Four Continents Championships 2017 review: ladies
So I continue to share my impression from 4CC, here you can read about ice dance and pairs:
- Four Continents Championships 2017 review: ice dance
- Four Continents Championships 2017 review: ice dance
This part of my review is about ladies.
Honestly, the ladies’ competition was boring, so I don’t have much to say.
I’d like to have a live stream from the US figure skating federation’s office during ladies’ free program) To see their faces, to ask don’t they regret on some decisions they’ve made at US Nationals? But the one things is almost clear, US figure skating federation can start rehearsing final waving…..to the three spots for Olympics. Yep, Diva Wanger, you’ll have to skate forever)
I just do not understand at all how it was possible to bet on Karen Chen) Yes, she’s a bright girl, but in the past few seasons only once (!) she delivered two clean performances at one competition! At National Championships where judges generously blinked on underrotations. Mariah Bell skates well only in America, surprize but Helsinki is not America) And Mirai Nagasu once again goes from 4CC with a medal, but will watch Worlds on TV at home. Only for me it sounds ridiculous?
Despite the victory of cute and cheerful Mai Mihara, Japanese women have not much better situation. Especially if Satoko Miyahara won’t have time to fully recover from the injury till Worlds.
Wakaba Higuchi and Elizabet Tursynbayeva were the destroyers of legends and myths. Refuting two myths: “The Japanese skaters don’t suffer of puberty” and “Girls weighing 30kg can jump anything at any minute of the program”. Frankly, looking at Tursynbayeva I feel uncomfortable for all eaten today and have a desire to rescue the child and buy her a Happy-meal.
Wakaba sobbed in the kiss and cryc corner, Chinese beauty Zijun Li fell into the arms of her coach after the free program and also couldn’t stop crying. What happened to the girls? (
Well done, Da Bin Choi. It was solid performances in front of the home crowd and you was the first who took La La Land. First to go, many to come) Oh and be sure, Averbukh has already noned that thing with a selfie on ice for Medvedeva’s future programs.
Kaetlyn Osmond and Gabrielle Daleman. Such has never happen and here again. Girls, the judges have done everything for you, they have even put Mihara as low as possible after the short program. The only thing you needed to do is go on the ice and took your gold…..Well, at least Gabrielle managed to finish on the podium. Kaetlyn – sadness, she had such a scary and painful falls( Team Canada is in danger for Olympic team event, they really need to do something with their ladies. Maybe they should decide as early as possible who will skate the SP and who the FP? So each girl could concentrate more on one particular program. Well, what to do if no one of them can do two clean programs?
The carriage of Japanese Cinderella didn’t turn into a pumpkin. Mai Mihara did all her jumps cheerfully and jumped onto the top step of the podium. It was lovely and cute but still juniorish.
Well that’s all, ladies’ competition wasn’t really exciting)
To be continued.
Related topics: Da Bin Choi, Elizabet Tursynbayeva, Four Continents Championships, Gabrielle Daleman, kaetlyn osmond, Karen Chen, ladies, Mai Mihara, Mariah Bell, Mirai Nagasu, Wakaba Higuchi, Zijun Li
I totally agree. The men have always been my favorite discipline but Ladies’ is up there. Not anymore. I can appreciate the technical skills of the Russian ladies but their choreography bores me. Pairs and Dance are much more exciting for me these days.
Yeah, me too. Most of the time I don’t even bother to watch ladies.
“But their choreography bores me.”
Don’t tell it to Averbukh! Who knows what he can come up with) He can easily add more drama)
For the past year and a half, I’ve been slowly losing interest in ladies’ skating. To fill that void, I’ve become a huge pairs fangirl and have taken up the full-time job of predicting when Canadian ice dancers will get married.
The situation of US ladies is a mess. I like Karen, she has serious star power, but she needs consistency and she doesn’t have it yet. Mariah Bell is the same situation. Both of them are talented girls but aren’t ready to be the next Ashley Wagner. EDIT: No one can ever be Ashley Wagner.
Mirai was great. Yup, the winner takes the bronze. It’s like she has the strong skates when she doesn’t need them.
Wakaba and Zijun were so sad to watch. Oh girls, it’s not the World Championships. Not the Olympics. You’re great skaters; get up and try again!
If you ask me, Elizabet really needs to put on some muscle. True she’s 147cm but even petite skaters need strength to do their jumps. I think she’s so tiny that it makes her look like a novice on the ice, hurting her PCS. I wish Orser would think about that. Because what happens when she goes through puberty and now she’s jumping with 5 extra kilos and legs too skinny to get her in the air?
Da Bin Choi’s performances were lovely and the most memorable part for me was her lovely green dress. Such an underused color!
The Canadian girls need to work on the free program. Both can pull off great shorts, but the free always hangs them up. A common problem. All those falls for Kaetlyn must’ve been devastating for her after such a great season. At least it wasn’t at Worlds. I think Gabrielle is okay with a silver but it always sucks when the gold was in reach.
Mai Mihara is adorable, but I don’t feel like I’m in the presence of a legend. I’d like to see more mature programs for her – she’s got the jumps, now she just needs the choreography.
I’m actually contemplating not watching ladies at Worlds. I never thought I’d say that. Probably this is the discipline to balance out my insane fear of pairs.
I just don’t get it. This season US skating federation made some significant changes and even a gold medalist at Nationals isn’t guaranteed the spot to Worlds. So why they announced the team for Worlds so early? Why they didn’t wait till 4CC? They could announce something like “Chen, Wagner (as 1st and 2d) are going for sure, will decide about 3rd spot after 4CC”. To me it sounds reasonable.
Da Bin was inspired bu the dress from the movie)
Yes, green is underestimated color in figure skating( I still remember Tessa Virtue’s beautiful emerald dress in 2013-2014 season.
I liked that Mai Mihara has age appropriate FP, it’s lovely. But I wish her SP was more unique, I think I’ve heard Rondo Capriccioso a thousand of times and have seen thousands of such programs.
Yeah, they should do the decisions like the Russian skating federation does – closer to the actual event.
I hope Da Bin’s dress starts a green trend :)
I understand that Mai is young and is skating a girlish program, and that’s fine. I just hope next year they will up the ante a little. And oh god I’ve heard Rondo Capriccioso one too many times too…for me it takes me back to Sochi 2014 ladies event.