Japanese Nationals 2010: Interview with Nobuo Sato

http://report.nirenoki.net/satou_1226.htm
Coach Nobuo Sato, December 26, 2010
After the Ladies' Free Skate

On Asada, On Kozuka

Q. Asada "overcame a great mountain" to achieve this result--what do you think of it?
A. I think it's a mental issue. I think that she was insecure about what she had been doing, but here, she gained the ability to skate with confidence.

Q. What was the reason she was able to change her insecurity into confidence?
A. I think it's that she's becoming able to do each jump the way she wants/imagines them.

Q. Is the quality of her jumps increasing?
A. Really, it's been recent, all of a sudden. While I was at the Grand Prix Final, it seems that something changed a little, and when I came back and started working again from the basics, everything just clicked.

Q. Is it more about carefully building upon her training bit by bit, rather than some kind of impetus?
A. Yes. Bit by bit things started changing, and recently her jumps became successful eight, nine times out of ten, and I think her confidence started to grow.

Q. Maybe it's because her increased success rate in practice has created confidence, but I think that her facial expression has become brighter?
A. Yes, that's true. In fact, she herself says this clearly.

Q. Is it her strength, that she became able (to do her jumps) at the most important competition?
A. Yes that's exactly right. From my perspective, I was thinking that it would be ideal if we had another month or so. For everything to suddenly come together now--I see it as a sign of her mental and emotional strength.

Q. Watching her before the start of the free skate at this competition, did you feel calm?
A. No, not at all. I'm the one who's astonished, but really, I just watched her and thought, '(Her) willpower and inner strength is not of an ordinary person.'

Q. After her program, you were looking up at the ceiling rinkside--at that moment, what were you feeling?
A. I was the one who was surprised, and I thought, 'Just as expected (of her)--what an incredible person.'

Q. What was the one area that you pointed to as essential, the one part you were concerned with most?
A. I apologize that this is going to turn into an extremely pragmatic explanation, but of course I had raised the issue of not making mistakes on her jumps as a first priority, and today, there was one small mistake in a 'boring' section, but I think that maybe something like that is just too bad/can't be helped, so today I'm satisfied.

Q. So you mean that in the middle of this improving and then not and then improving again, today was about positives?
A. Yes. I think that today ended with a good result for her.

Q. So the fact that she could put out a good performance today, will it help build her confidence even in practices from now?
A. That's true, yes. I think that will happen, without a doubt.

Q. Her stubbornly attempting the triple Axel in the short program--were you against it until the very end?
A. (laughs) Based on many past examples and what I've experienced, I still think it's in fact a bad tactic. But if she is going to work up her nerve (to attempt it), then what does the thinking of an old person matter. So I expected this one thing from her brimming energy, and with courage the decision was made.

Q. So in that sense, you mean that your and Asada's opinions were in agreement?
A. Yes.

Q. Have you ever wondered whether she would say, "I want to attempt two triple Axels"?
A. Well that, in a word--yes.

Q. So it's been half a year since starting the process of correcting her jumps in June--
A. It was September.
Note: The interviewer asked this question because it was announced that Asada started reworking her jumps in June. For Sato, Asada began this process in September, when she became his student.

Q. Taking June as when she began making a conscious effort to rework her jumps, she said that because she's spent this half year building upon her training things have been improving. Was this time very important?
A. I think much more time is necessary. And so, to put it frankly, that she could perform so well today is a huge surprise to me.

Q. Even more?
A. And so, from here I'm thinking that we want to work to raise her overall level a little. I don't know if things will break again, and I think that in some ways it's a gamble. But there's nothing we can do than endure and overcome it.

Q. This "reworking" was said to still involve fumbling around, but how far have things come now?
A. Things may very much still be at the level of appearances.

Q. How far has the "reworking" process as you ideally imagine it come?
A. I think we're still at the entrance.

Q. What does that mean?
A. If she skates with power, she'll generate more speed. And that will affect many things that are essential to jumps. And so, if we approach this with courage, how far can we go? I think it will take one year, two years. In the end, we can only take things one step at a time. But I still want to try.

Q. Are you very happy that this obstacle (i.e. Nationals, skating a clean program) has been overcome?
A. I am happy, and I am surprised.

Q. Can you compare her finished form to someone?
A. It's not that we hold someone as our goal, but rather that we're seeking what I want her to be like, based on my sense of things. However, I want to change things bit by bit, while taking care that things don't become a matter of simply what I want. Still, that bit by bit is scary.

Q. Based on today, is there sort of a specific goal for next time?
A. No, I think that the way she skates will be the same. I think that even if she becomes a little stronger and has more speed, it'll be a matter of a few percentage points.

Q. This reworking of her jumps, will you get into it again after the season is over? Or will you immediately continue the process after this?
A. I want to start things again right after this.

Q. Is continuing to compete an important thing?
A. Indeed, I think it is an important thing. Even if things are successful in practice, I think it's important to train while checking on how things are going by testing them in these situations and atmospheres.

Q. In important competitions from now on, what will be the key to bringing out her strength like today's?
A. I think it's only practice.

Q. Is this the confidence that is fostered through training?
A. I'll start slowly incorporating things that I refrained from saying before. This will require courage on my part.

Q. Yesterday, Kozuka said that practicing with Asada is a huge reason for his rapid progress--how are things from a coach's point of view? What is the synergistic effect?
A. There is a lot. For Kozuka, it's, "She is still practicing, and that much--I have to as well," and for Asada, it's "How can I achieve (his) speed?" There are things like this between them, both ways, so there is a lot of synergistic benefit.

Q. This is about Kozuka--do you think that he's changed a lot since last year?
A. I don't think so. Except, the parts that I would wonder, 'Will things soon start falling apart from here?' have stopped crumbling--I think this aspect is the biggest change. As a result I think that this has channeled into his self-confidence. Because he's a little scatterbrained he can get carried away--so in this sense, I think you can ask, 'Maybe he's really changed?' Still, I don't think there has been a large change fundamentally.

Q. How was doing things a little differently, such as going to Canada by himself to train?
A. Up until now, he's coasted on things that people around him have created for him, but he ignored that, and instead of riding in a taxi with his parents, he rode on a bus by himself, and I think that he must have had a lot of fun experiences, but of course he struggled by himself as well. He worked hard and was encouraged and supported by many people, and I think he learned a lot. I think that in some ways this was been more of a plus than actually learning things in practice.

Japanese Nationals 2010: The Restoration of a Champion, Part II

Things are so much easier to watch when you know the outcome...

I know that there are various, well-informed figure skating observers who would disagree, but I actually don't really like Akiko Suzuki's skating. It's true, she has good musicality--great, I would even say, for an Asian--but there is a vague sloppiness to her jumps that is off-putting. Her complete lack of a personality doesn't help either. I can forgive the odd pairing that is this white dress with the Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack, since it's absurd that she would try to actually portray anything from it anyway, and the style of the music actually suits her perfectly.

