# This Week in Skating / 2025 Grand Prix Final Recap

An episode of [This Week in Skating Podcast](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1621874792), 9 Dec 2025, 1 h 06 min.

Audio: https://audio2.redcircle.com/episodes/ee1cfe34-41c6-4d64-b755-9226bb1dcffd/stream.mp3

In this episode, Daphne, Gina and Matteo recap the senior and junior events at the 2025 Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. Results: https://www.isuresults.com/results/season2526/gpf2025/index.htm Advertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands Privacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

## Transcript

[0:00] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Hi everyone, I'm Vincent Jo.
[0:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Hi, I'm Kathy Reed.
[0:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I'm Allison Reed.
[0:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Hi, I'm Ashley.
[0:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Hi, I'm Grace.
[0:07] \[SPEAKER_01\]: We're from the Hidden X.
[0:25] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Welcome to this week in Skating, the weekly podcast bringing you the latest news from the world of figure skating.
[0:31] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Here are your hosts, Daphne, Gina, and Matteo.
[0:35] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And we are back, back with a special episode to talk about the 2025 ISU Junior and Senior Grand Prix Finals.
[0:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was quite an exciting weekend, and I think the thing I was most excited about for the skaters is that the stadium was packed in the audience was supporting everyone.
[1:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah.
[1:02] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Junior's senior of our fantastic, really phenomenal.
[1:06] \[SPEAKER_01\]: They had every flag, of course, you know, every time you looked at the audience, they had the flag for that skater, and then the flag for the next one.
[1:17] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So definitely, I think I saw something about 10,000.
[1:22] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um, people, especially during Iliya, but I don't know if that number is accurate, but yeah, I definitely look like it was a pack stadium, and of course, you know, the audience was supporting all of the skaters and the skaters love competing in Japan.
[1:37] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I know every time you ask a skater where their favorite place is to compete, the answer usually is Japan.
[1:49] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So,
[1:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, and it's usually the country that the skaters want to go to if they haven't been there yet.
[1:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yes, because of the audience, one thing I loved and I know that people are kind of split on the introductions the way they're doing the intros now.
[2:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: but they had this drum going and the skaters really seemed into it and it made it even more I think intimate and fun.
[2:17] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah.
[2:17] \[SPEAKER_03\]: To watch them come out and it they just really seemed into it.
[2:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I liked that a lot.
[2:22] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, it's part of that journey that the idea has been taking since the Grand Prix final last year, because last year in Granol is when the salut tree implement forcures to his LED screens and I remember that I was there.
[2:35] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And they gave us a tour behind the scenes, which I think I reported at the back of the podcast week after.
[2:42] \[SPEAKER_04\]: But that's when they started to think, okay, how can we elevate the sports and make it more appealing to get new audiences in?
[2:49] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And what we see is that every competition that got something new that I started to throw in and I'm kind of very curious to see how the rest of the season is going to look like because we have big events, at least four big events thinking about
[3:02] \[SPEAKER_04\]: euros, full continent, Olympic games, world, and arguably, you know, some nationals like the US ones where there's always a big effort made to entertain, so it's quite interesting to see how things are going to move forward for the rest of the season.
[3:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, one thing about the LED screens and the leader shares, well, I didn't wonder if or have distracting that was
[3:31] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They do this thing where when the skater comes out, they have two different video things.
[3:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: What weird they're standing there and they lift their heads up and another when they're back to back and they're turning their heads to the front.
[3:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Those keep moving during the performances and I wondered if that might be distracting and so I feel like we should ask that question is it distracting when you're skating to have?
[3:55] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Was that like that in Boston?
[3:59] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I don't remember if it was moving.
[4:02] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Like I know they had it at the intro's, but was it still doing something while they were skating?
[4:07] \[SPEAKER_01\]: See, I couldn't, from where I said, I don't think I saw that.
[4:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I don't remember, but I can go take a peek at a video if I can find one because a lot of them are not available.
[4:22] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So yeah, that's just something I'm wondering.
[4:26] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I'm curious about it.
[4:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: We did have a hiccup though, also on the first day, the ISU had jailblock the Geodagram pre-final on YouTube.
[4:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So people in the US were not able to see it, but they did fix it in time for the junior women short program, and it looks like they posted the videos.
[4:46] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yes, for what was missed.
[4:48] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yes.
[4:49] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So I had not planned to wake up for the junior grand pre at
[4:56] \[SPEAKER_01\]: on that first day but my body woke me up because I had to go to the bathroom and I was like oh I think I'm gonna put on the Junior Grand Prix to help me go back to sleep and I couldn't find it and I was like what the heck?
[5:11] \[SPEAKER_01\]: What am I doing?
[5:12] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So of course I go to Twitter and I see everybody spewing off about why can't we see the Junior Grand Prix?
[5:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Why isn't
[5:24] \[SPEAKER_01\]: what the hack.
[5:25] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I did go back to bed sort of, but then I tried again later on, and it was on in time for Moushmata.
[5:35] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So it got fixed, but it was a little frustrating that first day.
[5:41] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Well, I was able to watch the rhythm dance senior rhythm dance live, and I also will admit I was
[5:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I watched most of everything like right after it finished or that day.
[6:00] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, the Grand Prix final is always quite exciting, isn't it?
[6:03] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You got the best of the best of the season and it's what I like about it as well is that it's an event where you can watch everything because we got the four categories junior and senior, but because of six entries per category, you can lead to just watch it and feel like, okay, done.
[6:23] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Next.
[6:24] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Next, next, and particularly with the show programs, I mean, they're so quick.
[6:28] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I know.
[6:29] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You know, you blink and you're done.
[6:31] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, it does go so fast.
[6:33] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Now, Mateo, you've been to a Grand Prix Final Correct.
[6:36] \[SPEAKER_04\]: What have you?
[6:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, I've been to one in 2011.
[6:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was after they joined the two together.
[6:42] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Gina, what about you?
[6:44] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I have not yet.
[6:45] \[SPEAKER_01\]: No.
[6:46] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So hopefully, I'll get to go to one one of these days.
[6:51] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, I need to come to North America.
[6:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: That would be good.
[6:54] \[SPEAKER_01\]: or another trip to Europe, I gotta make the first trip to Europe in two months.
[7:00] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So I can't plan that far ahead, but yeah, I would love to get to a Grand Prix final one of these days.
[7:07] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I went in 2011.
[7:08] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was in Quebec City.
[7:09] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was beautiful.
[7:11] \[SPEAKER_03\]: There's a part of the city that seems very European and it just felt amazing.
[7:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Robin and I roomed together at the Chateau front to knock so it was just quite an experience and still it ranks in my top five competitions I've ever attended.
[7:28] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, Grand Prix Final.
[7:30] \[SPEAKER_03\]: There's just something magical about it.
[7:32] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I hope that
[7:35] \[SPEAKER_03\]: at some point soon.
[7:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I feel like we're due to host one.
