Figure Skating

[SophiaD]

Well, that was not what I was expecting.  I wish both Kovtun and Samohin speedy recoveries.  

Good for Sergei and good for Adam!  They both skated really well.  I don't know what happened to Nathan in the long program, but he had enough of a cushion to win.  Maybe it was all of the injuries, not to mention the weird delays.  Not to mention finding STUFF on the ice.  That would really have freaked me out.

I actually prefer Rippon to Brown - I don't know why.  And while that nightclub piece might be annoying, it's obvious he really is into it and skates it beautifully  - and, best of all, it isn't Phantom of the Opera, Nessun Dorma, or Carmen!  I'm hoping he makes the team, especially as fired up and strong as a performer as he's been this season.

[Mrs. P.]

I loved Rippon's skate was really surprised by Chen. I've never seen him skate that badly.

[Tippi]

Not a good performance for Nathan in the FP.  After what happened to him at the last Worlds, I am really worried about the condition of his skates and blades.  He did do a couple of beautiful quad lutzes, then had some popped jumps and a fall on the triple axel (which is not looking good at all this year.)  Please, Skate Gods, let this be his "getting the nerves out" performance of the year!

 

[displayname]

Boyang has an -- erm... interesting posture in his jumps, doesn't he?

Edited November 26, 2017 by fan94

[attica]

I wonder if Nathan's blade replacement was just wonky enough to cause his difficulties.  I remember Boitano skating like crap for weeks when a new pair of skates heels were, ,like,  an eighth of an inch different from his old pair. He had to go back to the old pair to save his season.

[Jeddah]

That was a weird competition.

• Samohin looked like he was in so much pain. That was a hard fall. It was also really awkward that Tara had described him as a “hot mess” about five seconds before he crashed to the ice. I hope he recovers soon.
• I loved Terry and Tara sarcastically saying nobody skates to Phantom of the Opera during Mura’s free skate.
• Good for Sergei Voronov. I did a double take in the Kiss and Cry when I saw Misha Ge sitting with him. Misha Ge sure stays busy!
• It sucks that Jason Brown doesn’t get to go to the GPF because of a tie-breaker.
• Adam’s grown on me a lot this season, but I’m still not a huge fan. What was going on with the ice? At first I thought he was just being picky, but then it seemed like the judges told him to fix it? I wasn’t sure what was happening.
• Oh, Nathan. I hope he got that out of his system. Scott Hamilton used to always say you can’t win it in the short program, but you can lose it in the short program. That’s not true anymore. Nathan really did win it in the short program. I am expecting a great Shoma/Nathan showdown in the GPF.

[attica]

Good to see Plushy is still rocking that lank-ass mullet. And by 'Good, I of course mean 'auuuuugggh my eyes!!!!!!'

[Moxie Cat]

Ladies short: good grief. What happened to Karen Chen over the past year? And who the heck is Bradie Tennell? Ashley, come on, I am still rooting for you.

[HartofDixie]

1 hour ago, Jeddah said:

That was a weird competition.

• Samohin looked like he was in so much pain. That was a hard fall. It was also really awkward that Tara had described him as a “hot mess” about five seconds before he crashed to the ice. I hope he recovers soon.
• I loved Terry and Tara sarcastically saying nobody skates to Phantom of the Opera during Mura’s free skate.
• Good for Sergei Voronov. I did a double take in the Kiss and Cry when I saw Misha Ge sitting with him. Misha Ge sure stays busy!
• It sucks that Jason Brown doesn’t get to go to the GPF because of a tie-breaker.
• Adam’s grown on me a lot this season, but I’m still not a huge fan. What was going on with the ice? At first I thought he was just being picky, but then it seemed like the judges told him to fix it? I wasn’t sure what was happening.
• Oh, Nathan. I hope he got that out of his system. Scott Hamilton used to always say you can’t win it in the short program, but you can lose it in the short program. That’s not true anymore. Nathan really did win it in the short program. I am expecting a great Shoma/Nathan showdown in the GPF.

