Sunday, November 13, 2011

NHK Trophy Men's Free Skate

Group 1
Tomas Verner, CZE:

Armin Mahbanoozadeh, USA: TES + PCS =
Samuel Contesti, ITA: TES + PCS =
Ross Miner, USA:
  • Opens with a nice big triple axel with a solid landing
  • Triple axel + double toe--he has such great deep knees going into his jumps
  • Step out and hand down on his triple lutz
  • Great speed in his combination spin with a great scratch spin
  • This is a very gentle step sequence and won't get the crowd going for him but it flows very well with the music
  • Triple salchow + double toe + double toe very solid
  • Triple lutz + double toe combo
  • Triple loop was a little scratchy going in and he has to really fight for the landing
  • Nice low sit positions with good speed 
  • Double axel with an easy landing
  • Triple flip
  • I really love this choreographic step sequence and how free he is and there is a lot of passion and intention behind the steps
  • Flying entry into the camel with a flying change to the sit position for his final spin
  • Very solid program and a great free skate for Ross
Group 2
Tatsuki Machida, JPN: TES + PCS =
  • Quad toe--landed very low and two footed
  • Triple axel + triple toe--very nice landings and very solid
  • Double loop--just popped open, not enough speed going into the jump and I'd like to see more choreography in between these jumps at the beginning of the program
  • Nice one foot sequence with lots of turns but he could use more movement through his upper body
  • Good sit spin position with decent speed
  • Single axel--he had such great height in the air, it just looked like he didn't get his body pulled in for the rotation
  • Triple lutz + double toe--good height and nice spring in the jumps
  • Double flip--Low landing and has to muscle out the free leg
  • This choreographic step sequence flows very nicely with the movement and has a lot of character but I'd like to see him perform it more
  • This spin set needs more speed as its moving slower than the pace of the music
  • Triple lutz--Very nice speed and height on the rotation
  • Triple salchow--a little forward on the landing and it looked like he thought about adding a combination but decided against it
  • Good speed and use of his arms in the final spin but finished after the music
Konstantin Menshov, RUS:
  • Quad toe + double toe--so much speed on the rotation in the first jump but two footed and landed on the toe picks on the second jump
  • Double lutz--really awkward position in the air, he can't get the rotation and he falls
  • Quad toe--he almost lands sitting on the ice and just can't control the rotation
  • Not sure how we got from race car driving to Clair de Lune
  • Double axel--Very loose in the air on his rotation
  • Not a lot of rotations in his sit spin which could affect his level
  • Triple salchow--nicely landed
  • A little slow on his camel spin and he needs more flexibility through the catch foot position and he's lost almost all the speed at the end of the sit spin
  • I'd like to see more upper body movement, commitment to the choreography and clean edges in his step sequence
  • Triple loop--well done
  • Triple toe + double toe + double toe--very tight but he gets it done
  • Double axel + single toe--just can't get off the ground in the second jump
  • Interesting arm choice in the combination spin
  • A lot of flailing in this choreographic step sequence but not a lot of variation and difficulty
Brandon Mroz, USA:
  • Quad lutz--off in the air and he falls on his side
  • Triple axel--forward on the landing and has to put a hand down
  • Double axel--not really sure if it was supposed to be a triple because it looked like a nice clean double
  • Triple flip--very nice landing
  • On the slow side for his sit spin
  • He has some nice difficulty through this step sequence and its put together well with the music but he doesn't really push through those edges to really get great ice coverage
  • Single axel--just never got his body in for the rotation
  • Not a lot of flexibility at all through the catchfoot position of his camel spin
  • Triple lutz + single loop with a pause in between
  • Single axel
  • Single lutz--completely popped
  • This music is picking up in intensity and his performance level and skating quality is not matching that feeling
  • Good speed through this combination spin and decent positions
  • I know it was a tough skate but he also gave up a lot of points by not really performing this program
Takahiko Kozuka, JPN:
  • Already from the opening he looks much more comfortable with this program and is really committed to the program
  • Quad toe--two footed and a little choppy on the landing
  • Triple axel--Nice height and landing
  • Triple lutz + double toe--a little off on the landing of the lutz but he hangs on for the combo
  • Very nice camel spin position into a nice tight sit spin position
  • Nice step sequence with a lot of movement, turns and changes of levels with beautiful arms to complement the movement
  • Triple axel + double toe + double loop--forward on the axel with a big ice spray but he hangs on
  • Nice low sit spin position into a nice twist variation
  • Triple flip with a nice landing
  • Double loop--looks like he caught his edge on the entry 
  • Triple salchow--nice recovery
  • Triple lutz + double toe--I think if he had more speed going into these jumps he could add more triple + triples to his repertoire
  • Gorgeous choreographic step sequence that nicely complements the music and really plays to his qualities as a skater
  • Nice broken leg camel spin into a low sit spin with a change of foot into another nice camel and ending with a scratch spin
Daisuke Takahashi, JPN:
  • He is just so smooth and there is not a single note of his music wasted
  • Quad flip--huge but two footed and he had to put his hands down to control the landing
  • Triple axel--right in front of the judges, great height and fast rotation with a solid landing
  • Triple salchow--very easy with a nice transition out of the jumps
  • Great camel spin position but he loses a big of his centering in the twist variation and a lot of his speed in the change of foot
  • Great step sequence that doesn't look like an element but just like he's skimming across the ice 
  • Flying sit spin with a nice low position into a camel spin with some lost speed and a nice upright spin
  • Triple axel + double toe very solid
  • Triple flip + triple toe--a little stiff on the landing of the second jump and no ride out
  • Triple loop nicely done
  • Triple lutz + double toe--couldn't hold the landing of the second jump for long but it'll count
  • Triple flip--choppy and a little wild on the landing
  • And he really sells it to the camera on the choreographic step sequence and his edges are so smooth and clean
  • Nice camel position into an upright twist 

Pl.  NameNationTSS
=
TES
+
PCS
+
SSTRPECHINDed.
-
StN.
1Daisuke TAKAHASHIJPN169.3280.0490.288.968.799.009.149.251.00#9
2Takahiko KOZUKAJPN155.2576.6778.587.937.617.867.937.960.00#8
3Samuel CONTESTIITA145.8674.5271.346.966.717.327.257.430.00#3
4Ross MINERUSA141.2474.2267.026.866.366.826.686.790.00#4
5Tomas VERNERCZE133.6763.8971.787.256.937.187.217.322.00#1
6Tatsuki MACHIDAJPN123.1954.5768.626.936.646.966.966.820.00#5
7Armin MAHBANOOZADEHUSA122.0661.1261.946.295.866.396.186.251.00#2
8Konstantin MENSHOVRUS121.2158.5764.646.616.146.436.466.682.00#6
9Brandon MROZUSA110.0045.4465.566.716.396.366.716.611.00#7



FPl.NameNationPointsSPFS
1Daisuke TAKAHASHI
JPN
259.7511
2Takahiko KOZUKA
JPN
235.0222
3Ross MINER
USA
212.3664
4Samuel CONTESTI
ITA
209.6973
5Tomas VERNER
CZE
196.6395
6Konstantin MENSHOV
RUS
195.8848
7Tatsuki MACHIDA
JPN
195.4556
8Armin MAHBANOOZADEH
USA
185.5887
9Brandon MROZ
USA
184.8339

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