World Championships review: men

I continue to share my impressions about World Championships 2016. Here’s the first part – about ice dance.

This one is dedicated to men’s event.

I can’t just cheer for the winners. On the rare occasions when I start to cheer for particular skater – I cheer from heart. Therefore, men‘s event was hard for me.

Nam Nguyen and Han Yan didn’t get into the free skate…..yeah for the night is dark and full of terrors….(I just remind that I have 7 hour time difference with Boston :) ). I expected that Nam will perform badly, but not that bad! Is it what Liam Firus stepped out for? He certainly wouldn’t has performed worse. But the principle of sport would has been observed. Han – it’s just my sorrow. And I’m foolishly hoped for at least top-10……Yeah, the third ten(

An additional portion of sorrow – Maxim Kovtun and Denis Ten. Ten has a grief in both funeral music for SP and his skating. I understand that this entire season Denis has been struggling with injuries and health problems, so I think another result was hard to expect. Still hard to watch how a great skater performs much worse than he can. It remains only to wish Denis a good health and patience.

“Honor, not Honors“

What prevented Kovtun – a mystery. He arrived to America early, so it can’t be an acclimatization. It’s pretty normal for Maxim to fail one program. But two – it’s a huge failure. And I have a question to his coach Buyanova: hasn’t the example of some other skaters taught you something? For example, how high you can get with only one quad but clean skate? His SP – no room for error. After 4S-3T he need to jump only a 4T. He can’t repeat 3T, for double or single will get 0. Maybe it’s a time to stop showing off with 2 quads and put a 3-lutz into the second half?

I need urgently to sweeten somehow the bitter taste of those performances) I’m really happy for Misha Ge, who after a difficult season putted himself together and pleased his fans with nice performances. I also like such lyrical Misha more. I’m happy for Deniss Vasiljevs, who performed with dignity at senior Worlds. For Alexei Bychenko, who heroically pulled himself in the free program! For Ivan Righini, who had a great season and did a clean quad at such competitions! Well done guys!

Even the performance of Michal Brezina hasn’t left the usual feeling “to hug and cry”. He won two spots for the next year, looked simply stunning in SP (yes, I love a well-dressed men). In the FD only once tried to killed himself on a quad salchow, that is why the impression from the program was really good. By the way, I won’t mind if he keep it for the next year.

“Burning Bright“

American guys – well done! Yes, they didn’t save three spots, but it was almost impossible, but they all in the top-10. All three have pleased their home crowd with great performances, each at his best. For Grant it was the first World Championships in his career! And he’s already 25 – many in this age already thinking about retirement) You may make fun of Aaron‘s pajamas and tights, in FD the swan hasn’t even flight – either white, or black, or even plucked. But he fighted to the end! Respect!

Adam Rippon is a real hero. Performed as befits the leader of the country, giving a reason to the native audience to go crazy) I don’t have US citizenship, but I felt real pride for Adam and I’m also so happy for his coach! OMG he did his quad lutz! Yes, with underotation, but he did it! He didn’t fall! I’m pleasantly shocked)

Japanese boys have corrected this universal injustice and regained three spots. Thus, on average, it’s a good result, but for each of them the result could be better. I’m so sorry for Shoma – he had such a bad and painful fall( But “A bruise is a lesson… and each lesson makes us better.” I want to thank him for his SP. It’s so dynamic and modern, one of the coolest male program this season. Not everything worked out, but I have no doubt that Shoma will shine at the skating top.

Patrick………it was heartbreaking. But If I cheer, I cheer to the end, as the saying is, in joy and in sorrow.

“Growing Strong“

Mikhail Kolyada can be called a discovery of the season. Of course Russian figure skating fans knew him for a long time, empathized all his injuries and problems. But for the worldwide viewers he’s a real discovery. The guy has everything for success! And I’m happy not only for his high place, but mainly for the fact he was skating in the last warm-up with such figure skating maitres and didn’t panic, just calmly did what he need to do. He gives me reason to hope that not everything is lost for Russian men’s skating)

“Honed and Ready“

And I was saying, that Boyang won’t wait when he will be allowed to take a medal) He will take it with a first chance. And he also won’t wait till the Olympics in 2022. He will try to take his medal in 2018) Yeaaa the technique is impressive. But there was almost no clean landings( And the programs…..actually there were no program, only in SP some choreo “aka Plushenko”. That looked funny) Lots of work need to be done in the second mark, but he’s young, he has time to improve.

“As High as Honor“

Unfortunately, it was quite predictable that Yuzuru won’t skate at Worlds as he did at NHK and GPF. There were phenomenal performances, and it’s normal that he can’t repeat it from competition to competition. Yuzuru just showed that he is also a human) And, in my opinion, the reasons for failure (I’m sure that another silver at Worlds it’s a failure for Hanyu) are psychological. Just the expectations are raised too high. And I absolutely don’t agree with panic in the ranks of Yuzuru’s fans, and their suggestions to leave Orser. Also it’s interesting will Hanyu change both his programs for the next season or only the short?

“Right Conquers Might“

I’m really, really happy for Javier! Going to Worlds it seemed that there is no chance for him to prove his title and maximum he can hope for is silver. The more valuable is this gold! “I swear to you, sitting a throne is a thousand times harder than winning one.” Incredible performance in the free program! Many skaters should hang a portrait of Fernandes in their rooms as a reminder that everything is possible. That even if you’re not a jumping genius, not a god of PCS, and there is no strong skating federation behind you, you can still become a top skater, a medal contender at any competition, and even a World Champion.

To be continued.

Related topics: Adam Rippon, Alexei Bychenko, Boyang Jin, Denis Ten, Deniss Vasiljevs, Grant Hochstein, Han Yan, Ivan Righini, Javier Fernandez, Max Aaron, Maxim Kovtun, men, Michal Brezina, mikhail kolyada, Misha GE, Nam Nguyen, Patrick Chan, Shoma Uno, world championship, Yuzuru Hanyu