NHK Trophy 2023 Pairs SP - Throw Like Sushi

[Karen-W]

Kelly skates like she has a weak core. You can see it in the throw and the DS where she couldn't hold herself into a proper arch.

Her extension in the lift also needs work - her free leg/foot was flexed and her position, overall, looked unrefined. Maybe there is some sort of injury issue?

 

[MacMadame]

Her extension in the lift also needs work - her free leg/foot was flexed and her position, overall, looked unrefined. Maybe there is some sort of injury issue?

I noticed that in the replay!

 

[skatingguy]

Her extension in the lift also needs work - her free leg/foot was flexed and her position, overall, looked unrefined. Maybe there is some sort of injury issue?

I don't think it looked better in the past.

 

[Karen-W]

I don't think it looked better in the past.

For some reason it was particularly noticeable today.

 

[skatingguy]

Beccari, Lucrezia/Guarise, Matteo
Coach: Luca Dematte, Rosanna Murante
Music: Run by Ludovico Einaudi

 

[skatingguy]

Beccari, Lucrezia/Guarise, Matteo
Coach: Luca Dematte, Rosanna Murante
Music: Run by Ludovico Einaudi

3Tw 4
3T
Throw 3Lo
Hand/Hip Lift 3 (4 after review)
Forward Inside Death Sp 3 (4 after review)
Step Sequence 3
Fly Ch Combo Spin 3

Solid skate - still some first year pair issues.

66.77 = 2nd Place

 

[Karen-W]

BecGuar - absolutely beautiful program! I'd have this ahead of HaseVol. It probably won't be based on TES, but this program was eminently more watchable and enjoyable.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Beccari/Guarise seem to be coming along well. He seems to be enjoying the GP experience.

 

[Amy L]

Matteo acts like he gives a crap this time. Let's see if he stays this excited for the Cats program tomorrow.

 

[skatingguy]

Danilova, Daria/Tsiba, Michel
Coach: D. Savin, F. Klimov, P. Kitashev, K. Schubert
Music: The Hunger Games (soundtrack)

 

[Karen-W]

DanTsi - not the best, but not the worst. I want to like this program more than I do.

 

[skatingguy]

Danilova, Daria/Tsiba, Michel
Coach: D. Savin, F. Klimov, P. Kitashev, K. Schubert
Music: The Hunger Games (soundtrack)

3Tw 1 - landed on two feet (2 after review)
3S - problems for both
Throw 3F
Forward Inside Death Sp 4
Hand/Hip Lift 4
Step Sequence 3
Ch Combo Spin 3 - he lost his centre on the final catch foot position

Rough start - can't quite get the whole performance to come together.

58.61 = 4th Place

 

[skatingguy]

Golubeva, Anastasia/Giotopoulos Moore, Hektor
Coach: Galina Pachina, Andrei Pachin
Music: Architect of the Mind by Kerry Muzzey

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Out of everything I saw this year, Australopouses are an easy top 3 couple, with other two being Hase/Volodin and Konti/Macii. They actually look like a pair, and at times - a good one.

I hope Americans hide some decent pair somewhere, because otherwise

 

[Bunny Hop]

Hector really uses his arms well and knows how to extend. Decent skate from Team Australia.

 

[skatingguy]

Golubeva, Anastasia/Giotopoulos Moore, Hektor
Coach: Galina Pachina, Andrei Pachin
Music: Architect of the Mind by Kerry Muzzey

3Tw 1 - poor catch (2 after review)
3T
Throw 3Lo
Hand/Hip Lift 3 (4 after review)
Forward Inside Death Sp 4
Step Sequence 2 (3 after review)
Fly Ch Combo Spin 4

The catch on the twist almost got away from him as she was in front of him.

64.61 = 3rd Place

 

[skatingguy]

Ghilardi, Rebecca/Ambrosini, Filippo
Coach: Rosanna Murante, Ondrej Hotarek
Music: The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone

 

[Karen-W]

GoluGM - another beautiful SP. Also - did anyone else notice just how close to each other they were during the SBS spins? Wow!

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

I'm not a fan of Abrosini, and haven't been since he was a very annoying junior single skater, but at least I don't have an urge of hiding under the table when he lifts her.

A lot of dirt technically, but I am kind of appreciating the choreography.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Ghilardi/Ambrosini - Hate the second part of the music. The program looks good but they had a number of issues.

 

[MacMadame]

Whoever designed that lift exit is a sadist.

 

[skatingguy]

Ghilardi, Rebecca/Ambrosini, Filippo
Coach: Rosanna Murante, Ondrej Hotarek
Music: The Ecstasy of Gold by Ennio Morricone

3Tw 4
3S< - she had both hands down, he stepped out
Hand/Hip Lift 4
Throw 3Lz
Forward Inside Death Sp 3
Step Sequence 2
Ch Combo Spin 4

She clearly has the ability to skate, and to extend her body in the pair elements, but whoever taught her singles technique did her a great disservice. The Salchow was so hesitant, and cautious and never had a chance.