However, Akiko's clean jumps still seemed low to me, and there was a wild, rushed quality to them. She didn't quite warm up to the audience and sell her program until the step sequence at the end, which I do have to commend her for attacking. In any case, she is the latest sacrificial skater for Japan, and this time she made it easier for everyone by botching several key jumps.

In stark contrast to this study in tragedy is Kanako Murakami, who is the latest possessor of a bandwagon. I'm all for youth and smiles, but her technique worries me a lot. Her triple toe + triple toe combination is solid, but her Lutz will become a major problem soon. She is super fast, though--look at how the advertisements around the rink are blurred on camera! I loved her triple flip + double Axel sequence, and other than the generics, I really like her music choice. The Mask of Zorro plays to her speed and youthful energy while using a mature sound to help her grow as a performer. Mao Asada's debut senior free skate was done to the Nutcracker in a pink and white puffy dress. It was cute and worked well for her, but Kanako's equivalent program here feels more mature.

Kanako's expression at the end says it all--she's young, she's new, and she's here to take it all. Love it.

It is kind of fitting that Kanako's idol, mentor, friend, and sister figure Mao would be next. Now, I know that some of Mao's costuming choices have been pretty suspect (I think the last dress I really liked was from 2007, aside from her exhibition dresses...), and that people have continued to hate her current season's styles, but I actually love this periwinkle. It's elegant, sparkly, modest, and mature. It has a softness that matches the music, and it just works.

What stands out for me in this program is Mao's artistry. Earlier in the season, when her jumps completely abandoned her, it was difficult to make heads or tails of her skating in general, but now that they are mostly back but still not her strong point, the strength of the rest of her skating becomes evident. Her lines, the way she carries her arms, her knees... lovely. Speaking of jumps, though, I'm not convinced of the wisdom of planning a triple Axel in the second half of her program.

Although the triple Lutz received an edge call, it looked better than it initially did. It will probably never be as fixed as Tatiana Tarasova claimed, but we all can dream, I suppose. And, oh dear god--her spirals were gorgeous. And she actually smiled.

Nationals are such a magical stage for Mao. Look at the mess on the ice! Those little girls are working overtime to deal with the love of an entire country. It's actually kind of hilarious to watch. Welcome back!

I wouldn't call Risa Shoji's position particularly envious. Not only does she have to skate right after Mao, the coloring of her dress is similar but lesser. The direct comparison allowed me to realize--or rather to remember--that she is actually quite young.

Risa has incredible speed, and it's unfortunate that the pressure seemed to get to her in her early jumps. She also seemed a little more withdrawn than in the short program, which is not altogether surprising but also not necessarily typical of a junior fresh up the ranks. When she was fifteen, Mao used to seem completely blind to where she was placed after the short, and just skate with incredible reckless abandon. That's gone now, and this is where she's ended up.

Actually, Risa might benefit from choosing more dramatic music until she can define her own artistry and style--the quiet quality sometimes seemed to allow her skating to become lost. It'll all come together, though.

I almost skipped Fumie Suguri, but then I realized that earlier in the season Rafael sent me a picture of her with a weird head sash, and I knew I just had to watch. Sadly, the sash has been ditched, but the rest of her costume has not.

Fumie has surprising speed in her skating, and her straight-line footwork sequence had good energy to it, but to me there's nothing that really stands out in her performances. It pains me to think about all the money she spends on her career now.

I am appalled by the margin with which Miki Ando won. I'm not particularly appalled that she won--I don't have a very strong opinion on this either way--but there is no reason for a 10-point difference. Come on. The fact that Miki beat Mao even in the PCS is really troubling.

After a string of really hideous costumes, Miki looks fairly decent in this dress. There is a jarring quality to many of her jumps--I'm not sure what it is--but at least they were done cleanly. What bothers me most, though, is that Miki could essentially be skating to any music and you wouldn't really know the difference. There are moments in this program when she tries to be soft and to emote a graceful elegance, and I appreciate that, but as a whole Miki is simply just heavy to watch.

Miki's reaction at the end of her program was what left the greatest impression on me. Far too often in recent years, she's failed to live up to her hype, and has always looked disappointed at the end of her performances while blaming her shoulder or her back or her leg or whatever it is that is currently bothering her. This time, though, there was none of that. She was satisfied, plain and simple, and while I would have been able to warm more to her had she celebrated in giddiness instead of this aggressive glare, it's still refreshing and reassuring to see her actually pleased with herself for once.

The commentators need to calm down, though. Her skating wasn't so great that you'd want to watch it forever.

Japanese Nationals 2010: The Restoration of a Champion, Part I

Ever since she became aware of her own status and the magnitude of the stakes, Mao Asada has struggled early in the season. This year the struggle has been alarming, and even though I still have faith that she will get it together in time for Four Continents and Worlds there were those that suggested that she could miss the World team. Since pessimism doesn't usually follow Miracle Mao, I spent most of Christmas nervously checking for updated scores. My persistence paid off in the form of a great if temporary Christmas present!

There is something a little scary about Risa Shoji's face. Maybe it's the eyebrows. It's also like, an artificially Asianified version of Alissa Czisny or something. But no matter, I'll stop being petty. She appears to be the equivalent to Yuzuru Hanyu, and she lived up to the next-generation hype with a somewhat rare triple Salchow + triple toe combination. She doesn't seem to be particularly fast (although she isn't slow) or have great extension, but she has solid jumps and spins, which tend to be more difficult to fix. The extension in particular will come with greater maturity and polish--after all Risa is only fourteen(!)--and overall all of the fundamentals are there, more so than for Kanako Murakami. It's pretty unbelievable that last season she was a novice, although I guess that's also what Mao Asada pulled off. I'm really quite impressed and can only hope that puberty doesn't mess with her.

By the way, her coach is rather attractive.

Speaking of the young ones...

Kanako is older than Risa by two years, but Risa's look is currently much more mature. I'm not sure which I prefer--Kanako is much cuter but at some point she needs to become an adult--but in any case Kanako better get working on that Lutz before Risa overtakes her in time for Sochi.

LOL, I had no idea they call Kanako "Jumping Jack" and "Kanako Flash." The English language in the hands of the Japanese can be quite a scary thing.

Kanako so far has better speed and performance ability than Risa, and she backed this up with a great triple toe + triple toe combination and a triple flip. Her popped double axel was a very unfortunate miss since it seems to be such a solid jump for her, but I guess this is what Nationals does to skaters. I loved the speed through all of her spins, though. And really, can you say adorable?

Wow, geez. I must have missed several key things in the past few weeks, because I did not know that Miki Ando had made the decision to skate her new short program (wait, why did she change it again?) in a modified wedding dress. Actually, I just looked at a picture of her from the Grand Prix Final, and she was wearing another white dress there, so this is probably its debut. It helps make Miki look lighter and softer, but it's still a little creepy to see her wearing it as she stands next to Nikolai Morozov. Also creepy is that Nikolai actually kisses her (albeit on the cheek) in the Kiss & Cry instead of the traditional hug or handshake. I'm also unclear as to why Miki even bothers trying to be light or soft.

