Thursday, January 26, 2012

U.S. Nationals: Senior Ladies Short Program

Yasmin Siraj: 28.58 TES + 24.38 PCS -1.00 = 51.96 and into 1st place
  • She is skating to Daphne and Chloe
  • She has the highest short program, free skate and total scores from the qualifying season
  • Triple toe + double toe combination was very nicely done
  • Nice speed and flow in between the elements
  • Fall on the triple lutz
  • Nice Ina Bauer into a layback spin with nice arm positions and a decent Biellman--not fully stretched out but good speed
  • She seems to bounce over some of the edges in her one foot section of the footwork
  • Very solid double axel with turns and jumps adding in to it
  • Decent illusion in her final combination spin into a nice scratch spin but finished a beat after the music
Mirai Nagasu: 30.17 TES + 28.85 PCS = 59.02 and into 1st place
  • Odd moment at the beginning, it looked like she wasn't quite sure where to set up her beginning pose
  • Nice Ina Bauer and some footwork into her triple loop but she really falls backwards out of it and it's a struggle but she stays vertical
  • Nice triple lutz + double toe recovery
  • Really solid double axel with a nice arm reach at the end
  • Really nie layback into a nice Biellman perfectly stretched out and good speed
  • Flying camel spin with a nice twisted variation and a nice catchfoot with her foot held by her head
  • Nice leg lines, use of the arm and full body involvement through this step sequence with nice edgework
  • Nice camel spin with her leg above 90 degrees and picking up speed through the upright catchfoot position but she finishes after the music
Haley Dunne: 26.79 TES + 24.62 PCS = 51.41 and into 3rd place
  • She is skating to Tosca
  • A little two footed on the landing of the triple toe + triple toe combo
  • Nice triple flip
  • I'd like to see her hands with more space in the layback but a few nice arm variations after and she could have more stretch through the Biellman and maintain the speed
  • Good one foot section but I'd like to see a bit more power from her to really push through the step sequence and finish all the movements off
  • Nice spiral into a double axel
  • Good entry to the flying sit spin with a nice low position but a little slow and not great flow out of the element
  • Nice speed and position on the camel spin into a nice layback position and picking up some speed into the twisted sit position and ending with a scratch spin
  • Big cheer from the crowd and some of the audience is on their feet
Morgan Bell: 19.06 TES + 20.49 PCS -1.00 = 38.55 and into 4th place
  • She is skating to Assassin's Tango
  • Her sister Mariah placed 5th in the Junior ladies event
  • Spread eagle into a double axel--forward on the landing, but hangs on to it
  • Triple toe + single toe and two footed on the second jump
  • Fall on the triple lutz--it looks like her legs got caught up underneath her
  • Nice layback but no speed at all by the end of the Biellman
  • Nice flying entry to the sit spin but losing a lot of speed through the change of position
  • Decent camel position but she really has to drop her leg to get the catchfoot and slow through the change to the sit spin
  • Like the attack from her on this dramatic section of the music and a lot of movement in her whole body throughout the step sequence; one thing she could work on would be to really extend and stretch through her free leg
Alissa Czisny: 31.94 TES + 31.20 PCS = 63.14 and into 1st place
  • She is skating to La Vie en Rose
  • Very nice triple lutz + double toe
  • I just love the expression on her face through this transition work, she looks like she's wandering through a Parisian village
  • Very good triple loop
  • Popped the axel into a single
  • Nice speed in the donut into the catchfoot position in her camel spin
  • I really like that she's upped the difficulty in her step sequence this year but still has the same ease of flow and attention to detail while enhancing the character of her program
  • Beautiful combination spin right into her layback spin with textbook positions and an increase in speed through the Biellman
McKinzie Daniels: 28.30 TES + 21.66 PCS = 49.96 and into 5th place
  • Good speed going into the triple loop + double toe and nicely landed
  • I think they were just playing this Taylor Swift song in the kiss and cry
  • Triple flip was a bit of a struggle on the landing 
  • Nice sit spin position with good speed
  • Good double axel right on the music 
  • Nice sideways layback into a good layback and a really nice Biellman
  • I really like the openness of her arms in this camel spin and nice speed though the twisted sit spin
