Trophee de France 2016

MOST       TERRIBLE        MEDAL        EVER!!!!!!!!!

Ladies

This is such a disastrous event for some of the ladies. I basically lost the interest and excitement from mid way. But I still managed to finish that. There is really not much to say except it was a mistake, so I would just make a brief note on each lady.

Evgenia surprisingly fell on the Lutz and (un)surprisingly got a score of 143 for her FS. I have always disagreed with her score, especially this time with a fall. But the judges are gonna make her win anyway. I am really not sure this is a good thing for her, because it can be seen that there are uproars everywhere on the Internet about her score, and people are becoming haters of her and talk bad of her. She is obviously talented, but I don’t think giving her that high score helps her in anyway. But anyway, it is enough said. I shall say no more. 

It is sad to see so many ladies had meltdown or not in good shape in this competition, like Gracie, Alena and Mao. I hope they could find the energy again and regain strength and come back strong. 

Men

Javier Fernandez

Honestly, I really don’t care that Javier keeps skating to 60s music all the time until he retires, but it is not working for me now. At first, I liked it, I think it was energetic, funny and entertaining to watch. But after a few times the program seems to start losing spark for me, because everything is so similar to last season thus you more or less EXPECTED what is coming. I hope he can try something else next season. 

Denis Ten

FINALLY he has come back, the Olympic Bronze medalist Denis Ten. He is one of the skaters who skate with grace and passion and does not need four or five quads in his programs. Who needs quads when you can skate beautifully? Where has the beauty of figure skating gone? I am so happy Denis has come back and I look forward to seeing him more this season. 

Adam Rippon

The new FS is indeed a right choice for Adam, it is skated with tranquil clarity and beauty. Artistically much better than the tacky SP, which kind of makes me cringe with all those cheesy choreography. He should stick with a more lyrical program that truly shows his musicality. 

Pairs

Nothing much of a surprise. We all know Aliona and Bruno are gonna win,though I didn’t expect they win by that score given that what had performed. The throw axel still needs to be stabilised, and thank God Aliona opted to do only a throw triple salchow at the end. I hope Aliona’s injury caused by the throw triple axel is nothing serious, I wish her health. 

The only stars that shone in this discipline in this event were Vanessa and Morgan. Producing a mostly errorless program really makes this program so much better to watch. I am really impressed and happy for them for their bronze medal. 

Ice Dance

Again, another expected victory by Gabriella and Guillaume. It is really nice to see them doing a more energetic SD (well, it is required after all), it is really nice to see their fun side, though the style FD remains the same. Gabriella's dress seems to bring some trouble to her, she does not look "relaxed" enough for during the step sequence. Maybe she should change a shorter dress which could be less clumsy while dancing to hip-hop. But nevertheless their SD was refreshing. 

2016 Skate Canada - Pairs / Ice Dance

Pairs


1. Meagan Duhamel / Eric Radford

The two-time World Champions are on their road for their THIRD World title, the possibility depends on their consistency and the strength of Sui / Han. Their programs are still growing in me, I didn't find it very exciting, but it will get better as the season progresses, hopefully.

Great attempt on the throw triple axel, thanks to the knee of Meagan. And that is all I can remember in this program. The presentation, choreography and the music seems a little flat to me. Same in the free, their choreography does not match well with the music. Hope that will be improved, also I hope they can land the quad Sal later in the future competitions.


2. Xiaoyu Yu / Hao Zhang

This new pari works surprisingly fine for me, they work better in the short than in the free. Their sizes and styles differ so much that they don't seem to have a strong chemistry. It looks weird to me. The jumps and lifts look great though. The programs also look good. Now I wonder how the other pair will work, Jin / Peng should work better than this pair.


And the rest...

Just nothing that really intrigued me.






Ice Dance


1. Tessa Virtue / Scott Moir

Finally the Olympic Gold Medalists have come back, and their Olympic-Gold quality glows in their programs, telling the others why they won a Gold and Silver. Their SD was lovely, showing off their musicality and technical mastery. Everything was spot-on, there was almost not a single moment that was not charming. Sometimes the program depends all on you when the music theme is not easy to excite, they did well to sell their program here. They managed to win their first GP event on their comeback despite the tiny mistake in the free, I hope they can finally win their GPF title that has been missing in their trophy cabinet.