However, she actually surprised me here and pulled off a program far lovelier than I've come to expect from her. Miki's jumps didn't quite have the spring of Risa and Kanako, but she actually flowed. And she actually smiled.

I would probably be very sad for Akiko Suzuki if I hadn't already used up my dead-end fandom on Yukari Nakano. There is just something so tragic about her skating life. Here, I understand that her triple Lutz attempt was pretty much a failure, but the other parts of her program seemed to be unfairly underrated. Do her a favor for once, will you? Name recognition has helped every other skater, but not Akiko.

This was it--the moment that pretty much everyone was waiting for. Bring it, Mao! What's weird is that this is actually the first time that I'd seen her short program this season, since I avoid trying to bring unnecessary stress into my life. Anyway, even my amateur eye on this YouTube-quality video could tell that her triple Axel was probably underrotated, but the judges decided to give it to her anyway. I guess they needed to in order to a) ensure that she would go to Worlds and b) give her the confidence she needs to continue to attack her jumps. I feel like her underrotated triple loop was more rotated than her complete triple Axel, but who's asking me? I'm sure Nobuo Sato isn't letting anything slide anyway.

Her triple loop + triple loop combination is an interesting decision, and her triple flip was the Mao that we'd all been missing all this time. After this she seemed to light up a bit, and although her step sequence--or her skating in general--wasn't as fast as it could be, it was intricately set to the music. Watching her performance, for the first time I really regretted the elimination of the spiral sequence from the ladies' short program. Sato seemed decently satisfied, which seems like a good sign for her progress.

Mao's smiles and tears after the Kiss & Cry almost broke my heart.

By the way, I'm sure that my obsession with Nobuo Sato is quite clear, but I think it should be made equally clear that if I were his student I would live my life in sheer terror.

Dear god, I cannot believe Fumie Suguri still exists. I can't believe the JSF didn't even have the foresight to bury her and to keep Akiko's spirits up. I watched this short program on the basis of Fumie's name alone, but it was generally two and a half minutes I could have spent napping. I will admit that her jumps were surprisingly solid and that her musicality isn't so bad, but everything was just so slow and boring. Please, for your sake and everything's sake, stop. Stoppp.

Japanese Nationals 2010: A Long Time Coming, Part II

Continuing quickly, following the starting order:

In a word, this performance was all guts. After the short program and the collision injury that lay behind it, Daisuke Takahashi's attitude to go out and attack this free skate and defend his honor as reigning World Champion was pretty incredible. With the exception of his opening quad flip, which is an unbelievable jump to even attempt in competition, and popped double Salchow at the end, all of his jumps were clean, without any of the stops or shortness that marred his short program. As usual the step sequences were the highlight of Daisuke's performance, and I loved how his transition into his headless scratch spin in his final combination spin was perfectly matched to the music.

I was actually surprised he lost even the free skate to Takahiko Kozuka, especially considering Takahiko's two falls, but then I checked the protocol and realized that his quad flip had been downgraded to a triple, and then given a -3 GOE. Ouch. Regardless, though, this was the performance of the night. The commentators are right--there is some special power that comes from him, and without it things just aren't the same. These four and a half minutes flew by, and he is a champion with life experience.

By the way, Tonia Kwiatkowski can stop being so bitter--Daisuke Murakami was only eighth.

This is typically the moment when Takahiko loses his head and subsequently his short program position, so to say I was concerned is a serious understatement. This title needed to happen for him, though, not only because I love his skating but because he needs to find a way to believe that he is among the best in the world.

Deep purple and black seem to be Takahiko's unofficial official colors. It is quite a contrast to Daisuke's flashiness and works well for him, just as all of Daisuke's rhinestones and open collars and frills more or less accentuate his performance ability.

As usual I loved his triple Axel(s), and I was fascinated by the delay that seemed to happen in the instant before he tapped into his triple Lutz. The double toe loop he did in combination with it was kind of a girly decision (sorry), but it got the job done. Also girly was his awkward three-jump combination: triple Axel + double toe + single loop. Mao Asada, your future wife if I controlled this world, could do that combination. I was a little surprised that Takahiko could still get credit for a triple Lutz + triple toe combination in the second half of the program after his attempt in the beginning, but I'm not altogether clear on all of the rules (though probably more so than, say, Nobunari Oda) and now that I think about it, double Axels and triple Axels are considered different jumps, so. The fall on the final triple Salchow was unfortunate, but everything about it just screamed wasted nervous energy. Hopefully he'll learn, especially since he managed to keep up his stroking, step sequence, and spin speed until the very end.

I was hoping I could find a clip of the moment Takahiko becomes National Champion, but so far I've come up with nothing.

Oh hey, new flavor of the month. Your free skate costume is even worse than your short program costume, but I'll forgive it and your necklaces because you are still so damn adorable. (Edit: I just looked up Yuzuru Hanyu on Wiki to see if he's actually Christian, but instead of finding that information I instead found that in 2007 he modeled his hairstyle after Evgeny Plushenko's, and that this season Johnny Weir had a hand in designing his costumes. I feel validated in my assessment of Yuzuru's costumes before knowing this information, but at the same time this all makes him rather questionable. By the way, a moment after I gave up on finding the original information, the commentator said that Yuzuru's cross is actually a good-luck move to keep his shoulders level. Huh.)

I'm not sure how many times I've seen a jump end in a split fall, but I have to admit it was kind of graceful. I enjoyed his second triple Axel, and the rest of his jumps were fine, except the final triple Salchow attempt. It was a little bit Takahiko-like in how the program played out, complete with a missed quad attempt, an unnecessary fall, and an unfortunate triple Salchow.

Although I prefer Takahiko, of course, Yuzuru actually has a much better innate performance ability that will probably threaten Takahiko's status as the heir apparent to the No. 1 position four years from now, assuming Yuzuru can get his jumps together under pressure. I also really admire Yuzuru's lines and speed across the ice, but unfortunately in this performance the little technical mistakes crept in and added up, leaving him in fourth place by quite a margin. The disappointment on his face after he finished made me want to hug him again. No matter, though. It's all a learning experience in the first year of the new Olympic cycle. Welcome to the craziness!

Is it bad that I wanted to laugh when the commentators mentioned that what Nobunari Oda was most disappointed in after his short program was his weak mentality going in? I'd be quite interested to see the moments of his mental strength. Although he fell on his quad attempt (so that's 0 for 4 for all of the top men, I think?), Nobunari seriously makes it look like he lands his triple Axels on clouds instead of ice. It's rather unfortunate that he fell on the second one, but he made up for it with great jumps otherwise. Of course he simply does not have the excitement of Daisuke or the pure endearingness that is Takahiko and now Yuzuru, but he was good enough to do enough.

Yet despite this relative success, it's impossible to ignore that he seriously needs to learn how to hold up under pressure. Six falls between the top two finishers, and four from Nobunari? Come on. The commentators remarked that the tension swallowed him, and that he dislikes being the last to skate. Tough. Cookies.

