Figure Skating

[annzeepark914]

It used to be said that (in the US) we need a top female skater, like Peggy Flemming, Michelle Kwan, to attract the big interest in fs. I don't know if this would work today, what with all the attractions we have that we didn't have in the glory days of skating. 

[Salacious Kitty]

We do have Ilia and his death defying quad axel. He does get some mainstream attention, but not in the offseason. It's like the USFSA doesn't even care. 

[annzeepark914]

Has anyone heard the reason for Flores/Desyatov withdrawing yesterday?

Edited October 18 by annzeepark914

[annzeepark914]

Loved Isabeau's and Bradie's SPs (didn't have to hit the mute button either). The choreography was superb. Good program choice for Bradie if she makes it to Worlds in Boston (much like Jason back in 2016?)

Pairs has changed a lot over the years (& IMO not for the better). The spins are rarely in sync (as far as I can tell...sometimes it's tough to judge). Tonight, Miura/Kihara were perfect 🎉 & Efimova/Mitrofanov were also very good. I guess they're focusing too much on side by side jumps. Wish the requirement was just one sbs jump in the SP, period. They have too many other difficult/dangerous moves to work on.  Just my NSHO.

[justmehere]

5 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Has anyone heard the reason for Flores/Desyatov withdrawing yesterday?

He was suspended (replies to the tweet mention a bit more):

 

[TwoBitUsherette]

As though the situation with Ivan wasn't awful enough, it's now come to light that he and Bella were married two years ago, just a few months after they teamed up. It wasn't public knowledge until The Skating Lesson published the county records confirming it.

Bella and Ivan train at WASA in Colorado Springs alongside junior world champs Leah Neset and Artem Markelov who married this summer (she's 18) and Grace Yi (also 18) who married her partner Danila Savelev last December.

 

Spoiler

 

 

[CeeBeeGee]

2 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Loved Isabeau's and Bradie's SPs (didn't have to hit the mute button either). The choreography was superb. Good program choice for Bradie if she makes it to Worlds in Boston (much like Jason back in 2016?)

I absolutely loved both programs, and normally Bradie doesn't excite me at all. Her step sequence was on FIRE! There's just something about Irish music that is so danceable. Loved Isabeau's program, just gorgeous in every way. LOVED the costume. 

[annzeepark914]

Good grief...now I had to hit the mute due to (mostly)Tara yakking nonstop during Yuna Aoki's LP. 

[Salacious Kitty]

Ted on Peacock has been a godsend. 

[annzeepark914]

I just sent 2 emails to NBC Sports (1 to Erin O'Grady...I just picked a name, and one in general), to complain about Tara's incessant talking throughout skaters' programs yesterday. I also said I wish they'd hire two new retired skaters & that Terry Gannon "is a saint to tolerate" Lipinskey and Weir. Yesterday Tara and Johnny made little snide comments directed at Terry (re: him not knowing stuff about skating). 

[Maelstrom]

Johnny and Tara seem to get worse every year (or maybe it’s just me getting older and crankier and less patient). Either way, I’m more than ready for some new blood. Poor Terry really is a saint.

[redpencil]

I don't think Terry thinks of himself as "tolerating" them. I think they all genuinely get along and enjoy each other's company. But then I also am seemingly the only person who doesn't mind them at all.  🤷‍♀️

 

[honeywest]

Johnny can be a good commentator when he works without Tara. I’ve heard him make some perceptive comments about dance when he and Ben Agosto were commentating.

What bothers me is seeing Eteri still sitting like Medusa in the kiss-and-cry.

[annzeepark914]

I got a response from someone at NBC. He said it will get sent to the appropriate dept. I'm sure I'm not the only one who complained. 🤞Hope it helps.

[Maelstrom]

7 hours ago, honeywest said:

What bothers me is seeing Eteri still sitting like Medusa in the kiss-and-cry.

Hey, that’s unfair to Medusa to lump her in with the likes of Eteri 😉

[iMonrey]

Isabeau's short program this season is the cutest damn thing I have ever seen.

How is Ilia allowed to do a backflip? I thought it was illegal.

