Olympics: Ladies' Long Program
Last one before the exhibition where I may (or may not) wax poetic some more. Anyhoo, on with tonight's thoughts on the skating and results. With some overall skating thoughts for the Olympics too.
I recognize that but for the teensiest bit of fighting for one of her jumps, Kim Yu-Na's program was perfection, but ... I have to admit, it left me a little bored. And I find that I like her more than her skating. :shrugs: I just don't connect to her skating. Ah well. Still, with that said, she is a beautiful skater and she deserved the gold. Handily.
In fact, I think the top six landed where they should have. I thought that Mao Asada skated MUCH more organically and fluidly tonight than her short. It's a shame she flaked out on a couple of the jumps, but she landed her triple axels and overall, did a beautiful routine. Unfortunately, based on her reaction, she wasn't pleased with her placement.
Joannie Rouchette. Well, if anyone was slightly overscored, I think it was her. She stepped out of two jumps slightly and I don't think she was penalized at all. But, you know what? I don't care. I know exactly how she feels right now, I've been there. Not with the pressure, obviously, but with unexpectedly losing your mother. There's nothing like it and that she held it together as she did was amazing, and deserved that medal accordingly for what she put out there despite what was going on. Simply put, I do think that extenuating circumstances do count sometimes. This is one of those times. Plus, she is a beautiful skater. I think after my beloved Mirai (love her so much!), I walked away with Joannie as my second favorite female skater. I'm happy she got the bronze, and I hope that whatever is after life, her mom was able to see her performances.
I'm evil, I don't care, I'm glad that Racheal Flatt fell two slots even with her highly-touted "consistent" skating, and personal best. She's consistent, fine, but she looks like a lumbering ox out on the ice. Period.
(I didn't watch Lepisto, but she knocked Flatt out of the top six and for that alone I say: GO HER! And thanks to Lepisto and Ando's performances, Flatt isn't in the top five and therefore won't be in the skating exhibition. Thank goodness, I won't have to watch her hulk across the ice one more time this Olympics. Although, I was QUITE annoyed that frickin' Hammond brought up Flatt during Mirai's moment. Geez!)
As for Ando in fifth place, Lord, have I ever seen a skater at the Olympics performing halfway decently look so terribly unhappy and just bored out on the ice like I saw her tonight? I don't think so. She's lucky that her jumps are so good and technically she's so precise, because that's why she at least landed in fifth.
Finally, saved my personal best for last: MIRAI NAGASU!!! She was light and graceful, charming and beautiful. Her jumps were fantastic, her spins (no nosebleed this time!) and footwork wonderful and I clapped wildly when she finished. And I hoped and hoped that she'd get 4th. I knew she wouldn't medal; I knew that. But going into this based on the commentary and what-not, she seemed like an afterthought, even in comparison to Flatt, and so I desperately wanted to see her outdo all but the obvious front-runner favorites. And not only did she do that, but she also actually DID outdo one of the front-runners (Ando). So I was as thrilled as she apparently was with her career-best score (from 106 to 126! -- I think) landing her nicely in fourth place. Go Mirai!!
All in all, I'm fairly happy with how the figure skating turned out this Olympics. Obviously, I would have liked (and I'm sure he would as well) if Jeremy Abbott hadn't choked, but Zhao/Zhen -- my pick -- won the Gold in pairs, Virtue/Moir -- who became my second pick -- won the Gold in dance, Lysacek -- never would be/will be my pick - deserved his Gold in mens, and Yu-Na -- my realistic pick, 2nd (unrealistic) pick -- won a deserved gold. And Johnny Weir and Mirai kicked ass! I wish Belbin/Agosto had done better, but as I've been saying since the Nationals, I do not think they have strong programs this year, so at least they did fantastic with what they had. And I picked up a new skater and dance team that I adore (Daisuke Takahashi and Virtue/Moir).
Lastly, one more note -- Sandra Bezic and Tom Hammond, please do the US viewers of figure skating a big ole' favor and SHUT. THE. HELL. UP! Damn, they were so annoying. Scott had a few moments, but was pretty good overall. On the other hand, Bezic reminded me of why I loathe her commentating over and over again, and Hammond, with his cheesy puns and punchlines, made me want to punch *him.* Ugh.
