1.15.2011 SPOKEN!：小塚崇彦・無良崇人・佐野隼規

この放送はいつものスケート番組が注目するトップ選手の練習場面やプライベートのシーンではなく、友情を中心とした物でとても良かったと思いました。全日本チャンピヨンである小塚崇彦選手がメインになるのが当然だと思うかもしれませんが、彼の人見知りさもあり、圧倒的なスターがない素晴らしい話が伝わるように作られた放送でした。

小塚選手が１０歳位の時から仲良くしている佐野隼規選手が大学卒業した際スケートから引退し、社会人になると決めていたので、最後のインカレをどうしても優勝したかったそうです。世界選手権優勝を目指している選手に取ってはインカレは時間の無駄と思うかもしれませんが、小塚選手は佐野選手の夢を支えるために参加しました。

「隼規が引退だから、やっぱり優勝して引退したいかなと思って、、、」

小塚選手の優しさに感心してしまいました。

出会った当時の写真。超可愛い！

この話を聞いて笑いました：

佐野選手：野辺山の合宿でジャム塗って怒られたんだよね
小塚選手：部屋で、、、ちょっと、絶対昆虫、、、こんだけ田舎だから昆虫いるだろうって話になって、昆虫を探すんだったら取りあえずジャム塗ったら来るんじゃないかって、、、


小塚選手：４日間位放置してたんですよ。
佐野選手：こびり付いちゃってね、虫一切来ないし、最終日に歯ブラシで掃除して、、、
小塚選手：歯ブラシでガーってこすって、、、

いかにも男の子らしくて面白い〜選手として道がどんどん離れて行ってもこの２人の関係が全く変わってないのが何か良かったです。

ちなみにインカレはこのように点が付けられています：


ショートプログラムでは残念ながら佐野選手がジャンプを全てミスして、１６位に終わりました。しかし、全日本選手権で５位だった無良崇人選手が２位、勿論小塚選手が１位で、中京大学が暫定１位に立ちました。


小塚選手が滑る前にこんな場面もありました：

佐藤コーチが来ていなかったので、背中を叩くのは佐野選手の責任になりました。小塚選手があの仕草をそこまで大切にしていたとは知らなかったです^_^

１位だったが、小塚選手は得意とするルッツをステップアウトしてしまいました。終わった後、バックステージでww：


小塚選手と無良選手は１位と２位以上にはなれないので、中京大学が優勝するためには佐野選手が順位を上げるしかなかったです。それで見事にフリーのジャンプを決め、フリーでは６位に入りました。観てて何だか彼のために嬉しくなってしまいました。

驚いたのは佐野選手の息の白さ！そこまで寒いリンクで皆戦ったな〜と感心しました。

小塚選手は４回転のトーループに成功しました。インカレでは滅多に見ない技ですよね〜プレッシャーの中で無良選手も奇麗に滑り、この２人はまた１位と２位に立ちました。それで中京大学の優勝が決定！


終わって総合得点の紙を眺めながらこんな会話もありました：

佐野選手：（４２点中）俺７点なんだ
小塚選手：７点大きい！７点大きい！だって昨日以上上がれないもん、こっちの２人、、、
佐野選手：そっか。そうだよね。
小塚選手：どんだけ頑張っても。キャプテンにかかってたからマジで！
佐野選手：危ない危ない。
小塚選手：そのプレッシャーを乗り切っての優勝だから、完璧！

小塚選手、優しい！！

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 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!

Rostelecom Cup 2010: Exciting Pairs?!

Happy December! I will open this month with the second installment of my Grand Prix retrospection: the Rostelecom Cup, or, as it should always be known, Cup of Russia. I'm glad that there are companies out there still stupid or naive or kind enough to sponsor figure skating events, but "Rostelecom Cup" is just such a terrible name. The organizers know it, too, seeing as they still embedded "Cup of Russia" in the middle of the rink.

Partly redeeming this name is, surprisingly, the pairs event. Lately pairs has been my least favorite discipline, but this time it was the one that contained the pleasant surprises. Before I can get there, however, I feel obligated to sit through the shuffling mess that was the ladies.

I've tried to like Miki Ando. I really have. Yet for all my countless hours of watching this sport, I cannot understand why the majority of my country finds her so cute. I don't understand why her jumps are such a big deal when she is in tears trying to come up with excuses half the time, and her lack of artistry is a perpetual annoyance. And I'm just going to pretend I don't know who Nikolai Morozov is, even though that's impossible.

I actually kind of like the music Miki uses in her short program; it has a catchy tempo, beat, and power, and helps mask her lack of lyricality. Her performance was fairly uninspired, though, and that patch on her back was beyond distracting. Even at full speed her triple flip looked underrotated to my very informally trained eye (although there is no reason to give her a -3 GOE, random judge).

It's rare that I can find a figure skating performance aired in a language I understand, haha. I like keeping things in this blog uniform, but not so much so that I'll pass up a Japanese broadcast. Anyway, Miki's patch seemed to have grown overnight, and by Nationals I'm sure it will be large enough to explain any defeat she may suffer. On a positive note, it seems that Miki's fashion sense has exponentially improved this season, though perhaps at Mao's expense.

The music she uses in this program is completely different from her short program's, and it looks like she's really trying to improve her artistry. She doesn't quite succeed--she completely ignores the most dramatic part of the music because she's too busy backloading her program with jumps--but at least she's trying, I guess? And her jumps are nothing to laugh at--the solo triple Lutz was huge.

Ah, Akiko Suzuki. Another skater I have tried and failed to like. What am I supposed to do, now that Yukari Nakano has retired and the real Mao Asada is nowhere to be found? Akiko's one-armed Biellmann was seriously ugly and made me miss Mao even more. Akiko does get credit, though, for pushing through hard times and squeezing the best out of her talent and opportunities.

How refreshing it is to see a coach and his skater keep a healthy distance between them in the Kiss & Cry. I also didn't realize that Hiroshi Nagakubo was so old.

