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Friday, October 21, 2011

Skate America Men's Short Program

1st Warmup group is on the ice!

Group 1
Douglas Razzano, USA: 30.62 TES + 30.07 PCS = 60.69
  • Skating to Piano Concerto #2 by Rachmaninov
  • He has on an all black costume with some beadwork around the neckline--I'm not a fan of the black gloves as it cuts off his arm line
  • Triple axel was a little wobbly on the landing but he hung on to it
  • Popped into a double toe--he said he wasn't going to do quads here, but it looked like a quad attempt 
  • Triple toe + triple toe combination
  • Very nice flexibility through the catch foot position in his camel spin
  • Footwork sequence is nicely timed with the music but seems a little slow in places throughout the middle--I love the use of his arms and upper body here
  • Nice entry into his sit spin with not a lot of build up, very low position
  • Good speed through the camel spin with a nice stretch through his leg, good change of positions but a little loss of centering
Daisuke Murakami, JPN: 39.91 TES + 30.76 PCS = 70.67 and into 1st place
  • He is skating to The Feeling Begins and is wearing a red and black top with black pants
  • Quad salchow-double toe combo to open the program, a little bit of an awkward entry but landed nicely
  • Really high triple axel with an easy landing
  • Solid solo triple flip
  • The sit spin is really slow and he could use a lot more stretch through the free leg
  • A nice stretched position in his camel spin and the upright spin, but he lost a lot of speed in the end
  • This step sequence needs a lot more power behind it and it's not covering much ice
  • Nice flying camel spin, with a beautiful arched position and good speed
Denis Ten, KAZ: 35.11 TES + 33.27 PCS -1.00 = 67.38 and into 2nd place
  • Frank Carroll coaches both Murakami and Ten
  • He is skating to Elegie by Rachmaninov in a white and black blousy top and black pants
  • Very nice triple axel
  • Triple toe+triple toe combination--a lot more speed in the second jump than the first
  • His sit spin seemed a little slow
  • Fell on the triple lutz
  • Really interesting camel spin with an arch into a flying change of foot
  • I love his long lines and the use of his arms; he has an arabesque that dancers would kill for
  • His spins are all slow but the positions are nice
  • He is really feeling the music through this step sequence and the performance is really coming alive
Armin Mahbanoozadeh, USA: 33.72 TES + 30.82 PCS = 64.54 and into 3rd place
  • He is wearing a black top with red and gold accents and black pants
  • Triple flip + triple toe was really easy and nicely landed but not a lot of height
  • Way off in the air on his triple axel but he only has to put his hand down on the landing
  • I wish he would get his leg a little higher in the camel spin, but the donut position is really nice and his hand during the spin is used nicely
  • He really feels music well
  • Nice solo triple lutz right into a spread eagle
  • Really interesting sit spin variation with both of his feet together almost in a squat position
  • His step sequence hits all the music accents and builds when the music builds
  • This final combination spin is hte only one that seems to be lacking speed but finishes stronger
  • Loving Priscilla Hill's giant feather earrings in the Kiss and Cry but I miss her matching scarves
Richard Dornbush, USA: 35.74 TES + 34.29 PCS = 70.03 and into 2nd place
  • He is wearing a white poet shirt with a burgundy vest and black pants
  • Very nice use of his arms to simulate conducting the symphony in the beginning
  • Triple lutz + triple toe was nicely done but looked a little tight in the air
  • Nice triple axel
  • Good arm positions and variations in his camel spin with an interesting leg variation with his leg pulled in tightly to his body
  • Great solo triple flip right on a music crescendo
  • Nice low sit spin with great speed
  • He's really going for the step sequence with a lot of power and speed and is covering the ice and using every part of his body to hit every accent in the music
  • Nice wrapped arm position in the sit spin of his combination spin
  • Great debut for Dornbush
Group 2
Florent Amodio, FRA: 27.32 TES + 35.14 PCS = 62.46 and into 5th place
