumps or throws. Anything can happen at Worlds, especially in Pairs.

 

There has to be more to the story than Stolbova and Klimov just want to get a head start on next year. Either there is some behind-the-scenes political situation that is keeping them from going to Worlds or “the glare” we saw from Stolbova at Europeans when Klimov fell is an indication that this team is not a happy one and need a break from each other.

Edited February 24, 2015 by Good Queen Jane

[Harry24]

Han did touch the tip of his skate down during the second spin. It was brief but with the super slo-mo the technical specialists have, it was noticeable.

 

Ah, I see.  Thanks, GQJ.  You really are the Queen of the figure skating forum.

[Good Queen Jane]

Juniors Worlds begin this week on Wednesday, March 4, in Estonia. The U.S. has  several skaters who could contend for medals, such as Nathan Chen and Andrew Torgashev in Men, Karen Chen in Ladies, and McNamara and Carpenter in Dance.

 

Unfortunately, there is no U.S. TV coverage of this event, although icenetwork will live-stream the event and offer archive video to subscribers. The CBC in Canada is offering TV coverage of the Free Skates, and you also can probably find video of individual performances posted on YouTube not long after an event ends. 

 

Below is the broadcast schedule for Junior Worlds. All times listed are EASTERN.
 

Icenetwork.com Live Streaming

 

Wednesday, March 4:  3:30 am – Ladies Short Program

                              11:45 am – Pairs Short Program

Thursday, March 5:     6:45 am – Short Dance

                              12:00 noon – Pairs Free Skate

Friday, March 6:          3:45 am – Men’s Short Program

                               11:00 am – Ladies Free Skate

Saturday, March 7:      6:30 am – Free Dance

                               11:00 am – Men’s Free Skate

 

For those of you in Canada or who can pick up the CBC in the U.S., the TV broadcast schedule is:

 

Thursday, March 5: 12:00 noon – Pairs Free Skate

Friday, March 6:      11:00 am – Ladies Free Skate

Saturday, March 7:   6:30 am – Free Dance

                            11:00 am – Men’s Free Skate

                             3:00 pm – Pairs/Ladies Free Skate

Edited March 2, 2015 by Good Queen Jane

[CCee123]

For those who like ice dancing ABC is repeating the Shall We Dance on Ice special today at 4est/3cst.  I really thought it was one of the best skating shows I've seen since the hay-day of SOI. Along with Davis & White they included Lang & Tcheryshev, Anissina & Peizerat, Belbin & Agosto, and more.  I enjoyed how it seemed more like a coherent show rather than separate exhibition programs.  The only downside was the musical act at the end but she's easily ignored.

[carrier76]

 

I think I'm just trying to pinpoint what isn't "wowing" me about her, and was wondering if it was my own biases.

I am in the same boat about Polina.  She seems like a nice kid.  She obviously works hard.  But...meh?  Johnny called her Tinkerbell music "colorless" and he's correct.  It's blah.  Her LP costume is godawful.  I mean, between that super twee 80s-looking pink leotard and TINKERBELL, what is she driving at?  Eh.

[Harry24]

I am in the same boat about Polina.  She seems like a nice kid.  She obviously works hard.  But...meh?  Johnny called her Tinkerbell music "colorless" and he's correct.  It's blah.  Her LP costume is godawful.  I mean, between that super twee 80s-looking pink leotard and TINKERBELL, what is she driving at?  Eh.

 

What did you think about her programs from last year, carrier?  I thought they were charming and made me really warm to her.  This year's numbers are much more beige.  The LP was done by Galindo, so I'm a bit surprised that it's a miss.  I don't know who was the creator of the SP.

[BelleBrit]

Speaking for myself, I liked Polina's programs a lot more last year, though she still wasn't that exciting to me. I read on Ice Network that her mother (who is also one of her coaches) picks out her music, which was a bit of an ah-ha (not to be mean) moment for me. Polina recently did an interview with The Skating Lesson, and she responded to questions about criticisms of her Peter Pan program. It's obvious (even though her mom picked the music) that she really likes the music and that it excites her. She said that she likes programs that are subtle/thinks of herself as more of a "lyrical" skater, and that lots of times people go for the dramatic music instead of something more subtle. Again trying to pinpoint what doesn't work for me, I think of her as more of a "clinical" skater who doesn't really bring the emotion yet needed to pull off some of these lyrical programs. But she's still young. One thing that I like about the program is that it, for the most part, seems to have transitions. Sorry, the lack of transitions in Ashley's Moulin Rouge program still really bugs me and I think it will prevent me from ever liking that program or rooting for her at Worlds until she adds more in.

