Like any sport, on any given day, you could "bomb" and lose to an inferior opponent. And in the case of something like Jeremy vs Evan, on any given day, either of them could win. That's why the skaters go to all these competitions instead of determining the results on paper.
I think Jeremy was just too nervous, maybe because it was his first time going in as a medal contender. But he didn't exactly bomb. He just struggled more than you would expect him to.
Alissa bombed her SP, but her LP was pretty much her usual, maybe even a bit better than her usual. I think she was just way too worked up coming in to this as the National Champ. After she was buried in the SP standings, she seemed to relax for the LP. She's just not a great competitor, and she has never been a consistent jumper, but if only she could have controlled her nerves a little better. Looking at the scores, 8th place clearly could have been attainable and the U.S. could have secured three spots for next year.
M/B pretty much bombed. They are a beautiful pair with a load of potential, and they lost to some teams that they really should be beating, so that has got to sting for them. I don't know if they just put too much pressure on themselves, if they are tired from their first "real" Senior season, or if they just haven't had enough time yet to get more consistent doing all the elements. Judging by what they have said to the media, it was probably a combination of things like this. Unlike Alissa and even Jeremy, they are really brand new to all of this. They're still quite young and they'll figure it out.
I'm sure there must be some pressure to compete as the reigning National Champ, but these skaters really shouldn't get that worked up over it (easier said than done, I'm sure). Each competition is a new experience and you start fresh. And as for the actual thread title-- A National title is an amazing accomplishment, especially in a country like the U.S. where there is a lot of skating talent and it's an achievement to even make it to Nationals at the Sr level.
I think Jeremy was just too nervous, maybe because it was his first time going in as a medal contender. But he didn't exactly bomb. He just struggled more than you would expect him to.
Alissa bombed her SP, but her LP was pretty much her usual, maybe even a bit better than her usual. I think she was just way too worked up coming in to this as the National Champ. After she was buried in the SP standings, she seemed to relax for the LP. She's just not a great competitor, and she has never been a consistent jumper, but if only she could have controlled her nerves a little better. Looking at the scores, 8th place clearly could have been attainable and the U.S. could have secured three spots for next year.
M/B pretty much bombed. They are a beautiful pair with a load of potential, and they lost to some teams that they really should be beating, so that has got to sting for them. I don't know if they just put too much pressure on themselves, if they are tired from their first "real" Senior season, or if they just haven't had enough time yet to get more consistent doing all the elements. Judging by what they have said to the media, it was probably a combination of things like this. Unlike Alissa and even Jeremy, they are really brand new to all of this. They're still quite young and they'll figure it out.
I'm sure there must be some pressure to compete as the reigning National Champ, but these skaters really shouldn't get that worked up over it (easier said than done, I'm sure). Each competition is a new experience and you start fresh. And as for the actual thread title-- A National title is an amazing accomplishment, especially in a country like the U.S. where there is a lot of skating talent and it's an achievement to even make it to Nationals at the Sr level.