Grand Prix of Espoo 2023 Mens FS - “Santa Quad is Coming to Town”

[Lana K]

Yay! Judges got it right today, I think. Glad the boys managed to (mostly) redeem themselves after yesterday lol

 

[Sally1214]

I like Kao so much but, God love him, every time I see him sitting in the K/C, I want to reach for a pair of scissors and trim his bangs.

 

[Belsornia]

Glad the boys managed to (mostly) redeem themselves after yesterday lol

We are blocking Ma’s meltdown from our collective memories.

 

[Holy Headband]

So Kevin is going to Beijing

You don’t have to be so negative. Kagi will overtake Aymoz’s pathetic score total at NHK and bump them both down.

 

[Sally1214]

So, does this mean Kevin makes the GPF (I hope)?

 

[Spikefan]

Woke up to Shimada skating and Mark going on about him potentially going to Worlds. If he is one of the three Japanese men at Worlds something went horribly wrong.

I am glad Kao won and it appears Kevin did better, will have to go back and watch later.

 

[Lana K]

We are blocking Ma’s meltdown from our collective memories.

So we are!

 

[airgelaal]

You don’t have to be so negative. Kagi will overtake Aymoz’s pathetic score total at NHK and bump them both down.

No doubt about Shoma?

 

[airgelaal]

And I’m also very happy for Ivan. Not everything worked out perfectly, but I'm glad he accepted the invitation.

 

[Holy Headband]

No doubt about Shoma?

I expect Shoma to win; I meant that barring an implosion Yuma will get silver and ultimately 2nd+3rd, like Aymoz and Sato, but as long as he gets over 256 points total at NHK (I think, I haven’t done the math), he’ll pass them both on the qualification grid. Then Malinin, Siao Him Fa, Miura, Shoma will qualify, plus Yuma… and then Aymoz in last place? Wait a second, this still sucks!

 

[kre56]

Wow, the French judge really didn’t like the Japanese men in components…..

 

[jenny12]

A beautiful, if somewhat tentative, skate by Shun! Not the most exciting skater, but there’s something about him that makes me want him to do well.

Agreed. He could work on his performance but I think he’s developed some really lovely qualities.

I enjoyed Kao as well. A bit sloppy on some jumps but I was glad to see him win.

 

[Cayuse]

So glad to see so many of the men "improve" their skates today! Does anyone else have the overwhelming desire to YouTube the Shibutani's 2016 Worlds performance of Fix You after watching Mateo's long program?

 

[4rkidz]

Wow, the French judge really didn’t like the Japanese men in components…..

Well these two Japanese young men are still mainly focused on the jumps, their spins and transitions not amazing and artistically they are still young. I agree with Kevin having the highest components.

 

[skatingguy]

Suntsev, Makar
Coach: Tatiana Lebedeva
Music: Ghosts of Japan, Taki Burossamu Taki

2F+1Eu+3S
2A
3Lo - hand down
2Lz!<< - that was a wild take off, and ride - landed forward
Ch Camel Spin 3
Choreo Sequence
3Fq - pitched forward, hand down
3S+2T - pitched forward
3Lo
Step Sequence 3
Fly Sit Spin 4
Ch Combo Spin 3

Rough skate in the jumps - completely different program from what was planned.

107.56 = 1st Place
162.00 = 1st Place

 

[skatingguy]

Levandi, Arlet
Coach: Anna Levandi
Music: Baikal by Ibrahim Maalouf

2A
3F!+1Eu+3S
3Lo
Choreo Sequence
2A
Ch Combo Spin 3
3Lz+3Tq
3Lz
3F!+2T
Fly Camel Spin 4
Step Sequence 3
Fly Ch Combo Spin 4 - poor transitions between positions

He has the triple Axel on his planned program content, but I guess that's more aspirational than actual at the moment.

134.01 = 1st Place
195.83 = 1st Place

 

[skatingguy]

Shmuratko, Ivan
Coach: O. Kurovska, M. Leiba, I Shmuratko
Music: Skrypka Hrae by Vasyl Zinkevych

3A
3F+3T
2F<< - opened up forward
3Loq
Ch Camel Spin 3
Ch Combo Spin 2
3Lz!+1Eu+3S
3Lz!
2A+2A+SEQ
Step Sequence 2
Fly Sit Spin 4
Choreo Sequence

Moments of real quality in the program, and the performance - the camel spins have great extension - but clearly the lack of ideal training conditions show in the jumps. I wonder if there is someway to get him additional funding so that he can continue to skate, and train properly.

