Skate Canada 2024 Womens FS PBP - Chick-ago

[Citlali]

No one loves a good Chicago program like I do, but Kaori needs to get rid of this one. Never mind the jumps, the program is just not working for her.

I think for the first time in my figure skating fandom life, I will say this: This program needs more music cuts!

 

[once_upon]

Rino got hit with ! on both Lutzes, and once again complete ignorance towards Kaori's. Make it make sense.

Reputation over reality?

 

[MacMadame]

So no BINGOs. Probably not enough skaters.

I did get Wordle in 2 guesses so there's that.

 

[Jay42]

I'm on record as being pretty excited to see Kaori skating to All That Jazz, and generally speaking I love a Chicago program, but quite honestly Kaori could go back to last years FS if she doesn't want to get a new FS and I would be fine with that. Last years FS seemed to work really well for her.

Also I know Marie-France choreographed last years FS too but she also choreographed the Sia atrocity program, if Kaori doesn't want to go back to Benoit I would love to see her maybe go to Shae-Lynn.

 

[Debbie S]

< on Elyce's 3T and 3S. < on Alysa's 3T, 3S and 3Lo. ! on both flips.

 

[Lilia A]

Rino got hit with ! on both Lutzes, and once again complete ignorance towards Kaori's. Make it make sense.

Going down memory lane, she went from "e" to "!" to sometimes "!" to nothing at all. Don't get me wrong, I love her, but I also love a consistent tech caller.

 

[peibeck]

How hard does Kaori need to flop to not get 9s for ss?

She didn't get any 9's for skating skills. She even got a few scores in the 7s.

 

[Lilia A]

She didn't get any 9's for skating skills. She even got a few scores in the 7s.

Judge 4 gave her a 9 in ss. Lowest ss score was 8.25 by judge 2.

 

[peibeck]

Judge 4 gave her a 9 in ss. Lowest ss score was 8.25 by judge 2.

No that was for presentation, not Skating Skills.

ETA: And that was the only 9 in the 27 PCS scores.

 

[Lilia A]

No that was for presentation, not Skating Skills.

ETA: And that was the only 9 in the 27 PCS scores.

She got 3 7.75s in presentation. No sevens in ss. I'm looking at the scores right now. It doesn't matter anyway.

 

[Wyliefan]

Peacock is giving us the medal ceremony!

 

[MacMadame]

we got a late "on the money" !

 

[peibeck]

Even though the skating wasn't great tonight, at least the medals are a lot nicer than the crap they handed out at SKAM.

 

[peibeck]

She got 3 7.75s in presentation. No sevens in ss. I'm looking at the scores right now. It doesn't matter anyway.

I apologize for mis-speaking. I was looking at Rino's scores.

ETA: Rino is really moved to be on the podium! Awwww,

 

[Lanie]

Rino is sooo cute

 

[Sylvia]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1850307508939682141

ETA - transcription of what Rino Matsuike said in the mixed zone after she skated #3 in the FS! https://x.com/goldenskate/status/1850330324884189428

 

[skategal]

What exactly is the curse? Because she did not skate well.

The curse according to Toller Cranston is “green falls.”

It was rare to see a Canadian skater wear green for decades after he proclaimed that.

 

[Lana K]

Sigh. I don’t know why Marie-France couldn’t have just choreographed to Kaori’s strengths? Lauryn Hill was never a natural fit either, but Chicago is truly taking it to another level. I know the Sia program isn’t widely loved around here (and I understand why), but at least she knew how to sell it. New program ASAP. Not sure the broadcast showed it, but she was visibly in tears after in the Kiss n Cry.

 

[tony]

Sigh. I don’t know why Marie-France couldn’t have just choreographed to Kaori’s strengths? Lauryn Hill was never a natural fit either, but Chicago is truly taking it to another level. I know the Sia program isn’t widely loved around here (and I understand why), but at least she knew how to sell it. New program ASAP. Not sure the broadcast showed it, but she was visibly in tears after in the Kiss n Cry.

Kaori said in the comments afterwards that Marie-France was adamant that this was the right program for her, and the way it's been quoted makes me think she's really not all into it either. There's a lot of mindless and not even particularly difficult arm choreography and other simple movements in there- to me which more often than not look clunky and make her weaknesses in breaking at the waist even more apparent.

