Tony Wheeler
10-23-2005, 02:44 PM
I missed the first half hour or so, so I don't know what was shown. I turned it on right as Sebestyen was taking the ice.
Sebestyen- For starters, I think this program works better than last years. I REALLY love Julia but it just seems to me like since the 2004 season, she's really never gone out with full attack (maybe other than the 2005 Euros SP), and it makes her programs seem like they go on forever. Her footwork in this program was slow and didn't look quite as complicated as I know she is possible of doing, and her spins (esp. the Biellmann) remained looking quite slow. She looked winded at the end of the program so I hope it's just a question of stamina right now, even though she had had 3 competitions already this season. Final note is that I wish she'd work on trying to reduce her delay in her jump technique. It looks kinda cool when she actually pulls off the jumps, but all too often recently she has either cheated or not rotated way too many triples.
Hughes- The program as a whole drew me in a whole lot more than at Campbells, but I'm still not particularly a huge fan of it or her skating in general. To me, for her muscular build, it seems like she should be able to at least appear like she's skating a lot faster than what she actually is (on TV). The jumps are OK but most seem to come to a stand-still, and I hope the spiral that her leg is really bent in is fixed soon. Some nice moments, but for me she still has a long way to go and I'm going to venture to say that she's going to be fighting for the top 6 at Nationals, not fighting for a ticket to Italy.
Liang- GREAT program once again. She's one of the few who has found a style that works for her and runs with it. She's so powerful and everything is there for her except the consistency in the jumps, which I guess is usually the case. It's funny that her toe jumps failed her today and she actually pretty much got the sal out and landed a beauty of a loop. Not much more to say, I just really enjoy this girl and hope she gets the jumps down enough because out of all the up-and-coming Americans (even if it will be her 6th senior Nationals), I really like her best.
Czisny- Again I enjoyed the program a bit more than at Campbells. I don't think the music particuarly drew me in, but putting the spirals and the amazing spins at the end is a great way to build the program, which she did a great job of doing. I forget which jump, maybe the 2nd lutz, looked WAY cheated and if she got a score like she did, I'm sure they didn't downgrade it. I don't know about the 3/3 but I'd also probably question that. Between her and Sokolova, I don't know who I would have given it to, but what an effort!
Onda- Sigh. Yoshie remains one of my favorites, but she really needs to take a page from the Liang handbook where she skates to things that really work to her advantage. All too often in the last few years, Yoshie has skated to nice or pretty music, which have their moments, but really do nothing for her. This is the same; I think I saw one smile out of her the whole program and the rest looked like she was just focusing way too much. I wish she'd just do her normal spins rather than the possibly poorest attempt I have ever seen at an illusion on the end of her camel. I noticed some other things but I can't remember them right now.. I really do like her best out of all the Japanese girls but I really think she needs to dump this program and maybe even go back to a program like the one she had in the 03/04 season if she wants to go to the Olympics.
Sokolova- Well, I was excited about this for about a minute, and then sadly it just turned into the typical Sokolova program we have seen for the last few years. I DO like the music on her, I just wish she kept some of the cool movements she had in the beginning throughout the program. The sal should have been downgraded, IIRC, so I do think her score of 105 or whatever seemed a bit high. And a positive GOE for the flip that has one of the most blatant outside edge take-offs as well as major telegraphing? She needs to dump the change of edge on her camel spins, too. Not a pretty sight. I don't know though, I loved Sokolova once upon a time and I think if she can rechoreograph or just add a bit to the latter part of her program, then I can see myself really liking it. I am really happy that she ended up winning though, and I'm happy the judges at least kept their PCS marks in the 6's, as 7's for her always seemed questionable to me.
Leung- She was more enjoyable than I thought. She IS improving, and maybe it's the increased choreography that's making her miss her jumps. I laughed that Dick somewhat likes the way she goes into her jumps, because not only does she have that up-down-up motion, but she also has the Diana Poth chin up thing going on which detracts from when she actually does do nice jumps. I didn't watch her program that closely because I wasn't expecting much, but I do remember, like I said, thinking at the end that it was quite a bit better than what I expected. I'd still say as far as Canada goes that depending on Phaneuf's situation, I'd except Cynthia, Duhamel, and maybe Lacoste to be challenging for the 2nd Olympics spot. Mira still needs 4 more years.
