Grand Prix Final 2008!!!

Here the PDF
http://web.icenetwork.com/documents/2008/12/12/57333/1/gpf0809_SeniorLadies_SP_Scores.pdf

-3lo<
But,Mao good job! I love it!

thanks for the scoring sheet!

Ohh...I hope Patrick is alright! I love him so much !

Great job, Mao! Nice GoEs for layback and spiral sequence. 3 judges actually gave her the highest PCS and one - exactly the same as YuNa. Only one judge really lowballed her PCS.
The PCS are all over the place for both YuNa and Mao, btw... Everything from 6.00 to 8.00.

On GPF they say that there was no official announcement about Patrick yet, just a post on a Korean forum. I hope he's fine, it would be a shame if he had to withdraw.

Okami wrote:

On GPF they say that there was no official announcement about Patrick yet, just a post on a Korean forum. I hope he's fine, it would be a shame if he had to withdraw.

Actually, he took a really bad fall on his 3axel! He had so much power that it seems that he was going for a 4axel! lol! He was far behind in the air! Hope he didn't get injured because of that fall..

I just got back home and watched Mao's program. Congratulations, young lady! That was fabulous.

Tatiana's reaction to Mao's performance was so adorable.

So the loop was downgraded.. Somehow I'm glad about it was, so the score is still amazingly high with a 3-2.
The other elements have very high levels, great she got level 4 for the spirals. Now just imagine if she had succeded doing the triple loop at the end of the combination, the TE would be 40+!

Should she actually only do 3-2? She wouldn't lose points in the GOE and still have a very high result..
Still I think she should keep on trying 3-3 in the short - she might lose her confidence not doing her trademark combination anymore..

Why did Yu-Na only get level 3 for her spirals? Sometimes I really don't understand the tiny difference between level 3 and 4..

@clovera
Wow! Thanks again for the vids

Maya wrote:

Why did Yu-Na only get level 3 for her spirals? Sometimes I really don't understand the tiny difference between level 3 and 4..

I think that her change of edge in her spiral wasn't good...

Sigh. After watching Mao's program for the 10th(?) time, I still can't help feeling unhappy that Mao got less for her 3F-3Lo< than the base value of a 3F! It just doesn't seem right. The same for the 3A<+2T - how can the final score be less than half what Mao got for the 3A alone? Grrr...

What I was thinking though, is that Mao's combo has definitely changed. I remember being so impressed watching Skate America 2006 because Mao's loop was higher than the flip. But on the TV Asahi video, when they showed the strobe-motion, it's clearly not as high as the flip. I feel like the flip has gotten bigger, but maybe that's hurting her ability to do the 3Lo...Did anyone else notice that?

But anyway, gosh, everything is soo beautiful!
mitsuno - I totally agree, at TEB I just couldn't get into that program, but I absolutely love it now!!

In other news - As it turns out, I was right about Shanetta Folle being in Japan with Mao after NHK Trophy (see thread on "Mao's jumping coach"). She would talk on the phone with TAT and tell Mao what TAT said. I think that's a good system!

Does anyone know what Midori Ito said about Yu-Na's performance? Or what about the other nations' commentators said about the competition? I can't wait to hear what the British Eurosport people had to say!

Ah well, today I don't think I can wake up in time for the free skate, so I'm just going to have watch it later.

Goo Mao! Show them what a true fighter and champion you are!

Batsuchan wrote:

What I was thinking though, is that Mao's combo has definitely changed. I remember being so impressed watching Skate America 2006 because Mao's loop was higher than the flip.

In other news - As it turns out, I was right about Shanetta Folle being in Japan with Mao after NHK Trophy (see thread on "Mao's jumping coach"). She would talk on the phone with TAT and tell Mao what TAT said. I think that's a good system!

Does anyone know what Midori Ito said about Yu-Na's performance?

Okami mentioned it. We are talking about Mao, though, so once GPF is over I'm sure Mao's team will work on it. The arrangement between Shanetta and Tat is also nice to hear. I must admit I was confused with why Mao called her "Janna-sensei," but it looks like they are the same person after all.

