2013 Shanghai Slalom Open – DAY 3

 

freestyle battle

 

August 3-5, 2013

Photo : Guan Lin
Photo : Guan Lin

 

7:45AM. Checking time for the last day of competition. The women are already warming up on the competition area while the judges are making the groups. The competition starts at 8, like the previous days, with the qualification phases for the women's and the men's categories: two groups of 4 for the women's with the first two going through to the real competition, eight groups for the men's whose qualifications are far more challenging as there is only one ticket per group!

Klaudia Hartmanis - Photo : Guan Lin
Klaudia Hartmanis - Photo : Guan Lin

 

BATTLE QUALIFIERS

 

 

Some Chinese skaters are far too good for their ranking: They don't compete enough on the WSS to get the rank they deserve... or they are simply outsiders on the way up in the world ranking.

 

IN THE WOMEN'S, classic vice-champ Meng Yun (#42, CHN) and Wang Ding Yu Xin (#22, CHN) lead the qualifiers, followed by Chui Yin Hsuan (#51, TPE) and Penphicha Somtavin (NR, THA). Europeans Sara Masi (#23, ITA) and Margaryta Boiko (#26, UKR) are out of their leagues.

 

IN THE MEN'S only 8 skaters out of 27 are allowed to pass. Let's mention the qualification of Shibagaki Masayoshi (JPN, #115) with a performance as lively and creative as his classic run in the junior category. Except from a skater from Taipei who takes the lead of the first group, the rest of the qualified skaters is Chinese: Zheng Yi Fei (#259) and Ren Wang (#540) who both finished in the Top-10 in Senior Classic, as well as juniors Zheng Chen Yu (#539), Zhu Tian Le (#75), Wu Run Ze (#645) and Meng Wen Bo (#956), respectively ranking 5, 7, 9 and 16 in junior Classic...

 

Florian Schneider (#33, GER) and particularly Liao Jie (#96, CHN) don't make it through... despite a great entertaining show from the Chinese.

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

 

WOMEN'S BATTLE

 

 

 

QUARTER FINALS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The women were originally 19 to have registered, there are only 16 left at the dawn of the competition, starting with quarter finals. Amongst all the qualification skaters, only MENG YUN (#42, CHN) goes through to the next round, in ranking second of her group behind OLGA SEMENIKHINA (#7, RUS), eliminating NATALIE UJUK (#20, EST) and France's only chance – and not the least, ZOE GRANJON (#4, FRA) who doesn't seem to manage to mentally enter the competition with runs lacking links and too unbalanced. Her back toe footgun and her 20-cone toe seven aren't enough to make up for it.

 

Another top seed, MARYNA BOIKO (#3, UKR), bears the cost of that challenging draw: She is kicked out by none the less than SU FEI QIAN (CHN,#8) who won the senior classic and GUAN YU XIANG (CHN, #16) who ended up second in junior classic... the latter outdistanced her on the second run with a 40-cone seven... Welcome to the women's quarter finals of the SSO!

 

Last noticeable fact: FENG HUI (#6, CHN) the junior classic champion, takes the advantage over KLAUDIA HARTMANIS (#2, POL): the Polish goes to the upper part of the chart for the semi-finals.

Olga Semenikhina - Photo : Guan Lin
Olga Semenikhina - Photo : Guan Lin

 

SEMI FINALS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The groups are impressive. Each freestyler potentially deserves their ticket to the final. Only the execution of their performance will make the difference. The verdict is handed down: Dasha Kuznetsova and Guan Yu Xian may have failed their third runs, they have bigger combos than Olga Semenikhina and Klaudia Hartmanis.

 

In the second group, Feng Hui is a cut above the rest: clean to perfection and far more original, she shoots off to the final, together with su Fei Qian who may be less expressive but whose cleanliness and easyness are puzzling. Meng Yun's hold up stops at the threshold of the final: an impressive ascent from the qualifiers. As for Chanya Mongkolchareonchok, she is a serious challenger in the making! A bit more regularity and maturity is all she needs now.

 

 

 

Women's Final

 

FINALS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

OLGA SEMENIKHINA (#7, RUS) wins the consolation final and gets the 5th place at the general ranking. She is followed by KLAUDIA HARTMANIS (#2, POL), MENG YUN (#42, CHN) and junior CHANYA MONGKOLCHAREONCHOK (#14, THA) who repectively finish 6, 7 and 8.

 

Many people would have probably gambled on FENG HUI (#6, CHN) as the winner, given her flawless performance throughout the rounds so far. Things seem to unfold as forecasted. True to herself, she offers three perfect runs including two 30-sec combos, hardly no cone down and the smoothest execution ever... Then comes the time of the last trick when she makes the biggest tactical mistake ever in going for a toe christie, a trick she already did (and better, doing 10 cones) as an introduction to her first run. It costs her the first place, she is relegated at the second step of the podium, leaving the lead to SU FEI QIAN (#8, CHN). Her performance is not as successful on the whole but her 60-cone heel fish as a last trick is quite convincing... and boosts her up enough to take the advantage. DASHA KUZNETSOVA (#1, RUS) gets the bronze being cleaner and showing more tricks, and longer ones, than GUAN YU XIAN (#16, CHN) who has to content herself with the fourth place.

