I could see it in her face! In so thrilled she pulled this off! Ok wish she scored slightly higher so she could finally break that 200 mark. But I will take it!
State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
I could see it in her face! In so thrilled she pulled this off! Ok wish she scored slightly higher so she could finally break that 200 mark. But I will take it!
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Not to be a debbie downer...but Mirai needed the skate of her life in the LP at Nationals, not at 4CCs.
Changing the world team now, against the stated rules, would be an unmitigated disaster on so many fronts. A bigger disaster than losing three spots - especially since Mirai is probably not any more likely to keep three spots than Karen or Mariah is.
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2014
Mirai had nothing to lose so it's not surprising she skated better at 4CC than she did at Nationals.
Karen and Mariah had a lot more pressure, more expectations placed on them to skate well at 4CC in preparation for worlds. Karen also had the flu recently, which cut into her training time.
Karen and Mariah had a lot more pressure, more expectations placed on them to skate well at 4CC in preparation for worlds. Karen also had the flu recently, which cut into her training time.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
I like Mariah a lot, but if USFS shafts Mirai yet again and they loose their 3rd spot, well...I for one won't feel sorry for them!
For the time being, it seems like Ashley might be able to save them but who knows...
How is the USFS shafting Mirai when she's not entitled to a World Team slot? They already decided on the team. Let's not make Mirai into more of a victim than her fans already make her out to be.
- Joined
- Oct 30, 2012
It's so hopeless to discuss again who deserves to be sent to Worlds, but I fully support Karen. Not having much international experience is a lame argument; if you don't send her to Worlds in the year she actually earned it, she will never have international experiences. She is 17 and she needs more exposure. I have a feeling she might retire when it's time for her to go to college, especially after the Olympics, when she does make the team.
Isn't she a pretty talented painter? I remember she posted a number of paintings she did on her wordpress website.
Isn't she a pretty talented painter? I remember she posted a number of paintings she did on her wordpress website.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I like Mariah a lot, but if USFS shafts Mirai yet again and they loose their 3rd spot, well...I for one won't feel sorry for them!
For the time being, it seems like Ashley might be able to save them but who knows...
Mirai's problem IMO, is that she wasn't shafted. Unfortunately, she put herself in this position. Fortunately, she has done a nice job of redeeming herself with her performances at 4CC. The person I'm worried about is Karen. Her performances here have guaranteed that she will not be "Held Up" as the US Champion. Losing to two skaters who finished below you just a few weeks ago tells judges that your win was a possible "Fluke." I have to wonder if Karen is 100% healthy as she looked like a different skater here. Maybe it's the pressure but, there will be a whole lot more when the Russians show up at Worlds.
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- Joined
- Feb 24, 2014
Yup. Karen faltering here isn't shocking. It would've been wise to place Ashley over her at Nationals, and probably better for Karen psychologically.
The issue is not who is or isn't getting shafted but what team the USFSA needs to put to Worlds to maintain 3 spots. Ashley is a given. But I am seriously worried that Mariah and/or Karen cannot come up with a top 10-12 finish at Worlds to secure the 3 spots for the Olympics. There are too many Russian and Asian ladies who will dominate the top 10. Throw in a Canadian or 2 and the US really has to perform. I know Mirai has had her issues with consistency but at least she's seasoned. Both Mariah and Karen are so young and this is such pressure on them to secure a top 10-12 finish at Worlds may become overwhelming. I say send Mirai to secure the third spot and then next year whoever deserves the spots get them. I know the decision has been made-supposedly. btw, wasn't that Patricia St. *** that gave the medals at 4CC and wasn't she the head of USFSA when Mirai was left off in 2014? They seemed to have a chuckle when she gave the medal to Mirai. No hard feelings?
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
At the same time, Russia would have given up on Mirai and dumped her a long time ago and push newer younger skaters much sooner and not have given it a second thought.
If the USFS decides to change their World selection AFTER they were already made due to panic similar to what the Canadian Fed did last season in the Firus/Nam situation, then they are going to create more controversy which would be distracting AND they will create another damaged skater who feels she is a victim of federation politicks and thus possibly create lasting harm for the rest of her career. They made their decision. Best thing to do is support the team, monitor them, make sure they are well-prepared for Worlds and watch it all unfold and try not to barf out of nervousness.
If the USFS decides to change their World selection AFTER they were already made due to panic similar to what the Canadian Fed did last season in the Firus/Nam situation, then they are going to create more controversy which would be distracting AND they will create another damaged skater who feels she is a victim of federation politicks and thus possibly create lasting harm for the rest of her career. They made their decision. Best thing to do is support the team, monitor them, make sure they are well-prepared for Worlds and watch it all unfold and try not to barf out of nervousness.
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- Joined
- Feb 24, 2014
That's a fair assessment. But how haven't they dumped her though? They don't do her any favors. She simply manages to do just enough to stay relevant.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Country
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Gabby actually performed her program. Musically, interpretation-wise, choreographically, and performance/execution she was far superior to Mirai.
Johnny Weir back-tracked a little toward the end, but try listening to him talking in the NBC coverage about what Mirai sacrificed, in order to focus completely on executing her jumps. The choreography. JW actually said, she took all the choreography out, by which I suppose he means complexity, transitions, steps, nuances.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
They haven't dumped her either. If she skated well at Nationals, she could have been national champion. That SP score said a lot. People need to come to terms with the fact that a lot of the stagnation in Mirai's career was mostly her own doing with the exception being the 2014 Olympic selection, but that's been debated to death.
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- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
But the thing is that the USFSA does not instruct its judges to place skaters one way or another. The contestants skated. Karen won. Ashley got second. Slam, bam, thank you ma'am.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Right. Leave the barfing out of nervousness to me. :yes:
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
"Oh well" is right, Imagine.
The discussion is about what each of us would have done if we had been president of the USFSA and in addition had been blessed with the foresight to predict not only what might happen at four continents, but also at worlds and beyond to the Olympics. 
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I have always been a fan but there were parts of the program where I felt like we were skating together with friends on Saturday night. I can't let my love of US skating cloud the fact that she completely lets the performance go for a couple minutes at a time. You can either cut transitions or your performance engagement to save energy but if you have neither going on it's readily apparent.
