It's off season but there are many figure skating news which attract our interest. Let's talk about general figure skating news.

Most surprising news are splits of many young pairs and ice dance couples. And here are also some in news.

Midori Ito competed again
I think that many people of this forum are long time figure skating fans. So you may know her who became world champion and Olympic medalist. And she was the biggest rival of Kristi Yamaguchi. She recently competed at ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition in Oberstdorf.
Photo
Video
She finished second, but I think it's a lovely performance. :cheer:

Plushenko regains amateur status
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/20...991716199_x.htm
Good for him, and good to keep people paying attention to figure skating.
So what's next? Will he appear at GPS?

I read on a Phil Hersh article that deadline of offers of GPS assignments is June 21. And I heard that ISU congress will be held on June 24 - 26. The entries will be announced around it.

What a pleasure to see that Midori is still skating and doing it so well.

As for Plushenko, I'm disgusted with the ISU for taking back their earlier decision. Not because I don't think EP will bring fans to skating, but because of the way it was done. IMO this says it's not what you do that matters but who you are. I don't think the two can or should be separated. He has a name and the host federation of the next Olympic games behind him.

No one should be above the rules; can you imagine a lessor known skater from a small federation being allowed to do this? I don't think so - besides he/she'd be so thrilled just to be there that nothing could make them stay away.

Either you have rules or you don't. For them to ignore his breaking of them sends the wrong message and imo erodes the credibility of skating's governing body and those who are responsible.

I don't want people to watch skating because of the notoriety. i.e. the "bad stuff," but rather for the great skating of those who play the game according to the rules.

If the rules are worth having they're worth enforcing. If the rules aren't working, maybe they need to be changed. They should not be played with - applied to some and not to others. JMHO

As for Plushenko, if he had had a proper management person who could handle this better, it would have not happened. I think that people outside USA do not think Plushenko's matter as notoriety. I don't know how well he can keep in good shape with his age. However, it must be more exciting if Patrick and Kozuka compete not only against Gachinski but also against him, for example.

Mary, I agree with you. It just seems like Plushenko was able to throw the rules in their faces with no real consequences. I'm concerned that this can send a message that a skater can do whatever he or she wants and there will not be any consequences for the skater. IMO, this ruling has set a precedent that other skaters can use if they choose to do so.

You are right that no one should be above the rules. JMO.

Casa, I also agree that Plushenko's management should have handled this better, but they didn't, so the rules were violated. I also wondered how well he can compete at his age. We'll see, I guess.

It was originally a matter between Russian federation and him. Russian federation might have thought that it was not the skater's mistake, but theirs, after all. (And ISU admitted it.)
Anyway, I agree that Russians are desperate toward Sochi. ;)

I also agree about his management team doing a better job - and the Russian Federation for Sochi, but I also think Grachinski is a real up and comer with a shot at doing very well there if he keeps on the way he's going.

Just read that EP is recovering from yet another knee surgery. His jump landings are awkward / hard at best. Can't imagine how he'll keep going for the next 3 years and be able to do well. Time, as always, will tell.

You do have a point, casa, that Plushenko should not be punished if this was totally his management's fault. I also agree that Russia really wants this.

Mary, I also read about EP's surgery and I also wondered how he would handle the jumps, especially the quad, if he tries one. Add 3 years to all this. It will be interesting.

I totally agree with both Mary and elover!

I will add that you can mark my words that EP will NOT be a factor in Sochi, even if he manages to make the team.

Very nice to see that Midori Ito is competing. I absolutely remember her competing against Kristi and nailing that second triple axel at the end of her long program to win the silver medal. :skating:

About EP, just because he has been reinstated, and just because he says he wants to compete in Sochi, doesn't automatically mean he will. He is in terrible shape now. He won't be competing for the next two years as he did after the 2006 OLYS, but hold out until the 2013-2014 season to jump back again, or not. That is what I think. I also think he doesn't have a prayer skating against Chan, Kozuka, or Gachinski. Chan skated like a wonder boy at Worlds this season and Kozuka was just about as good, except I didn't care for his SP. I predict that Chan is going to dominate from now until Sochi and be the next Olympic Champion. He has skills that I think are innate and unbeatable. Also, Gachinski is Mishin's student now and is working very hard to get him ready for Sochi, and he looks as if he is on his way. I do not care for his style. It is very much like EP's, which is Mishin's goal for Gachinski.

