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| (Credits: AFP Geoff Robins) |
Kicking things off this season was the first Grand Prix stop at Detroit, Michigan for Skate America. The ladies event was full of potential and promise, and this weekend we saw Asada and Wagner make a play for their Olympic trails. Mao Asada won the event (we'll get to that in a minute) breaking the 200pt. mark, the first of the season, and Wagner took home the silver after accomplishing two strong and promising programs. This marks a milestone in Asada's career as she finally sets the record for being the only singles skater (to date!) to have won gold at all the current Grand Prix events. This was only the second time she had competed at Skate America, the first back in 2006 during her senior debut- and for both events she skated to Chopin's Nocturne for her short programme.
She garnered 73.18 points in her short programme after landing a two-footed triple Axel, a triple Flip and a triple Loop-2Loop combination. Her non-jump elements received all Level 4s and her component scores averaged at around 8.5 per category. It gave her nearly a four point lead from Ashley Wagner (US), who scored 69.26 (a personal best) after landing her first credited triple-triple (3F-3T) of the season. She however, lost points on spins for which she received Level 3s, therefore giving Asada a buffer lead.
In last night's free skate, Wagner repeated her triple-triple again, but after receiving two underrotation calls, she was only credited with five rotated triples and an overall score of 124.55, skating to Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet. Her spins and other non-jump elements left points on the ice once again, and so preventing her from taking over the lead from Asada who earned 131.37. Mao fell on her triple Axel (and a tough fall at that. Hip and ankle!) and underrotated the back end of a 3F-2L-2L combo. She was also credited with five rotated triples but her overall presentation and the rest of her elements proved superior over Wagner's and received Level 4s on all of them. Personally for me, it seemed still a tad generous but protocols reveal that Asada won with her lead in the short and her component scores. Plus, the podium was in the right order, so points aside- I'm fine with the overall results. What this has shown us however is that a.) Wagner is ready to go and is up for contention, provided that she cleans up the rest of her elements, b.) Asada's programs are proving to be great vehicles for her Olympic season and her reputation this year has been favourable, and c.) it's OLYMPIC SEASON! It would be bizarre if we don't see debatable judging running up to the Winter Games!
All competition aside, it was lovely to hear that there was nothing but love and respect between the girls.
"I have to say congrats to Mao, because she is pushing this sport further and further every single competition, and that's something we should all be very happy about," Wagner said.* referring to Asada's triple Axel.
"The triple axel is something that's so exciting to happen in figure skating and I really I can't wait to see the day where it's not just the triple-triple that's required to be competitive but the triple axel," Wagner said. "Having women like Mao setting the tone in that way is quite extraordinary. She's pushing the boundaries of skating, and it's up to us whether or not we're going to keep up with her.
Even the youngster Radionova says that she doesn't see Mao as 'just a rival' but also as '[her] idol', which I think is so sweet. Let's not forget, when Asada came on to the scene in 2005, she only a year older that Elena and was the bright young ingenue who upset the likes of Cohen, Slutskaya and Arakawa as she competed and won over the senior ladies. Had she been eligible to compete at the Games in Turin, she would have been the favourite to win the gold. I really do wish all the best to Radionova, especially as the sport needs new and promising talents to take over, after the leaders at Sochi retire from competitive skating.
Another notable attendee was Russia's firecracker Junior World Champion, Elena Radionova, the fourteen-year old wunderkind who is making her senior debut- armed with the most difficult combination for the ladies', a triple Lutz-triple Toe. Sound familiar? It's only Kim Yuna's calling card! Though still far too young to compete at Sochi, Radionova is taking no time off to create a name for herself. She has shown tremendous potential this weekend and winning the bronze at Skate America shows that she can compete with the top ladies in the field- even taking over her compatriot Elizaveta Tuktamysheva who is still suffering from puberty pangs and inconsistencies. Here's hoping that puberty goes easy on Radionova, for as it stands- she's the future of Russian skating. PLUS, she is so adorable to watch. She is bursting with joie de vivre and excitement and spirit whenever she hits the ice, and she looks like Dakota Fanning.
See you at Skate Canada!
Quotes: ESPN
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