Hrm, so I guess Russian short program video-Japanese free skate video is the theme for this post. The first thing I noticed about Akiko's costume here is that it helps her look more cute than usual, although Fiddler on the Roof is anything but cute and I am not a fan of the single-shoulder look that seems to be going on these days.

This is a great program for her--it accentuates how delicate and quietly expressive Akiko can be. The contrasting energetic highs help bring out her inner energy and smile, and she manages to keep up her speed to match until the end. Her jump positions could be better, but she seems to be constantly improving and watching her sort of makes me warm and happy.

The parade of skaters of whom I am not a fan continues. Ashley Wagner seems to have tried to go the chic and mature route in her short program, although her artistry--or her skating in general--has not evolved to match. Maybe all the too-dark foundation on her face was weighing her down, but her first two jumping passes were not quite perfect and she doesn't seem to have a presence on the ice. Simply put, I enjoyed the music, but not her performance.

Oh dear, what a bad, bad idea. This music immediately conjures images of Sasha Cohen's short program from many seasons ago, and even with Sasha's mistakes it is just not possible for Ashley to measure up. She even seems to steal some of the choreography wholesale, which is an even worse idea. To top it all off, she even includes a fall. Amazing.

Now, I haven't had the chance to like or dislike Agnes Zawadzki yet, but the signs seem to point to dislike. Her jumps are rather nice, but she is a product of the Colorado training center and looks like Amber Corwin. She is far more interesting than her training mate Rachael Flatt, but there was nothing particularly memorable about this program.

Her free skate, though, was why I bothered to watch her at all this competition--who can ignore such a spectacular meltdown? Agnes looked more mature in this program than in her short, but this also had three more falls and various other messes. How she manages to smile at the end is beyond my understanding, but good for her, I suppose.

And now that that's done, I can now move on to the whole point of this post.

No matter how many times I read the name to myself, I can't get used to "Kavaguti." Seriously, woman, have you no standards? I remember several years ago when Terry Gannon mentioned that Yuko Kawaguchi, as she was then thankfully known, did not want to give up her Japanese citizenship just to go to the Olympics representing Russia. Well, it seems like she threw that all out the window and then some. She'd better hope there's a Russian man waiting to marry her, because no Japanese man with an ounce of sense is going to.

I can't make much sense out of Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov's short program music choice. It's what is played at like, opening ceremonies and at particularly dramatic moments in Japanese variety shows. It doesn't make for great figure skating performances. Neither do Alexander's pants, for that matter. Yuko fought for each and every landing, and somehow the pair managed to come out on top. The memory of their coach's death glare is probably still very fresh.

From one overplayed piece to another. Alexander's wedding ring stands out more than any other skater's I've ever seen, except maybe Mark Ladwig's. The unison on their side-by-side spins was basically perfect, and as usual they had impressive pair elements that Yuko fought to control. Of course, my favorite part--just like everybody else--is where Alexander goes in to bite Yuko's neck, and she lies in his ars with a glassy, frozen expression. This is seriously not an attractive pair.

I'd seen Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran's names at various junior international competitions over the past few seasons, but this was the first time I ever watched them skate. Okay, so this pair is only half Japanese, so there's still a lot of ground to break when it comes to pairs skating in Japan, but it's a huge step forward.

Did the Russian commentator seriously say "Bublah" for "Bublé"? That would really make my day.

Anyway, Narumi & Mervin's split triple twist was huge, and their side-by-side-spins, though not perfectly in unison, were super fast. They're not quite expressive and still somewhat juniorish, but their elements are solid. Potential! Potential! Unbelievable. Now if only Japanese ice dancers existed...

Narumi better not be the next Keauna McLaughlin. Just saying.

This program didn't do much to grab my attention, either, but again, it's very refreshing and reassuring to see that a Japanese pairs team may one day emerge internationally after all.

God, I love this pair. Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig are actually energetic and mature with each other, and the transformation of their costumes following last season's successes is dramatic. It's obvious that (for the first time ever?) they were custom-made, and it really helps them look like they belong. They even saved the best for last, placing a teaser bit of one of their signature lifts near the end of their program.

Their free skate costumes had a bit of last-season feel to it, but no matter. Amanda & Mark are skating with a new confidence this season, minus Amanda's obligatory fall, and it's wonderful. Nessun Dorma needs to be retired, and Amanda & Mark need to channel their new confidence into finding their own music. They did, however, make a real effort into doing the overplayed piece justice with their spot-on double Axel sequence and huge lifts. Mark's reaction during their bows and in the Kiss & Cry is priceless. It's great that even Jim Peterson can get into the camera mugging. Their hugs at the end are adorable. Love, love. This kind of closeness is okay. Nikolai, take note.

Skate Canada 2010: From One Mess To Another

We all knew Trophée Eric Bompard wold more or less end up the way it did, right? Now that the Grand Prix events are finally and mercifully over, and all that's left is the Final in 10 days, I thought I would take the opportunity to look back on the competitions that I initially ignored out of concern for myself. First up: Skate Canada.

I will happily cover both the best and the worst, but in this case only the men's event is worth mentioning. Any event that Alissa Czisny can win (and that Fumie Suguri insists on entering) is possibly beyond 'worst' status, and both the pairs and ice dance events look too boring to even think about.

Of course I have to start with Patrick Chan. Two obvious things I did not realize about him: 1) He is still only 19 and 2) He is a two-time World silver medalist. One not-so-obvious thing I had to look up about him: 1) He is fully Chinese.

This program is remarkable for its ability to earn unearned points. How a skater can miss two of three required jumping passes and still score high enough for third place (even at a Grand Prix event) is beyond me. Even these commentators, who talk way too much, are initially at a loss for words after the missed triple Axel. I'll admit that he has good speed in his stroking and in his spins, but the magical Canadian bonus is just too much.

So actually, his placement is not beyond me. It's very easy: just keep on adding PCS points until the desired score and rank are reached. Of course the commentator says, "Three falls, and I'm not worried." Why should he be?

But my biggest problem? I'm so jaded that I can't even get angry about this.

