Reigning World champion Evan Lysacek of the United States laid down a flawless free skate Thursday night to win Olympic gold and defeat defending champ Evgeni Plushenko of Russia by 1.86 points.
Lysacek hit 8 solid triple jumps, but it was his high-scoring spins and footwork that gave him the slight edge over Plushenko. The 27-year old Russian landed a quad toe-triple toe combination but struggled to save the landing of his triple Axel and triple Lutz jumps. His spins and footwork were slower and less impressive than Lysacek's, and his failure to do a three-jump combination might have cost him his second Olympic title.
With his victory, Lysacek, 24, becomes the 13th American to win figure skating gold, and the first since Sarah Hughes won in Salt Lake City in 2002. He is also the first reigning World champion since Scott Hamilton in 1984 to win at the Games, and the first U.S. man to win since Brian Boitano 22-years ago in Calgary.
Japan's comeback kid Daisuke Takahashi won the bronze with a wonderful free skate after missing all of last season due to knee surgery. American Johnny Weir nailed all of his jumps but wasn't able to pull up from 6th place overall. U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott rebounded nicely from a poor short program, nailing 6 solid triple jumps and climbing from 15th place to 9th overall.
Showing posts with label Johnny Weir. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Johnny Weir. Show all posts
Friday, February 19, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Abbott, Lysacek, Weir named to U.S. Olympic team
The US Figure Skating International Selection Committee has officially named Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, and Johnny Weir to the 2010 U.S. Olympic team.
The trio finished first, second, and third, respectively, this afternoon in Spokane, though Abbott was clearly the class of the field, winning his second consecutive title by more than 25 points. He nailed a beautiful quad toe loop at the beginning of his program and then proceeded to land 8 perfect triple jumps. His fantastic spins, clean lines, and exciting footwork sequences ignited the crowd, and his victory here marks him as a legitimate gold medal threat next month in Vancouver.
Lysacek wasn't perfect in his free skate, falling on an underrotated quad toe attempt and doubling a planned triple loop jump. However, his passionate footwork and tidy spins were more than enough for second place and a second Olympic trip (he was 4th four years ago in Torino). As the reigning World champ, Lysacek also enters the Games as a gold medal favorite, the first time in years that the United States has had two men who could both realistically win the Olympics in the same year.
Weir, the U.S. champion from 2004-2006, rebounded after a 5th place finish last year to take the bronze and nab the final Olympic berth. If he skates up to his full potential in Vancouver, he could make a run at the podium, too.
If Abbott, Lysacek, and Weir represent the present of U.S. men's figure skating, then Adam Rippon is surely the future. His smooth style and solid technique make him stand out from the crowd, and if he keeps improving the way he has been under coach Brian Orser, I have no doubt that he will be winning World Championship medals in no time.
The trio finished first, second, and third, respectively, this afternoon in Spokane, though Abbott was clearly the class of the field, winning his second consecutive title by more than 25 points. He nailed a beautiful quad toe loop at the beginning of his program and then proceeded to land 8 perfect triple jumps. His fantastic spins, clean lines, and exciting footwork sequences ignited the crowd, and his victory here marks him as a legitimate gold medal threat next month in Vancouver.
Lysacek wasn't perfect in his free skate, falling on an underrotated quad toe attempt and doubling a planned triple loop jump. However, his passionate footwork and tidy spins were more than enough for second place and a second Olympic trip (he was 4th four years ago in Torino). As the reigning World champ, Lysacek also enters the Games as a gold medal favorite, the first time in years that the United States has had two men who could both realistically win the Olympics in the same year.
Weir, the U.S. champion from 2004-2006, rebounded after a 5th place finish last year to take the bronze and nab the final Olympic berth. If he skates up to his full potential in Vancouver, he could make a run at the podium, too.
If Abbott, Lysacek, and Weir represent the present of U.S. men's figure skating, then Adam Rippon is surely the future. His smooth style and solid technique make him stand out from the crowd, and if he keeps improving the way he has been under coach Brian Orser, I have no doubt that he will be winning World Championship medals in no time.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Denney & Barrett, Abbott on top after day 1 at U.S. Nationals
Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, the defending U.S. silver medalists, skated like they actually wanted to go to Vancouver and won the senior pairs short program with a resounding 63.01 points.
