NHK Trophy 2023 Mens SP - Misters, Can You Tell Us Where Your Quads Have Gone (In A Japanese Void)

[Karen-W]

Younger Selevko - his costume lied and made me think he was going to skate to the soundtrack of the Taron Egerton "Robin Hood" movie, but nooooo... we get generic emo-y male ballad.

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Gabriele
Go, my favorite of the Italians!

 

[Kateri]

Didn't Gabi's strap come undone at exactly this point the last time he skated this SP? Maybe it's a choreographed costume change?

 

[Bunny Hop]

Distracted by Frangipani's loose boot strap. Wild jump landings but he's really going for the performance aspect. Pity about the splat on the salchow.

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

I feel like Frangipani is one skater who doesn't have to skate to contemporary characterless songs to hide his lack of edges and ballet training.

Oh, actually I love this choreo, the camel is the particular highlight, but also wonderful footwork.

Yes, I know how to pick my Italians

 

[skatingguy]

Frangipani, Gabriele
Coach: Fabio Mascarello
Music: Keeping Me Alive by Jonathan Roy

4T+3T - tried to disguise the step out
4S< - fall
Fly Sit Spin 4
3A
Ch Camel Spin 4
Step Sequence 3
Ch Combo Spin 3

Not a great skate - something to build on for the free skate.

78.20 = 2nd Place

 

[Karen-W]

Frangi - well, he seemed happy at the end of the program... feeling victorious after the boot strap came undone, I guess.

 

[skatingguy]

Chiu, Wesley
Coach: Keegan Murphy, Eileen Murphy
Music: Romeo and Juliet

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Ah, I see Gabriele was born in Pisa.
That explains the air positions....

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Did anyone miss R&J? Yes, thought so.

 

[Holy Headband]

Dire first group except for Frangi—and we still have Egadze.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Ugh. It's bad when the best music in the group was Aranjuez with lyrics.

Chiu looks like he's doing the arm movements he's been told to do, but can't make it look natural. The jumps weren't his friends today. I fear a long drought for the Canadian men.

 

[skatingguy]

Chiu, Wesley
Coach: Keegan Murphy, Eileen Murphy
Music: Romeo and Juliet

4T< - fall
3Aq - hand down
Ch Camel Spin 4
3Lz+3T
Step Sequence 4
Fly Sit Spin 4
Ch Combo Spin 4

The non-jump elements are strong, but consistent inability to get the quads & Axels out in competition.

72.02 = 5th Place

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Wesley is quite unwatchable, and this program is laughably bad.
But it's ok - I see he has a RuPeter Badge, so I guess he has won a challenge already.

 

[Karen-W]

Chiu - eh... here's my burning question during his skate - what tired, overused music will the Connaught SC guys use next year? Can Liam handle being Tony from WSS? And will Wesley choose Coldplay or Muse?

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Chiu aside, this group was quite good!

 

[Holy Headband]

Ted went into Canadian communist party secretary mode in an attempt to turn Wesley's performance into a positive.

 

[victorskid]

After way too little sleep after the RD, I woke up just in time to see the first group of men warming up.

The SP results for that first, of two, groups:

1	Mihhail SELEVKO	EST	81.31	44.15	37.16	7.36	7.50	7.39	0.00	#4
2	Gabriele FRANGIPANI	ITA	78.20	41.25	37.95	7.61	7.61	7.50	1.00	#5
3	Aleksandr SELEVKO	EST	75.85	39.15	37.70	7.61	7.50	7.46	1.00	#1
4	Luc ECONOMIDES	FRA	74.24	38.03	36.21	7.25	7.39	7.04	0.00	#3
5	Wesley CHIU	CAN	72.02	36.81	36.21	7.25	7.18	7.25	1.00	#6
6	Tatsuya TSUBOI	JPN	64.63	30.44	35.19	7.07	6.82	7.18	1.00	#2

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Oh, I see Nika has grown and glued some dirt onto his chin. I'm not hopeful.

Also I have to warn, if Denis' decolettes are going to continue growing at the same pace, within one year his appearances will be rated 18+.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Vasilievs looks so much better with shorter hair.

 

[Holy Headband]

Vasilievs looks so much better with shorter hair.

I agree, but ever since someone said he's turning into Lambiel I've been unable to unsee the resemblance.

 

[skatingguy]

Kagiyama, Yuma
Coach: Masakazu Kagiyama, Carolina Kostner
Music: Believer by Imagine Dragons

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

I agree, but ever since someone said he's turning into Lambiel I've been unable to unsee the resemblance.

Not the worst thing to turn into.

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Second thing second
Don't you tell me what you think that I could be
I'm the one at the sail, I'm the master of my sea, oh-ooh
The master of my sea, oh-ooh

Why did they censor these?

Anyway, Yuma is looking sharp.
Fantastic skating skills and technique, I stand by my claim the fight for the worlds' gold is going to be a fourway.

 

[skatingguy]

Kagiyama, Yuma
Coach: Masakazu Kagiyama, Carolina Kostner
Music: Believer by Imagine Dragons

4S
4T+3T
Ch Camel Spin 4
3A
Fly Sit Spin 4
Step Sequence 4
Ch Combo Spin 4

Upping the technical level from Grand Prix France by including two quads in the short program. Wow I love that step sequence so much.

105.51 = 1st Place

 

[airgelaal]

Yuma wants to go back to China

 

[Bunny Hop]

I thought Kagiyama's quad sal was going to go horribly wrong but it must have just been the camera angle as it was fine, as was the combo. Great skate, lots of energy. This is going to fly into the lead and rightly so.

That woke me up (which is actually bad, as I need to go to bed after this is over).

 

[Karen-W]

Kagiyama - fabulous! I'm going to be shocked if this doesn't crack 100.

 

[Andrey aka Pushkin]

Btw, have I mentioned already that "Carolina!!!! "?
Anyway, just in case: Carolina!!!!

 

[skatingguy]

I thought Kagiyama's quad sal was going to go horribly wrong but it must have just been the camera angle as it was fine, as was the combo. Great skate, lots of energy. This is going to fly into the lead and rightly so.

That woke me up (which is actually bad, as I need to go to bed after this is over).

No the Salchow was going wrong on a lean, but he saved it.