Disguising an overused piece of music by changing the instruments and the tempo isn't fooling anyone except maybe the Canadians. The unbearably biased commentators proudly crowed that Patrick "answered another question" by landing a quad toe loop, which was admittedly very good, but moments later had to face the fact that their chosen boy was down on the ice yet again after a failed triple Axel. The ability of the commentators to continue to finding positive--and occasionally flatly wrong--things to say might be even more remarkable than the score this mess of a performance receives. Only one clean jumping pass in the entire program, and he skates away with a smile and a gold medal. "Still some rough edges"? That's putting it mildly, buddy.

Patrick Chan rivals Yuna Kim when it comes to blind adoration.

I am no fan of Nobunari Oda, seriously, but his knees are like butter. He doesn't have the excitement that Patrick Chan has, especially in Canada, but his jumps are to die for. Nobunari's costumes and music occasionally make me want to die, but that's another story.

The Russian commentators are so mercifully quiet...

I actually kind of like this costume, I think. I also like this music much better than his short program choice, but I'm afraid it's not exciting enough to help him disguise his sheer lack of artistry and musicality. He also has a strange free leg position on the entrance to his triple Axels, which I noticed just moments before he fell on one. There's not much else to say except that Nobunari deserved more, but it's just the way skating goes. At least now everybody knows that one fall is far more costly than four falls and five stepouts. The complete lack of emotion on his face as a mask for his utter confusion, disappointment, and annoyance is amazing.

By the way, if you watch the Gala, Nobunari is introduced as "He's a new dad, and the rising son of Japan!" Wow, no.

Do I approve of Adam Rippon's laughably fake attempts to portray Romeo? No, of course not. But his skating is so gorgeous I could almost overlook that. Once he got through the triple Axel I knew the rest would be smooth sailing, and it was.

His double-armed Lutz in the short program was a little less than pretty, but Adam's first Lutz in his free skate was pure beauty. I draw the line at that ugly one-armed three-jump combination, though. Just no. His knees aren't quite as soft as Nobunari's, but his increasingly evident gayness allows him to feel the music so much more. I'm not even going to bother comparing their placements, since it's obvious that their respective strengths are different, and in the end the only determinant in their markings was how to enable Patrick to win.

All in all, this was a fairly forgettable competition, minus the eye-roll outrage that was Patrick Chan. I guess I'm glad I watched it, a month late.

Skate America 2010: Painfully Mediocre

The Grand Prix events are so packed that sometimes sacrifices need to be made. In this case, it was the first half of the Ladies' Short Program (and likely Free Skate, if the quality of the scores so far is any indication), and so I unceremoniously cut Mae Berenice Meite, Alexe Gilles, Min-Jeong Kwak, Viktoria Helgesson, Amelie Lacoste, Jenna McCorkell, and even Joshi Helgesson (sisters?) from my day. You know it's time to move on when your greatest skating claim to fame is being married to Kevin van der Perren.

And so this segment for me began with Kanako Murakami, who fits the definition of "total sweetheart." On one hand I was a little dismayed by her dress, but on the other it seems to go with her age and personality quite well. And damn, she has speed. Her triple toe + triple toe combination covered an insane amount of ground, but sadly she was only able to pull of a single Axel.

In a nutshell.

Plus, Machiko Yamada is so crazy and fabulous, even the Kiss & Cry is exciting. I think her 54.75 could have been a little higher, though. Oh well.

From one Asian to another: next was Caroline Zhang. She is such a tragic mess I wasn't sure what to expect, but her jumps do seem to have improved a bit from the past. I saw none of the famous mule-kick (although she may just have left those jumps out of this program), unless you count her wild free leg on her solo triple jump. What is really curious to me is how Caroline seems to come to a dead stop before muscling out her double Axel. She's also improved her speed, which is very refreshing to see. 50.66, good enough, right?

So when did Elene Gedevanishvili go blonde? And why does she keep switching coaches instead of retiring? She fell on her opening triple Lutz and doubled her Salchow, I believe, but she somehow made herself get through the program. Perhaps her 45.27 will finally start waking her up to the state of her skating.

I really, really try not to be catty about actual appearances (costuming choices don't count because they're actually in a person's control), but when it comes to Rachael Flatt, I cannot help myself. Her haircut makes her look fatter than ever, and the all-teal one-shoulder dress does not help her at all. Her opening combination was a little bit weird (a double flip + triple toe), and she tried a little bit to hard with her choreography (including some strange, "jazzy" hip wiggles and hand flips). The commentator mentioned that Rachael has been taking dance lessons lately, which comes about 10 years too late. 51.02, behind Joshi Helgesson--please go to Stanford.

The final skater--Grand Prix competitions are mercifully short--was Carolina Kostner, who is another "Are you still around?" type of skater. Her planed triple-triple turned into a triple toe + double toe, but technically the rest of her program seemed more or less okay. In terms of performance quality alone I would put Kanako ahead of her, but the judges quite dramatically disagreed. 60.28? Please. The commentator says that it's because Carolina "did everything else," but unless by "everything else" she means "being from Italy," then I'm not buying it.

Skate America 2010: The Dishwashing Edition

Okay, the title has nothing to do with the skating and everything to do with my attempt to keep my apartment clean as I keep up with my fandom. As you may have noticed, I don't do anything halfway--I boycotted the Grand Prix pretty dramatically, and now I'm back in the Grand Prix pretty dramatically. Such is my personality, I suppose.

The best part of the broadcast, at first, was the technical glitch that made it near-impossible to hear the commentators. I therefore got to watch Felicia Zhang & Taylor Toth in blissful peace, which was perfect because they were skating to Clair de Lune. Their performance had their ups and downs--Felicia crashed into Taylor on their opening split triple twist, but this was followed by rock-solid side-by-side triple toes. Their singles background really shows, although now I'd love for them to skate more closely together.

And then, just as I was marveling at their unison on their side-by-side spins...


...they completely fell out of it. Sigh. They seemed okay with their 48.13, though. It's their first senior Grand Prix ever, after all!

