Adopted daughter Christina Gao continues to improve by leaps and bounds under Brian Orser, David Wilson and Tracy Wilson.
Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto is one of my favorite pieces of music and Christina does it justice. She looks so much more mature and looks more comfortable with her body than she did a year ago. Much of the limby gangliness is gone. She is totally channeling a darker version of Nikodinov with the costume and I approve.
Christina is being paced brilliantly. She already scored a 51+ with a Triple Flip+Double Toe (slightly shaky) and a Triple Loop (with a foot down). Ms. Gao is competing on the JGP circuit this year and she is expected to win. Competing as the favorite on the JGP will likely do more for her confidence and mental game than being buried on the Senior Grand Prix.
The new generation of American Ladies should return to the medal podium. The previous generation maxed out around 5th place, but in order to move past them, more quality is required. Someone like Gao will be pushed to be at the level of a World Medalist.
And her F.O.N. long program:
She is indeed alot less gangly...but it seems like she's skating slower and that her jumps are smaller. Maybe its just too early in the season (hopefully thats the case).
ReplyDeleteThe bangs have GOT to go though. Bangs + Yellow River = F.O.B.
also, where did her pristine, easy 3-3 go? I remember reading that she was gonna have a 3flip3 this season...
ReplyDeleteI didn't find her slow for a summer competition. Her jumps didn't strike me as being particularly small. Skaters are so far from the condition they'll be in later on in the year. She looks quite good for a July competition.
ReplyDeleteShe landed a 3 Flip+3 Toe in the free skate. I'll post that video when it is uploaded on youtube.
ReplyDeleteI really like this girl. She oooozes potential. She has definitely improved since nationals
ReplyDeleteChristina looks WOW. She did nothing for me last January, but seems to have grown into a beautiful, confident, artistic young lady. Her gourgeous dress and great music choice don't hurt either.
ReplyDeletei miss the spiral sequence
ReplyDeleteWow, she has matured so much in just a few months.
ReplyDeleteI get the feeling that she has just started a blossoming process that could continue for a couple of years.
Jumps shouldn't be a problem. It looks as if she had too much adrenalin flowing, making her over rotate the flip and the loop.
She and Agnes Zawadzki are going to challenge Mirai and Rachel this season.
This is so exciting.
I didn't really get her last year because she seemed so gangly. But man did I love this... I loved the way she used her arms and moved to the music even using her head at times. There was a passion to the way she was skating. There will be no Russian Junior sweep this year on the JGP. I think I like her as a skater better than Agnes. I mean Agnes has way better jumps, but there's more of an ease to Christina's movement than Agnes's. Christina's spins could use some more work though.
ReplyDeleteI think her layback looks much improved. There has been debate as to whether Orser is an amazing coach or if he got lucky. Looking at how Gao and Rippon have continued to improve under him, I'd have to say he is quite the coach. He has specialists work with his skates on almost everything and it appears to really be paying off.
ReplyDeleteAmazing. It's obvious there's room to improve, but she's progressed by leaps and bounds. I feel like I'm watching a whole different skater. I'm holding my breath to see if she can keep up this momentum... I just hope her Asian work ethic doesn't lead to an injury.
ReplyDeleteAnd love the bangs.
ok, was not a big fan of the short (or perhaps more of how it came across the way it was filmed) but i love the long.
ReplyDeleteher layback and extension have both improved.
I've always thought the case with Orser would be told by his next students not Yu-na because Yu-na was extremely good already. However, Yu-na did improve and the case with his other students is really showing that the guy is a very strong coach. Its telling that so many skaters go to him now.
ReplyDeleteI much prefer the short to the long.
ReplyDeleteI like the first minute of the long program a lot but then it becomes slightly ordinary. Her triple flip-triple toe is HUGE.
ReplyDeleteDid you record Wagner's program at Liberty? I wonder her Lutz. :)
ReplyDeleteLove the first and last minutes of the long. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI like her long too. My only complaint would be that she's still finishing the footwork sequence during the big crescendo near the end. That was odd, but it's the choreographer's fault, not hers. It reminded me a little of Chen Lu's Butterfly Lovers - but definitely less mature.
ReplyDeletePerhaps a bit more power in her skating could help, but it's great to see that her programs (especially her short) showing signs of maturity.
ReplyDelete