 

What does everyone think of Karen Chen's finish at JR Worlds? She came in 8th. I was impressed with her at nationals and definitely thought she had a breakthrough performance, but I actually wasn't that surprised with her finish at JR worlds. She did very well at nationals, but sometimes the scores get so inflated that it gives people unrealistic expectations re: translating to the international scene. She missed the JR grand prix final and competition seemed very stiff at JR worlds, so I wasn't sure about people predicting a podium finish. I still think she has a bright future (and has been injured in the past and could still be getting over it), and it's probably best for her sake that she doesn't ascend the stratosphere too quickly, since we've seen what can happen when kids get the hype when they are so young. Not to further be a worry wart , but her body type worries me. I think that I'm just going to have to get used to the fact that US skaters nowadays aren't going to have that Michelle-Kwan consistency in the COP era.

[specialj67]

 

I think of her as more of a "clinical" skater who doesn't really bring the emotion yet needed to pull off some of these lyrical programs. But she's still young.

 

I was trying to think of a way to say basically what you said here but mine was more rambly. So yeah, THIS. I think as she improves her interpretation and projection, her programs might pop more. She and her team did a better job of it in her SP this season, in my opinion, because the music was more dynamic.

[selkie]

Agreed, and don't forget Gracie's stress fracture.  It took Karen a long time to recover from her ankle injury to get the point where she could skate lights out like she did at Nationals.  I always wonder why some skaters are more prone to injury than others.  It could be their coaching schedule and possibly technique or a mixture of those.  

 

Hate to say it, but I think that poor nutrition/female athlete triad also plays a role in terms of some athletes'  tendency to get injured.

 

My take on Karen Chen's long program at Nationals was that it was skated extremely well and that I was going to remember nothing about it ten minutes after she finished other than she seemed in the zone that night.  There was just something rather generic about it, and it wouldn't surprise me if she got kind of forgotten in the shuffle at some events where she wasn't in that same zone. Even though I agree that Tinkerbell was a miss this season, at least Polina can set herself apart with her spins.

 

Sad news out of Argentina today. Philippe Candeloro is safe but ten others from cast and crew are dead following a helicopter crash during the filming of a French reality show he was participating in.

[Good Queen Jane]

U.S. Ladies skater Caroline Zhang had major surgery on March 3 to a correct congenital hip dysplasia and femoral acetabular impingement, a condition which led to a labral tear in her right hip. The labral tear in her hip couldn’t be repaired until the first two issues were addressed.

 

Now, if you are like me and missed medical school, you probably aren’t sure what all of the above means. Here is Zhang’s description of the surgery: “Essentially, they cut your pelvis apart and reposition it so that the socket is covering the femoral head again. I'm feeling okay; I had allergic reactions to the dressing they used and to the pain medication, so I'm still in the hospital, but definitely doing better now."

 

Zhang says the recovery time is 9 to 12 months so she will miss next season. However, she also stated that she would like to complete again in the 2016-17 season.

 

Zhang finished 17th in Senior Ladies at last January’s Nationals and she finished 19th at the 2014 Nationals in Boston, so I’m a bit surprised that she is talking about competing in 2016-17. A major surgery like the above could be interpreted as a sign from the Skating Gods that it is time to call it a career. However, maybe the surgery will help her correct her skating problems and she will be among the contenders again (stranger things have happened). She will be 22 in May.

[MaKaM]

U.S. Ladies skater Caroline Zhang had major surgery on March 3 to a correct congenital hip dysplasia and femoral acetabular impingement, a condition which led to a labral tear in her right hip. The labral tear in her hip couldn’t be repaired until the first two issues were addressed.

 

Now, if you are like me and missed medical school, you probably aren’t sure what all of the above means. Here is Zhang’s description of the surgery: “Essentially, they cut your pelvis apart and reposition it so that the socket is covering the femoral head again. I'm feeling okay; I had allergic reactions to the dressing they used and to the pain medication, so I'm still in the hospital, but definitely doing better now."

 

Zhang says the recovery time is 9 to 12 months so she will miss next season. However, she also stated that she would like to complete again in the 2016-17 season.

 

I wish her luck but am thinking that the ship has sailed. Now if she does go back to skating and thanks to the missed time, has to relearn everything and develop proper technique, maybe she has a chance (a la Joannie Rochette) but it seems like it is a slim one. It is too bad since she seemed to have so much promise (much like Mirai) that it didn't come together for her. If she retains her flexibility and extension, she could be a very pretty show skater; no one ever said a bad thing about her spins (other than maybe they were too slow). I wonder how much her mule kick technique contributed to her hip problems.

