Viktor Pfeifer (Austria):Good triple toe-triple toe to start. I'm rather surprised that he picked that for a combination, but it was performed well. Okay double axel and a triple flip that had a wonky takeoff. Triple flip-triple toe, with a delay between the jumps but otherwise okay. Circular step sequence was so very slow. Triple salchow-double toe - somehow pulled it off despite a bit of a slip on the salchow. Turnout on a triple lutz, but a fine triple loop soon after. Camel spin with a change of edge into a catchfoot that had a nice position, but it lacked speed. Fall on a double axel. A spin featuring a cannonball position was slow, and then blase footwork. Weird sit variation change sit into that weird upright spin that he did in the short as well. That was a really flat performance and he skates really slowly.
53.02 TE 55.44 PCS -1.00 Deduction ; 107.46 FS = 162.47 Total
Shawn Sawyer (Canada): Triple axel attempt... two footed but probably the best one I've seen him do! It was marked underrotated in the protocosl though... Boo! Triple flip-triple toe was good, but then a triple lutz that looked two footed and flutzed to me. Triple salchow with a tano arm I think? It was scratchy. Lovely sit with a twist variation and then an amazing spiral. Footwork into a triple loop. Double flip-half loop-triple loop sequence, good aside from the doubling of the flip. Character driven footwork, which is especially cool to see since I love Alice in Wonderland. Nice double axel, and then a cantavalier into an outside camel with more variations. More good footwork, and then a double axel-double toe-double loop (underrotated) that overall was fine. Another nice spin featuring his split spin to end. Go Shawn! That was actually fairly clean, and it's really nice to see this program without a fall. Someone threw him a Mad Hatter hat which he wore in the Kiss and Cry, haha. I love it.
63.10 TE 66.58 PCS ; 129.68 FS = 186.62 Total
Stephen Carriere (United States): Good double axel in the beginning, but then a fall on an underrotated (and downgraded) quad that had a less common entry. Had a minor slip on the footwork, but it didn't really interrupt it and the rest of it was fine. An alright triple lutz, then a flying camel that could use more height, and the donut variation could be better, though it did have nice speed. Had to hold the triple flip a bit, but it wasn't bad. Double axel-triple toe, nice, then a triple loop-double toe with a tano arm-double toe. Good speed on the sit change sit, but the A-Frame strikes again. Another footwork sequence that was okay, but it didn't leave much of an impression. It seems like a lot of these guys aren't really using the footwork to connect to the audience and draw them into the performance. Good triple salchow, and a rough triple flip, but he managed to eek out a double toe on the end. Spin with a cannonball variation then a hop into a sit variation with a foot held in the back. Pretty good skate for him, best I've seen him do in the last couple of seasons. He needs his triple axel back though. In an icenetwork post-event article, Stephen said, and I quote, "The triple axel hasn't been my best friend; it's been a pain in the butt, literally."
62.28 TE 63.78 PCS -1.00 Deduction ; 155.06 FS = 184.20
Nan Song (China): Quad attempt popped into a double toe, but managed a triple axel-triple toe after, despite the lack of speed on the entry. No speed at all going into the triple loop, resulting in a fall. Okay spin with a hopover. Held onto the triple lutz-double toe. Twist spin and another sit variation, not bad. Fallout on the second triple axel, but the jump itself was good. Okay triple flip that was edge called, and pretty footwork, though a bit slow. Another triple lutz that was held onto, but possibly two footed. Triple salchow-double toe was okay, though a delay in between the jumps. Spread eagle to flying camel into a sit that was okay. He really ran out of gas at the end and didn't seem to get his feet under him in general. Cute moment making a stuffed animal wave in the K&C.
60.55 TE 58.34 PCS ; 117.89 FS = 180.10 Total
Kevin van der Perren (Belgium): I'm awfully glad there's mesh on this costume this time and if you've seen it, I'm pretty sure you agree with me. :P Pretty good quad toe to start things off, pitched forward a bit but he absolutely refused to put a hand down. Good for him. Really nice triple axel too! Triple flip-triple toe, the latter being two footed. Much better twist in this program, but there was a slow variation after that. Footwork... meh. Hydroblade into a triple salchow, nice, but he could get down lower in that hydroblade (don't get me wrong though, it's nice to see one again, as they've become scarce.). Held onto a triple loop, then popped the lutz into a double. Triple flip-double toe was good, though the flip wasn't as easy as the first. Flying spin into slow sit change sit, but fine double axel-triple toe. Slow camel variation into sit then variation. That combo absolutely crawled at the end. I forgot about the second footwork sequence somewhere in there... just didn't stand out I guess. He really needs work on the spins, footwork, and maybe stamina.
69.87 TE 62.54 PCS ; 132.41 FS = 194.63
Adrian Schultheiss (Sweden): Solid quad toe, wow. I didn't realize he had one. Triple axel-double was nice too, and the triple lutz-double toe was fine, though he could reach back more on the lutz. Flying camel was fine until he lost the spin on a variation, resulting in only a level 1 and a negative GOE. Doubled his loop after that, then footwork that was alright. Good triple salchow and an okay combination spin but again, level 1. Singled an axel. Triple flip and triple lutz-double toe were managed. Footwork was okay, and then a final spin with a twist position and another variation, a little slow at the end. That was one of the better performances I've seen him do, and it's nice to see after his concerns over his coach the prior night. (Who, by the way, was at the rink for the freeskate and thanked the doctors and crowd for the support in the K&C.)
