Hell yeah, let's write about the skating season (and some more)!
I'll continue trying to make the most of today here on LJ and will dig deep in my memory about everything I wanted to say about skating! I forgot that I never even wrote about Worlds 2019 (and don't remember what to say about that, either), but I very well remember that I stopped commenting at the last Euros. Because that was one helluva frustrating event for me. Good thing I at least covered the 2019/2020 Grand Prix season. Little did I know that would be the last fun I'd be having that season!
OK, cross that last line. Chock and Bates became U.S. champs over Hubbell and Donohue in January 2020. Something good at last. They are the skaters I pity most, though. They were riding the wave and I COULDN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO SLAY AT WORLDS. And then Worlds in Montréal got cancelled. They would have done so well there, I'm 100% sure of that. Hubbell and Donohue had made the wrong choices. Now the momentum is gone and they couldn't bring the magic. I'm saying that without wanting to say too much too soon.
As for Euros 2020 ...
Let me think of what I remember. The Russian ladies swept, of course. Kostornaia won again. I thin the Russian men swept, too? Let me check that quickly ..................... Ah not exactly, Samarin only in 10th. But Aliev in first (kinda like that), Artur Danielian in second (excuse me?), and Kvitelashvili in 3rd. The biggest shocker in the men's even was that Kevin Aymoz, just weeks after medaling at the GPF behind Nathan and Yuzuru, did not qualify for the free. *sigh* And now that I have the page open: Brezina was leading after the short and blew it, finishing in 7th place. Daniel Grassl was second in the LP, good boy.
The Russian pairs swept (Boikova/Kozlovskii ahead of Tarasova/Morozov ahead of Pavliuchenko/Khodykin). Also not such a big surprise, Della Monica/Guarise were the only ones to be remotely close. But Hase/Seegert and Hocke/Kunkel finished in nice placements (5th and 7th).
The real frustrating part was the ice dance. I'm still not over Papadakis and Cizeron losing their title. I fully blame the missing headband in the RD (why did they get rid of it?). The one time Sinitsina and Katsalapov managed to medal at Euros, it had to be the gold ... :0\ They looked super sweet when they waited for the scores of the French in the leaders' lounge, I have to give them that. He in particular. So nervous. Holding Victoria in that cuddle until they knew they had won. I did like that and started to remember how he used to seem like a sweet person (until he was not). I had this thought the other day when I saw them perform at Worlds and how they looked at each other that this has lasted for a pretty long time now, so maybe I should stop being miffed. I dunno.
After the World Championships got cancelled, the 2020/2021 season didn't hold too much attraction. Very few competitions took place, and those which did were limited to skaters training in the country/region or representing the country. For a good part, I got the impression that the skaters (who may not always have been able to train properly) didn't mind at all if half their program went wrong. So what can I say about the Grand Prix season?
Euros and 4CC in 2021 got cancelled as well, and I honestly didn't think Worlds 2021 would happen. But it did. I thought many skaters wouldn't attend, but they did with the exception of Papadakis and Cizeron (which may have been a wise move, just think what it would have done to their reputation for the Olys if they were again defeated by the Russians). I thought the level would be very much as lackluster as during the GP events, but there were some surprisingly good skates! (Can't deny that other stuff was mediocre, though.) They didn't allow any spectators, but I was more than excited that they allowed the skaters and coaches within the bubble to come watch in the arena! They made quite some noise, too! You could tell that certain skaters have fans within the skating world beyond their own team by the crowd reactions that e.g. Yuzuru and Nathan got from the "crowd."
LADIES
MEN
I've been following On Ice Perspectives on Facebook ever since a friend liked on the videos and I myself was mindblown by seeing choreography that I know from TV from a completely new, on-ice perspective, and it was beyond cool that the ISU or the organizing committee thought of inviting Jordan to film the gala. The reception of the material was overwhelming, everyone loved it!