I watched the TV Asahi broadcast alongside WebTV again, and Midori was fair and complimented everyone as usual. She said (from her angle) that the lutz looked a tad inside and depending on the judge, the combo will get the UR call. As for Yu-Na, she actually compared her to Mao's GPF SP last year, and felt the "tables have turned, in a way" (Mao being last and Yu-Na first last year after the SP). So you can tell the atmosphere was a bit...awkward when the scores were announced.

Junior Ladies Final Result:
1 Becky BERESWILL USA 146.69 4 2
2 Yukiko FUJISAWA JPN 145.92 7 1
3 Alexe GILLES USA 144.49 1 4
4 Kanako MURAKAMI JPN 141.63 2 3
5 Angela MAXWELL USA 131.75 3 5
6 Kristine MUSADEMBA USA 122.86 8 6
7 Amanda DOBBS USA 117.07 5 7
8 Diane SZMIETT CAN 113.25 6 8

Congrats to the medalist, and ESPECIALLY Yukiko for having the only error-free skate today! It's a shame she was so far behind in the short, but to pull up from 7th to 2nd place is quite something. Her TES was better than a lot of the senior skaters too in their LP! I've also enjoyed Angela, Alexe, and Kanako's performances, and would've placed Kanako and Alexe higher...but Kanako got 3 UR calls, Alexe one UR, and you know what happens by now when skaters get a UR call... Still, the top ladies all did well, and Kanako got the highest PCS scores for the FS, so it's a step in the right direction.

Good luck to the senior skaters on their free skate or free dance, and as always, go Mao!

Ice Dance Final Results
1 Isabelle DELOBEL / Olivier SCHOENFELDER FRA 156.10 1 1
2 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN RUS 152.95 2 2
3 Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE USA 148.04 5 3
4 Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI ITA 145.12 3 4

The two D/S dominated (not a surprise), with DelSchoe winning over DomShab. B/A withdrew this time, so only four teams competed in the FD today (K/N withdrew yesterday). This is bizarre...is the food poisoning rumor true? Eek. For those with IN it seems like PJ Kwong - the substitute commentator for Nancy Kerrigan - has been talking about it nonstop in addition to gossiping about other things.

~Videos~
Junior Ladies: http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=88ac9ba3858c88f991b20cc0d07ba4d240b0b76f06d3ebc0 (I was so irritated by Kanako's scores that I clumped her performance with Alexe's together) My apologies.
Ice Dance: http://www.mediafire.com/?sharekey=88ac9ba3858c88f991b20cc0d07ba4d21d42d9aa2576c7c8

Our Vasya said , someone has consulted with the nerves and did a clean program,and someone did a single and still in first

I'm watching the final on TvAsahi now on KEYHOLETV.

Patrick fell on his first 3a... ;(

You can download Keyhole TV here:
http://xorsyst.com/japan/watch-japanese-tv-online/

I just came home, switched on the TV (and my PC) right away... but noooo!!!What happened to Brian!?

Brian apparently injured himself in the morning practice.

The LP results so far:

1 Jeremy ABBOTT USA 159.46 82.56 76.90 7.70 7.50 7.75 7.75 7.75 0.00 #5
2 Johnny WEIR USA 143.00 71.30 71.70 7.45 6.60 7.40 7.10 7.30 0.00 #3
3 Tomas VERNER CZE 137.31 63.21 74.10 7.55 7.05 7.45 7.55 7.45 0.00 #2
4 Patrick CHAN CAN 137.16 65.96 73.20 7.60 7.20 7.10 7.35 7.35 2.00 #1

Jeremy landed two 3A and made no mistakes, Johnny doubled 3Loop, Thomas and Patrick sort of bombed. Takahiko is about to skate!

Aww...Takahiko. He kind of run out of steam in the end. Still, second in his first GPF ever is still an accomplishment. And Jeremy did an excellent job, and Johnny hung in there. Well, Nats should interesting...Lysacek is not even remotely close to being the favorite now.

PatChan and Verner...yeah. Looks like 3A is going to continue to be a key part of whether PatChan will crash or burn, just like with Jeff Buttle.

