According to Helsingin Sanomat, Kiira will skip Finlandia Trophy because of injury. She hurt her metatarsus during a training camp in Canada last summer. Latest news is that Kiira will start her season in NHK Trophy on 11-13 November 2011. Minna Parviainen will substitute Kiira in Finlandia Trophy.
September 30, 2011 • 31 comments
There were rumours about that, in past days, but they seemed only voices…
unfortunately, instead it was true. This way, she will start her season with no competitions behind: not the better way to begin, indeed.
But she suffered many problems about her feet, just three years ago: so, better using maximum caution.
Very sad, already second tournamen. Speedy recovery.
So sorry to learn that Kiira’s injury is so severe that she will have to skip Finlandia Trophy as well. But her health is definitely of the upmost importance. In order to compete at a high level and put her best performance on the ice she needs to be in good shape.
Get well soon, Kiira!
Anyone can confirm that her new FS will be on “I got rhythm” by George Gershwin, and her new gala program will be on “You and I” by Lady Gaga, the one already performed during “All That Skate” in Seoul?
Are my informations correct?
Finlandia went Sofia Biryukova Gold; Elena Glebova Silver; Alisa Mikonsaari Bronze. Both Kiira and Lepisto are still nursing their injuries.
Well Northeagle, the information I have is that the notes Kiira will skate to the upcoming season are:
SP Music: “Carmina Burana” (hip hop version) by Carl Orff
FS Music: “I Got Rhythm” by George Gershwin
Let’s hope that Kiira will recuperate completely(!), so she will have an even more successful season than the last one.
Well Eric, we’re all hoping that: but I wanna say it before, ’cause it’s too easy talking after…
and starting a new season with no competition at all behind it’s not the better way to begin. Last season has been a great season for Kiira (bronze at Euros, win at TEB, win at Nebelhorn, silver at FT, reaching number 4 at ISU World ranking – victory at Nationals was too easy…), but this year makings are not the same, I’ve to be sincere.
NorthEagle, I totally agree with you that the prelude isn’t optimal this year. To start the season with a GP event isn’t the best way to do it, indeed. And then Kiira has only got two shots at the GP Final.
Of course Nebelhorn and/or Finlandia Trophy would have been a welcome test, but …
So I wouldn’t be surprised and I won’t be too disappointed if Kiira will not be able to show her best performance at NHK/ right away. When an athlete isn’t in good shape the options are limited from the very beginning. You have to put up with the situation and make the best out of it. I don’t even want to think of Laura, who is now into her second season with health problems …
Nevertheless, I welcome and admire the determination Kiira and Laura demonstrate to come back and compete again. So let’s hope that by the time of the Euros we will see a strong Kiira and a strong Team Finland!
How being not agree with you, Eric?
Without Laura, Finland can’t save two spots for Worlds, and consequently for Olympics: Kiira’s not enough, and Juulia, Alisa or Beata are still too young to compete at top level.
If Kiira is among the best of 10 skaters at Worlds, Finland gets two spots for next year. I think that is the level Kiira can achieve!
And let’s forget the Carmina Burana hip hop version, it’s a troll. Kiira herself has said that she is keeping her old SP.
Evan Lysacek just dropped out of Skate America.
Several New & Exclusive Old photos of Kiira here :
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50083797@N08/
Good to hear that Kiira will keep last year’s short program. It is a beautiful program that she performed so well, when I think of TEB or Bern – with a marvellous finnish. I don’t know how her training went over the last months and weeks, as she hasn’t been problem free, but with some additional focus on her SP Kiira should be able to add a few more points to her PB that could bring her close to the 70 area.
As to Laura, I meant that I even don’t want to think of a situation where one has to face health problems for so long, far too long already. Of course, Laura is a great skater for the Finnish team, she would probably be an asset to any team. But what about Cecilia? I haven’t heard about her lately. Any news in the finnish press, Anna?
No news in the finnish press but according to this: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=72951&page=26
they said Cecilia has had some injuries and she is towarding to Finnish nationals.
It seems quite difficult to achieve 70 points in SP nowadays when they left the spiral sequence away. Last season Kiira had the 4th best result in SP with her Europeans program, scoring 63,50. She had better result than eg. Mao Asada and Carolina Kostner! Only Yu-na Kim, Alissa Czisny and Miki Ando were above her. Well, her SP in Europeans is still the program that makes me cry. A pearl.
Here’s the link to the statistics 2010-2011:
http://www.figureskatingonline.info/statistics.php?segm=SP&type=S&gender=0&cat=S&elem=&nat=&year=2010
My opinion is we have to decide what is better: a program (SP or FS, it’s not the matter) which could give her higher score, or a program looking wonderful and fitting to Kiira, but not hard enough to gain her best results.