I'd never heard of Canada's Kirsten Moore-Towers & Dylan Moscovitch before watching this (I was ignoring Skate Canada, remember?), and after watching their skate I can't say I'm all that eager to hear from them again. They seem solid enough, and were rewarded quite nicely by a second-place 61.64, but when my dishes are more interesting than their performance, there's a problem.

Next was Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov, whom I'd also never heard of but actually paid attention to. Their costume choices were a little suspect, particularly for Ksenia, but she is seriously pretty. They may be a little rough around the edges, but they have a performance quality that grabbed my attention. Their throw triple covered a lot of ground although Ksenia did have to fight a bit for the landing. They're young (18 and 20), so hopefully they'll follow up on their potential, because I am intrigued. Sadly, though, they only received 53.73. I wasn't watching all that closely, but I was expecting a little bit more.

Black mesh? What?

The first group ended with Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir, whose all-black costumes totally upped their sex appeal. Their performance had issues, however, with Simon falling on their side-by-side triple jumps and Marissa falling on their throw triple. They also had some strange choreography going on, such as this:

Seriously, figure skating right now is all about shamelessly scrambling for points, and they glide on two feet for ten seconds?

Yet even with two falls, with 47.24 they are less than a point behind Felicia & Taylor.

There's something kind of cute about Stacey Kemp & David King, but not so much that the judges could overlook their messy split triple twist, low side-by-side double (double!) flips, and overall slowness. A flat 42.00 put them in last place by over five points.

Next came a potential heir to the Chinese pairs dynasty (although, if you really start thinking about it, it's really just Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao, with a few pretenders taking advantage of the coattail effect and some wonky ISU rules, but whatever, their pairs are legit), Wenjing Sui & Cong Han. The first thing I noticed was their costumes. Dear GOD.

She also needs to choose a color other than white for the underwear area.

They had good speed, which was carried by the tempo of the country music, and in true Chinese fashion their split triple twist and throw triple flip were huge. The synchronization on their spins drifted off halfway through, and the entry into their lift looked a little labored, but there's no denying that the world's most populous country has chosen these two to be its next champions. They also seem to have the advantage of growing up in an already-established Chinese pairs system, meaning that they have a lot more character and artistry than the older pairs did when they first started. 57.53, still behind the forgettable Canadians.

Oh hey, look! Masters of bad coaching decisions, Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett! They don't seem to have actually suffered as a result of this decision, but I'm not convinced that they'll actually grow. Despite slightly more elegant costuming Caydee does not seem to have lost any of her strange Courtney Love-ness. Nevertheless, they had great unison on their spins and generally good energy throughout. 58.49, though, does a disservice to their maturity compared to the Chinese team.

This time, the best was saved for last: Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy. I would ordinarily suggest that they retire, but I guess they have unfinished business. I do wonder if this business included trying to be as poorly attired as possible:


Their opening throw triple flip was almost too big for her to handle--she was also leaning in the air--but she managed to pull it off. She was also leaning on their side-by-side triple toes, which were placed a little too far apart for two-time World Champions, but again she fought enough to keep it clean. They did, however, have a lot of unison problems on their side-by-side spins. Overall, this wasn't a great performance, but they did enough to stay on top of a mediocre Grand Prix field. 63.99 gives them a two-point lead, which they should definitely be able to build on with a problem.

Skate America 2010: The Hair Contest Edition

Well, as promised, I decided to finally face the ongoing reality that is the Grand Prix, and actually watched the Men's Short Program in full. There was minimal nervousness and lots of weird aesthetic choices going on, so it was the perfect transition back into this crazy world.

First up was Daisuke Murakami, who currently is like a D-grade version (sorry) of the real Daisuke, and didn't leave much of an impression on me either way. The commentators, however, foreshadowed how high-quality their analysis would be by introducing him as "the first of great Japanese men here tonight." I'm all for patriotism and support, but come on. D-Daisuke did what he needed to do, but what with going first, the arena being almost empty, and just not knowing how to really perform, the program just kind of came and went. I also had no idea how this event would be scored, so his 67.01 didn't really mean much to me either.

Then came Armin Mahbanoozadeh, who I had been told became exponentially more good-looking over the past year. I guess they have a point, although not so much that it actually occurred to me to take a picture. His jumps were a bit iffier than D-Daisuke's, but his presentation was better (although the judges seem reversed on their opinion on this), and apparently that was enough to squeeze him right over D-Daisuke by 0.6. I believe the choice quote from the commentators for his performance was, "I don't think he needed to put his hand down on that [jump]." How would they know? This was also the first time this competition that I caught a glimpse of Priscilla Hill, which will soon gain significance.

Next was another Priscilla Hill student, Viktor Pfeifer. Was he attractive? Was he not? As I wavered on this assessment, his costume underwent this transformation:

Those yellow flaps were essentially all I needed to see before I decided to move on.

Unfortunately for him, the judges were even less enthralled, and hit him with a 55.01.

What is Stephen Carriere doing? This question applies to both his career and, more immediately, his stripes. Oh, the stripes. Going horizontally on his shirt, and vertically on one leg... take a look at this two-for-one picture:

Priscilla Hill was the first entrant in the night's hair contest, while Stephen looked like he'd stolen the skin off a zebra.

Stephen took a pretty hard-looking fall on his opening triple Axel, and his program never really took off from there. His spins sort of traveled and there wasn't much pop on anything, and Rafael also mentioned that his music had female connotations. I wouldn't know about that, but the fact that the music is so well-known is probably the only thing that made the performance memorable.

Shawn Sawyer occasionally looks like Ross Miner. The first thing I noticed was the gorgeous detailing on his jacket, and this was followed by a crazy spin position at the end of his program. I basically do not remember anything in between, other than a missed triple Axel.

Does this unnerve Evgeny Plushenko?

A 56.94 kind of face. But look at that detailing!

The last in the first group was Nan Song, about whom I really remember nothing except for the fact that he skated to Requiem for a Dream. Dear China, I know that your men's skating history is still trying to mature now, but this does not mean you need to copy every mistake the other federations have already made. No more. At least he didn't fall, and was proportionally awarded 62.21 for it.