Japanese Nationals 2010: A Long Time Coming, Part I

Every season for the past several years, it seems that Takahiko Kozuka, irrespective of his successes, has always been considered the third-ranked Japanese male skater. Part of it is his age, part of it is his inability to really hold it together when it counts (although Nobunari Oda seriously has this problem so this is probably not a valid reason), and part of it is Japan's fascination with preserving order. In any case, all of that changed this wonderful Christmas weekend.

(Side note: Nothing quite demonstrates an overall Japanese indifference to Christmas than holding its Nationals roughly between December 24 and December 26, year after year. Hah.)

I'd seen Yuzuru Hanyu's name around various times, mostly at Nationals and on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, but had never really paid attention or watched any of his programs. God, he is ADORABLE! There is something about him as he talks to his coach before his performance that makes me want to hug him. This is also possibly the first time I've ever seen a Japanese person cross himself. Cognitive dissonance, I tell you.

I was just thinking that Yuzuru's costume was a watered-down version of a Johnny Weir when the commentator mentioned that his music was from Swan Lake. Hah, perfect. Yuzuru's opening triple Axel--amazing! The knee bend coming out of it--and I feel like Dick Button saying this, horrors--was incredible. I loved his triple Lutz + triple toe combination as well. His transitions and choreography still need some work--sometimes it felt like he was just gliding as he waved his arms around--but he is still only sixteen. Besides, Evan Lysacek and Evgeny Plushenko never really moved on from that, and they both own Olympic Gold Medals.

At first I thought that Yuzuru's second-to-last combination spin was traveling out of control, but then it turned out that the cameramen were doing very wonky things with the angles. Ugh. Anyway, another combination spin later, Yuzuru was done with his first short program at senior Nationals. Commence the official anointing of Japan's No. 4, and one of its Great Hopes for Sochi. Let the media hounding begin!

Oh, Daisuke Takahashi, no. That hair really needs to go. Whether you slick it back or make it curly, it will not transform you into a Latino. Although I already knew before I started watching the program that he would not score well, it was still jarring to see Daisuke stumble on the jumps that are usually so easy for him. It was evidence of his sheer willpower that he managed to pull of the triple toe loop after an off landing on his opening triple flip, and that he stayed on his feet after his triple Axel. All admiration for willpower aside, though, whoever gave him a +1 GOE for the triple Axel needs to be examined. Maybe someone got an extra dose of the Daisuke Will Be Sent to Worlds memo.

The camera work was out in full force again as Daisuke's spin appeared to wander all over the rink, which really annoys me. Why take a spin shot from the ceiling? His triple Lutz was basically eked out, which was still bizarre to see even after the first two jumps. Despite it all Daisuke never forgets to perform, though, and somehow found the energy and smiles to bring it in his straight-line step sequence. No words necessary, indeed. (Amazing that on a technical level, Takahiko would later go on to beat him even in the step sequence, though.)

Shizuka Arakawa mentioned that Daisuke was injured in his collision with Takahiko at the Grand Prix Final, which doesn't surprise me but is still news. It wouldn't be news if I'd actually kept track of the Grand Prix Final, which I still need to do and probably will in the down time between now and Worlds, except when interrupted by US Nationals.

I just love every moment of this short program. Nobuo Sato's send-off words seem to capture exactly who and what he is--a gentle but strict coach who expects the best and is proud of what his students do--and I love that his wife's only comment is for Takahiko to fix his collar. Perfect pair, I tell you, except for the past where she looks 20 years younger than him.

I'm a little iffy on Takahiko's shirt--it goes well with the music and helps overcome his natural shyness on the ice--but it's also not him. But whatever. Takahiko covered so much ice on his opening triple Lutz, then just sort of tacked on a high, effortless triple toe loop. No big deal. Caroline Zhang needs to take a look at his free-leg tap-in. I loved his triple Axel, and although his triple flip wasn't quite as impressive as his combination it was still clean and smooth. I was really struck by his stroking speed throughout the program. Mao Asada, pay attention.

I think Takahiko's--for lack of a better comparison--ape-jumping at the beginning of his step sequence, as well as the strange, ad-libbed nose-rubbing, was just the icing on the cake. Eek! Perfect! His quiet fist-pump was adorable, and Nobuo Sato really looked rather pleased. I did notice, though, that there was no congratulatory handshake after the scores were announced in the Kiss & Cry. Also, is the distance between a conscious effort to give the sponsor logos as much air time as possible? Anyway, in one word: FINALLY.

More than anything I feel obligated to watch Nobunari Oda. I should probably find a fluff or two on him, preferably with Mao Asada in it, to make me like him again. Although I appreciate the tight, fast rotation and the nice flow out of his triple Axel, I really disapprove of the long lead-in. I kind of enjoyed how the commentators remarked that his last jumping pass needed to be a combination, which I think even the casual observer of the short program would pick up on fairly quickly but still seems like an appropriate reminder when it comes to Nobunari. Fortunately for him, he remembered.

Of course, no Nobunari performance would be complete without an unbelievable mistake (except those rare times early in the season when everything is just perfect), and it came in the form of a slip in the middle of his step sequence. Fantastic. He came back after it to nail a great combination spin, though, and his performance was more than enough to put a not insignificant lead over Daisuke. Intrigue!

Pulling a Michelle

So... here I am. Long time no see, blog.

According to Yahoo! JAPAN, Yu-Na Kim just announced today that she will be skipping the 2010-2011 Grand Prix season and just focus on preparing for Worlds instead. Now, while she has certainly earned the right to do whatever she wants with her career (although everyone has that right, to be honest, putting aside questions of commitment and sportsmanship), whether she will actually show up to Worlds is another matter. She may be no Serena Williams (well as far as anyone can tell), but it seems like much of her time will now focus on ice shows and promotional/endorsement activities which could easily distract her from her preparations. Not that it really matters, anyway--the judges are happy to give her whatever score it takes to make sure she ends up on top, if not somewhere very close by.

For me it is also interesting to note how the figure skating system works in Korea. Yu-Na has not had to compete at Nationals for several seasons now, and through this announcement (correctly) assumes that she has a spot guaranteed at Worlds. Even Michelle Kwan didn't have that. Mao Asada doesn't have that. Yes, the depth of the fields in the US and Japan are different, but this does raise the question of whether that extra competition hurts or helps those top skaters who go to Worlds. For many skaters Nationals is the most intense and high-stakes competition, even more so than Worlds, and how this mental and emotional test affects their energy and concentration going into Worlds is intriguing. That Yu-Na would win Nationals by some score in the 300s is a given, but obligations are obligations as far as skating competitively goes. She trains in Canada and gets to enjoy uninterrupted training, while other skaters training abroad must return to their home country for Nationals. I mean, this system of giving Yu-Na a pass works for Korea and the ISU really has no reason to get involved, but it is a very strategic move that should leave other federations wondering.

2010 US Nationals: Free Dance

Well, it's been a while. Between picking classes and family visiting, I haven't had any time to really keep up with the things I usually follow. I have finally decided what I am taking this semester (Independent Research, Evolutionary Biology, Quantitative Methods in Sociology, Experimental Physical Chemistry, and French--yay), though and everything seems to be slowly settling into place. Well, everything except lab. My cells are acting weird and I'm not sure why.

