Flatt wants medal finish

Nigel · Feb 11, 2009

lcd said:
I'm not worried about pressure being "put on" Rachael. She seems an ambitious, high achieving athlete who has gotten this far in an insanely competitive US system because of the high expectations that come from her hard work and from within. Articles with topics like this always seem to touch a nerve. Is it "PC" to say you want to win? Come on...

IMO, Flatt is certainly a very driven kid. And has continually shown that she has personal goals as well as goals in skating. See the Athlete section of USFS where there is a brief synopsis of her skating career to date.

http://www.usfigureskating.org/Athletes.asp

If she wasn't a "self starter" and motivated, it would be difficult to balance what she does both academically and athletically. From the USFS story on the Academic Scholarship Award event at US Nationals...
"Rachael Flatt is a member of the Broadmoor Skating Club and a junior at Cheyenne Mountain High School in Colorado Springs, Colo. She is the 2008 World Junior champion and 2008 U.S. silver medalist. She was the top U.S. lady at 2008 Skate America, where she finished fourth, and in November was the silver medalist at the Cup of Russia. Flatt is a full-time student in the Advanced Placement program at Cheyenne Mountain, where she has been named to the Principal's Honor Roll for straight-A students the past 2 1/2 years. She is the 2008 recipient of Cheyenne Mountain High School's Athletic Excellence Award for Outstanding Academic and Athletic Achievements at the state, national or international level. She participated in 2008 Skate for Hope, Blades for the Cure and Band Together, the American Association of Orthodontists summer education program. Flatt was honored at the 2008 Colorado Springs Sports Corporation Breakfast of Champions for her outstanding achievements in sports."

I think Flatt is probably very driven, much like many elite athletes, but just happens to be a stellar student as well and the two aspects of her life are reflective of her internal drive with perhaps some gentle prodding from outside forces, but if those values were not apparent at an early age, they certainly would go against the norm for many teens. If it was something other than her own drive, her joy for skating would not be so apparent.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2-kAoLs2Pc

She must be one very organized kid! :clap:

I am sure there are other examples of elite athletes from many sports who just feel that drive...100 mph sort of thing...and just go for it! Carpe Diem and all that!

Kinga · Feb 11, 2009

No matter what happens this year in LA, I think that Rachael is a future World Champion. I don't know, but she has something magic. Even with not the best programes for this season (music choices, etc), I could feel her amazing musicality, delicacy, maturity and her emotions (as she starts skating, I stop bothering about her posture). If only she gets better programes and influences the music choices, her skating will be great.
To me, she definitely has the 'it' factor. I think that she feels the music more naturally than Yuna and Mao taken together. I am sure that already next season, she will be a serious medal contender - with gorgeous new programs, costumes, and speed/spins improvement. Good luck Rachael! It was this season when I saw you for the first time, and you got a fan outside the US!

ManyCairns · Feb 11, 2009

What a nice post, Kinga, both complimentary and well thought out!

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 11, 2009

rallycairn said:
What a nice post, Kinga, both complimentary and well thought out!

And she is not under any pressure to bring the US 3 places for next year's Olys. She skates for herself as all skaters do.

R.D. · Feb 11, 2009

Mathman said:
I agree. I don't think I have ever seen a bad performance from Rachael, nerves or no nerves.

Doesn't mean it can't happen though :eek:

hwell:

Mathman · Feb 11, 2009

The Flatt family coat of arms.

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/4crests_2034_238172533

chuckm · Feb 12, 2009

Kinga said:
No matter what happens this year in LA, I think that Rachael is a future World Champion. I don't know, but she has something magic. Even with not the best programes for this season (music choices, etc), I could feel her amazing musicality, delicacy, maturity and her emotions (as she starts skating, I stop bothering about her posture). If only she gets better programes and influences the music choices, her skating will be great.
To me, she definitely has the 'it' factor. I think that she feels the music more naturally than Yuna and Mao taken together. I am sure that already next season, she will be a serious medal contender - with gorgeous new programs, costumes, and speed/spins improvement. Good luck Rachael! It was this season when I saw you for the first time, and you got a fan outside the US!

I have felt this way about Rachael since she won the Novice title in 2005. To me, she is a very special, very unique skater.

GiuliaPlum · Feb 12, 2009

Kinga said:
No matter what happens this year in LA, I think that Rachael is a future World Champion. I don't know, but she has something magic. Even with not the best programes for this season (music choices, etc), I could feel her amazing musicality, delicacy, maturity and her emotions (as she starts skating, I stop bothering about her posture). If only she gets better programes and influences the music choices, her skating will be great.
To me, she definitely has the 'it' factor. I think that she feels the music more naturally than Yuna and Mao taken together. I am sure that already next season, she will be a serious medal contender - with gorgeous new programs, costumes, and speed/spins improvement. Good luck Rachael! It was this season when I saw you for the first time, and you got a fan outside the US!

and a fan in Italy as well! I think she's very elegant, emotional and communicative (I personally share her emotions watching her), I can't get why she's considered "boring". La mer by Debussy is complex and difficult to skate (D. is a really complex composer himself, not just an "impressionist" musician as he is usually called). it was just a wrong choice for the LP. I'm enchanted by "Moon River" and I could watch it a lot of times without getting tired. I was endlessy moved and happy for Alissa's win, but I root for Rachel as well. Yes, she can do it!

fairly4 · Feb 12, 2009

Being driven and handling pressure are two different things.
However I do think she is being a bit hard on herself.
But if she wants her goal as a medal finish at worlds, more power to her.
I just hope they don't cheat for her.