Opening for the second group was Denis Ten, who tried to get his hair into the mix but simply did not do enough with it.













His program didn't do enough for me either, except prompt me to wonder after yet another failed triple Axel why Mao Asada's is considered the most problematic.



Adrian Schultheiss looks like Paul Bettany. That is all. It freaks me out because all I've ever seen Bettany in is The DaVinci Code and A Beautiful Mind, and they were not the most non-unsettling films. Actually, I liked A Beautiful Mind, but I really can't deal with The DaVinci Code. 63.71? Hey, why not. I can't see the protocols anyway.


Now, in general Adam Rippon tends to win any hair contest he enters, especially now that Charlie White's gone short, but I was not loving his curls this time. I was further not loving that he was using Romeo & Juliet music, which can be closely grouped with The Phantom of the Opera music which in turn can be closely grouped with Requiem for a Dream. Furthermore, he decided to act it out, complete with a diva-infused death at the end.


Although he badly stepped out of his triple Axel, there's no arguing with his Lutzes--pure gorgeousness. Perhaps he can transform the weird Adam-Mao rumors into a Lutz lesson. His 73.94 finally set the bar for what we should be expecting to see at this competition.

Memo to Kevin van der Perren: "3-time Olympian" is the kindest possible way to say that a skater is way too old to still be competing. Fortunately for him, this was one of his "on" nights for his jumps, although the rest of the program, as usual, simply didn't exist. 62.22? Whatever, NEXT.

And what a next it was. A-Daisuke, who apparently oh-so-desperately wants to be both World Hair Champion and World Figure Skating Champion, took to the ice with slicky hair and a top that seems to have lost approximately five buttons. A-Daisuke's first triple jump was so high I actually thought he was going for a quad, but he had a weird trip-like step after his triple Axel and a stepout on his triple flip. I won't say anything about his decision to try to be a Latin man, but this guy knows how to skate. 78.12 puts a nice distance between him and Adam.

The far-too-ardent Japanese fans were also out in full force (I swear some of them must have flown across the Pacific just for this), and one of them even threw a huge bunch of bananas at him. Literally.










I can't say I don't want those bananas, though. Brilliant choice.



The last skater of the night was Nobunari Oda, who still has yet to win anything big. Come on. Well, maybe the Hair Title:


The thing about Nobunari is that he has great jumps, but always has a huge mental failing at the most important moments (see: 2005 Japanese Nationals, 2010 Vancouver Olympics) and also can't seem to perform to the audience as A-Daisuke can. Despite his lack of performance ability, he didn't have any of the brief technical lapses in concentration that A-Daisuke did, and it was enough to put him in first place by a little over a point. I was actually expecting him to hover somewhere between A-Daisuke and Adam, but 79.28 it is.

NHK Trophy 2010: Wake Me Up When March Ends

Thank you, Mao Asada, I always did want to start off a Friday with a heart attack. On one hand I tell myself, the Grand Prix doesn't actually matter... but on the other, I have no words.

And so I decided to occupy myself with the current glory of Japanese sport:

He's a great distraction.

NHK Trophy 2010: Thank God For the Time Difference

Usually, the 13- or 14-hour time difference between the East Coast and Japan creates a lot of logistic difficulties in my life, but for once this halfway-around-the-world business is proving to be quite helpful. In fact, it may directly contribute to the survival of my heart past the age of say, 25.

Although a lot of different headlines find their way into the rotation that is all Yahoo! pages, I definitely was not expecting to see 「真央『思い切りやる』３回転半ぶっつけ本番」when I went to go check my Japanese e-mail. First of all, I did not know that anyone other than my mother actually used ぶっつけ本番. Second of all ,WHAT?

浅田は練習でも成功していない、演技後半に３回転半ジャンプ（トリプルアクセル）を入れるプログラムにぶっつけ本番で挑むことを誓った。

I have the utmost respect for and faith in Nobuo Sato, but seriously? This free skate plan might be even more idiotic than Tatiana Tarasova's grand schemes for using the triple Axel. Isn't Mao supposed to be working on her other jumps so she doesn't have to set up for certain disaster, and in the second half of her program no less? I am so, so glad that this will all happen while I am asleep. Lord.

In fact, my love for Mao and her successes is such that I am glad for the time difference even after seeing pictures like this:

http://photography.ice-dance.com/2010-11/2010NHK/Dance/Practice/ThursPM/10NHK-PrThPM-0317-DW-LC.jpg.php

Sometimes, I can hardly comprehend their existence. They may just be the team that singularly redeems the Short Dance.

And so... I am soon going to bed. See you, Short Program, during some downtime (HAH) at work.

2010 World Championships: Photo of the Day

I still care about figure skating, I swear. I'm just too busy with life to think about it. So, in the meantime, a great moment from the men's SP:


I just love how calmly and contentedly patriotic he is. Plus that 日の丸 does nothing for his being fat. Actually he sort of looks like 高橋克実, which makes this even better.

Vancouver 2010: Men's SP

Thanks to my homework, I missed Evgeny Plushenko's performance. Thanks to people who prioritized LOST, I missed the first 2.5 minutes of Daisuke Takahashi's performance. It was probably all for the better, though, because Plushenko is too mechanical for me to care about, and Daisuke would have added to the heart damage I'm pretty sure I've suffered over the past several days. So anyway, I caught the end of Takahashi's SP and he seemed very pleased, and the commentators also had all positive things to say. His score was huge (90.25?), easily beating his personal best, and showing that in fact a quad is not necessary in this new judging world.

Stephane Lambiel skated two spots after him, and the first thing that surprised me was that he didn't even try the triple Axel. Actually, no, because the first thing was the apparent heaviness of his costume. Must have had it designed by the same person who does (used to do?) Miki Ando's. Anyway, I know the triple Axel has given him problems over his career, but at least he used to try it--now he goes for a double Axel with a +GOE. Smart, I suppose, but there's something that just isn't right about a top-tier men's competitor--a two-time World Champion, no less--who can't do a triple Axel. He then stumbled out of his quad toe (I wonder if even the double Axel is too much of a challenge for him that the quad has to be second?) and managed to put only a double toe in combination instead of the planned triple. But his spins and footwork were amazing, of course, and this combined with his reputation gave him enough PCS to safely put him in fifth overall. I really feel that he was overmarked, but it is what it is.