So this happened like a week ago, but at last I've found the Free Dance (for the last five groups) from Nationals. It was a great competition and I was pretty excited about it, although the scoring in the OD (between Meryl Davis & Charlie White and Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto), considering the twizzles, was a little strange.

Tanith & Ben skated first out of the final group, and because I'd somehow made it through the better part of the season without seeing their program, I was pleasantly surprised to find that they were skating to Caccini's Ave Maria. Yes, Ave Maria in general is a classical fallback, but it seems that the Ave Maria most people immediately think of is Gounod's, followed by Schubert's, and this will raise the visibility of Caccnini's version. Caccini's version is the most dramatic, though, so it worked well for them. Their black-and-white costumes were appropriately plain (color-wise) and dramatic (glitter- and cut-wise) at the same time, although I'm not sure if I would have designed a similar costume. I was glad to see that Tanith's hair was tied back. Anyway, in terms of their skating, I thought they did really well--their twizzles were fast and together, and their lifts were elegant and smooth. Their trademark move, where Tanith stands on Ben's skate and arches her back, was used really well and emphasized one of the climaxes of the music. They looked very happy at the end of their performance and after they saw their marks, and I think that even though they did not become the first team to win six National titles they have a lot to be proud of.

Next was Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre. They were also dressed in black and white, though more simply so, and I think I prefer this set of costumes within the black and white scheme. Their program got off to a slightly shake start with the first set of twizzles, when Kim let go over her foot too early, but they recovered well for the second set. Tonia Kwiatkowski mentioned that their FD is supposed to represent their partnership, which seems really sweet (although I'm not sure exactly how the representation works... maybe through the lyrics of the music ("One" by Mary J. Blige)). Their lifts were pretty eye-catching, and the simplicity of their costumes helped accentuate the line of their positions. Kim & Brent looked very emotional at the end, and you could see them mouth "Thank you" to each other. Sentimental favorites indeed. I thought their program component scores could have been a little higher, but good performance all around. Too bad they're not going to the Olympics.

Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein are really the future. You can always tell which juniors will be successful as seniors because they make a dramatic move right away, and this team is no exception (so far). Their costumes were the first that really seemed to be costumes as opposed to crazy outfits, and their music (a "classical waltz") was soft and elegant. Very different feel from the first two teams. Their first set of twizzles seemed just a tad bit messy, but their alternating arm movements in the second set really stood out and was timed perfectly to the music. Kwiatkowski mentioned that they seem to have gained a lot of confidence since winning Junior Worlds last year, and although I didn't really follow them last year she seems to be right--they skated with the power that comes from confidence. They actually beat Navarro & Bommentre in the technical score, but lost out significantly in the program component score, which is sure to go up as they gain more experience.

Then came Meryl & Charlie. They skated to Phantom of the Opera, which is completely overdone, but of course they managed to make it their own anyway. They jumped right into two combination spins, which had great spead, and everything just took off from there. The straight line --> rotational lift had numerous quick position changes, and highlighted the tension of the main theme before the music cut to "Music of the Night." I wasn't such a huge fan of the musical transitions and cuts they decided to use, but they were definitely able to change their style and feel according to that of the music without sacrificing speed. Charlie made me a little nervous on their second straight-line lift, although Meryl's position was really amazing. Their twizzles were fast and controlled (they made sure it was nothing like the OD), and they built up the program's excitement to the end to receive a standing ovation (although I absolutely hated how they suddenly switched the music--the change was way too obvious and abrupt). Their scores were absolutely through the roof (yay Nationals!) despite receiving a deduction (?), and easily beat Tanith & Ben.

Last were Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates, skating to "Canto Della Terra," which initially reminded me of a less breathy Enya in a different language (it's not--it's Italian opera). Evan definitely had a friend in the audience. :) Their twizzles were spot-on and their lifts dramatic in all the right ways. I was really happy to see that none of the top teems seemed to be trying the old ice-dance trick of using crazy costumes to distract from the actual skating (but can someone do something about Emily's hair?). In the end I felt much more emotion from Kim & Brent and I think their performance was stronger, but Emily & Evan are clearly the much better technicians and they deserved to place 3rd.

The other team I hunted down online was Jane Summersett & Todd Gilles, who skated to a "rock & roll medley." They are always so energetic and fun to watch, which worked with the music well, and despite everything I always find myself secretly hoping that they'll place. Unfortunately Jane fell out of her first set of twizzles, and their skating seemed a little slow in comparison to the later group. Their signature curve lift was definitely the highlight of the performance. :) According to Kwiatkowski they changed coaches early in this season, and have improved their edges and closeness. I really hope they keep skating.

2010 US Nationals: Ladies FS

No school + Lots of down time in lab + Temporarily not applying to jobs = Excessive number of blog posts + Sleep. And so here is my take on the ladies FS--I know the FD happened first but I haven't been able to watch it yet...

The first I saw was Caroline Zhang. It was a little painful to watch, knowing how she'd been hailed as one of US figure skating's next stars, but the truth is that her technique is still terrible (why would anyone even consider tapping in from the side?). She fell on her opening jump and wasn't clean on many others (actually she was only clean on one, according to her protocols), and what's very curious to me is that she got a ! on her flip and a e on her Lutz. Can't she just take the right edge at the right time? And what with injuries or whatnot, her trademark flexibility has decreased a little too; she didn't do a Pearl in either her SP or FS, and without them her spins were just spins, albeit with nice positions. Also, as usual, she was just SO. SLOW. I don't understand how she can even generate enough speed/power to jump. Well, apparently she isn't. Sad... I guess we'll see if she's up to the challenge of reforming her skating and making a run in 2014. The commentators mentioned that she'd spent time this season fixing her technique, although that takes so much time and commitment. Again, we'll see.

Bebe Liang skated next, and although she jumped better than Caroline, she still singled one of her later jumps (right after Scott Hamilton said she was a great jumper or something, what a jinxer) and had very little artistry to speak of. Her performance left no impression on me but he judges seemed to like her, and her FS score held up for a long time, even through skaters that the USFSA loves (see: Alissa Czisny).

And so came Alissa Czisny. She was skating to her Dr. Zhivago FS again, which I believe is what she won the National title with last year, although she had a different (better) dress this time around. Everyone really does want the best for her, but there's no much anyone, even the judges, can do if she insists on falling, popping, and underrotating. Oh, and she threw in two triple toe + double toes, so of course the second one didn't count. Aargh. Her spins and spirals were as beautiful as ever, but this time it wasn't enough to keep her afloat in the standings, even with the sentimental bias going on. Actually, the judges really punished Alissa this year--I actually thought she deserved more. Oh well, I don't have the slow-motion replays they so love to use. In any case, it's hard to believe that last year she was on top of the podium.

