2013 Shanghai Slalom Open – DAY 2

 

speed finals, senior classic, slides

 

August 3-5, 2013

Photo : Guan Lin
Photo : Guan Lin

 SPEED SLALOM FINALS

 

 

 

• The day started at 8AM right away with the SENIOR WOMEN'S KO FINALS which gathered the 8 best times of the previous day. The Top-4 of the trials qualify for the semi-final in two runs. The favorite BARBARA BOSSI (#2, ITA), 2nd at the trials, meets the 4th LIANG HSUAN MIN (#30, TPE) in final, after they have respectively cleaned the clocks ofMENG YUN (#31, CHN) and WANG TZU CHIEN (#19, TPE), the leader of the trials. The latter will make up for it in seizing the bronze. The gold goes to the Taipei skater who catches up on the Italian in three runs: she may be slower (5.6 against 5.5) but she is cleaner during the whole the final with a total of only 1 cone down against 6.

 

 

 

FLASH INTERVIEW WITH BARBARA BOSSI (silver / first European)

 

You do the 2nd trial time, the quarter and semi finals are a piece of cake, the final was a given gift, but you fail with heavy penalties. pressure or lack of focus?

 

B.B. I think it was both. I had the feeling that she was closer to me than she really was and I thought I had to push to the limit. In the second run, I did a bad start and for that reason I entered the line a bit late: wrong timing in the cones. At the third run, I had a first cone penalty and trying to push more in the cones, I narrowed my trajectory and I kicked one... But anyway even without that kicked cone I would have been second. I am a bit disappointed with my performance because I KNOW I COULD WIN AND I DID STUPID MISTAKES. This time it's just my fault!

 

 

 

• The JUNIOR WOMEN'S KO FINALS starts with the same pattern as the senior's: in quarter finals, the Top-4 of the trials only need 2 runs to get rid of the bottom skaters. In semi-finals, super-clean GUAN YU XIANG (#58, CHN) manages to tie on the second run against LU QIAN QIAN (#54, CHN) who refocuses and speeds up to clear her obstacle to the final. A careless mistake. She is a cut above the rest and proves it in making short work of LO PEI YU (NC, #TPE) in the final.

 

 
Junior Men Speed Podium - Photo : Guan Lin
Junior Men Speed Podium - Photo : Guan Lin

• The quarter-finals of the JUNIOR MEN'S KO FINALS offer more suspense, especially with YE HAO QIN (#36, CHN) and MA PAK HONG (#49) having to fight three-run rounds to make it to the semi-finals – These will be the only three-run groups of the whole category! Unfortunately they won't go further as they come across the two future finalists in semi-final, PAN YU SHUO (#113, CHN) and LORENZO GUSLANDI (#20, ITA).

 

The final is challenging and promising, the two skaters feel it and pressure crashes the party. The Italian does a false start on the first run. They refocus on the start line. Ready, set – and it is the Chinese's turn to receive two false starts... which implies offering the first run to Lorenzo. A destabilizing situation for Pan Yu Shuo, the leader of the trials, who gives his best to catch up: 5.23 at the time board... but his three penalties give the ultimate advantage to the Italian who secures a perfect 5.362.

 

 

 

FLASH INTERVIEW WITH L.GUSLANDI (Winner of the JrM Speed)

 

How did you find the Asian level?

 

L.G. The are fast. I was 7th at the trials, they were all faster than me. I said to myself that it would be hard to reach the final. My advantage is that I DON'T DO PENALTIES, THAT'S WHAT SAVED ME IN THE KOS.

 

How did you cope with the pressure in the final?

 

L.G. Indeed, I did a false start, then PYS did one too. I focused on being clean, that was my chance to beat him, and it worked!

Lan Wang Heng - Photo : Guan Lin
Lan Wang Heng - Photo : Guan Lin

 

• The SENIOR MEN'S KO FINALS are the only ones to be treated to eighths finals, and some groups are already worth a look: YU JIN SEONG (#7, KOR) the leader of the trials, is given a rough time by the 16th, LIAO JIE (#77, CHN) in a fight around the 5.4s, while LAN WANG HENG (#9, CHN) offers a little suspense in totally failing his first run against DAWID JAWORSKI (#16, POL) – a mistake he makes up for. ANDREY SHITOV (#39, RUS) gets the better of LIM WU KAI (#33, SIN) at the end of three tight runs in the 5.6s. The Russian stops in quarter-finals, kicked out by WU DONG YAN (#143, TPE) – just like ROMAIN LEBOIS (#4, FRA) who yields in two runs against Lan Wang Heng. The Chinese is on top form and goes on his way, clearing Yu Jin Seong in semi-final and Guo Fang in final with the same pattern: a big boost in the 5.1s in the first run and safer runs in the 5.3s to finish with, counting on the opponent's mistakes.