Another side remark from me: it was a bit strange to be back with the Eurosport coverage. They didn't have the broadcasting rights since the Olympic season, and it showed. The first funny moment was when Sigi Heinrich wondered how the Russian ladies were all changed up, and while my first reaction was "indeed, where's Kostornaia?," he seemed to be confused to see the names of Shcherbakova and Trusova instead of Medvedeva and Zagitova. He was 1.5 years behind on how I reacted to their first senior GP events. They also missed the whole Shoma drama and didn't realize what a step up this event was for him. They saw Yuzuru's SP and said something along the lines of, "Who out there could beat him?" (Um, Nathan? Like he has done time and time again since the Olys?) So much along those lines. It was a bit shocking to realize how little prepared they were.
Something completely different: I haven't really followed the skating scene much apart from the competitions. Therefore I stumbled very late uopn the case of Morgan Cipres and the coaches at his rink. Suddenly it all made sense that he and Vanessa weren't competing and that their performances at skating shows weren't included in the respective television broadcasts. I don't know enough details to speak out loud all that comes to mind when I read about the case, but either way ... You'd think it doesn't take many brain cells to know that it's a stupid idea to send dick pics to anyone if you're an elite athlete, let alone to someone underage. So many other things about this case are wrong, just wrong, but this is what it all comes down to in the end.
OK, cross that last line. Chock and Bates became U.S. champs over Hubbell and Donohue in January 2020. Something good at last. They are the skaters I pity most, though. They were riding the wave and I COULDN'T WAIT FOR THEM TO SLAY AT WORLDS. And then Worlds in Montréal got cancelled. They would have done so well there, I'm 100% sure of that. Hubbell and Donohue had made the wrong choices. Now the momentum is gone and they couldn't bring the magic. I'm saying that without wanting to say too much too soon.
As for Euros 2020 ...
Let me think of what I remember. The Russian ladies swept, of course. Kostornaia won again. I thin the Russian men swept, too? Let me check that quickly ..................... Ah not exactly, Samarin only in 10th. But Aliev in first (kinda like that), Artur Danielian in second (excuse me?), and Kvitelashvili in 3rd. The biggest shocker in the men's even was that Kevin Aymoz, just weeks after medaling at the GPF behind Nathan and Yuzuru, did not qualify for the free. *sigh* And now that I have the page open: Brezina was leading after the short and blew it, finishing in 7th place. Daniel Grassl was second in the LP, good boy.
The Russian pairs swept (Boikova/Kozlovskii ahead of Tarasova/Morozov ahead of Pavliuchenko/Khodykin). Also not such a big surprise, Della Monica/Guarise were the only ones to be remotely close. But Hase/Seegert and Hocke/Kunkel finished in nice placements (5th and 7th).
The real frustrating part was the ice dance. I'm still not over Papadakis and Cizeron losing their title. I fully blame the missing headband in the RD (why did they get rid of it?). The one time Sinitsina and Katsalapov managed to medal at Euros, it had to be the gold ... :0\ They looked super sweet when they waited for the scores of the French in the leaders' lounge, I have to give them that. He in particular. So nervous. Holding Victoria in that cuddle until they knew they had won. I did like that and started to remember how he used to seem like a sweet person (until he was not). I had this thought the other day when I saw them perform at Worlds and how they looked at each other that this has lasted for a pretty long time now, so maybe I should stop being miffed. I dunno.
After the World Championships got cancelled, the 2020/2021 season didn't hold too much attraction. Very few competitions took place, and those which did were limited to skaters training in the country/region or representing the country. For a good part, I got the impression that the skaters (who may not always have been able to train properly) didn't mind at all if half their program went wrong. So what can I say about the Grand Prix season?
- France and Canada cancelled
- Skate America and Cup of China had no spectators, and it was strange to see the Chinese without masks and hugging after the event in the USA made it obvious how much they tried to keep everyone safe and apart.
- Russia and Japan had spectators, and apparently there has been quite the fuss about the Russians also holding a banquet and many people contracting Covid?