62.98 = 4th Place

 

[Karen-W]

GhiAmbr - why? Why must you ruin a perfectly good piece of music with the sad addition of a rock/heavy metal cover for the last third of the program? I expect they'll be 3rd ahead of GoluGM, which... well, okay, hopefully not by much.

ETA - wow, judges you pleasantly surprised by putting them behind GoluGM!

 

[Bunny Hop]

Looking at he scores, anything could happen in the free with the top 4-5 spots. Hopefully not in a 'who splats least' type of way.

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

On this stage Einaudi is literally the Italian anthem, but I must appreciate Matteo Guarise for proving a point a 35 y.o can skate with a 20 y.o partner without being a Krasnapolski. Somehow they feel like a junior couple, but they actually make me want to cheer for them.

I'm still not proven wrong Hase/Volodin is the only pair this season that wouldn't have finished last at the Russian Nationals, but these monotonous pop wailing programs must stop. You aren't Cizeron, face the truth. If I come out of the pairs short thinking "I wish someone skated to Carmen" we have a problem.

A top 4 that doesn't make want to gouge my eyes off, which is a very tall achievement nowadays.

 

[Karen-W]

On this stage Einaudi is literally the Italian anthem, but I must appreciate Matteo Guarise for proving a point a 35 y.o can skate with a 20 y.o partner without being a Krasnapolski. Somehow they feel like a junior couple, but they actually make me want to cheer for them.

I'm still not proven wrong Hase/Volodin is the only pair this season that wouldn't have finished last at the Russian Nationals, but these monotonous pop wailing programs must stop. You aren't Cizeron, face the truth. If I come out of the pairs short thinking "I wish someone skated to Carmen" we have a problem.

A top 4 that doesn't make want to gouge my eyes off, which is a very tall achievement nowadays.

Oh, FFS, they aren't my cuppa but there is no way that Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps would have finished last at Russian Nats this year or last year or even 2 years ago. Don't be such a condescending jerk that you wind up looking like a fool through gross exaggeration.

 

[Milan]

To hell with all these wailing programs. Bring back Carmen!!

 

[Amy L]

Oh, FFS, they aren't my cuppa but there is no way that Stellato-Dudek/Deschamps would have finished last at Russian Nats this year or last year or even 2 years ago. Don't be such a condescending jerk that you wind up looking like a fool through gross exaggeration.

Especially since TarMor retired and PavKho split. There's a vacuum past the top 2. I haven't been paying close attention to the Russian fake Grand Prix but what I've seen so far is meh (for Russians).

 

[victorskid]

SP results

1	Minerva Fabienne HASE Nikita VOLODIN	GER	67.23	36.68	30.55	7.61	7.75	7.61	0.00	#3
2	Lucrezia BECCARI Matteo GUARISE	ITA	66.77	36.42	30.35	7.68	7.57	7.57	0.00	#5
3	Anastasia GOLUBEVA Hektor GIOTOPOULOS MOORE	AUS	64.61	35.12	29.49	7.39	7.46	7.32	0.00	#7
4	Rebecca GHILARDI Filippo AMBROSINI	ITA	62.98	32.58	30.40	7.71	7.61	7.54	0.00	#8
5	Chelsea LIU Balazs NAGY	USA	61.23	32.55	28.68	7.21	7.14	7.21	0.00	#2
6	Daria DANILOVA Michel TSIBA	NED	58.61	31.25	27.36	6.93	6.89	6.75	0.00	#6
7	Kelly Ann LAURIN Loucas ETHIER	CAN	49.18	25.67	25.51	6.46	6.29	6.43	2.00	#4
8	Yuna NAGAOKA Sumitada MORIGUCHI	JPN	45.36	21.76	24.60	6.18	6.07	6.25	1.00	#1

 

[Colonel Green]

Thoughts from the morning after:

Nagaoka/Moriguchi - first time seeing these two. A bit of a mess from an elements perspective, but that basic skating is so pleasant. Early days for them, obviously.

Liu/Nagy - one of the best twists on the circuit right now. Made it through the jumping elements; strong pairs elements other than the spins. Coming along nicely.

Hase/Volodin - it’s nice to see Minerva with someone who can confidently do lifts. These two look great already, and feel to me like Euros frontrunners already.

Laurin/Ethier - tough one. The third Worlds spot feels fairly open right now, neither of the teams below our top two has had a good autumn. With these two their twist might be their best element, which is unusual.

Beccari/Guarise - very solid skate. Elements all look good, even if none are standout; program is okay.

Danilova/Tsiba - that awful “Hanging Tree” remix might be the worst piece of music currently in use in international competition. At least The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes just gave future choreographers a much better version of this song.

Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore - odd to see a partly Russian team with one of the weaker twists in the field. Progress for everyone else, I guess? This was a step up for these two overall.

Ghilardi/Ambrosini - Rebecca’s jump technique makes Daniel Grassl look like a Mishin student. Why is Italy suddenly a pairs superpower? In any case, I would have had the Americans ahead of them here, but decent performance.