  • Lots of arm movements and edge changes in her step sequence but I'd like to see her use more of her upper body and really finish off all the movements and fully extend through her arms
Nina Jiang: 28.39 TES + 25.27 PCS = 53.66 and into 3rd place
  • She really seems to suit this bluesy style well
  • Solid triple lutz to open her program
  • Tough entry into the double axel and nicely landed
  • Triple toe + double toe with the Rippon arms
  • Nice positions and arms in the combination spin
  • Good twisted layback into a good Biellman with no loss of speed
  • For being just 14 she really has a sophisticated look about her and does not skate like a junior lady
  • Nice step sequence with lots of full body involvement and nice clean edges
  • Nice tight sit spin position
Joelle Forte: 26.54 TES + 21.59 PCS = 48.13 and into 7th place
  • She is skating to O from Cirque du Soleil
  • A little wild on the landing of her triple lutz but is able to hang on and tack on the double toe
  • Nice triple salchow right on the music
  • Her arms look a little stiff in the layback and she doesn't do a Biellman
  • She seems to be looking down during this step sequence and I'd love to see her really project to the crowd
  • Ina Bauer into the double axel
  • Flying sit spin and her free leg could be a little more stretched and into a nice tuck position
  • It's nice to see so many of the ladies doing spirals in their free skate even though they're no longer required
  • Nice speed in the combination spin but all of her positions could use a little more stretch
Angela Wang: 27.24 TES + 22.74 PCS -1.00 = 48.98 and into 7th place
  • She is skating to A League of Their Own
  • I like this costume but I don't think the silver lame fits the program
  • Triple flip--looks like she was too deep on her edge and falls down
  • Nice triple lutz + double toe (improvising to get the combo in)
  • Nice tuck position in her sit spin
  • Solid double axel
  • Good flying entry to the sit spin with nice position and good broken leg variation
  • I'd like to see her fingers not touching in the layback but good Biellman position with only a slight loss of speed
  • Fun section of the music and fun choreography but I'd like to see her sell it more in her face; great ice coverage and speed
Aimee Buchanan: 19.49 TES + 18.28 PCS = 37.77 and into 10th place
  • Steps out of the opening triple salchow
  • Good double axel
  • Two footed and hands down on triple flip
  • She replaced Samantha Cesario who withdrew earlier this week
  • Nice camel position but in some places she drops her back 
  • I'd like to see her really stretch through her free leg through this step sequence and push through the steps and really finish everything off
  • Nice layback spin into a good Biellman with a maintained speed
Agnes Zawadzki: 35.65 TES + 30.59 PCS = 66.24 and into 1st place
  • Love this opening and how she just stares down the judges right into a nice Ina Bauer
  • Very nice triple toe + triple toe with a nice landing on the second jump
  • Good triple lutz
  • Really nice layback spin but she could work on her arm position into a really nice Biellman with good speed
  • Nice speed through this step sequence but bobbly in a few places; really nice feel and flow through the steps with nice use of her whole body
  • Flying camel spin with a good twist variation into a nice donut
  • Very good double axel
  • Nice camel into a sit spin and an upright catchfoot spin to end right on the music
  • A partial standing ovation for that performance
Vanessa Lam: 30.43 TES + 24.14 PCS = 54.57 and into 4th place
  • Nice spread eagle into a double axel with an easy flow out of the jump
  • Triple lutz + double loop with so much speed in the rotation
  • Nice triple flip
  • Nice twisted layback spin into a good stretched out Biellman
  • Really nice camel into sit and catchfoot upright spin with a change of foot into another camel, sit and layback spin
  • Nice one foot section that really covers a lot of ice on her step sequence
  • I really like her arabesque line in the camel and that it's above 90 degrees but it needs to be behind her just a tad bit more instead of drifting to the side
  • Good sit spin into a tuck position
Caroline Zhang: 31.53 TES + 28.65 PCS = 60.18 and into 3rd place
  • Gorgeous triple loop + triple loop combo--that will be a huge point getter
  • Another solid triple flip
  • This is a really nice piece of music and it complements Caroline with overwhelming her
  • Nice camel spin with an inverted line--really unique and nicely done
  • Double axel and she's all smiles
  • Gorgeous leg and arm positions in her combination spin 
  • The expression on her face going into this step sequence is great--she looks completely thrilled to be on the ice, which considering how miserable she was last season is so nice to see