And on that cherry note ... until the next skating event. Bring on the Worlds! :)
I recognize that but for the teensiest bit of fighting for one of her jumps, Kim Yu-Na's program was perfection, but ... I have to admit, it left me a little bored. And I find that I like her more than her skating. :shrugs: I just don't connect to her skating. Ah well. Still, with that said, she is a beautiful skater and she deserved the gold. Handily.
In fact, I think the top six landed where they should have. I thought that Mao Asada skated MUCH more organically and fluidly tonight than her short. It's a shame she flaked out on a couple of the jumps, but she landed her triple axels and overall, did a beautiful routine. Unfortunately, based on her reaction, she wasn't pleased with her placement.
Joannie Rouchette. Well, if anyone was slightly overscored, I think it was her. She stepped out of two jumps slightly and I don't think she was penalized at all. But, you know what? I don't care. I know exactly how she feels right now, I've been there. Not with the pressure, obviously, but with unexpectedly losing your mother. There's nothing like it and that she held it together as she did was amazing, and deserved that medal accordingly for what she put out there despite what was going on. Simply put, I do think that extenuating circumstances do count sometimes. This is one of those times. Plus, she is a beautiful skater. I think after my beloved Mirai (love her so much!), I walked away with Joannie as my second favorite female skater. I'm happy she got the bronze, and I hope that whatever is after life, her mom was able to see her performances.
I'm evil, I don't care, I'm glad that Racheal Flatt fell two slots even with her highly-touted "consistent" skating, and personal best. She's consistent, fine, but she looks like a lumbering ox out on the ice. Period.
(I didn't watch Lepisto, but she knocked Flatt out of the top six and for that alone I say: GO HER! And thanks to Lepisto and Ando's performances, Flatt isn't in the top five and therefore won't be in the skating exhibition. Thank goodness, I won't have to watch her hulk across the ice one more time this Olympics. Although, I was QUITE annoyed that frickin' Hammond brought up Flatt during Mirai's moment. Geez!)
As for Ando in fifth place, Lord, have I ever seen a skater at the Olympics performing halfway decently look so terribly unhappy and just bored out on the ice like I saw her tonight? I don't think so. She's lucky that her jumps are so good and technically she's so precise, because that's why she at least landed in fifth.
Finally, saved my personal best for last: MIRAI NAGASU!!! She was light and graceful, charming and beautiful. Her jumps were fantastic, her spins (no nosebleed this time!) and footwork wonderful and I clapped wildly when she finished. And I hoped and hoped that she'd get 4th. I knew she wouldn't medal; I knew that. But going into this based on the commentary and what-not, she seemed like an afterthought, even in comparison to Flatt, and so I desperately wanted to see her outdo all but the obvious front-runner favorites. And not only did she do that, but she also actually DID outdo one of the front-runners (Ando). So I was as thrilled as she apparently was with her career-best score (from 106 to 126! -- I think) landing her nicely in fourth place. Go Mirai!!
All in all, I'm fairly happy with how the figure skating turned out this Olympics. Obviously, I would have liked (and I'm sure he would as well) if Jeremy Abbott hadn't choked, but Zhao/Zhen -- my pick -- won the Gold in pairs, Virtue/Moir -- who became my second pick -- won the Gold in dance, Lysacek -- never would be/will be my pick - deserved his Gold in mens, and Yu-Na -- my realistic pick, 2nd (unrealistic) pick -- won a deserved gold. And Johnny Weir and Mirai kicked ass! I wish Belbin/Agosto had done better, but as I've been saying since the Nationals, I do not think they have strong programs this year, so at least they did fantastic with what they had. And I picked up a new skater and dance team that I adore (Daisuke Takahashi and Virtue/Moir).
Lastly, one more note -- Sandra Bezic and Tom Hammond, please do the US viewers of figure skating a big ole' favor and SHUT. THE. HELL. UP! Damn, they were so annoying. Scott had a few moments, but was pretty good overall. On the other hand, Bezic reminded me of why I loathe her commentating over and over again, and Hammond, with his cheesy puns and punchlines, made me want to punch *him.* Ugh.
And on that cherry note ... until the next skating event. Bring on the Worlds! :)