Chapter 129 Flaws Don't Overshadow the Merits: Why Are They Even Suspecting Their Own Ice Surface?
Perhaps due to playing on home soil, China performed quite well in the short program in all four events, with three of them having one foot on the podium, which also added a layer of complexity to the competition in the free skate.
However, as soon as Xia Yuezi received the free skate setups submitted by the athletes, she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.
"Wow, today's free skate was pretty intense."
In the initial men's singles events, more than half of the athletes were capable of quadruple jumps, and those who were competitive for the podium had at least three quadruple jumps.
Even Diaz, a newcomer who just moved up to the next level and has mastered two types of quadruple jumps, put on three or four routines and a double triple A in his free skate. It's obvious that he's trying to make up for the difference in program component score with technical points.
Meng Xin picked up the schedule on the table, glanced at it, and replied, "However, compared to the next stop, the China leg should only be considered an appetizer."
The next Grand Prix stop is the Russian Grand Prix.
Besides Lin Ye and Fujiwara Yoshino, two well-known jumpers, there are also three Russian guys.
In the past two years, Russian men's singles players have been launching satellites more and more frequently. Andrei has gone from being a "44 Youth" to a "54 Youth" in the B-level tournament this season. Others are not to be outdone, and the Russian Championships every year have their own exciting moments.
Xia Yuezi immediately knew what Meng Xin was referring to. She raised an eyebrow and shook her head: "Andrei's May Fourth routine hasn't been cleaned up this season, has it? And you've seen that program too. It's very empty. There's almost no choreography or transitions. Most of the time is spent on approach skating and stepping."
“Yes, even a program like this can get a P score of over 80,” Meng Xin said with a wry smile. “Even if some people say that this program is very utilitarian, they can’t deny the score it brings. I heard that other European and American contestants are also preparing to follow suit.”
Xia Yuezi knew better than anyone that since the PyeongChang Winter Olympics, the men's singles competition had gradually become a jumping competition that originated from Russia. Even the International Skating Union made changes and concessions in the rules, and the judges' say was further expanded.
The subsequent rules were definitely disadvantageous for artists like Feng Simai, who didn't have an advantage in terms of nationality, but she couldn't stop it from happening and could only make adjustments to her training.
However, Feng Simai has completed his Pyeongchang cycle and is now at an age where he is beginning to decline. Maintaining a high level of performance for an extended period will only deplete his potential.
Xia Yuezi looked up at the window. The sky had already darkened and was covered with a thin mist, making it impossible to see what was hidden behind it.
"Difficulty and completion are two different things. Every contestant has a different focus. We've been in the competition for so many years, we both have a sense of what's best for a contestant. As for other things, let's not force it."
Meng Xin leaned against the headboard, picked up the juice from the bedside table, and prepared to clink glasses with Xia Yuezi: "Yes, what suits you best is the best. Then let's wish our players all the best in this season's competitions."
Xia Yuezi raised her hand, and the two glasses made a crisp sound.
"May everything go smoothly from now on."
The free skate on the second day was scheduled for the same time as the short program. Since there was no elimination round, the first competition started an hour earlier than the previous day.
One Chinese ice dance pair made it into the top eight, achieving their best result in the preliminary rounds.
Anyou, rubbing his aching back in the stands, chatted with the three pairs of figures skaters: "Kids these days have amazing stamina. They're pushing all their high-scoring moves back to get extra points. Looks like Xiaowen and I won't be making it to the Olympics this time."
Lu Sheng advised, "Don't think like that. Ice dance has the longest career lifespan. There might still be a chance in four years. You never know what might happen."
An You looked like he was about to cry: "Brother, I remember we're only two years apart, right? In four years you'll be almost thirty, and how healthy will I be then?"
Cao Jinhui nudged her boyfriend with her elbow to tell him to shut up.
They've been plagued by injuries throughout this cycle, and they've even discussed with their coach that if they win the gold medal in Pyeongchang, they'll retire immediately, and even if they don't win the gold medal, they'll take a long break.
Therefore, they will definitely give it their all in this Winter Olympics.
An You and Qiao Wen, who are around the same age as them, will also have many injuries and their condition will decline, which is something everyone can foresee.
Things can't be compared to before. The difficulty and the increase in injuries are directly proportional. Figure skating is a young person's game, and we can't rely on just a few people to recreate the myth of a 40-year-old veteran winning gold at the Vancouver Winter Olympics.
The lights on the ice suddenly dimmed, and a new group of skaters was about to take the ice. The crowd in the spectator area stopped talking and looked toward the ice rink.
Because the free skate is very difficult and demands a lot from the skaters, including Feng Simai's direct competitors Diaz and Kevin, all made mistakes to varying degrees.
Diaz fell on a quadruple jump, which caused him to miss the subsequent combination jumps. He could only connect the jumps on a triple jump, which resulted in a repeat penalty and a significant reduction in his technical score. Fortunately, the quality of his program was quite good, so his score wasn't too bad.
