The Joshua and Jason Uber Thread!

[misskarne]

The not falling part on the ur 3a is a good start...But it leads me to wonder whether the way the 3A in the SP is placed is harder for him than where it is in the LP. Maybe the SP layout needs some work, as well as the 3A needing work.

That's a possibility, though to my eye it looks like he does more of the same entrance. However, he seems to hold the entry into the SP one longer; I wonder if it's just nerves? Getting the first 3A of the comp over with?

I like his FS better so I'm glad he's only getting UR on that one

Maybe I'll warm up to the SP one eventually though. It probably is a tougher entrance though and that's the reason for the downgrades, I would think. Good scores though, of course, I don't know if we can expect him to post scores like that at the JGPF, but it's still promising, and there is still a lot of time between now and then for him to improve his 3a. Should be an exciting event this year, lots of strong skaters...

It's still just under two months until the JGPF. That's ages and ages. It wouldn't surprise me if he appeared at JGPF with fully-rotated 3As. If he does, he can put up 220+ no sweat.



Actually, something I just noticed. In the SP hte 3A is the first jump and he waits a long time before stepping forward and jumping. In the LP, he does a gorgeous 3F first (his best jump IMO), and then goes and does the 3A, but he doesn't hesitate as long. I wonder if pulling off the comfortable jump first helps. Maybe they could switch up his SP jump order? Do the 3F first?

[pinky166]

Usually skaters open with their hardest jumps in the SP, so idk about doing the 3f first. He's probably just focusing and stalking the jump more in the SP because it's more important there than in the FS where there are so many jumps. Also, the tempo of the music is faster which could make a difference.

As for the scores, you're probably right, but there is a lot of competition. All the other guys in the field have more or less consistent triple axels, and Jin, Farris, and Kovtun also have 4t in their arsenal and have landed it in competition this season. In the case of Kovtun and Farris, they've also been receiving comparable PCS to Brown which gives him less of a cushion, and even though Jin's PCS are lower, he did already beat Jason once this season. I think, due to the fact that there's a lot of time between now and then and due to the strength of the rest of his skating and FS, but also the strength of the other men, we could easily see a situation where Jason repeats as JGPF champion OR is off the podium. Kovtun and Farris are probably the favorites to win, but they don't seem to milk COP as well as Jason so we shall see. Tanaka could be a threat too if he could finally put 2 good programs together... which is a big if. I'm glad Jason keeps trying the 3a though despite the downgrades, URs, and -GOE he keeps getting - in the SP at least he'd likely score higher with a clean 2a but he keeps trying it regardless which is what I like to see!

[misskarne]

Figured I'd revive the thread since the JGPF is coming up!

And also, to share a piece of news, thanks to Sylvia for posting this article...

http://www.goldenskate.com/2012/12/2...final-preview/

The important parts

Joshua:

American Joshua Farris, 17, makes his third consecutive appearance in the Final, and is the top qualifier in the competition. The most experienced skater of the bunch, Farris won the events in Lake Placid, USA, and Bled, Slovenia, to earn his place in Sochi.

“Training has been going great,” Farris said by telephone. “There have been a few bumps in the road, but I’m looking forward to competing in the Olympic rink. I expect it to be a lot of fun. Each competition is just another competition—I treat them all the same. The key for me is to remain calm.”

Farris and coaches Christy Krall and Damon Allen have decided to stay the course and keep his technical content the same as in his qualifying events. Farris plans to show his quadruple toe loop and triple Axel jumps in Sochi, which will be needed if he hopes to win his first Junior Grand Prix Final title.

“We have focused a bit of attention on my footwork because I’ve been getting level three and I want a level four,” said the reigning Junior World silver medalist. “We’ve been focusing on body movement and speed throughout the sequences. If I do what I know how to do, I’m expecting good results.”

Jason:

Reigning champion Jason Brown, 17, has depended on his superior component scores to keep him in the hunt for medals in the absence of a clean triple Axel. The American won the silver medal in the inaugural event of the season in Courchevel, France, with sloppy performances, and followed it up with a win in Istanbul, Turkey, where he was unsuccessful in landing the triple Axel in both phases of the competition. The 2012 Junior Worlds bronze medalist was the number three qualifier for the competition.

“I am planning the triple Axel in both the short and the long in Sochi,” Brown reported on Friday. “I actually started landing it on Wednesday, so it is officially in my repertoire. I am extremely excited to leave for Russia and pack that jump with me!”

