Skate Canada International 2015 - Hip Hip Gold Gold? (Ladies SP)
It is becoming increasingly frequent that figure skating competitions count so many astonishing skaters, it's really hard to predict an outcome. This is, of course, great news for the sport itself, so let's enjoy what some of the best ladies of the US, Russia and Japan have to offer today in Lethbridge.
The first to skate is Kaetlyn Osmond, who we've missed a lot last season. She was out last year due to health issues, and her start here is also unfortunate. She falls on the death drop into the first spin, which throws her off and makes her also fall on the double Axel. Her score: 59.21.
Veronik Mallet skates to Waltz No. 7 by Frederic Chopin. It's pretty, but not flawless - the second triple Toeloop is double-footed. Love the ribbon in her hair. She gets 52.17 points.
Isabelle Olsson seems to set her goals by choosing Beyonce's I Was Here. She timed it perfectly, as this is her first important senior competition. She is also trained by her mother, like the Helgesson sisters, which makes me think figure skating is a family affair in Sweden. Her score: 50.23.
Russia, brace yourself - Japan is coming for you. Another Japanese debutante, Yuka Nagai, is simply superb on Madame Butterfly by Giaccomo Puccini. She has no technical mistakes either. She gets 63.35 points.
When it comes to choosing the music, Joshi Helgesson is the queen of contemporary tunes. She seems to have impeccable taste in music, and she is the living proof that modern music and figure skating are compatible. Unfortunately, she double-foots the double Toeloop, which was supposed to be a triple. Her score: 56.26.
Remember Elizabet Tursynabeva? She made her debut at Skate America just last week, when she was a lot better than today. She misses the combination completely and falls on the triple Flip. No worries, this is just her first season with the seniors. She'll do better next time, I'm sure. She gets 49.84 points.
Gabrielle Daleman looks like she really doesn't want to swing it. She makes some errors - double-foots the triple Toeloop and steps out of the triple Flip - but I also think she needs to be more playful with her expression and body language, especially in the first half of the routine. Her score: 54.13.
I can't say this often enough: Alena Leonova is the best actress on ice at the moment. She is re-using her Charlie Chaplin routine, but I don't mind because it is extraordinary. Unfortunately, she falls on the second triple Toeloop and the triple Flip. She gets 52.08 points.
Polina Edmunds has great posture! Her Moonlight Sonata is more mature than both her programmes from last year, and it makes her look more graceful than ever before. The only mistake is a hand down on the double Axel. Her score: 56.85.
It's so weird to see Kanako Murakami do dark music because I've always associated her with delicate, sweet tunes. She pulls it off well enough though. Major mistake: singles the double Axel. She gets 59.79 points.
Sexy Ashley Wagner is marvelous on Hip Hip Chin Chin. I understand that the spoken words make this song striking, but I really don't like them. I usually have a problem with spoken words in figure skating. Great performance though - she doesn't stop for a single second. Her score: 70.73.
Is Elizaveta Tuktamysheva using the same costume as last season? Also, I'm not sure I like her in horror-mode - Carmina just seems to swallow her up. The technical is a disaster, I'm afraid: she only manages a second Lutz, which will be cancelled because of the rules, and over-rotates both triple Toeloops. She gets 55.37 points.
Well, that's what happens when half the skaters competing are excellent. You get a handful of amazing performances and you're not sure which one is better than the other. Ashley Wagner is of course, the exception. Her short programme was undoubtedly the best today. She's got a beautiful free skate too, so we're in for a treat in the final.
More coverage of Skate Canada International 2015 here: http://crystalskate.blogspot.co.uk/
The first to skate is Kaetlyn Osmond, who we've missed a lot last season. She was out last year due to health issues, and her start here is also unfortunate. She falls on the death drop into the first spin, which throws her off and makes her also fall on the double Axel. Her score: 59.21.
Veronik Mallet skates to Waltz No. 7 by Frederic Chopin. It's pretty, but not flawless - the second triple Toeloop is double-footed. Love the ribbon in her hair. She gets 52.17 points.
Isabelle Olsson seems to set her goals by choosing Beyonce's I Was Here. She timed it perfectly, as this is her first important senior competition. She is also trained by her mother, like the Helgesson sisters, which makes me think figure skating is a family affair in Sweden. Her score: 50.23.
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| Japan's Yuka Nagai is the surprise of the night Photograph: Skate Canada International |
When it comes to choosing the music, Joshi Helgesson is the queen of contemporary tunes. She seems to have impeccable taste in music, and she is the living proof that modern music and figure skating are compatible. Unfortunately, she double-foots the double Toeloop, which was supposed to be a triple. Her score: 56.26.
Remember Elizabet Tursynabeva? She made her debut at Skate America just last week, when she was a lot better than today. She misses the combination completely and falls on the triple Flip. No worries, this is just her first season with the seniors. She'll do better next time, I'm sure. She gets 49.84 points.
Gabrielle Daleman looks like she really doesn't want to swing it. She makes some errors - double-foots the triple Toeloop and steps out of the triple Flip - but I also think she needs to be more playful with her expression and body language, especially in the first half of the routine. Her score: 54.13.
I can't say this often enough: Alena Leonova is the best actress on ice at the moment. She is re-using her Charlie Chaplin routine, but I don't mind because it is extraordinary. Unfortunately, she falls on the second triple Toeloop and the triple Flip. She gets 52.08 points.
Polina Edmunds has great posture! Her Moonlight Sonata is more mature than both her programmes from last year, and it makes her look more graceful than ever before. The only mistake is a hand down on the double Axel. Her score: 56.85.
It's so weird to see Kanako Murakami do dark music because I've always associated her with delicate, sweet tunes. She pulls it off well enough though. Major mistake: singles the double Axel. She gets 59.79 points.
Sexy Ashley Wagner is marvelous on Hip Hip Chin Chin. I understand that the spoken words make this song striking, but I really don't like them. I usually have a problem with spoken words in figure skating. Great performance though - she doesn't stop for a single second. Her score: 70.73.
Is Elizaveta Tuktamysheva using the same costume as last season? Also, I'm not sure I like her in horror-mode - Carmina just seems to swallow her up. The technical is a disaster, I'm afraid: she only manages a second Lutz, which will be cancelled because of the rules, and over-rotates both triple Toeloops. She gets 55.37 points.
Well, that's what happens when half the skaters competing are excellent. You get a handful of amazing performances and you're not sure which one is better than the other. Ashley Wagner is of course, the exception. Her short programme was undoubtedly the best today. She's got a beautiful free skate too, so we're in for a treat in the final.
More coverage of Skate Canada International 2015 here: http://crystalskate.blogspot.co.uk/
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