Olympics Figure Skating Pairs Short
Feb. 15th, 2010 12:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamcatchingsOh. Argh.
So I'm snowed in. Again. (This shite really needs to stop before I use all my sick time at work because I don't feel like dying on icy/snowy roads that Indiana doesn't clear.)
Anyway. I'm at home, and I'm watching the online replay of the Olympic pairs figure skating from last night. The scoring is bent. Again. It's prejudiced against more modern music. Like always. Currently, one of the Russian teams (the one WITH a fall) is in third despite the fact that GB, France and the other Russian team were all better than them. It used to be that one fall in the short program would pretty much decimate you, and you'd have to try very, very hard in the long to even climb back to the top three. You had to be flawless. I hate when the judges base the performances on the music more than the performance itself. We are going to have to update these judges and soon. A pair skating to Linkin Park (yay! GB love) is just as valid as a team skating to some classical piece. Esp. if their technical is better.
Grrr. Still, though. The wacky song choices are almost always seen more in the long program. This is typically why. The short is supposed to be more technically based, which doesn't make any since when we reconsider that Russia fell. Need a Slavic team in the top three? Give it to the Russia team who did not fall.
Again! Ukraine is in 4th. With a fall. (I should warn you that this is now turning into a play by play, and I'll need to cut tag for spoilers. For the Olympics. Something in that is hilarious.)
OMG. How many teams did Russia get to bring? This is the third.
I need to add that the woman for Germany brought new definition to the term hot pants with her skating outfit. It was like Disco, Flamenco and Vegas had a clothing baby. Not pretty.
I love Russia. They choose pretty songs and outfits that don't make me eyes bleed. Most of the men have longish, emo boy hair. They're typically very good with the sad songs with represent. It's cultural. I've read Russian literature. It's cultural. You live in a country with winter weather that makes a land war a suicide mission. You're poor and drink copious amounts of alcohol. You go from one bad government to another. You're going to develop cultural malaise. It's inevitable.
I need to give props to France for having a black couple skating in pairs. I have never seen that. I remember one black women's skater (who I think might also have been French) and that's it. They were good, too. His leg extensions could use some work because they were a little shaky, but he also had really long legs.
Good! This Russian team is in 2nd so far, although the girl is pouting because it's not first. Shove off! China skated first and are first and were effing excellent.
Top three are China, Russia and Canada. All who did well.
More China and Germany coming up apparently. Germany has a problem with outfits. I'm thinking back over other worldwide events I've watched, and they typically just cannot dress their people.
I also want to give Great Britain props for even having a team in the Olympics for figure skating. I'm not positive that I've seen that before, and they were pretty good. I liked their music choice, and their energy.
More Canada. I am not in love with these outfits. They look like sparkly zebras. She is a sparkly zebra who wandered through a garden and got some stuck on her. They are good, though. The song is good, too. Okay. I'm not sure if they're flowers or Stars of David. I'm also not sure which option is weirder.
Oh! I forgot Austria. They did a rousing rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody that was really rather excellent. It could have used more energy, especially for some of the soaring instrumental parts of it, but they deserved better scoring than they got. Another instance in which I'm fairly convinced the song was their downfall. Crap judging by far.
At this point, I am hoping that Johnny Weir thumbs tradition when it hits the Men's programs and does Gaga just to stick it to these fucking judges. If anyone has the balls, he does.
Ugh. I did not like this second Canadian team more than Russia. Oh well, there are still more skaters and the long. The long really decides it. I just like watching the short.
More China. I love the outfits that China does even though they always make the men look way more feminine than necessary. The women always look amazing in their outfits. More graceful and lovely than hoish (I'm looking at you, Germany). One thing that China and Russia both have in common is that I feel their performances, especially with sadder songs. Again, I think it's cultural. That or they have way better trainers than some of the other countries.
These two are pretty amazing. I'm going to be really upset if they don't hit the top three.