Next was Emily Hughes. The commentators kept talking about what a fighter she is, since she's a Hughes and all, and took every opportunity to prove their point. A fall (twice)? No big deal, a Hughes just gets up and keeps going, compared to all of the other skaters who go straight to the Kiss & Cry. But although they were a little over the top in their analysis, they did have a point--Emily has fight. You can see it in the way she goes at her jumps, even though much of it didn't work out for her this time. Her spirals were good, as usual, but overall it was a disappointing performance that (somehow) scored higher than Alissa's.

After her were Alexe Gilles, Amanda Dobbs, and Christina Gao. I didn't really have any opinions or expectations from them, so I just sort of watched calmly and played around with NBC's You Be the Judge tool with Rafael. Alexe was (is) strikingly tall and quite pretty on the ice, but still slow and lacking in the jumps. She really ran out of steam at the end after attacking her first several jumps. Amanda was cute--she fell on two of her jumps but still sort of smiled at the end, and given that she's 16 and at her first Nationals, it was nice to see. Christina was pretty impressive, given her age and inexperience, and it seems that everyone is expecting things from her in the future. Here's to hoping she doesn't turn into the next Caroline... All three of them did decently in the standings.

And then finally came the last four skaters. First was Ashley Wagner, who I have to admit has good speed and attack, although she two-footed at least two of her jumps. Her costumes and artistry have really improved as of late (I love the purple!), but there are just some blacklists you can't do anything about. At the end she punched the air in joy, and I understand her happiness after coming back from a 4th-place SP, but really, she didn't do THAT well. I suppose any psychological tinkering with the judges helps, but really. And it must have worked--despite her two-footed landings her scores were pretty huge. Sigh. She looked positively ecstatic after crossing her fingers in the Kiss & Cry and being too nervous to look at her scores.

Second was Sasha Cohen, the headliner everyone had been waiting for. Although she fought for everything, many of her landings were two-footed or just plain awkward (she would just fall out of her jump prematurely and land on two weirdly oriented feet), and of course there was the requisite fall. Her spins and spirals were gorgeous, as everyone already knew, but everyone also knew that her hopes for the podium and the Olympic team were over. Afterwards she did say that she has no regrets about coming back and competing, which, if actually said from the heart, is a "good for her" moment.

Third was Rachael Flatt, who, as Sondra pointed out, had the disadvantage of skating immediately after Sasha since their spins and spirals could more directly be compared. In general, though, Rachael was unfazed as expected, and she hit all of her jumps except her triple flip + triple toe combination, which she stepped out of. She was slow as usual and her skating was pretty boring, but in the end you just can't beat technical consistency.

And finally, my favorite, Mirai Nagasu. As the commentators noted, she has the best balance of athleticism and artistry among the US ladies right now, and her program was great to watch. She didn't fall, had good speed, and hit some nice positions on her spirals and spins, but was hammered in the scoring. Evidently she underrotated three of her jumps... sigh. I'm actually not convinced she did, though, and I don't really understand how Sasha got away without any underrotations called. Anyway, the point is--I think she should have won. I understand the technical aspect is important, but her program was the best of the night. I don't care if she supposedly made 2 3/5 revolutions in the air. She hit her program. Mirai was absolutely adorable at the end of her performance though, grinning away and holding her head/face in joy. Please stick around for four more years! You can get so much better (actually so can Rachael and she more or less said it herself in the press conference (see below), but given her/the press' lovefest with her academics I can just as well see her retiring after the Olympics).

So in the end it was Rachael, Mirai, and Ashley, in that order, and after much deliberation Rachael and Mirai were named to the Olympic team. Some reporter in the press conference asked Rachael if she thought she had a chance at a medal if the other skaters (I think he named Mao Asada, Miki Ando, and Yu-Na Kim) skated cleanly as well, and she gave some insubstantial answer about the spirit of competition and the merits of her consistency. She also mentioned that she hopes that this is not the peak of her career, but rather that it is in the near future (by that did she mean three weeks from now or three years?). Oh well. I think we all know what the answer is to that, but I suppose guarded diplomacy is the way to go. Unlike Mirai, who is 16 and adorable on- and off-ice, but will probably have to hire a PR coach at some point. :)

Some random thoughts:

• Dear Scott Hamilton, a close field ≠ a deep field. The outcome of the ladies event may have been uncertain, but by no means is it deep.
  
• J1 was the weird, generous outlier in all of the judging. Can someone standardize this already?
• Have the rules for scoring underrotations changed? Now the GOEs are not -3 across the board...
  
• The return of Dick Button involved wearing a hideous TIE, not a hideous BOWTIE! It was a strange sight to behold.
• Good thinking, USFSA. End the ice dance and ladies competition on the 23rd, and send a bunch of them to Four Continents, which officially starts on the 25th in Korea (with competition starting on the 27th). That's not hectic at all.
  

2010 US Nationals: Compulsory Dance/Original Dance

Finally! I have been waiting for the Dance portion for what seems like so long, and now it's less than half an hour before the FD starts (although more than an hour before it gets interesting at all). I remember reading an article leading in the 2002 Olympics that said that ice dance was all about crazy costumes and little athletic ability. How times have changed (does saying this make me old?). There are still crazy costumes, but no one can deny how trained and skilled these skaters are.

So I didn't actually watch the CD--I love figure skating, but not always that much--but tracked the scores on IceNetwork instead. There weren't many surprises, other than the hugely inflated scores (a 45? Really?), although I didn't expect Kim Navarro & Brent Bommentre (am I the only one who wants to pronounce this Beau-mont-ruh instead of Beau-men-tree?) to beat Emily Samuelson & Evan Bates. It didn't really matter, though, because they were separated by less than half a point, and the same for Meryl Davis & Charlie White and Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto. I should probably watch one or two of them before this is all over, though--the Golden Waltz sounds pretty and is supposed to be one of the more challening of the ODs, and Meryl's purple dress was gorgeous.

I did, however, watch the OD, and was a little surprised by the results. Tanith & Ben skated pretty early on, and they skated to a Moldavian folk dance. Their costumes, of course, were lovely and seemed quite traditionally Eastern European, but I wasn't totally sold on the program itself. Tonia Kwiatkowski (who as a rule is far less annoying than Tara Lipinski) mentioned that Moldavian dances involve a lot of jumping up and down, and it's great that Tanith & Ben incorporated that, but to me all of the jumping seemed a little wild and exaggerated, and interrupted the flow of their skating. Maybe if Tanith & Ben both tied their hair back things would appear more calm, but in general things appeared a little chaotic.

Meryl & Charlie skated soon after them to their now-famous Indian folk dance. Meryl is so uniquely beautiful, and she pulled off her costume and its colors really well. From what I've seen of Indian dance, it also involves a lot of jumping, but this program seemed to incorporate that better into the style of ice dance. Given my overall impression of Tanith & Ben's skate, I was pretty sure that Meryl & Charlie would beat them in the OD as well--until Meryl partially fell out of her twizzles. Based on past experiences watching ice dance, I thought that a mistake on the twizzles would be pretty costly, but it didn't seem to hurt them much at all, and all of their elements had positive GOEs (even the twizzles, which were rated Level 4!). They placed safely first with a 68, compared to Tanith & Ben's 66. I know the time had to come and that Meryl & Charlie are the new stars of US ice dance while Tanith & Ben are getting older (although to be fair, they are not old, and ice dancers seem to have a much longer career than singles skaters), but it is still so weird to me to consider that Tanith & Ben could possibly not win Nationals.

