Yatagarasu

I just realized, even with his 3rd place finish at Brisbane Rukhin never got a 2nd assignment. Now that is odd. You'd think they'd give him a shot anyway. Huh. And as expected Samodurova and Kostornaia at Egna. I've got to feel so bad for Gulyakova but on the other hand, doesn't that say something about the depth of the Junior Russian ladies field? You only got a second assignment if you ended up on top of the podium for the first one. Good grief, cutthroat is an understatement! Which leaves us with the question which Japanese lady goes to JGPF? For me, please let it be Rika.

Oh goodness she truly is something, isn't she? But then yes, considering everything, I still think BBC is mostly all right. There are far worse examples ... coughRAIcough ...

As another insomniac I can attest to that. It's actually quite brilliant as it really is not that different from other times for me, in some ways I actually prefer competitions in the middle of the night because I don't have to worry about work or finding the time to squeeze in at least one group. I can relax and watch ... and well as I said, nothing really changes for us. We don't sleep anyway

That is one of my favorite commentating moments from Helsinki. There are a few, the second one is from the German ESP commentator who simply goes - My God - with this sort of wonder in his voice, but as much as that was a purely sincere exclamation from him, this particular comment from Cousins is just wonderful and I was so happy he had said it! (I've learned to ignore his little mess ups!)

Ah yes, Hannah, thank you! I know. Well we can start the discussion with this too, no? The reason why I've decided to hold off on changing it, it's really no trouble, is that I want to see what we get out of CoR. Yes, RusFed confirmed but considering it was all a bit of a rush, Avebukh didn't know, etc, lets see if this truly is the final choice. What we get at CoR will be the final decision I believe, even she cannot switch between two that quickly. As for the switch, I've decided I really like it. I think it's a good choice, if she keeps it. I think the music is much more appropriate to the general audience, they're bound to follow better than the Leftovers one, and I think it fits her and her expression more. Anna K seems to truly show her maturation as a skater, and as a performer IMO, while I think Leftovers is pretty demanding and she's not quite there yet. In general, for anyone, it'd be tricky to coax out the maximum out of that and even then, I am not sure the payoff is enough. Anna K is well known though and easier to get. I loved the new stsq. Truly loved. She just flows through it, which wasn't always the case before. The slight ballroom touches are magnificent, go quite well with the story and she executes those really well; lovely crispness to her movement at those points. Gosh I love Daniil! So yes, fingers crossed she keeps this, they work some more on it and I'll be really happy to quickly make that change of her FS

If I were any good at it, sure I'll just put Yuzuru on top and cross everything. For the ones without him, I mostly play eeny, meeny, miny, moe among the big names

Tally so far: The top 6 in each discipline will get into JGPF. Red confirmed, blue are substitutes. Men Ladies Ice Dance Pairs Alexei KRASNOZHON (USA) 30 Alexey EROKHOV (RUS) 30 Camden PULKINEN (USA) 28 Mitsuki SUMOTO (JPN) 24 Makar IGNATOV (RUS) 24 Joseph PHAN (CAN) 22 Luc ECONOMIDES (FRA) 22 Roman SAVOSIN (RUS) 22 Igor EFIMCHUK (RUS) 18 Conrad ORZEL (CAN) 15 Basar OKTAR (TUR) 14 Andrew TORGASHEV (USA) 13 Alexandra TRUSOVA (RUS) 30 Daria PANENKOVA (RUS) 28 Anastasia TARAKANOVA (RUS) 26 Mako YAMASHITA (JPN) 24 Eunsoo LIM (KOR) 22 Riko TAKINO (JPN) 18 Emmy MA (USA) 18 Alena KOSTORNAIA (RUS) 15 Sofia SAMODUROVA (RUS) 15 Kaitlyn NGUYEN (USA) 14 Nana ARAKI (JPN) 13 Anastasiia GULIAKOVA (RUS) 13 Rika KIHIRA (JPN) 13 Akari MATSUOKA (JPN) 13 Christina CARREIRA / Anthony PONOMARENKO (USA) 30 Marjorie LAJOIE / Zachary LAGHA (CAN) 28 Anastasia SKOPTCOVA / Kirill ALESHIN (RUS) 28 Sofia SHEVCHENKO / Igor EREMENKO (RUS) 28 Caroline GREEN / Gordon GREEN (USA) 24 Ksenia KONKINA / Grigory YAKUSHEV (RUS) 24 Elizaveta KHUDAIBERDIEVA / Nikita NAZAROV (RUS) 22 Eliana GROPMAN / Ian SOMERVILLE (USA) 18 Ashlynne STAIRS / Lee ROYER (CAN) 16 Sofia POLISHCHUK / Alexander VAKHNOV (RUS) 15 Shira ICHILOV / Vadim DAVIDOVICH (ISR) 14 Anastasia SHPILEVAYA / Grigory SMIRNOV (RUS) 13 Daria PAVLIUCHENKO / Denis KHODYKIN (RUS) 28 Apollinariia PANFILOVA / Dmitry RYLOV (RUS) 26 Ekaterina ALEXANDROVSKAYA / Harley WINDSOR (AUS) 24 Anastasia POLUIANOVA / Dmitry SOPOT (RUS) 24 Aleksandra BOIKOVA / Dmitrii KOZLOVSKII (RUS) 24 Yumeng GAO / Zhong XIE (CHN) 22 Polina KOSTIUKOVICH / Dmitrii IALIN (RUS) 20 Evelyn WALSH / Trennt MICHAUD (CAN) 20 Laiken LOCKLEY / Keenan PROCHNOW (USA) 14 Audrey LU / Misha MITROFANOV (USA) 14

I am always torn whether I should do these or not ... then I always do ... but there's always that angst you know? I just cannot not predict he'll win

To be blunt, now that he's all grown up I think he's hot af. So you know, Yata will take him. I have no problem taking him off everyone's hands. Wut.