Third! Currently that puts one and three as China and two as Canada unless I've missed something.
Yet another China pair. These two are either married or brother and sister. I know which one of those options is less creepy so that's what I'm hoping for. Of course, they may just have one of those last names that is to China what Jones or Smith is to America. Maybe I should take the creepy part back.
Not as big of a fan of this pair as the other two Chinese ones. Did Japan not come this year? What about Korea? I've seen the skaters those countries send over before, and they're typically fantastic.
Wow. That lift was nice.
One of the problems I'm having with a lot of the pairs this year is how young they are. The men are small and young, which can't be optimal. You can keep your partner in the air longer and do more complicated lifts if you're strong enough to keep her elevated. And these girls are not big by any means. Some of them are tiny and thin and young young. They don't look strong enough to land properly, which is probably what's happening since a number of them fell when trying to land their jumps when they were thrown. The Chinese pairs look older and better toned and well seasoned.
I've noticed that no one has really been doing the whole skate behind the head and spin thing. I don't know if that trend is out or if it's simply because the men have a harder time of doing it so they take it out of pairs. I'll keep an eye out when we hit the women's skating.
This Chinese team got fourth.
Final skaters are more Germany, which means more "I'm on crack" outfits. They're dancing to "Send in the Clowns." I'll let you imagine what they look like. Good on Germany, though, I see a black face. Somewhere Hitler just rolled all the way over.
The outfits are...awful, but at least this girl doesn't resemble a Flamenco street walker. And this pair is good. They seem older and better built as well. Not a lot of jumps, though. More spins. That shit can kill you. The long is typically where they bust out more jumps, but if you dazzle in the short that gives you room to not be as excellent in the long. I'm sure the long must get exhausting if you're trying to not only hit all the expected jumps but toss a few more in along with the artistic elements.
Final tally:
China (first team go!)
Germany (clown team)
Russia (pouty girl)
The long program is tonight.
Okay. That's done. I suppose I should get something done around here like cleaning and bread making since I can't get to work.
So I'm snowed in. Again. (This shite really needs to stop before I use all my sick time at work because I don't feel like dying on icy/snowy roads that Indiana doesn't clear.)
Anyway. I'm at home, and I'm watching the online replay of the Olympic pairs figure skating from last night. The scoring is bent. Again. It's prejudiced against more modern music. Like always. Currently, one of the Russian teams (the one WITH a fall) is in third despite the fact that GB, France and the other Russian team were all better than them. It used to be that one fall in the short program would pretty much decimate you, and you'd have to try very, very hard in the long to even climb back to the top three. You had to be flawless. I hate when the judges base the performances on the music more than the performance itself. We are going to have to update these judges and soon. A pair skating to Linkin Park (yay! GB love) is just as valid as a team skating to some classical piece. Esp. if their technical is better.
Grrr. Still, though. The wacky song choices are almost always seen more in the long program. This is typically why. The short is supposed to be more technically based, which doesn't make any since when we reconsider that Russia fell. Need a Slavic team in the top three? Give it to the Russia team who did not fall.
Again! Ukraine is in 4th. With a fall. (I should warn you that this is now turning into a play by play, and I'll need to cut tag for spoilers. For the Olympics. Something in that is hilarious.)
OMG. How many teams did Russia get to bring? This is the third.
I need to add that the woman for Germany brought new definition to the term hot pants with her skating outfit. It was like Disco, Flamenco and Vegas had a clothing baby. Not pretty.
I love Russia. They choose pretty songs and outfits that don't make me eyes bleed. Most of the men have longish, emo boy hair. They're typically very good with the sad songs with represent. It's cultural. I've read Russian literature. It's cultural. You live in a country with winter weather that makes a land war a suicide mission. You're poor and drink copious amounts of alcohol. You go from one bad government to another. You're going to develop cultural malaise. It's inevitable.
