This is my first ever figure skating live blog, and I am a bit new to the sport- so forgive me if I call a triple loop a triple salchow or vice versa. :)
The 3As are favored to sweep the podium, but it is still possible for Tuktamysheva or Medvedeva to shake things up by throwing in a new quad. Obviously, a quad seems more likely for Liza since we have seen an actual video of it, and it will likely go where the solo 3T is in her planned content for the long program. I would not want to count Zhenya out, but we have never seen her land a quad, and she will be skating in brand new boots.
For the 3As, I think Alena is most likely to win here because of her consistency, and Anna and Sasha are planning on throwing in the triple axel and the quad flip, but these new elements may not be clean and consistent yet. If Anna and/or Sasha hit, they will go ahead of Alena because of their technical score.
Anyone else besides the five I mentioned making the podium would be an upset, but Russian skating loves some good drama and upsets.
Alexandra Trusova
Here we go! Just a double axel which was a good idea since she fell in GPF. Good triple flip. Oh no the front part of her costume change didn't totally work haha. 3LZ+3T good. Great start for her! 76.46, big score but not unbeatable
Serafima Sakhanovich
I haven't seen her programs yet this year, so I'm interested to see how she's doing. Struggles to get the 3T around on 3F+3T, but lands it. Solid 2A. Hand down on the 3Lz. I like the music. She could have done better, but I am glad she is still around. 65.42.
Anna Shcherbakova
Double axel with a nice spiral into it. Glad she's not doing the triple axel either. Good 3F. Also good 3Lz+3Lo. Really nice beillman. I wish she would hold her spiral positions longer because they are very nice, but when she does them it looks like "hi I'm doing this for the transition points", but if she held them longer they would be even prettier. Ok mini rant over haha, but she did a really good job. I'm guessing she'll go ahead of Trusova. Yep, 79.93.
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva
spins around on the landing of the 3A. Better on the 3F+3T. 3Lz. Well she's a fighter, and she landed everything, but she needs every single technical point she can get. Triple axel looked rotated in the replay. 75.74 into third. I agree with the placement.
Anastasia Guliakova
Ted said this was Swan Lake, but this is definitely Carmen lol. Squeaks out the 3F+3T. Better on the 3Lz but I wish she wouldn't rush the exit. I enjoy how she air stabbed herself multiple times during the step sequence. Good 2A. Interesting beillman position. Ah ok her free skate is to Swan Lake. I was really confused when he said that, but I was also excited to see someone do a Swan Lake program in a red dress because that isn't the norm. 66.85.
Alena Kostornaia
I'm not even going to pretend that she is not my favorite. My heart is beating at 3 million beats per minute. If she falls, I might have a mental breakdown and end the live blog here. Ted.... stop reading their long program music. Beautiful 3A!!! I have been sent to heaven. Great 3Lz. 3F+3T amazing. Put her in the lead you cowards! She is perfect and can do no wrong. 89.86!!! Queen.
Valeria Shulskaia
Will GOT become the new Carmen :p? Great 3Lz+3T. Her jumps are so big. Good 2A. Good 3F. I had never seen her before today, but this is definitely someone to watch out for. She's young and has big jumps and solid skating. 66.17. I feel like the PCS should have been higher (given how high everyone else's was)
Maria Talalaikina
Ok, work Ashley Wagner! Solid double axel. Spins around on the 3Lz and somehow gets a 2T out of it. Fall on 3Lo. Too bad. Falls during footwork too. Oh no. Well, this is the first program we've seen with a fall (besides Serafima's hand down on the lutz). 50.91
Sofia Samodurova
Nothing but respect for my European Champion. Not a lot of height on that 3Lz+3T but she made it happen. 3F maybe underrotated? 2 axel. She landed everything! This seems to be sort of a rebuilding season for her as she grows and has to change her jumps, but she's doing a good job pushing through it. 64.38, only ahead of Talalaikina, wow. Those URs really hurt her.
Anastasia Gubanova
3F. Looked off from the takeoff. I think she was doing a combo too but took out the second jump. Solid 2A. Struggles on the 3Lz too but manages to add a 2T to avoid a massive error. Ends after the music. Nice program, but I'm afraid she'll get hit with a low score. 60.87, once again only ahead of Talalaikina.
Elizaveta Nugumanova
Big 3Lz. two-footed the second loop in her 3Lo+3Lo combo. Good 2A. This Chicago program really works for her. Nicely done. 60.01
Why is this final group taking 2 million hours to start?
Finally, warmups have started. Tatiana Tarasova sighting. Oh my god, I wanna email Ted. JGPBarton@gmail.com for anyone interested lol.
Anastasia Gracheva
Ok, I love that she's skating to Christina Aguilera. Hard fall on 3F+3Lo. Nice comeback on the 2A. Makes the 3Lz happen. I love the prayer hands ending pose. Replay shows she was relying entirely on her upper body for the loop in the combo, which is why things went wrong. 56.47.
Kseniia Sinitsyna
A solid start with the 3F. Good entry into the 2A. Really tilted on the 3Lz and falls hard. No combo either which really sucks because this program was lovely up until then. Nice spins. Too bad, but this is someone to watch in the future. 59.72.
Ksenia Tsibinova
I'm glad figure skating hasn't fallen as far down The Greatest Showman hole as the dance world has. Solid on the 3Lo and the 2A. I know these words by heart and I hate it. Fall on the 3Lz, and she too doesn't have a combo. Well, that's the risk of putting the combo in the second half. 58.94.
Anna Frolova
Nicely done on the 3Lo. Solid 2A. Ok now.... don't miss the combo like the last two skaters did. 3Lz+3T good but not a ton of height. Flows really nicely through the step sequence. Nicely done. 66.45. In 6th behind Guliakova, Tuktamysheva, and the 3As.
Stanislava Konstantinova
I love the dress. Good 3Lo. Makes it through the 3F+3T. Good 2A. I'm really glad to see her hit! Slow on the beillman and doesn't extend fully, but a hit is a hit, especially after a rough season. Good job! 66.00 into eighth ahead of Serafima, behind Shulskaia
Evgenia Medvedeva
Time to start a prayer circle for her boots. She hasn't always been my favorite, but she is slowly growing on me. 3F+3T hit! A bit slow on the connection, but she made it happen. A bit tilted on the 2A, but she lands cleanly. Hit 3Lo. She did it! She looked nervous, so her PCS may not be as high, but she pulled through with a hit. I'm thinking she'll get around a 70 and go into 5th. Yep, 71.08.
Final Results:
- Kostornaia 89.86
- Shcherbakova 79.93
- Trusova 76.46
- Tuktamysheva 75.74
- Medvedeva 71.08
- Guliakova 66.85
- Frolova 66.45
- Shulskaia 66.17
- Konstantinova 66.00
- Sakhanovich 65.42
- Samodurova 64.38
- Gubanova 60.87
- Nugumanova 60.01
- Sinitsyna 59.72
- Tsibinova 58.94
- Gracheva 56.47
- Talalaikina 50.91
The top 5 basically finished as most would have predicted. Kostornaia has a 10 point lead, but will that be enough to hold off the quads? Tuktamysheva is very close to Sasha, but she will need to add in her 4T to keep it that way. Medvedeva survived the short, but the long will be the main test on her new boots. Guliakova getting into the final group was the surprise here, but that spot was pretty wide open, but the skaters in 6-11 are very close in scores, but how they perform the free program will spread them out. See you tomorrow!
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