+also interesting note, Michelle had overall package in both 1998 and 2002 yet the judges and the skating community, skating fans wanted jumps.
Now you are crying overall. Sorry a bit much in the last statement.

R.D. · Feb 12, 2009

I hope she turns out well and stays healthy.

demarinis5 · Feb 12, 2009

fairly4;372115 (snip) +also interesting note said:
I agree. Figure skating seems to go through cycles. Just a few years ago
the Quad was the king and every male was striving to perfect that jump.
A skater can win without the big jumps if they have other elements which they do well that will score highly, we have seen that happen over and over. Why do a quad and risk injury . It does not necessarily give you an advantage for the gold..

mandykane21 · Feb 12, 2009

Just a quick question, why do you guys think she's being hard on herself? By not being happy with her skating or placement at 4CCs, or that she wants to be on the podium at Worlds?

chuckm · Feb 12, 2009

Rachael was unhappy with her skating at 4CC because in the FS, she didn't go for the 3/3 and she doubled the salchow. It wasn't her best performance, and Rachael knows she would have had a better placement without the mistakes.

She is quite capable of delivering a squeaky-clean performance, and that is what she expects from herself.

Joesitz (RIP) · Feb 12, 2009

Skating through cycles - ever since Irina wracked up those high scores with Bielman positions, it seem every female skater has Bielman positions and most have Bielman spins. Nowadays, they just get a nod. Irinia showed them at the right time..

Particle Man · Feb 12, 2009

Mathman said:
I agree. I don't think I have ever seen a bad performance from Rachael, nerves or no nerves.

Red Dog said:
Doesn't mean it can't happen though hwell:

Wow. Do you do ANYTHING other than invent the worst-case scenario for all the US skaters? Rachael is the most consistent lady we've had in a long time but OH MY GOD it still means she MIGHT not be consistent! NOOOO!!!!

R.D. · Feb 12, 2009

Particle Man said:
Wow. Do you do ANYTHING other than invent the worst-case scenario for all the US skaters? Rachael is the most consistent lady we've had in a long time but OH MY GOD it still means she MIGHT not be consistent! NOOOO!!!!

You read WAY too much into my statement. What I said was simply a true scenario; just because it hasn't happened before doesn't mean it won't. And if it makes you feel any better, flip it around and apply it to Czisny, eh?

amateur · Feb 13, 2009

It warms my heart to see so much praise for Rachael in this thread! She is so criticized elsewhere in this forum! I daresay under-appreciated. I think she is the one, of all the current top skaters around her age that I have seen, that I am most looking forward to seeing develop. The US fans have been spoiled by the Kwan, Lipinski, Hughes, Cohen... it is not the majority of skaters that are so close to "having it all", at the young age of 16-17.

fairly4 · Feb 13, 2009

Rachel and Alissa , I am hoping for a 6th and 7th finish.
With the level of talent, Mao, Yu-na, Joannie and Carolina Kostner, I think a medal might be a bit out of reach, but stranger things have happened.

GiuliaPlum · Feb 13, 2009

amateur said:
It warms my heart to see so much praise for Rachael in this thread! She is so criticized elsewhere in this forum! I daresay under-appreciated. I think she is the one, of all the current top skaters around her age that I have seen, that I am most looking forward to seeing develop. The US fans have been spoiled by the Kwan, Lipinski, Hughes, Cohen... it is not the majority of skaters that are so close to "having it all", at the young age of 16-17.

I watched yesterday the four US medalists of 2008, one year later and yea, Rachel was and is the most mature among them, and pretty mature for her age. I agree with who states she is an unique skater. The Rapsody by Gershwin was almost a masterpiece. Can't wait to see what she will do in Los Angeles! :clap:

nubka · Feb 13, 2009

Kinga said:
No matter what happens this year in LA, I think that Rachael is a future World Champion. I don't know, but she has something magic. Even with not the best programes for this season (music choices, etc), I could feel her amazing musicality, delicacy, maturity and her emotions (as she starts skating, I stop bothering about her posture). If only she gets better programes and influences the music choices, her skating will be great.
To me, she definitely has the 'it' factor. I think that she feels the music more naturally than Yuna and Mao taken together. I am sure that already next season, she will be a serious medal contender - with gorgeous new programs, costumes, and speed/spins improvement. Good luck Rachael! It was this season when I saw you for the first time, and you got a fan outside the US!

ITA!!!

Flatt wants medal finish

Nigel

Kinga

ManyCairns

Joesitz (RIP)

R.D.

Mathman

chuckm

GiuliaPlum

fairly4

R.D.

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

mandykane21

chuckm

Joesitz (RIP)

Particle Man

Match Penalty

R.D.

amateur

fairly4

GiuliaPlum

nubka

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