It pains me to say it, but I liked all of her Benoit stuff a whole hell of a lot better than anything Marie-France has given her, and the short programs haven't been exactly brilliant either in this Olympic cycle.

 

[Private Citizen]

Easily wins. I'm quite sure the Lutzes went untouched.

PCS still the highest and I don't agree. At all. And I'm a huge fan.

Ridiculous judging. Sakamoto should have been 6th or 7th in the free. The lack of calls on the lutzes are giving her 6-7 points she shouldn't have. It's time for other feds to stop being so polite and pressure the ISU either through internal reviews or the media if necessary.

 

[jlai]

Kaori’s program doesn’t bother me. Honestly if men quad their way to 80+ pcs then Kaori’s program is fine. At least Chicago wakes me up as opposed to the other songs that ladies are barely build their highlights to.

 

[zigzig]

Rino - she is a DREAM and I want her to be the next world and olympic champion. obsessed.

Kaori - terrible program for her. she cannot access the character of the music AT ALL. i think it's smart she prioritizes peaking later in this season but this outing was ROUGH. though I think the < on her 3+3 combo was pretty harsh, seemed more like a q.

Hana - looked really tight today and I wasn't as sold on the program as her first competition. but glad she hung on to a medal.

Madeline - very effortful skater but she did well here so good for her.

Repond - everything about her skating just feels very squeaked by to me. meh.

Gracey - funny that she got 7th 7th 6th at SKAM and 6th 6th 7th here. talk about peaking TOO SOON. maybe she can turn it around by nationals. who knows.

Liu - this program also doesn't work for her. she does not have the pizazz for it and the music makes her look REALLY slow and plodding. still feels very early season and out of shape.

Kurakova - her jumps are rough but love her joyfulness.

Dupuis - meh

Ruiter - bleh.

Seoyeong - carrot police out in full force. not saying her < weren't deserved but other skaters got away with sketchy jumps and they really put her under a micrscope.

Kim - ouch.

 

[Coco]

Get ready for a Japanese sweep. After this event, Japan will have five of the 6 women’s medals .

I suppose this is what happens when you have developmental coaches who can teach amazing skating skills and very good jump technique. If one wants to spend their money on that sort of thing, you know, instead of costumes and dental work.

 

[Rob]

Random comments:
I feel like someone dumped some free Muzak versions of songs for any and all skaters to use first come first serve. So much crap!

All that Jazz: Jazz hands is sticking your hands out the side with fingers stretched out and shaking them while you do something with your legs. It is not skating around with frying pan hands. The armography in Kaori’s program ranges from annoying to ineffective. She needs to ditch this program.

 

[tony]

I suppose this is what happens when you have developmental coaches who can teach amazing skating skills and very good jump technique. If one wants to spend their money on that sort of thing, you know, instead of costumes and dental work.

Who is spending money on dental work these days?

 

[Karen-W]

Who is spending money on dental work these days?

Alysa... Go read her "return to skating" thread - which should maybe be closed again since she's fully back in the mix with the US Women's thread and she has a separate fan thread in the Trash Can.

 

[tony]

Alysa... Go read her "return to skating" thread - which should maybe be closed again since she's fully back in the mix with the US Women's thread and she has a separate fan thread in the Trash Can.

A piercing is hardly dental work, but okay. And hardly denting the bank, at that.

 

[Karen-W]

A piercing is hardly dental work, but okay.

I mean, that's what I interpreted the comment to be about, but I could be wrong.

 

[viennese]

Closing thoughts

I'm really impressed with Alysa Liu's first time back at a Grand Prix event. She seems to have an innate sense of music, performance, and sheer joy of skating that is great to watch.

Rino Mitsuike and Hana Yoshida, I love them both. Rina because her free skate is maybe the only one I've seen this season that seems to be a complete flowing and truly free program.

I never got the sense, as I do with most free skates, that she's going "LEVELS! must hit levels! Must grab bonus points" - she's just floating and flowing and powering along.

Hana Yoshida, I adored her nightclub dance music short last year, these programs not as much. But she's still gorgeous.