Adam was picking BUGS off the ice!

i thought our ladies team would be Ashley, Mirai, and Karen but here comes Bradie! 

The scores are close enough with the top 7 so it's anyone's game and it was to see Plushy out there coaching.

[displayname]

Go Satoko!

[Jeddah]

4 minutes ago, HartofDixie said:

Adam was picking BUGS off the ice!

Ahhhhhh!  So gross!

Despite “Cursed Ice,” Nathan Chen, Adam Rippon Win Gold And Silver, Qualify For Grand Prix Final At Skate America

Clearly nothing flusters Adam!

[displayname]

Polina delays her Lutz... 

[selkie]

9 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

Ladies short: good grief. What happened to Karen Chen over the past year? 

Puberty?

[Tippi]

Karen has also changed both her short and long programs over the course of the season.  She had a short to Carmen and a long to Moulin Rouge. (What is with all these utterly uninspired and overused music selections this year?)  She has ended up going back to her programs from last year.  This has to have played havoc with her training and confidence on the ice.

[iMonrey]

Quote

What happened to Karen Chen over the past year?

I'm starting to think her performance at Nationals was just a fluke and she just got lucky that once.

The men's free skate was so fraught with injuries it made me fear for Nathan Chen's safety. Two dislocated shoulders? That ice really was cursed. I felt so bad for that Israeli skater, you could see how much pain he was in. Hope Nathan fixes his blade or whatever before the Grand Prix final. 

I just don't know what to think of Ashley anymore. Sixth? Really? To my eye she didn't do that badly - no obvious stumbles or falls. It feels like the judges just have something against her and nitpick her to death.

[HartofDixie]

45 minutes ago, iMonrey said:

I just don't know what to think of Ashley anymore. Sixth? Really? To my eye she didn't do that badly - no obvious stumbles or falls. It feels like the judges just have something against her and nitpick her to death.

I think Ashley peaked at 2016 Worlds. She's reusing those programs and I'm not seeing any improvement. Seems to be phoning it in.   

She should still make the team and will most likely be selected for the team event and get another medal. Did anyone catch what RAF said in the kiss & cry after the announced she her score was a personal best for the season?

[Maelstrom]

22 hours ago, SophiaD said:

And while that nightclub piece might be annoying, it's obvious he really is into it and skates it beautifully  - and, best of all, it isn't Phantom of the Opera, Nessun Dorma, or Carmen!

You know, I'm starting to think the ISU passed some sort of secret regulation saying that anyone who *doesn't* skate to Phantom, Les Mis or Moulin Rouge will have points deducted.

Holy hell, poor Daniel Samohin. I hope he can recover quickly, that was horrible to watch him in so much pain. And then when Adam fell and clutched his shoulder too? Yikes. They might be on to something with that "cursed" ice.

It will be interesting to see how Nathan handles the pressure of being the Chosen One as the season progresses. IMO seems like Yuzuru Hanyu has been having a hard time with that in recent months as well. A lot of pressure on these fellows and their bodies. Whatever happens, no more horrible injuries, guys! Please!

18 hours ago, Jeddah said:

• Good for Sergei Voronov. I did a double take in the Kiss and Cry when I saw Misha Ge sitting with him. Misha Ge sure stays busy!

Misha Ge!! He must've choreographed for Sergei. Looks like we'll at least we'll still get to see Misha around even if he is retiring from competing.

[displayname]

4 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I just don't know what to think of Ashley anymore. Sixth? Really? To my eye she didn't do that badly - no obvious stumbles or falls. It feels like the judges just have something against her and nitpick her to death.

The URs were pretty clear, though. But I kind of agree because Med and Zag never get called on them.

EDIT: Ashley too?!