[7:39] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And it's fantastic to get such a small subset of the top skaters together in one place for both levels.
[7:46] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Actually, my first one was the one into Reno in 2019, where a certain release of you was a junior competitor and she won the silver medal.
[7:57] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Do you know a release of you?
[7:58] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Are we going to talk about her today and maybe
[8:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yes.
[8:04] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think that we probably are.
[8:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But first we're going to segue into the men we're covering the senior events first and in the men's event.
[8:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Gold went to Iliya Malinen of the US.
[8:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Silver went to Yuma Kageama of Japan and bronze went to Shun Sato of Japan.
[8:24] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Well, I want to start first with the short program.
[8:28] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I know normally we just jump in and talk right about the free skate and the overall results, but I want to start with the short because we kind of had a surprise after the short program.
[8:40] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yuma Kagiyama was the leader after the short program
[8:45] \[SPEAKER_01\]: fabulous short program setting a new personal best short program score and it was Iliya Malinin who found himself sitting in an unusual place he was third after the short program He stumbled on the landing of attempting to do a quad axle triple toe combination and if he was able to do that he would have been the first to do
[9:11] \[SPEAKER_01\]: a quadaxel in a combination, um, but he was not able to do that.
[9:17] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So that was like, for me, I was shocked after the short program because automatically we assume Ili is going to be the leader and, you know, then Uma and Shun would have been second and third, but that was not the case and it wasn't like
[9:32] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It was just a point separating.
[9:35] \[SPEAKER_01\]: They were like 14 points between first and third.
[9:40] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But yeah, that was I just wanted to mention the short program, but you know, Elia, that free skate.
[9:48] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, seven quads.
[9:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, I remember, in Daphne, maybe you can remember what year was it?
[9:56] \[SPEAKER_01\]: The Nathan did like five, and we were excited, Nathan did five quads.
[10:01] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And here we are now talking about seven quads, like, just watching him, he just had that face.
[10:14] \[SPEAKER_01\]: That whole entire time, like, I'm, you're not going to mess with me.
[10:18] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I'm going to,
[10:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Bring out this program.
[10:21] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I'm gonna nail everything.
[10:23] \[SPEAKER_01\]: He's just Matteo, you put it in the note.
[10:27] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Unstoppable.
[10:29] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, I mean, and he looks so relaxed.
[10:31] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I mean, he made history.
[10:33] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Well, he wanted to make history under show program as well, not yet, soon, we're sure, but he made history with the free.
[10:41] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And yeah, they're looking at him.
[10:44] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And he ends the program and you think, do you know what you've just done?
[10:49] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Please can you show a drop of wet or something?
[10:55] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Shortness of threads.
[10:56] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Are you human?
[10:59] \[SPEAKER_04\]: In fact, do you remember in Kiss and Cry, so he was there waiting, Daniel Glacill was in the leader seat, and at some point he just goes down and he's almost saying, you know, show me these paintings, respect to the god of figures getting, and it was funny because Mark Henry asked you to say something like that, he said, look, a religious connection of a day you go, God of figures getting, waiting for his scores, and the cardinal there was okay,
[11:26] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Pope for Rense, and he told making sense now, but of course then, I don't know, I mean like What he's doing out there no one has done before, but then of course I think he just celebrated his 21st birthday How much more can his body?
[11:45] \[SPEAKER_01\]: you know keep up with this like i just get nervous i'm like oh how you know what's his body gonna be like in a couple years how can he maintain this but um we'll just take it for what it is right now he's looks to be in good form and i mean
[12:05] \[SPEAKER_01\]: if he skates like he did in this free skate.
[12:08] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, give him the Olympic gold medal.
[12:10] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I've been saying, give him the Olympic gold medal rate.
[12:13] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Back in September, but.
[12:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So Nathan landed five quads in his free skate in 2017 at the U.S. Championships.
[12:23] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She did it again at the Olympics in 2020, too.
[12:27] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah.
[12:28] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So here we are, next quad, the next quad, Olympic quad, and someone is now doing seven quads.
[12:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But it's Iliya Molinen.
[12:38] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, I'm not surprised, really.
[12:42] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He always ups the ante, raises the bar.
[12:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He looks at what he's doing and wants to do more.
[12:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And so technically he just continues to push things.
[12:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I do worry about injury, but he seems to be okay, so you know, I guess we'll wait and see he has said though.
[13:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Think he's not, I don't think retiring this season is in his plans.
[13:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think he can plan to continue going after this season.
[13:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So we'll see how things change after that.
[13:17] \[SPEAKER_04\]: What I'm thinking about as well is, you know, as you said, you know, if he's body starts to tell him, you need to slow down.
[13:23] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I mean, at this Grand Prix finally had a 30 point advantage from second.
[13:27] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So you can just get rid of two quads and it will still win everything.
[13:32] \[SPEAKER_02\]: I know.
[13:33] \[SPEAKER_02\]: I know.
[13:33] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And even, you know,
[13:35] \[SPEAKER_04\]: it's just crazy unless the field keeps pushing things and we know that the field is actually working to try to push more and more so all the other men there were you know all trying to exceed their best to do as much as they can to show that they've also got things but let's not forget that someone was saying that he's also got a quintuple jump
[13:57] \[SPEAKER_04\]: There she's been training, and I'm thinking about it, yes.
[14:01] \[SPEAKER_04\]: What are you going to do with 400 point stores all combined each one day?
[14:04] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I don't know.
[14:07] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I don't know.
[14:09] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I get scared just jumping off the ice.
[14:11] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Like, just trying to do a Walt's jump.
[14:14] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I can't even, can't even imagine.
[14:17] \[SPEAKER_03\]: China, I would be scared putting a blade on the ice, but I have not skated since I was 14.
[14:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So there's no way.
[14:26] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I skated outside on pause like that had frozen over.
[14:30] \[SPEAKER_03\]: That's what I did.
[14:32] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Um, I did try to go to a nice rink when I, oh god, it must have been 20 years ago now.
[14:39] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It did not go well.
[14:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So at that point, I decided to take pretty pictures.
[14:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And that was my contribution.
[14:46] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I did the skating to, to those who are gifted.
[14:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yes.
[14:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Well, I have to, we have to mention the other, we have to mention the others in this men's event because it was a really good men's event.
[15:01] \[SPEAKER_01\]: That free skate was really good.
[15:03] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It was one good skate after another.
[15:06] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um, Yuma, second consecutive Grand Prix final silver medal.
[15:12] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um,
[15:12] \[SPEAKER_01\]: free skate is so powerful.
[15:14] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It's such a good program.
[15:17] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It wasn't as clean as a short program.
[15:18] \[SPEAKER_01\]: He had some mistakes.
[15:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: He actually was fourth in the segment, but I mean he scored over 300 in overall and you know, I think
[15:29] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I'm just looking forward to seeing both programs.
[15:32] \[SPEAKER_01\]: They're both, you know, so different, but they're both great programs.