[Harry24]

I wonder how much her mule kick technique contributed to her hip problems.

 

I was wondering if it might be at the root of the mule kick technique in the first place.

[apgold]

Hoping that Caroline recovers successfully, and if she chooses to resume competitive skating in the future, I wish her the best.

 

Worlds is starting in about a week, anyone care to make predictions/wishes?

 

I just want everyone to skate well, no splatfests.  Would be happy with some American medals in the mix (and not just ice dance) this year.   I think Ashley has a shot at the podium - and it will be her, Elena and Liza battling it out.  Ashley has the best PCS generally speaking so if she doesn't flutz and skates like she did at nationals, I think she will break the drought.  I'm not counting Gracie out either - hope she can finally deliver this season.  Polina is the wild card, too, but I think she will be top 5 or 6.

 

I think Yuzu will win again unless he's not in good shape after his surgery.  I think it will be Javi and Denis on the podium but would love it if Josh could sneak on there somehow but now that he's announced he's not putting a quad in his short, I don't think it's possible.

Edited March 17, 2015 by apgold

[BelleBrit]

Yes, popular sentiment is that Liza, Elena, and Ashley will be on the podium in some order, and I agree that it will probably be something like that. Hopefully there will be no implosions with people still getting medals. But I wouldn't mind some surprises. Liza will apparently be trying the triple axel in the short, which is exciting and I think commendable, because the way she has been scored this year even though she had only a triple toe triple toe in the short, I feel like she almost didn't have to try and push the boundaries. If someone had told me at the beginning of this year that Ashley would be a likely contender for a World medal this year, after last Olympics and worlds, I would have thought that they were delusional (I was never in the pool of thinking she should retire, but I thought that's how the wind was blowing), so she should be proud of herself. I am not personally a fan of her or her programs, but on the positive side I think that the success of her Moulin Rouge LP could make other people be more willing to try programs with lyrics, so that we are not hearing the same old war horses. I think people were cautious this year since it was the first time lyrics were allowed. It will be a hot mess, but hey, Elena uses J Lo in her short!

[apgold]

 

I am not personally a fan of her or her programs, but on the positive side I think that the success of her Moulin Rouge LP could make other people be more willing to try programs with lyrics, so that we are not hearing the same old war horses.

 

The only program of Ashley’s I really liked before this season was her Black Swan, the arm movements were cheesy but effective, her others kind of left me cold, even Samson and Delilah. 

 

I absolutely love her Moulin Rouge and the music cut is perfect for her – I give a lot of credit to Shae Lynn Bourne who choreographed it.  I think she and Ashley are a great match of skater and choreographer (the same could be said for Jeff Buttle and Josh Farris) as Shae Lynn seems to really get Ashley’s style and brings out her strengths.  The program has also evolved over the season and I’ve heard that they were adding some more transitions for Worlds.

 

I do hope they keep the lyrics going forward and this will open up more options for the skaters.  They can’t keep doing Phantom and Carmen ad nauseum.

[Good Queen Jane]

Merle Davis and Charlie White are finalists for this year's Sullivan Award, which honors amateur athletes. You can vote for them at http://review.wizehive.com/voting/sullivan2015.

[selkie]

I just saw a promo for Worlds on Universal Sports. Announcer talked up 'America's sweetheart, Gracie Gold' Polina (no last name) got a brief mention, and then there was a wee clip of Ashley.

 

Interesting to see promotion the inverse of likely finishing order unless Gracie manages to get her head back together.

[MostlyC]

I want Ashley to medal.  This might be the best shot she has.

[Good Queen Jane]

The 2015 World Figure Skating Championships start on Wednesday, March 25, in Shanghai, China. Well, technically, because of the time difference and international dateline, they start Tuesday night in the U.S., but that’s Wednesday in China.

 

The roster of competitors is listed on the ISU site at: http://www.isuresults.com/events/fsevent00051612.htm. Just click on the discipline to see the list of competitors in that field. The draw at Worlds is a weighted one, with the lowest ranked skaters drawing for skating positions in the early groups, and the highest ranked skaters drawing for positions in the last groups. There is a “cut” after the short programs. The top 24 finishers in Men and Ladies after the Short advance to the Free Skate. In Pairs, it’s the top 16 and, in Dance, the top 20.