 

 

 

Women's Battle TOP-8:

 

  1. Su Fei Qian (CHN)

  2. Feng Hui (CHN)

  3. Dasha Kuznetsova (RUS)

  4. Guan Yu Xian (CHN)

  5. Olga Semenikhina (RUS)

  6. Klaudia Hartmanis (POL)

  7. Meng Yun (CHN)

  8. Chanya Mongkolchareonchok (THA)

Su Fei Qian (Chn) - Photo : Guan Lin
Su Fei Qian (Chn) - Photo : Guan Lin

 

MEN'S BATTLE

 

 

 

FIRST ROUND.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The men were initially 48. At the end of the qualifiers, they are already only 32 and they are dispatched into 8 groups of 4 for the first round, which already holds a few surprises in store!

 

This is the end of the story for DAWID JAWORSKI (#16, POL) kicked out by KANCHANOK SAWANGSRI (#28, THA) and freshly qualified HSIEH MU LUN (#358, TPE).

 

The second out of the three survivors of the qualifiers to go through, ZHENG YI FEI (#259, CHN) is also here to smash top skaters: he takes the second place of his group behind ANDREI SHITOV (#40, RUS) leaving YU JIN SEONG (#6, KOR) high and dry.

 

IGOR CHEREMETIEFF (#9, FRA) and ALEXANDR TIMCHENKO (#26, RUS) are dismissed by two Chinese in the same group, while LAN WANG HENG (#30, CHN) is fired by two Europeans, MICHAL SULINOWSKI (#2, POL) and little brother SERGEY TIMCHENKO (#48, RUS) avenging his brother's death and seizing the lead of the group!

R.Lebois - Photo : Guan Lin
R.Lebois - Photo : Guan Lin

QUARTER FINALS.

 

 

 

 

 

Heads are falling. There are already too many worthy candidates. At the end of the round, only three Europeans are left standing: two first places for ROMAIN LEBOIS (#1, FRA) and ANDREI SHITOV (#40, RUS) who is particularly regular today and gets the little luck needed in the draws to play his cards right, and the qualification of junior SERGEY TIMCHENKO (#48, RUS) who is probably the revelation of the competition. He ranks second behind ZHANG HAO (#17, CHN): The two kids dominate the group and get rid of LORENZO GUSLANDI (#15, ITA) and PAN YU SHUO (#55, CHN), the two finalists of the junior speed slalom.

 

CARLOS NELSON (#14, ESP) and MICHAL SULINOWSKI (#2, POL) quit here. The Polish finds himself in a tricky group full of twists and turns: the last survivor of the qualifiers ZHU TIAN LE (#75, CHN) seizes the first place, particularly with a 30-sec successful combo on his first run, outdoing YE HAO QIN (#4, CHN) who has to make do with the second place, and eliminating both Michal and GUO FANG (#10, CHN). Guo Fang offered us one of the best freestyle footwork I have ever seen... unfortunately and heartbreakingly off topic.

 

Pan Yu Shuo - Photo : Guan Lin
Pan Yu Shuo - Photo : Guan Lin

SEMI FINALS.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The outcome was predictable: the habitual finalists go through, leaving the consolation group to Andrei Shitov and Sergey Timchenko in the first group, and Kanchanok Sawangsri and Lee Choong Goon in the second group. Although he show only toe tricks and combos, the Thai junior gets the advantage on the consolation final, finishing 5th at the general ranking. The Russians manage to surpass the Korean to get the 6th and 7th place.

 

 

 

Men's Final

 

FINAL.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Just as for the women's final, the performances reach such heights that according to your view point, several interpretations are probably acceptable. Nevertheless, with notes and after a debate, here is what the judges decided:

 

FOUR: ZHU TIAN LE (#75, CHN) has two very long combos made of various shifts, fishes and sevens, but a few dampers discredit his performance: no heel tricks, amost inexisting sitting tricks, and a last trick echoing and erasing his second run – toe wiper on 40 cones. He gets the 4th place.

 

THREE: ROMAIN LEBOIS (#1, FRA) does impressive feats with sitting tricks, integrating them in wheeling combos (ex: toe christie + toe fish + u-turn / back wheeling + toe inside chicken leg). Yet, although he is trying, heel tricks are a real Achilles' heel to him, if I may say so. Add a weak third run and a failed last trick (back toe christie), and he finds himself at the third place.