I don't think there will be any room on the podium for EP or Joubert either. Also, Evan would have to triple "suicide train" to be better than these younger guys. I don't see him wanting to do that because he does want to be able to walk in the future. Right now Chan is 20, Kozuka is 22, and Gachinski is 17. A lot of young blood there, and there is still a lot of young blood down the ranks. Takashi is 24, Brian is 27, and Evan is 26. They are the old guard. Oh, and Jeremy Abbott is 27. EP is 28. So do the math. Is Sochi in 2014 going to be a competition among the older men or the younger?

IMO, These older men who still want to compete should go for the new International Cup of Excellence. They would be the younger men in that competition, and the way it is laid out sounds very challenging. There will be rules and judging similar to IJS, but not totally. Sounds like there will be more room for creativity, while still keeping the technical skills high. It is supposed to start in 2012. I can't wait to hear what Evan thinks about this competition and if h is interested. With Scott Hamilton at the helm, I think it can't be anything but a success.

Rachel Flatt reprimanded and fined ny USFS for not reporting injury earlier so that the first alternate could go in her place.

Zakrejcek also reprimanded for not pulling her from competition.

Frank Carroll registered complaint, stating that Mirai Nagasu was ready to compete at Worlds and would have been able to place high enough to earn US the third spot for the ladies team. Said Mirai took her responsibility as first alternate seriously, and had been training. Zakrejcek cost the US a third spot on the team.

I feel bad for Rachel. I believe she was used and was caused further injury. She was told it will take at least a month for her injury to heal. It is her landing leg and the picking leg for the Lutz and flip.

I am glad Zakrejcek is finally getting his comupance. Although, with all the skaters of his leaving him, he is getting a double barrel. Can't be sorry for him. You reap what you sow. I hope Brandon Mroz, if he decides to stay in skating at all, has the good sence to jump ship too. Brandon has not been happy.

Adam Rippon moves to Detroit to train with Jason Dungeon and Yuka Sato.

Ashley Wagner leaves Priscilla Hill and moves to John Nicks.

I read an interesting article about Patrick Chan. I don't know why, but I can never get a link to work but cutting and pasting. Don't know what I am doing wrong. So I will just summarize and comment on the main points.

Chan has recently received three Guinness Book of World Records certificates for his scores at the 2011 World Championships. He says that his goal for this season is to reach 300 points and that would be like a 6.0 and would make skating easier for the fans to understand, meaning 300 points would be a perfect skate and the number to strive for. He plans to add the quad Salchow to his program this season, which would mean three quads. He says Evan needs to know that skating has changed since the Olys. (Do you think Evan doesn't know that.)

The article mentioned that Chan has not been in any serious training over the summer. That seems odd to me for a skater who aims to score 300 points this season, unless he expects them to be handed to him on reputation alone ( which wouldn't altogether surprise me). Also found it interesting that at Canada's version of champs camp, Chan appeared "rusty" and fell a number of times, but he said he likes to fall because it makes him "laugh." Well, Skate Canada isn't that far off and I hope the judges are really fair this season and don't "laugh" off Chan's falls and still give him a gold medal. He is the only skater I have ever seen or heard of who can pull that baloney off. He gets propped up by his PCS.

He did say he looked at Evan's quad and thought it looked good, but he has to land it in competition, as if Evan never has before. I hate to tell Patrick, but Evan has landed quads in competition long, long before Patrick ever did, so don't think so much of your self. See, Patrick's problem is that his mouth gets ahead of his skates. He and Jeremy Abbott share the same problem, except Patrick is tons more talented and consistent than Jeremy.

A mistake was made in the article. Evan does not face Chan in Skate Canada, but in TEB in France, which also includes Brian Joubert, so quads will be flying for sure. Where they will be landed is anybody's guess.

I found this one on Icenetwork - is it the one you referenced, Carley?

>>HERE<<

Pretty typical Chan-talk. He talks the talk - can he walk the walk is the question waiting for an answer? [Makes me wonder who he's trying to convince - himself maybe?] Whereas Evan says little and lets his actions - and results - speak louder than words.