[15:37] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I look forward to seeing them on Olympic ice, especially that free skate, but yeah, he had a really good weekend.
[15:47] \[SPEAKER_01\]: His teammate, Shinsato, I mean, two spectacular programs.
[15:53] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, if they don't put him on the Olympic team, I would be shocked.
[15:59] \[SPEAKER_03\]: like he's had such an incredible season.
[16:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: This has been just fantastic to watch it.
[16:09] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah.
[16:09] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Really explode.
[16:10] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And on a lighter note, we want to see his coach had your limpic games on a kiss and cry.
[16:19] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He's one of the most animated coaches that I've ever seen.
[16:23] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He just gets into it and it's just so fun.
[16:26] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And it's just, it's, it's, it's, it shouldn't doesn't even, like, bad and I lash at him.
[16:30] \[SPEAKER_01\]: He just kind of sits there and like, oh, yeah.
[16:34] \[SPEAKER_01\]: That's my coach, you know?
[16:36] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um, but yeah, like, yeah, we definitely need to see more of his coach in the kissing cry.
[16:42] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I feel like shun is also relaxing a lot.
[16:44] \[SPEAKER_04\]: See if you look at it, that's why he's achieving all these personal bests.
[16:48] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Even you, I mean, thinking about a short program.
[16:50] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I felt like he was getting at the gala.
[16:52] \[SPEAKER_04\]: That's how relaxed he was.
[16:54] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So the two of them are really working a lot.
[16:55] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I think that they know that there's a lot of stress in diesel inpix season, but they're achieving so much.
[17:01] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And hopefully we'll see a positive trajectory for the two of them.
[17:06] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And yeah, assuming that they will make your inpix team and we'll see what they can do there.
[17:11] \[SPEAKER_04\]: But shall we say something about the guy from my country?
[17:14] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Daniel Grassell.
[17:17] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
[17:38] \[SPEAKER_03\]: not skate as well and have all of this hot and cold results.
[17:44] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So if Daniel Grasso skates like he didn't have this free skate at the Olympics, if he's put on the team, this I think brings Italy in the equation discussion for our team metal potentially.
[18:05] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Because given the results in the other field, if he can be consistent and we know, I mean, it's very much likely that the bronze is going to be a battle between George and Italy.
[18:17] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You know, it's, I think that these are the two countries that are more likely to, to, to, to rank high enough to to fight for that medal.
[18:26] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You know, we can never say something for a final until we are an event, but we know, you know, if you look at the field, then who is in which category for each country is going to be at the team of end.
[18:37] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So if you can have another scale of of his life there in in Milano, it's going to be, yeah, it's going to be fantastic for a team Italy.
[18:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Rounding out the men's event, Adams, y'all him, Fah, of course, had to withdraw from this competition last year.
[18:51] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He placed fifth overall, and in sixth place, the person who replaced him last year, Mikhail Shadrov, who has returned to last season's short program.
[19:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I really wish he would go back to his free skate from last season as well.
[19:08] \[SPEAKER_03\]: That's just my opinion.
[19:11] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So let's transition to the women's event.
[19:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The goal medal went to a list of the U.S. Silver went to Almyna Kai of Japan.
[19:22] \[SPEAKER_03\]: and bronze went to Kiari Sakamoto of Japan.
[19:26] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So I'm going to start with the short program again because just like the men, there were a lot of surprises in this short program too.
[19:35] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Amber was sitting in sixth place after the short program.
[19:40] \[SPEAKER_01\]: She popped her triple axel in the short.
[19:43] \[SPEAKER_01\]: She has been so consistent with that jump lately that I was not expecting that.
[19:49] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I just thought the program,
[19:51] \[SPEAKER_01\]: lacked intensity as soon as she popped that triple axle it just felt like the air out of that program just kind of was released and it was you know it didn't didn't have as much of the intensity that I have enjoyed
[20:08] \[SPEAKER_01\]: with this program this season.
[20:11] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Kauri Sakamoto popped a triple lutz to a double in the short program and was in fifth after the segment.
[20:21] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Very emotional following the event because you know this is her last final.
[20:29] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And so she was
[20:32] \[SPEAKER_01\]: you know, visibly sad that she couldn't deliver a clean short program, um, but then you had on the flip side, Monet Cheeba on Alyssa Lou earning new personal best in the short program and they were one and two.
[20:46] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So it was, again, a lot of surprises in that short program.
[20:53] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But Alyssa Lou comes out with the gold, and I mean, how can you not like Alyssa Lou right now?
[21:03] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Like, just the joy she has for her skating.
[21:10] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, she just really likes skating, she's having fun out there, she's relaxed.
[21:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, the first thing she comes off the ice,
[21:22] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Well, not the first thing after she comes off the ice, but once she realizes she has one and they do the interview, she wants to go play the drum.
[21:32] \[SPEAKER_02\]: Yeah.
[21:32] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Who says that?
[21:33] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Like, who?
[21:35] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I love that so much.
[21:37] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And they meant, like, her do it.
[21:39] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, that is what is just so fun about her.
[21:44] \[SPEAKER_01\]: You just don't know what she's going to do and she's, I mean, yeah, I just love her right now.
[21:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It's just, it's fun watching her.
[21:54] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You're totally right, I'm wondering whether she's actually feeling stressed before guessing on the ice because she comes out there and you think, oh look at her, she's going to have the time of her life again and, you know, she had a couple of skates this season that were not great, but even at the end of those skates, she was like, man, okay, Sylvia, next.
[22:11] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You know kind of a surely she will she was reflecting on everything, but you know when she goes out there and she skates like she's getting at the final You think wow Big smile on her face on our faces and that's what we want.
[22:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: That's yeah beautiful to witness No So she came back on her own terms and That I think is reflected in the way that she conducts herself
[22:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: This is Alyssa Lu she's having a blast being part of this again and she's doing it her way and I'm
[22:47] \[SPEAKER_03\]: excited for it.
[22:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah.
[22:49] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah.
[22:50] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Now my question watching her is she still competing both the short and free skate from last season.
[23:00] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I think we're pretty much she is keeping that short program.
[23:04] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But the free skate, are we gonna see the Lady Gaga free skate again?
[23:08] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Or is this MacArthur
[23:16] \[SPEAKER_01\]: at worlds.
[23:18] \[SPEAKER_01\]: That's where I'm kind of wondering because now she's gotten really comfortable with it again.
[23:25] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Like, yeah, I feel like everyone doesn't mind, you know, but she keeps the same programs in last year, probably not really a big deal.
[23:32] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, I know like people were like concern that that program had its moment in Boston.
[23:39] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But I haven't felt that way watching her still
[23:44] \[SPEAKER_01\]: They've had different types of moments, I guess.
[23:47] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Like that program has had different types of moments this season is what I'm saying.
[23:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So I'm okay with her keeping it.