Next was Nobunari Oda. Do I like his skating? Do I not? I can't actually decide. Tonight, though, his jumping was on--the exits were so smooth, and on such deep edges, and his height and air position were near-perfect. The judges really didn't appreciate his PCS, however--does it have anything to do with glitter and slicked-back hair?--and was placed 6 points out of the top 3, and just over Lambiel. I think that's my real issue: while Stephane's artistry is arguably the best in the world, it really just is not excusable to not jump, and the difference between their scores masked that completely. Sandra Bezic also remarked that Nobunari has to develop his stretch, but that he's "only 22" and that this will "come with time"... "only 22"? In figure skating? I know men peak later than women, but still... The highlight, of course, was seeing Nikolai Morozov in the Kiss & Cry.

Could I relax? No, because following him was Brian Joubert. And he was my first heartbreak of the night. He is so talented and so strong, even if he does lack classic artistry, but it seems that he may have psyched himself out a bit too much tonight. Plus he's coming back from that terrible foot injury. He botched the landing of his quad toe--what Scott Hamilton called his "trademark" moments before--pulled off a triple Axel, but completely failed to do a triple Lutz, meaning that in total he essentially left out his combination jump. At the end he looked so sad it made me feel strangely and acutely helpless. He has a history of headcasing at the Olympics, but maybe he can pull himself together for the FS, then go to Worlds and redeem himself.

Continuing my nervousness was my personal, endearing favorite, Takahiko Kozuka. The first thing that really strikes me about him is not actually him, but rather his coach, Nobuo Sato. In my years of following figure skating I have never seen him show any emotion other than a slight benevolence around the eyes, barely masking a will of steel. This is not to say that he is emotionless--rather, he has great control over his emotions in public and remains a solid pillar to which his students can look during stressful situations, and probably unleashes his intensity in practice. Just watching him makes me calm, and it's always so touching to see how much belief he has in Takahiko (as well as Yukari Nakano, also known as the saddest girl in the world). The second thing was Takahiko's wild red shirt. Just as I was scrambling to find a way to justify it, Scott Hamilton mentions that it's "great." Of course. As to Takahiko's skating itself, I thought he pulled everything together remarkably, except the two-footed triple Axel. The judges REALLY didn't like that and hammered him in the GOE, mysteriously took off points on his triple flip, and also did not particularly appreciate him in the PCS. I thought he could have placed higher than or closer to Stephane, but all in all it was a solid SP.

Patrick Chan has been so hyped over the past several years that I forget he is only 19. There is a self-assurance about him that could be taken as arrogance, and while I admit that he is very talented there also seems to be a part of him that is simply good at tricking the judges. Given his nationality I hoped no trickery would happen today, and I think in the end it was kept to an arguable minimum. His triple Axel wasn't quite clean, which the judges noticed, but he also stumbled in the middle of his footwork, which apparently the judges didn't notice. At the end he received a time violation, which would actually have moved him up one place overall had he not gone over. Considering hometown pressure, though, I think he held things together very well.

The JCR started miraculously filling up immediately before Johnny Weir's skate. I am sorry, but I just cannot accept his mesh, pink, rhinestones, and tassel, and I found myself vaguely disappointed when he kept his program together. There was nothing technically flashy but it was all solidly there, and in the interest of fairness I am still a little confused as to how he received a -2.00 GOE on his triple flip. The best part of his performance was this quote from Scott Hamilton: "Johnny Weir is the envy of every man in America because he's rooming with Tanith Belbin." Johnny Weir is also the only man in American who cannot appreciate his rooming situation.

Kevin van der Perren apparently thought it was October, because he came out in a skeleton costume that prompted a most uncharacteristic remark:

me: ...van der Perren is dressed in a skeleton costume
Huy: he needs to kill himself

He still has that odd habit of spotting his jumps, and the commentators made sure to take every opportunity to point out that he's simply not in the "same league" as the top competitors, but he skated cleanly and he seemed very happy with his performance. In the end that is all you can ask for and it is refreshing and heartwarming to see people create good memories.

Thomas Verner, the on-again off-again skater, was completely off tonight and went the same way as Brian. Then came Evan Lysacek, in all of his long-limbed glory with the ill-advised slicked-back hair. There is just something so flailingly distracting about his arms and legs that prevents me from appreciating the quality of his skating, but it was evident from the comments that NBC has decided to put all of their figure skating eggs in this basket. The Shawn White of figure skating, perhaps, though probably not to the same extent. Anyway, his jumps were spot-on, but his spins had some problems--the second one he pulled through somehow, but the last one traveled all of the place. Thankfully for him the judges didn't really do much about it (I guess the traveling could have been balanced out by his good positions?), and he slipped in right between Evgeny and Daisuke. Craziness. He also cried on the ice after his performance, which seems a tad overdramatic to me after a SP, even if it is the Olympics and he does have some demons to dispel.

My second heartbreak of the night came in the form of Jeremy Abbott. He seemed a little tight going in, and ended up singing his Axel and doubling his Lutz. The whole program came a little undone after that and although his PCS held up well, he was obviously devastated. Scott Hamilton then remarked that he'd been one of the ones who'd looked into the future and worried about Jeremy having peaked too early at Nationals. Poor guy. It was painful to watch.

The last skater of the night was Michael Brezina, who has been occasionally hyped as a skater to watch. The hypers are right--all of his skills are there--even though he needs to develop his artistry and his reputation. I was temporarily under the impression that he had beaten Takahiko and Patrick, but in the end he placed just under them, which makes more sense to me now.

So with the exception of Brian and Jeremy, and Stephane's inflated scores, tonight was a great competition. I am so glad that the FS isn't until Thursday so I can actually do work and not be nervous for a night, but at the same time I am so excited!