2. Madison Chock / Evan Bates

Their programs are nice, but there is a common problem in both of the programs - they both have an exciting beginning but the excitements falls in the middle and the ending left me cold. The opening of  is really captivating, I thought "Oh yes! This is gonna rock!" But then it started to cool down and down and I just lost the interest and wondered "why is this still going on...?" Not even mention the music in their progress sound similar. Overall, I am not a fan.


3. Piper Gilles / Paul Poirier

It was a charming and fun SD and I like their costumes! Especially Paul's afro lol. Though it is kind of cheesy, but who cares?

4. Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte

This team has, in my opinion, the best personality on ice. They always have charming and lovely programs that you just cannot love them. Their classical style skating is my cup of tea, I just love their lifts so much, better than most of the ice dance teams. I was amazed by their ending choreography, it looked like Anna was floating in the air and it was just magical. It is a delight to watch them skate. And Anna looks elegant as always!

2016 Progressive Skate America - Pairs / Ice Dance

Pairs 

Wow I can't believe this is just the first GP event where I expect new and refreshing skates but not much programs have impressed me! What happened?

2. Haven Denny / Brandon Frazier

This is the first time I have seen them, and I think they are absolutely delightful! Their shoer was refreshing, the technical was also very consistent, especially the throw jump, it was huge and far. Very impressive. Their long, while not as interesting as their short, is still a program yet to grow. I actually like this pair, they are charming and refreshing, I hope they will become one of the top pairs in the States.


The rest...

Honestly, the rest is quite disappointing. They sure did the lifts and jumps, but they didn't quite sell the program well. I really can't think of what to say.




Ice Dance


1. Maia Shibutani / Alex Shibutani

I enjoy their SD, so full of style and charm. You can tell they really put a lot of effort in it. They picked a lyrical piece for their FD this year, I liked it in general, they did nice steps and good lifts, but it still hasn't grown in me yet. I hope it will as the season progresses. It was overall a lovely routine this season.


And the rest...

Honestly, I like the SDs of most of the teams, but I just didn't find their FDs very interesting...it was quite underwhelming. I didn't remember anything besides the Shibsibs, they were the clear winners. The rest? I don't really care!

2016 Rostelecom Cup - Men / Pairs / Ice Dance

1. Javier Fernandez

Congratulations to the reigning two-time World Champion for surpassing Shoma to claim the gold medal here, and he totally deserved that. His FS was truly spectacular. His charming personality just shone through the program. Don't even need to mention his technical consistency, the quads were easy and clean! His next GP event is right next week, and he can very probably get another gold again if he can maintain his strong state he displayed here through next week. I am waiting for another stellar performance, and a better costume for the SP.



2. Shoma Uno

A better SP but more or less the same kind of quality in the FS. So the first homework now is to get the FS consistent, technically and artistically. The quad Flip looks okay now, the second quad Toe needs to be secured. He needs to try to be a little bit more flamboyant and shows a little bit more emotion on the outside, his rather reserved and shy attitude, though it is ultra adorable and cute, does not fit quite well with the fiery tango. But that is my only problem with it, hope to see improvement!


3. Alexei Bychenko

Alexei was really on fire and so into his program in the FS. The jumps were rock solid. The acting works well for me. It was amazing! I just love it! I hope he can do enough in his next GP event to earn a spot in the Final.


4. Mikhail Kolyada 

My favourite Russian man currently. Because he has beautiful jumps, spins and musicality. His SP was such a delight to watch and the new costume is much better. It is more classy and elegant. Despite having some difficulties on stamina in the free, the program has a lot of potential to be a spectacular one. Hope to see him stronger next time!





Pairs

I just don't know why but the pairs discipline has been rather dull this season, there is not many memorable programs. But anyway, the best moment in this event is Aliona and Bruno's gigantic twist and throw triple axel. They didn't quite hit the throw jumps here and I am still not sure about the throw quad at the end of the free skate, but nevertheless they gave the other pairs teams a wake up call about what they are trying to do. WATCH OUT!!!



Ice Dance 

Slightly better than pairs, there are some good SDs to watch until this moment. But the FDs are just...kind of boring. I honestly can't remember any program that I truly like now...WHY???? ICE DANCERS????????

2016 Rostelecom Cup - Ladies

1. Anna Pogorilaya

Unsurprisingly the winner of this event. She has been look sharp and strong since this season. All of her jumps were attacked with great confidence. It REALLY looks like that she cannot miss! Her lovely SP, skating to the tango of "The Scent of a Woman", brings out her maturity and elegance with the absolutely gorgeous costume. 