134.37 = 1st Place
200.67 = 1st Place

 

[skatingguy]

Kapeikis, Liam
Coach: Keegan Murphy, Louise Kapeikis, Eileen Murphy
Music: The Boxer by Jerry Douglas

4Sq - fall
1A - elegant pop
2A+1Eu+3S
3Lz+3T
Fly Ch Combo Spin 2
3F+2A+SEQ - held on the flip, nice recovery with the Axel
3Lz - weight on the heel. hanging on again
2Lo
Step Sequence 3
Ch Combo Spin 4
Choreo Sequence
Fly Sit Spin 4

I love this music, and I think this program could deliver such a moment if Kapeikis can skate it clean. Maybe US Nationals?

127.84 = 3rd Place
196.94 = 2nd Place

 

[Karen-W]

So glad I slept right through the men. Not sure I'll go back and watch any of them except the top 2.

 

[skatingguy]

Starostin, Nikia
Coach: Adam Solya, Jorik Henrickx, Marina Shirshova
Music: I Want it that Way, Lager than Life

3F!
3A - fall
3Lz+3T
3S
Ch Camel Spin 4
Choreo Sequence
2A+2T
3Lz+2A+SEQ - was supposed to have another jump - poor landing on the Axel
3Lo
Fly Sit Spin 4
Step Sequence 3
Ch Combo Spin 4

I like the idea of someone skating to Backstreet Boys, but this was lacking something compared to Starostin's program last year. Maybe it will come together later in the season.

129.16 = 3rd Place
201.15 = 1st Place

 

[skatingguy]

Memola, Nikolaj
Coach: Olga Romanova
Music: Samson et Dalila by C. Saint Saens

4Lz!+3T
4Lz! - fall - very crooked
3A+1Eu+2S
3Lo - no flow on landing
Fly Camel Spin 3 - some trouble with flying entrance
3A
3Lz+2A+SEQ
3F
Ch Sit Spin 2 - problems with the knee slide exit
Step Sequence 2
Choreo Sequence
Ch Combo Spin 3V

Better than Grand Prix of France, but still lots of issues with the elements. He really needs to get the non-jump elements in order to build the technical mark when the jumps are messy.

149.14 = 1st Place
221.25 = 1st Place

 

[tony]

Catching up way late but I really don't like the small changes to Aymoz's program. There are two really glaring parts where he just stands there, and I wish he would do the 3Lo out of all of those spread eagles he does down the ice because it would be glorious. Rather, he does them and just stands puts his leg up and that's it as he comes to a standstill. I also don't like how there's a small break into the ending choreo sequence now after the combo spin crawls. It's just not as sharp of a performance as it could be and already has been.

I like Shun Sato's program more than anything he's done before, but I still think he needs that extra kick to his skating. Certainly improved this year, though.

Kao Miura is one of my favorites (just behind Kagiyama, probably). I think he is just fantastic. Such good use of his entire body and he changes speed so well. Long way to go in overall refinement, but he has the excitement Sato doesn't give me.

 

[skatingguy]

Rizzo, Matteo
Coach: Ondrej Hotarek, Valter Rizzo
Music: Fix You by Coldplay

4T
4Lo<
3F+1Eu+3S
3Lz+3T
Ch Combo Spin 3
3A+2A+SEQ
3Lz
3A - stumbled out
Choreo Sequence - no value
Step Sequence 3
Ch Camel Spin 3
Fly Sit Spin 3

Not sure what happened with the choreography sequence, but I think he didn't change the planned program content, and so the technical panel was looking for it at the wrong moment of the program. Jumps were working today with just one error. Now if he can just execute a clean short program.

168.10 = 1st Place
241.47 = 1st Place

 

[Wyliefan]

@skatingguy Here's Jackie's analysis of what happened with Rizzo: https://twitter.com/rockerskating/status/1725871463251505344?t=b3U417BZDx8pwQ6djliCqg&s=19

 

[skatingguy]

Aymoz, Kevin
Coach: S. Fontana, J. Zimmerman, F. Bonnard
Music: Bolero by Maurice Ravel

4T
3Lz
3A+2A+SEQ
3Lo
Fly Ch Foot Combo Spin 4V
Step Sequence 4
3A+1Eu+3S
3Lz+2T
3F! - 3-turn exit
Fly Sit Spin B
Ch Combo Spin 4
Choreo Sequence

This is a great version of Bolero, and Aymoz milks the music for every note. I can't to see it as it progresses to the end of the season.

176.09 = 1st Place
250.03 = 1st Place

 

[skatingguy]

Shimada, Koshiro
Coach: Stephane Lambiel, Angelo Dolfini
Music: Danse Macabre by C. Saint-Saens

4S - step out
4T
3A<+2T - fall
3F
Ch Camel Spin 3
Step Sequence 2
2A+COMBO+2S* - they actually didn't call the Euler a jump, and do invalidated the combo
3Lz+2A+SEQ - step out
Choreo Sequence
3Lo
Fly Combo Spin 3
Fly Sit Spin 4

Loss of training due to injury showing in the jumps. The program is kind of flat, and not fully engaged in the performance, or the music.