 

In order to get 3 entries into the 2016 Worlds in Boston, a country’s top two placements in each discipline must add up to 13 or less; to get 2 entries, a country’s top two placements must add up to 28 or less. If a country has only 1 entry in a discipline, that skater has to finish in the top 2 to get the country 3 entries for 2016, and in the top 10 to earn 2 entries. Prize money is awarded to the top 12 finishers in each discipline.

 

BROADCAST TIMES

Icenetwork will live stream the entire competition from Shanghai, albeit at sort of weird times because of the schedule and that time change/international dateline stuff. Universal Sports TV will show the top skaters in all the Short Programs and the finals of Dance and Pairs.NBC will show the Men and Ladies finals, and they are going to do it in primetime on Saturday, March 28 (they’re betting that there will be some U.S. skaters in the hunt for medals).The CBC will air Worlds in Canada.

 

Below is the broadcast schedule for Worlds. All times listed are EASTERN. Be sure to check your local listings for the times in your area and any changes.

 

Icenetwork Live Streaming

 

Tuesday, March 24: 9:30 pm - Short Dance

 

Wednesday, March 25: 6:00 am - Pairs Short Program

                               10:30 pm - Ladies Short Program

 

Thursday, March 26: 7:00 am - Pairs Free Skate

                              10:30 pm - Free Dance

 

Friday, March 27: 4:30 am - Men’s Short Program

                        10:30 pm - Ladies Free Skate

 

Saturday, March 28: 5:45 am - Men’s Free Skate

 

Universal Sports TV

 

Wednesday, March 25: 1:00 - 4:00 pm - Short Dance, Pairs Short Program

 

Thursday, March 26: 1:00-3:00 - Ladies Short Program

                             3:00 - 4:30 pm - Pairs Free Skate

 

Friday, March 26: 1:00 - 2:30 pm - Free Dance

                         2:30 - 4:30 pm - Men’s Short Program

 

NBC

 

Saturday, March 28: 8:00 - 10:00 pm - Ladies and Men’s Free Skate

 

Sunday, April 12: 3:00 - 6:00 pm: Recap of Worlds

 

CBC

 

Wednesday, March 25: 3:00 pm - Pairs Short Program

                                7:00 pm - Short Dance

 

Thursday, March 26: 3:00 pm - Ladies Short Program

                             7:00 pm - Pairs Free Skate

 

Friday, March 27: 3:00 pm - Men’s Short Program

                        7:00 pm - Free Dance

 

Saturday, March 28: 4:00 pm - Ladies Free Skate

 

Sunday, March 29: 2:00 pm - Men’s Free Skate

                          8:00 pm - Exhibition Gala

 

So, that’s everything you need to know about next week’s World Championships.

[OriginalCyn]

So once again, NBC is going to ignore the one discipline in which the US is pretty much a lock for a medal -- Ice Dance (Chock & Bates).  Who the hell makes these decisions for them?  *rolls eyes*

[Shades of Red]

Nice of CBC to air the Gala.  They don't always air them so it's always a treat when they do.  Thank you Good Queen Jane for posting the schedule.

[apgold]

 

Ice Dance (Chock & Bates).  Who the hell makes these decisions for them?  *rolls eyes*

 

Well, if C&B win the gold over W&P (they are currently in first place after the Short Dance), I think NBC will at least show their winning freeskate (if that happens).  I wonder if Tanith wasn't available for commentary?

Edited March 25, 2015 by apgold

[BelleBrit]

After the ladies Worlds SP, none of the US ladies will be skating in the Final group for the Free skate. Polina is in 7th, Gracie in 8th, and Ashley in 11th.  I thought that Ashley would probably underrotate/or two foot/or get an edge call and be 7th after the short with not much of a points spread at worst, but I wasn't expecting her to struggle as much as she did here (though her lutz was actually ratified-after all of the talk about the super strict technical specialist that was on this event, there really weren't too many edge or underrotation calls after looking at the protocol. Polina got an ! on her flip, but no underrotation call on her toe even though I would have given her one, so other than the ! she skated clean). I have to laugh that Gracie had to skate after Liza's amazing performance and triple A! She had to skate after Adelina in the Olympics and Ashley after nationals. Gracie's score seems, um, high despite the issues and no combo. I bet that Polina is very pissed that Gracie is only one point behind her!