The duo landed perfect side-by-side triple toe loops and a solid split triple twist. Denney used her cat-like abilities to save a throw triple Lutz that was a bit off in the air. Their commanding performance all but ensures them a spot on the Olympic team next month.
Following Denney and Barrett are Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin, only 7th at last year's event but now a solid second with a score of 62.09. Their heartfelt yet technically solid performance throws them into the Olympic picture as well, and another solid program today could very well earn them a trip to the Games.
Aside from the top two teams, the pairs short program was a brutal event. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig skated with a cautious confidence and sit third heading into the free skate. Two-time champions and 2006 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin are fourth due to some fairly generous judging. Inoue sat down on the landing of a throw triple Axel and Baldwin completely lost his footing on the pair's side-by-side spin. If they can hit the triple Axel in today's free skate, they will certainly take aim at an Olympic berth.
Perhaps the most disappointing performance of the evening went to two-time and defending champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. They have been looking so solid in practice all week, but Keauna fell on both the side-by-side triple Salchow and the team's death spiral, which received no points from the panel. She also heavily two-footed the landing of the throw, putting her and Rockne in a distant 7th place with 52.55, nearly 10 points off their personal best. An Olympic trip is still within their grasp today, but they will have to skate absolutely lights-out and hope for the teams above them to make a few mistakes along the way. Stranger things have happened.
The men's event was a different story, with the top challengers all skating relatively well. Defending champ Jeremy Abbott was stellar, nailing four solid triples and two intricate step sequences into his "A Day in the Life" program. He leads with 87.85 points. Three-time champion Johnny Weir also skated well, albeit a bit conservatively, and sits third heading into tomorrow's free skate. World champion Evan Lysacek stepped out of his triple Axel, but his powerful spins and footwork sequences were enough to keep him in second, a mere .18 ahead of Weir.
Two-time Junior World gold medalist Adam Rippon was nailing a perfect program up until he doubled his planned triple Lutz and ran right into the boards. Seconds later, with his concentration likely gone, he fell on his straightline footwork sequence. Rippon sits fourth with a solid 72.91 points, although a trip to Vancouver is now, barring anything major happening, out of the question.
Ryan Bradley started off with a beautiful quad toe-triple toe combination, but then went on to double both his planned triple Axel and triple Lutz jumps to land in 6th. Reigning silver medalist Brandon Mroz put out an uninspired, messy program and sits 10th, with all Olympic hopes for 2010 gone.
The surprise of the event was without a doubt Armin Mahbanoozadeh. Only 6th in the junior event last year, Armin laid down the skate of his life, hitting all four of his planned triples including a triple Axel, to amass 72.56 points and take 5th place. Another solid program in the free skate could ensure this young talent of either a trip to the Four Continents Championship or the Junior World Championship later this season.
The pairs free skate begins at 11am local time today in Spokane, and the men take to the ice tomorrow at 10:30am.
The duo landed perfect side-by-side triple toe loops and a solid split triple twist. Denney used her cat-like abilities to save a throw triple Lutz that was a bit off in the air. Their commanding performance all but ensures them a spot on the Olympic team next month.
Following Denney and Barrett are Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin, only 7th at last year's event but now a solid second with a score of 62.09. Their heartfelt yet technically solid performance throws them into the Olympic picture as well, and another solid program today could very well earn them a trip to the Games.
Aside from the top two teams, the pairs short program was a brutal event. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig skated with a cautious confidence and sit third heading into the free skate. Two-time champions and 2006 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin are fourth due to some fairly generous judging. Inoue sat down on the landing of a throw triple Axel and Baldwin completely lost his footing on the pair's side-by-side spin. If they can hit the triple Axel in today's free skate, they will certainly take aim at an Olympic berth.
