Yatagarasu

Here It's 162.27. I think this is probably it, if he uses the 4Lz. He's loved the combo at WTT, with the 3 quads in the second half. I also prefer the 4T-3T and a solo 4S but then technically speaking he could also go for the 4Lo-3T, or double 4S.

4Lo-3T? Sure. Yuzuru has, in one of the practices during last season. It was very nice too, there's video on YT. I think Brian is resigned to it yes, but seriously now, I think the Olympics season is the season to balance carefully the new (which is a necessity really at this point) and what is already familiar, in order to get the best balance for stability, ie consistency. Brian's been on this rodeo before so he knows this very well. There's also that Yuzuru himself is more conscious of and eager for consistency in his performances next season. So with a brand new quad, I think the chances for that particular combination are minuscule.

Brian would murder him I do think he can pull it off but I don't think we'll see it. Too new. I think that the FS will be a standard 4Lz, 4Lo, 3F / insert the ending which basically depends on the 4 or 5 variant. Personally, I think it's a 5, so then I think it'd probably be the CoD, plus 2x4T, unless he surprises us with a 4Lo-3T but again, I feel like Brian would murder him. For the short, I am not even sure he'd change anything at all from what we have now but since it's Yuzuru, if he inserts the 4Lz for the solo I'd actually argue please, please temper it down by keeping the 4T combo. In essence, my question is - chances of Brian committing homicide?

I'd say so too but then I didn't think there was much justification to add the combo @gladi mentioned yesterday, to Javi's FS, and yet he did think about that. I am honestly not sure any longer. Also I wonder if in some ways Patrick would have it easier to increase to four because Javier's been in the 3 camp for a good while now and is used to the rhythm of it all. Since it was Brian who mentioned gradual transitioning, I do think it's possible that is what we'll end up seeing. And yes, Yuzu can do both but since he's the type who goes all out we'll know right away. Come on August.

There wasn't any Until 1984 when the ISU changed the rules and brought in requirements for a balanced program (well, 1982 for pairs), free was indeed free. You could perform whatever combinations of elements that suited you best. But since the skating was moving too much towards jumps, they brought the rules into play that would require a minimum of all elements. Even then though you had things like a minimum number of spins, so you could up that. It was even with the new rules more relaxed compared to what we have now. And yes, at the time they had the compulsory figures portion. Actually the 6.0 system went through changes too, so what Peggy Fleming skated to changed in 1980 in terms of how it was all computed together. Anyway, yes, she placed first in the compulsory which is actually what ended up giving her the gold medal, when it was all factored in.

Oh. I know Patrick's off practicing the 4F with Tom, but are there any news on the 4Lo at all from Javi? He's in Spain but of course, he's had the 4Lo for a while now so it's not like he needs Brian. I'm also curious what they'll choose even if the new jumps are a go. Both the SP and the FS or just the FS? In the FS do they go for 3 or 4? I feel like if things progress well Javier would try to increase to 4 but honestly, I think it'd be difficult for both, after all this time. It'll be curious to watch them, regardless of Yuzuru who has his own choices to make, even with the Lz.

There are two ways to do an Axel entry, the skid is more common. You could vault directly off a clean edge, that is what Yuzuru does. The second way, is to skid on the forward take off edge slightly first. It helps the blade grip the ice on the take off better, and gives you more control. It's an acceptable technique that many use but personally I'd argue vaulting straight up incurs no loss of momentum, hence no loss of power while the skid does. Of course Axel being an issue as it is, having more control is a better choice for most.

Yup, he is. As @kaeryth said, we'll see him on the Senior GP circuit and if he can rotate those jumps, he has a huge chance of positioning himself nicely to go to the Olympics.

Yes! I was surprised as well at first but then, considering the competition for the spots, he also doesn't have much of a choice what with Nathan and Vincent as quad-guys which would probably leave the one place. So he'll be going for 2 in the SP and 2 in the FS. From what I gather it's a 4T and a 4S. Post this past season he's spoken about trying the 4F and frankly, that'd be lovely as I think he has a great Flip but I doubt very much that's even remotely possible for this season (a pity!). If he chooses to stay post Olympics, who knows. Now he does have to integrate the two into the programs, and of course, one is going to have to be the combo in the short, which is a risk. But yes, I mean even just the injury from this previous season (which, hello weirdness land, I still don't quite get it all) was such an unfortunate thing. SA was so good for him, and if he could have just continued that way, I am sure that by the end of the season we would have had him landing that quad no problem, which would have made this season so much easier. Ah if wishes were horses, but he's really had bad luck.

