One of the funny things I’m finding as I do these “rerun recaps” is that I don’t have to worry about repeating myself as much as I thought I did… especially with these initial GP events, they whooshed by so quickly I barely had time to say much of anything before it was time to preview the next event! So as I look back at the Men and Pairs event that took place in late October of last year, let’s see who I DID mention compared to who I think is worthy of mentioning now, in retrospect…
Men I mentioned THEN: Plushenko, Kozuka, Weir (finished 1st, 2nd, and 4th respectively)
Men I’d prefer to mention NOW: Artem Borodulin (3rd), Adrian Schultheiss (6th), Florent Amodio (9th)
Amodio (France) because… he seemed to really get discovered at Skate America a few weeks later with the same programs, so what was the problem here? A doubled axel and a botched 3/3 combo in the short… as well as a problematic FS with only one clean triple in five attempts (the clean was a loop).
Schultheiss (Sweden) because… I should have had my eye on someone who had previously skated to the kind of music he’s skated to, no matter how well he finished. I think I’ve said this once before but it bears repeating: Of all the elite-level skaters using music with an obscenity in the title (his FS includes Prodigy’s Smack My B*tch Up), he’s most definitely my favorite!
Borodulin (Russia) because… if Weir had edged him out for bronze in this event, I might have had to wish someone pull his pink corset laces on the SP costume a little too tight the next time. I took a close look at the SP detailed scores for both guys… here’s what I came up with:
WEIR: edge warning on flip, got negative GOEs on all three jumps, but all spins & steps were level 3s and 4s and got positive GOEs. Average around 7.1 on components.
BORODULIN: edge call on flip, but no negative GOEs on other 2 jumps. Rest were 3s and 4s; only negative GOE came from a spin at end. Average 6.5 on components. Johnny essentially scored higher because of better component scores—3.3 higher, while Artem’s tech score was 2.8 over Johnny’s.
Unfortunately, Borodulin was the guy whose skate blade broke while doing his SP at Worlds this past March, forcing his withdrawal. (He was 13th at the Olympics.)
Also…
Pairs I mentioned THEN: Pang/Tong; McLaughlin/Brubaker
Pairs I’d prefer to mention NOW: Brodeur/Mattatall, Bazarova/Larionov
Brodeur/Mattatall (Canada) because… while they had a pretty dreadful SP in Russia, they kind of redeemed themselves with a charming FS to Singin’ in the Rain. Cute number with a rare nice & low death spiral to boot!
Bazarova/Larionov (Russia) because… while they could use more speed and she seems to need more strength on her landings, this was a really nice effort… they finished behind McBru, but I tend to think they could’ve won bronze without much argument.
Here is their FS as the clip of the day… judge for yourself!
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Sale/Pelletier: End of the “Love Story”; Still, the Show Goes On
When I saw this article yesterday that announced Jamie Sale and David Pelletier’s plans to divorce, my mind went many directions of sad. To the first time I saw them tell Erich Segal’s story of love… to those bewildering Olympic days of 2002… to news of the wedding… to their son Jesse… to the great insight and fun they offer whenever I’ve seen them do commentary…
But when it came to their commentary duties, what stuck with me most was this… here’s what I wrote in my post from February 16 during the Olympics when talking about Mukhortova/Trankov’s interpretation of Love Story:…
Then there’s that shot NBC took of Sale/Pelletier up in the broadcast booth, watching in dead silence as a “response” to their music being revived. Nice. Spooky. Wow. (But now I’m thinking it was probably just that the CBC was taking a commercial break at the time… yeah, that was it)
And suddenly it all makes sense. How strange that whole gig must’ve been for them, and then to be sitting there in that moment… (big sigh)
They say they will continue to skate professionally, and really, what choice do they have if they want to keep earning a living this way? Together, they’re as much of a franchise as any pairs team in recent memory—and maybe ever, in light of all the press received by the judging scandal. And as I recall, neither of them fared that well in viewers’ votes when they skated with other partners in that Thin Ice program that aired in March.