I need to give props to France for having a black couple skating in pairs. I have never seen that. I remember one black women's skater (who I think might also have been French) and that's it. They were good, too. His leg extensions could use some work because they were a little shaky, but he also had really long legs.
Good! This Russian team is in 2nd so far, although the girl is pouting because it's not first. Shove off! China skated first and are first and were effing excellent.
Top three are China, Russia and Canada. All who did well.
More China and Germany coming up apparently. Germany has a problem with outfits. I'm thinking back over other worldwide events I've watched, and they typically just cannot dress their people.
I also want to give Great Britain props for even having a team in the Olympics for figure skating. I'm not positive that I've seen that before, and they were pretty good. I liked their music choice, and their energy.
More Canada. I am not in love with these outfits. They look like sparkly zebras. She is a sparkly zebra who wandered through a garden and got some stuck on her. They are good, though. The song is good, too. Okay. I'm not sure if they're flowers or Stars of David. I'm also not sure which option is weirder.
Oh! I forgot Austria. They did a rousing rendition of Queen's Bohemian Rhapsody that was really rather excellent. It could have used more energy, especially for some of the soaring instrumental parts of it, but they deserved better scoring than they got. Another instance in which I'm fairly convinced the song was their downfall. Crap judging by far.
At this point, I am hoping that Johnny Weir thumbs tradition when it hits the Men's programs and does Gaga just to stick it to these fucking judges. If anyone has the balls, he does.
Ugh. I did not like this second Canadian team more than Russia. Oh well, there are still more skaters and the long. The long really decides it. I just like watching the short.
More China. I love the outfits that China does even though they always make the men look way more feminine than necessary. The women always look amazing in their outfits. More graceful and lovely than hoish (I'm looking at you, Germany). One thing that China and Russia both have in common is that I feel their performances, especially with sadder songs. Again, I think it's cultural. That or they have way better trainers than some of the other countries.
These two are pretty amazing. I'm going to be really upset if they don't hit the top three.
Third! Currently that puts one and three as China and two as Canada unless I've missed something.
Yet another China pair. These two are either married or brother and sister. I know which one of those options is less creepy so that's what I'm hoping for. Of course, they may just have one of those last names that is to China what Jones or Smith is to America. Maybe I should take the creepy part back.
Not as big of a fan of this pair as the other two Chinese ones. Did Japan not come this year? What about Korea? I've seen the skaters those countries send over before, and they're typically fantastic.
Wow. That lift was nice.
One of the problems I'm having with a lot of the pairs this year is how young they are. The men are small and young, which can't be optimal. You can keep your partner in the air longer and do more complicated lifts if you're strong enough to keep her elevated. And these girls are not big by any means. Some of them are tiny and thin and young young. They don't look strong enough to land properly, which is probably what's happening since a number of them fell when trying to land their jumps when they were thrown. The Chinese pairs look older and better toned and well seasoned.
I've noticed that no one has really been doing the whole skate behind the head and spin thing. I don't know if that trend is out or if it's simply because the men have a harder time of doing it so they take it out of pairs. I'll keep an eye out when we hit the women's skating.
This Chinese team got fourth.
Final skaters are more Germany, which means more "I'm on crack" outfits. They're dancing to "Send in the Clowns." I'll let you imagine what they look like. Good on Germany, though, I see a black face. Somewhere Hitler just rolled all the way over.
The outfits are...awful, but at least this girl doesn't resemble a Flamenco street walker. And this pair is good. They seem older and better built as well. Not a lot of jumps, though. More spins. That shit can kill you. The long is typically where they bust out more jumps, but if you dazzle in the short that gives you room to not be as excellent in the long. I'm sure the long must get exhausting if you're trying to not only hit all the expected jumps but toss a few more in along with the artistic elements.
Final tally:
China (first team go!)
Germany (clown team)
Russia (pouty girl)
The long program is tonight.
Okay. That's done. I suppose I should get something done around here like cleaning and bread making since I can't get to work.