Her programs are so much better, in terms of consistency, technicals and and artistic presentation. She gives so much emotion and commitment to her FS this year compared to her rather mediocre Scheherazade last year. Her presentation builds with the intensity with the music and reached a climactic ending that brings only chills to my spine. Not the most intricate choreography, but her effort and connection with the music makes the whole program only more effective. 

I personally prefer her programs more than Evgenia's this season. I am sure Anna has a large chance to claim the throne at Russian Nationals this year. 

2. Elena Radionova

Elena has always been one of my favourite Russian girls because of her fighter spirit. She has posture problems in recent seasons because of growth spurt but she always tried her best and fight. To me, she seems a little taller again this season. 

Back to her programs, this is my first time to see them, and so far I like the SP more than the FS. It is new to see her doing a lighter program because she always does things that are dramatic. I am still trying to get the idea of her SP because of the music and her interpretation, but it looks okay. 

Her FS, is not my cup of tea yet, not because it is Turandot again, but because I dislike the female version of "Nessun Dorma". If I am not mistaken, the singer was Sarah Brightman, whom I dislike when she sings opera. I just don't like the style. Also the program still looks very raw, the choreography and the interpretation just left me with question marks. I look forward to a better one in the future, and I am sure she has a chance for the podium at Russian Nationals. 

Julia Lipnitskaia

Everything just looked so damn GOOD in the short!!! The jumps were soft, the skating was smooth, and spins were awesome as usual, the presentation was lovely. I thought she is gonna nail her free! But fate just likes to play with us. I had no idea where her sudden knee problem come from. Was it recurrent? Or did she just injure herself that day? Because there was absolutely no sign of discomfort in the short program. I was really hocked to see this. I salute her determination to continue, but her health is the most important. I hope she can come back strong in her next competition. 

Courtney Hicks 

So this is a surprise bronze medal for Courtney. She is a big jumper, her jumps can be really strong when she hit them. I don't particularly feel her interpretation and presentation of the program though. So, I don't really have much to say. 

Zijun Li

Zijun is, IMO, underscored (again) in her SP. I agree she looked little bit tentative, but her choreography and presentation was so much better than last season and one of the best in this event. The same thing happened in the free. Her feelings and interpretation are crystalline. She just glitters and oozes grace in her skating which is a rare quality and lively to watch. I am sad that she just missed the podium by one point. I hope she can ascend to it in her next GP event (and given a just score).

Elizabet Tursynbaeva

I am actually happy that she keeps her SP, it was delightful to watch. I like her FS this season better than last season's because there is more music going on. Her FS last year barely has any music but just lyrics, which I don't prefer. So her FS this season is much more enjoyable. Elizabet's fast and light skating, coupled with Joe Hisaishi's refreshing music, creates a beautiful picture on the ice of a glittering skating princess. I think her FS score is also a bit underscored given that she produced such an amazing program. Anyway, everything in this program is so beautiful to watch. I look forward to see her more in the future. 

2016 Skate Canada - Men

1. Patrick Chan

It is good to hear that he is doing an upgrade with the addition of a quad sal while maintaining the level of his artistic presentation. It certainly will help him secure a spot on the podium.

I don't like his SP, the music is rather tune-less and there is just too many birds chirping OMG LOL! It just feels so weird with that many birds flying around me. The music gets repetitive too towards the end. I am just not a fan...

His FS is usually where he shines. I like Eric's music, it is sentimental, expressive and lyrical, which suits Patrick perfectly. The flow and the melody of this music is smooth and really lyrical. Though Patrick missed the quad Sal and the second Quad toe (and few other intended triples too), but his artistic ability remains top-class. I would like to see a more consistent technical ability and a better costume.


2. Yuzuru Hanyu

The quest of quad Loop did not go quite as expected, but at least he can secure his quad Toes and Sals. He gave more power and speed and energy in his SP and I love it! He totally rocked that piece. It was absolutely fantastic.

Now, his FS. I am gonna be blunt, I don't think this is a good program yet. Certainly the technical content is cracking, but the presentation seems to fail to reach what Yuzuru is capable of. I am not sure if this is related to the intense technical layout, but his program looks like a combination of jumps, transitions and a few choreographic movement, like the Ina Bauer. It does not connect well to the music and the overall impression seems cold. I hope this is just a very rough version, I look forward to more polished and well-choreographed product.