 

 

 

Senior Women's Speed Slalom Top-4:

 

  1. Wang Tsu Chien (TPE)

  2. Barbara Bossi (ITA)

  3. Liang Hsuan Min (TPE)

  4. Meng Yun (CHN)

 

 

 

Junior Women's Speed Slalom Top-4:

 

  1. Lu Qian Qian (CHN)

  2. Lo Pei Yu (TPE)

  3. Guan Yu Xian (CHN)

  4. Su Yu Jou (CHN)

 

 

 

Junior Men's Speed Slalom Top-4:

 

  1. Lorenzo Guslandi (ITA)

  2. Pan Yu Shuo (CHN)

  3. Ma Pak Hong (HKG)

  4. Ye Hao Qin (CHN)

 

 

 

Senior Men's Speed Slalom Top-4:

 

  1. Lan Wang Heng (CHN)

  2. Guo Fang (CHN)

  3. Wu Dong Yan (TPE)

  4. Yu Jin Seong (KOR)

From left : Meng Yun, Su Fei Qian, D.Kuznetsova - Photo : Guan Lin
From left : Meng Yun, Su Fei Qian, D.Kuznetsova - Photo : Guan Lin

SENIOR CLASSIC FREESTYLE

 

 

 

The day goes on with the SENIOR WOMEN'S CLASSIC. The leaders of the world ranking are challenged by well-known Chinese women whose rankings don't reflect their levels: for want of travelling the world, their ranking is far lower than what they are actually worth. So that as soon as the beginning of the 15-freestyler category, MENG YUN (#42, CHN) sets the bar very high with a performance heavy in stylish footwork and with a couple of successful high-quality wheeling combos. By the middle of the ranking, SU FEI QIAN (#8, CHN) puts the final nail in the coffin, in smoothly and swiftly floating around and across the cones. She doesn't even touch the wooden ground and you can't hear a sound. On top of the supernatural appearance, her routine impressively fits the music and all her combos are close to perfection. A real thorn on the side of the freestylers who are about to go, no matter how good they are. Only KLAUDIA HARTMANIS (#2, POL) and DARIA KUZNETSOVA (#1, RUS) manage to hold the bar with pretty clean runs rich in technical combos. They rank just behind the two Chinese.

 

 

 

Su Fei Qian (CHN), Classic Champion

 

 

 

FLASH INTERVIEW WITH DARIA KUZNETSOVA (bronze / first European)

You are on the podium and you are the best-ranked European, you confirm your European title but the Asians are still in front. Are you satisfied with your performance?

D.K. I am satisfied with my performance, it's a good result for me to take the 3rd place in an Asian competition. I DID ALL THE TRICKS OF MY CLASSIC RUN, BUT KICKED THREE CONES – which is a lot for these competitions. It was not the first time I competed with Chinese girls, they have very difficult and strong runs.

What do you count on improving for the next meeting with the Asians, at the world champs?

D.K. Next time I will try not to do mistakes and to do a clean run. For the next competitions (world Champs) I want to change a little my classic performance, add more style and some difficult combos and tricks. I have enough time for it until november!

 

Daria Kuznetsova - Photo : Guan Lin
Daria Kuznetsova - Photo : Guan Lin

Senior Women's Classic Top- 6:

  1. Su Fei Qian (CHN) http://youtu.be/14ZIhZPnuuU

  2. Meng Yun (CHN) http://youtu.be/ARq9licVcGg

  3. Daria Kuznetsova (RUS) http://youtu.be/KGJkYLfqLU0

  4. Klaudia Hartmanis (POL) http://youtu.be/feaLOR-1bt0

  5. Maryna Boiko (UKR) http://youtu.be/_K8SmuGzJ6g

  6. Zoé Granjon (FRA) http://youtu.be/ivFt7jO8Xbc

Yu Jin Seong (Kor) - Photo : Guan Lin
Yu Jin Seong (Kor) - Photo : Guan Lin

 

 

The SENIOR MEN'S CLASSIC category took more than 2 hours to be completed as they were 36. Just like in the Women's category, some Chinese are not ranked for what they are really worth and create peaks of quality in the order to go. It is the case for LIAO JIE (#96) who once again makes us enjoy his clockwork precision, his vitality and his wild imagination. Let's mention his 'freeze'in the middle of his seven... Although he performs in the first third, he challenges the top of the ranking until the end, finishing on the podium and getting the silver!