I wouldn't say 2 out of 5 successfully landed 4S jumps is anything to count on at this point. That's only a 40% success rate. And that's during practice. And yet he talks about Evan needing to land them (quads) during competitions. As you say, Carley, as if he hasn't. We've seen him land any number of them - in person as well as on TV.

Should be a very interesting season. :) Bring it!!

No, that is not the article I read. The one I read was a google alert with an article from Canada. It had more content. I don't know why I couldn't post the link. I am surprised you didn't get the alert. Chan was more impressed with himself in the article I read. That is what I love about Evan. He just quietly slips in there and surprises everybody, except us. We have evan seen Evan throw a quad into a show just because he felt like it. I saw one in Hershey.

I also was reading stuff on FSU. It really wasn't negative about Evan, but the people there also acted as if Evan had never, ever landed quads before. How easily they forget. Both of his National Championships were won with quad combos. He has landed quad combos beautifully in competition, and sometimes not. I think this season he will, because he has nothing to prove. Of course he wants to make a good showing and win, but as always he will maintain his same mind set. Go for the performance and not the results.

The article I read also said Chan was adding new difficult spins and footwork. Well we know that Evan is doing that too. So I don't see anywhere that he is behind the 8 ball. And Evan has his consistency and mental toughness to back him up, not to mention experience and his OGM.

Is Plushenko competing this season? I didn't see his name on any roster unless I missed it. Did you read the article I mentioned from IFS? Could we post a link from the digital edition because I think it is good for discussion too, if anybody is interested in discussing figure skating.

I just read the IceNet article again. "Rusty!!" I would say so. Scoring 139.96 and coming in second to Richard Dornbush at the Golden Western Championship really sounds in pitiful shape. If he plans on being in top shape by Skate Canada, I don't think an extended vacation could possibly work into the plans. But that is what he did. I guess after setting records at Worlds, he didn't think he had to work as hard as everyone else. He will have Evan, Kozuka, Takahashi, Joubert, and Gachinski to contend with. Not sure about Plushenko. He had meniscus surgery this summer, so I don't know if he will be ready for the GP. Surely Chan knows his competitors aren't slackers!

Carley, is this the article that you were referring to?

http://www.globalnews.ca/sports/fresh+off+...7910/story.html

Smoly hokes - he sure is full of himself, isn't he? 'nough said!! (You don't want me to start on his comments re: Evan )

Now he has to live up to his own hype. Time will tell if he does. He's getting a late start!

Carley - re: Plushenko. I've not seen him listed on any of the GP events so it remains to be seen when he'll return to compete as he says he plans to do. Maybe Russian Nationals.

FYI, Chan received ~140 score for his LP with the following jumps:

3T-3T, 3T, 2A, 3Lz-1/2Lo-2S, 3Lo, 3F-2T, 2Lz, 2A

The first 3T was a popped 4T, the first 2A was a popped 3A. The third 3T didn't count because he did 3T three times. The 2nd Lz was a popped 3Lz. So he was rewarded 140 for a program with only 5 triples, no quad, no 3A.

You do the math, if he can land 3 quads, at least one 3A and two 3Lz (as he planned), how much he'll be rewarded? :angry:

And never ever underestimate the Japanese men.

It'll be a nerve wrecking season, but I have faith in Evan. :1st:

"Rusty" is a bit of an understatement. He hasn't given himself a whole lot of time to polish his act.

2011-12 will be a nail-biter for sure. My $$'s on Evan to give us a ride we'll never forget!! He's absolutely skating like a million bucks - and that was back in July. Can't begin to imagine what he's added to the arsenal since then. He's always a force to be reckoned with and adds an element in the locker room for the other skaters that was missing last year. Just being there messes with their heads a bit and ups the competition levels more than a notch.

Will they hold - or will they fold? That's the million $$ question. Evan never folds, that we know. :1st: :cheer: :clap:

We'll just let Patrick talk and brag while Evan quietly and humbly goes about getting it done! :skating:

:goodpost: That's our fella!! :wub:

I just LOVE it when a cocky, arrogant so-and-so (Plushenko, Chan, Abbott, Weir...) prance about thinking the judges OWE it to them, and then there's Evan, who quietly goes about hiw business, training with that unparallel determination, and then takes them ALL out when it counts!!