Edited November 26, 2017 by fan94

[HartofDixie]

Ashley has some ankle issue but some people on twitter thinks she's faking it o_O

[Jaded]

1 minute ago, HartofDixie said:

Ashley has some ankle issue but some people on twitter thinks she's faking it o_O

They said she had an infection in that area. She was grimacing in the interview near the end and looked like she was still in some pain. She's never been my favorite skater having said that I wondered what was up until they spoke with her later on. Some people with high pain tolerances can outwardly appear like things aren't as bad as they really are.

[kalystia1983]

Just now, HartofDixie said:

Ashley has some ankle issue but some people on twitter thinks she's faking it o_O

Well considering Johnny made some statements that could be interpreted that way too, I'm not surprised.  I was actually pretty annoyed with both Tara and Johnny during the broadcast. 

Based on Ashley's interview, I think she expected the adrenaline to kick in and make it so her foot/ankle wouldn't hurt as badly, and when that didn't happen it freaked her out that she was in a ton of pain and skating.  She's been around long enough to know that a lot of times you get hurt when you aren't listening to your body and made the right call.  Hope she gets better soon.

[Tippi]

Now that I think of it, all the top men have been struggling off and on this year.  Hanyu, Fernandez, Kolyada, Uno, Jin, and now Nathan--they have all had some subpar showings.  Patrick Chan just might win the gold medal with one good quad and triple axel!

[specialj67]

As over-used as both of her programs are, I really enjoy watching Ashley Wagner do them when she is on. I hope she can earn a spot on the US Olympic team; it would be nice to see her earn it outright and not have to petition the selection committee or whatever it was she had to do for Sochi.

 

The women’s LP competition this afternoon was quite surprising—if only because there was not a Russian skater on the podium. What?! It was lovely to see both Japanese’s skaters bring it like they did. As for Bradie Tennell, I’m feeling very “wait and see”. I hope she can can withstand the heightened pressure at Nationals.

[specialj67]

Quote

15 minutes ago, Tippi said:

Now that I think of it, all the top men have been struggling off and on this year.  Hanyu, Fernandez, Kolyada, Uno, Jin, and now Nathan--they have all had some subpar showings.  Patrick Chan just might win the gold medal with one good quad and triple axel!

I kind of like that it’s not a contest between the top 2 like last time around. 

[annzeepark914]

After hearing about Satoko's many physical issues today (just before she began her LP), I became quite concerned for her and other skaters.  So many of them now have issues with hips, ankles, backs, shoulders, etc and I bet it's from practicing these triple-triples (ladies) and multiple-quad programs (men).  I, for one, am sick of all the jumps in programs.  I realize it's a sport and there have to be some jumps but there are other aspects that should be focused on (e.g., change-edge spiral is quite difficult; inside-edge death spiral is a lot harder and gets more points than an outside edge spiral).  At least these moves don't pound the heck out of one's body.

Loved that the Shibutanis won the gold today and that Cappellini/Lanotte, and Sinitsina/Katsalopov are on the podium too.  Three of my favorite ice teams.

[Jeddah]

They kept talking about how this was the Miracle on Ice arena, but clearly that didn't help anyone this weekend. It really did seem cursed!

• I had no idea who Bradie Tennell was before this, but I really like her!
• I liked the program that Karen Chen had choreographed for herself from earlier this season, and I wish she had stuck with that one. She hasn't put it together this year, but I'm still hoping she will.
• I HATE illusion fabric. HATE IT. So I hated Serafima Shakhanovich's free skate for that dress alone.
• I don't think Ashley was faking it, but I also think she should have withdrawn earlier or kept going. If she was too hurt to compete and worried about injuring herself further, then she should have known her body well enough to withdraw before she got on the ice. Once she decided to skate, she needed to commit. The optics of walking off the ice mid-program are terrible, especially since her whole persona in interviews is talking about what a fighter she is. Today she wasn't.
• Sakamoto and Miyahara were both fantastic today! It's a shame that the Japanese women only have two spots for the Olympics. They have so many good skaters!

