The Mighty Five - Short Programmes, Grand Statements (Ladies)

Let's go on a little time trip. Do you remember those cold nights you spent watching the ladies' events, with absolutely no clue who your favourite was because all the girls were so unbelievably good? I sure do. 2015/2016 brought us amazing comebacks, record scores, new stars and a lot of fabulous programmes. Here are my top 5 short routines of the season:

1) Mao Asada's Bei mir bist du schoen

Mao greeting the public in Boston, at the World Championships
Photograph: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images North America

Japan's ice queen might not have had the greatest season of her career in 2015/2016, but her short programme is still my favourite. She was bringing people to their feet all throughout the season as if it had only been a day, not two years since she won the World title.

Her short routine was a perfect representation of her image in figure skating. She is glamorous, strong, charismatic and sophisticated. She can also do no wrong when it comes to presentation. Her triple Axel was a show stopper almost every time she skated, and although her season took a left turn after the Grand Prix Final, this routine was always a highlight. Truly the one everyone's eyes were drawn to.

2) Satoko Miyahara's Firedance

Satoko's amazing Biellmann spin.
Photograph: Jamie Squire / Getty Images North America

Arguably, Mao Asada's greatest rival was her own teammate, Satoko Miyahara. The 18 year-old defeated Mao to become the Japanese national champion and then ranked two places higher in Boston.

Satoko showed a bit more bite this season with Bill Whelan's take on a Spanish dance, and a fiery red lace costume. She's come of age since the previous season and it really showed. Her jumps are as high as her height allows them, which is not an awful lot, but they're fast and well-presented enough that no one pays attention to how far they're from the ice. Her spins also have a fluidity not a lot of female skaters can achieve. You could still see the effect of her age when compared to Mao - being charming where Mao was flirtatious - but she showed real improvement in her presentation. Looking forward to her perfecting her style.

3) Evgenia Medvedeva's Melodies of the White Nights

Evgenia's expressiveness gave heart to her routine.
Photograph: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images North America

Everyone's greatest rival last season was Russia's national champion, the European and World champion, Evgenia Medvedeva. In case you're not familiar with her choice of music, as you may well not be because it's from a Russian film, it tells the love story between a Russian composer and a Japanese pianist.

Her interpretation of the struggles the two have to face truly makes an impact on you no matter how many times you watch this programme. The routine is also one of the few to have the step sequence before the main elements, which made great use of her stamina and got her extra points for the jumps. Maybe that's what made it seem daring, almost like a statement announcing she's here to push the limits higher than they've ever been. However, I do remember saying those same things about Julia Lipnitskaia when she debuted, so I will be very curious to see how Evgenia's career evolves. She's off to the perfect start, but her challenge is not to be pushed in the shadow of the next Russian superstar...

4) Elena Radionova's Je t'aime

Elena Radionova is one of the most flexible skaters out there
Photograph: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images North America

...like Elena Radionova was? Not that she lets it show, but this lady has been pushed in the shadow of not one, but two Russian superstars. Last season it was Evgenia, the season before it was Elizabeta Tuktamysheva. Now, don't get me wrong. There is nobody who can take the spotlight away from Elena. Among the multitude of incredible Russian talents, she's the one who stands out the most for me. She's got a playful confidence that could shake mountains and I expect it to do so if she keeps working as hard as she has so far.

Lara Fabian's ballad brought out the softness in her, but the boldness of style was still obvious in the attitude, in the speed, in the picture-perfect spin positions... She had her own statement to make and it said she's a powerhouse not to be underestimated. In fact, she lost the European gold with a programme that could have easily won it on any other day. So there's definitely a lot more she's got to say on ice, and I can't wait to see it.

5) Ashley Wagner's Hip Hip Chin Chin

Remember this moment? This is what it looks like to realise you've just had the best short programme of your career.
Photograph: Maddie Meyer / Getty Images North America

Ashley is the odd one out here. All the other skaters were at some point debated as World champion material, but Ashley just didn't seem to have the grace and technique to threaten the favourites. Well, I think her World silver medal would strongly disagree. In terms of style, she's also the coolest cat in the bag, with a less than poetic song choice for the short.

Why is that cool? Maybe just because I think picking a song people shake their heads at and making it work brilliantly is bad-ass. You know I'm a lover of originality, so how could I possibly leave Ashley out of my top 5? Her routine was simple, but powerful and sassy. She used the rhythm to its fullest, syncing her spins to the beat. That is, spinning to the beat. Rotation per beat. If you didn't notice that, go take another look. It was extraordinary.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Those are my mighty five short programmes of last season. Which one of these ladies did you root for? Let me know what made them your favourite.