2008 Skate Canada

Ladies Event

Rochette Rocks, Kostner Not

A rather tedious Ladies Short Program unfolded pretty much as expected, except for the part about Carolina Kostner wiping up the ice.  The only really strong performance of the group came from Canadian Joannie Rochette who scored 64.74 points.

Rochette had only one significant error in the Short Program -- a poor landing on triple flip that receive GoEs of minus one and two.  Beyond that, her elements were well done, and most of her GoEs were plus one and two.  This represents a substantial improvement in the quality of her elements since last season.  Her performance to "Summertime" from Gershwin's "Porgy and Bess" was clearly the best of the group with Program Components in the low sevens; this also an improvement since last season. 

 Fumie Suguri also skated well, placing second with 57.92 points, but her component marks were not at the elite level, as was the case for all but Rochette.  Suguri had errors on two of the eight elements.  There was a significant loss of control in her layback spin, which traveled substantially.  In addition to GoEs of mostly minus one and two, the element was called level one -- a major hit in points for this element.  On triple flip she two footed the jump and again received GoEs of mostly minus ones and twos.  On the plus side, her flying sit spin, at level four, was well done, as were her spiral and step sequences.

Skating to "Fanfan" by Nicolas Jorelle, it was a sluggish performance with component marks averaging about 6.00.  Despite the problems, this performance is actually an improvement over recent seasons and shows progress in trying to regain her former glory.

Caroline Zhang opened with a fall on triple flip, and followed with a clean triple loop to which she added a double toe loop to recover a combination.  The remaining elements were all clean, ending with a spiral sequence scored with plus twos, and her signature layback spin scored with plus twos and threes.  It offered a big finish to an otherwise uninteresting program.  What this choreography has to do with "La Bayadere" escapes us.  With plot elements and character themes to numerous to summarize here, what is presented is emotionless skating to a pretty tune.  This is reflected in the component marks which averaged around 6.00.  One judge had this performance in the fours and another in the fives which seems closer to the reality of the performance than the rest of the panel.

Carolina Kostner often has a slow season start, but this one appears to be DOA.  She ha major errors on all three jump elements.  On her opening triple-triple combination attempt, triple toe loop was tow footed and downgraded.  The following triple Lutz was also two footed.  Her spiral sequence was called level one, after which she fell, just prior to where the double Axel was supposed to go.  After completing her last element, a straight line step sequence, she attempted to improvise the double Axel, but running short on time, she rushed it, and fell.  Her Program Components averaged around 6.50, with Skating Skill a little stronger, coming in at 6.95.  She ended in seventh place, over 16 points behind the leader.

Beatrisa Liang placed fifth in the Short Program, nearly 15 points behind the leader, but only 3.36 points out of the medals.  Triple Lutz had a poor air position and an edge alert.  Triple flip was under-rotated, and a fall.  Skating to "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," her Program Components were mainly in the high fives, though some were as low as the fours.

Alissa Czizny, looked lovely, spun divinely, and ended up in sixth place 0.26 points behind Liang.  She fell on an under-rotated triple Lutz.  A triple flip was then also under-rotated, but she managed to add on the double toe loop that was supposed to go with the triple Lutz.  The following six elements were all well done, with most of her GoEs plus one through three.  But without the two big trick being a contender in not going to happen.  Skating to "The Swan" her components averaged around 6.00 with a wide diversity of opinion among the judges, ranging from 4.50 through 7.25

Joannie Rochette

Joannie Rochette crushed her competition with a 15.89 point victory in the Free Skate.  She won her event with a 25 point margin of victory.  Except for a slightly awkward looking triple toe loop - triple Salchow sequence, with a poor landing on the Salchow, her program was well executed with most of her GoEs zeros through plus two.  There was also one omission in her performance where she executed a double Axel - single Axel sequence instead of a double-double.  Her program included seven triple jumps.  Her performance was fast, energetic and confident.  Performing to Rodrigo's "Concerto de Aranjuez," she was with her music through the whole program.  Her component marks were in the mid-fives, roughly a full point each above her nearest rival.  Rochette has brought her game up a level this season, and her point in the Free Skate here exceeded that of Yu-Na Kim at Skate America.

Fumie Suguri dropped a place in the Free Skate, where she finished third, but in total points placed second overall.  Her program was well executed, except for errors on two elements.  She popped element 8 to a single Lutz, and received GoEs of mostly minus two.  For her last spin she had scheduled a flying sit spin, but the spin did not fly and was called a change combination spin.  Since element 10 was also a change combination spin, her last spin received no points.  Four triple jumps were landed in the program, with only one jump combination.

Suguri's performance to "Otonal" by Raul di Blasio was very expressive.  Her body and movement just oozed feeling for the music.  Her Program Components were mainly in the mid-sixes, averaging about 6.50.

Alissa Czisny placed a surprise second in the Free Skate and moved up to third overall.  She landed five triple, though one with a serious error.  On Triple Lutz she had a poorly controlled landing and stepped out of the jump, receiving GoEs of minus two.  As usual, her spins were outstanding and received GoEs of plus two and three, and were called levels thee and four.  Skating to music from the Dr. Zhivago soundtrack, she stayed in character through the program and received Program Component marks in the mid-sixes.  Her scores were very close to Suguri's, except for Skating Skills where Suguri scored 3/4 of a point higher.

After placing seventh in the Short Program, Carolina Kostner, pulled up a bit to finish fourth in the Free Skate and Fourth overall.  It was a bit of a rocky performance.  She did not attempt her triple-triple, and two footed a solo triple Lutz.  She also struggled through triple loop, which was scored negative for quality.  She landed five triple.  Her spins and sequences were called levels three and four, and were performed adequately, except for her last spin, a change sit spin, which was called level one.  Her performance to Tchaikovski's "Swan Lake" was make work with little projection of any emotion.  Her Program Components where mainly in the mid-sixes, except for Skating Skills which where they were closer to seven.

Caroline Zhang dropped to fifth in the Free Skate to fifth overall.  Her program was scored third best for elements despite a step out and fall on triple flip.  She popped her first attempt at triple Lutz to a single, and was called with an edge alert.  The element was scored slightly negative for quality.  Her spins were scored positive for quality, but she did not rack up the pig points she needed for those elements, except for her layback spin, judges with GoEs of plus two.  She landed a total of five triples.

The weakest part of her performance was in the Program Components where she was scored seventh best.  Her component scores ranged from 4.00 to 6.50, averaging around 5.75.  It was a mechanical performance to Tchaikovski's "Sleeping Beauty" devoid of emotion and character development.

Beatrisa Liang placed sixth in the Free Skate and sixth overall.  Five of her elements were scored negative for quality.  Her biggest problem was with the Lutz, with an edge alert on one triple Lutz, and an edge call on the second -- on which she also fell.  On a triple flip - double toe loop combination, the flip was clean, but a poor landing and step out on the toe loop pulled the element down with GoEs of minus two.  A planned triple loop was also executed as a double.  A totla of five triples were landed.  Her spins and sequences were called levels three and four and were judges slightly positive for quality, not nearly as high as she needed to make up for the problems in the jumps.

Skating to music from the movie "Memoirs of a Geisha," the program contained only the lightest hint of character development, but at least looked natural and not mechanical.  Her Program Components were mainly in the mid fives, averaging about 5.75, except for Skating Skills which was scored in the low sixes.

2008 Skate Canada Ladies Medalists