2009 World Figure Skating Championships~LA.

Wow, what a fantastic report! Thank you, Batsuchan.

I'm so glad to hear that the Japanese boys and Miki Ando are looking good. And I hope that Mao will have great practices from now on (and rock in the competition too, of course). She usually starts slowly, sometimes not even practicing jumps on the first day. I hope her 3Lz will be better in the next practice.

Thank you so much Batsuchan!
you have no idea how much I envy you <3
Have fun and enjoy your stay and please don't forget to tell us everything you notice there

Yay! Worlds are beginning - I'm sooo excited!! Definitely my favorite week too

eta: I so want Miki to do the quad! I was extremly glad she tried it at the GPF and although it was downgraded she definitely should try it again. She has nothing to lose and she's been doing it in practices for years. Go Miki!

I think there'll be a fight soon
Chan tired of Joubert’s complaining
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Sports/Ottawa+born+Chan+tired+Joubert+complaining/1419918/story.html

Thank you thank you thank you Batsuchan!!!!!! I'm so glad to hear about the Japanese skaters and that they are doing good. Mao will probably be even better when she get's used to the ice. Glad to hear about Miki too. I read somewhere that she has been fine-touching her LP on her own some time in Jan-Feb. Looking forward to see Mao and Miki, well everybody really...[/i]

Mao - short practice clips:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJRJu-XCq8s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IP6vEeYEExI

Mao, Miki, Nobu, Fumie, YuNa:
http://www.dailymotion.pl/video/x8rg9z_maonews0324_sport

Quote :

Chan tired of Joubert’s complaining

Just stop complaining and skate, people! Leave complaining to fans, they do it better.

polosatik wrote:

I think there'll be a fight soon
Chan tired of Joubert’s complaining
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Sports/Ottawa+born+Chan+tired+Joubert+complaining/1419918/story.html

Ooooh... This is really bad image management... That's when you start to notice how incredibly young he actually is. You can't say stuff like that! First, it's not really his place to defend Jeff against Joubert. That's the past and Jeff handled himself marvellously despite Baboo's critiques (which were, if I remember well, more aimed at the direction FS was taking than at Jeff himself). But the stuff about Yagudin?! That's totally out of line!! I think success might have gone to his head a little... when he can boast 4 world titles and an olympic gold, than he can talk

I was planning on rooting for him to do well, but I find my enthusiasm a bit cooled right now.

Rant over...

chineseteacup wrote:

You are my hero, Batsuchan!

WOW, you got to see Mao skate! Live! Are you going to try getting her signature sometime during the week? If you get the chance, do tell her that we're 100% behind her here at the forum

So I don't know what to do guys!! I have a present for Mao and a letter (in which I mention our lovely forum), but I don't know how I'm going to give it to her!

They have the spectators strictly segregated from the skaters - we have different entrances, we can't go to the side of the rink where they are with their coaches, etc!

As Mao was leaving the ice after practice, I tried to call to her and wave my present, but she didn't come by. In fact, no one else in the audience seemed to try to get the skaters' attention at all/try to get autographs. Maybe Worlds is too serious for that?

Well, so I've got my fingers crossed that I might run into Mao on the street, but it just kills me to think that I have gotten a photo with Yu-Na but not Mao!!!

Quick news update:
http://mainichi.jp/enta/sports/general/general/news/20090325k0000m050128000c.html

Mao said the ice felt good. She said at first she didn't feel like she could move her body, and then she started to be able to move well. She said she definitely does not want to make an mistakes.

Miki said that she probably won't do the quad but is enjoying showing it off in practice (I'm enjoying it too). She also said that she's only planning one triple-triple right now, but she will see how strictly they judge the UR in the men's competition and then decide. That seems smart to me. =)

I should be writing a paper for my lecturer but am currently procrastinating -

Batsuchan, Thank you so much for taking time to post up frequent updates on mao~~ I appreciate it a lot~~

Spread our love to mao-chan~~ Don't worry, I'm sure there would be an opportunity to meet her face to face. If not, I suppose you can wrap the gifts up in a pretty plastic wrapping and throw them down onto the ice after she finishes her skate in the competition.

Since I couldn't go watch the competition live, I'm just gonna cheer the best that I could in this forum.