 

Only YU JIN SEONG (#6, KOR) could defeat him with a performance close to perfection. His acting, the richness of his footwork and his freestyling to the beat made up for a poorer technical part. LAN WANG HENG (#39, CHN) and LEE CHOONG GOON (#5, KOR) are in the same vein with excellent quality runs but they are a bit less perfect in their performances. They finish 3rd and 4th. GUO FANG (#10, CHN) fails a good bunch of technical tricks which relegate him to the 7th place.

 

The first Europeans, MICHAL SULINOWSKI (#2, POL) and ROMAIN LEBOIS (#1, FRA) hit the 5th and 6th places. Technically better but still less expressive, although there is a highly noticeable improvement on the European side.

 

 

 

FLASH INTERVIEW WITH YU JIN SEONG (champion)

 

Congratulation on your first place at the classic, are you satisfied with your performance?

 

Y.J.S. Yes I'm satisfied with my performance because this time I had to go to many workshops and I had school, so that I didn't have much time to practice. And when I did, I kicked too many cones and failed some tricks. I don't know why I was so clean during the competition. WHEN I FINISHED I COULDN'T BELIEVE IT! I think I got lucky.

 

What did you think of the performances of the other skaters? A run you liked in particular?

 

Y.J.S. I remember Liao Jie, he was good this time. I was very surprised by the seven in his run. HE COULD HAVE WON IF HE HAD KICKED LESS CONES. And I am a big fan of Guo Fang, a very good skater, but he did too many mistakes. There is LCG too, my good friend and team mate. He tries new styles and gives fun entertainment to the skaters, his “gentleman” run worked well.

 

Your 1st place is a good revenge on the speed slalom of the morning: You were first at the trials, and then kicked out by Lan Wang Heng in semi-final...

 

Y.J.S. I was lucky for the trials. The second time I tried to go faster and tripped badly at the finish line. MY ABS WERE PAINFUL... and even for the KOs. But Wang Heng and Wu Dong Yan are stronger, with or without pain, I couldn't win.

 

 

 

Yu Jin Seong (KOR), Classic Champion

 

 

Senior Men's Classic Top-15:

 

  1. Yu Jin Seong (KOR) http://youtu.be/pTHvTmC6N84

  2. Liao Jie (CHN) http://youtu.be/I7icd3Rm0SI

  3. Lan Wang Heng (CHN) http://youtu.be/wDBBORiRZ9A

  4. Lee Choong Goon (KOR) http://youtu.be/xm8WSErgR0E

  5. Michal Sulinowski (POL) http://youtu.be/HfZgbGqNb3k

  6. Romain Lebois (FRA) http://youtu.be/Jm9NpPQ6oRU

  7. Guo Fang (CHN) http://youtu.be/_rUGEaoogek

  8. Alexander Timchenko (RUS) http://youtu.be/csQ7Y3gSYa8

  9. Zheng Yi Fei (CN) http://youtu.be/uergMy8sIHg

  10. Ren Wang (CHN) http://youtu.be/oORPUeix2f4

  11. Andrey Shitov (RUS) http://youtu.be/8cnJjeI_bYM

  12. Li Yu Chen (CHN) http://youtu.be/9xGlPQAgiD0

  13. Carlos Nelso Caro (ESP) http://youtu.be/4rfhqX0992I

  14. Igor Cheremetieff (FRA) http://youtu.be/b-BZzQ0Cp60

  15. Liao Zhi Yi (Chn) http://youtu.be/sGzD-TW7AKg

 

FREESTYLE SLIDES

 

 

 

The day goes by and the kick-off of the SLIDE COMPETITION is given.

 

 

 

The men's category was made of 14 sliders and saw the Chinese take hold of the two first places: ZENG YU XING seizes the gold and his team mate HUANG HAI YANG Yang gets the silver. The first European is French IGOR CHEREMETIEFF who has to make do with the 8th place, followed by Spanish CARLOS NELSON CARO and Polish DAWID JAWORSKI. There were Chinese of course, but also skaters from Vietnam, Taipei, France, Spain and Poland, from the Czech Republic, Malaysia and Chile.

 

 

The women's category is far poorer with only four competitors... and it is also dominated by the Chinese, with CHEN HUAN and LIU WAN getting the gold and silver. The only European, Ukrainian MARGARYTA BOIKO completes the podium, leaving Thai PENPHICHA SOMTAVIN at the foot of it.

 

 

 

Tomorrow is the last straight line. The day will be fully dedicated to Battle, from AM to PM with heavy categories.

 

Flash-back on the First Day of competition, with the pair classic, the speed trials and the junior classic http://www.worldslalomseries.com/news/articles/sso-day-1/

 

 

DAY 3 – Battle: http://www.worldslalomseries.com/news/articles/sso-day-3/

 

By Chloe Seyres for www.worldslalomseries.com