Nowadays, to reach the top level programs need to be filled by triple jumps, or combos: and everyone knows Kiira has some problems with Flip, and sometimes also with Lutz. Unfortunately, I agree with my friend Sonia Bianchetti’s opinion: this kind of skating doesn’t award the beauty of it, but quite always the difficult of it. So, skating skills are essentials to compete at the top, to the detriment of quality of skating.
Kiira is a delicious performer, but take a look at Best Elements Ladies, at the link suggested by Anna…
Gracie Gold just won the Junior Grand Prix in Tallinn. The Americans are doing really well this year. Skate America is in just three days–Alissa Czisny will probably win Gold.
Anna, thank you so much for the info. Glad to find out that Kiira seems to be back on track. I felt the same when I saw her perform her SP in Bern, just marvellous. Looks like I might be somewhat overly optimistic as to the achievable score but I believe Kiira should be able to integrate a few elements that could add to her PB. Whatever, when Kiira performs I always reserve room for hope… that the day is coming closer when she will make that No.1 spot at the Euros – Sheffield would be the perfect place. OK, I just hope it won’t come down to the hard facts that you present, Northeagle. Furthermore, I think Kiira’s goal of being among the top 5 at the World Championship is realistic.
To see Laura break down in tears is very sad… but very human and comprehensible after all the emotional stress she is going through. I hope and wish that she’ll be able to emerge out of this situation as the “old” Laura (the Laura of the Olympic season). The sooner the better!
One more day until Skate America. The odds have it Czisny Gold, Kostner Silver, Ksenia Bronze. Kiira is an artist. She’s a performer rather than just an athlete. Everybody’s doing triples now to go for points.
Here’s the ladies sp results at Skate America: Alissa Czisny 1st with 64.20; then Kostner with 60.23; then Caroline Zhang with 55.05.
The results for Skate America: Czisny Gold 177.48; Kostner Silver 177.35; Viktoria Helgesson Bronze 145.75. Czisny beat Kostner by just .13 of a point. Well, Kiira will certainly add to the mix when she gets going.
I have to correct my previous doubt: the chance to take part in three GP’s events is reserved only to athletes classified at first six places at last Worlds, so Kiira didn’t have this opportunity. It’s a pity.
Skate America showed that this year level of competitions will be very very high: this is a real moment of truth for Kiira.
Skate Canada went Tuktamysheva Gold 177.38; Suzuki Silver 172.26; Ashley Wagner Bronze 165.48.
Anyway I keep my fingers crossed for Kiira!
Cup of China tomorrow. The odds are Adelina Sotnikova Gold (she’s supposed to be better than Tuktamysheva); Kostner Silver; Kanako Murikami Bronze. And then FINALLY the week after, Kiira will be at NHK in Japan and I hear tickets are sold out. Kiira actually stands a good chance at being on the podium.
Also Miki Ando will skip the whole next season: but new russian girls (Sotnikova, Tuktamysheva, but not only: Polina Shelepen, Anna Ovcharova, Sofia Biryukova…) are very strong, and Alena Leonova and Ksenia Makarova are back to high level. So reaching the top is difficult as always. Kiira’s conditions are a question mark, at the moment: there’s no proof about her performance in a competition. Just many hopes… we’ll see, hyvä Kiira.
SP at Cup of China are just in: Kostner 61.88; Nagasu 60.96; Sotnikova 53.74; Murikami 53.09. It looks like Mirai Nagasu is back in action!
Cup of China went Kostner 182.14; Nagasu 173.22; Sotnikova 159.95. Next week we get to see Kiira skate. Anybody notice that when Kiira isn’t skating there’s a certin “magic” that’s missing from the skating season?
As expected, results in Shangai have been only a confirm of Carolina Kostner, who was the n.1 favourite in this competition: her ticket to GP Finals is almost gained. It’s been a great proof also for Mirai Nagasu, and for Adelina Sotnikova, who has remarkable technical skills in despite of her young age: and for nowadays’ skating, TES is next to everything.
The Japan Times just confirmed that Kiira is going to NHK. Mao Asada is expected to make a big comeback, maybe get Gold, this is the impression I get from Japan. It’s a really strong field with Leonova, Suzuki, Wagner and Zawadski. (Phaneuf seems to be off her game.) And I hear it’s sold out, but I haven’t confirmed that.
Kiira has a good sp, so if she does “Over the Rainbow” she’ll have a good shot at the title, all she needs is a good Freeskate.