2018 Four Continents Championships: Review

Most of the focus has shifted to Pyeongchang and the Olympics which are less than two weeks away.  However, there was still one major competition to get out of the way: Four Continents.  In Olympic years the competition is rather light; however, thanks to Japan we ended up with a pretty competitive event. 

It's a Japanese sweep!

Final results:

Kaori Sakamoto (JPN): 214.21 - 1st
Kaori has been on a roll lately and she seems to be peaking at the perfect time.  She was flawless at this event, earning her season's best in both segments of the competition.  Kaori's speed and flow across the ice are amazing and her jumps are among the best in the field.  She's not the best performer but there is substance there that will only get better as she continues to mature.  I think the biggest thing she's gained this season has been confidence.  She looks comfortable and secure out on the ice  and that goes a long way with the judges.  These kind of scores are good enough to earn her a top 5 finish in Pyeongchang next month.




Mai Mihara (JPN): 210.57 - 2nd
Mai has definitely been in a sophomore slump this season.  After doing so well in her debut she struggled to get herself together this season.  Thankfully she was able to end her season on a strong note.  Aside from dings on her flips in both programs and an under-rotation in the FS, Mai delivered here.  There are great qualities to Mai's skating: great skating skills, soft knees, lovely flow.  I'm still missing something from her when it comes to her projection when she performs but I see the improvement she's made.  Unfortunately Mai will not be participating in the Olympics or Worlds this year, but at least she can take this performance and build on it for next season.




Satoko Miyahara (JPN): 207.02 - 3rd
It was strange to see Satoko finish so low here.  However, watching Kaori and Mai skate back-to-back in the FS and then watching Satoko close out the event, certain comparisons are undeniable.  From a presentation and artistry standpoint Satoko is light years beyond both girls.  Satoko and Carolina are the class of the field in these two areas.  Untouchable.  However, when it comes to leaving a big impact on the ice, Satoko falls short.  Kaori and Mai skate with a lot of speed and Kaori's jumps are massive.  Though jumping is only a part of the what is done on the ice, it's a big part and it has never been Satoko's forte.  She under-rotated her combo in the SP and had two under-rotations and a fall in the FS which hurt her score and dropped her from 1st to 3rd overall.  She's definitely got work to do between now and Pyeongchang.


As for the rest...

You are too good to be Ambien on ice

Dabin Choi (KOR; 190.23, 4th):  Dabin is another skater who seems to be peaking in time for the Olympics.  I wish someone would work with her on her presentation.  She's a pretty skater (gorgeous dress in the FS) but she puts me to sleep.  Total snorefest.  There is zero projection from Dabin when she skates which really hurts her overall impression when she's out there.  With the content she delivered at this event Dabin could have been on the podium.  She's got the technical goods but she's so dull in her delivery of her programs it's hard to appreciate her skating.  Little to no emotion, no depth, no feeling...she just skates.  She could be so much better than that.  It's sad that Korea doesn't have a strong front-runner for these Games but I do feel that if Dabin can skate the way she did here in Pyeongchang (with just a bit more energy and life), the home crowd will be very proud of her. 

What's next?

Mariah Bell (USA; 185.84, 5th):  Mariah had a typical performance here.  She's rather consistent when it comes to her scores from event to event.  A fall on the combo in the SP and a couple of errors in the FS kept her score under 190.  I wonder what her plans are moving forward next season?  It doesn't seem as though her time with Rafael Arutunian has done anything for her.  Mariah is such a strong overall skater but there is something missing there. 

Extend, extend, extend

Hanul Kim (KOR; 173.10, 6th):  Hanul had a solid international debut here.  She is so incredibly tiny looking!  I have no idea how tall she is but she looks very short and compact.  Like Dabin, Hanul needs to work on her projection and presentation.  Additionally, because of her small size, she needs to work on extending her lines and her movements.  I believe both she and Dabin will be representing Korea in Pyeongchang so it should be a fun experience for her.

Not a bad end to the season

Starr Andrews (USA; 172.65, 7th):  Starr had a solid international debut as well.  I figured 7th would be a great spot for her to land here and that's exactly where she ended up.  Starr definitely has that "it" factor that can make the judges notice her.  Obviously she needs to work on getting her technical content where it needs to be but I'm looking forward to watching her grow for the next few years.


Other Competition Notes:    Alaine Chartrand (CAN; 172.41, 8th) is probably kicking herself for several reasons.  She made a very silly mistake here that cost her at least two placements. Additionally, it has to sting knowing that had she skated like this a few weeks ago at nationals she'd have beaten Larkyn and earned a spot to Pyeongchang.  Angela Wang (USA; 161.04, 9th) made a critical error in the SP (doubling her solo jump) and had a lot of issues in the FS.  She's such a pretty skater to watch but she just can't seem to pull it together for more than a performance at a time.  Soyoun Park (KOR; 159,48, 11th) struggled here as well.  She's so lovely and it just sucks she's been injured and wasn't able to have a strong season.  Elizabet Turzynbaeva (KAZ; 156.19, 12th) was expected to be a top 5 or 6 contender here.  Not quite sure what happened to her.


And that's it!  It's almost time for the big one...the 2018 Olympics!  I'll have a country by country preview of the competitors next week.  Check back soon!