I really hope that Mao is not pressurizing herself too much on not making any mistakes in her programs. I can imagine that being a perfectionist herself, she may make life pretty difficult for herself at times.

SKATE FREE Mao-chan!! Have fun!!! We'll be here supporting you no matter what! (HUGZZZZ)

Men's SP starting order:
http://www.isuresults.com/results/wc2009/SEG001.HTM

Wow, the last two groups... Can't wait!! Ganbare Nippon!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XGTM6wfrao Videoclip about Yu-Na's 3l-3 t and they showed Mao at the end of the video.

polosatik wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XGTM6wfrao Videoclip about Yu-Na's 3l-3 t and they showed Mao at the end of the video.

It looks like Yu-Na changed her 3flip-3toe into 3lutz-3toe, doesn't it?
A good choice IMO, she'll likely get higher GOEs and no ! for her lip. She does look quite consistent in practices - I'm sure she'll skate a clean short.

Thanks @all for the videos, the articles etc. I'm very grateful for that
I hope we'll get to see more of Mao. Until now she didn't try that many jumps, hope she'll have good practices too!

@Batsuchan
I'd honestly be sooo happy to have a photo with Yu-Na on it, but I fully understand that a photo with Mao would be just gargantuan <3<3
I wish you luck!
And if it isn't be possiblen to give her the present, then maybe you could somehow throw it wrapped in soft toys on the ice after her short or free

Complusory dance is on ^_^;;
I will get updates for everyone =).

1 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN RUS 40.77 21.10 19.67 7.85 7.60 7.95 8.20 0.00 #24
2 Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO USA 39.65 20.26 19.39 7.80 7.55 7.75 8.00 0.00 #25
3 Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR CAN 39.37 20.48 18.89 7.60 7.35 7.60 7.75 0.00 #23
4 Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI RUS 37.34 19.02 18.32 7.50 7.05 7.40 7.40 0.00 #21
5 Federica FAIELLA / Massimo SCALI ITA 36.30 18.58 17.72 7.25 6.70 7.20 7.30 0.00 #26
6 Sinead KERR / John KERR GBR 35.30 18.12 17.18 7.05 6.45 7.00 7.10 0.00 #27
7 Pernelle CARRON / Matthieu JOST FRA 34.39 18.22 16.17 6.50 6.25 6.50 6.70 0.00 #19
8 Vanessa CRONE / Paul POIRIER CAN 33.33 17.46 15.87 6.40 6.05 6.35 6.70 0.00 #22
9 Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE ITA 33.30 17.28 16.02 6.40 6.25 6.50 6.55 0.00 #16
10 Alexandra ZARETSKI / Roman ZARETSKI ISR 32.85 17.42 15.43 6.25 6.05 6.20 6.20 0.00 #2
V/M Should have been placed higher!! Higher than B/A

Oksana and Maksim were the best! Loove them!

Opening ceremony is next and then pairs sp.

A Turkish TRT-3 (where all the events will be broadcasted live ) shows now some retrospective from 1988.
http://www.trt.net.tr/Canli/anasayfa.aspx?kanal=tv3&slv=0

well, it seems that Oksana and Maxim's CD performance is up already:

For ppl who don't have live feeds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfXZOszXdew

Nina Ivanova & Filip Zalesvic - 34.58- 1st.


they had a lot of problems on the double twist, the flips, and the lift. I really thought she was going to fall on the lift ><. Thank god she did not.

Vanessa James Yannick Bonheur 44.10 1st (FRA)


Nice Lift
Good death spiral really fast
2sal + 2sal
Nice triple twist!
Nice triple sal, great height.
Slow spirals, but good stretch.
Nice variations on the spins.

Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett 52.74 -1st (USA)
Nice height on the triple twist.
Both had problems with the triple toe.
Throw triple flip!
Nice, innotative lift.
SBS flying camels and spins were pretty good.
Good speed on the spiral.

polosatik wrote:

I think there'll be a fight soon
Chan tired of Joubert’s complaining
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Sports/Ottawa+born+Chan+tired+Joubert+complaining/1419918/story.html

After the men's practice today, Joubert got asked about this by the media. I couldn't hear too well, but I think he said something along the lines of "I'm not sure what Patrick is talking about - maybe it is something I said last year...but I still respect him."