[23:54] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I'm just kind of curious if we will see Lady Gaga again or if she's just going to say, hey, look, I'm just going to keep going with these two programs.
[24:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I do wonder as well what she's going to do, but she has not ruled it out as far as I know she's not ruled out using the Lady Gaga program.
[24:13] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, you wouldn't need to think about strategies and it because she's got nationals in effect, and then Gillian big games.
[24:20] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Speaking of nationals, Japanese nationals are actually around the corner as well, I'm in day.
[24:24] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And what happened there?
[24:27] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I mean, Ami.
[24:29] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Nakaie, wow, she did it.
[24:33] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, I don't think I had her in the mix.
[24:37] \[SPEAKER_01\]: No, the summer is like one of the skaters who could be going to the Olympics.
[24:44] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I think with the way she skated this past weekend,
[24:48] \[SPEAKER_01\]: give her a spot like unless something is to drastically change between now and Japanese nationals, she deserves a spot.
[24:57] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, she was third in the short, laying the triple axle in the free skate, had the second best free skate.
[25:04] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, she is really making a case for that Olympic team.
[25:09] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, and of course, you will probably likely to be there.
[25:11] \[SPEAKER_04\]: We call Risa Komato, which, as we said, you don't have a clean short program, but the free skate was much better, and I mean, call Risa, we had to see call Risa limpic games.
[25:25] \[SPEAKER_04\]: But heartbroken for Monarchyve, because she is having a fantastic season.
[25:30] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And in fact, she had a personal best in a short program.
[25:32] \[SPEAKER_04\]: But the fact that she actually
[25:35] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, messed up the free skater.
[25:36] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I think I don't know whether you had the same feeling but when she got to the ice for the free program I was like the nerves as to are showing too much good luck and yeah, and yeah, it was just she was tense She was very preoccupied of their did throughout the entire program and I think that that's was messed up
[25:54] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, you definitely could tell she was nervous going into that free skate, but hopefully she will pull it together for Japanese nationals.
[26:06] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I still think she is a lock for the Olympic team.
[26:10] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I think
[26:11] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I would go with Kawari Ami and Amone for the Olympic team.
[26:16] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, it depends on what rank a one to knobby does and what the rest of the Japanese field does, but it should be a very interesting Japanese nationals for sure.
[26:27] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I'll have to mention Amber did land her triple axel much better free skate.
[26:33] \[SPEAKER_01\]: She just finished off the podium in fourth place.
[26:37] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um, so it was glad to see her, you know, pull it together in the free skate, just like how we did.
[26:43] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um, it's always good to see them come back.
[26:46] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Um, it was much better watching a happy curry after her free skate than a sad one after her short program.
[26:54] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And we should mention that there was really, what, three and a half points between first and third.
[27:02] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, it's very, very close, which shows how
[27:07] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Intense, it's going to be at the Olympics, like, because, yeah, you can't make mistakes, it's going to be that intense.
[27:19] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So moving on to the Paris event, gold is one by Riku Mira and really Chikiyara of Japan.
[27:26] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Silver went to Sarah Conti and Nicolot Machi of Italy, and bronze went to Manerva Fabianhassa and Nikita Voloden of Germany, and I will say off the bat the skates for the pairs event for me.
[27:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: were Sarah and Nicolowe.
[27:47] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I felt way worse than her scent, just fantastic.
[27:52] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And again, reaffirms this idea that Italy can really compete for that team metal.
[28:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They delivered in both the
[28:06] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You know, again, we were talking about how Alisa got to the ice and she was happy to be there and showing that she enjoyed it.
[28:13] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I feel like I got the same feeling from Sara and Nicolot.
[28:15] \[SPEAKER_04\]: They got out there.
[28:16] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Sara particularly was incredibly expressive, but also Nicolot, which is normally the most tense out of the two.
[28:22] \[SPEAKER_04\]: He was different than usual.
[28:24] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So I feel like they're building a level of confidence, leading towards the Olympic Games in Malano that is showing now.
[28:31] \[SPEAKER_04\]: The quality is there, I think that they feel the programs, they love them, so it's fantastic and not only, you know, for the two of them, the question is, did I have a team medal at your Olympic Games potentially waiting for them or is there another medal that could, the good target because the press field is exciting now.
[28:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Read exciting and there are totally in the mix yeah, and Mateo.
[28:59] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's not mutually exclusive They could go for but I mean they could both I mean if you think about it right Italy I think has a strong chance with Sarah and Nicolowe skating as well as they are right now.
[29:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: This is yeah.
[29:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: This is great.
[29:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's great for them.
[29:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's great for team Italy
[29:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's just very, very exciting.
[29:21] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I, if I was the judges, I would have had them winning this event.
[29:28] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I was completely surprised that they did not win the event.
[29:34] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And I don't think I was quite about that.
[29:37] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I think I tweeted or retweeted something that Jackie said, because he called them the winners as well.
[29:48] \[SPEAKER_01\]: From just like I think I texted Matteo the short program.
[29:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I was like, wow Okay, can they do it in the free skate and they did like it was both were so good They were the highlight You know when I'm talking about the final the you know to and last night the first thing she goes well What did you think and I started with the pairs of that and I said Sarah Niccolo should have won that event.
[30:13] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, they were amazing
[30:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: You know what, I have to say before I forget because because my sleep schedule is different, my work schedule and everything, it's quite fun to wake up to the two of you.
[30:26] \[SPEAKER_03\]: You, Mateo, who's like five or six hours ahead of me and Gina, who's up at the crack of dawn, going on and on about the skating.
[30:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I felt like this is great.
[30:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I'm getting a recap without having to watch it.
[30:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: This is a great, wonderful, and so I was entertained by what you had to say.
[30:45] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I know, I kind of was after a while going, deafening is going to wake up to about like 20 to 30 text messages between me and my tail, and she's going to have no clue what was going on.
[30:56] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yep, it was great, there's so much fun.
[30:59] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, we had a lot to say, that's for sure.
[31:04] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So, um,
[31:09] \[SPEAKER_03\]: one bronze, but they were in fifth after the show at program, which was kind of a surprise, but not with how well others skated in the show at program and the fact that she popped her side by side tripled south cow.
[31:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But their free skate was wonderful.
[31:27] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They skated really, really strong.
[31:29] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It was the top free skate of the event.
[31:33] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So yeah, that was probably, I mean, I talked about the
[31:39] \[SPEAKER_01\]: after the men in women's short program that was the surprise for me after the pair short program was seeing them sitting in fifth place I was like wait what why are they down there um because I would have had them of course one two or three um after the short
[31:56] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Again, though, only about four points in between first and third, it's incredibly close, and mistakes in one program or the other are costly, as we know.
[32:07] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Um, unfortunately, Anastasia Metallkan and Luca Barulova are still having some problems with their lifts.
[32:15] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, it's that first lift in the free skate.