Anyway, after them came Jane Summersett & Todd Gilles--one of my personal favorites. Not a threat to win, but always entertaining and also incredible people off-ice. I mean, they can do this:

An Evening with Champions 2008. Copyright Sarah Brannen, a remarkably talented and generous photographer. A more explanatory picture of this move is on her website.

How weird is that, right? With moves and creativity like this, the OD and FD are usually their strong portions, but surprisingly they lost ground on 6th place after what I thought was one of their best OD performances ever. I really liked the simplicity of their costumes as well, so overall that was a little bit of a letdown.

And then came Kim & Brent, who skated to some Afro-Brazilian hybrid. For all of the controversy surrounding Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin's Aborigine-inspired OD, there sure has been nothing on these two. I'm not saying that there should be (much more on this later), but Kim & Brent are also wearing costumes designed to make their skin look darker, and Brent is even wearing a "wig" made out of what looks like strips of leather. That's one for the PC mill. Anyway, as usual their performance was entertaining and energetic, although their overall impression was somewhat similar to Tanith & Ben's, and I had a vague feeling going in that they would be dropped to 4th no matter what happened, barring Emily & Evan falling or something.

And, sure enough, Emily & Evan moved up to 3rd. I'm sure their skating was all quite clean and technical, but I'm not a fan of this OD. Other than the fact that Emily's dress has gratuitous back exposure, their last rotational lift seemed remarkably simple (Emily riding piggy-back on Evan). I know that a lot of moves in figure skating can look deceptively simple or difficult, but I just can't really see the point of spinning someone around on your back. Oh, wait. I just realized that the last lift is non-scoring. Never mind... Either way, though, I don't love this one. But it was impressive to me that they would decide to go with American instead of some other culture's--I think the locality/familiarity of the style would actually make it more scary to challenge the field field with.

In between I saw Madison & Keiffer Hubbell and Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein, which were both fun although I don't remember too much of it. They did well, though, and I'm excited to see what happens in the next two hours!

2010 US Nationals: Ladies SP

Thanks to the 3-hour time difference between here and Spokane, as well as the Hall of Fame induction ceremony and the agonizingly long resurfacing breaks, I wasn't able to stay around Rafael's computer (seeing as, despite my interest, I would never actually buy IceNetwork) long enough to watch Emily Hughes' and Ashley Wagner's SPs (although I did end up staying up late enough, but my weird lack of nighttime management is another story).

But before I can even get to the skaters, I just feel a need to point out how annoying Tara Lipinski is as a commentator. Actually, she annoyed me as a skater too, but I was a little too young to fully absorb this; now I definitely understand. Although she was surprisingly knowledgeable about technique (being able to spot the position of a skater's toe-in and her balance in the air, for instance), she chattered constantly in a falsely positive voice, and also pointed out the obvious ("Oh that will be a negative GOE."). Of course she isn't even close to being the only commentator who does these things, but (and I can't believe I'm going to say this) commentators like Dick Button keep it real.

Anyway, the first skater I paid any attention to was Rachael Flatt. Her hairstyling has definitely improved this year, and she generally seems more mature (helped along with the loss of her braces, no doubt), but she is still so slow and lacks the engagement with the music and audience that memorable performances and champions have. In general, though, the music for her SP seems to have been well-chosen ("Sing, Sing, Sing" sort of forces you to engage, at least minimally), and as usual the technical side was clean and consistent although the landing on her triple flip seemed a little iffy. Rachael's spirals still need work, but in this field, whatever.

Alissa Czisny was a huge disappointment. Right before her first jump, I sort of squealed "Don't fall!" and of course she fell, and of course Rafael blamed this on me. And then she doubled something else, and everyone knew it was all over. Her spins and spirals definitely made up for some of the jumps, but really, if you just want to be all flexible and pretty then you can go become a ballerina or even a model. Figure skaters need to jump. Still, you always wish she would do better, and more consistently.

Mirai Nagasu! As many people have been saying, along with some of my snarkiness above, the US ladies' field is a little blah, and I've been having a hard time deciding who I care about enough to want to win. After some thought I finally chose Mirai, although really, in the large Olympic-scale scheme of things, it's not going to matter. But I thought that her FS at Nationals last year was really memorable in the way she cried, relieved her tension, then laid it all out there, and I found myself quietly cheering her on to make a full comeback. And she totally did. She has really grown over the past year or so, and everything about her seemed more mature. Her jumps were fluid and she did a much better job of presenting than Rachael, but amazingly she beat Rachael in the TES and lost in the PCS. I briefly tried to figure this out by looking at the protocols, but of course they make no sense because a given element can receive a -1 GOE and +2 GOE simultaneously.

Things after Mirai were pretty boring for a while. Ellie Kawamura skated to "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" dressed as a rainbow (BAD IDEA, if she wanted to go for the obvious and tacky she might as well have gone for Dorothy) but that's about all I remember.

And then... finally... Sasha Cohen. She looks pretty much the same as four years ago, although I've noticed in some pictures that her arms seem more muscular. Rinkside before the six-minute warmup, she was at the very back of the group, but somehow had made her way to the front by the time they started calling out names, and was first onto the ice. I suppose aggressiveness never dies. She was beautiful as usual in her performance, and surprisingly had no mistakes, unless you count the long edge and inside takeoff of her triple Lutz, which wasn't called. (How could it not be called?) I think everyone knew she would either be great or terrible, and a good number might have been leaning towards the latter. Anyway, things are getting interesting.

As I mentioned, I missed Emily's and Ashley's programs, but they don't seem to have been anything remarkable. I guess I'll catch them later on YouTube and wait for the FS tomorrow.

Go Mirai!

2010 US Nationals: Men

I didn't have a chance to look at the short programs before I watched the last free skate group today, so all I knew going in was who was placed where, along with a few details gleaned from a cursory look at protocols and articles. I figured (along with most people, probably) that Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, and Johnny Weir were virtual locks for the Olympics, but it was interesting nonetheless to see if someone could pull off an upset. It didn't happen, but oh well. It was fun.

I think the first program I watched was Ryan Bradley's. The (annoying) commentators were completely right--he was so entertaining, and it was amazing that he could mix all of the technical requirements, old-fashioned music, a period costume, and clownlike gestures in one program. I really felt for him because I'd read an article the day before about how he felt that he had to "go for broke" to gain any chance of doing well and making the Olympic team, and there was something both sad and admirable about his refusal to play it safe. He definitely pulled off his two quads (completely irrelevant aside, but has anyone done three quads in one program?), but as my sister mentioned, it was really difficult to watch him skate without getting nervous every time he jumped. Considering he was rewarded with the scores for a second-place free skate, I really wished he'd done a little better in the short.

