Skate America 2015 - The Age of the Underdogs (Men's SP)

Victory somehow seems sweeter when the winner is an underdog. That being said, the power of a superstar should never be underestimated. The fact that these two rules co-exist in figure skating, only makes the sport more thrilling. Who will take the lead in the men's short programme?

 Max Aaron is having a particularly great start of the season. He's completely pulling off the tragedy of Nessun Dorma and acing every single element. He may not be the most graceful of skaters, but I don't see that as a problem. Everyone has their own style, and I appreciate his efforts to improve his artistry. His score: 86.67.

The white top and black pants
are becoming Max Aaron's trademark style
Photograph: Jared C. Tilton / Getty Images
North America
Russia's male skaters are struggling to catch up to the ladies' fame and ability right now. Aidan Pitkeev is no different. He is good, even flawless technically at times, but he's just not feeling the music. His camel spin is shaky. He gets 79.90 points.

Classy guy, Han Yan, is back with a classy song: Sing, Sing, Sing by Louis Prima. This is a trademark programme for him: lots of gags, strong elements, but not enough smiles. He needs to get just a bit sillier, and he'll be an expert at this type of routines. His score: 86.53.

Shoma Uno's first outing on the adults' ice-rink doesn't go as smoothly as he had planned, I'm sure. He falls on the quad Toeloop, but it doesn't affect his performance, which shows great potential and a strong will. He gets 80.78 points.

It's way too early to say this, but I'm pretty sure Denis Ten's Miss Tango is the most tragic music of the season. Unfortunately, the Kazakh is back to his strategy of under-performing in the Grand Prix competitions. He's not doing it on purpose, of course, but he does fall on the quad Toeloop and loses his balance during a spin. His score: 79.02.

As Max Aaron finishes on first place, the small victory belongs to the underdog tonight. If he manages to keep Han Yan and Konstantin Menshov at a distance, triumph might truly be his.

More coverage of the event here: http://crystalskate.blogspot.co.uk/

Comments

  1. Pee24 October 2015 at 19:52

    I really enjoyed Shoma Uno's SP, and his FS is even better. I will look to see him on the podium along with the new-and-improved Max Aaron.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous24 October 2015 at 23:42

    It was plain bizarre. That's all what I have to say. 3 missed spins in the men's event??

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Daiana Damacus24 October 2015 at 23:43

      Yeah, it was quite a shaky start of the season.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous24 October 2015 at 23:44

    Happy Grand Prix Season everyone.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Skaters We'll Miss, Part 5: Daisuke Takahashi

Image
October 31, 2008: It's a few days before the start of the 2008 Cup of China and for Japanese superstar, Daisuke Takahashi, it's the day disaster strikes. He's just torn a ligament in his right leg, which will take him off the ice for the entire season. What's even worse is that this is the type of injury that might just abruptly end the career of one of the most promising skaters of the decade. Long before becoming a superstar, Daisuke began his life in the ice rink by choosing between hockey and figure skating. He became a senior skater at the age of 16, but couldn't cope with the pressure and didn't become Japan's National Champion until four seasons later. Phantom of the Opera Photograph: Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images Sport In 2005/2006, at the age of 19, he almost lost the National title, and the chance to participate at the Olympics, when it was accidentally given to Nobunari Oda due to a miscalculation. The error was corrected though and Daisu
Read more

Skate America 2015 Preview

Image
That wonderful time of the year is here again! No, I'm not talking about Christmas, but the start of the figure skating Grand Prix series. I've been waiting for this event since the last day of the 2015 World Team Trophy, and I know I'm not the only one, so let's get started. The logo of Skate America 2015 Photo: www.isu.org Skate America will open the Grand Prix series, as usual. It is held this year in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Milwaukee is not known for anything related to figure skating, but for its beer and festivals - beer festivals, I assume. In fact, the logo for Skate America this year looks so much like a beer label that I wouldn't be surprised if the party favours proved out to be small bottles of beer with the logo as labels. Wouldn't that be cool? As creative as the marketing of the event is, the logo isn't what it's going to make this event spectacular. That task is given to the skaters, and judging by the big names competing, they
Read more

Internationaux de France 2018 - Ladies Final - What Great Skaters Are Made Of

Image
Bradie Tennell took home a surprising bronze medal The ladies' competition in Grenoble started as most do these days - with Japanese and Russian skaters going against each other for the top three positions. At the end of the short programme, Japan was winning (by less than a point), but the possibility to see Russia on the podium in the form of Evgenia Medvedeva was very much real. Stanislava Konstantinova  began the event with a flawless performance of Anna Karenina . I loved the costume, the way her hair matched the era the story is from and the neckline detail that made her look as if she was wearing a pearl necklace. Score: 134.76  -> 189.67 . Laurine Lecavelier  followed with a sexier routine, set to I'll Take Care of You . Her performance was for the most part alright despite doubling out of both the 3Flip and Salchow, but then at the very end, she fell on the 3Loop. Score: 105.58  -> 157.24 Laurine Lecavelier of France I thought Matilda Algotsson 
Read more