Also: there were surprisingly few downgrades today. I am sure that is in part due to the sheer power of the men, but I also wonder if this set of judges is more lenient than some others? That would be refreshing... On the other hand all of this score manipulation based on reputation is really concerning me.

Vancouver 2010: Pairs SP

I was going to post for the SP and FS, as soon as they happened, but I got so caught up in just watching that I didn't actually make it to writing. I wasn't overly invested in any of the pairs, so I was able to watch the competition in relative calm...

So, starting with the SP: ugh, really, judges? Are you SURE about the marks?

Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao: If I had to pick a personal favorite of the realistic medal contenders, Shen & Zhao would be it. I've been in love with this pair since their FS at the 2003 World Championships, and considering how long they've been around, with things just not working out at the Olympics, I really wanted them to win. Their SP was pretty perfect technically, although their side-by-side spins seemed vaguely off. They set a world record with their performance, but to me there was something missing--I've seen them better, with more sparkle. It was probably because they were first to skate, and the atmosphere hadn't quite yet warmed up. Also, his costume was extremely questionable, as was his apparently dyed hair.

Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett: Caydee had a somewhat surprising, somewhat not surprising, mistake on the side-by-side triple toes and doubled hers. I've actually only seen them perform at two competitions (2009 and 2010 US Nationals), but both times they've been rock solid. On the other hand, this was their first Olympics. Except for that mistake, though, their program was pretty good, and they clearly should be proud.

Amanda Evora & Mark Ladwig: I love them! I think this might be the first completely clean competitive program I've seen them perform, and although I held my breath during their side-by-sides everything went off without any problems. At the end Amanda looked like she was already crying out on the ice, and it was great to see. They set their personal bests, which must be a wonderful feeling at the Olympics.

Skip a few, thanks to NBC's spotty coverage... I also have no particular recollection of Anabelle Langlois & Cody Hay.

Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Tranknov: She is pretty, delicate, and pretty quintessentially Russian, and the commentators were gushing about their potential to carry on the future of the Russian tradition. Unfortunately for them tonight, he completely wiped out on their side-by-side triple toes and she put her hand down. The rest of their program sort of never reached a peak as a result, but somehow, SOMEHOW, they placed safely above Mark & Amanda, even beating them in the TES. I can understand if the Russians had better PCS, but in both segments? It must really pay to be Russian... and I mean that in more than one way.

Tatiana Volosozhar & Stanislav Morozov: Their blue, shiny costumes hugged every single (non-)contour of their bodies, and was extremely distracting, but that aside I thought their program was solid. Their side-by-side jumps were iffy, but there was no fall, and their throw triple loop was awesome. For whatever nitpicky reasons their straight-line step sequence was rated a Level 1, and their death spiral a Level 2, which conveniently placed them behind the Russians. Oh, figure skating...

Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov: Their skating fails to really grab me, but I have to say that they have really improved over these past several years. She was wearing this really strange white, rhinestoned headband that made her look like she was in Star Trek or something even though she was trying to be a swan. Their scores were higher than I expected, but to be fair they were technically solid even though they still carry this perpetual awkwardness. Also... Kavaguti? Really? Was that necessary?

Jessica Dube & Bryce Davison: I can never figure out whether this team is actually any good. Their SP started out okay, but then just as the commentators (who, by the way, must be paid by the word) mentioned that the triple Salchow is the bane of Jessica's existence, she fell on their side-by-sides. I don't really understand why then they wouldn't just elect to make their side-by-sides triple toes instead, but whatever. After her fall their performance sort of fell flat and they seemed to know it too, but the judges, blinded by the red maple leaf on a white background flanked by two thick red lines, gave them enough points to place above the other Canadians, the Russians, and the Ukranians, with room to spare. As fsonline put it, their citizenship must give them +3 GOEs.

Qing Pang & Jian Tong: I don't really remember this pair, except that they received a time violation. It seems very odd to me that it would happen at the Olympics of all places, but in the end it would make no difference. Everything seemed pretty well done, even though the judges rated their twist and their death spiral Level 1.

Dan Zhang & Hao Zhang: I also don't really remember this pair either. They were technically very good (although again, their lift was rated a Level 1... what determines that, anyway?) but the commentators remarked that their artistry is lacking. Possible, but the judges didn't really seem to think so.

Aliona Savchenko & Robin Zolkowy: I love "Send in the Clowns" and I loved their costumes. They were so creative without being distracting, and really drew the crowd in. I've never been quite able to decide what exactly I think of them, but they were on in the SP. Everything looked great, and now that I look at it everyone's twist list is a Level 1, so I actually have no idea what's going on. At the end her nose was smeared with red makeup, which just added to their overall impression of playfulness and happiness. They squeezed into second just 0.50 points behind Shen & Zhao.

So if I were judging, my list would have looked like this: 1. Shen & Zhao 2. Savchenko & Zolkowy 3. Kavaguti & Smirnov 4. Pang & Tong 5. Zhang & Zhang 6./7. Langlois & Hay / Volosozhar & Morozov 8. Evora & Ladwig 9. Dube & Davison 10. Mukhortova & Tranknov. Not that in the end, this would make any difference in the medal standings, but still...

2010 Four Continents

This is late, I know, but there was too much stuff to do to keep up with Four Continents as it happened (actually I still have a lot to do, but I don't want to get too far behind), and besides the fields were generally uninteresting. The only exceptions, of course, were Mao Asada, Adam Rippon, Jane Summersett & Todd Gilles, and Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker, probably in that order. ♡ I guess I was a little interested in how Ryan Bradley, Brandon Mroz, Akiko Suzuki, and Caroline Zhang would do, and Tatsuki Machida too, but all in all there didn't seem to be much going on.