[32:18] \[SPEAKER_01\]: um at you know he got it up but even um Mark and Ted you know made a comment goes oh and it was kind of nerve wracking a little bit because you knew what happened at skate America
[32:33] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So, hopefully they can get that taken care of, like, and fix that, and so that's not an issue anymore.
[32:39] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But they finished, you know, fourth overall, they were third after the short program.
[32:45] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I just want to go back to the leaders to Riku and Ryuchi.
[32:49] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, they were the leaders after the short program.
[32:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: This is their second Grand Prix final title.
[32:56] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But they earned a personal best score in the free skate, despite a couple of errors.
[33:01] \[SPEAKER_01\]: and they were second in the free skate, but I don't know if that score should have been as high as it was with the mistakes that they get a personal best.
[33:16] \[SPEAKER_01\]: And so my first question becomes is this because they competed in Japan and we gave them a little extra points?
[33:24] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I don't know
[33:30] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So we had to have their score be higher than Sarah in Nickelodef.
[33:34] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I don't know.
[33:35] \[SPEAKER_01\]: That's just mine.
[33:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, the quality of their skating is impeccable.
[33:42] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I think that that, I mean, judging the skating itself without mistakes, they would receive the highest marks.
[33:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: However, the way that the system is supposed to work when you make mistakes and how it's supposed to affect the PCS mark and all of that, it doesn't always work that way.
[34:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But ever since this whole personal best in season, best season's best thing has
[34:12] \[SPEAKER_03\]: was created.
[34:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: There's always been these questions.
[34:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: How can you make so many mistakes?
[34:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, the skaters themselves have said things like going from one competition to the next saying, I know I skated better here and yet my marks are lower.
[34:27] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's confusing.
[34:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's an exciting thing to know you've got a new season's best, but what does it really mean if?
[34:35] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, you know you're skating
[34:40] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah, particularly given that, you know, if you don't have a clean skate, why do you have a personal best, as we said, I mean, it's not making sense.
[34:48] \[SPEAKER_04\]: If, as we were saying, the components are affected by how clean you skate, your free program or your program in general, why is that not reflects it in this core here?
[34:59] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It could be because their season's best, which you get a personal best is your career.
[35:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah.
[35:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Season's best is just the season.
[35:07] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It could be that their season's best prior to this had...
[35:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: more mistakes.
[35:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Again, to the judging panel is a separate for each competition.
[35:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's hard.
[35:23] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean to see things fluctuate and I'm sure it gets confusing for the audience and for the skaters themselves and it's something that maybe needs to be fine-tuned and better analyze to improve upon, which we'll talk a little bit about when we talk about the senior dance.
[35:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I want to point out though, Maria Pavlovak and Alexis Fiatchenko of Hungary, they're going to be a fun team to watch after this Olympic quad, because they have potential there, just fun to watch.
[36:02] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I did say after NHK Trophy, if you remember, that's these two are two to watch.
[36:08] \[SPEAKER_04\]: because they're just continuously and steadily growing and I've been at their presentation, which is the thing that I think they need to still work a lot on is actually getting better and better and better now.
[36:21] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So I'm curious to see what they're going to do.
[36:23] \[SPEAKER_04\]: You know, the season is still long, so it's not to say that the season is not there season, but I think from the next season onwards, there might be, yeah, high ranking teams there.
[36:35] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Okay, so, um, finally, uh, Deanna's still out of due deck and Maxime Deshaam, the 2024 will champions finished in six place.
[36:46] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So moving on to the ice dance, um, this was an interesting field because we had three teams that competed at last year's final returning.
[36:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: We had one team who had both been to the final with previous partners, and then two,
[37:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: that this was their first final and it it should be said the the three teams that aren't here that made last year's final are still competing.
[37:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's just the way that things worked out and it's been a very dramatic intense and unpredictable season.
[37:22] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Grand Prix series has demonstrated that in
[37:32] \[SPEAKER_03\]: In gold, Madison chalk and Evan Bates of the U.S., in silver, Lawrence, Furnier, Bodry, and G.O.
[37:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Scissoron of France, and winning the bronze, the Lyla Fear, and Louis Gibson of Great Britain.
[37:47] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So Madison chalk and Evan Bates, this is their third straight, Grand Prix final title.
[37:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: After the rhythm dance, 1.18 points separated first and second, they set new personal best, I think in everything, and a total score of 220.42.
[38:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: In the free dance, I noticed Madison had this little slip at the very end, but it didn't result in a fall, it very, I mean, it could have, they saved it.
[38:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It wasn't a perfect performance, but it was a good performance, except for that little slip.
[38:22] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I've noticed some discussion on social media, people are talking about, well, Chalkin' Bates didn't do a challenger.
[38:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Is that affecting how they skate like earlier in the season?
[38:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And the thing is, they haven't done a challenger event, I think since 2022 and are 2021, and they're that team that eases into the season, builds steam throughout and peaks at the right time, and I think,
[38:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: their programs each time out are improving and they're getting stronger and they're on track for what they do because not every team is going to start off with a challenge or series event.
[39:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But for some teams it might have been a good idea to get one before coming out this season.
[39:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It just really depends on I think on the
[39:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: both had been here with previous partners.
[39:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They set a new personal best in the rhythm dance and total score, but they had this weird fall just before they went into the choreographic lift.
[39:28] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I watched it.
[39:30] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Herv's skate got stuck on her dress.
[39:34] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was her right skate got caught on her dress.
[39:38] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And you look at it and her dress is not long enough to be
[39:43] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They were they were doing steps and it sliced into the dress.
[39:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It got caught.
[39:48] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I see I like what back and try to see if I could see it And I couldn't see how it got caught in there.
[39:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It did I slowed it down and I watched okay I'm so I'm still figuring out I'm like, okay.
[40:00] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, that makes sense that could happen to any scale.
[40:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, honestly
[40:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It can happen to anyone.
[40:06] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And I have a lot of deep shapes in their programs on day.
[40:09] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So, you know, the risk, even if the skirt is not the longest skirt, so we have out there is high, because they move a lot, they bend down, they get back up.
[40:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah.
[40:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's definitely not the most the the longest skirt the season.
[40:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think Catarina Marasca has a long skirt.
[40:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean Maddie has a long skirt.
[40:31] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Maddie's skirt is long.
[40:33] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And honestly, when I was going through my pictures from Skate America,
[40:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Um, there was a point that Catarina was getting could have been caught in her skirt.
[40:44] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Like, I Disgate in the skirt, but she works it so well.
[40:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I don't want her to get rid of Like to change the skirt because it's so
[40:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: impactful because of the way she uses it and I think Maddie the same thing but it's it's of written is a risk and every time I mention the skirt when I talk with Anne she always brings up the time Marie Franz had a skirt malfunction where she fell with the skirt and she's like
[41:17] \[SPEAKER_01\]: she coaches these teams.
[41:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Why is she letting them wear these long skirts?
[41:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Again, because it fits the program and I get it, but they have to be willing to take that risk.
[41:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, it is a risk.