Wasn't she something?? And yes, well the style, that is Fassi. She was a true Fassi skater, and he was something all right. Actually, he was a skater himself, before he turned coach. 10-time Italian national champion, twice a European champion and a bronze from Worlds! Peggy wasn't the only skater who is well known that he coached, in fact we'll be visiting several of his during our little trip, and not just from the US but all over. He was actually fabulous at politicking for his skaters! Oh, he died some years ago, from a heart-attack during the World Championships of 1997 in Lausanne, he was just 67 (it's really strange how some of these events echo!). Oh and that reminds me, talk about how skating can be 'incestuous' almost. Maribel Vinson-Owen who was killed in '61 coached Frank Carroll (yes, that Frank Carroll). Carlo Fassi coached Robin Cousins. When Carlo died, Frank and his pupil Linda Fratianne, accused Fassi of conspiring with the East European bloc to get Robin Cousins the gold medal by swapping votes for him, for votes for the East German champion Anett Poetzsch. Though often repeated as true, it's actually nonsense, there were only two judges from the then Eastern bloc on the panel but there you go. Anyway, Carlo's wife Christa Fossi coached too (among others Nicole Bobek, who they were accompanying when he passed away), and she's still around, am positive I spotted her during the Europeans this season. She's also in the Figure Skating Coaches Hall of Fame.

No, no, nothing to be sorry about. Well Jason is my second favorite skater, so I definitely understand what you mean. I would really, really love to see him at the Olympics. I've followed him for a long time and he's such a wonderful person but as you say, there is also the artistry which is truly something (and I think he works really well with Rohene who is fab so as a pair, we get these lovely pieces of art). I mean there is a reason that without a quad he is still so appreciated, by the audience, and other skaters including Yuzuru. Men for me definitely do have that lacking more than the ladies, and well, there is the whole issue of PCS affected by clean quads and guh. Anyway, considering he's adding 2+2 quads this season, I think it'll be important for the programs to settle well for him, in order to hopefully make it all work and that we can see him at PC. I have faith, and there's still plenty of time so that they can even fiddle with the music cut if needed. The FS is from all I've read very raw, so I can't wait to see more in two weeks. Wonder if we'll have a livestream.

Nope, she'd Zayak. She does 2x3F and 2x3Lz but probably for the best. I'd forgotten about that plan Javi had. I am not sure, I don't think he'd get much from it, especially if he does add the 4Lo. Talking about Plushy, he could do one of his combos, 4T–3T–3Lo, now that was something we don't really see any more. Ask and you shall receive. And no, I'm not giving you the time-stamp so that you sit through it as I'm sure you've not seen it and it's definitely worth it! (it's from his home library btw)

You could do a triple combo with two Loops though. Very rare but that is doable. Zagi did a 3Lz-3Lo-3Lo and way back, Lisa N did a 3Lo-3Lo-3Lo, Plushenko played with some of those, I'd have to go look but I believe we had a 3T–3T–3Lo–2Lo at one of the Galas at some point. Absolute murder on the hips too.

This was 49 years ago! It boggles the mind, when you think about it. And it was done with the equipment from those days. Of course, the psychological pressure, considering everything must have been enormous too! p.s. so was I

I'm curious, like what for example?

Pretty much, when it comes to the SP. I guess right now, the way he moves isn't really going well with the Broadway musical of it, but considering it's very early indeed, I'm sure they'll work on it. I enjoy Jason's skating even if I'm not sold on the music so either way I'll be fine but I do hope for his sake it all works out. It is such an important season after all.

Indeed. I saw a few days ago Satoko doing a 2A-3Lo and of course, we've seen other attempts of that kind (Shoma tried 3A-4T I think?) but really why bother, apart from perhaps the prestige or if you're stuck so are trying to YOLO something. And yet it'd be so wonderful to start seeing all those combinations in actual competitions. I don't know, maybe the men's and the change of rules will get them going but at this point I am not optimistic, as it's hardly a new problem. I suppose the same goes for possibly opening up the ladies field even more so with an overhaul of allowed combinations. I guess they're waiting, and waiting, and waiting, to see that moment when the 3A and quads become more common. Snort.

I cannot even being to explain how much this ticks me off, which is why I had to bring it back up. It's not even that difficult to have some kind of BV increase formula but no. So irritating. Especially when it comes to the ladies skating, considering that it is constrained so this type of thing would open up the field a little bit more. It'd benefit the men too of course, especially with the up and coming changes. I just don't get them.