  • Nice speed and positions in the layback into the pearl that pulls straight up into the Biellman
  • Partial standing ovation and big crowd cheer
Ashley Wagner: 32.63 TES + 30.43 PCS = 63.06 and into 3rd place
  • Triple flip + double toe with both arms overhead on the toe
  • Nice entry into the triple loop and great flow out of the jump
  • Easy double axel
  • She looks so confident today and you can tell she loves being out there
  • Gorgeous arm positons in her combo spin
  • Nice position in the layback into a nice haircutter and a stretched out Biellman
  • She really has a lot of nuances in this program and takes advantage of every note in the music
  • Step sequence goes really well with the music 
  • Spread eagle into her flying sit spin with a nice twist variation into the tuck
  • Another loud crowd cheer and partial standing ovation
Rachael Flatt: 24.96 TES + 27.75 PCS = 52.71 and into 8th place
  • She is skating to East of Eden, a program she debuted at nationals last season
  • Triple lutz + double toe
  • Nice solid triple flip
  • Good twisted camel but she still could use more flexibility through her back in the catchfoot
  • Decent layback position but I'd like to see her hands not touching; no haircutter or Biellman
  • Single axel--looked like she couldnt quite get the pick in
  • Really nice Ina Bauer on the music
  • This footwork looks more controlled than normal but I think that it shows her off better this way since it doesn't look so frantic
  • Not a very good illusion but a decent upright position with an overcrossed catchfoot
Sophia Adams: 27.00 TES + 24.40 PCS = 51.40 and into 11th place
  •  Three turns into the triple loop
  • Triple salchow + double toe
  • Double axel
  • REally nice camel position with good speed into a nice stretched out sit spin and upright catchfoot spin
  • Flying camel spin with a nice inverted position right into the catchfoot
  • I would like to see more from her in this step sequence because the music is so big and she doesn't quite push through everything to really capitalize on that
  • Nice layback into a haircutter but no Biellman
Kiri Baga: 26.01 TES + 24.14 PCS = 50.15 and into 12th place
  • Triple lutz was nice
  • Triple toe + double toe with one arm variation on the second jump
  • Hangs on to the double axel 
  • Really interesting positions in her spins with decent speed
  • Nice fire through this step sequence that really matches the intensity of the music
  • Nice layback spin into a haircutter and a Biellman that picks up speed
    Christina Gao: 28.98 TES + 25.85 PCS = 54.83 and into 6th place
    • Huge triple flip + double toe--first jump was too big and she held on but had to hesitate and lost the momentum for the triple
    • Three turn into the triple loop
    • Nice tuck position in her sit spin
    • Her arms are a little still in the layback and her Biellman loses speed and could be stretched out more
    • Solid double axel
    • Nice full body movement throughout the step sequence
    • Good position in the camel spin, picking up speed through the sit and upright positions
    Leah Keiser: 29.58 TES + 23.86 PCS -1.00 = 52.33 and into 10th place
    •  For being so young and waiting all night she looks very relaxed
    • Triple lutz + triple toe looked like it was two footed and a fall
    • Very nice triple flip to recover
    • Great speed and position in the layback itno a nice Biellman
    • Good timing with the music on this step sequence but she seems just a bit tentative; I'd like to see her not hold back
    • She still looks a bit juniorish but considering that she's younger than all the junior medalists I think that she's keeping pace here nicely
    • Good double axel
    • Nice position in the sit spin into a broken leg variation
    • Camel into a nice donut position and into a tuck in the sit position and a scratch spin
    PlaceStart No.NameScore
    111Agnes Zawadzki, Broadmoor SC66.24
    25Alissa Czisny, Detroit SC63.14
    314Ashley Wagner, SC of Wilmington63.06
    413Caroline Zhang, All Year FSC60.18
    52Mirai Nagasu, Pasadena FSC59.02
    618Christina Gao, Northern KY SC54.83
    712Vanessa Lam, All Year FSC54.57
    87Nina Jiang, TX Gulf Coast FSC53.66
    915Rachael Flatt, Broadmoor SC52.71
    1019Leah Keiser, All Year FSC52.44
    111Yasmin Siraj, SC Of Boston51.96
    123Haley Dunne, WA FSC51.41
    1316Sophia Adams, All Year FSC51.40
    1417Kiri Baga, FSC of Bloomington50.15
    156McKinzie Daniels, Broadmoor SC49.96
    169Angela Wang, Salt Lake Figure Skating48.98
    178Joelle Forte, SC of NY48.13
    184Morgan Bell, Rocky Mountain FSC38.55
    1910Aimee Buchanan, Colonial FSC37.77

      1 comment:

      1. Thank you so much! Wow, what a fantastic competition!!

        ReplyDelete