People want to see them together… or at least they have up to now. Does anyone out there remember when Sonny and Cher tried to continue their very popular TV variety show after they’d divorced? It didn’t go so well… the way they related on camera carried a new sort of sting; the mild digs in the name of humor were almost painful to watch. (OK, for the record, I was all of about 6 or 7 when the show ended and I barely remember it myself, but still…)
A skating couple is different of course… they don’t have to speak when they perform, at least not verbally. But will they be able to skate to anything uplifting from here on with fans truly believing what they “say”? Total professionals, yes they are. But above all else, they’re human too.
If anyone’s watched Sale/Pelletier perform together in the past year or so, would you be so kind as to post a comment about your thoughts on the performance?
For the Clip of the Day I found—from presumably happier times—their 2003 exhibition performance of Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me.
But when it came to their commentary duties, what stuck with me most was this… here’s what I wrote in my post from February 16 during the Olympics when talking about Mukhortova/Trankov’s interpretation of Love Story:…
Then there’s that shot NBC took of Sale/Pelletier up in the broadcast booth, watching in dead silence as a “response” to their music being revived. Nice. Spooky. Wow. (But now I’m thinking it was probably just that the CBC was taking a commercial break at the time… yeah, that was it)
And suddenly it all makes sense. How strange that whole gig must’ve been for them, and then to be sitting there in that moment… (big sigh)
They say they will continue to skate professionally, and really, what choice do they have if they want to keep earning a living this way? Together, they’re as much of a franchise as any pairs team in recent memory—and maybe ever, in light of all the press received by the judging scandal. And as I recall, neither of them fared that well in viewers’ votes when they skated with other partners in that Thin Ice program that aired in March.
People want to see them together… or at least they have up to now. Does anyone out there remember when Sonny and Cher tried to continue their very popular TV variety show after they’d divorced? It didn’t go so well… the way they related on camera carried a new sort of sting; the mild digs in the name of humor were almost painful to watch. (OK, for the record, I was all of about 6 or 7 when the show ended and I barely remember it myself, but still…)
A skating couple is different of course… they don’t have to speak when they perform, at least not verbally. But will they be able to skate to anything uplifting from here on with fans truly believing what they “say”? Total professionals, yes they are. But above all else, they’re human too.
If anyone’s watched Sale/Pelletier perform together in the past year or so, would you be so kind as to post a comment about your thoughts on the performance?
For the Clip of the Day I found—from presumably happier times—their 2003 exhibition performance of Norah Jones’ Come Away With Me.
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Bowman's Final "Show" Set for September
Sometimes you cringe when you see a name in the headlines.
Christopher Bowman passed away in January 2008, 3 months before I started this blog. So I never got the opportunity to acknowledge the sadness of his death… and unfortunately, when Bowman’s name crops up nowadays, there’s not a lot of positivity behind it most of the time.
Case in point: this recent article, which draws attention to a pending court case in which Bowman’s troubled life will likely take the spotlight. It seems that Bowman’s family is suing a woman named April Freeman out of deep concern that, in essence, she’s messing where she has no business doing so:
--The suit seeks more than $25,000 in damages from Freeman for allegedly misappropriating Bowman's personal property. It cites unauthorized use of the skater's name, likeness, photograph and signature, as well as trademark infringement, alleging Freeman has registered businesses that are identical or similar to those of Bowman's ex-wife.The suit also seeks to bar Freeman from disturbing or even visiting Bowman's grave.According to the lawsuit, Bowman's family buried him in an unmarked grave in a cemetery they will not reveal in an attempt to keep Freeman from stealing his body.
--Freeman claims she just wants to be left alone… family and friends aren’t discussing the lawsuit publicly… so aside from articles like this, which mentions (among other things) that Bowman was working on an autobiography called Gone in Circles at the time of his death… it looks like all interested parties will have to wait until September 14 to hear both sides of the story. Sounds like a fun summer for all involved, eh?
I’ve got Bowman’s FS from 1989 Nationals as the Clip of the Day. Imperfect for sure, but as the first man to take the U.S. title after Boitano, this victory put him on the map. May he continue to be remembered for his seat-of-his-pants style of skating rather than the demons that ultimately brought him down.