We continue the journey with the skating Tardis taking us quite a few years back now. Peggy Fleming of the United States skating to Symphony No. 6 Pathétique by Tchaikovsky, La Traviata by Verdi, Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saëns, The Thieving Magpie by Rossini at the 1968 Olympic Games in Grenoble, France. This story starts even earlier though. In 1961 probably the biggest tragedy of figure skating world occurred – a plane carrying the US figure skating delegation to the World Championships that was to be held in Prague, Czechoslovakia crashed, killing 73 people, including all 18 athletes and 16 coaches, officials and family members. Among them were a 9-time U.S. ladies' champion, then coach, Maribel Vinson-Owen with her two daughters, reigning US ladies' champion Laurence Owen and reigning US pairs champion Maribel Owen; Maribel Owen's pairs champion partner Dudley Richards and reigning US men's champion Bradley Lord; US ice dancing champions Diane Sherbloom and Larry Pierce; US men's silver medalist Gregory Kelley, US ladies' silver medalist Stephanie Westerfeld, and US ladies' bronze medalist Rhode Lee Michelson. The World Championships itself were cancelled. As you can imagine, apart from the terrible human tragedy, this was a terrible blow to US figure skating as well. They did manage one bronze by Scott Allen in the 1964 Olympics but it wasn’t until 1968 that a true return of US figure skating was marked by Peggy Fleming. In 1961 Peggy Fleming was coached by William Kipp, who was also on that plane and was thus killed. After the tragedy USFSA did several things to try and invigorate the program, among them bringing in people like Carlo Fassi to United States, who became Fleming’s coach along with his wife Christa Fassi. USFS also established the USFS Memorial Fund in honor of the victims – Peggy Fleming credited the fund later with being vital for her career. Though her performance at US Nationals that season was better, it is for the overall context, combined with the program itself, that we chose this one at the Olympics. The program, and Fleming, were truly special too. Keep in mind, she is skating there with the old equipment that is not nearly as adapted to jumps as we have now, and yet her athleticism was incredible (2A, 49 years ago!); her jumps and spins were more like those of the male skaters of that time. It was also pure Fassi, in a way that broke apart from their predecessors. It was jazzy, elegant and modern and her technique showed influences of ballet, jazz and modern dance. Peggy Fleming thus won the 1968 Olympic gold medal that challenged the conventions of those day, in both power and style and we could say, revolutionised the sport. Alternate Link 2 - English commentary, by Carlo and Christa Fassi

Want to bet?

Of course you haven't, because Shoma has been receiving the full push of JSF, especially from the start of the previous season. JSF is definitely not USFSA or SC but it is hardly small potatoes either, and they have been mostly focusing on Shoma, not Yuzuru. Shoma's Flip is not a Flip. It is a combination of a Flip and a Loop, with huge prerotation added, that is just smidgens away from making it an Axel. This is simply a fact. Now personally, I prefer to be cautious so currently my train of thought is that judging will remain as it is so keeping that in mind, any discussion therefore goes under those constraints. Shoma can do whatever he wants, including Flutz, and that's just how that will be. But, and @meoima is right, there is the not so small issue of USFSA and even SC, that will go along with them if they start. I keep repeating this but Lysacek and Plushenko. It was truly something to see. I was around at the time and watching the USFS propaganda machine work its magic was a thing of horrifying beauty. By the time Olympics rolled in you could almost feel the atmosphere pulsing in the rhythm of - Plushenko has no transitions, Plushenko has no transitions, Plushenko has no transitions. Everyone and their grandmother, who couldn't otherwise distinguish from a skate boot and a skate blade, had this mantra stuck in their heads and it was just an expression of all the work they did. Frank Caroll had an entire campaign going on, starting with Lysacek's image. If they all decide to throw their weight behind Nathan, that is considerable weight, none other like that in the skating world. And Shoma has that Flip. With added talk about his not quite quads (and Kurt didn't just accidentally blurt that during WTT, the talk is already here) and he has a very clearly exploitable weakness. It won't even be the case then of directly influencing judges but simply creating an atmosphere where they naturally follow which way the wind, or tornado, is blowing. This is Olympics which means everyone's going out for blood, and Yuzuru is no exception in the sense that they would go after him as well, except it's really, really difficult. With his technique, where the Flip that is potentially the only issue now perfectly legit and happy as a tucked in beautiful triple, there is nothing to grab onto. At best they could try and attack his artistry but if Seimei is indeed what he's presenting, they're actually out of luck there too. Something like H&L would be a far more open thing, but with an dramatic FS, like Seimei or similar, that door is also closed. In the end, it doesn't mean that they will do this, it is that the option is there when it comes to Shoma. I am operating under the supposition that the judging will remain the same but at the same time, I really want a medalist that doesn't have all these questions all over his technique so I am not going to complain if someone finally shines a light on all those questions. If Shoma can answer all those questions in terms of a properly skated program, then more power to him and congratulations!

I am feeling the Free more, the SP isn't really doing it for me either right now, but both are still a work in progress so there is that. I think in general the music for the free fits Jason far more than what they chose for him from Hamilton but I expect it'll improve as season goes. I did see some talk about not the best cut for the SP but the audio is meh enough I cannot tell! Anyway, Glacier Falls should tell us way more, fingers crossed.

And here is the FS, as it is, currently. I love the music! They're definitely building on the previous season. This is I think going to be very, very good. Fingers crossed for those quads then.

Yes, unfortunately that does sound like she's r***ng. I am not that surprised, to be honest, but I am quite saddened as she still has so much to give. Whatever is best for her overall though, and if it is so, I wish her the best of things. Oh and Atakhanova/Spiridonov have split up.

I don't see it here so this is a three-parter of Jason's new Hamilton SP (at the end). As a reminder, his FS music is being composed specifically for him by Maxime Rodriguez and it's a work in progress. Glacier Falls is two weeks from now, and this is where I expect he will go with at least with one quad in each, as it's a much more observed comp. Skate Detroit is this weekend, with Hochstein and Vincent taking part.