1 hour ago, katonice said:

More on Boyang's condition

 

Poor Boyang!! . Please rest well! 

3 hours ago, PapiandPooh421 said:

Poor Boyang!! . Please rest well! 

 

4 hours ago, katonice said:

More on Boyang's condition

 

So, Boyang is basically in the same predicament as Yuzu x2 with added pressure of actually QUALIFYING for GPF. Suddenly, my gratefulness for that Withdrawal decision at NHK skyrocketed again, despite all the heartbreak and Yuzuru's withdrawal syndrome we're suffering because of that...

9 hours ago, Xen said:

Is he implying that Nate's also injured? Cause if he is....I'm going to go burn some incense and then pray that the curse ends at Olys, and everyone is healthy and happy again. 

 

I doubt that, and certainly hopefully not. It looks more like a classic -  look, squirrel - maneuver. The US media have been going on and on about consistency and how inconsistent Yuzuru is especially, and now Shoma's getting hit with that too. They see those as Nathan's main rivals and that, apart from the whole Nureyev angle, is what they have been running with.

The trouble with going with that approach is when the person you're showing as some magical 'consistent' unicorn, bombs, you have no where to go. It's best then as damage control that you do not commit to anything in particular but offer up something vague, so that people can fill in the blanks themselves. That's always the best way to go. That plus his boots, or rather, blade issues this time and it'll hold them until the GPF, or so they hope. So ... squirrel!

Only now time to catch up. Poor Boyang and Adam was first in the Free?  Wow. Am going to watch now.

10 hours ago, Bonesfan said:

LOL - what is "very revealing"?  Raf said he sees problems with other skaters (which is kind of a strange thing to say)  and Nathan has his own stuff to deal with. There is no indication of injury. I think Raf should keep his "observations" about other skaters to himself. I must admit I'm getting tired of the "Nathan and his skates" excuses.  

Raf is such a drama king when it comes to Nate 

 

I kind of wondered if he messed up because of the pressure of suddenly being considered the OGM frontrunner. It’s tough being king of the hill. Just ask Yuzu.

 

No man has been particularly impressive during the GP season. If the skates at the GPF are similarly flawed, I’m curious how much momentum anyone is going to get. It truly looks like the gold will go to the last man standing.

 

I don’t really know what anyone is capable of besides Yuzu. He has proven that he can come back from injury to break world records. Nathan has beat him multiple times—but not at the biggest competitions, GPF and Worlds. Frankly, he looked intimidated in Helsinki, where Shoma and Boyang thrived under the pressure.

 

 The thing about Nathan and his skates, is that everyone has to make sure their equipment is in order. It’s a basic requirement, not extra credit. If we keep hearing more about it, the pattern will be obvious.

Nathan, like any other skater, can have an off day. It is normal and happened with all top skaters. The problem is that the media and his fans were trying to convince everyone that he is the consistent skater with nerves of steel who always delivers. So, when he faltered, they are trying to find any excuse to explain it without affecting that narrative 

 

I am actually enjoying all the dancing around the issue that is happening as well as the complete silent from the most vocal advocates of harsh penalties for pops and falls on PC 

 

Just to make it clear this is not in any way criticising Nathan, I really wanted him to do well yesterday and I still think he is a strong competitor. I am just finding it ironic how he and Shoma both succumbed to what their fans and the media have been criticising Yuzu and the other for  

germanEurosport finally broadcasted the Men's FS: here's something to laugh, to heal from this terrible event: 

 

 

 

Apart from that, today not the 2 usual commentators Sigi and Hendrik, but a women was commentating alongside Hendrik. 

What she had to say about Boyang got me  again: 

 

First they didn't have any clue that Boyang had 2 ankle injuries and therefore found his skating to be very slow and tentative. 

 

Then the women added: For me, the thing with him (Boyang) is, he skates like he did his job, but always lacks emotion and involvement. 

 

Hendrik then quickly said: Well, he certainly made some improvements, especially compared to his first GP, where it was all about the jumps. But of course, he is no second Javier Fernandez. 

 

Grrr ... that woman ... Hendrik was always fair to Boyang (one of the few commentators out there) but that woman was just so biased!

2 hours ago, Eclair said:

Grrr ... that woman ... Hendrik was always fair to Boyang (one of the few commentators out there) but that woman was just so biased!

 

In general, commentators seem to be severely lacking this season. Sigh. 

2 hours ago, Yatagarasu said:

 

In general, commentators seem to be severely lacking this season. Sigh. 

Well I like Sigi and Hendryk, they were pretty good (overall) this season

but that new lady is very superficial and apparently has a pretty strong bias, too

Going through my Twitter feed and saw this. The OP was probably referring to something else when mentioning "head-scratchers" in the post, but what made me scratch my head was Nathan being shown as having only 26 qualifying points for the GP, hence Shoma being the top qualifier lol. CBC... 

 

I enjoyed Rippon's skate here.