Actually, before any skating, I just have to say that Mao needing to have bodyguards at this competition was absolutely ridiculous. I am glad that the necessary steps were taken to ensure her safety while at the competition, but the steps shouldn't have been necessary in the first place. Screw PC, Korean fans are crazy. If they believe so much in Yu-Na Kim's talent and potential, then they should let that shine through without trying to muddle the rest of the skaters. Their actions make it seem as if the only way Yu-Na can win is by pulling a Tonya Harding. Mao deserves the right to compete all over the world without worrying about her safety, and in all honesty sometimes I think that Yu-Na needs to be given some sort of warning or something in order to send a message to her rabid fans.

On to skating: Mao nearly killed me after the SP. Since I don't have a TV around (not that figure skating would be televised anyway), I had to wait for someone to upload her performance and looked at the results instead. I calmed down a bit once I saw that the difference between the top 3 was marginal, and that her 1.00 deduction was not because she fell but because she went over time. I'm not sure how that happens this late in the season, but at least it was not on her triple Axel. Unfortunately instead she popped her 3F, but it seemed that she was skating a little faster than she was previously this season and I think that this is a good step for her. I still don't like her dress or her cuts of music, though. I'm not sure this Tarasova thing was such a good idea, although I had such high hopes for it when it was first announced.

Mao did, however, bring it in the FS. She nailed both of her triple Axels, although she somewhat mysteriously received a Level 2 on her step sequence instead of her usual 4. I know that the slightest of body movements can determine what level a move is rated, but given how much she loves footwork I have come to expect a consistent 4. I guess it's just a matter of staying focused at the Olympics and making sure she gets those levels on everything. What I noticed here and in her SP is that she seems to get faster throughout her program, rather than slower like most skaters. Perhaps it is getting the pressure of the triple Axel out of the way? I was really proud of her, though, for holding it together after the SP and blocking out all of the negativity in Korea. I am not a fan of her heavy-looking dress, but there is something about her music that is growing on me. I hope that this starts the momentum she needs for the Olympics. Aaah

I was almost equally heartbroken after Adam started out in 7th after the SP, before noticing that positions 3-7 were virtually tied (with 2nd not far off). He fell out of his triple Axel and put his hand down, but despite that I was still struck, as usual, by his great edges and soft jumping quality. He was understandably a little disappointed in his performance, but there seemed to be a lot to be optimistic about.

And then, just like Mao, he laid it all down in the FS. Unfortunately the idiot of a cameraman who taped for SBS cut out Adam's arms in the shot of his triple Lutz, so I couldn't quite appreciate, you know, the entire point of the jump, but otherwise the quality of his performance managed to shine through the screen. His music is a little flat to me, but on the other hand it doesn't distract from appreciating his actual skating, and that is a very good and rare thing. Too bad his season ends here, but thanks to some magnificent skating and some equally magnificent choking by several others, I think Four Continents sets up for a great 2010-2011. I can't say for sure whether this is just Adam's natural trajectory of progress or if Brian Orser really did something special, but something is working for Adam right now and I love it.

No one has posted Jane & Todd, so I've been reduced to relying on the ISU's score sheets. I was hoping that they would make a real run here, but they were beaten by Madison & Keiffer Hubbell and Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein again, as well as by a Chinese team (wth). No offense to the Chinese team or the teams that placed under them (i.e. 5-12), but it's a pretty bad time when an Asian team beats you in ice dance. I'm sure this team is good and all, but really. But maybe this can begin an interest in ice dancing in Asia...

Keauna & Rockne brought out their game about 10 days too late. I haven't been able to find their SP yet but it doesn't have the all-too-common 1.00 deduction, so already that's progress. Their side-by-side triple Salchows received a negative GOE, though (actually, it ranged from -2 to 0... maybe 3-year-olds could serve as judges and we'd get the same consistency of results), and all of my bets are on Keauna. Don't get me wrong, I love this pair and really want them to do well, but her lack of basic technique makes me so nervous and I feel like they (could) have so much more potential.

In the FS their problems resurfaced almost immediately, with Keauna falling on their first side-by-sides. This was followed by a great triple twist, which leads me to wonder yet again about the dynamics of their partnership. Keauna is small and has great line for pairs, and Rockne really takes advantage by making some huge throws and great lifts. They look great together and obviously have chemistry. At the same time, she is the reason they are not placing higher or more consistently, and I just have to wonder how they assess their situation and their respective contributions to the team. Anyway, the rest of the program went pretty smoothly until Keauna fell on their second throw jump, and although I know that placing elements at the end can be a real point-getter I do question the wisdom of placing such a move at the end when both are tired, especially given her historic difficulties with landings. I was touched by how supportive and comforting Rockne was at the end of their performance, and despite my short and unauthorized analysis above I think they could have what it takes. All in all, even though I have been a little harsh on this pair recently I really do love them and hope they stay together to make a run at 2014.

I was curious to see how Brandon would recover after Nationals, and was a little surprised (not in a bad way) to see him in 3rd after the SP. Sadly he slipped to 4th overall, but it's a good sign he can rebound so quickly, and he'll probably be in great shape (mental and otherwise) going into next season. For the same reason I was interested in Caroline's results, and she miraculously pulled off a 3rd-place finish here. I don't really know where to begin with herm but hopefully this gives her the confidence she needs to sit down and re-assess her skating and coaching situation. Ryan Bradley, meanwhile, seems to be continuing his run of messing up the SP, going for broke in the FS, and ultimately being too far behind to catch up. He will probably retire soon, since I can't see him going for another four years, but I sort of want him to get some sort of medal before he does.

I don't know whether I should be a little embarrassed to say this, but I was interested in Akiko Suzuki's and Tatsuki Machida's results only because they were Japanese. Okay, that's not quite true. To me Akiko has come out of nowhere, and I have been both surprised and impressed that she has been able to keep up her competition results so consistently. I can't get myself to warm to her skating just yet, but she does a good job of doing what she needs to do in the shadows of Miki Ando and Mao. Tatsuki, meanwhile, caught my attention because I had never seen his name before, but was far outperforming Yasuharu Nanri here (and evidently at Nationals, which I hadn't paid attention to past Takahiko Kozuka's name). Tatsuki is pretty young (19), and I hope this starts a off a successful next four years for him.

I think I'm going to be too nervous to actually watch the Olympics.