Christopher Bowman passed away in January 2008, 3 months before I started this blog. So I never got the opportunity to acknowledge the sadness of his death… and unfortunately, when Bowman’s name crops up nowadays, there’s not a lot of positivity behind it most of the time.
Case in point: this recent article, which draws attention to a pending court case in which Bowman’s troubled life will likely take the spotlight. It seems that Bowman’s family is suing a woman named April Freeman out of deep concern that, in essence, she’s messing where she has no business doing so:
--The suit seeks more than $25,000 in damages from Freeman for allegedly misappropriating Bowman's personal property. It cites unauthorized use of the skater's name, likeness, photograph and signature, as well as trademark infringement, alleging Freeman has registered businesses that are identical or similar to those of Bowman's ex-wife.The suit also seeks to bar Freeman from disturbing or even visiting Bowman's grave.According to the lawsuit, Bowman's family buried him in an unmarked grave in a cemetery they will not reveal in an attempt to keep Freeman from stealing his body.
--Freeman claims she just wants to be left alone… family and friends aren’t discussing the lawsuit publicly… so aside from articles like this, which mentions (among other things) that Bowman was working on an autobiography called Gone in Circles at the time of his death… it looks like all interested parties will have to wait until September 14 to hear both sides of the story. Sounds like a fun summer for all involved, eh?
I’ve got Bowman’s FS from 1989 Nationals as the Clip of the Day. Imperfect for sure, but as the first man to take the U.S. title after Boitano, this victory put him on the map. May he continue to be remembered for his seat-of-his-pants style of skating rather than the demons that ultimately brought him down.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
The Parellel Universe of IndyCar Racing and ISU Figure Skating
The reason I wanted to post about Indy 500 today (other than the fact that I was there) was because I see a lot of similarities in IndyCar racing and figure skating. My husband is about as passionate about racing between April and October as I am between October-March when it comes to skating, so while I’m fairly late to the party, I’ve become a keen observer of it. Among the things I’ve noticed:
+ Both are generally considered “niche sports” with a passionate, dedicated following.
+ Both attract athletes from around the world.
+ Both hit their mainstream stride in the 1960s and ‘70s, when…
+ Both were routinely getting TV time by way of ABC. (And, well, at least one of them still is)
+ Both have taken big hits in viewership over the past 15 years (for different reasons, but political at heart)
+ BUT… both seem to be on the comeback trail.
+ One more thing they have in common… while no one likes to admit it… any given event gets more interesting when disaster strikes. Whether it’s an ugly car crash or a disarming fall in the free skate, we kind of perk up on those “uh-oh”s.
And as I mentioned yesterday, even the best-known personalities in racing bear certain similarities to their bladed counterparts…
Dario Franchitti (2-time Indy 500 winner as of today) is like… Evan Lysacek
Because he’s proven he can peak at the best times, because he minds his manners most of the time, and because he’s not afraid to show off his super-attractive better half (for Lysacek that includes girlfriends Tanith Belbin and Nastia Liukin; for Franchitti that would be his wife, actor Ashley Judd.
Helio Castroneves (3-time Indy 500 winner who came in 9th today) is like… Kim Yu-Na
Because he’s a crazyfierce and successful competitor, because he’s omnipresent in his sport’s “world”, and because he’s multi-talented (Yu-Na sings as well as skates; Castroneves won Dancing with the Stars a few years ago).
Scott Dixon (2008 Indy 500 winner who came in 5th today) is like… Daisuke Takahashi
Because he keeps his name out of the headlines, except when it’s unavoidable because he’s won something… because he’s always a quiet force to be reckoned with in any event… and because if drivers could execute quadruple flips in competition, Dixon would probably be the one to attempt it without any grandstanding, just as Dice-K did!
Tony Kanaan (frequent lap leader at Indy 500 who has not yet won here; came in 11th today) is like…Michelle Kwan
Well, at least he is around here. Kanaan has won countless other races since becoming a part of the IndyCar series in 2002… and has looked many times like he was destined to win here in Indy… but it still hasn’t happened. (His best finish was 2nd, in 2004.) And like Kwan, he’s extremely personable and draws on his sense of humor more than most. Maybe that’s why he’s so beloved in this town.