Kevin took the 4LZ, which he wasn't familiar with yet, and fell like a dog right from the start. He couldn't adjust his condition afterward and ended up falling out of the competition for the podium.
Xia Yuezi had just taken the scabbard from Feng Simai when she saw him standing at the entrance of the ice rink, stepping on it with a self-doubting look, before stepping onto the ice with a puzzled expression.
She pulled Meng Xin aside and asked, "When you were collecting the ice this morning, did you think there was anything wrong with the ice?"
Meng Xin didn't see Feng Simai's actions. At this moment, she looked bewildered and incredulous, as if to say, "You doubt your own ice?"
"Didn't you come with me to look for ice this morning? It felt great on your feet. And before the competition, the volunteers even used milk to patch up the holes."
After she said that, Xia Yuezi's tense body gradually relaxed, and she attributed Feng Simai's strange expression to not understanding other people's behavior.
However, he was able to play the piece he had requested for so long, so his mentality shouldn't be affected.
As the familiar tango music began, a gentleman in a suit on the ice rink raised his hand to stroke his neatly styled slicked-back hair, shrugged his shoulders, and slowly glided backward, his hand movements crisp and decisive.
The opening 4T+2T was executed cleanly and crisply. Following the landing motion, he gently flipped his wrist, his eyes showing a hint of probing, as if inviting someone.
He placed his hands slightly together in front of him, as if he were embracing his dance partner while dancing on the ice. After turning twice on one foot, he left an ice mark resembling the number "3", and then completed a 4S on his foot.
After the third quadruple jump, Xia Yuezi clapped along with the audience, looked up at the real-time scoreboard on the big screen, and counted her GOE score, she had already scored more than forty points.
Compared to other less-than-ideal advanced quadruple jumps, these three jumps offer significantly better value for money. After all, getting more than one GOE from the judges is not an easy task for Asian athletes.
"I feel like his program, after the changes, has a bit of the shadow of Davil's previous performances."
"Killer Tango" is a classic selection that not only Davies has used, but many other famous skaters have also used in competitions or performances.
In addition, this scene is considered a famous moment in the movie, and many choreographers will use this part to make adaptations. However, some of the footwork and hand movements of Feng Simai are not only similar to those in the film, but also somewhat similar to Davil in terms of rhythm and physical emotion.
Xia Yuezi thought for a moment and replied, "I remember that Simai seems to like him quite a bit, and Davil's performance is also outstanding among men's singles dancers. He should have discussed it with the choreographer."
Feng Simai placed one hand on the barrier in front of the judges' table, extended the index finger of her other hand, and then suddenly withdrew it when it was about two centimeters away from the computer. Her eyes were cold and distant, but she was also close to her dance partner, looking for her weaknesses, but only for a second, and then she slid away.
He smoothly entered the second half of the competition, and his first jump surprised the ice skating fans, who probably never thought that Feng Simai could do this jump.
This is a triple jump: 3lz+3lo+2T.
Since Yang Yiyan introduced this setup, few women's singles players have imitated it, but it has opened up a new track in men's singles.
Especially for men who can perform advanced quadruple jumps, their jump height is mostly over 60 centimeters. They can almost never miss a quadruple jump and their score can be compared to a quadruple jump. Lin Ye's coach removed one quadruple jump and added this triple jump instead.
Xia Yuezi looked at the big screen and frowned slightly: "I still need to practice this jump when I get back, and there are still problems with the 3LO."
Feng Simai rarely uses the 3lo jump in training. Although it is not a serious case of missing rotation, the axis is slightly off. Fortunately, the jump is followed by a T jump, which allows the jump to land completely.
Meng Xin nodded in agreement: "It's not just about the connection, but also the physical fitness. His Yan-style is so slow it's almost unbearable."
However, for them, his ability to complete this program was already a significant improvement.
Feng Simai's program once again won applause from the audience. He knelt on the ice, panting heavily, his chest heaving, but with an undeniable smile on his face.
Despite its flaws, the program achieved a score of 183.05, bringing its total score to 276.61, setting a new career high and securing at least a silver medal.
The crowd erupted in even louder cheers, putting pressure on Anthony, who was already on the ice.
However, Xia Yuezi's focus was on the program component score of 85. The highest program component score for men's singles is currently 92, but for Asian men's singles, 85 is almost the highest possible score.
She smiled broadly and covered her child, saying repeatedly, "Okay, when we get back, Auntie will give you an extra meal."
Feng Simai was held in the coach's arms, with a doll given to him by a fan sandwiched between them, and sweat dripped down his forehead.
"Great, that's perfect, I don't want to eat leafy greens anyway."
Xia Yuezi patted his back: "That won't do, your body fat percentage can't fluctuate too much."
Feng Simai tilted his head, his smile somewhat bitter, as if he already knew what the coach meant by "extra meal".
It's probably similar to the boiled beef I eat during the off-season.
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