Ashley and Gracie still had high PCS despite their semi-meltdowns. Ashley seemed very slow to me and not really as into the performance as she usually is, people on the skating boards said that she had her back taped and were speculating about an injury, but I couldn't tell from the video so maybe I will rewatch. I think her fall on the combo really rattled her and carried over into the other jumps. Anna Pogorilaya had a rough fall, she is apparently coming off a sprained ankle injury from last month. I think that all three US girls have the chance to move up in the free, the point spread is not that significant and some of the others ahead of them (Kanako Murakami, Zijun Li) aren't that consistent. That said, I would love if Kanako somehow pulled off a medal. I will laugh so hard if Polina pulls off a medal, which is possible if the others ahead of her implode, but her PCs are still low. It will be interesting to see what they do with the edge calls and underrotation calls in the free. I think that the US ladies will move up at least enough to keep 3 spots.

Edited March 26, 2015 by BelleBrit

[Quof]

I said earlier this season

if Duhamel and Radford were determined to be the best pairs skaters in the world, I was officially finished following this sport.

 

Bye bye

[specialj67]

It does seem ridiculous that Gracie is only a point behind Polina. And seriously, are any of them going to be able to beat Elizaveta short of her having a total meltdown (which she hasn't all season)? I was hoping for a closer points spred in the top 3. Of the Japanese skaters, I'm rooting for Kanako; the other two are still a bit junior-ish in the PCS dept., even if they've been more consistent this season.

 

The medalists in pairs were all so impressive--especially Pang and Tong. So is the Chinese federation really going to let them retire now, or what? I like Scimeca and Knierim a lot and hope they improve their side-by-side jumps to move up into medal territory.

Edited March 26, 2015 by specialj67

[catray]

Man, sounds like the US ladies had a terrible morning and the Russian ladies are killing it (I don't know why I am surprised, but oh well). I'm almost dreading watching the recording I have on my DVR of the short program, but I want to see Elizaveta's triple axel.

[honeywest]

Ashley did not prove herself "a force to be reckoned with." Frank Carroll looked pretty disgusted with Gracie in the K & C.

 

I love Tuktamysheva this season.

[KittenPokerCheater]

Oh Ashley.  I looked and she definitely has a bandage on her mid/lower back.  An injury like that could certainly mess a person up.  Too bad she couldn't be 100% healthy and able to skate like she did at nationals.  I am surprised that Polina skated so well, and sorry that Gracie seems to still be having trouble.

 

I feel like all the american women should go to said World Championships two weeks before the competition so they can get over their time shock.  I swear it's affecting them.

 

 

I think Pogorilaya gave herself a concussion in the short.  She really hit the side of her head when she fell.  If so, I hope the russian coaches (or federation, or someone) pull her out of the competition.  She did really pull out a decent performance after the fall.  I don't know that other skaters would have had it in them to keep going after a fall that fierce.

 

The Japanese skaters are amazing.  They seem to really be peaking, which is the perfect time to do so.

 

My how Elena has grown.  

 

 

Tuktamysheva is an amazing and wonderful skater, her axel was terrific, and yet I still seem to have trouble....she is technically amazing, but I'm not entirely sold on the artistry side.

 

Hoping the Women's free skate is one where everyone can skate their best.

[BelleBrit]

Phil Hersh of the Chicago Tribune referenced the tape on Ashley's back in his article today: "Wagner was skating with a wrap on her back for a rib problem. According to US Figure Skating, Wagner told Tracey Wilson of NBC that it was an issue she has dealt with in the past and that it does not affect her skating."

 

I also read that Elena Radionova is sick and that she said that this has been the toughest competition for her so far because she felt tired the whole time she was on the ice. I wonder if she will feel any worse by the free. It seems like no one will be able to catch Eliza even if she has a few mistakes, with how far ahead she is from others after the short.

Edited March 27, 2015 by BelleBrit

[specialj67]

Man, there were some twizzle issues in that top group of ice dancers in the free. I feel kinda bad for Chock/Bates and Weaver/Poje, but Papadakis/Cizeron were so in the zone. Their performance was beautiful. When was the last time an ice dance team took such a leap in the standings from one season to the next like they did?

 

Only about 1.5 points separating 3-6 places--shaping up to be an interesting contest for the silver and bronze in the long, assuming Yuzuru Hanyu doesn't implode. I don't particularly like Jason Brown's SP this season and will be happy to see it go (she said, full of hope), but it was great to see him deliver it so well and place in the top group going into the long program. The two Japanese men who are not Yuzuru--eesh. Purely on a personal taste level, I prefer Maxim Kovtun to Sergei Voronov (though Voronov's SP costume is on point with the gold accents and fur and/or feathers), so it's disappointing to see Kovtun pop those 2 jumps and place so low.