- I was actually surprised each time a skater/team had NOT kept the old programs. There were more new programs than I had anticipated.
- It seemed lackluster overall, but a bit good stuff happened. I can't really take that seriously.
- Remember how I said I missed my Quinn and Lorraine vibes the previous season? Now there's no more Quinn and Lorraine. They ended their partnership, Lorraine competed with somebody else. :0\
Euros and 4CC in 2021 got cancelled as well, and I honestly didn't think Worlds 2021 would happen. But it did. I thought many skaters wouldn't attend, but they did with the exception of Papadakis and Cizeron (which may have been a wise move, just think what it would have done to their reputation for the Olys if they were again defeated by the Russians). I thought the level would be very much as lackluster as during the GP events, but there were some surprisingly good skates! (Can't deny that other stuff was mediocre, though.) They didn't allow any spectators, but I was more than excited that they allowed the skaters and coaches within the bubble to come watch in the arena! They made quite some noise, too! You could tell that certain skaters have fans within the skating world beyond their own team by the crowd reactions that e.g. Yuzuru and Nathan got from the "crowd."
LADIES
- So many coaching changes, it's hard to keep track. Not sure whether it was that or growing pains, but the Russians were more convincing last season. Shcherbakova did seem matured, which I liked (gold for her). No surprise that Trusova won the LP with that crazy quad program despite the falls and thus moving up from 12th place to win bronze.
- I was beyond happy for Elizaveta Tuktamycheva. I hadn't realized that she really didn't make the World team at all since she won the World title. What a relief it must have been to finally. finally go to Worlds again. And then skate the way she did (not without mistakes, but good enough), and realize that she'd win a medal. And then it was silver!!! That was one touching moment. You could tell how everyone was happy for her.
- I was super excited by Loena Hendrickx's LP to Beyoncé music (and her SP was "It's All Coming Back To Me Now"). She did so, so well, finishing in 5th place with the 4th best LP. Also, Mikutina from Austria! I just saw that she had finished 24th at Euros the previous year, and here she looked so strong and composed and finished 8th!
- I had been sorry for Amber Glenn, who wasn't sent to Worlds despite her second place at Nationals, but Karen Chen did prove she can do well with her 4th place finish (speaking of Karen, I'm so acclaiming her for skating to "Rise" by Katy Perry, just wowowow). Can't believe the US secured 3 spots. BTW, Mariah bombing at Nationals was a big downer.
- Satoko Miyahara's showing was definitely disappointing, as was Alexia Paganini not making the LP.
MEN
- Seeing Yuzuru Hanyu's SP to "Let Me Entertain You" was one of the most exciting things ever. Nathan seemed slow and uninspired in comparison. (Too bad the LP went all wrong, it wasn't his day.)
- Seeing Nathan Chen's LP to selections from Philip Glass was one of the most exciting things ever. The precision, the build, the explosion in his chore sequence at the end. Just wow, wow, wow.
- 17-year-old Yuma Kagiyama was a revelation. Utterly unphased by what was going on around him, he just delivered his stuff. So good technically, and expressive, too! I was reminded of Shoma and Yuzu when they appeared on the big stage at that age. Well deserved silver. He was beyond adorable when he danced and jumped up and down like a rubber ball in the K&C after receiving the scores!
- I was so beyond happy with Shoma's performances. So good to see him choose Stéphane as his coach, even though him keeping "Dancing On My Own" propelled me right back to that day when he sat there all alone in the K&C last season. He's on the right track. I'm so happy for him. :0)
- Seriously, Japan 2-3-4.
- Mikhail Kolyada's Nureyev program is so balletic and beautiful and stunning. Never would I have imagined him portraying anything like this, and doing it so well. I like him more every day.
- There was a number of well-decorated skaters who finished rather poorly. First and foremost Vincent Zhou (since I didn't write about Worlds 2019: he had actually medaled there). I felt so bad for him since he, too, seemed to be on the right track back. Honestly, Vincent skating to Vincent (his SP music, performed by Josh Groban) is one of the best things ever. If clean.
