2026 Olys Mens FS PBP - Habemus Pop-am

rfisher said:
Kazakhstan's problem is money. I read an interview with Urmanov when he first agreed to coach Shaidorov. Mrs. Ten had worked really hard to find funding. He actually coached for less money because he felt he had more freedom than he did in Russia. The pressure on coaches is the same as for the athletes. He'd had a string of skaters who were all mid-level and neither he nor the RusFed were happy and he felt Shaidorov had the innate talent to succeed, but I suspect this result was beyond all of their wildest dreams. But, he knows how to win when nobody thinks you can.
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I expect his winning the Olympics will bring a lot more attention and hopefully money to the sport in Kazakhstan.
 
tangerine dream said:
That's true, but Simone is one of the few people who can relate to coming into the Olympics with everyone assuming you've already won the gold medal. She could help him work through the mental side of things.
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But that's not what I was arguing against, I was arguing against the comparison with Malinin's Olympic experience with Biles' Olympic experience. Twice she was favored to win and she did. The third time, she was favored to win and wound up with a condition that did not allow her to compete as she would like. Simone always met the public's expectations and when she didn't it was understood very clearly why she did not.
 
Karen-W said:
I'm not sure she'll blame the USFS for pressuring him to compete in the TE Men's FS.
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Agreed. People blamed USFS for not having Nathan do the LP at the 2018 team event after he biffed his SP there in order to exorcise his demons before the individual. Can’t win no matter what you do.

Karen-W said:
I think she'll go to where a lot of us, including Scott Hamilton, have already gone - blaming the USFS for leaving him off the team in Beijing.
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I think that’s a more reasonable explanation but at the same time, there’s no guarantee, and there was the whole BOW thing.
Karen-W said:
I'm really happy he did both segments of the TE too, same with Chock/Bates. They're coming home with an Olympic gold medal and they delivered like they needed to when the team needed them for that title.
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Right. I agree with this.
 
YourBorneo said:
What a forgettable event for the men. Fluke champion and nothing legendary worth watching in the decades to come.
Congrats to the medalists.
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I have to disagree. I don't think I will forget the utterly "in the Upside Down" feeling of this evening. Poor Ilia; I hope he can recover and grow from this, and that the media leave him alone for a bit to allow him to do so.
 
I just can’t read pages of disbelief right now.

On the first fall I dug my fingernails into @Private Citizen ’s arm. After that I at least remembered to use my left hand and clawed my husband instead.

And for those who I know are claiming that this wouldn’t have happened if he had gone to Beijing, nope. As the #3 guy nothing would have prepared him for the media storm as the most likely American media hope, it was overwhelming. I’d say Madi and Evan should console him but they’re much older and didn’t at all melt down.

So endeth my only in-person Olympics.
 
Karen-W said:
I'm not sure she'll blame the USFS for pressuring him to compete in the TE Men's FS. I think she'll go to where a lot of us, including Scott Hamilton, have already gone - blaming the USFS for leaving him off the team in Beijing.

I'm really happy he did both segments of the TE too, same with Chock/Bates. They're coming home with an Olympic gold medal and they delivered like they needed to when the team needed them for that title.
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Actually, now that you reminded me, I can see Brennan blaming USFS for both - keeping him off of the Olympic team in 2022 AND pressuring him to do the FS in the Team event.

I just want to give the kid a big virtual hug. 🫂 🥺
 
PRlady said:
And for those who I know are claiming that this wouldn’t have happened if he had gone to Beijing, nope. As the #3 guy nothing would have prepared him for the media storm as the most likely American media hope, it was overwhelming. I’d say Madi and Evan should console him but they’re much older and didn’t at all melt down.
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On top of that, the 2022 covid Olympics were so different from how it usually is. No fans, far less press, it wouldn't have been anything close to a simulation of this Olympics. He could have made the team and failed a covid test at the Olympics like Vincent and never gotten to skate, who knows? Of course that's not to say the experience wouldn't have been valuable.
 
I don't think I've ever seen a final result list with as much movement as the mens event here. 4-10-14 point spreads! Yet again I wonder sometimes why ice dance even bothers with more than one event. :EVILLE:
 
At a certain point, I think they all have to drop the expectations of everyone else - especially the fans and general public- and do it for themselves. I remember Scott whispering to Tessa at a key moment as they took the ice at a big competition something like - it's you and me thats out here, let's do it for us. I believe Piper and Paul skated so well here because they were skating for themselves and their people - not for a medal for Canada. Probably easier said than done but also probably comes easier with experience and not so easy at 21.
 
PRlady said:
And for those who I know are claiming that this wouldn’t have happened if he had gone to Beijing, nope. As the #3 guy
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Technically he was number two ;). And apparently Ilia said it when he came off the ice.

PRlady said:
So endeth my only in-person Olympics.
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Some day we'll look back and laugh that we were at the infamous Friday the 13th men's final at the Olympics, which will go down as one of the most random competitions in Olympic and figure skating history.

Genuinely thrilled for Shaidorov and Kazakhstan. I will watch the performance again.... on mute. :lol:
 
NHK interview:

Kao Miura: (looking sulky - or should I say upset?)
The scores were too low, especially the PCS. That was almost the scores when I admit myself that the performance was absolutely awful - and today's FS was not that bad. Not the scores I wanted to show to people.
(His coach was comforting him in the K&C when he saw the scores) Poor him. He's so disappointed.

Shun Sato:
I'm at loss of words. I never expected to be on the podium. I still think this maybe a dream (quick! someone pinch him!)
Sharing time with the two (Miura and Kagiyama, I assume in Italy) made him calm and motivated. Looking back at the last four years, he can give himself a pat on the shoulder that "You did good"
Olympics was - made me anxious and nervous - but I gained a lot of wisdom.

Yuma Kagiyama: (despite displaying a happy face during the medal ceremony, he looked quite serious)
I have mixed feelings. (quickly denies) No, not about the scores and the results. Disappointed at my performance of the free. But I know I should be content.
(on being on the podium with Sato) Anything can happen at the Olympics. It's unpredictable. (Is this about Malinin?) I'm so happy for Shun. (Like NHK) His hard work and performance motivated me so much.
(Overall impression of his Olympics 2026) Do I have regrets? Sure. That said, I did what I needed to do. The teams event gave me a good push.
 
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