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| Kaetlyn is back on top in Canada |
The final results:
Kaetlyn Osmond (CAN): 76.06 (SP) + 136.85 (FS) = 212.91 - 1st
Kaetlyn won this event back in 2012 in her senior debut on the Grand Prix. She hadn't won a GP event since then but I figured after her breakthrough last year, this event was hers to lose.
Kaetlyn started off in grand fashion by blowing the field away in her SP. I'm so happy she decided to keep her "Sous le ciel de Paris" SP. It's such a strong and entertaining program; I think it's perfect for the Olympic season. Kaetlyn skated last in the SP and the preceding performances as a whole had been pretty bad. It was nice to see someone come out and bring not only the content but the confidence to the ice. Every jump was secure, the spins were great and, of course, she had the home crowd cheering her on. Kaetlyn scored a new personal best in the segment and went into the FS with a comfortable lead over the rest of the field.
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| Not a bad start |
I really love this "Black Swan" program for Kaetlyn. I like the mix of her power and speed with the drama of the music. There are some nice moments in the choreography and Kaetlyn pulls off the character of the music well. This wasn't as strong as we saw from her a bit earlier this season but it was still a good outing. Kaetlyn had some trouble in the opening combo and had to step out of the landing. Everything sailed along well until she singled her 3F in the second half of the program and then fell on her final 2A. I really think they need to move that axel; it doesn't work well for her at the very end of the program like that. Even with the errors Kaetlyn scored a strong 136+ and finished 1st in the segment and 1st overall to take the gold medal.
This was a solid start for Kaetlyn but she's going to need to be stronger if she wants to challenge for those top podium spots. Against Medvedeva and Zagitova she'll need every single point she can get.
Maria Sotskova (RUS): 66.10 (SP) + 126.42 (FS) = 192.52 - 2nd
Maria seems to be the overlooked Russian from time to time but she's been making everyone take notice so far this season.
Maria had a nice and easy SP. Most people tend to be split on Maria as a skater: they either like her or just find her boring. I've always enjoyed her skating and I thought her performance in the SP was lovely. Her opening 3Lz-3T combo was big and secure and her 3F was strong as well. Unfortunately Maria under-rotated her axel which lost her base value and GOE points. It's the easiest jump there is and yet it seems to be the one a lot of the Russians struggle with... Axel troubles aside, the rest of the program was solid and delivered well. Maria placed 3rd in the SP and was well-positioned to move up in the FS.
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| Still looking like the best bet for #3 |
I like Maria's "Clair de Lune" FS. I think the soft quality of the music matches her skating style very well and she looks lovely performing it. This was a good performance for Maria but she had a couple of issues in this skate. Her opening combo was called under-rotated (the caller was mega strict here) as well as two other jumps (a 3F and 2A). The loss of points prevented Maria from scoring higher but it's not like she had a chance of catching Kaetlyn anyway. Maria still managed to finish 2nd in the FS and 2nd overall to take the silver medal.
As of now Maria is looking like the best bet for that 3rd spot but the season is just getting started. She'll need to build off of this performance and be even stronger at her next event.
Ashley Wagner (USA): 61.57 (SP) + 122.37 (FS) = 183.94 - 3rd
I wasn't completely sure what to expect from Ashley here. Her GP run last year wasn't that great and with so much competition in the field, I wasn't sure if she could hold up enough to land on the podium.
I think it was a good decision to go back to "Hip Hip Chin Chin" as her SP this year. It's a really strong program that can score very well...when she executes it correctly. The under-rotations are still a major issue for Ashley and they plagued her in the SP. The back end of her 3F-3T combo got hit as well as her solo 3L which cost her several points. She also dropped a few levels in her spins and the step sequence (only level 3) though to be fair, like I said the tech caller at this event was very strict--only Alaine Chartrand earned a level 4 for her step sequence in the SP. Ashley's overall performance was very strong (as usual) but the loss of points hurt her and she finished the segment in 7th place.
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| Long way to go but she's still on the podium |
I'm still on the fence regarding Ashley's decision to use this "Moulin Rouge" program for the 3rd time this quadrennial. By the end of this season she'll have only skated two different free skate programs in the last four years. It's a strong program of course...but I'm almost sick of seeing it. Her jumps here were okay. Two under-rotated triples and one under-rotated double plus an edge call on her lutz lost her several points. Ashley's performance was the strength of this program as it always is but until the technical side catches up to the performance side, it's going to be an uphill battle this season. Ashley didn't even crack 190+ total at this event. As we've seen, skaters are going to need to be in the 210+ range to reach the podium in a stacked field. It's going to be a tall order for Ashley but if she wants to compete, that's what she'll need to bring. Ashley placed 4th overall in the FS which was enough to move her up to 3rd overall and a bronze medal.