 

TWO AND ONE: The trickiest decision remains between the two first places. It is roughly the same scenario as for the women but with a different ending: ZHANG HAO (#17, CHN) was in front all along with huge 30-sec clean combos on his two first runs (combo 1: toe footgun + toe front shift + toe fish + toe seven // combo 2: toe christie + line drift to 50s + toe wiper and jumped wiper). But his third run doesn't work much... And just like Feng Hui in the women's he picks up the worst choice of last trick ever, doing toe wiper (again) on 50 cones (still!) However unlike the women's, he is considered enough ahead of YE HAO QIN (#4, CHN) and gets the first place despite his bad tactical management. Nevertheless, Ye Hao Qin is far from being out of place but he fails at linking his combos, which reduces the quality of execution: the back toe christie of his first run should have been linked to his toe jumped wipers /drift/ and alternate fishes. Same comment for his second run. He does a great catch up with his third run and last trick with a crazy toe wheeling combo, and a 35-cone toe seven. Let's note his promissing attempts (twice) at toe footgun seven. Let's also note the lack of heel wheeling for all the finalists.

From left : Zhu Tian Le, Ye Hao Qin, Zhang Hao, Romain Lebois, Andrei Shitov - Photo : Guan Lin
From left : Zhu Tian Le, Ye Hao Qin, Zhang Hao, Romain Lebois, Andrei Shitov - Photo : Guan Lin

 

Let's leave the final word to our World #1 and European Champion, ROMAIN LEBOIS:

 

“I am not disappointed, you can't always be the best. I know what I have to work on and I will train like mad to achieve the impossible at the World Championships. Anyway, I'm always very excited to skate with these guys, it's very stimulating, that's the most important!”

 

 

 

Men's Battle TOP-8

 

  1. Zhang Hao (CHN)

  2. Ye Hao Qin (CHN)

  3. Romain Lebois (FRA)

  4. Zhu Tian Le (CHN)

  5. Kanchanok Sawangsri (THA)

  6. Andrei Shitov (RUS)

  7. Sergei Timchenko (RUS)

  8. Lee Choong Goon (KOR)

 

 

 

MEDAL RANKING OF THE COUNTRIES

 

 

 

It is no surprise, China is far ahead with 25 medals including 10 gold – the only ones which slipped from their grasps are the Men's Senior Classic, the Women's Senior Speed and the Men's Junior Speed.

 

Chinese Taipei stands out in Speed Slalom with 4 medals, getting one gold and two bronze in the senior categories, as well as one silver in junior. Italy distinguishes itself in speed slalom too, with one gold (junior men's) and one silver (senior women's). Russia gets 2 bronze medals in women's classic and battle. Korea gets 1 gold in classic, Poland 1 silver in pair classic, France 1 bronze in men's battle. Hong Kong, Ukraine and Vietnam each get one bronze too. Enjoy the recap...

 

Battle:

 

  1. W Su Fei Qian CHN / M Zhang Hao CHN

  2. W Feng Hui CHN / M Ye Hao Qin CHN

  3. W Dasha Kuznetsova RUS / M Romain Lebois FRA

 

Pair Classic:

 

  1. Guo Fang / Zhang Hao CHN

  2. Klaudia Hartmanis / Michal Sulinowski POL

  3. Lan wang Heng / Ye Hao Qin CHN

 

Senior Classic:

 

  1. W Su Fei Qian CHN / M Yu Jin Seong KOR

  2. W Meng Yun CHN / M Liao Jie CHN

  3. W Dasha Kuznetsova RUS / M Lan Wang Heng CHN

 

Junior Classic:

 

  1. W Feng Hui CHN / M Ye Hao Qin CHN

  2. W Guan Yu Xiang CHN / M Zhang Hao CHN

  3. W Zha Yi Rain CHN / M Pan Yu Shuo CHN

 

Senior Speed:

 

  1. W Wang Tsu Chien TPE / M Lan Wang Heng CHN

  2. W Barbara Bossi ITA / M Guo Fang CHN

  3. W Lian Hsuan Min TPE / M Wu Dong Yan TPE

 

Junior speed:

 

  1. W Lu Qian Qian CHN / M Lorenzo Guslandi ITA

  2. W Lo Pei Yu TPE / M Pan Yu Shuo CHN

  3. W Guan Yu Xiang CHN / M Ma Pak Hong HKG

 

Slides:

 

  1. W Chen Yuan CHN / M Zeng You Xing CHN

  2. W Liu Wan CHN / M Huang Hai Yang CHN

  3. W Margaryta Boiko UKR / Nguyen Van An VIE

 

Chloe Seyres for WorldSlalomSeries.com

 


Read the two previous parts of the report trilogy:

 

DAY 1 – Pair Classic, Speed trials and Junior Classic: http://www.worldslalomseries.com/news/articles/sso-day-1/

 

DAY 2 – Speed finals, Senior Classic and Slides: http://www.worldslalomseries.com/news/articles/sso-day-2/