I was very excited for this event because Mirai Nagasu has been an all time favorite of mine. It was a little disheartening to see the competition she would end up having to face compared to that of Skate American last week. I’ve never done a reaction article like this, but I don’t have enough room on my phone to film an hour long video discussing it. So first and foremost, we had two World Champions and a World silver medalist all in one event. This was very exciting, and I truly didn’t know exactly what to expect. I will be discussing the ladies and their performances below.
1. Evgenia Medvedeva RUS – 76.24 (41.22, 35.02):
The 2016 World Champion proved she isn’t a one hit wonder today. She came roaring back to life and didn’t miss a beat. The jumps were big, and the artistry was elegant. All her jumping passes were performed at the end of the program which is incredibly difficult. It is nice to see a Russian young lady with some staying power. Can’t wait to see what she will bring in the long program.
2. Kaetlyn Osmond CAN – 74.33 (40.93, 33.40):
To be completely honest Kaetlyn Osmond’s program took me by surprise. I didn’t expect her to skate quite as well as she did, and I for sure did not expected the overscoring that occurred. She produced a very nice program, but a score less than 2 points below Evgenia’s is ridiculous. I’m very interested to see if she can hold onto this position in the long program.
3. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva RUS – 66.79 (36.09, 30.70):
It was delightful to see the former World Champion fighting back after a very difficult season last year. Her technical content doesn’t really compare well to her countrywoman, but she was able to put together a clean short program to stay in the running for a medal. It’s really just nice to see her performing well. I really don’t think we’ve seen the last of her.
4. Rika Hongo JPN – 65.75 (36.57, 29.18):
Rika tends to have strong short programs and then falls apart in the long; I hope this doesn’t happen this weekend because she looked very strong today. It is very interested to see her placed in front of fellow Japanese skater Satoko Miyahara, who was dinged heavily for under-rotations. I love it when an underdog puts on a great performance and wows the crowd.
5. Satoko Miyahara JPN – 65.24 (32.09, 33.15):
The only word I can think of to describe Satoko’s short program is beautiful. She has beautiful lines and edges and such an elegance about her. The problems come in because her jumps are so tiny with such quick rotations that she tends to under-rotate. It must be challenging for the judges to compare her jumps to the American’s and Russian’s. Hoping she can recover in the long program.
9. Mirai Nagasu USA – 53.19 (24.85, 29.34, -1.00):
It’s so hard for me to even comprehend these results because I would have bet every cent I have Mirai would be flawless today. In practice she looked spectacular, but as soon as she took the ice I knew there would be problems. Her combinations have been so spot-on lately, and today just wasn’t her day. The jump I was worried about was the loop and she’s had a little trouble completing them post World’s this year. I’m looking forward to seeing her show what she’s made of in the long program. On a positive note, her spins look better than they have in years and she seems to have even increased her flexibility. I honestly just think she had an off day coupled with nerves.
What did you guys think of the ladies short program? Leave a comment and let me know.
GOLDEN LUTZ 