Evan will do it again this season (and the season after that all the way to Sochi if it's in the cards). Mark my words!! :skating: :wub:

Boo to those who are cocky and full of themselve.

This success has obviously gone to his head and someone will make him eat humble pie.

Evan said that no one is unbeatable and I'm confident that one of Chan's competitors will prove it to him.

Win or not, Evan is always graceful and will always be my :1st: .

I have to laugh at this. This is where Evan's smarts outpace his competitors. Recall Vancouver when, with a sore foot, he was concerned about a quad. They reviewed the rules, and prepared a program designed to take advantage of his strengths, and the scoring process, placing many difficult moves in the second half of the program, which earned extra points, instead of a wild and poorly executed quad, like Plushenko.

Fast forward. Any real competitive athlete knows in his bones that the worst thing you can do to yourself is (1) brag about your abilities and (2) say or do ANYTHING to pump up your opponents. Chan is doing just this. In many sports (college football being my personal favorite) these stupid remarks are usually placed on the opposing team's bulletin board so everyone can see it and get their anger going.

So now we have Chan, boasting about wins he doesn't have, and abilities that are or will prove to be inconsistent, likely sitting on his meager "laurels" and not adequately preparing, (due to overconfidence). Remember the tortoise and the hare? The consistent, plodding, forever advancing tortoise, who quietly performs, comes out ahead. And the hare peters out in the end.

Thank you Patrick Chan - for providing the "posting" for Evan's bulletin board, extra motivation and "fire" for his belly, and guaranteeing that he will be fully prepared, and ready to, in his consistent "tortoise-like" fashion, take you out. Picture me now, rolling on the floor LMAO!!

To follow up, Evan has said the best thing anyone can do for him is to suggest he CAN'T do something. Thanks Patrick!!

All of you are so right on!! Evan gave kudos to Chan last year for his Nationals free skate. He knows how good Chan is and can be. So what do you think he is doing? Quietly and determinedly preparing to be the best he can be, just like he did while Plushenko strutted around claiming he was the king.

I have a new saying and I don't even know if it is really a quote. I just made it up.

He who roars the loudest, doesn't roar very long.

Sunny, I am not sure which competition you are showing for Patrick, but it is not the 2011 Worlds. I went back and found the protocols for 2011 Worlds, and this is what Patrick did.

4T, 4T/3T, 3Lz, SlSt3, Fssp4, 3A, 3Lz/1Lo/3S, CSSp4, 3F, 3LO, 2A/2T, ChSt1, CCoSp4

For all of that he earned 96.44 points The base value was 82.83 points. The first two jumps earned 11.59 and 16.83 pionts because of +GOE's, especially the quad/toe. However the 3A lost -1.57 Pts. because PC has not yet mastered the 3A, which can really hurt him when he comes up against the really good skaters who can up their PCS and their GOEs as Evan has done. His 3combo jump gave him 12.97 pts. So Evan's new combon of a 3A/1/2Lo,3F should give him more pts., but I haven't figured it out, also we don't know what GOE he would get. PC's second 3A was popped into a 2A (again showing his problems with the 3A). Overall PC earned 22 +3GOE's and 12 of them were for footwork. We know Evan's fw is stellar, so no worries there either.

Where Patrick cleaned up were his PCS, where 4 judges actually gave him 10's, which I have never seen before, ever. He earned SS 9.25, Trans. 8.93, Perf./Exec. 9.11, Choreo. 9.11, Interp. 9.36 = 91.52 This is where he is able to run away with the Gold medal.

Takahiko Kozuka actually scored a higher technical score than Patrick, 98.53, but a lower PCS, 82.26, It is interesting that Taka earned that score without a quad/toe combo, however he had no -GOE's and his 3combo jump was a 3A/2T/2Lo.

So I don't see Evan having any problem going against Chan technically, because Evan has always been an extremely high technical machine. Where PC can get him is in the PCS, but I believe with Evan's experience with DWTS, and the programs he skated since the Olys, he has shown that he has really upped his artistry, performence, interpretation, and everything else that goes into the PCS.

Sorry for the big, long technical explanation, but having done it, it has really eased my mind that PC is beatable, and Evan is the man to do it. :thumbup:

Those scores were from the Golden Western Championship that was held a few weeks ago.

