Chapter 43 explains that when a twin star dims, another will inevitably emerge...
After the women's singles competition in the youth group ended, Xia Yuezi did not rush to take Yang Yiyan back to the hotel, but instead found a good spot in the stands to sit down.
Next up are the men's singles short program and women's singles free skate competitions for the senior groups. Their current programs and form will greatly influence their performances later on.
Yang Yiyan put on her down jacket, held her thermos and sipped it slowly, preparing for the urine test later.
The first player to compete in the men's singles was Andrei, who ranked second in the Russian Open and third in the American Open, securing his place in the finals.
"Andrei jumped a 4T at the US Grand Prix, and the Russian judges gave him a lot of face. In his first year in the new category, his P score was higher than most of the veterans."
Yang Yiyan also enjoys reading forums. As soon as the American Grand Prix ended, she was able to see Andrea's score sheet on the forum. His P score in the free skate reached 75. If he can win a medal at the Grand Prix Final or the European Championships, he might break the 80 mark at the World Championships.
“The Sochi Winter Olympics are coming soon, and the Russian Ice Hockey Federation will definitely do everything it can to promote its athletes, making him and Davell a double insurance for gold medals. You can see that in the other three events as well.” Xia Yuezi said, while keeping her eyes on Andrei.
His technical skill level is among the best of the younger generation in Russia, and his skating is also quite good. He's the kind of person who could be promoted, but his stability isn't quite there.
Yang Yiyan propped her head up, her expression a mix of envy and melancholy: "That's true, Liu Bofu's P score is almost breaking records."
Currently, the highest P-score for the women's singles short program is 37, and the highest P-score for the free skate is only 75. Lyubofu's program component score at the Canadian Grand Prix was less than one point away from these two records, not to mention her scores at domestic competitions.
Andrei's short program lineup is relatively stable, which cleaned up the program.
Xia Yuezi patted Yang Yiyan's head and gently comforted her, "Don't fall into a vicious cycle of self-doubt. If you need to criticize the referee, then do so."
Like a certain retired Canadian women's singles player, when her score didn't meet her expectations, she would put on a sour face in front of the camera, give the referees a bad look, and even make sarcastic remarks about some referees after retiring.
The results of the men's singles short program were pretty much what Lin Ye had predicted, but he finished fourth in the short program with a 4T.
While Qingbing was out, Yang Yiyan went to get a urine test. When she returned to the stands, the third contestant had already taken the stage for the women's singles short program.
Upon seeing her return, Xia Yuezi pulled her aside and began to introduce her: "Now on stage is Nina, and her chosen piece is 'The Legend of 1900.' If all goes as expected, this program will be performed at the Sochi Winter Olympics."
Nina's program is so difficult that it represents the pinnacle of her current skills, and the choreography and transitions are excellent.
Yang Yiyan sat in the audience for a while, then her gaze drifted to the other side of the barrier and saw a familiar figure. She asked, "I remember that Sister Mengyi's free skate was also going to be carried into the Olympic season, right?"
Xia Yuezi nodded: "Yes, her program was written by Roland before the season started."
Canada has many famous choreographers, and every year many contestants fly to Canada to choreograph music; Roland is one of them.
He choreographed both programs for Sung Eun-hee, the women's singles champion at the Vancouver Winter Olympics, and his value skyrocketed afterward.
Yang Yiyan gasped: "Sister Mengyi really went all out. Even with the national team subsidy, it's still very expensive to have Roland choreograph a program. But the programs he choreographs are indeed quite good."
Xia Yuezi laughed and said, "The competitions before the Olympics are the most exciting because these programs represent the athletes' upper limit."
An athlete's potential is not only demonstrated by the technical difficulty, but also by the content and choreography of the program.
A high-quality performance can boost the score of a contestant who has just reached the passing grade by 20 points; while a poor-quality performance may not guarantee a place on the podium, even if the contestant is among the best.
Nina's arrangement of this song selection is highly personal, not only because of its high technical difficulty, but more importantly because of the show's atmosphere and appeal.
She scored over 220 points, setting a new career high.
Yang Yiyan's expression gradually became serious as she listened carefully to the coach's explanation.
"Shirai Nanako is just like you, a master of LoL, but since last season, 3A has been getting a lot of weekly challenges, and the difficulty level has also dropped. She almost never plays 3A on the show."
The issue of the number of weeks in 3A was actually foreseeable. Since the beginning of last season, Shirai Nanako has been plagued by injuries, forcing her to reduce her training intensity.
The world champion stepped onto the ice rink, and as the music started, her eyes remained firm. However, both Xia Yuezi and Yang Yiyan could sense that her jumps were much more cautious than before.
The first jump, 3F+3T, was completed fairly cleanly, but the height was significantly lower than in the Vancouver cycle, especially in the latter half of the program, where the consecutive jumps were 3-2 and 3-2-2.
