ISU Junior Grand Prix Courchevel, France

The junior grand prix circuit is about to start! Competitors include Elena Radionova.

Yey, it's finally a start of new skating season! I'm also rooting for Lena, she's is such a treasure!

I asume Elena is the new Lipnitskaya in junior gp? It will be interesting to see, if she'll be as dominant as Yulia was.

zarinaballerina wrote:

I asume Elena is the new Lipnitskaya in junior gp? It will be interesting to see, if she'll be as dominant as Yulia was.

To me she's much better then Yulia, Lena has great artistry and much better technique

She also has amazing spins and flexibility. She competed at Triglav trophy this year (I couldn't atend ) in novice and she performed 3L-3T. I mean WTF?! Most seniors have problems with 3T-3T and here she is throwing 3L-3T like it's nothing. Too bad she's not eligible for Sochi.

The programs can be watched here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0A4BC08FA3A7DDA5&feature=g-all-a

Really impressed by the 13 year old Uliana Titushkina.
Can't wait for Radionova to skate!

I loved the Korean girl's short program, unusual and beautiful. I think her skating looks grown up, not at all juniorish. Can't wait for Radionova too.

babayaga wrote:

I loved the Korean girl's short program, unusual and beautiful. I think her skating looks grown up, not at all juniorish. Can't wait for Radionova too.

I loved her program too. Really captured my attention how she actually pays attention to every detail of the music. Lovely
Just saw that the Korean girl skated to the soundtrack of the movie called "The road". I couldn't watch the movie until the end because I found it too depressing. But the music is quite beautiful and yet sad

Lady_in_black wrote:

I loved her program too. Really captured my attention how she actually pays attention to every detail of the music. Lovely
Just saw that the Korean girl skated to the soundtrack of the movie called "The road". I couldn't watch the movie until the end because I found it too depressing. But the music is quite beautiful and yet sad

I haven't seen the movie but her program made me want to see it Thanks for the warning, I'll be prepared that it's depressing.

Radionova

babayaga wrote:

Radionova

According to the protocol she landed 3Lz-3T, 3F and 2A.
I'm surprised to see that now the judges reword the jumps done in the second half of the program in the SP too.(they award 10% more to the base value)
I had no idea about this change rule
protocol:
http://www.isuresults.com/results/jgpfra2012/jgpfra2012_JuniorLadies_SP_Scores.pdf

Can't wait to see Lena's sp performance!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRsU6MTPK6Y&list=SP0A4BC08FA3A7DDA5&index=25&feature=plcp Lena's SP!!!!

Wow, Elena was fantastic! She actually performs to music and doesn't just use it as a background.
I know it's a bit early to say this, but if Yulia will compete at jr. worlds, Elena is going to give her a run for her money.
I think I just found my third favourite skater-1.Mao, 2. Liza, 3. Elena.

zarinaballerina wrote:

Wow, Elena was fantastic! She actually performs to music and doesn't just use it as a background.
I know it's a bit early to say this, but if Yulia will compete at jr. worlds, Elena is going to give her a run for her money.
I think I just found my third favourite skater-1.Mao, 2. Liza, 3. Elena.

Yes!! My list!! Lena is my second favourite Russian after Liza

polosatik wrote:

zarinaballerina wrote:

Wow, Elena was fantastic! She actually performs to music and doesn't just use it as a background.
I know it's a bit early to say this, but if Yulia will compete at jr. worlds, Elena is going to give her a run for her money.
I think I just found my third favourite skater-1.Mao, 2. Liza, 3. Elena.

Yes!! My list!! Lena is my second favourite Russian after Liza

What can I say, we have an excellent taste.

Wow, what an impressive performance from Lena!

She is SO GOOD! Her 3Lz+3T is magnificent, and, finally, I found someone who is able to land both the lutz and the flip with right edges: Liza has problems with the flip, Sotnikova and Lipnitskaya with the lutz, all the other top ladies at the moment (except Kim) have problems with one of these two... I hope Mao joins the club of the correct edges soon, last year she was so close with her lutz! I'm excited about her FS today, I really want her to score 110+!!

Mao2012 wrote:

She is SO GOOD! Her 3Lz+3T is magnificent, and, finally, I found someone who is able to land both the lutz and the flip with right edges: Liza has problems with the flip, Sotnikova and Lipnitskaya with the lutz, all the other top ladies at the moment (except Kim) have problems with one of these two... I hope Mao joins the club of the correct edges soon, last year she was so close with her lutz! I'm excited about her FS today, I really want her to score 110+!!