[SophiaD]

I think it's sound strategy to withdraw from a competition if you're fairly sure you can't win and/or you're trying to avoid injury.  As @Jeddah says up above, I wish Ashley had just taken a realistic look at the standings, measured it against how she was feeling, and decided to stay home.  Or, even, withdrawn after the short program.   She's a highly decorated skater, and unless she actually crashes *through* the floor at Nationals, I figure they'll find a way to put her on the team (and she may well come back and skate just fine - she's done it before).  I get that she wanted to defend her Skate America title, but still.  Better safe than sorry.

Congratulations to Bradie.  What a great showing!

Huge congratulations to Sakamoto and Miyahara as well.  It's great to see them both skating so well.  

Edited November 27, 2017 by SophiaD

[iMonrey]

Honestly, I just can't with Ashley anymore. She's the female Jeremy Abbott. 

Quote

The optics of walking off the ice mid-program are terrible, especially since her whole persona in interviews is talking about what a fighter she is. Today she wasn't.

Agreed. I honestly don't know what the situation was, but an argument could be made that two jumps in, she realized she had no shot at winning and decided to bail. 

Team Bradie for me going into Nationals. She was terrific and it's nice to have an American I can get excited about again. 

[annzeepark914]

16 hours ago, Jeddah said:

• I don't think Ashley was faking it, but I also think she should have withdrawn earlier or kept going. If she was too hurt to compete and worried about injuring herself further, then she should have known her body well enough to withdraw before she got on the ice. Once she decided to skate, she needed to commit. The optics of walking off the ice mid-program are terrible, especially since her whole persona in interviews is talking about what a fighter she is. Today she wasn't

Yup.  I've been an Ashley fan for years but she should've stayed in California, taking care of her injury.  She took a lot of lumps back in 2014 (through no fault of her own) when the federation replaced Mirai with Ashley, so why invite more negativity?  Someone said she said she wanted to defend her Skate America title--is that true?  That's absurd.  Defending a National's title or a World's title, maybe.  Not one of the Grand Prix titles.  She had to have felt the pain during warm-ups. That was also a good time to drop out.  

Let's hope Bradie doesn't let the attention get to her and that her support team keeps her focused on having two excellent programs at Nationals.

[BlackberryJam]

I thought Bradie was lovely and consistent but there was an immaturity to her skating. I wanted her to arch her back a little more, stretch her arm positions through her shoulders, hold those positions a little bit more, just those little things that make it all so much better.

[AllAboutMBTV]

Dear Ice Dance Men, Please dial the mugging down to 5 in the Latin short program. It is not cute or funny (ditto your magic sleeves, PPoirier), merely distracting. Gracias.

I was not on the Nathan Chen train last season, but I have to admit he's grown artistically and is not just Jumping For Points (so much...). I wish Adam Rippon had come up with at least one new program (other than dead bug collector) as I've never been a fan of his disco short or avian long (especially the latter).

Nice to have Johnny and Tara and "Terrence" back on the mic, and I thought Ben Agosto did a nice job of explaining the ice dance technicalities (his co-presenter was largely useless, though).

[Moxie Cat]

Would it have killed NBC to have shown some ice dancing in their weekly "recap" shows? The Shibs won this week. Nothing shown. Only men and ladies (and our ladies didn't even do that well, with the exception of Bradie). Our top three teams are all in the finals and a C/B or H/D program has yet to air. No way would that ever have happened with the singles. I just do not get it. Why do they think we don't want to see our teams when they are doing well - no matter the discipline?