And Danica Patrick (first woman to win an IndyCar race and first woman to take the lead at the Indy 500, though she hasn’t yet won… came in 6th today) is like… Johnny Weir
No, this isn’t in reference to their diva tendencies, or their mutual interest in fashionable shoes… I’m thinking more about their respective statuses as media darlings who tend to make more headlines for what they do while away from their sport. Oh, and the fact that they both had quick success upon entering the “senior” level of what they do, but haven’t really maintained it. Dang, now that I’m thinking about it, maybe Johnny IS Danica! Maybe that’s what’s revealed on those online Go Daddy spots in which she’s always featured…
Speaking of Weir… I went to see if his single “Dirty Love” is visible via You Tube yet, and I found this … have you ever seen it? It’s Weir singing something called “Ice Shadows” in Russian. Yes, he can sing… how remarkably? I'll let you be the judge.
+ Both are generally considered “niche sports” with a passionate, dedicated following.
+ Both attract athletes from around the world.
+ Both hit their mainstream stride in the 1960s and ‘70s, when…
+ Both were routinely getting TV time by way of ABC. (And, well, at least one of them still is)
+ Both have taken big hits in viewership over the past 15 years (for different reasons, but political at heart)
+ BUT… both seem to be on the comeback trail.
+ One more thing they have in common… while no one likes to admit it… any given event gets more interesting when disaster strikes. Whether it’s an ugly car crash or a disarming fall in the free skate, we kind of perk up on those “uh-oh”s.
And as I mentioned yesterday, even the best-known personalities in racing bear certain similarities to their bladed counterparts…
Dario Franchitti (2-time Indy 500 winner as of today) is like… Evan Lysacek
Because he’s proven he can peak at the best times, because he minds his manners most of the time, and because he’s not afraid to show off his super-attractive better half (for Lysacek that includes girlfriends Tanith Belbin and Nastia Liukin; for Franchitti that would be his wife, actor Ashley Judd.
Helio Castroneves (3-time Indy 500 winner who came in 9th today) is like… Kim Yu-Na
Because he’s a crazyfierce and successful competitor, because he’s omnipresent in his sport’s “world”, and because he’s multi-talented (Yu-Na sings as well as skates; Castroneves won Dancing with the Stars a few years ago).
Scott Dixon (2008 Indy 500 winner who came in 5th today) is like… Daisuke Takahashi
Because he keeps his name out of the headlines, except when it’s unavoidable because he’s won something… because he’s always a quiet force to be reckoned with in any event… and because if drivers could execute quadruple flips in competition, Dixon would probably be the one to attempt it without any grandstanding, just as Dice-K did!
Tony Kanaan (frequent lap leader at Indy 500 who has not yet won here; came in 11th today) is like…Michelle Kwan
Well, at least he is around here. Kanaan has won countless other races since becoming a part of the IndyCar series in 2002… and has looked many times like he was destined to win here in Indy… but it still hasn’t happened. (His best finish was 2nd, in 2004.) And like Kwan, he’s extremely personable and draws on his sense of humor more than most. Maybe that’s why he’s so beloved in this town.
And Danica Patrick (first woman to win an IndyCar race and first woman to take the lead at the Indy 500, though she hasn’t yet won… came in 6th today) is like… Johnny Weir
No, this isn’t in reference to their diva tendencies, or their mutual interest in fashionable shoes… I’m thinking more about their respective statuses as media darlings who tend to make more headlines for what they do while away from their sport. Oh, and the fact that they both had quick success upon entering the “senior” level of what they do, but haven’t really maintained it. Dang, now that I’m thinking about it, maybe Johnny IS Danica! Maybe that’s what’s revealed on those online Go Daddy spots in which she’s always featured…
Speaking of Weir… I went to see if his single “Dirty Love” is visible via You Tube yet, and I found this … have you ever seen it? It’s Weir singing something called “Ice Shadows” in Russian. Yes, he can sing… how remarkably? I'll let you be the judge.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Watching the Indy 500 Sunday? Read On...
Just wanted to give a heads-up to any skating fans around the world who also happen to follow the IndyCar series...