And the rest...

I don't have much to say about the other because their performances either are unmemorable or uninteresting.




I recently found the men discipline quite boring to watch, because of their over-pushing of the quads and they did not land most of them. I do think a fall takes away the charm of the program, especially when you kind of expect it. Like "oh he is gonna do a quad Loop, he's probably gonna fall, lets be prepared.". If one is prepared to see a fall, then I am sorry, but this is not figure skating anymore, this is more like gymnastics on ice. When skaters sacrifice choreography for preparation of jumps, there will be no interpretation, there will be no performance, there will be no figure skating. I do not take those excuse saying "this is a sport, it needs to grow". Sorry, but this is an artistic sport, you should be able to perform as well, not just showing off your jumping ability. This is why we are drawn into this sport, remember?

2016 Skate Canada - Ladies

1. Evgenia Medvedeva

The Tano Queen continues to be technically consistent this season so far. But I just can't take the scoring. Her PCS is way too much compared to what she delivered artistically. Her SP, according to herself, tells the story of a young girl growing into an adult. I admire the idea, but she does not seem to be able to present that well. The hopscotching and rope skipping represents the girl stage, that 's ok, but I got lost at the "Adult" part. I don't see any choreographic movements that represents a full-grown lady.

Her FS is even more of a mess. Despite the theme that some people find offensive, the composition of the program is almost the same as her previous FSs. The entries and the exits are the same, the arrangement of the technical elements is almost the same. The step sequence and the choreographic sequence does not match the music at all. It is almost a copy and paste, which is unfortunate because she has so much to offer but she just can't work with the right people to fully display it. Having said that, I fully disagree on her PCS scoring, especially the 9s on interpretataion, composition and the high 8 in Skating Skills. I hope she can change things up a little instead of just giving the same content with a new package.


2. Kaetlyn Osmond

Kaetlyn is the biggest surprise of this event. She just looks so sharp! The attack in her jumps is just unmatched. The energy and the power she gave in her SP is so intense that you just think she could not miss a thing. In fact it was as if she was gaining energy as the program progresses and the music builds. Edith Piaf seems to be a perfect match for her.

Her FS is a nice one too, she shown a lot of emotion and expressions throughout. The jumps are also superb despite the fall. I would love to see a more poised choreography though, the expression might have been a little too much for me.


3. Satoko Miyahara

I admit that a few jumps in her SP look a little tight, but I honestly don't think the edge call on the flip was reasonable. The edge was at most a flat edge, definitely not an outside. I thoroughly like her sweet and grand SP, her smile is just gleaming!!!

Her FS is a master piece, her energy is obviously galactic. The commitment and emotion and artistry is one of the best in the field today. She is powerful but graceful at the same time, absolutely amazing artistry. Despite her ridiculous lower PCS than Evgenia, I was shocked to see her step sequence invalidated. Like how is that even possible? It went well in all the pre-GP events, including US Classics. I honestly could not understand the call. The scoring is so preposterous that makes me sick. But thankfully she is still on the podium, she has a chance to go to the Final, where she will slayyy~


4. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva

I am so happy to Liza consistent on her jumps, her jumps are one of the best today. A great step forward on her comeback. Though her music choice this season seem not to match her, and the choreography is lacking too. I hope she can find her best music and work with a better choreographer.


5. Alaine Chatrand 

Alaine has become more consistent on her jumps. After her triumphant FS at Autumn Classics she managed to prove to the others that she is still Queen of Canada. Her technicals have strengthened a lot, spins and jumps and edges etc.. Great job to her and her coaching team. This season's programs are epic for her, I enjoyed it so much. I hope she can continue to be strong throughout the season.

6. Rika Hongo

I don't know what's up with the judges, but they just seem to not like Rika. They always gave her low PCS, which I disagree, because her choreography, interpretation and performance were spectacular. She might not be the most elegant type of skater, but she gave what she can produce. Her programs this season are great, especially the SP, it was an epic program and should deserve a higher PCS score. I am outraged by the overly harsh call on her jumps. Yes some were URed, but definitely not downgraded. The inconsistent judging this season has appalled me. It is unjust. Shame on you ISU. Everyone comment if you are #justiceforRika.

Her FS was a lovely piece, I particularly like the energy in the second part. The first half can be more rich in choreography (Work on that Akiko! You can do it!). But it was an enjoyable one to watch.