Perhaps the most disappointing performance of the evening went to two-time and defending champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. They have been looking so solid in practice all week, but Keauna fell on both the side-by-side triple Salchow and the team's death spiral, which received no points from the panel. She also heavily two-footed the landing of the throw, putting her and Rockne in a distant 7th place with 52.55, nearly 10 points off their personal best. An Olympic trip is still within their grasp today, but they will have to skate absolutely lights-out and hope for the teams above them to make a few mistakes along the way. Stranger things have happened.
The men's event was a different story, with the top challengers all skating relatively well. Defending champ Jeremy Abbott was stellar, nailing four solid triples and two intricate step sequences into his "A Day in the Life" program. He leads with 87.85 points. Three-time champion Johnny Weir also skated well, albeit a bit conservatively, and sits third heading into tomorrow's free skate. World champion Evan Lysacek stepped out of his triple Axel, but his powerful spins and footwork sequences were enough to keep him in second, a mere .18 ahead of Weir.
Two-time Junior World gold medalist Adam Rippon was nailing a perfect program up until he doubled his planned triple Lutz and ran right into the boards. Seconds later, with his concentration likely gone, he fell on his straightline footwork sequence. Rippon sits fourth with a solid 72.91 points, although a trip to Vancouver is now, barring anything major happening, out of the question.
Ryan Bradley started off with a beautiful quad toe-triple toe combination, but then went on to double both his planned triple Axel and triple Lutz jumps to land in 6th. Reigning silver medalist Brandon Mroz put out an uninspired, messy program and sits 10th, with all Olympic hopes for 2010 gone.
The surprise of the event was without a doubt Armin Mahbanoozadeh. Only 6th in the junior event last year, Armin laid down the skate of his life, hitting all four of his planned triples including a triple Axel, to amass 72.56 points and take 5th place. Another solid program in the free skate could ensure this young talent of either a trip to the Four Continents Championship or the Junior World Championship later this season.
The pairs free skate begins at 11am local time today in Spokane, and the men take to the ice tomorrow at 10:30am.
Friday, November 27, 2009
'Tis the season for Grand Prix Final withdrawals
With the six regular season events all wrapped up, the Grand Prix Final is set to take place next weekend in Tokyo, Japan. The top six point-scorers in each discipline will compete, minus a few exceptions.
Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are out of the dance event after Tanith required emergency oral surgery this week. Though they have received a lot of flack for pulling out of the Final, I don't fault them at all. It can take up to a few weeks to recover from wisdom tooth surgery, and if they can't be at their absolute best, there is no reason why they should compete and risk a poor performance. Their scores this season rank them below Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, as well as U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Hopefully Belbin and Agosto will rework their programs and make sure their levels are up to par so they can compete with their two younger rivals.
Belbin and Agosto's replacements, Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski, are also out of the Final, as she has come down with the flu. Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Porier, the second alternates, will compete in their place.
France's Brian Joubert is also out of the men's event after suffering a cut on his foot in training. He is replaced by Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic, the silver medalist from the Trophee Eric Bompard event earlier this fall.
Grand Prix Final Competitors:
Men: Nobunari Oda (JPN), Evan Lysacek (USA), Daisuke Takahashi (JPN), Jeremy Abbott (USA), Johnny Weir (USA), Tomas Verner (CZE)
Ladies: Yu-Na Kim (KOR), Miki Ando (JPN), Joannie Rochette (CAN), Alena Leonova (RUS), Ashley Wagner (USA), Akiko Suzuki (JPN)
Pairs: Shen/Zhao (CHN), Savchenko/Szolkowy (GER), Pang/Tong (CHN), Kavaguti/Smirnov (RUS), Mukhortova/Trankov (RUS), Zhang/Zhang (CHN)
Dance: Virtue/Moir (CAN), Davis/White (USA), Pechalat/Bourzat (FRA), Kerr/Kerr (GBR), Cappellini/Lanotte (ITA), Crone/Poirier (CAN)
Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are out of the dance event after Tanith required emergency oral surgery this week. Though they have received a lot of flack for pulling out of the Final, I don't fault them at all. It can take up to a few weeks to recover from wisdom tooth surgery, and if they can't be at their absolute best, there is no reason why they should compete and risk a poor performance. Their scores this season rank them below Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, as well as U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Hopefully Belbin and Agosto will rework their programs and make sure their levels are up to par so they can compete with their two younger rivals.