140.63 = 4th Place
218.44 = 4th Place

 

[skatingguy]

Ma, Jimmy
Coach: Alexei Letov, Olga Ganicheva
Music: Lacrimosa by Apashe

2T
4T - fall
3A - hand down
Fly Camel Spin 4
1Lo
Step Sequence 2
3A+REP - stumbled out
3Lz+1Eu+3S - stumbled out
2F
Ch Sit Spin 3
Choreo Sequence
Ch Combo Spin 4

That was just a rough day at the office. Positive GOE on two jumps - both doubles - which means it's pity GOE.

111.07 = 9th Place
191.26 = 9th Place

 

[skatingguy]

Sato, Shun
Tadao Kusaka, Keiko Asano, Takahito Mura
Music: Four Seasons by A. Vivaldi, D. Hope, M. Richter

4Lz
3A+1Eu+2S
4T+3T
Fly Camel Spin 3
4T
3A
3Lo+2T
3Lz
Ch Sit Spin 4
Step Sequence 3
Choreo Sequence
Ch Combo Spin 4

Jumps are working very well today for Sato, but there is no connection between anything he is doing and the music playing.

182.93 = 1st Place
273.34 = 1st Place

 

[skatingguy]

Miura, Kao
Coach: Noriko Sato, Nobuko Fukui, Koji Okajima
Music: Attack on Titan

3A+1Eu+3S
4T+3T
4S
Fly Camel Spin 1
3A
Step Sequence 3
4T
3Lo+2A+SEQ - poor landing
3F
Ch Sit Spin 2
Choreo Sequence
Ch Combo Spin 4V

Miura's jump content bares only a passing resemblance to the planned jump content, as in he planned seven jumping passes that were in approximately the same places as what he executed, but the actual jumps were completely different. I wonder what he was practicing for this event, and how that might affect the scores given what the judges saw previously. (Edited: After looking at the protocols, Miura's spins really suffered, and I wonder if he lost focus because he was changing the jumps around so much. Missing spin levels is really just throwing away points.)

181.02 = 2nd Place
274.56 = 1st Place

 

[Matryeshka]

Suntsev should have maybe given juniors another year; he's just not quite ready for prime time yet, but I think he's at least trying to be different. I see the penultimate group at Euros in his future.

Arlet. So, some cultural background: in the 1980s in the South and West in the US, it was a trend for old hippies with vans to get these pastel airbrushed Native American/wolf/mountain scenes on them and that's all I can see with the shirt and Mark said it was about a fight with nature and now I feel justified, especially if we are considering jumps as a part of nature as it was definitely a death-battle with the jumps.

Ivan. Of all the competitors, he's the one I'd love to see out of nowhere get a surprise medal at an event, any event. He's super dramatic in a way that works.

Liam, showing the boxing match of a tutor trying to get his student to do well on his SATs, and failing, as symbolized by the jumps.

Nikita. I did not watch this live because I went to the Renaissance Festival. At the RenFest, there were pirates, steampunks, mermaids, fairies, gladiators, robots, dragons, and even Trekkies, and ALL of them would still have given Nikita side-eye for his 'fit.

Memola. I would rather watch him fall than any of the other guys except Ivan skate perfectly. He's interesting and tall and pretty and that will take him far in life. I'd love to see this program skated perfectly, I'm a sucker for Samson and Delilah. Maybe not the whiny Muse bits, but it does weirdly work together musically.

Matteo's judge move is so all the cool kids are doing it, so I will too. This music brings back Shib sib memories, which is nice, and I like the fact that he doesn't have some BS backstory to it. Nice comeback, but he's going to be buried beneath the Japanese, Adam, possibly Kevin, Koreans, possibly his own teammates, and Ilia if he doesn't get his SP more consistent.

Kevin. I love his Bolero and anyone who doesn't is WRONG. WRONG WRONG WRONG. His judge roll also is one of the few that makes more sense both musically and choreographically. Do I like it? Do I want it to be part of his program? NO. But does it at least fit, as much as any of them fit, yes. He and Piper and Paul get a pass. The rest, STOP IT.

Shimada. Welp. He certainly let us know what to expect, didn't he Not a lot of dancing, but plenty of macabre. So he's definitely telling a story, just maybe not the one he wanted.

Ma

Sato Too...many...Japanese men. Forget Worlds; just send me to the men's portion of Japanese Nationals. I'll bet it's harder to win Japanese Nats than get to Worlds. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

Kao. I decided to watch the replays in order to not get spoiled unintentionally and I was SORRY because I decided I needed to take up smoking waiting because not only does it matter who won, it matters for Japanese nationals Sato v Kao (and Kagiyama. KAGIYAMA. And Uno! AAAAAGGGGHHH.) and KEVIN. Quite honestly, we don't need six pairs. We don't. Give two of those spots to the men. Or ladies, we can take one from the pairs and one from the ladies.