[BelleBrit]

Re: Ashley...I felt badly for her.  I don't believe that she was faking, but perhaps she made the wrong decision in choosing to compete here.  She said that her bandage shifted in her skate.  From the practice reports, she seemed to be doing ok, but she did leave early one day.  But if she has an iffy nationals, I hope that the panel judges her accurately.  Between Karen Chen's book deal and Ashley Wagner's commercials and endorsements, they have been pretty underwhelming this year, and I don't think that they should automatically qualify for the Olympic team if they continue to underwhelm at nationals.  Honestly...this whole GP season was just very disappointing, and I'm not only talking about how the US ladies performed overall.  I loved seeing Satoko win here though, it's great to see actual "programs" and nuance.  Maybe she got a bit lucky with a few technical calls. 

Bradie is having a fantastic season and should be commended for skating clean in both the short and the long in a high pressure event. But....when Tara said "She's the most consistent US lady!"...you know that the NBC hype machine is going to go nuts over this girl at nationals.  There is a reason why she is 19 years old and this is her first and only grand prix event (as a host placement), and it wasn't solely due to injuries.  Still, she is definitely in the conversation now.  The Cinderella program is such a no . 

[carrier76]

Karen Chen has a book deal? That’s....interesting.

[BelleBrit]

1 hour ago, carrier76 said:

Karen Chen has a book deal? That’s....interesting.

Karen's book just came out, and she's started to do promotion for it...

http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/karen-chen-plans-polish-programs-nationals

https://parade.com/624027/m-b-roberts/how-u-s-national-figure-skating-champion-karen-chen-turned-pain-into-a-plus/

[annzeepark914]

3 hours ago, BelleBrit said:

Bradie is having a fantastic season and should be commended for skating clean in both the short and the long in a high pressure event. But....when Tara said "She's the most consistent US lady!"...you know that the NBC hype machine is going to go nuts over this girl at nationals.  There is a reason why she is 19 years old and this is her first and only grand prix event (as a host placement), and it wasn't solely due to injuries.  Still, she is definitely in the conversation now.  The Cinderella program is such a no . 

Does anyone have any info' on why Bradie has been missing from the GP series until age 19? Geez, I don't even remember her from any previous Nationals.  Why would a 19 year old want to do a Disney character program?  Heck, when Michelle was barely 16 she was skating as Salome (remember how indignant some folks were re: her costume and make-up?) 

[MaryMitch]

On 11/26/2017 at 8:37 PM, annzeepark914 said:

After hearing about Satoko's many physical issues today (just before she began her LP), I became quite concerned for her and other skaters.  So many of them now have issues with hips, ankles, backs, shoulders, etc and I bet it's from practicing these triple-triples (ladies) and multiple-quad programs (men).  I, for one, am sick of all the jumps in programs.  I realize it's a sport and there have to be some jumps but there are other aspects that should be focused on (e.g., change-edge spiral is quite difficult; inside-edge death spiral is a lot harder and gets more points than an outside edge spiral).  At least these moves don't pound the heck out of one's body.

I really miss spirals. Every time a woman started one, I sat up in anticipation, then in 2 seconds it was gone and I was bummed out.

[BelleBrit]

http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00034592.htm

Bradie skated on the jr grand prix in 14' and 15', but did not score high enough to be qualify for a grand prix spot as a Senior. 

She did skate well at Senior nationals in 2016 and placed 6th, and was given a spot to JR Worlds, where she placed 11th.

Last year, she got a bronze at a Challenger event and placed above Mariah Bell.  She placed 9th at Nationals, and was sent to JR Worlds, where she came in 7th.

Neither her Challenger event score or her Jr. Worlds score was high enough to qualify for a grand prix event. Bradie skated very well in her events this summer, so USFS gave her a Skate America host spot.  She has dealt with stress factures in her back for the last few years, so it sounds like she has been able to make a breakthrough in her training and maintained her health, which is great for her, but all of the "most consistent!" stuff is eye roll inducing, because it's based on like three events from this season. But the scores for her last two  events have been high, so there was buzz about her leading up to Skate America.