I for one applaud Evan congratulating Chan-in fact he should wax poetic on Chan's abilities, and even tell him how hard it will be to beat him. Another psych technique. Meanwhile Evan can just continue preparing and let his performances do the talking. PS don't overlook Chan's ability to "downplay" his skill leading up to his "bout" with Evan-sneaky, sneaky.

I too applaud his comments re: Chan, but Evan has never been involved in playing "head games," and I'd be very surprised if he were to start now.

His supreme mental toughness and ability to mind his own business are two of the weapons in his large arsenal of training routines that have helped him to reach his goals.

While I suppose Chan could be playing head games, I can't imagine anyone being able to dent either of the above. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't surprise me if Evan isn't even aware of what Chan is saying. Whlie he does know what his competitors are doing, he rarely reads news items about them. Part of Frank's admonition for him to mind his own business.

My bad. I completely forgot that Chan did the Golden Western and really blew it. It was kind to say he scored 140, because he actualy scored 139. something. Richard Dornbush beat him. Terrible performance, and if I were Chan I would be mortified, going into a competition that unprepared. Needless to say he has a LOT of work to do. Almost like starting over again. Well, I hope for his sake that he puts his energy into his feet instead of into his mouth!!

Yep - that about covers it!!

Can you even IMAGINE that Evan would consider entering a competition that unprepared!? Never in a billion years!! Preparation is key to results.

You said it, sister!! Evan really is the master!! :1st:

Did everyone read the news that Brandon Mroz landed a quad Lutz at the Colorado Springs Invitational, but couldn't be entered in the record book because it was a domestic nonqualifying competition. Here's hoping he can do it again when it really will count. Go Brandon!! :thumbup:

I'd heard he'd landed one but NOT that it "didn't count" in the record book. That's a shame!

That's so exciting! I hope he can do it again in a qualifying competition so it goes to the books!

That is for sure.

I just watched a video of Brandon Mroz and his quad Lutz about 8 times!! It was magical, it was fast, it was beautiful, it was perfect with a really great ride-out. I certainly hope he can do it again this season in a qualifying competition so he can get in the record book. I hope he does it at Nationals so we can see it!! :clap: :clap:

Just watched more videos on FSU of other skaters training all kinds of quads. Adam Rippon landed a pretty good quad Lutz, although his landing was rather low to the ground. There were a few skaters I was not familiar with, Europeans or Russians I think, who were also training quad Lutz' and one landed a quad Lutz/combo. I also saw Oda land in practice last season for SA, the GPF, and the Olys a three jump combo, 3A/3T/3Lo, but he never did it in competition. Yuzuru Hanyu was also landing some pretty interesting combinations and sequences. Looks like there is going to be some fire power happening on the ice this season. I just hope there isn't going to be a lot of mess ups that really make a program look bad. That gets so tiresome. It is great to try all these new and difficult jumps and combos, but, as Evan has always said, you have to be able to land a good percentage of them in practice in order to be quite sure that you are going to land it in competition. Also, the skater has to be careful not to use up all his/her adrenaline in that one difficult jump and then start popping others. That won't do any good at all. That is what happens to Kevin Reynold. He can land great quad toes and Salchows, but the rest of his program usually looks like a mess. He has been like that everytime I have seen him since SA 2007. One would think he would show some improvement.

Also read that Alissa is training triple/triple jumps to increase her point value. I really hope that she will be able to pull them off. That would be so great. I don't know if we will get to see them at SA or not.

I am very, very curious as to what PChan puts on the ice at Skate Canada. I almost wish I were going. Remember the year, Mary, we did the turn around and went to back to back competitions? Honest to goodness we did. We were in Everett, Wash. for SA 2008. Flew home on Mon. Mary flew to Balt., we picked her up, got to my house, put her stuff in my car, had a bathroom pit stop, then headed north to Canada and arrived Thurs. afternoon in time for the Men's practice. We left Mon., stopped on the way home because we were so tired and got home Tues. Then we did Nationals in Cleveland, Jan. 2009 and Worlds in March, 2009. That was THE YEAR for competitions. I don't know that I could do four in one year again. But it was all wonderful. Sorry for the digression, but I had to tell that little story. ;)