2023 Grand Prix Final - Womens SP “Yawning”

[Karen-W]

Well, Kaori came to play today.

 

[Gris]

 

[Wyliefan]

Kaori: just another day at the office, no biggie.

 

[airgelaal]

While many of us have been concerned about her jumps, I’ve never seen her look so nervous and expressionless when she’s taken the ice. To me that’s more concerning.

This is understandable if she lost confidence in her jumps.

 

[PRlady]

Kaori you make my whole day better.

 

[Lana K]

Exquisite! No competition today. Kaori is truly the class of the field.

 

[Ka3sha]

Kaori shows us why she is 2 time world champion - class of the field, easily the best one

 

[skatingguy]

Kaori Sakamoto
Coach: Sonoko Nakano, Mitsuko Graham, Sei Kawahara
Music: Baby, God Bless You by Orchestra Possible

2A
3Lz
Fly Camel Spin 4 - great height, really flying spin
3F+3T
Layback Spin 4
Step Sequence 4
Ch Combo Spin 4 (3 after review)

Glorious The way she can take the simpler jump elements in the program - the Axel, the flying spin entry, and the split jump at the beginning of the step sequence - and just explode with power, and height to make those moments special. World Champions say what?

77.35 = 1st Place

 

[Karen-W]

Nina Pinzarrone
The new favourite for the European Championships continuing to get the job done this season.

66.72 = 1st Place

Her countrywoman would like a word about who is the fave for the Euros title.

 

[Frau Muller]

Kaori! Grand, symphonic, moving. A true World Champion performance! Brava!!!

 

[Sarah]

This is understandable if she lost confidence in her jumps.

Yeah. I was typing fast so I could watch Kaori. I think the expression could be telling of a bigger picture? Lack of confidence vs just general nerves? What you said.

 

[Firedancer]

Easily the best today

 

[airgelaal]

Two Belgian girls on the podium after the short program

 

[Wyliefan]

Mark snarking about the lack of calling on that lutz edge.

 

[honey]

Let's be honest, many of us have been predicting these jumping problems for a long time.

It’s funny, but today it looked more like she was having timing issues more than her just having her technique breakdown entirely. Those were very odd pops and misses (and she did similar in the warmup). She just looked entirely out of sorts on the jumps today.

 

[Wyliefan]

Two Belgian girls on the podium after the short program

It's not a podium yet. Although I did predict Nina for a medal. I just thought she'd overtake Loena, not Isabeau.

 

[Ka3sha]

Honestly, I would have had Loena much closer to Nina rather than Kaori, but final placements today seem right.

A big day for Belgium - and deservedly so.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

While many of us have been concerned about her jumps, I’ve never seen her look so nervous and expressionless when she’s taken the ice. To me that’s more concerning.

She didn`t do so well on some of the other elements. The step a level 3. But it`s not impossible for her to get on the podium. ( Different from Fa facing 3 over 100 scores.) She`ll need a big score; the other Japanese scatters will come back strong too.

 

[airgelaal]

Yeah. I was typing fast so I could watch Kaori. I think the expression could be telling of a bigger picture? Lack of confidence vs just general nerves? What you said.

It's hard for me to say. To be honest, I don't like her coach's interviews, so I just hope Isabeau is ok.

 

[Wyliefan]

Isabeau says she's "a little bit sick": https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1733105408615829913?t=j02zburaLOwfy3CkjegL4Q&s=19

 

[Kateri]

She didn`t do so well on some of the other elements. The step a level 3. But it`s not impossible for her to get on the podium. ( Different from Fa facing 3 over 100 scores.) She`ll need a big score; the other Japanese scatters will come back strong too.

I just don't see her jumps magically improving enough in one day. She was the same in warm-up. Even if it's not a permanent issue (maybe she's ill?), it didn't seem like nerves or timing to me.

edit - posted before read Wyliefan. Illness would explain it.

 

[Karen-W]

Isabeau says she's "a little bit sick": https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1733105408615829913?t=j02zburaLOwfy3CkjegL4Q&s=19

Great. Wonder if she'll WD like she did at 4CCs last year...

