Figure Skating Chat!- Page 30

[sanda]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 12:32pm

Is there any Todd Eldredge fan here?

Funny, I think Todd is the skater who chose music from musical the most. "Man of La Mancha", "Chess","Les Miz","J&H",etc,etc.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:04pm

Also, in regards to Irina saying she should have won the last Olympics. Let me try to explain where is coming from.

There is no doubt that Sarah should have won the LP, and she probably agrees.

But Irina does think that she should have won the SP over Michelle Kwan, and I might agree with her.
That was a great program for her. She had her great jumps and speed. Very just a nice program. Michelle had the small mistake on the triple-flip and was a bit slower. So I can easily see why Irina thinks she should have won the SP and I agree with her. It was a 5-4 Split to Michelle.

So had Irina won the SP and placed 2nd in the LP and Sarah placed 4th in the SP and won the LP, Irina would have won, and that is what she is refering to.

However, it wouldn't have set too well with people, knowing that Sarah did so well and didn't win the Gold Medal. So with things turning out like they did, Irina won't be remembered as the "bad guy" and can enjoy can great professional career in the USA.
Updated On: 2/24/06 at 02:04 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:19pm

MTVMANN, thanks for clearing that up.

Does anyone have the scores from last year's World's? I'm just curious as to how those scores compare with the program last night.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 2:44pm

I don't know those scores. However, Irina's LP at those worlds was much better than Shizuka at these Olympics. So ideally it should be higher, but the Olympics can inflate scores.


Question about the new code: For the singles, the men and women are judged under the same system right? Johnny Weir had an 80.00 in his SP and Sasha Cohen had a 66.something. I assume this is do to the range in the difficulty in jumps. I know there are still different requirement, like a layback for the ladies. But as far as jumps go, it's the same system right and that's why the women's scores are lower......right? I hope that makes sense!

[cturtle]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 4:45pm

i'm pretty sure KATY TAYLOR was named to the world team, not EMILY.

[peach]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 4:50pm

I think you're right about the scoring MTVMANN - I also think it's almost physically impossible for a woman to pull off some of those quad jumps the guys do, so to a degree it's comparing apples to oranges.

I still like Sasha the best - she's such a pretty skater. I do appreciate Irina's atheltic abilities, but she's not as fun for me to watch. Probably because I have a dance background - I look for all that flexiblity and artistic merit first (one of the reasons I also like Weir - as much of a princess as he can be - his SP was lovely!)


Updated On: 2/24/06 at 04:50 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 4:57pm

Peach, I've mentioned this before and I would appreciate your opinion since you have a dance background: I would really like to see one of the ladies attempt to do her LP to Prokofiev's "Romeo & Juliet" (the balcony music specifically). I'm really surprised no one has done it as of yet. Your comments?

CTurtle: According to the United States Figure Skating Association website (usfsa.org), Katy Taylor has been named to the Junior World team (though I think she is an alternate for the senior team). Emily has already been slated for the Senior Worlds (as she even mentioned that in an interview).

Updated On: 2/24/06 at 04:57 PM

[peach]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:13pm

Dottie - No one's done it yet? Seems odd! The balcony music is gorgeous - so powerful. IMO - it would have to a strong artistic program with some acting chops to really do it justice!

Beautiful music - I could see Sasha doing it. Can you tell I'm a Sahsa fan?

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:16pm

Thanks, Peach. I could definitely see Sasha skating to that music, and Michelle, as well (they both would do it justice).

[peach]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:20pm

If I could skate - I would choose ballet music!

Michelle is a nice balance to me - has proficiency in both the art and the sport. She really could have gotten the gold.

Missed her deraly these Olympics.

I have heard Michelle is quite amazing to watch live, although I have never seen her personally.

ETA: What music did Sasha skate to last night? Wasn't it something from Romeo and Juliet? I admit, I haven't actually WATCHED it all the way through yet - fell asleep, Thank goodness for Tivo, and recaps on the news and online!


Updated On: 2/24/06 at 05:20 PM

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:29pm

Sasha skated her LP to Romeo and Juliet, but, I believe it was the Tchaikovsky version.

I've seen Michelle live twice (Stars on Ice) and in my book she can do no wrong (can you tell!). The crowd loves her. Despite the bronze in '02, she still got the loudest applause and cheers when she toured after that Olympics (and Sasha, Sarah and Irina were in that same program as well).

Updated On: 2/24/06 at 05:29 PM

[peach]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:41pm

Thanks!

I would like to check out Stars on ice one of these days!

[cturtle]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:49pm

dottie, thanks for correcting me! i should have checked the USFSA site first.

SASHA skated to the nino rota film score to the movie ROMEO & JULIET. i remember JOHN CURRY skating to the PROKOFIEV score (the balcony scene) and it was gorgeous. would be perfect!