Since I'll be one of the hundreds of thousands in attendance at the Indianapolis 500, I'm hoping to write a post tomorrow night (if I'm not too exhausted from walking to and from the track!) doing a little compare/contrast on these two sports... and I'm giving some thought to which drivers share certain qualities with notable skaters. Does Helio Castroneves have more in common with Evan Lysacek than Dancing with the Stars? Who shares Tony Kanaan's streak of hard luck? Or Danica Patrick's temper?
Let's talk about it tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the coverage of the race on ABC; I'll be sitting squarely between turn 1 and turn 2 :-)
Since I'll be one of the hundreds of thousands in attendance at the Indianapolis 500, I'm hoping to write a post tomorrow night (if I'm not too exhausted from walking to and from the track!) doing a little compare/contrast on these two sports... and I'm giving some thought to which drivers share certain qualities with notable skaters. Does Helio Castroneves have more in common with Evan Lysacek than Dancing with the Stars? Who shares Tony Kanaan's streak of hard luck? Or Danica Patrick's temper?
Let's talk about it tomorrow. In the meantime, enjoy the coverage of the race on ABC; I'll be sitting squarely between turn 1 and turn 2 :-)
Thursday, May 27, 2010
2009 Trophee Eric Bompard Revisited, Part 2
In doing these Closer Looks at the past season’s events, I’m hoping to take one part of each event and study the judges’marks closer to look for downgrades, edge calls, levels of difficulty, etc. This time around, I went right to the ladies’ free skate. But before we get to that—just a few notes about the ice dance:
+ There was quite a bit of shifting in placement between the different parts of competition, at least as far as the non-podium finishers go… in fact, Navarro/Bommentre managed to outskate Samuelson/Bates in the OD when Bates faltered on his twizzle sequence. (Sam/Bates finished ahead of N/B overall—by 8 points or so.)
+ And there was quite a bit of costume changing between TEB and the second half of the season-- particularly for Emily Samuelson, who was sporting “Daisy Duke” shorts for the OD back in October but eventually changed to her red, short-sleeved number with the big cut-out on the back. (This of course left Sinead Kerr with sole Daisy Dukes honors for the remainder of the season.) Samuelson was also in her lavender outfit for the FD; she went to a gold dress by the end of the season (not sure if Bates had to change his costume as well). And Tessa Virtue was still twirling her long, heavy-looking black skirt in the flamenco OD (she eventually went with the slightly shorter red one, as seen in Vancouver).
+ It’s also worth noting that the lifts undertaken by the Kerrs seemed to draw bigger responses in Paris than the ones by Virtue/Moir (including the awesome inverted one near the end of the OD). Could it have been a bit of European influence…?
And as for the LADIES:
Do you remember the lineup? It was highlighted by the unusual, early-season meeting of Kim Yu-Na and Mao Asada, which in fact overshadowed any other competitors. Yukari Nakano was there… Carolina Kostner… Kiira Korpi… Elene Gedevanishvili… any memories triggering? Any at all?
Take heart; you’re not the only one. Save for a triple flip that she opted to skate right through, Yu-Na was stunningly sharp and clean when competing in Paris last October. In contrast, however, were her competitors:
+ Asada, who went only one-for-three with clean triple axels in Paris and ended up falling on, of all things, a double axel
+ Nakano, who had problems with her free skate
+ Korpi, who only attempted TWO triples and neither was clean
+ Kostner, who had hands down on two triples, fell on a downgraded triple lutz, doubled another, and did a waxel that wasn’t even enough of an effort to call a waxel (how about a Wa-??)
+ Gedevanishvili, who proved she’d be a fairly formidable competitor if she could only jumpstart her content… a triple lutz, subpar 3T/3T, two triple salchows (falling on one), and spins, steps and spirals that all hover around “level 2” just aren’t quite enough.
Anyway, throw in four lesser-known skaters, including the USA’s Alexe Gilles and Caroline Zhang (neither of whom skated clean in the FS, though Gilles managed the 4th best SP of the event, and pulled down “level 4”’s on all her free skate spins as well)…
And not only do you see why Yu-Na won, and won BIG… she looked positively unstoppable in Paris. The fact that there wasn’t much “traffic” probably helped. I mean, how else could one omit an entire jumping pass from the program and still pull in a score well over 200 points?