 

[skatingguy]

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	CO	PR	SK	Ded. -	StN.
1​	Kaori SAKAMOTO	JPN	77.35​	41.16​		36.19​	8.96​	9.07​	9.18​	0.00​	#6​
2​	Loena HENDRICKX	BEL	73.25​	38.34​		34.91​	8.75​	8.86​	8.64​	0.00​	#4​
3​	Nina PINZARRONE	BEL	66.72​	36.10​		30.62​	7.68​	7.71​	7.64​	0.00​	#2​
4​	Hana YOSHIDA	JPN	60.65​	32.73​		29.92​	7.68​	7.36​	7.46​	2.00​	#3​
5​	Rion SUMIYOSHI	JPN	58.63​	28.41​		30.22​	7.68​	7.50​	7.54​	0.00​	#1​
6​	Isabeau LEVITO	USA	56.53​	24.23​		32.30​	8.39​	7.93​	7.96​	0.00​	#5​

 

[zigzig]

Kaori - brilliant, wish she was more expressive but well deserved first

Loena - um one judge giving a +2 on THAT 3F? bull. looked tight on other elements but getting showered with huge GOE anyway

Nina - does she have dirt on the ISU that prevents them from calling her jumps fairly? Only one q amongst an obviously < combo and 2A? I will never understand her insanely generous calling.

Hana - shame about the jumps. Love her. this song is so stupid and freaky it would make me vomit just listening to it on spotify but I actually like it when she skates to it.

Rion - bizarre lutz. Hope she bounces back.

Isabeau - seemed really out of it. Not just tech but everything was a bit sluggish. Hope she's ok.

 

[tony]

I don't know when this discipline became my least favorite of the four after being so excited by it for so long, but watching delayed and I was just not impressed overall. Sakamoto's program still does nothing for me,

Mark snarking about the lack of calling on that lutz edge.

and this has happened since the dawn of time and it almost never gets addressed. It should be a full 'e' with reduced base value and a -2 or -3 GOE at best every single time.

Loena was fine but I've seen her jump technique get more and more tentative the last few years where everything she does looks tight. At least the program is upbeat. Nina also has small jumps that she more or less gets away with for now, but I don't know how long that will last. I like her overall skating.

Levito was meh but I don't think it's really a case of her technique suddenly catching up to her. Before I even saw this thread and the comment that she's kinda sick, I thought something was just off.

I know it's not extremely common but I miss the days of really big jumpers (past Sakamoto) where my technical eye doesn't have to zone in on all the landings to make sure the rotations are all there.

 

[Colonel Green]

Sumiyoshi - she has a very lanky look that stands out on the ice. Whoops, big error on final jump.

Pinzarrone - all jumps done, though I wouldn’t be surprised at a q or two. She’s an excellent spinner, and somewhat similar to Loena insofar as her style feels distinct from the big training camps.

Yoshida - She’s a very boom-or-bust skater. Cool program, probably the most unique choice here. Surprisingly not in last place.

Hendrickx - I know she’s been ill of late (and has so much strapping on her back it makes her illusion fabric look badly matched), so the shaky opening had me worried, but she got it under control. If “working the boards” was a PCS category, she’d get 10s.

Levito - two bad opening jumps and a salvaged 3-2 combo. Understandably looks deflated through the rest of the program, which she normally sells much better.

Sakamoto - best double Axel in the world. Quality across the board, even with a program that doesn’t highlight what makes her unique as a performer.

 

[quartz]

Just finished watching and my only comment is that Nina P has my favourite costume of the season.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I can't understand why Ted was going on an on about Levito having to skate a more demanding program as a Senior vs Junior. She's been on the Senior competition path long enough that shouldn't even be a factor.

 

[4rkidz]

Isabeau says she's "a little bit sick": https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1733105408615829913?t=j02zburaLOwfy3CkjegL4Q&s=19

that makes sense, must be hard to be totally on your game when you are not feeling well. Hope she feels better tomorrow.

 

[Karen-W]

I can't understand why Ted was going on an on about Levito having to skate a more demanding program as a Senior vs Junior. She's been on the Senior competition path long enough that shouldn't even be a factor.

Right? And Nina has been in seniors the same amount of time! But with no GP experience since she missed the first half of last season due to injury...