2016 US Nationals: Free programs

Now we are done with the ISU. Forget about that fraudulent institution. Just enjoy our festival as it is.

This time I will grade them in real time.

First, Mariah Bell. She appears strong and had a good speed. But as you can see from her first jump, she hasn't yet completed jumping technique,which is typical in the skating of skaters whose PCS range between 6.0 - 7.0.

Pity that she falls on the second jump. Everything seems good, for example, speed, angle and even rotation, but landing is off. A sad thing is that if she focuses on landing, then all other elements may go out of array.

Her Jumps are -1,-3,-2,-1,-1,-2 and -1. Her PCS will be 6.75.

She doesn't have jagged moves, but her transitional moves are still premature, and also her takeoff needs correction. Now a question is how she is faring compared to Russians. Well,if she competes with Russians, Bell will be around 6.75 in average PCS while they are around 6.5 - 6.75. Of course, if judged correctly.

Ashley Wagner. I think Wagner did a wonderful job. But at the same time, the program itself is not a high quality one. It's monotonous and devoid of any meaningful contents. It's designed to give Wagner what she can do best, and I think that's a good strategy.

Her jumps are +1,+1,0,+1, 0,0 and single. In general Wagner's jumps used to be low and tight, but this time, she seems okay at least to naked eyes. Her spins won't get +GOE, and her performing merits will be limited to power and speed.

Her PCS will be 8.0.

Great to see Nagasu here. Nagasu's jumping deficiency is nothing compared to Russian's fractured moves throughout the performance.

Nagasu's skating shows how a skater should skate, though she might lack of agility. Her spin is good. A few of her jumps might be underrotated.

Her jumps are -2,0,-1,-2,0,0, and 0. Her PCS will be 7.5.

Tyler Pierce is a new name to me.

Pierce is a brave one. She skates to one of Yuna Kim's masterpiece Dance de Macabre. She has a good speed and her jumps show that she have been trained well. In her execution, you can see the features of skaters of 7.0 PCS. A few percents are missing in her jump.

Her jumps are -1,-3,+1, -1, -2, 0 and 0. Her PCS is 7.0.

Polina Edmunds is one axis of a trio today.

Her jumps are +1,-1,0,+1, 0,-2 and -1. I don't like her first jump particularly, so it takes time for me to finally mark +1 on it. Her PCS will be 7.5.

What I most appreciate about Polina is not her skating but her shape. I think gaining weight may help her. She needs strength and stamina. Good job, Polina!

Now Gracie Gold.

That's some performance by Gracie. I see what efforts Gracie has exuded in that program. Her jumps are +1,0,0,-1,0,0 and 0. I wouldn't give her +1 onto her first jump per se. I find its merit in comparison with Polina's.

Gracie's merit against Polina is strength, which will be demonstrated in terms of definiteness and resolution, though the margin is infinitesimal. Her PCS will be 7.5.