skating: nationals!
Am trying to decide if I should spend the $12 dollars to see the World Figure Skating Championships on icenetwork.com. Having missed Worlds the last 2 years, I feel kind of like I've missed my children taking their first steps (Davis & White AND Patrick Chan won their first world titles last year and I didn't see it! *sobs*) so maybe it's worth spending a little money to have the memories. Still, I don't need one more thing to eat up my money! Ugh! But after Nationals was so promising, I just might have to.
I wish Nationals weren't the last televised event of the season, because it's when the serious part of the season just starts up! I am SO super insanely happy to see Jeremy Abbott back in top form. The idea of seeing him and Patrick Chan go head to head when they're at their best has been a dream of mine for some years now, and if it happens at Worlds, it could be the best skating day ever, in which case I would never forgive myself for missing it! I love Jeremy's freeskate this year, and he choregraphed it himself! When I first saw it I thought, "that's so beautiful! I wonder who his great new choreographer is!" and it's just him! All that beauty is coming straight from somewhere inside him, and I got teary eyed toward the end of his skate. Even though it wasn't his best technically, he never gave up on the performance, and I think that bodes well for the future. Previously, each skate was either perfect or horrific, with no middle ground in between, but I think the coaching change has helped, since he finally seems to be getting over that. I really hope now he can build on what he did at Nationals, and have an even better skate at worlds.
Also Alissa Czisny I hope will do better at Worlds this year; even though Ashley Wagner took the title, Alissa really is the best ladies skater out there today. (Or in fact in the general history of figure skating!) All her elements are so perfect, when she puts it all together cleanly, there is no one who can match her. Just like last year, her short program brought me to tears! So exquisite!! She's kind of in the same boat as Jeremy Abbott, she's finally getting over that thing of letting one mistake set the tone for the whole program; her free wasn't perfect, but it didn't fall apart. And once again, coached by Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen! Probably no coincidence; I can't help but think that Yuka would be a good influence on any young skater; she's always radiated this very calm, centered, peaceful air on the ice (backed up by rock solid technique) that I think would be a helpful example for any of these young kids out there in the pressure cooker atmosphere of eligible skating. Although Alissa is actually pretty old as far as ladies competitors go, (skating years are a little like dog years!) maybe it's just that she's mature enough now to handle the pressure better. Anyway, I hope she can get on the podium at Worlds at last!
Ice Dance is OWNED by Meryl Davis & Charlie White now, no mistake. They make it look effortless, you just can't get better than them!! Here's hoping for World title #2!
Pairs in the US is pretty useless, but it kind of always is, so oh well!
I could babble in more depth about Nationals, but I think I'll just say it was awesome and sets up the stage for a really exciting World Championships!
I wish Nationals weren't the last televised event of the season, because it's when the serious part of the season just starts up! I am SO super insanely happy to see Jeremy Abbott back in top form. The idea of seeing him and Patrick Chan go head to head when they're at their best has been a dream of mine for some years now, and if it happens at Worlds, it could be the best skating day ever, in which case I would never forgive myself for missing it! I love Jeremy's freeskate this year, and he choregraphed it himself! When I first saw it I thought, "that's so beautiful! I wonder who his great new choreographer is!" and it's just him! All that beauty is coming straight from somewhere inside him, and I got teary eyed toward the end of his skate. Even though it wasn't his best technically, he never gave up on the performance, and I think that bodes well for the future. Previously, each skate was either perfect or horrific, with no middle ground in between, but I think the coaching change has helped, since he finally seems to be getting over that. I really hope now he can build on what he did at Nationals, and have an even better skate at worlds.
Also Alissa Czisny I hope will do better at Worlds this year; even though Ashley Wagner took the title, Alissa really is the best ladies skater out there today. (Or in fact in the general history of figure skating!) All her elements are so perfect, when she puts it all together cleanly, there is no one who can match her. Just like last year, her short program brought me to tears! So exquisite!! She's kind of in the same boat as Jeremy Abbott, she's finally getting over that thing of letting one mistake set the tone for the whole program; her free wasn't perfect, but it didn't fall apart. And once again, coached by Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen! Probably no coincidence; I can't help but think that Yuka would be a good influence on any young skater; she's always radiated this very calm, centered, peaceful air on the ice (backed up by rock solid technique) that I think would be a helpful example for any of these young kids out there in the pressure cooker atmosphere of eligible skating. Although Alissa is actually pretty old as far as ladies competitors go, (skating years are a little like dog years!) maybe it's just that she's mature enough now to handle the pressure better. Anyway, I hope she can get on the podium at Worlds at last!
Ice Dance is OWNED by Meryl Davis & Charlie White now, no mistake. They make it look effortless, you just can't get better than them!! Here's hoping for World title #2!
Pairs in the US is pretty useless, but it kind of always is, so oh well!
I could babble in more depth about Nationals, but I think I'll just say it was awesome and sets up the stage for a really exciting World Championships!