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 5:56pm

cturtle: thanks for correcting me on Sasha's music. I just knew it wasn't Prokofiev and assumed it was Tchaikovsky. Usually the commentators mention the music, but I didn't recall that so much this time around.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 7:28pm

Although I don't know if any single lady skated to the Prokokiev version of Romeo and Juliet, I do know that the ice dance team (2002 Olympic champs) Marina Anissina and Gwendal Peizerat did in the 1997-1998 season and won the Olympic bronze and World silver that season with it. It's one of my favorite Free Dances of all time, and if you haven't seen it, I would be more than glad to upload it for you.

I wish Fumie Suguri would've skated to her last season LP because I felt it was superior to her LP this season. Maybe she was in better shape last year and that had a lot to do with it since Fumie was injured earleir this season, but I felt the choreography for this LP opened the door for her to get lowballed.

Dottie, I hate that NBC doesn't give your program information or bio info right before the skaters skate the way ABC does. People complained about it last time in SLC, but they still didn't fix it.

Updated On: 2/24/06 at 07:28 PM

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 7:46pm

Emily was named to the Worlds Team for Seniors. Katy Talylor was named to the Junior World Team, but has since apparently pulled out because Megan Hyatt is now listed.

[cturtle]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:13pm

for those who didn't know ... KATY won the 4 continents championship. (more cash closer to her pink hummer dream ... ugg)

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 8:53pm

Speaking of 4 Continents Championship, poor Yukari Nakano. I don't think she was trying as hard as she could considering she was ROBBED of a spot in Torino considering the way Ando skated.

Poor robbed Nakano. I loved how the Japanese Fed said how they use the whole season and the past seasons to determine the Olympic team except if a skater medals at the Grand PRix Final, then she'll get a spot at Torino. Well, they forgot to say that only goes for Fumie Suguri, Shizuka Arakawa, and Miki Ando because Fumie didn't qualify (due to injury making her performance at Skate Canada not so hot) and Shizuka and Miki did not medal with Yukari Nakano medaling. Guess the Japanese Fed forgot their statement.

P.S. Kwan does Champions on Ice, not Stars on Ice. Scott Hamilton and Stars on Ice has tried to court Kwan for the longest time, but she has loyalty to Tom Collins and Champions on Ice.

And Kwan WILL do COI this year, but I don't think we'll see the heavy jumping that she did last year COI to prepare for COI. Before her injury Kwan was doing triple lutzes/double toe/double loop combinations in her program and did four double axels right after each other in the finale...all under spotlights! I guess that aggrevated her injury.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:54pm

Thanks for correcting me regarding Michelle and Stars on Ice, VIETgrl. I'm kind of curious if she will be with them for their yearly tour after the Worlds.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 9:59pm

Well I was glad to see Miki Ando at these Olympics, and I didn't see the 4 continents or the Japanese Nationals. But she became a pretty big player this quad, so I thought it was nice that she got to be at the big event of the quad......for whatever that's worth.

About Stars on Ice amd Michelle; I think that Stars on Ice is not sanctioned by the ISU and obviously Champions of Ice is. So I think that to be in Stars on Ice you have to give up your eligibility.

However, for all the top skaters not being professional can still be just as lucrative.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 10:04pm

Also, are there any articles about Michelle's thoughts about the competition?

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 10:16pm

Kwan hasn't made any news since she withdrew. We only know that she isn't retiring officially and her agent said she'll decide if she'll continue skating on the Olympic-level in the off-season. It could be true or all PR...we don't know.

Stars on Ice could be sanctioned by the ISU, which is why Alexei Yagudin still had his eligibility back in 2002-2003 despite doing SOI. However, for Americans, the USFS has a deal with Tom Collins and Champions on Ice, so an American skater needs to have an exception made for them in order to do SOI and still be Olympic eligible. Todd Elderedge did it one season.

The only thing that the ISU has a big stance on regarding Olympic-eligibility is doing competitions that aren't sanctioned by the ISU.

[DottieD'Luscia]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 10:46pm

Shen and Zhao just did a beautiful job in their exhibition skate.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 11:21pm

Awful music, though. I had to put it on mute.

I've saw Champions on Ice 3 times growing up and I loved it everytime. Very exciting for an 8 year old to actually get to SEE Brian Boitano and Oksana Baiul.

[Jane2]

Posted: 2/24/06 at 11:43pm

OMG I have just seen skating like I have never ever seen before. This is why he has the gold. Of course I'm talking about Plushenko's exhibition program. I have never seen that much passion and feeling for music, nor the sheer quality of skating. No one, as far as I'm concerned, is in his league.

Arms flailing shmailing.