Brown admits that he does not feel extra pressure heading into the event as the reigning champion, but instead sees everybody on an equal playing field.

“I honestly look at this competition as a completely separate event from last year,” he said. “Each time I compete, I am solely focused on doing my best, and I enter the competition trusting my training and preparation. I love representing Team USA, and always hope to grow as a skater through each experience. I am truly ecstatic to have the opportunity to compete in the Olympic venue and create memories I will cherish for the rest of my life.”

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can't wait for the short programs now!

[Marco]

Clean 3axel for Jason?! if it happens, it is going to be bigger than the moon landing!

But Farris for the win!

[spikydurian]

Good news for Farris and Brown. Based on recent past performances, I agree with Marco that Farris may beat Brown in the JGPF. But if Brown has his 3As, then the game will change to favour him. If Brown gets his quads, he will be 'unbeatable' and 'can fall 4 times and win' (as some said of Chan). Hanyu will face the biggest threat from Brown in challenging his status as the next dominant skater for the under 20. Interesting times ahead ... wonder how the state of play will change after Sochi 2014 in men's competition. The only skaters who may challenge Hanyu's dominance are Farris, Brown and Han Yan. Good luck to all of them.

[l'etoile]

Good news for Farris and Brown. Based on recent past performances, I agree with Marco that Farris may beat Brown in the JGPF. But if Brown has his 3As, then the game will change to favour him. If Brown gets his quads, he will be 'unbeatable' and 'can fall 4 times and win' (as some said of Chan). Hanyu will face the biggest threat from Brown in challenging his status as the next dominant skater for the under 20. Interesting times ahead ... wonder how the state of play will change after Sochi 2014 in men's competition. The only skaters who may challenge Hanyu's dominance are Farris, Brown and Han Yan. Good luck to all of them.

Agreed overall though I prefer Joshua's style to Jason's and think Joshua has much better technique.

[pinky166]

Clean 3axel for Jason?! if it happens, it is going to be bigger than the moon landing!

But Farris for the win!

Haha truth! But Kovtun appears to be strong competition for both these guys, also has a quad and is skating at home, and Jin, though obviously juniorish and not as strong in PCS, does have a great 4t, plus if Tanaka manages to skate anywhere close to clean he should score quite well too. Even Hino could surprise, his score from Japan Junior Nats was promising. I'm interested to see how things end up shaking out! If the men skate well the entire event could be a very high scoring one, IMO.

[Sylvia]

Check out all the positive quotes by Farris' and Brown's coaches in this JGP Final preview article: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

[misskarne]

More Josh and Jason stuff! JGPF STARTS TONIGHT!

Icenetwork photo gallery: http://web.icenetwork.com/photos/gal...nt_id=40535102

Jason blogs again, remains funny: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

The coaches all have their say! http://web.icenetwork.com/news/artic...&vkey=ice_news

Important/relevant bits:

Joshua

"We call Angela, 'Jelly,' and we call the two of them the Jelly and Josh Show because they just love each other," Krall continued. "They are big boosters for one another, and that's been a lot of fun. They're wonderful training mates, not just on-ice partners but very good, steady friends off ice as well. They sort of need each other. I love that they are both competing in Sochi."

...

Krall assigns much of the credit for Farris' results to Damon Allen, another of the skater's coaches at Colorado Springs' World Arena.

"Damon Allen is also his choreographer, and the two of them have really worked on making his programs, I would almost say, fascinating," Krall said. "They are a pleasure to watch. I would say Josh is focusing on the performance, and it's fun for him to get that edge.

"The other edge is he has really been training hard off ice, with the result that he is a really strong man this year. We were looking at clips of him one year ago and he was a boy compared to the man he is today. He is physically fit, he is taller, he is stronger, and as a result of that, he is really putting out some dynamic athletic ability."

"U.S. Figure Skating really felt he needed another year to get his quad toe underneath him," she said. "There was no sense putting him into a really stressful situation, to have to be really successful at that one element, and then maybe not be able to [focus] on other essential parts of his skating, which for Josh is his performance factor. Everyone was on the same page that he needed to mature; when you have a growth spurt going on, that's essential.

"I really appreciate the fact that U.S. Figure Skating was very helpful in helping us decide he should take it one year at a time, and this year was the year to get all of the ducks in order to be able to do what he has to do."