Karen and Bradie are slated to go up against each other at the Golden Spin competition, but per the latest ice network article, it sounds like Bradie's coach is not fully committing to her going now and that they are "taking it day by day" (guessing it might be a quit while you're ahead and focus on nationals type of deal).

Edited November 28, 2017 by BelleBrit

[MostlyC]

I believe Ashley too.  Especially after her interview; she's not a good enough actress to fake that emotion. She's never bailed on a competition (I think), and I know how foot/ankle wounds can suck. They take forever to heal especially if you have to wear boots/cleats/toe shoes.

If people claim she is faking, then they are trolling for publicity (Mr. Weir, I'm lookin' at you).

And skating is hard on the body- I think Tara Lipinski had hip replacement surgery a few years back.

I miss the days of spirals and spins as well.

[iMonrey]

Quote

 Someone said she said she wanted to defend her Skate America title--is that true? 

Well, before the short program, Andrea Joyce interviewed her and reminded her she won Skate America last year, and Ashley claimed she forgot that. So . . .

Quote

I believe Ashley too.  Especially after her interview; she's not a good enough actress to fake that emotion. 

I don't think anyone thinks she's faking injury/infection - she came to the competition with a stress wrap (whatever that is) around her ankle. I think what people are questioning is whether she could have actually finished her long program if she'd really wanted to, or if she was maybe using the injury as an excuse to bail once she missed the 3/3 jump and realized she wasn't coming out of this on top. I mean - it's valid to think "well, I have no shot at winning, why risk further injury and potentially my chances at Nationals?" But that decision shouldn't be made mid-program.

[Matryoshka]

Maybe I interpreted what Johnny said wrongly but it didn’t sound to me like he thought Ashley was faking; but he did feel that if her ankle was questionable she should have pulled out of the competition sooner, or once she had committed to skating the long, pushed herself through it. I don't often agree with him but I kind of do on this.

I don’t doubt she was in more pain than she anticipated, but especially compared to Adam “shimmying” his shoulder back into place and finishing strong, quitting in the middle of the program doesn’t send the best message to the powers that be in an Olympic year…

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

I'm starting to think her performance at Nationals was just a fluke and she just got lucky that once.

I'm wondering if Karen has family pressure... I can't see her changing her programs, choreographing a couple HERSELF, without a stage parent behind her who thinks they know better than the coaches.  No decent coach would suggest a program du jour.  Maybe it's the Chinese connection, but I remember a US champion named Tiffany Chin.  Apparently her mother was driving coaches crazy... there was a TV interview where Tiffany's mother STOPPED THE INTERVIEW because she didn't like the questions.  Then ON CAMERA she started yelling at Tiffany about her ANSWERS. Tiffany really collapsed ... I think she might have become a coach, but she's pretty much out of the limelight.

[Tippi]

9 hours ago, annzeepark914 said:

Does anyone have any info' on why Bradie has been missing from the GP series until age 19? Geez, I don't even remember her from any previous Nationals.  Why would a 19 year old want to do a Disney character program?  Heck, when Michelle was barely 16 she was skating as Salome (remember how indignant some folks were re: her costume and make-up?) 

I was just reading about this today.  Here is something from the TeamUSA site:

It had been a while since Tennell’s body allowed her to be that consistent. After making a name for herself by winning the 2015 U.S. junior title, Tennell’s training was limited for two straight seasons with stress fractures to her lower back vertebrae suffered in May 2015 and June 2016.

I was impressed with her performances at SA.  All the jumps clean with positive GOE!  I'd be fine with her as National Champion.  The Cinderella program is corny and "young", to say the least, but she owns it.  And if she does end up on the US team, think of how the media will go crazy with "Cinderella" stories! 

ETA:  BelleBrit covered all this in a post above.  Sorry for the repetition!