Sorry if I’ve featured this one before, but for the Clip of the Day here is Yu-Na’s exhibition skate to Rhianna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” from the TEB Gala. Quite fun!
+ There was quite a bit of shifting in placement between the different parts of competition, at least as far as the non-podium finishers go… in fact, Navarro/Bommentre managed to outskate Samuelson/Bates in the OD when Bates faltered on his twizzle sequence. (Sam/Bates finished ahead of N/B overall—by 8 points or so.)
+ And there was quite a bit of costume changing between TEB and the second half of the season-- particularly for Emily Samuelson, who was sporting “Daisy Duke” shorts for the OD back in October but eventually changed to her red, short-sleeved number with the big cut-out on the back. (This of course left Sinead Kerr with sole Daisy Dukes honors for the remainder of the season.) Samuelson was also in her lavender outfit for the FD; she went to a gold dress by the end of the season (not sure if Bates had to change his costume as well). And Tessa Virtue was still twirling her long, heavy-looking black skirt in the flamenco OD (she eventually went with the slightly shorter red one, as seen in Vancouver).
+ It’s also worth noting that the lifts undertaken by the Kerrs seemed to draw bigger responses in Paris than the ones by Virtue/Moir (including the awesome inverted one near the end of the OD). Could it have been a bit of European influence…?
And as for the LADIES:
Do you remember the lineup? It was highlighted by the unusual, early-season meeting of Kim Yu-Na and Mao Asada, which in fact overshadowed any other competitors. Yukari Nakano was there… Carolina Kostner… Kiira Korpi… Elene Gedevanishvili… any memories triggering? Any at all?
Take heart; you’re not the only one. Save for a triple flip that she opted to skate right through, Yu-Na was stunningly sharp and clean when competing in Paris last October. In contrast, however, were her competitors:
+ Asada, who went only one-for-three with clean triple axels in Paris and ended up falling on, of all things, a double axel
+ Nakano, who had problems with her free skate
+ Korpi, who only attempted TWO triples and neither was clean
+ Kostner, who had hands down on two triples, fell on a downgraded triple lutz, doubled another, and did a waxel that wasn’t even enough of an effort to call a waxel (how about a Wa-??)
+ Gedevanishvili, who proved she’d be a fairly formidable competitor if she could only jumpstart her content… a triple lutz, subpar 3T/3T, two triple salchows (falling on one), and spins, steps and spirals that all hover around “level 2” just aren’t quite enough.
Anyway, throw in four lesser-known skaters, including the USA’s Alexe Gilles and Caroline Zhang (neither of whom skated clean in the FS, though Gilles managed the 4th best SP of the event, and pulled down “level 4”’s on all her free skate spins as well)…
And not only do you see why Yu-Na won, and won BIG… she looked positively unstoppable in Paris. The fact that there wasn’t much “traffic” probably helped. I mean, how else could one omit an entire jumping pass from the program and still pull in a score well over 200 points?
Sorry if I’ve featured this one before, but for the Clip of the Day here is Yu-Na’s exhibition skate to Rhianna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” from the TEB Gala. Quite fun!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Let the Reruns Begin: 2009 Trophee Eric Bompard Revisited (Part 1)
Before the week is out, we will have a new American Idol (Lee or Crystal?), a new Mirrorball Trophy winner on DWTS (Evan or Erin or Nicole?), and we already have a new Celebrity Apprentice (Bret!!!!!). And then the rerun-heavy “summer season” gets underway. But for skating fans, the season ended about 2 months ago. Where are OUR reruns? I hear you pleading.
Well take heart—starting with this post I’ll be taking a look back, every couple weeks or so, to the events that shaped figure skating this past year… watching with fresh eyes, you might say.
We’ll get started with the 2009 TEB in Paris, which launched the ’09-10 ISU Grand Prix this season back in October (featuring Men and Pairs this time):
Diamond-in-the-Rough award, men—Javier Fernandez of Spain, who finished 11th at TEB but managed 12th in a much deeper field at Worlds, just 5 months later.