Jason:

For Jason Brown, the defending Junior Grand Prix Champion who won gold and silver at his fall events, the challenge is to conquer the triple Axel, a jump he has yet to land cleanly in international competition. The world junior bronze medalist, who will turn 18 on Dec. 15, attempted the jump at the Junior Grand Prix in Turkey, and his coach, Kori Ade, thinks he has now mastered the maneuver.

"His triple Axel totally clicked on Wednesday (of last week); I think he has done perfectly clean ones since Wednesday, some with the music and costumes, some without," said Ade a few days before leaving for Sochi. "It looks amazing, and I'm proud to say all the hard work has paid off. It's there and it's beautiful."

Can it be 12:45 am yet? Please? *calculates* Twelve hours and forty-five minutes to go...

[skatesindreams]

Wonderful news about Jason's progress!
Here's to a great competition for both Joshua and Jason.

[leapfrogonice]

Triple axel! Triple axel! Triple axel!
This will get interesting.

[pinky166]

Yay so excited! Good luck guys! BTW, looking at those photos, Josh looks like a young Tom Cruise. Not even joking. Cute kid...or ooops, I guess I should say man after reading that article . Looking forward to all the events to start!!

[misskarne]

I've been thinking since this season started that Josh seems more grown-up this year. Glad to know Christy Krall agrees with us!

[misskarne]

Josh is in 1st place (74.53) over Maxim Kovtun after the SP. Here is his program!

Jason is in 3rd place (69.43). Here is his program!

Notice anything...different?

Step aside, moon landing because JASON HAS HIS TRIPLE AXEL!

Called totally clean! No downgrades! No under-rotations! At last, at long last, he can pull it off. Congratulations, Jason!

(here are the protocols, in case you want to see it to believe it! )

[pinky166]

Jason news a new SP stat - awful, awful program (and costume) wasted on a wonderful skater. Happy about the 3a though! At least the FS is so I'm looking forward to that, especially as a 3a would make it even better!

Josh's SP score with mistakes is very encouraging. I wonder if he can break 80 if clean with all the levels (I don't doubt that at Nationals, he could). Also prefer his FS to this SP but great spins - wow is he flexible!

[Jammers]

Jason would be right up there in the lead if he hadn't screwed up his triple flip and doubled it. Good to see that he landed the triple axel though. I agree though his SP is terrible for someone with his skating skills. I love how he just glides on the ice.

[DORISPULASKI]

Jason has clearly been working to get rid of the edge call on the flip as well as on the 3a!

I hope he has a great LP with both 3A and 3F w/o edge call!

[pinky166]

Jason would be right up there in the lead if he hadn't screwed up his triple flip and doubled it. Good to see that he landed the triple axel though. I agree though his SP is terrible for someone with his skating skills. I love how he just glides on the ice.

Well it's hard to say because both Kovtun (lip and turnout, two missed levels) and Farris (3a stepout and missed level on one spin) made mistakes too, so I think if they had all been clean and got all the levels, the order would be the same as it is now. The top 4 are close point-wise though, any of them could be on the podium in any order I tend to think depending on what happens tomorrow. Jin and Tanaka could also score quite well with good skates, but they have more ground to make up. In any event it should be exciting, as at least 3 of the guys have quads planned (don't know about Hino or Tanaka but it wouldn't surprise me if they did).

[misskarne]

Jason would be right up there in the lead if he hadn't screwed up his triple flip and doubled it. Good to see that he landed the triple axel though. I agree though his SP is terrible for someone with his skating skills. I love how he just glides on the ice.

The doubled flip surprised me. The flip is unquestionably (IMO) his best jump, his money jump - so to see him make a mistake on that was O.o

I guess every artist has moment where everyone goes, "what were you thinking?". I think maybe this is Jason's.

Jason has clearly been working to get rid of the edge call on the flip as well as on the 3a!

I hope he has a great LP with both 3A and 3F w/o edge call!

Jason's never really had any problems with the edge on the flip - the only time I've ever seen him called for it was in Courchevel and I think so many other things were going wrong for him that day that we could probably overlook it. I am pleased he's working on the flutz. The tech panels seem to come and go as to when to call it.

And the 3A. I'm so, so pleased for him. I can't even begin to imagine how it must have felt, to be struggling with the jump for so long, and having people ask you endlessly where it is, and then suddenly, to have the click moment, and land it clean in competition - must be incredible.

[Marco]

MOON LANDING!

And both US men have such wonderful spins.