This wasn't Ashley's best event but she did make the podium which means a trip to the Final is a possibility if she can have a stronger showing at her next event. This was a starting point that she'll need to build on quite a bit to get herself where she needs to be.
As for the rest...
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| She nearly beat Ashley here |
Courtney Hicks (USA; 182.57, 4th): Courtney shocked a lot of people in the SP. Aside from a turn between the two jumps of her 3F-3L combo, she was excellent. I really love her program (shout out to Rohene Ward) and she performed it beautifully here. At the end of the SP it was shocking to see Courtney ahead of both Karen and Ashley. The FS was the strongest she's had in a while though she still had a few issues (a few under-rotations and wonky landings). She finished 5th in the FS and 4th overall. In the past Courtney has done well on the GP but faltered at nationals. If she can keep this momentum going she'll be setting herself up as a contender for one of those spots but she'll have to deliver at nationals when it counts.
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| Welcome to the senior level newbie |
Marin Honda (JPN; 178.24, 5th): Marin got off to a slow start here. Her SP was a bit of a disaster. She under-rotated and fell on her 3Lz-3T combo, lost points on spins and singled her axel. Even though her SP was a technical failure, the program itself is simply gorgeous! I love her new SP and once she hits it I think it will serve her well this season. Lovely performance aside, Marin left a boatload of points on the ice and finished the segment in 10th place. The FS was a much better effort. She landed all of her jumps and performed well but still lost points on two under-rotated triples. Marin placed 3rd in the FS which helped her move up to 5th overall. Marin is in line for one of those two spots to Pyeongchang for Japan and, unfortunately, this wasn't the kind of start she wanted. She's going to need to be amazing at her next event.
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| We need more from her |
Karen Chen (USA; 170.40, 7th): Karen started off a bit roughly in the SP. She opened with the biggest 3Lz I've ever seen from her. It was so big she had no hope of controlling it and ended up going down. Luckily she settled herself down and was able to add a 2T to her solo 3L and complete the rest of her elements well. She placed 5th in the segment. Karen dropped her "Carmen" FS and debuted a new FS to "Slow Dancing in the Big City." I guess it's a good program...honestly, I didn't see anything wrong with her "Carmen" FS. Karen struggled here: one downgraded triple, three under-rotated triples, an edge call and a doubled jump lost her a ton of points. She finished 7th in the FS which dropped her to 7th overall. It's still not coming together for Karen...hopefully it will at her next event.
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| My heart goes out to her |
Anna Pogorilaya (RUS; 159.89, 9th): This was a disappointing outing for Anna and it's sad because she started off well. The SP was a solid performance for her. All of her jumps were clean but it was obvious something was off. Whereas last season Anna skated with confidence and fire, she just seemed tentative and unsure here. She finished 2nd in the segment and was set to medal with a solid performance. The FS was a tough one. The jumps were just not there for her at all. She ended up doubling a lot of them and many of the ones she did land were under-rotated or downgraded. Anna took a hard belly flop fall on a 2A and had another bad fall on the entrance to her back combo spin. Her edge slip from under her and she fell on her back. I feel so sorry for her. I don't know what's next for Anna but I'm thinking whatever slim shot she had of going to the Olympics is gone now. Even if she were perfect from here through nationals, I don't think her federation will trust her enough to give her a spot.
Other Competition Notes: Rika Hongo (JPN; 176.34, 6th) had a good competition here. It was rough to see her struggle so much last year. Two solid performances from her. Very happy to see her back... Laurine Lecavelier (FRA; 166.43, 8th) always has programs that grab my attention. I loved her SP (choreographed by Rohene Ward). It was just gorgeous and she performed it so beautifully...Kalani Craine (AUS; 143.03, 10th) is just so much fun to watch. She's one of those skaters who always shows just how happy they are to be out there competing when they're on the ice...Alaine Chartrand (CAN; 134.17, 11th) had better hope and pray no unknown Canadian has a breakout performance at nationals this year. That third Olympic spot is hers for now but with the way she's been skating lately it wouldn't be too difficult for someone to outshine her and snatch that spot right out from under her nose.
This week's event is Cup of China which will take place in Beijing, China. This should be an interesting one. We'll see the Grand Prix debut of Alina Zagitova (RUS). She'll be facing off against Mai Mihara (JPN) and World bronze medalist Gabrielle Daleman (CAN). We'll also see Wakaba Higuchi (JPN), Marin Honda (JPN), Elena Radionova (RUS), Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (RUS), Zijun Li (CHN), Amber Glenn (USA), Dabin Choi (KOR), Ziquan Zhano (CHN) and Xiangning Li (CHN).
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