- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
Some human beings may hate on the girl, but I never saw a camera that didn't love her.
Caroline Zhang on the cover of SKATING magazine
- Thread starter feraina
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
I think it is a good call by Caroline and her team. I do not think that Sleeping Beauty ever really suited her, the cuts were bad, especially the first 40 seconds or so of the program. She brought the house down with Ave Maria last year, I just hope she does not leave out all the choreography and only focus on her jumps... as many skaters do when the re-make a program. (think Shizuka with Turandot).
Caroline's SKATING cover photo may have reminded of some people of Michelle's first cover:
http://heatherw.com/mk/pics/mag/skat93_cover.jpg
Well, I just took a screencap of Caroline in the group photo at Mt. Rushmore from the Progressive video, because it really reminded me of a young Michelle. Michelle was a little bit younger then, but I find the similarity striking. It is now my avatar. Is anyone else reminded of Michelle?
I feel like Caroline, despite her physical growth, has yet to undergo the kind of artistic/athletic transformation that Michelle underwent at 15 when she skated to Salome. I can't wait to see what a mature and confident Caroline will look like!
http://heatherw.com/mk/pics/mag/skat93_cover.jpg
Well, I just took a screencap of Caroline in the group photo at Mt. Rushmore from the Progressive video, because it really reminded me of a young Michelle. Michelle was a little bit younger then, but I find the similarity striking. It is now my avatar. Is anyone else reminded of Michelle?
I feel like Caroline, despite her physical growth, has yet to undergo the kind of artistic/athletic transformation that Michelle underwent at 15 when she skated to Salome. I can't wait to see what a mature and confident Caroline will look like!
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- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Caroline is wearing her hair quite long right now. Michelle did the same thing before the '98 Olympics. Somebody on eBay is selling an International Figure Skating magazine from that time.
http://cgi.ebay.com/1998-Internatio...iewItemQQptZMagazines?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
http://cgi.ebay.com/1998-Internatio...iewItemQQptZMagazines?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116
Yeah, I re-watched both Ave Maria and Sleeping Beauty a few times, and I have to admit that she looked much more relaxed and comfortable skating the former. Even though she was mostly clean with Sleeping Beauty at TEB, she looked like she was thinking really hard about all her elements and steps the whole time. She never let herself go. She even slipped a little during some transition step.
I think Sleeping Beauty has much better music and better choreography, in the sense that it really challenges her to skate with more energy and commitment to the choreography to make it happen. But maybe with her big growth spurt this season, it's more important for her to work on maintaining and improving her technical elements than worrying about artistic presentation. I think she has a good chance of beating her LP score at National's last year, as well as climbing the rankings -- I felt like she was really unfairly judged last year, with the "mistaken" downgrade of the 3Z in the SP, the nitpicking of UR's and edges, against a background of flagrantly overlooking under-rotations in Mirai, and flutzes in Ashley and Rachael. It's fine to be nit-picking on the technical elements, because the U.S. should send their strongest competitors onto the international championships, and international judges and tech panels are known to be strict. But it should be done evenly across skaters. It is unfair to someone like Caroline (and Kimmie, I might add), and also does no favor to those whose flaws are overlooked -- Mirai's UR's are being marked down this year, as are Ashley's flutzes (and also Rachael's flutz, though it is milder).
Anyway, judging issues aside, I think there's a good chance that Caroline's quality of skating this year will be improved from last year. She's skating with more speed, and apparently jumping with less excessive pre-jump counter-rotation (at least for the 3R in the Disson show video). She's wisely replaced the 2nd 3Z with a 3R. She's improved her 3S signfiicantly. Her SP step sequence is very nice, and her Ave Maria step sequence was her best one through last season. The only thing she really seems to have taken a backward step on is her take-off for the flip, lutz, and 2A. Re-watching Ave Maria made me realize how much her flip and lutz had improved by the end of last season, where the mule-kick had nearly disappeared, and the flutz was not as obvious. This season, the mule-kick and flutz came back with a vengeance, not to mention her 2A take-off has really gotten slow and tentative, leading to that complete pop at TEB in the SP.
I really hope that she's taken the time since TEB to concentrate on her jumping technique. Her improvement on her 3F & 3Z last season shows that it is something that she can make significant progress on. I think her growth spurt as well as the early-season injuries really threw her off a bit.
There's an interesting quote from Mirai Nagasu on Icenetwork's preview article, saying how she's disoriented by the fact that she went from not being able to see beyond the boards to now being able to see so much over it, and that she doesn't know where to look when she jumps. Caroline has had a very similar growth spurt, actually maybe gaining an extra inch compared to Mirai, so doubtlessly it is also a difficult time for Caroline.
I think Sleeping Beauty has much better music and better choreography, in the sense that it really challenges her to skate with more energy and commitment to the choreography to make it happen. But maybe with her big growth spurt this season, it's more important for her to work on maintaining and improving her technical elements than worrying about artistic presentation. I think she has a good chance of beating her LP score at National's last year, as well as climbing the rankings -- I felt like she was really unfairly judged last year, with the "mistaken" downgrade of the 3Z in the SP, the nitpicking of UR's and edges, against a background of flagrantly overlooking under-rotations in Mirai, and flutzes in Ashley and Rachael. It's fine to be nit-picking on the technical elements, because the U.S. should send their strongest competitors onto the international championships, and international judges and tech panels are known to be strict. But it should be done evenly across skaters. It is unfair to someone like Caroline (and Kimmie, I might add), and also does no favor to those whose flaws are overlooked -- Mirai's UR's are being marked down this year, as are Ashley's flutzes (and also Rachael's flutz, though it is milder).