Liza has problems with the flip edge? This is news to me. I thought she is one the very few who have text book technique. Didn't Yuna have a problem with the flip a couple of years ago as well? It was called a lip instead of a flip.

I hope Elena is going to destroy Yulia's record. She is much better. I can't wait to see her lp.

zarinaballerina wrote:

Mao2012 wrote:

She is SO GOOD! Her 3Lz+3T is magnificent, and, finally, I found someone who is able to land both the lutz and the flip with right edges: Liza has problems with the flip, Sotnikova and Lipnitskaya with the lutz, all the other top ladies at the moment (except Kim) have problems with one of these two... I hope Mao joins the club of the correct edges soon, last year she was so close with her lutz! I'm excited about her FS today, I really want her to score 110+!!

Liza has problems with the flip edge? This is news to me. I thought she is one the very few who have text book technique. Didn't Yuna have a problem with the flip a couple of years ago as well? It was called a lip instead of a flip.

I hope Elena is going to destroy Yulia's record. She is much better. I can't wait to see her lp.

You're right, she doesn't have problems with the edge of the flip, but her 3F is so incostant: last season, she landed it just two times out of six... And Kostner, too, doesn't have problems with the edges but she doesn't perform the lutz because is not a stable jump for her, so I didn't consider her among the "complete" ones. Yu-Na HAD problems with the flip's edge, especially in her 3-3 but she fixed it before the 2009-2010 season so, at the moment, her only weak jump is the loop.

Mao2012 wrote:

You're right, she doesn't have problems with the edge of the flip, but her 3F is so incostant: last season, she landed it just two times out of six... And Kostner, too, doesn't have problems with the edges but she doesn't perform the lutz because is not a stable jump for her, so I didn't consider her among the "complete" ones. Yu-Na HAD problems with the flip's edge, especially in her 3-3 but she fixed it before the 2009-2010 season so, at the moment, her only weak jump is the loop.

I see what you mean. I misunderstood, because Adelina has a flutz, so I assumed you meant Liza also uses the wrong edge on the flip. I hope Liza's problems with the flip were due to her growth, and everything will be fine this season.

On another note, Elena has won Courchevel with a score of 116.64 for her free program! I can't wait for ISU to upload it.

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpQrgiMV3eM&feature=g-all-u
She's incredible, the only one who smiles while landing 3-3, 3Lz and 3F!

Mao2012 wrote:

Here it is:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpQrgiMV3eM&feature=g-all-u
She's incredible, the only one who smiles while landing 3-3, 3Lz and 3F!

She's special. The way she present herself, it can't be taught, it's a gift. And the technique is perfect, I like how perfectly straight her rotation is in the air, her spins are very good too. But the main thing for me is how she feels the music, I don't remember anyone who in such young age was such musical. Bravo Lena!

Her SP is especially haunting. She's so special in the way she carriers herself at such a young age and that she diddn't pick overused music. But there's one comment on the YT video that makes me think: "How can we be good in Sweden when, at the same age, we train 1/3 of the hours this girl is training. Why don't they build more ice rinks so that figure skating gets more hours and we have a chance to develop Excellent skaters like in Russia or in Asia? I admire countries who give 100% to help kids become World Class Athletes.".

pearlyriver wrote:

Her SP is especially haunting. She's so special in the way she carriers herself at such a young age and that she diddn't pick overused music. But there's one comment on the YT video that makes me think: "How can we be good in Sweden when, at the same age, we train 1/3 of the hours this girl is training. Why don't they build more ice rinks so that figure skating gets more hours and we have a chance to develop Excellent skaters like in Russia or in Asia? I admire countries who give 100% to help kids become World Class Athletes.".

I love the way Elena Radionova presents herself on ice! There is something so natural about the way she skates, and I noticed her improvement! She kept her SP from last season, and it looks more polished now compared to when she performed it at the Russian Nationals! I hope she enjoys her season, and does her best!

Well, one thing is, figure skating is an expensive sport, among many others. Many countries, especially the third-world countries can only invest in so much, and a lot of them have other objectives than sports, which is not the top priority. In my country of only 2 rinks [one olympic-sized, and the other mini rink], skaters support themselves, and it's a very rare chance for one to be trained abroad. But we get by. Like that youtube commenter, I share admiration of countries who support their athletes.