Sebestyen- For starters, I think this program works better than last years. I REALLY love Julia but it just seems to me like since the 2004 season, she's really never gone out with full attack (maybe other than the 2005 Euros SP), and it makes her programs seem like they go on forever. Her footwork in this program was slow and didn't look quite as complicated as I know she is possible of doing, and her spins (esp. the Biellmann) remained looking quite slow. She looked winded at the end of the program so I hope it's just a question of stamina right now, even though she had had 3 competitions already this season. Final note is that I wish she'd work on trying to reduce her delay in her jump technique. It looks kinda cool when she actually pulls off the jumps, but all too often recently she has either cheated or not rotated way too many triples.
Hughes- The program as a whole drew me in a whole lot more than at Campbells, but I'm still not particularly a huge fan of it or her skating in general. To me, for her muscular build, it seems like she should be able to at least appear like she's skating a lot faster than what she actually is (on TV). The jumps are OK but most seem to come to a stand-still, and I hope the spiral that her leg is really bent in is fixed soon. Some nice moments, but for me she still has a long way to go and I'm going to venture to say that she's going to be fighting for the top 6 at Nationals, not fighting for a ticket to Italy.
Liang- GREAT program once again. She's one of the few who has found a style that works for her and runs with it. She's so powerful and everything is there for her except the consistency in the jumps, which I guess is usually the case. It's funny that her toe jumps failed her today and she actually pretty much got the sal out and landed a beauty of a loop. Not much more to say, I just really enjoy this girl and hope she gets the jumps down enough because out of all the up-and-coming Americans (even if it will be her 6th senior Nationals), I really like her best.
Czisny- Again I enjoyed the program a bit more than at Campbells. I don't think the music particuarly drew me in, but putting the spirals and the amazing spins at the end is a great way to build the program, which she did a great job of doing. I forget which jump, maybe the 2nd lutz, looked WAY cheated and if she got a score like she did, I'm sure they didn't downgrade it. I don't know about the 3/3 but I'd also probably question that. Between her and Sokolova, I don't know who I would have given it to, but what an effort!
Onda- Sigh. Yoshie remains one of my favorites, but she really needs to take a page from the Liang handbook where she skates to things that really work to her advantage. All too often in the last few years, Yoshie has skated to nice or pretty music, which have their moments, but really do nothing for her. This is the same; I think I saw one smile out of her the whole program and the rest looked like she was just focusing way too much. I wish she'd just do her normal spins rather than the possibly poorest attempt I have ever seen at an illusion on the end of her camel. I noticed some other things but I can't remember them right now.. I really do like her best out of all the Japanese girls but I really think she needs to dump this program and maybe even go back to a program like the one she had in the 03/04 season if she wants to go to the Olympics.
Sokolova- Well, I was excited about this for about a minute, and then sadly it just turned into the typical Sokolova program we have seen for the last few years. I DO like the music on her, I just wish she kept some of the cool movements she had in the beginning throughout the program. The sal should have been downgraded, IIRC, so I do think her score of 105 or whatever seemed a bit high. And a positive GOE for the flip that has one of the most blatant outside edge take-offs as well as major telegraphing? She needs to dump the change of edge on her camel spins, too. Not a pretty sight. I don't know though, I loved Sokolova once upon a time and I think if she can rechoreograph or just add a bit to the latter part of her program, then I can see myself really liking it. I am really happy that she ended up winning though, and I'm happy the judges at least kept their PCS marks in the 6's, as 7's for her always seemed questionable to me.
Leung- She was more enjoyable than I thought. She IS improving, and maybe it's the increased choreography that's making her miss her jumps. I laughed that Dick somewhat likes the way she goes into her jumps, because not only does she have that up-down-up motion, but she also has the Diana Poth chin up thing going on which detracts from when she actually does do nice jumps. I didn't watch her program that closely because I wasn't expecting much, but I do remember, like I said, thinking at the end that it was quite a bit better than what I expected. I'd still say as far as Canada goes that depending on Phaneuf's situation, I'd except Cynthia, Duhamel, and maybe Lacoste to be challenging for the 2nd Olympics spot. Mira still needs 4 more years.