Next was Adam Rippon, I believe--my personal favorite. His edges were so smooth and clean, and I could relax during his program (give or take a 3A :)). The triple Lutzes especially were amazing, his spins seemed to be a level above most owing to his flexibility, and I was a little sad that he lost out to Ryan overall by just 0.9. Oh well, everything takes time. And he'll be what, 24 in 2014? That's still the perfect age to go to the Olympics.

After came Armin Mahbanoozadeh, about whom I knew (and still know) basically nothing about despite having seen his name several times at Nationals. I think the commentators said that he is only 18, and even though I'm not that much older than him there was just something so young and adorable about him. Considering how well he'd done in the SP, each misstep and fall in his FS was really painful to watch, but again, he'll be 22 in 2014. No big deal, things will happen.

There is something seriously wrong with Evan Lysacek's recent costuming and hair choices, although this issue is certainly not unique to him (see: Weir, Johnny). Actually, I'm not sure I approve of bodysuits on the men, or rather non-shirt-and-pants-type outfits. Jeffrey Buttle dressed well, for example, and Takahiko Kozuka's outfits aren't that bad either. But anyway I am getting off topic--back to Evan's FS. I'm not sure if he got credit for the quad attempt, but in any case he fell on it, though if I remember correctly (and I really may not be), the rest of his program was fine. Actually, now that I try to reflect on it, I'm not sure if I was paying attention to Evan's program at all, because I can't seem to recall any details after that quad attempt.

Johnny Weir's costume stood out far more than his skating. In fact, the only thing worse than a bodysuit is a bodysuit with feathers and mesh, and both were in abundance. I don't really remember the specifics, but things were unremarkable, and I know that at one point he singled an Axel. The commentators were speculating that there would be "talk" among USFSA officials about not sending him to the Olympics even though he had come in 3rd because his FS was 5th, but I felt this rather unlikely and in the end nothing of the sort happened. I really enjoyed Ryan's skate, but in the end Johnny has been more consistent and a 5th-place FS is a pretty weak argument against sending a former Olympian and consistent national medalist. Whatever. I really wish that I could mute the commentators sometimes, but then I wouldn't be able to hear the music.

Last came Jeremy Abbott, and boy did he bring it. His bright blue shirt was really eye-catching and went great with his hair and skin color. Yet even more eye-catching was his skating itself--all of the jumps were calm, clean, and complete, and his program was rewarded handsomely. VERY handsomely. The commentators were beside themselves with excitement over the scores (even though they tend to be quite inflated at any Nationals), but regardless his program was amazing. There's still something missing though, I think, that's missing--that is, the handful of performances that I still remember years later all created an emotional connection that could be felt even through the TV. Plenty of skaters have won major competitions without that connection (Sarah Hughes@2002 Olympics, Evgeny Plushenko@2006 Olympics, and Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin@2006 Olympics come to mind, although by no means are they the only, and is no indication of their actual skating skills), but performances such as Alexei Yagudin@2002 Olympics, Xue Shen & Hongo Zhao@2003 Worlds, and Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir@2008 Worlds were something special. But regardless, if Jeremy skates like he did at Nationals, then the Olympic podium is definitely within reach, although the depth of the men's field there will be really crazy.

Dance and ladies aren't until next weekend, so I suppose in the meantime I'll just have to find something else...

2010 US Nationals: Pairs (2)

The judging details for Pairs is fully up! I usually don't care so much about the details of GOE and downgrades and whatnot in comparison to the actual results themselves, but this time especially I was curious about what placed Rena Inoue & John Baldwin in 3rd, partly considering that it seemed like they disagreed with the results (although, to be fair, not the decision not to nominate them to the Olympic team). Anyway, the point is, the protocols are up and I (along with 90% of the figure skating world, if not more, I feel) am again so confused as to what exactly makes this new judging system so "improved":

Obviously I'm not nearly the first person to say this, but really. Take, for example, the 2T. I don't clearly remember this program so I suppose someone popped this, seeing as it wasn't judged as a 3T<, but the point is that J3 must have hit another pair's replay when he gave a +1 GOE. Since, you know, everyone else thought that it was a -2 GOE. Which results in an overall GOE of -0.60 even though 7 of the 8 judges gave it a -2. Or, for instance, the 3LzTw1... even I could see the crash. A 0 GOE? Really? What amuses me even more is the 3LoTh... are these judges actually watching the same program and paying attention to it besides? But hey, whatever, it's all anonymous, right? These are good too, although I'm glad to see that they apparently amended the rules surrounding downgrades. But, for instance, the CCoSp4--+1 to -2 GOE? Even ranges of 0 to +2 GOE are questionable (or rather J2 seems to have been determined to keep them 3rd)... come on now, ISU. Haha right.

I don't mean any of the above as a knock on anybody's scores, efforts, or abilities. I have no idea what the elements should have received under the envisioned COP, but really now. Judges do have to be trained, right? I can't just jump into the judges' panel tomorrow and start handing out numbers?

Oh well. I love figure skating anyway. At least, I think so, most of the time...

2010 US Nationals: Pairs

It's official, and I'm still so excited: AMANDA EVORA & MARK LADWIG ARE GOING TO THE OLYMPICS.

For the casual (or not-so-casual) figure skating viewer, this may not seem that important and even be a little confusing. After all, teams such as Rena Inoue & John Baldwin are much more experienced internationally, and all too often judges find a way of playing with the numbers just so to make the "right" things happen. I myself was crazy with nervousness that Amanda & Mark would come in 3rd, and was so (ecstatically) surprised when their scores held up for 2nd. And then I worried that USFSA would pull a fast one and send another team as the second US representatives, but the right thing happened without any funny business, and now, as I repeat again: Amanda & Mark are going to the Olympics!

You see, Amanda and Mark are seriously two of the nicest and hardworking people you will ever meet. That sounds cliche, because everybody says this about somebody, but if you are ever fortunate enough to meet them then you will understand that in this case, this cliche is the truth. Every year for the past several years, they have donated their time and talent to An Evening with Champions, and they are just amazing. Not only do they bring the house down with their emotional and spirited programs, but they are so sweet to the Jimmy Fund kids, and even help with cleanup after the receptions and after-parties. Yes, cleanup. As guests they move tables, rearrange chairs, and replace napkin holders. They juggle personal lives with part-time jobs and their training, and now it's all come together in the form of a ticket to VANCOUVER! I cannot say this enough times.

I was a little disappointed and sad for Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker, but I am sure that 2014 can easily be their time as well. They've been on a non-stop ride to the top, and things had to slow down somewhere. And, not to be overly mean or critical, since my own abilities are most mediocre, I feel like no one ever taught Keauna basic skating skills. Their lifts and twists are spectacular, and the height of their throws are breathtaking, but the side-by-side jumps are always such a danger zone as are the actual landings of the throws. But speaking of non-stop rides... Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett (congratulations!) sort of seem to be on that trajectory as well. Here the timing has been perfect, but here's to hoping that their ride doesn't include a precipitous fall.

Everything else of the pairs competition now seems to be a blur. Sorry that this ended up being a shameless plug for both Amanda & Mark and An Evening with Champions. Oops. ;)