[41:32] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Um, Laurence and Gium also had a one point deduction for an extended lift, and that just took some point away.
[41:42] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, I expected that it was going to be incredibly close between the two of them, but they finished a little over six points back.
[41:52] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So that resulted in a bigger difference between the scores that I was expecting.
[42:11] \[SPEAKER_03\]: which is high stakes.
[42:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Now the bronze medal, there was a bit of controversy again around scoring and placement.
[42:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: After the rhythm dance, Piper Gillis and Paul Porea were in third place and they had like a point four, four lead over a while of fear and Lewis Gibson which this was
[42:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: On par for Lylon Lewis, their school was a little bit lower than what they've had this season.
[42:46] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Piper and Pauls was a few points lower than what they've had this season.
[42:51] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They had, I think, an 85 at one competition, so they would have been closer to those top teams.
[42:58] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But in the free dance, it flipped and so in the end, Lylafir and Lewis Gibson took the bronze medal.
[43:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: by 0.34, we get these very close finishes in it.
[43:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think it only instigates more conversation.
[43:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The fan outpouring and uproar that I have seen on social media about this has been mostly consistent where people really believe that
[43:27] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Gillis and Porea should have been the bronze medalist here that they skated better and should have been marked fairly or marked differently than what the marks they received.
[43:41] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So it's very interesting.
[43:43] \[SPEAKER_03\]: There are a lot of people calling for the judging system to be reviewed and.
[43:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: changed to bring ice dance more in line with dancing and less with acrobatics and elements, um, which I get it's hard.
[44:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The elements are how you score a team.
[44:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Okay.
[44:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Then let's change things a little bit.
[44:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think bringing the pattern back is not a bad idea and the rhythm dance.
[44:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I know not everyone agrees with it, but I think bringing it back
[44:18] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Not a bad idea.
[44:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I'm with you on that.
[44:20] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I think they need to bring back the pattern.
[44:23] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But yeah.
[44:26] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I also would love to see a difference of let's move into less of the decade stuff, more of like,
[44:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It doesn't have to be classical, it can be modern, but let's return more to the roots of bar room dance and ice dance.
[44:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And so, I use you, I've got some great ideas.
[44:51] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Hit me up.
[44:54] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I've been thinking about this for quite a while.
[44:56] \[SPEAKER_03\]: After watching, ice dance and running a website about it for the last almost 27 years, I've seen a lot of things, and so I've got some ideas.
[45:07] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So, Japanese fans really seemed to get into Allison Reed and Sally Asambrilla Visius, free dance to music by Faithless.
[45:19] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They were applauding.
[45:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was, yeah, there was a lot of applause for that.
[45:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I like that it was different than what the other teams were doing.
[45:27] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It stood out to me.
[45:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's not everyone's company, but I think that it for them, it fits.
[45:34] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Um, and Allison had a picture of Chris and the kiss and cry and it just reminded me that in March it's been six years since he passed away and I can't believe that it's been that long.
[45:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, we started the pandemic and he passed away, like just, it's incredibly sad.
[45:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The last thing I'll say, Emily, is Ingas Vadim Colleginic, we're hit with a two-point illegal
[46:02] \[SPEAKER_03\]: put them about five points off their personal best.
[46:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I love that move that they do.
[46:07] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I don't understand why it wasn't marked this way previously.
[46:11] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, it needs to get figured out.
[46:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Skater should not be coming into the season and be judge one way for every competition for the same thing and then get dinged on something that they've been doing the same way every other time.
[46:28] \[SPEAKER_01\]: we need to figure this out for them right yeah it shouldn't take I mean they competed two grand pre-events plus they had a couple of challengers in there and how come we are just deducting it now at the grand pre-final yeah yeah and we are going to do a nice dance episode it is going to happen just
[46:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: We just, there's so much going on that with the holidays and everything, we can't, it's just, we're not able to get it together now, but I'm looking forward to having a roundtable discussion and really digging into some of the things, not just about the judging, but about how dance has changed and how, how to get it back to the roots, how to get it back to something that the audience recognizes and gets behind.
[47:20] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Again, so let's move on.
[47:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: To the junior events, in the men's event, Goal went to Minkyu, CEO of Korea, Silver went to Rio Nacada of Japan, and bronze went to Lucius Kazanaki.
[47:39] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, of the U.S.
[47:42] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I watched his skate.
[47:43] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He did really well, and still, though, I have to say,
[47:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Dennis Krugelov, a Belgium, who no one had on their bingo cards for the year, really landing on the map.
[47:58] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It makes me think of Kevin Vandeparen, who kind of just did something similar when he came out of almost nowhere.
[48:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And it's funny to look at that first versus the golden silver, but those were performances that stood out to me.
[48:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So interesting, Minkyocio won Korean ranking competition recently.
[48:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He's not able to go to the Olympics because he's not age-eligible.
[48:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He turned 17 and October, so he missed the cut off.
[48:28] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But he still was ahead of June, Wachah, which is, I mean, I think Korea is looking at him as one to carry Korean figure skating.
[48:41] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Um, I have to say I was so disappointed for Reo Nakata, he just, his free skate was a lot of mistakes.
[48:51] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It just wasn't what he's, it's not like him to make the number of mistakes that he put out in this program.
[49:00] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So I was really disappointed for him.
[49:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: He's still finished second in the free skate, but he had, yeah, a lot of mistakes.
[49:09] \[SPEAKER_04\]: These two top skaters got quite a margin compared to the rest of the field, so it's quite interesting to see that.
[49:14] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And I feel like they offer, you know, they're both beautiful, but I feel like, mean you say I've got probably a lot of, how can we call it?
[49:25] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Something like he's narrations throughout the program is probably a bit stronger now, and he keeps increasing in the way present himself out there.
[49:32] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Because if you look at the elements that he presents, he only had one quote in his free program.
[49:37] \[SPEAKER_04\]: a quote, Salco.
[49:39] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Well, Reonakata had a quote, Salco, quote, a total triple total per a quote, sort of mistake.
[49:46] \[SPEAKER_04\]: But, you know, from a point point of view, it's got a bit more than your guy, but mean, you mean, you know, where reminds me, I'm not sure whether I'm sending a right thing here, but it reminds me a bit of Jason Brown in the way he gets out there and he's got this beautiful way of getting into the music and presenting it.
[50:04] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I can see that, yeah.
[50:06] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Again, he's only 17, so there's time to add more of the technical content.
[50:11] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I feel like they've been around for a few years.
[50:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: and we've seen them grow over that time, whereas Lucius Kazanaki, I have not seen that much, but I did watch his performances here and he moved up from 4th after the short to Edge out, Dennis Kruglov, and he won the bronze by 0.25, and I have to point out Lucius,
[50:39] \[SPEAKER_01\]: trains with Ilya.
[50:41] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So I keep saying we're haven't seen it yet, but we can, you know, see maybe Ilya rub off on Lucius a little bit down the line.