- Kevin Aymoz must have been happy that he redeemed himself and finished in the top 10. The Chinese were probably pissed at their sub-par showing, what with this being the event that determines the Olympic spots for Beijing.
- Sui and Han skated programs that I love, but they didn't come to life this time. I'm not surprised they only came in second.
- What a surprise that the winners names are Mishina and Galliamov. They were very good indeed.
- Boikova and Kozlovskii looked shocked that they barely medaled after leading after the SP.
- Hase and Seegert couldn't compete because of injury. :0( I would have loved to see them this season.
- Alexa Knierim and Bradon Frazier teamed up and had won both the Grand Prix and Nationals. So far I'm fine with them, as long as she continues to keep it down. I guess they were expecting to do better than they did. IIRC, the pairs event had very few clean performances, which was a bit disappointing.
- Yes, Sinitsina and Katsalapov won. Like I alluded to above, seeing their love kinda softens me these days.
- Hubbell and Donohue got rid of their cringey RD (though I'm no fan of that Burlesque skate, either) and also got a lovey-dovey FD to "Hallelujah." And suddenly they are everybody's darling again and the USA's number one. :0\ If I'm completely honest, I have never really liked them (or her), but ever since they pronounced that they're copying Tessa and Scott's pre-skate preparations and acting all connected (while also admitting that they couldn't stand each other when they started skating together), they seem even more fake to me. I can't connect to their skating. Yeah, silver, there you are.
- As I mentioned above, I feel for Chock and Bates so much. Their FD is the single most unique thing I've seen in years, it is so beautiful and special and would have deserved a World medal.
- On the other hand, OMG OMG OMG I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER THAT PIPER AND PAUL FINISHED ON THE PODIUM! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!! It made me, so, so, so beyond happy, I have no words. They kept the FD they had designed with Canadian Worlds in mind (but got new costumes this season, red instead the gold-ish tint). I noticed some of the changes they made since I last saw it. They skated beautifully and missed the silver by less than half a point (now wouldn't that have been something?!). 2nd on the night behind the Russians. Did I say that I'm so happy for them? I know, it's in the absence of Papadakis and Cizeron, but whatever. They came this close to Hubbell/Donhue again. I like.
I've been following On Ice Perspectives on Facebook ever since a friend liked on the videos and I myself was mindblown by seeing choreography that I know from TV from a completely new, on-ice perspective, and it was beyond cool that the ISU or the organizing committee thought of inviting Jordan to film the gala. The reception of the material was overwhelming, everyone loved it!
Another side remark from me: it was a bit strange to be back with the Eurosport coverage. They didn't have the broadcasting rights since the Olympic season, and it showed. The first funny moment was when Sigi Heinrich wondered how the Russian ladies were all changed up, and while my first reaction was "indeed, where's Kostornaia?," he seemed to be confused to see the names of Shcherbakova and Trusova instead of Medvedeva and Zagitova. He was 1.5 years behind on how I reacted to their first senior GP events. They also missed the whole Shoma drama and didn't realize what a step up this event was for him. They saw Yuzuru's SP and said something along the lines of, "Who out there could beat him?" (Um, Nathan? Like he has done time and time again since the Olys?) So much along those lines. It was a bit shocking to realize how little prepared they were.
Something completely different: I haven't really followed the skating scene much apart from the competitions. Therefore I stumbled very late uopn the case of Morgan Cipres and the coaches at his rink. Suddenly it all made sense that he and Vanessa weren't competing and that their performances at skating shows weren't included in the respective television broadcasts. I don't know enough details to speak out loud all that comes to mind when I read about the case, but either way ... You'd think it doesn't take many brain cells to know that it's a stupid idea to send dick pics to anyone if you're an elite athlete, let alone to someone underage. So many other things about this case are wrong, just wrong, but this is what it all comes down to in the end.