Diamond-in-the-Rough award, pairs—James/Bonheur of France, who suffered 3 falls in their tepid free skate and ended the TEB night in last place. Like Fernandez, they ended the year in 14th at Vancouver and 12th at Worlds. Go figure!
Shoulda-seen-it-Coming, men—Brian Joubert finishing off the podium at his home country’s event. I’m not positive about this, but the clear errors he made in the SP (overrotated/step out of quad, double-threes out of axel, and hands down on the lutz) seemed hauntingly similar to his Olympic SP performance… except that his mistake on the lutz (a messy fall) was even more blatant.
Shoulda-seen-it-Coming, pairs—It was during the spiral sequence of their “You’ll Never Walk Alone” FS that Aliona Savchenko slipped off her seemingly confident edge and incited gasps as she and partner Robin Szolkowy struggled to put the gaping, disruptive error behind them. They certainly failed to do so that day… and even with a complete FS overhaul to the “Out of Africa” program, problems persisted as they’d never seen before.
Last but not least: Who’d a Thunk…
+ that two guys (Nobunari Oda and Adam Rippon) could fare so well without quads (winning gold and bronze, respectively) when at least four of their competitors had them—and sometimes even landed them?
+ that two men in the top five (Rippon and Yannick Pansero) wouldn’t make their respective Olympic teams a few months later?
+ that the same “kid” that was getting his hair scruffed by Nikolai Morozov in the Kiss-and-Cry (Oda) would be married with his own kid on the way by the following spring?
+ that Oda, Tomas Verner, and the gold-medal pair of Mukhortova/Trankov all essentially gave us the best they had on that first competition… and then never really gave it again?
I’m including Verner’s "Zorba" SP as the Clip of the Day… if he stays with competitive skating beyond this year, here’s hoping he can find his way back to performances like this.
Well take heart—starting with this post I’ll be taking a look back, every couple weeks or so, to the events that shaped figure skating this past year… watching with fresh eyes, you might say.
We’ll get started with the 2009 TEB in Paris, which launched the ’09-10 ISU Grand Prix this season back in October (featuring Men and Pairs this time):
Diamond-in-the-Rough award, men—Javier Fernandez of Spain, who finished 11th at TEB but managed 12th in a much deeper field at Worlds, just 5 months later.
Diamond-in-the-Rough award, pairs—James/Bonheur of France, who suffered 3 falls in their tepid free skate and ended the TEB night in last place. Like Fernandez, they ended the year in 14th at Vancouver and 12th at Worlds. Go figure!
Shoulda-seen-it-Coming, men—Brian Joubert finishing off the podium at his home country’s event. I’m not positive about this, but the clear errors he made in the SP (overrotated/step out of quad, double-threes out of axel, and hands down on the lutz) seemed hauntingly similar to his Olympic SP performance… except that his mistake on the lutz (a messy fall) was even more blatant.
Shoulda-seen-it-Coming, pairs—It was during the spiral sequence of their “You’ll Never Walk Alone” FS that Aliona Savchenko slipped off her seemingly confident edge and incited gasps as she and partner Robin Szolkowy struggled to put the gaping, disruptive error behind them. They certainly failed to do so that day… and even with a complete FS overhaul to the “Out of Africa” program, problems persisted as they’d never seen before.
Last but not least: Who’d a Thunk…
+ that two guys (Nobunari Oda and Adam Rippon) could fare so well without quads (winning gold and bronze, respectively) when at least four of their competitors had them—and sometimes even landed them?
+ that two men in the top five (Rippon and Yannick Pansero) wouldn’t make their respective Olympic teams a few months later?
+ that the same “kid” that was getting his hair scruffed by Nikolai Morozov in the Kiss-and-Cry (Oda) would be married with his own kid on the way by the following spring?
+ that Oda, Tomas Verner, and the gold-medal pair of Mukhortova/Trankov all essentially gave us the best they had on that first competition… and then never really gave it again?
I’m including Verner’s "Zorba" SP as the Clip of the Day… if he stays with competitive skating beyond this year, here’s hoping he can find his way back to performances like this.
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