Anyway, judging issues aside, I think there's a good chance that Caroline's quality of skating this year will be improved from last year. She's skating with more speed, and apparently jumping with less excessive pre-jump counter-rotation (at least for the 3R in the Disson show video). She's wisely replaced the 2nd 3Z with a 3R. She's improved her 3S signfiicantly. Her SP step sequence is very nice, and her Ave Maria step sequence was her best one through last season. The only thing she really seems to have taken a backward step on is her take-off for the flip, lutz, and 2A. Re-watching Ave Maria made me realize how much her flip and lutz had improved by the end of last season, where the mule-kick had nearly disappeared, and the flutz was not as obvious. This season, the mule-kick and flutz came back with a vengeance, not to mention her 2A take-off has really gotten slow and tentative, leading to that complete pop at TEB in the SP.
I really hope that she's taken the time since TEB to concentrate on her jumping technique. Her improvement on her 3F & 3Z last season shows that it is something that she can make significant progress on. I think her growth spurt as well as the early-season injuries really threw her off a bit.
There's an interesting quote from Mirai Nagasu on Icenetwork's preview article, saying how she's disoriented by the fact that she went from not being able to see beyond the boards to now being able to see so much over it, and that she doesn't know where to look when she jumps. Caroline has had a very similar growth spurt, actually maybe gaining an extra inch compared to Mirai, so doubtlessly it is also a difficult time for Caroline.
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- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
That is a heavenly dress, so much better than most of the things Caroline has worn to date.
About fixing her jump technique to get PCS. I thin she has tried to fix it, but this season she is having enough trouble landing her jumps the way she knew how...due to the growth spurt so many of you warned was coming. Maybe after she adjusts to her new body she can go back and get down to work on her jump entrances. I think that if she relaxes and skates the way she does in exhibitions, nobody could stop her.
Another intersting thing in the article was that Karen Kwan choreographed "Lulluby for a stormy night." I think it would be a great idea to have Karen do all of Caroline's programs. She seems close to the Kwan sisters already!
About fixing her jump technique to get PCS. I thin she has tried to fix it, but this season she is having enough trouble landing her jumps the way she knew how...due to the growth spurt so many of you warned was coming. Maybe after she adjusts to her new body she can go back and get down to work on her jump entrances. I think that if she relaxes and skates the way she does in exhibitions, nobody could stop her.
Another intersting thing in the article was that Karen Kwan choreographed "Lulluby for a stormy night." I think it would be a great idea to have Karen do all of Caroline's programs. She seems close to the Kwan sisters already!
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
For both Mirai and Caroline, they're both better off having their growth spurts now rather than this time next year. On an individual basis, they will have almost a whole year to re-learn/re-align their technique before the big season begins.
It's important for whoever goes to World's to get as many spots as possible for next year's Oly's.
It's important for whoever goes to World's to get as many spots as possible for next year's Oly's.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Of the main group of younger skaters - Caroline, Mirai, Ashley and Rachael - whoever doesn't go to Worlds will get another crack at Junior Worlds. Maybe we will have a repeat champion. 
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
Of the main group of younger skaters - Caroline, Mirai, Ashley and Rachael - whoever doesn't go to Worlds will get another crack at Junior Worlds. Maybe we will have a repeat champion.
what about the curreny junior podium? do they not get a chance just becasue the senior poduim is young enough for juniors???
Of the main group of younger skaters - Caroline, Mirai, Ashley and Rachael - whoever doesn't go to Worlds will get another crack at Junior Worlds. Maybe we will have a repeat champion.
Maybe it'll finally be Mirai's turn to win JW.
Of course, I'd rather all of our young seniors go to World's, but obviously they can't. :no: Maybe the pewter medalist will get to go to 4CC, as happens in Japan. That beats the JW for all the ones who've already got their medals from JW.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2008
You're getting detached from reality there. They're talking about some obnoxious people at FSU (there are many) hating on Caroline, not the American populace. Skate America 2007, all 3 times Caroline finished her programs she got a standing ovation.
If she's lost some respect, it's because she hasn't lived up to the hype that the media tried to generate. But when she skates her Ave Maria at Nationals 4 days from now, there will be standing ovations once again.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2004
I was thinking the same thing. This is the second year that the newbies have been in the senior ranks so I would think that they would not be interested in competing in Jr. Worlds.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Anybody ever read a Scottish poet named John Milton?
I hope they will compare scores across the events and make the selection. But with lots of juniors from last year moving up this year, I doubt any junior medalist will stand a chance.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
- Joined
- Nov 16, 2005
I don't think anyone who has been skating in seniors would want to go to JW either. I think whoever does not make the WT would want to go to 4CC since it is a senior competition.
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