Belbin and Agosto's replacements, Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski, are also out of the Final, as she has come down with the flu. Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Porier, the second alternates, will compete in their place.
France's Brian Joubert is also out of the men's event after suffering a cut on his foot in training. He is replaced by Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic, the silver medalist from the Trophee Eric Bompard event earlier this fall.
Grand Prix Final Competitors:
Men: Nobunari Oda (JPN), Evan Lysacek (USA), Daisuke Takahashi (JPN), Jeremy Abbott (USA), Johnny Weir (USA), Tomas Verner (CZE)
Ladies: Yu-Na Kim (KOR), Miki Ando (JPN), Joannie Rochette (CAN), Alena Leonova (RUS), Ashley Wagner (USA), Akiko Suzuki (JPN)
Pairs: Shen/Zhao (CHN), Savchenko/Szolkowy (GER), Pang/Tong (CHN), Kavaguti/Smirnov (RUS), Mukhortova/Trankov (RUS), Zhang/Zhang (CHN)
Dance: Virtue/Moir (CAN), Davis/White (USA), Pechalat/Bourzat (FRA), Kerr/Kerr (GBR), Cappellini/Lanotte (ITA), Crone/Poirier (CAN)
Friday, November 6, 2009
Joubert first after exciting men's short program; Wagner wins round one in Nagano
Talk about two extremely different events.
Frenchman Brian Joubert rebounded from a disastrous outing in Paris three weeks ago to win the men's short program at the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan. His score of 85.35 is the top men's score this season, a score he achieved largely due to the strength of his quadruple toe-loop/triple toe-loop combination. He currently sits 2.35 points ahead of American Jeremy Abbott, who beat his personal best short program score by nearly five points. Abbott's innovative program to an electric guitar cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" is absolutely amazing, and there is no way his Program Component Scores should have been third-best behind Joubert and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, who had a rough landing on his solo triple Lutz and a hard fall in his circular footwork sequence.
Three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir is third after the short, landing all four of his planned triple jumps and earning a new season's best score of 78.35. Takahashi, the 2007 World silver medalist is close behind with 78.18 points, while teammate Takahiko Kozuka, who won silver two weeks ago in Russia, is fifth with 74.05 points. American Adam Rippon - who turns 20 next week - took a spill on a triple Axel and is currently 8th, some 11.20 points out of medal contention.
With a combined seven World championship medals among them and numerous Grand Prix titles, the men's event seemed more like a final flight at the World championships than only the fourth event of the season. It was an entirely different story for the ladies, however.
American teen Ashley Wagner nabbed the top spot after the short program, defeating 2007 World champion and current World bronze medalist Miki Ando. While Wagner wasn't completely clean (her double Axel was severely underrotated), her skate was still enough to earn a season's best score and beat out Ando, who took a spill on her triple flip and quite possibly underrotated her triple Lutz also. Yukari Nakano is third after bailing out of her triple Lutz and not completing the combination. Reigning European champion Laura Lepisto of Finland is fourth, and Russia's Alena Leonova rounds out the top five with 52.34 points after falling on her triple Lutz (a fall that was timed perfectly to the music, though).
The event was so lackluster that not one of the ladies in the field even managed to break 30 points for her Technical Elements Score. I know the Olympics are still three months away, but it is already November and still not one skater from any country has proven that she is able to compete with Korea's Yu-Na Kim. I know injuries happen and "the ice is slippery," but it is nearly impossible to predict who will medal come February.
Japan's Akiko Suzuki won the Cup of China last week with two nearly perfect programs, but she has never even been to a World Championship before. Will she be able to handle the pressure of the Olympics if she makes the team? Mao Asada has had a horrific fall season, but will she be regrouped and ready by the time the Japanese Nationals come around at the end of December? Could she be left off the Olympic team if she continues to skate poorly?