On 10/20/2024 at 9:12 PM, redpencil said:

I don't think Terry thinks of himself as "tolerating" them. I think they all genuinely get along and enjoy each other's company. But then I also am seemingly the only person who doesn't mind them at all.  🤷‍♀️

I don't hate them, but they do talk too much. I don't mind when they point out mistakes and explain why they happen, that's their job. But I don't need reminding every damn number how the scoring system works or what the grade of execution means or what they chatted about with their coaches. They can talk about that once, before or after the competition, they don't need to yammer about stuff like that during the skating programs.

[Salacious Kitty]

Backflips are legal now. It's changed just this year, I believe. 

We should have Ted Barton again for Skate Canada. No yapping during the programs, just the occasional observation here and there. I will miss Ben Agosto's expertise with Dance, though 

[Maelstrom]

Maybe they figured that since Adam Siao Him Fa is clearly going to continue doing backflips, might as well legalize them, lol 🤷🏻‍♀️

Edited October 23 by Maelstrom

[redpencil]

I like Ilia's backflip way more than Adam's. They have different techniques, but Ilia's looks way more aesthetically pleasing and secure to me. Adam's feels messy and makes me nervous, haha.

[TwoBitUsherette]

8 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Backflips are legal now. It's changed just this year, I believe. 

We should have Ted Barton again for Skate Canada. No yapping during the programs, just the occasional observation here and there. I will miss Ben Agosto's expertise with Dance, though 

I couldn't agree more, re: Ben's commentary. Between Ben on NBC and Jean-Luc on the Peacock practice cam, we got a lot of amazing dance insight this weekend.

[iMonrey]

There is something manic about the way Kaori Sakamoto skates. It sort of reminds me of Yuma Kagiyama. Both very, very fast skaters with tons of personality but there's just a lack of finesse or maturity or something. They seem like kids on a sugar rush.

[Good Queen Jane]

OMG, Amber Glenn nailed it in the short program at the Grand Prix France. She got the highest short program score ever for a US woman in international competition. She hit her Triple Axel and had Level 4 on all her non jump elements.

[Good Queen Jane]

Amber had a shaky free program (hand down on the triple Axel and a fall) but had enough of a lead from the short to win her first gold medal in a Grand Prix.

 

[Maelstrom]

Just caught up on two whole hours of Skate Canada we were so generously given (thanks NBC 🙄) and why for the love of all that's holy did Tara have to yammer nonstop during Kaori's entire FS? 🤬 Can someone at NBC please muzzle her? Enough already! STFU Tara!

[Avaleigh]

I love Amber and I'm happy that she finally won a gold on the grand prix.

That being said, objectively, Wakaba Higuchi should have won the gold. Amber's short program was amazing, but I feel like her component marks were a bit inflated for this long program. It wasn't like she had one error. There were three errors that disrupted the overall flow of the program. Also, Wakaba's program was more exciting. Unfortunately, Amber has a knack for choosing the most boring music for her long programs, and this season is no exception. 

Also, I don't want this to be interpreted as a anti-Amber post as I've been one of her biggest cheerleaders the past few years. The beginning of the program, aside from the opening 3 axel, was excellent and her dress was gorgeous. I definitely hope she makes the GPF.

Nina's long program is gorgeous and so is the dress!

Sarah Everhardt is getting better and better. I think the choreo for Firebird could be better, but the technical side is solid. I look forward to watching her progress. 

 

Edited Sunday at 10:52 PM by Avaleigh

[iMonrey]

On 11/2/2024 at 9:44 PM, Avaleigh said:

Also, I don't want this to be interpreted as a anti-Amber post as I've been one of her biggest cheerleaders the past few years. The beginning of the program, aside from the opening 3 axel, was excellent and her dress was gorgeous. I definitely hope she makes the GPF.

I'm not anti-Amber either, but she always blows it in the long program. Always. I've been waiting and waiting for her to put together two clean programs and I'm still waiting. I'm coming to the conclusion that she is just one of those skaters who is a very good short program skater but never seems to be able to nail the long.

[Chaser]

Shades of Sasha 

[CeeBeeGee]

4 hours ago, Chaser said:

Shades of Sasha 

I was gonna say, my liver still hasn't recovered from the self-medicating I was doing during her career. One of the most gorgeous skaters ever, and she simply could. not. complete. a clean LP.