xeyra

I like the new default so much I removed my own avatar so I'd get this one.

Oh, they're European, they don't count.

I don't think we're going to see IB into 3A again. Remember he's doing a combo there now, not a single 3A. I think the structure of the second half has been modified enough that certain details can't be repeated (IB is now part of the choreo sequence instead of a jump entry, for example).

BTW I think the sit twizzles were eliminated because he's now doing a 4S instead of a 4T before the spin and I think that's a quad that takes longer to set up. That or he just needs to conserve energy and the sit twizzles are too stamina consuming at that point. It's going to be my most lamented loss if he doesn't find a way to bring them back, though.

I think he specifically mentioned in an interview this hydroblade hand movement that he didn't get to do at Helsinki while talking about the little details he'd incorporated in the FS that paid homage to Plushenko'd own Nijinsky program.

Somewhere around Skate Canada I forgot to give predictions so now I'm out of the game but I wish I was suffering with my failed predictions with you all.

Yuzu right now:

RIP my predictions.

I know the conversation moved on from Otoñal to the 4A but I wanted to bring attention to something regarding the long spread eagle in front of the judges and the hope of more arm movement there. I'm not sure if people have noticed, but the SE is during a silent moment in the music and he only moves his arm right as there's a note after the silence. It's so well timed it gives me chills (also more noticeable on fancams from certain angles). So while I think he needs to tighten his body and shoulders more not to seem so nonchalant during that SE, I'm now not sure if I want the effectiveness of that movement right on the note to be diminished if he's moving his arms more often during the SE. I wouldn't mind if he went with the suggestion I've seen to change his first spin and his combo order. It might fit the music just as well as the layout he currently has.

I finally did my SkA predictions (and re-did the Warm Up round). I will, as usual, bomb.

The amount of withdrawls is what is making me hesitate to start doing SkA.

Are you dreaming about Yuzu in LGC costume, @rockstaryuzu?

Yes, Katt is right, he never attempted a 4Lz publicly until WTT 2017 and then Rostelecom 2017. Well, aside from that ice show attempt with Plushenko around, where he fell, that was also recorded.

As Kelly said, assignments are given away via one's placement at Worlds (Top 12) or 24 Season's Best total score, so only after giving assignments to all of those can you go down the list, usually in order of Season's Best or whatever a Federation hosting decides. Each Fed that hosts a GP has one spot in each of the disciplines for their own skaters, which is why NHK has 3 Japanese men, but other GPs don't because outside of Yuzuru, Shoma, Kazuki and Keiji, none of the other men earned a SB high enough for GP entries. Whereas there's a LOT of Japanese ladies who had great Season Bests and some couldn't get entries because you can only have a max of 3 per country in each GP (Yuna Shiraiwa comes to mind).

Guessing which ladies might make the GPF is SOOO hard outside of Satoko, Zhenya and Alina. The guys I need to debate between a few for one leftover spot. Gah.

I think one of the goals he had set was landing a 4Lo, which he apparently did on the last day before leaving for the Olympics. Also, this is fine, I'm not tearing up or anything.

You know, for all the pops (and that one fall) on the 4Lo, when it came to his runthroughs and the FS itself, he actually didn't pop or fail it, which is good news. I was more surprised at his 4S3T fail because it seemed such a solid combo during practices. Ah yeah, to be on topic, I voted WTT.

Also, 4A will never be in the SP. Remember the old adage: you can't win a competition with the SP but you sure can lose it, so losing the SP is just dumb and a 4A there is a dumb risk. 4A will appear in the FS if at all this season. Edit: Plus, yesterday's practices did show us his SP jumps, if one was paying attention: 4S and 4T3T.

The fact people are voting for early season...

Boyang's technique is A++++

The timing on the 4T of the 4T-Eu-3S is fab! There's still a few rough parts he'll work on to make smoother but this is so good already.

To be fair, he scored 268 because he got a WR in his SP.

I'm not. I love them as transitions!

Ah, so the zen attitude didn't last long. He's already talking about results again.