[50:54] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It'll be interesting to see how he does at US Nationals last year was his first senior US Nationals.
[51:01] \[SPEAKER_01\]: So it wasn't like his best outing, but I
[51:04] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I could see him, you know, given our current field, I could see him in a top 10 placement at the U.S. Championships.
[51:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Absolutely.
[51:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Tiger Nishino of Japan finished 5th overall and have been joy of Korea finished 6th.
[51:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So we had a lot of movement in the women's event.
[51:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: We'll kick that off with
[51:34] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Silver went to Yuson Kim of Korea, and bronze went to May, Ocada of Japan.
[51:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I mean, wow.
[51:44] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Who would have thought someone would have their fourth consecutive Junior Grand Prix gold medal?
[51:50] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Like, usually you win the Junior Grand Prix final, and then you move out twice.
[51:56] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Maybe twice, and then you move up to senior, but not four times.
[52:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I can, you know, it's just, oh, she's, the age changed, which I think was an important role change.
[52:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Mashamada's been on the Junior Grand Prix Circuit for what seems like ever, by the time she does get to senior, which I believe is next year.
[52:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It already feels like we've been watching her forever.
[52:23] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I know.
[52:26] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So if she has a long senior career, it's really going to feel like we've been there since the beginning.
[52:33] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She was about 20 points ahead of you saw Kim of Korea.
[52:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She's undefeated Shemata.
[52:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: In her free-skate she landed triple axel but fell on an under-rotated quad toe loop on her way to getting a season's best score.
[52:48] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah.
[52:49] \[SPEAKER_04\]: And if you look at it, she was actually a thing just less than a point away from the bronze medal in the seniors.
[52:54] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Yeah.
[52:55] \[SPEAKER_04\]: We may have it.
[52:56] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I know that maybe, you know, the judging system is a bit different, but still, you know, if we look at it, she, you know, arguably could be at the level of courage.
[53:05] \[SPEAKER_04\]: I can't say anything.
[53:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's just crazy.
[53:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's crazy.
[53:12] \[SPEAKER_03\]: You saw in Kim of Korea pulled up from fifth after the short to finish second.
[53:17] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She completed a triple axel in her free skate and she got her personal best score in the free skate and overall.
[53:23] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She was fifth at last year's Grand Prix Final and I feel like we should talk about the fact that she's there with her twin sister.
[53:30] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, the first time they reached out there at the final.
[53:33] \[SPEAKER_03\]: You J. Kim was six in the short program but finished second in the free skate fourth overall.
[53:39] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And she, of course, is Usong's twin sister.
[53:41] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She also completed a clean triple axel like her sister.
[53:46] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Do you wonder if when they're training they have little competitions to see who can do it better?
[53:51] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I don't know.
[53:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I wonder.
[53:53] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But we have to point out, every woman in the junior women's event attempted a triple axel in the free skate.
[54:00] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Half of them were successful, half of them weren't, but
[54:04] \[SPEAKER_01\]: We are not seeing that in the senior women's event, not everyone's coming out with a triple X, so we know who does one and who can do them consistently, but this is crazy.
[54:17] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It's just like, this is like the future of women's, you know, the senior women's.
[54:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yeah, the juniors are pushing it, so,
[54:28] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Once they get to senior, we'll see what happens.
[54:30] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's hard because your body changes through those teen years and whether or not you're still able to continue to do those jumps.
[54:39] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Once you get into your 20s, it's a challenge.
[54:43] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's not always possible.
[54:44] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Right.
[54:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Right.
[54:46] \[SPEAKER_03\]: May Ocada of Japan won the bronze.
[54:49] \[SPEAKER_03\]: She only won the bronze by point for a four over U.J.
[54:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Kim.
[54:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And she was fit in the free skate.
[54:59] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Samika Kanazawa of Japan was fourth in the short program and free program, but was fifth overall and in sixth place Mayukuoka of Japan, she was third in the short, but dropped to sixth overall.
[55:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It really is, you know, a testament to how strong these skaters are that so many of them tried the triple axel, even if they weren't successful.
[55:24] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I'm looking forward to seeing what we get when we get to junior worlds.
[55:31] \[SPEAKER_04\]: Very last note on the women's, so again, if you compare the junior and senior, there are four Japanese women and two from another nation.
[55:40] \[SPEAKER_04\]: So it's just a little detail, but it's something that when we realized it the already, I just had a little smile thinking, oh, look at that.
[55:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Moving on to the pairs, we've already said before it's gonna be Team Canada vs.
[55:54] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Team China in the pair's event.
[55:56] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Gold went to Ryu Guo and Yi Wanzhang of China.
[56:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Silver went to Zhuangkijang and Wenkangfang and bronze went to Canada's Avakem and Yonatan Elazarov.
[56:12] \[SPEAKER_03\]: For Canada, their teams had Junior Grand Prix final experience before.
[56:17] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Eva and Yonatan won Silver in 2023, they missed last season due to injury, Jasmine and Karen won bronze at the last two Junior Grand Prix finals, and Julia competed in the final last year with her previous partner.
[56:31] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But for China, these were all new teams to the final and new teams in the international Junior pair seen.
[56:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Last year's title was won by Gierschweng Zhang and Yihang Huang who moved up to senior and were responsible for securing that Olympic spot for China at the skate to Milan competition.
[56:50] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah.
[56:52] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Yeah, it's, you know, China is with these Paris teams.
[56:56] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, these were all new Paris teams for me this season.
[57:00] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I had never saw them until the Junior Grand Prix series, and it's just...
[57:07] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean, the fact that the gold medalist came out with a quad twist, it's just showing you that China still continues to have a lot of depth in pairs.
[57:19] \[SPEAKER_01\]: We haven't seen it a lot, maybe recently, because the fact that they had to go to the qualifying event to get a spot for China,
[57:29] \[SPEAKER_01\]: But there's just these teams that are kind of coming up in the ranks and I think China will start to be more dominant pairs on the senior ranks as these teams, you know, hopefully they stay together.
[57:44] \[SPEAKER_01\]: We know how China likes to move.
[57:47] \[SPEAKER_01\]: partners around a bit.
[57:49] \[SPEAKER_01\]: Hopefully they will keep these teams intact because they're seeming to be very successful and hopefully we'll see it, you know, move, see these teams, you know, move up onto the senior ranks.
[58:03] \[SPEAKER_01\]: It's going to be interesting who will get China's Olympic spot.
[58:10] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I know this is not the conversation about the girl.
[58:14] \[SPEAKER_01\]: I mean this is not
[58:15] \[SPEAKER_01\]: those teams that are in conversation for that spot were not at the Grand Prix final, but I'm just always kind of curious who is going to get that spot.
[58:28] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's interesting.
[58:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The Chinese pairs, the medalist teams are coached by a hung bojo.
[58:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: No surprise, right?
[58:38] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yes, surprise.