  • He is skating to Summertime and Jumping Jack
  • He is wearing a pink halter vest with black pants completely covered in rhinestones
  • Triple flip was solid but not a lot of height or ice coverage
  • Nice triple axel
  • Nice arch position in the camel spin, but I wish he didn't drop his upper body to get into the donut position
  • Popped open his lutz really wild and won't get credit for the jump as it was not done in a combination
  • Step sequence looks a little bit frantic but he's really using his upper body and arms and is playing to the judges
  • Nice low sit spin but he could use more stretch through the free leg, loses all his speed through the end of the combination
Kevin van der Perren, BEL: 37.76 TES + 32.33 PCS = 70.09 and into 2nd place
  • He is skating to Quidam which I think is the perfect choice for his style and power
  • He opens with a nice big triple axel
  • A little forward on the landing of his triple flip + triple toe with some hesitation
  • Triple loop for his solo jump
  • Nice flexibility through the triangle position in his combo spin but he has no speed once he gets to the camel
  • Really running out of steam here in this camel spin
  • He seems a little too stiff through his step sequence and with the big build in the music I think if he let go and really went for it, it would be a real crowd pleaser
  • Final spin is rotating slower than the speed of his music
Samuel Contesti, ITA: 24.27 TES + 32.25 PCS -1.00 = 55.52 and into 8th place
  • He is repeating his short program from last season where he portrays a conductor
  • I wish he would have a little more setup with his character in the beginning
  • Fell on his triple lutz--the feet just slid out from under him
  • Big step out of the triple axel
  • Doubled his final jump and no combination--he'll really get a ding in his score
  • No speed in his sit spin
  • This is such an iconic piece of music and I wish he'd sell this step sequence a little more and really play with it
  • Nice camel spin position with a good change of foot but not a lot of speed
  • Needs more stretch through his free leg in the sit portion of his final combo spin and he finishes just after the music
Michal Brezina, CZE: 42.05 TES + 37.03 PCS = 79.08 and into 1st place
  • He is wearing a black outfit with rhinestone dragons
  • He is repeating his Japanese themed short program from last season
  • Very solid triple axel with a nice landing
  • Triple flip +triple toe 
  • Nice triple lutz
  • The jumps were all nicely done but there wasn't a lot of transition between them 
  • Really high entrance to his flying sit spin
  • Nice position in his camel spin but he could use more speed and he has to dip down to catch the foot in the donut position
  • I like how low he gets in some of these positions in his step sequence and he really uses his arms to get into the character of the program
  • Good speed on his final combination spin and it's nicely timed with the music but he loses some momentum toward the end
Takahiko Kozuka, JPN: 34.33 TES + 37.36 PCS -1.00 = 70.69 and into 2nd place
  • He is wearing red pants with a black top
  • His legs got tied up underneath him on the quad toe and he two footed the landing--it looked like an odd entry to the jump as well
  • Triple axel was huge but close to the boards and he put his hand down
  • Nice height on the flying entry to his sit spin and he has a nice low position
  • This program is a nice change of pace for him and shows off his ability to perform to the crowd and be a little more playful
  • A little tight on the triple lutz+triple toe combo but he gets it done
  • The camel spin positions are nice and I like how smoothly he exits it, but he could use more speed
  • The step sequence is nice but I think he could bring more fire to it
  • Final combination spin is full of nice positions with great extension and stretched legs
Pl.NameNationPointsSPFS
1Michal BREZINA
CZE
79.081
2Takahiko KOZUKA
JPN
70.692
3Daisuke MURAKAMI
JPN
70.673
4Kevin VAN DER PERREN
BEL
70.094
5Richard DORNBUSH
USA
70.035
6Denis TEN
KAZ
67.386
7Armin MAHBANOOZADEH
USA
64.547
8Florent AMODIO
FRA
62.468
9Douglas RAZZANO
USA
60.699
10Samuel CONTESTI
ITA
55.5210

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