Sung Eun-hee, who came on next, had the same problem. Even though her skating was still beautiful, it couldn't hide the fact that they were on a downward trend.
As Yang Yiyan watched Cheng Enxi finish her last set of spins, a wave of bitterness washed over her, and she couldn't help but lower her head to avoid looking at the results on the big screen.
These two athletes, who took turns dominating the top of the podium in the previous cycle, now seem to be struggling even with their best jumps.
Sung Eun-hee and Shirai Nanako both scored in the 210s, but it was obvious to everyone that their scores were supported by their P-points.
The coach's voice rang out from the side: "Sports competition is just that cruel, especially in a sport like ours where youth is the most important factor. Once a cycle is over, a new champion will take its place."
Yang Yiyan turned to look at Xia Yuezi, but Xia Yuezi only sighed, her eyes filled with relief and other emotions that Yang Yiyan couldn't understand: "Even so, we will not forget them, nor will we forget the classic programs they left behind, which are the symbol of their standing at the top."
After the two old twin stars faded, new twin stars emerged, namely Yumikawa Ria and Lyubov. But later, other twin stars will also appear.
Lyubov appeared in a black Costum dress, the hem of which was adorned with rhinestones that sparkled under the lights.
"Her choice of music is 'Kill Bill,' which is also a program she will be bringing to the Sochi Winter Olympics."
This is also a program that will be fondly remembered by ice skating fans in later generations.
Lyubov's appearance is mature beyond her years, and her musical style is also mature, exuding the charm of an adult woman.
The choreographer of this show had a deep understanding of Lyubov's strengths and weaknesses, and the content was full of dramatic tension. At the same time, her movements were crisp and clean, just like a woman who had come for revenge.
Lyubov put all her combination jumps in the second half of the program. Since she didn't have a triple A, this was the only way she could improve her program's technical score.
Yang Yiyan leaned forward unconsciously: "This is too risky."
Xia Yuezi thought to herself that her junior sister was even bolder than her.
"If your physical fitness can be improved, you can also try this method."
The second half of the jump has a 1.1x bonus, a rule known to all athletes, but whether they can exploit this loophole depends on their own skill level.
Yang Yiyan's eyes flickered, and she shook her head as if she was about to speak: "With my current strength, if I were to add 3A to the free skate, there is absolutely no way I could put the three combination jumps in the second half."
Xia Yuezi chuckled lightly: "That's why I want you to improve your physical fitness first."
Lyubov's results came out quickly, and the teacher and student in the stands looked at her score of nearly 74 and didn't know what to say.
The last to compete was Yumikawa Ria, who had just been promoted to the senior group and advanced to the finals with two gold medals in the preliminary rounds.
For her free skate, she chose "Nessun Dorma" from the famous opera "Turandot". This aria is world-renowned for its heartfelt melody and has become an immortal classic in opera.
This free skate program is different from the programs she used in her two other Grand Prix free skates, further confirming the rumors that Ria Yukikawa will use four programs this season.
Listening to the coach's explanation, Yang Yiyan smiled and said, "I didn't learn this song from watching the competition; I learned it from my teacher in music class."
Xia Yuezi's focus seemed a bit peculiar: "You're about to take the high school entrance exam, and your teacher is still making you have music lessons?"
Not to mention before the high school entrance exam, she remembers that she hardly ever attended music or art classes during junior high school; she was always either reviewing or taking exams.
Yang Yiyan's lips twitched, looking somewhat speechless: "Coach, this is something I learned in the first year of junior high school."
Xia Yuezi coughed lightly to cover her embarrassment, then turned her attention back to the ice rink: "Yumekawa Ria's skating technique is very solid, and her edge control is no worse than Shirai Nanako's."
As soon as she finished speaking, Yumekawa Ria landed a 3A with one hand raised upwards. Even by the naked eye, one could see that the distance of this jump was quite impressive.
To Yang Yiyan's surprise, Yumikawa Ria and Lyubov made the same choice, placing the two triple jumps in the second half of the course.
Xia Yuezi sighed softly, "Tsk, Japan is coming on strong this time too."
It seems that losing the gold medal in the women's singles event at the Vancouver Winter Olympics has had a significant impact on the Japan Skating Association, otherwise they wouldn't have put Ria Yumikawa under such immense pressure to perform high-difficulty challenges.
Looking at the scores on the big screen, the master and apprentice were once again at a loss for words.
Will the referee dare to be any more biased in his treatment of the players?
However, the referee's actions couldn't overcome Yumikawa Ria's skill. With her high-difficulty setup, she managed to defeat Lyubov and win the first-ever A-level gold medal in the senior category.
Xia Yuezi glanced down at Yang Yiyan and saw a burning, determined light in her eyes: "Coach, give me extra training when we get back."
Xia Yuezi was surprised for a moment, then agreed.
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