The North American outlook isn't very clear, either. Canada's Joannie Rochette won a World silver medal last season, but her performances in China last week were far from world-class. Was it just jetlag or is she already feeling the pressure this season? If that's the case, how will she be able to handle the pressure of competing at home in Vancouver? The American ladies picture is still cloudy as ever, with Rachael Flatt, Mirai Nagasu, Caroline Zhang and Alissa Czisny all underperforming so far this season. Could Wagner be the strongest candidate for the team? And lets not even discuss the European ladies, none of which look remotely close to Olympic caliber yet, either.
There's so many questions yet to be answered. The rest of the Grand Prix season will be incredibly interesting, all leading up to what may be the most unpredictable Olympic Games ever. Stay tuned!
Frenchman Brian Joubert rebounded from a disastrous outing in Paris three weeks ago to win the men's short program at the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan. His score of 85.35 is the top men's score this season, a score he achieved largely due to the strength of his quadruple toe-loop/triple toe-loop combination. He currently sits 2.35 points ahead of American Jeremy Abbott, who beat his personal best short program score by nearly five points. Abbott's innovative program to an electric guitar cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" is absolutely amazing, and there is no way his Program Component Scores should have been third-best behind Joubert and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, who had a rough landing on his solo triple Lutz and a hard fall in his circular footwork sequence.
Three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir is third after the short, landing all four of his planned triple jumps and earning a new season's best score of 78.35. Takahashi, the 2007 World silver medalist is close behind with 78.18 points, while teammate Takahiko Kozuka, who won silver two weeks ago in Russia, is fifth with 74.05 points. American Adam Rippon - who turns 20 next week - took a spill on a triple Axel and is currently 8th, some 11.20 points out of medal contention.
With a combined seven World championship medals among them and numerous Grand Prix titles, the men's event seemed more like a final flight at the World championships than only the fourth event of the season. It was an entirely different story for the ladies, however.
American teen Ashley Wagner nabbed the top spot after the short program, defeating 2007 World champion and current World bronze medalist Miki Ando. While Wagner wasn't completely clean (her double Axel was severely underrotated), her skate was still enough to earn a season's best score and beat out Ando, who took a spill on her triple flip and quite possibly underrotated her triple Lutz also. Yukari Nakano is third after bailing out of her triple Lutz and not completing the combination. Reigning European champion Laura Lepisto of Finland is fourth, and Russia's Alena Leonova rounds out the top five with 52.34 points after falling on her triple Lutz (a fall that was timed perfectly to the music, though).
The event was so lackluster that not one of the ladies in the field even managed to break 30 points for her Technical Elements Score. I know the Olympics are still three months away, but it is already November and still not one skater from any country has proven that she is able to compete with Korea's Yu-Na Kim. I know injuries happen and "the ice is slippery," but it is nearly impossible to predict who will medal come February.
Japan's Akiko Suzuki won the Cup of China last week with two nearly perfect programs, but she has never even been to a World Championship before. Will she be able to handle the pressure of the Olympics if she makes the team? Mao Asada has had a horrific fall season, but will she be regrouped and ready by the time the Japanese Nationals come around at the end of December? Could she be left off the Olympic team if she continues to skate poorly?
The North American outlook isn't very clear, either. Canada's Joannie Rochette won a World silver medal last season, but her performances in China last week were far from world-class. Was it just jetlag or is she already feeling the pressure this season? If that's the case, how will she be able to handle the pressure of competing at home in Vancouver? The American ladies picture is still cloudy as ever, with Rachael Flatt, Mirai Nagasu, Caroline Zhang and Alissa Czisny all underperforming so far this season. Could Wagner be the strongest candidate for the team? And lets not even discuss the European ladies, none of which look remotely close to Olympic caliber yet, either.
There's so many questions yet to be answered. The rest of the Grand Prix season will be incredibly interesting, all leading up to what may be the most unpredictable Olympic Games ever. Stay tuned!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Plushenko's bid for second Olympic title begins in Moscow this weekend
After a three year hiatus from eligible competition, 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia is back this season hoping for a repeat victory come February.
The three-time World champion Plushenko was nearly unbeatable during the 2002-2006 quadrennium, losing only twice (once to France's Brian Joubert and once to Emmanuel Sandhu of Canada). Unfortunately for him, the competition isn't as easy this time around.