Edited November 29, 2017 by Tippi

[Moxie Cat]

3 hours ago, Matryoshka said:

I don’t doubt she was in more pain than she anticipated, but especially compared to Adam “shimmying” his shoulder back into place and finishing strong, quitting in the middle of the program doesn’t send the best message to the powers that be in an Olympic year…

Holy hell, that was impressive. I've never really been a Rippon fan but I am now. He hid that shoulder injury 100% through the program. As soon as it was done, he grabbed it again. From a health perspective, continuing probably wasn't a great thing to do! But it showed me a ton about his work ethic and ambition. That's the kind of determined person we need at the Olympics.

But, compared to the Ashley situation....Rippon was looking at a win here and a trip to the finals. Ashley was not. He had motivation to continue. She had no reason to. I can understand her making a strategic decision to withdraw if competing here offered her no benefit, but being injured worse in the coming weeks would.

[attica]

14 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

He hid that shoulder injury 100% through the program.

Not 100%, I don't think. There were definitely moments where it looked like he was favoring it, and moments when he repositioned his right arm into a different (still beautiful) posture. I mean, I'm totally giving him all respect for muscling through the program, don't get me wrong. A couple of those both-arms-raised moves must have hurt like a mofo. He is totally badass.

I also really liked the sparkly teal shirt for that program. He can retire all the sheers of which he is so fond, if you ask me.

Edited November 29, 2017 by attica
don't know right from left, apparently.

[iMonrey]

I also really cracked up at the attitude Rippon gave the referee when she asked him to clean off the ice. 

[Moxie Cat]

3 hours ago, iMonrey said:

I also really cracked up at the attitude Rippon gave the referee when she asked him to clean off the ice. 

That was awesome though! I loved seeing that "behind the scenes" moment. And he was canny to use the request to his advantage. Younger skaters might not have thought so quickly.

But ugh - bugs on the ice? Seriously?

Edited November 30, 2017 by Moxie Cat

[Libby96]

Quote

 

 

22 hours ago, Moxie Cat said:

Holy hell, that was impressive. I've never really been a Rippon fan but I am now. He hid that shoulder injury 100% through the program. As soon as it was done, he grabbed it again. From a health perspective, continuing probably wasn't a great thing to do! But it showed me a ton about his work ethic and ambition. That's the kind of determined person we need at the Olympics.

But, compared to the Ashley situation....Rippon was looking at a win here and a trip to the finals. Ashley was not. He had motivation to continue. She had no reason to. I can understand her making a strategic decision to withdraw if competing here offered her no benefit, but being injured worse in the coming weeks would.

I had always enjoyed Rippon's skating, but it was kind of like "Oh look, Adam is in this competition.  Cool."  After this Grand Prix season though, I am definitely a fan.  His short program is skated to music that would likely annoy me in most situations, but his program is so fun to watch that I've rewatched it several times this week.  He totally owns it.  His long is just simply beautiful.

Unfortunately, once I become a real fan of a skater, I get very nervous watching them skate, so now I get to be tense watching the GPF and Nationals.  I really hope he makes the Olympic team.

[carrier76]

I did Zumba for a couple of years, and Adam’s SP song was one of my favorite routines. It is “Let Me Think About It” by Fedde Le Grand, and it is great to run to.

[HartofDixie]

On 11/27/2017 at 6:55 PM, Moxie Cat said:

Would it have killed NBC to have shown some ice dancing in their weekly "recap" shows? The Shibs won this week. Nothing shown. Only men and ladies (and our ladies didn't even do that well, with the exception of Bradie). Our top three teams are all in the finals and a C/B or H/D program has yet to air. No way would that ever have happened with the singles. I just do not get it. Why do they think we don't want to see our teams when they are doing well - no matter the discipline?

Our last Olympic gold was in dance, 3 teams in the GPF for the 2nd year in a row and if all goes well in the short we may see all 3 in the final group for the free dance. It's ridiculous how much they ignore dance.

i doubt it will happen but I think we should have 2 dance teams compete in the Olympic team event and have a chance to be part of that medal.