(I was too engrossed in watching the competition that I clumped Weir, Jeremy, and Takahiko's programs together...oh dear )

Argh d@mn, Takahiko fell two times. But he won a silver medal!

1 Jeremy ABBOTT USA 159.46 82.56 76.90 7.70 7.50 7.75 7.75 7.75 0.00 #5
2 Johnny WEIR USA 143.00 71.30 71.70 7.45 6.60 7.40 7.10 7.30 0.00 #3
3 Takahiko KOZUKA JPN 140.73 69.43 73.30 7.80 7.15 7.20 7.30 7.20 2.00 #6
4 Tomas VERNER CZE 137.31 63.21 74.10 7.55 7.05 7.45 7.55 7.45 0.00 #2
5 Patrick CHAN CAN 137.16 65.96 73.20 7.60 7.20 7.10 7.35 7.35 2.00 #1

Final placements:

1 Jeremy ABBOTT
USA
237.72 2 1
2 Takahiko KOZUKA
JPN
224.63 1 3
3 Johnny WEIR
USA
215.50 4 2
4 Tomas VERNER
CZE
206.65 5 4
5 Patrick CHAN
CAN
205.16 6 5

Takahiko's 3 loop was DG? Geeze, whether in combination or not, the 3lp is the unluckiest jump of the year!

Well, for both Jr. Ladies and Men, Japan took second place...I just hope I'm not jinxing Mao any further than necessary.

Ok, I lied, I watched the program. I thought the Korean crowd was great...until Mao's FS. Very little applause for both 3A's. Mao fell on her flip so didn't max out the combos...still scored over 123 though. Hmm... Well, now that Yu-Na landed her 3-3 they are back to cheering.

MAO WINS!!!!!! Finally the judges had it right!!! (except for Miki and Yukari's placements!!!)

Holy...COW!

WOW MAO!!! She got back her title!!! and in Korea too!!

How was both her 3As? were they clean?

MAO WON!!! WOW! Congrats

1 Mao ASADA JPN 188.55 2 1
2 Yu-Na KIM KOR 186.35 1 2
3 Carolina KOSTNER ITA 168.01 4 4
4 Joannie ROCHETTE CAN 166.36 6 3
5 Yukari NAKANO JPN 161.93 3 6
6 Miki ANDO JPN 158.25 5 5

Phew, dear me. Scores were too close for comfort and I am still in a state of shock. I thought Yu-Na would win since she nailed the 3fl-3t and the 2A-3T, but then she popped her lutz (the lutz seems to give her as much problems as the loop now that I think about it...wasn't this the jump she fell twice on in Worlds '07?), and then she had a fall on a salchow. Mao was able to do the 3A-2T, and the 3A and she fell on a flip, so she won fair and square...at least in my eyes. (I'm also shocked at Miki and Yukari's scores...how many DG did they get? Judges are killing me again)

I'm still disappointed at the crowd though...they had very little reaction for Mao's 3A, or Yukari's 3A attempt, Miki's 4S attempt, or Joannie's 3T-3S SEQ. I remember them being far more enthusiastic at 4CC...must be because Yu-Na was competing this time... Oh well. Props to Yu-Na for managing to maintain herself, she was able to land the 3fl-3T and 2A-3T.

Midori mentions that the 2nd 3A was ratified, and Japanese TV have the protocols in front of her, so I think so! Mao made it to the record books then!

ETA: Protocols are up! Yup, they are ratified! Congrats Mao!!
Mao's FS: http://www.mediafire.com/?2hyk5q5gjzo

I'm back. I was afraid to watch the competition. The crowd wasn't really warm to Mao in SP... I was afraid that the nerves or problems with stamina will get to Mao in the long (and perhaps just a tiny bit they did), but she held it together.

YAYYYYYYYYYY for getting her title back! That's the way to go!

Shame about the fall on 3F, but BIG congratulations for getting two 3As ratified!

I'm so sad for Yukari and Miki... But Yukari is usually a late season bloomer, and Miki just changed her LP, so they still have chance to do lots better at Worlds.