60.21 TE 64.28 PCS ; 124.49 FS = 188.20 Total
Denis Ten (Kazakhstan): He has some fight in him, but that was pretty much a disaster. Five falls. Insanity. I feel bad for Denis. :-/
54.69 TE 61.92 PCS Deductions - 5.00 ; 111.61 FS = 176.11 Total
Daisuke Murakami (Japan): Edge called triple lutz-triple toe, which aside from the edge, was nicely done. Solid triple axel-double toe. Triple flip had a bit of a scratch, then an okay camel spin with a catch foot variation. Footwork was sold nicely, he definitely succeeded in getting the crowd involved, and it was pretty good. He smiles a lot during his programs, at least at this competition, which I do think helps add some expression to it. Another triple axel which was pretty good, as well as a triple salchow that was nice too. Triple loop, fell out of and put both hands down on, counted as a fall. Good triple toe and double axel, along with another footwork sequence which was alright. Deathdrop was a little slow at the end, but overall it and the final combo spin were okay. More than I expected from him coming into this event, based off his Nationals placement.
68.83 TE 68.16 PCS - 1.00 Deduction ; 135.99 FS = 203.00 Total
Armin Mahbonoozadeh (United States): Music is from Avatar, interesting choice. I think his costume reflects the character well, without looking too over the top. Walley into a triple toe to begin, followed by a lovely triple axel! Next was a great triple lutz-double tano toe, and a good triple loop. He really has excellent speed going into his jumps. Footwork was nice and relaxed, pretty. Second triple axel in combination with a double toe; well done. Flying sit to twist to a back sit variation, lovely. Spread eagle into a triple flip, nice again! Followed that with a great combination spin with interesting variations. Triple salchow, fine, and then a small mistake in singling the intended second triple lutz, but Armin tacked on a double toe- tano double loop, making up a few lost points. The second footwork sequence was very nice, and the final combination spin featured a lovely donut position, sit position, and then a scratch to end. So much more than what I expected out of him! That program was absolutely awesome. I loved it even more upon seeing it again on the NBC broadcast! He even got a standing ovation.
73.62 TE 69.94 PCS ; 143.56 FS = 211.17 Total
Adam Rippon (United States): The opening of his freeskate really reminds me of Johnny Weir's Otonal :). Adam seemed a little off from the start, and then he singled an intended triple axel and tacked a single toe onto it. Cue Lisa entering the nervous zone entirely. After that he did a spread eagle into a nice double axel, and then a Rippon triple lutz, but had a slight wonkiness on the landing with the free leg. Footwork was really pretty, but not as nice artistically as it has been at his prior competitions. Flying sit into a twist position was nice, and then a triple axel with a hand down. Triple flip-triple toe, the latter called underrotated was alright aside from that, but he needed to RELAX! Another spread eagle into a tano triple lutz-single toe-double loop with a tano. That lutz was a little off though. A fall on a triple flip was followed with a good spin, and nice footwork, but again, not as inspired as usual. Next was a triple salchow that looked nice, but was apparently underrotated. Another good spin to end. Poor Adam. :/ That was so shaky! I don't think I've ever seen him skate so poorly. He said in the K&C that he had no idea what had happened. Such a shame.
57.94 TE 72.24 PCS - 1.00 Deductions ; 129.18 FS = 203.12 Total
Daisuke Takahashi (Japan): Popped open his quad into a triple and stepped out of it. He managed to hold onto his first triple axel, thank goodness. Nice triple loop and an okay flying sit combo. Footwork was good; I think most would agree that his footwork sequences are a highlight of his programs. They always seem to incorporate the spirit of the program and draw you in.After that, triple flip-double toe, okay. Then an unfortunate wipeout on the second triple axel, which was downgraded. Next, a flying layback, pretty with decent speed. Good triple lutz I thought, but edge called? Huh. Good triple salchow, and then a triple lutz (again edge called)-double toe. Again, the footwork was wonderful and then closed with an alright combo spin. Certainly far from his best technically, but with his transitions and interpretation, I thought the actual performance was still pretty good, even with the fall, stepout, and a couple slightly scratchy landings. I dunno about the edge calls though; if the lutzes
were on the wrong edge, it wasn't very obvious. Oh, and also like Armin, I enjoyed the program even more on the second viewing.
64.95 TE 85.00 PCS -1.00 Deduction ; 148.95 FS = 227.07 Total
A side note: Daisuke has said something after the competition about adjusting to the spring of his jumps being more powerful again (He had been jumping for again for only a few months before last season started) , so hopefully that is what is making his jumps less consistent than usual.
Nobunari Oda (Japan):Fall on the quad to start. Don't get me wrong, I like Nobunari, but that fall made me retain hope of Daisuke winning (As if you didn't know he was my favorite by now!:P) and thus, breathe a sigh of relief. Triple axel was alright, if a bit held on the landing. Triple flip-triple toe was fine, but didn't have his usual ease to it. Footwork was alright, and the first spin was good. Triple axel again, fine, but no combo on it makes it count automatically as a sequence, leaving Nobu with one legal combination left. Triple lutz-triple toe good, but triple toe was called underrotated. Triple loop, alright, but then he does too many combos with a triple salchow-double toe-double loop, receiving absolutely no credit for it. Good double axel to finish up the jumping, and ended the program with another well done footwork sequence and two spins, including a flying camel combo. I hate when he forgets to count the combinations! I feel bad for him, but I'm also really surprised that he hasn't learned to remember by now; I mean, it cost him a trip to the 2006 Olympics AND two World bronze medals (if I remember correctly.).
68.17 TE 79.64 PCS - 1.00 Deductions ; 146.81 FS = 226.09 Total
Freeskate Results
Overall Results