So I guess Joubert avoided taking the bait and handled it very diplomatically. Though maybe a strong men's rivalry would give the sport a lift in the US/Canada? I dunno...

I have to say, Joubert was really nice! At the practice rink there was a 'mixed zone' that was fenced off from the skaters, yes, but we could get pretty close and yell at the skaters to ask them for autographs. After being interviewed, Brian stuck around to give autographs and photos to everyone who wanted one - everyone! I was really impressed by that. It was not at all what I expected, so I guess that makes me even more of a fan.

Batsuchan wrote:

polosatik wrote:

I think there'll be a fight soon
Chan tired of Joubert’s complaining
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Sports/Ottawa+born+Chan+tired+Joubert+complaining/1419918/story.html

After the men's practice today, Joubert got asked about this by the media. I couldn't hear too well, but I think he said something along the lines of "I'm not sure what Patrick is talking about - maybe it is something I said last year...but I still respect him."

So I guess Joubert avoided taking the bait and handled it very diplomatically. Though maybe a strong men's rivalry would give the sport a lift in the US/Canada? I dunno...

I have to say, Joubert was really nice! At the practice rink there was a 'mixed zone' that was fenced off from the skaters, yes, but we could get pretty close and yell at the skaters to ask them for autographs. After being interviewed, Brian stuck around to give autographs and photos to everyone who wanted one - everyone! I was really impressed by that. It was not at all what I expected, so I guess that makes me even more of a fan.

Wow,this is a behaviour of the true champion! Thank you Batsuchan for your reports!

This is not directly related to the worlds but I just watched mao's 4CC and GPF SP performances again and found something interesting about her lutz entry:

She tends to rock from the outside edge to the inside edge THEN to the outside edge again before taking off.

I don't know if that's the way people take off from their lutz (if this is the case, pls ignore the rest of my paragraph) but it does show that she's struggling with taking off on an outside edge. Seems that it is difficult to break the habit of taking off from an inside edge entirely.

KUDOS to her for trying ANYWAY!!! TAKE HEART Mao, you can do it~~

Perhaps that's why she is repeating the entrance to the lutz jump during practices yesterday as Batsuchan mentioned? She needs to reinforce her muscle memory so that her body will react instinctively in the correct way in the competitions.

BTW, I just remembered sth from a news article / tv documentary I watched on Mao's training in the rink with TT. It seems that she applies the russian approach for warming up. She said that this is the way TT taught her to warm up - starting with the basic skating skills. This may explain the methodical nature of her practice. i'm not sure, any insights anyone?

polosatik wrote:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XGTM6wfrao Videoclip about Yu-Na's 3l-3 t and they showed Mao at the end of the video.

Hmm, that is interesting. Where is that Mao clip from??? Because neither the main rink (Staples center) nor the practice rink at the Convention Center look like that!! That is definitely what Mao was wearing in practice today, and her hair is short so it has to be a recent clip, but I haven't been to any rink that looks like that!!

Could there be a third rink that is closed to the public/audience? Hmm...

Yu-Na did not show up to the scheduled ladies' practice today (unless she showed up after I left). But she was sitting in the bleachers with the rest of us for the men's practice. She was there for the Japanese men and the Canadian men; I left after that so I'm not sure when she left.

She looked like just any other girl in a black & white hoodie, and she was sitting with her mom (very pretty!), and it took awhile for people to recognize her (even though I saw her right away), and then they slowly swarmed her for autographs. I walked past her once and I swear she looked at me like she recognized me ("Oh, there's that crazy girl") - but maybe that was just my imagination. She looked like she was a lot more friendly than yesterday and definitely gave autographs/took pictures with everyone. (Note to self, do NOT bother skaters on their way to practice when they are surrounded by their entourages!)

Thank you so much for all the updates Batsuchan, Asya, and everyone else! My ISP provider just died on me and I have to live with the uni`s PCs for now...

It looks like Miki actually has a slight injury on her thigh, but she seems to be in a very good condition despite that fact. Best wishes to Mao and of course, Batsuchan on getting the gift across!

I`m not sure what to say about PatChan`s comments. Most of us I think agree that there`s little to no point comparing CoP programs with those under 6.0, so his nitpicking of Yags` SLC programs is a bit...