I was so happy to see Anna back on the ice, yesterday was her first day. It also says they didn't rush it but let her recover slowly, as I did expect her back earlier, that was at least the word at the time. Good that they won't rush her now either, so knock on wood she's healthy and fit for Jr. Nats! Welcome back Anna.

It's actually reasonably successful, unfortunately and yes, there's nothing you can do about it. I mean as an example, I guess I watch JGP because I expect Yuzuru to Benjamin Button himself? And into a girl no less? I think the popularity thing is really a big issue but at the same time, I don't think they quite get how that works. You cannot create that type of popularity. It comes from a mixture of personality and skill in their field, but also that unidentifiable X factor that a person simply has and all of that being present at the right moment. No amount of pushing, PR or twisting is going to create that. People would bottle it and sell it at ludicrous amounts but it is just not possible. Another thing that cannot be done is stifling it. Ah well.

Exactly but it's just a part of wider narrative that has been going around for quite some time now. You're a Yuzuru Hanyu fan thus - you do not actually like skating itself; you do not like him for his skating; you only watch him and no-one else, you do not cheer appropriately for others, etc. All of this is used to create an enviorment where once you have an opinion, it is summarily dismissed with a 'you're a Yuzuru Hanyu fan' because all of the above means that your opinion is of no worth. And then, more broadly, there is the idea that somehow Yuzuru Hanyu fans are a negative influence on skating, and then that gets extended to Yuzuru Hanyu himself being a negative influence, and all sorts of stuff starts being excused with that. If there is a reduction of tickets for Yuzuru fans (am not saying there is or there isn't but hypothetically speaking) then it should not be justified and brushed away by this very same narrative because Yuzuru Hanyu also deserves a fair competition. This should not in any way be forgotten. Nobody is going to create a more 'fair' enviorment by eliminating Yuzuru Hanyu fans. At the same time, it is actually an interesting question, especially keeping history in mind, what type of atmosphere would be created if they were for the most part not present? I'm sorry but I've been around for way too long, as a skating and Yuzuru fan, to let this narrative just pass through.

This is a competitive sport at the highest level, not kindergarten games. You shine by performing at the highest level and performing well. There is literally nothing that stops all the others skaters from performing in such a way. If they do not do so, then they are not capable of it (currently or at all) and that is simply life. This is not in any way, shape or form Yuzuru Hanyu's fault, nor Yuzuru Hanyu's fans fault. It does not in any way fall on Yuzuru Hanyu's shoulders to make sure other people can "shine" nor does he, or his fans, somehow eliminate "a fair chance" for them to do so. The presence of Yuzuru Hanyu, or Yuzuru Hanyu fans, does not, in any way, impede a fair competition and frankly, I really find it highly problematic that something like that is even being suggested. Not to mention that Yuzuru Hanyu fans have always made sure to appropriately reward and cheer his competitors, as was more than evident as recently as ACI. Something that cannot always be said the other way around by the way, especially at Japanese Nationals.

Massimiliano Ambesi's podcast full translation! https://the-a-factor-fs.tumblr.com/post/165975610600/kiss-cry-episode-1 Part 1 is slightly out of date, though I still found the talk interesting, now that we know the result of Nebelhorn, but honestly absolutely everything is worth a read! It's long but great

And how did that end? *taps foot* I am actually seriously surprised. It's bad luck. And Brian must not be happy either

JSF probably has the same rules as the last time around. Highest SP score holder does the SP, same for the FS. If it is the same person, he does the SP, while the 2nd highest gets to do the FS. So yes, if things remain as they are, he'll get the team SP, which might not be a bad thing. He's very comfortable with Chopin and yet can test out the ice prior to the individual. There are positives too. And we'll see. No jinxing

Aww thank you! It's the J skaters and the skater-in-laws! He is so cute!

That's not really how skating is judged though. It's about satisfying all conditions under the rules to the maximum extent, and then on top of that, overcoming things like skating order (because it matters), politicking, etc. Then there is the issue of a free skate with 5 quads where by simple numbers, the program will suffer. Yuzuru or not, even he has to make room for those jumps. So as a whole to get a 100 PCS in the FS is highly, highly unlikely (also don't confuse 6.0 with this; totally different systems). I'd say it is more likely to approach the maximum in PCS in the Short Program, and he already has but you'd have to have all the judges hit those 10s or at least just one needs to be off and that is a tall order. I'd not say impossible but not that far off. You would need the best skate in the history of figure skating to get those. Olympics alone may offer sufficient conditions to get the judges to go that far, but still, I am very, very, very skeptical.

@xeyra Ah thank you! Ok so he never did go over 99, that talk the other day. I genuinely could not remember and I think I would have, such a thing is pretty big. And yes, he can kindly get one more ...

So weird, especially with the time still left. I guess he's decided to try and go full out for the RusNats but that's such a huge risk. Hopefully we hear more soon.

Huh now that's odd. Injury if I were to guess, wasn't he having trouble even before?

Plus we'd be environmentally friendly (very Yuzu-like) Win overall!

Piece of cake. And not even rum choc one. Something simple. Delicious though. Because it's us.

Ah, ah, ah! We employ that old PR trick of appearing more generous than them and thus shaming them for their actions! And it'll only cost us a few pennies! We can use the dumpster cardboard on the inside...