Since his absence, numerous men have staked their claim in the figure skating world, and the field is so deep now, it's hard to predict exactly just where he fits in. The top two men at last year's Worlds -- American Evan Lysacek and Canadian Patrick Chan -- have proven that you don't need a quadruple jump to win big anymore. Instead of relying on that one jump, today's group of male skaters seem to be focusing on refining the "overall package:" clean and consistent triple/triple combinations, high level spins and footwork sequences, and more difficult transitions to boost their Program Component Scores (PCS). While Plushenko's success rate with the quad is certainly the highest of the men that will be competing in Vancouver, his spins and choreography leave much to be desired.
While he has the potential to outclass the field jump-wise, Plushenko must pay attention to the other aspects of his skating if he hopes to be victorious at the Games. Skating has evolved quite a bit even in the past three years, and he cannot rest on his laurels and hope to win on his skating skills alone. His PCS were astronomically high in Torino in 2006, but there won't be that big of a gap between him and his competitors this time around. Skaters like Lysacek, Chan, Johnny Weir, Daisuke Takahashi, Nobunari Oda and '06 Olympic runner-up Stephane Lambiel will provide some incredibly tough competition.
I've never been Plushenko's biggest fan, but I do respect him as an athlete and competitor. It will be very interesting to see what happens this weekend in Moscow when he competes at the Rostelecom Cup, where his only other threats seem to be Weir and Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka. A win in this field is certainly attainable, but a second Olympic win this winter will prove to be much more elusive if he enters the Games with the same mindset and types of programs he did four years ago.
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In other Rostelecom Cup news, Miki Ando reportedly had a great practice today, while Mao Asada struggled on the triple Axel, only achieving about a 50 percent success rate. Whether it's fatigue (this is her third competition this month) or the pressure of the Olympic season catching up with her, it will be interesting to see if she can improve upon her performances last week at the Trophee Eric Bompard, where she was defeated by rival Yu-Na Kim by more than 36 points.
The three-time World champion Plushenko was nearly unbeatable during the 2002-2006 quadrennium, losing only twice (once to France's Brian Joubert and once to Emmanuel Sandhu of Canada). Unfortunately for him, the competition isn't as easy this time around.
Since his absence, numerous men have staked their claim in the figure skating world, and the field is so deep now, it's hard to predict exactly just where he fits in. The top two men at last year's Worlds -- American Evan Lysacek and Canadian Patrick Chan -- have proven that you don't need a quadruple jump to win big anymore. Instead of relying on that one jump, today's group of male skaters seem to be focusing on refining the "overall package:" clean and consistent triple/triple combinations, high level spins and footwork sequences, and more difficult transitions to boost their Program Component Scores (PCS). While Plushenko's success rate with the quad is certainly the highest of the men that will be competing in Vancouver, his spins and choreography leave much to be desired.
While he has the potential to outclass the field jump-wise, Plushenko must pay attention to the other aspects of his skating if he hopes to be victorious at the Games. Skating has evolved quite a bit even in the past three years, and he cannot rest on his laurels and hope to win on his skating skills alone. His PCS were astronomically high in Torino in 2006, but there won't be that big of a gap between him and his competitors this time around. Skaters like Lysacek, Chan, Johnny Weir, Daisuke Takahashi, Nobunari Oda and '06 Olympic runner-up Stephane Lambiel will provide some incredibly tough competition.
I've never been Plushenko's biggest fan, but I do respect him as an athlete and competitor. It will be very interesting to see what happens this weekend in Moscow when he competes at the Rostelecom Cup, where his only other threats seem to be Weir and Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka. A win in this field is certainly attainable, but a second Olympic win this winter will prove to be much more elusive if he enters the Games with the same mindset and types of programs he did four years ago.
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In other Rostelecom Cup news, Miki Ando reportedly had a great practice today, while Mao Asada struggled on the triple Axel, only achieving about a 50 percent success rate. Whether it's fatigue (this is her third competition this month) or the pressure of the Olympic season catching up with her, it will be interesting to see if she can improve upon her performances last week at the Trophee Eric Bompard, where she was defeated by rival Yu-Na Kim by more than 36 points.
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