On thin ice
Mar. 26th, 2010 07:50 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
heavenly_pearlThe figure skating World Championships are being held this week in Italy. I haven't said anything about them because I figured nobody would be interested, but I just have to post about this:
Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-na is in seventh place after the short program.
Seventh place, people. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone or something. That's just...unfathomable, especially considering the kinds of mistakes she made in her short program. Mistakes on jumps, sure -- even the best skaters in the world have off-days with their jumps, and that was the case with Kim's triple flip, which got downgraded. But then she proceeded to mess up on a layback spin and a spiral sequence, as well. That spiral sequence has got to be the most shocking, because I don't thing I've ever seen a skater mess up so blatantly on a spiral before. It was the weirdest thing. I'm still trying to process it. I wouldn't completely count her out just yet for another world title if she can turn things around and skate cleanly in the free -- she's capable of getting humongous scores, enough to possibly make up the ten point deficit she has after the short -- but, wow, it'll be tough if she doesn't get her act together.
Her fall from the top does open the door for American Mirai Nagasu, though, who is currently in first after an incredible short program. (Mao Asada, the Olympic silver medalist is in second after getting downgraded on her triple axel combination, and bronze medalist Joannie Rochette decided not to compete to deal with the grief of her mother's unexpected death during the Games.) I have my fingers crossed for her and the other American, Racheal Flatt, who is in sixth after just doing a triple/double combo instead of her usual triple/triple. It would be great if both of them made the podium.
Olympic gold medalist Kim Yu-na is in seventh place after the short program.
Seventh place, people. I feel like I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone or something. That's just...unfathomable, especially considering the kinds of mistakes she made in her short program. Mistakes on jumps, sure -- even the best skaters in the world have off-days with their jumps, and that was the case with Kim's triple flip, which got downgraded. But then she proceeded to mess up on a layback spin and a spiral sequence, as well. That spiral sequence has got to be the most shocking, because I don't thing I've ever seen a skater mess up so blatantly on a spiral before. It was the weirdest thing. I'm still trying to process it. I wouldn't completely count her out just yet for another world title if she can turn things around and skate cleanly in the free -- she's capable of getting humongous scores, enough to possibly make up the ten point deficit she has after the short -- but, wow, it'll be tough if she doesn't get her act together.
Her fall from the top does open the door for American Mirai Nagasu, though, who is currently in first after an incredible short program. (Mao Asada, the Olympic silver medalist is in second after getting downgraded on her triple axel combination, and bronze medalist Joannie Rochette decided not to compete to deal with the grief of her mother's unexpected death during the Games.) I have my fingers crossed for her and the other American, Racheal Flatt, who is in sixth after just doing a triple/double combo instead of her usual triple/triple. It would be great if both of them made the podium.