[58:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The team that finished fifth, they are actually coached by Yag Ding, who I remember Ding in Ren as a pair of team for China years ago.
[58:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So it's fun for me to look at like the bios because it's it's like a walk down memory lane when you're seeing familiar names like that.
[59:00] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So, in junior ice dance, of the six teams only one team returned from last year's final that was our bronze medalist.
[59:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Gold was won by Hannah Maria Aboyan and Danielle Vesalukin of the United States.
[59:15] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Silver went to Amberday Pariyar G. Inesini and Samuel Blank Clapperman.
[59:21] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And bronze went to Irina Pagayna and Artem Kovall.
[59:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So last year, and I was watching the broadcast and listening to what people were saying and our golden silver medalists at this event were alternates last year.
[59:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And from what I think Mark was saying, they both teams really didn't want to be alternates again.
[59:41] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They wanted to make it the share on their own.
[59:44] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And they did.
[59:45] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So Hanamaria, Boyan, Daniel, Vesalukin, this is only their
[59:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's like a team that's been together a lot longer.
[59:57] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They set a new personal best in the rhythm dance, and their rhythm dance to Vogue is very popular on Skating Twitter.
[1:00:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: There are people who believe it's the best Vogue program this season, so I found that interesting.
[1:00:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Their free skate is set to music by Yove Goren and
[1:00:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: interesting tidbit.
[1:00:20] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I remember when Melissa Gregory Dennis Petragoff, who were their coaches, skated to Pravination and Adam and Eve by Yofgoran.
[1:00:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So,
[1:00:30] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's kind of full circle for me seeing them skate those programs.
[1:00:35] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They just have, I think, out of all the teams, they're fast.
[1:00:39] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It reminds me of when Maraska and Marazak came on the scene and we're just so fast and quick and precise and like electric.
[1:00:52] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Yes.
[1:00:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: really enjoyed their programs here.
[1:00:56] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The French, Andre and Samuel, second in the free dance, they were third in the rhythm dance.
[1:01:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The rhythm dance was pretty good.
[1:01:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I still think there's more they can put into it.
[1:01:09] \[SPEAKER_03\]: In this event, Sam of the next rotation on the second whistle in the rhythm dance, free dance, I've already said it before.
[1:01:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It's probably my favorite free dance at the season.
[1:01:19] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I thought they skated really well, but it wasn't perfect.
[1:01:22] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Like they're still, they're still room to grow there.
[1:01:25] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Moving on to Irina Pagina and Artem Covo.
[1:01:29] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Fourth in the free dance, they're free dance.
[1:01:32] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think it just wasn't as crisp as I've seen from them.
[1:01:36] \[SPEAKER_03\]: The season when they put it out there, they've definitely done it better.
[1:01:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So...
[1:01:42] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I'm excited to see how things evolve between now and junior worlds because you know they're going to go back and work on fine teamening the things that maybe didn't go right here.
[1:01:53] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Francis, Danielle Maladin, and Theo Bejou, finished in 4th.
[1:01:57] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I liked their 3dance a lot.
[1:02:00] \[SPEAKER_03\]: It was kind of sassy and fun, and I think there's a lot of potential with the two of them.
[1:02:05] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They just seem to have so much fun out there, no matter what they're skating to, and it's been the last couple seasons.
[1:02:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They just really seem to be a ton of fun.
[1:02:14] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Unfortunately for Canada's Leyla Veon and Alexander Brandeis, they had this weird thing that happened in the rhythm dance where they were going into the twizzles and Leyla hit him and knocked him off balance a little bit and they got no points for the twizzles at all so they ended up with a
[1:02:34] \[SPEAKER_03\]: score of 52 and in six place.
[1:02:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And I confirmed with Danielle, I'm like, that what happened because I thought I was seeing it correctly and I just wanted to confirm with her and she said, yeah, he she hit him not to moth balance and and the twizzle did not count.
[1:02:52] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They finished third in the freelance and honestly I expected that they would be in the metal haunted this event So I was surprised.
[1:03:00] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They have some of the best patterns.
[1:03:03] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think out of the teams here.
[1:03:04] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So And then finally first year team Jasmine Robertson chased Rona of the U.S.
[1:03:10] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Solid rhythm dance just did not look like nerves were getting to them at all.
[1:03:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: They skated so well
[1:03:18] \[SPEAKER_03\]: but then in the freelance they had this weird fall at the very beginning of the program and then jasmine slipped to one knee when they were going into the spin entrance so they lost a lot of points there.
[1:03:31] \[SPEAKER_03\]: But I hope that they take that as a learning experience for the competitions for the rest of the season.
[1:03:39] \[SPEAKER_04\]: It was quite a good ice-dense event during the junior as far as it was in a really, really good
[1:03:44] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I am glad that I stayed up to watch it because for me it was just a lot of fun skating at the senior level sometimes gets so intense that when you're watching the junior skaters it's just a different feel to me.
[1:04:01] \[SPEAKER_03\]: And there's just, I guess, a little less intensity and more flexibility when it comes to the skating and I think the podium was right.
[1:04:13] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I think the scoring was good.
[1:04:16] \[SPEAKER_03\]: I'm excited to see
[1:04:19] \[SPEAKER_03\]: what happens at junior worlds because I think Hannah and Danielle's programs scored so high and I want to see how much better they can skate them because the teams behind them I think skated well but I think there's some growth room in there to maybe close the gap a bit.
[1:04:37] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Wow, we did it.
[1:04:40] \[SPEAKER_03\]: So for at least the next four or five weeks we are going to be in the world of
[1:04:50] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Olympic teams are going to get named.
[1:04:52] \[SPEAKER_03\]: We're getting down to that point.
[1:04:55] \[SPEAKER_03\]: What we want to let you our listeners know is that we will not have a new episode next week.
[1:05:00] \[SPEAKER_03\]: We will return on December 23rd where we will start talking about the national championships that have been taking place as well as any other important news that you need to know.
[1:05:12] \[SPEAKER_03\]: Until next time,
[1:05:15] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Thanks for tuning in to another episode of This Week in Skating.
[1:05:18] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Remember, you can keep up with us throughout the week by visiting our website at www.thisweekincading.com.
[1:05:24] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Connect with us on social media for additional updates.
[1:05:26] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You can find us on Twitter at This Week in Skating without the ease or Facebook Instagram and Threads at This Week in Skating.
[1:05:35] \[SPEAKER_00\]: You got a burning question or feedback for Gina Daphne or Mateo?
[1:05:38] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Reach out to us via social media or drop us an email at thisweekonscading at gmail.com.
[1:05:43] \[SPEAKER_00\]: And if you're really enjoying the show and want to support us further, consider joining our Patreon community at patreon.com slash this week in skating.
[1:05:50] \[SPEAKER_00\]: Until next time, have a nice week!

Shows are listed from Apple Podcasts' charts and directory, and Podcast Index where it is used. Every show and episode belongs to its publisher and plays from the publisher's own feed; this site hosts none of them.