2011 Worlds Ladies Recap Part One: A Queen Dethroned

Osama Bin Laden may be dead, but Miki Ando is a two-time world champion, Alissa Csizny misses the podium by two points, and Yu-Na Kim is dethroned by Team Morosov.

At least Leonova didn't medal. We all know how hard the Russians were making that happen.

Speaking of Leonova:

Please, someone tie her up and take her to a ballet class and don't let her out until that back is fixed.

Anyway, the performance of Miki Ando may have been clean, but since when has a winning world championship performance ever been so uninspiring? Oh yeah, four years ago when Miki Ando won her 1st world title. Ando has become the definition of complacency. Morosov continues to purge himself of creating anything that resembles choreography. If face stroking was one of the sacraments, Ando would be holier than the virgin Mary herself.




Following that treasure, we get this gem:



This is what narcotics do to us, everyone.

This program warrants a capstone project on the injustice of program component scores in figure skating. She received a 7.96 in interpretation. Yes, those cross overs really expressed the style of the program.

Now I know we are in Russia, and that the weight Tarasova lost has turned into magical pixie dust dispersed onto the Russian team for their benefit. But one needs to look no further to prove my point:


Coulrophobia? I think so.

After kissing the ice, and jumping up and down, and going totally Tanja Szwecenko on us after her program, it was time for the Queen to take the ice.



Given more time, this would be the signature program that would pass James Bond, Scheherezade, and The Lark Ascending as the culmination of Yu-Na's artistic progress over the past four years. Wilson has given Yu-Na all her strengths rolled into one: her subtlety, power, and emotion. Unfortunately, half way through the program, the lack of polish became apparent. Like many have said, if she had at least competed once this season, the kinks could have been avoided.

The footwork was particularly haunting and ethereal. If only she would've done a double toe would she be a two-time world champion.

We all felt Korea implode after this competition.

But it wasn't because of Yu-Na's defeat. It was because of this:

(part two coming later)