Caroline Zhang - Is She an Oly Contender?

**R.D.** · 04-23-2009, 04:28 PM

I like the way some posters just assume she's going to be at the Games. Ant is right. Get the bowl of popcorn ready!

:chorus:

**demarinis5** · 04-23-2009, 05:10 PM

I can't speak for anyone else but I think folks are speculating more than assuming. The thread title is a question..

**feraina** · 04-23-2009, 05:50 PM

Originally Posted by Tinymavy15

yeah, and Sasha placed 4th after entering the salt lake games in a very similar position that Caroline will be in.

Oh, interesting point. Sasha was 4th in Olympics and World's in 2002, and then did really great on the GP series the following year when Sarah Hughes & Michelle Kwan both really cut down on their competitions, and she didn't meet Irina Slutskaya until the GPF. The 2002-3 season really marked an upturn in Sasha's international career. Maybe the same will happen to Caroline in 2010-11?

Hmm... I can see Miki Ando and Joannie Rochette retire in 2010; similarly with Carolina Kostner. I think with these girls, if they do well in Vancouver they'll retire happily, and if they don't do well, they might want to call it quits anyway. If Yu-na wins OGM, she'll probably retire, too. Mighty Mao, though, I can see her soldier on regardless, although in recent years I've really seen the carefree joy in her skating dissipate somewhat (and that in Yu-na's skating grow).

Anyway, I think it would be great if Caroline can make it onto the Olympics team, and if she does do so, I think she has a good chance of making top 5 (~70%), a decent chance at top 4 (~30%), and maybe even a slim chance at top 3 (~5%) if Caroline skates another 7-triple LP and a clean SP, and Joannie succumbs to home crowd pressure and Miki has another shoulder-injury-failed-quad-attempt LP (I'm not wishing for those bad things, I'm just saying that there's some small probability that these things may come to pass, as they are not without precedent).

Just please, please, I hope she gets good programs for next year! She said she's getting some "violin-y type of fast music" for her LP, and that she already started getting her new programs, but she didn't like her first one (I don't know SP or LP). I'm nervously awaiting the programs. I'm not sure what kind of "violin-y type of fast music" would suit her skating, I just know that I was sick of AM even before she recycled it, and that she didn't look comfortable skating to either her SP or the original LP (Sleeping Beauty) this year. Maybe her best program so far was her Spanish Flamenco SP. She showed more character/heart there than any other program so far.

**Joesitz** · 04-23-2009, 06:59 PM

Tinymavy - Next year is a chronological time. The Olys season has started now. Less than a year away.

**Andalusia** · 04-23-2009, 07:40 PM

Originally Posted by feraina

Just please, please, I hope she gets good programs for next year! She said she's getting some "violin-y type of fast music" for her LP, and that she already started getting her new programs, but she didn't like her first one (I don't know SP or LP). I'm nervously awaiting the programs. I'm not sure what kind of "violin-y type of fast music" would suit her skating, I just know that I was sick of AM even before she recycled it, and that she didn't look comfortable skating to either her SP or the original LP (Sleeping Beauty) this year. Maybe her best program so far was her Spanish Flamenco SP. She showed more character/heart there than any other program so far.

feraina, more please! Get it out of Caroline at all costs!

You mentioned before that she was getting a new coach to replace Sondra Holmes...to help her work on her footwork and what not. Any idea who she's chosen, that is, if she even has found a replacement?

**Mathman** · 04-23-2009, 09:31 PM

I like fast violin-y music!

**Andalusia** · 04-23-2009, 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by Mathman

I like fast violin-y music!

I got it! She's skating to this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPBL-kPQzkc

She'd have no choice but to speed around like a rocket whilst skating to this music.

Whatever Caroline chooses, I hope she stays away from Lori Nichol. All skaters should stay away from Lori unless they're Michelle Kwan or Mao Asada. Lori has been giving Caroline nothing but soft, balletic stuff - clearly not what she needs right now. And feraina mentioned Caroline being "given" new programs - why don't the skaters have any input as to what their music choices should be? Only Tom Dickson has encouraged Caroline to break out of the mould - it's no coincidence her "Spanish Gypsy" program has been her best so far. Caroline needs some drama - I'd love to see what David Wilson could do with her.

Philip Mills almost always creates interesting programs as well.

**feraina** · 04-24-2009, 12:47 AM

Originally Posted by Andalusia

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dPBL-kPQzkc

OMG, so funny.

How about this Schubert trio?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZR5pW...eature=related

I think it would suit her well -- it has some soft lyrical parts, but also some fast dramatic parts, and the best thing is that it has these nice phrases that she'll be able to play with choreographically. It's sweet and passionate in turn, just perfect.

And feraina mentioned Caroline being "given" new programs - why don't the skaters have any input as to what their music choices should be?

I was just thinking the same thing earlier today. I think part of the reason why Caroline skates her exhibitions a lot more expressively than her competitive programs because she has a lot more say over the music choice and choreography. She's great innate sense of musicality, but only for the kind of music that moves her, and the choreographers clearly haven't been choosing good music for her for the most part.

**antmanb** · 04-24-2009, 04:39 AM

Originally Posted by Joesitz

Tinymavy - Next year is a chronological time. The Olys season has started now. Less than a year away.

Well i wouldn't say that. Skating has an off season from April to July/August and then the season starts properly. I always think it is more like an academic where once you've finished your exams you don't say the next year has started, you have the holidays and come back in the next year.

Ant

**PolymerBob** · 04-24-2009, 08:01 AM

Originally Posted by Andalusia

feraina, more please! Get it out of Caroline at all costs!

....... Maybe the CIA can help.

**antmanb** · 04-24-2009, 08:18 AM

Originally Posted by PolymerBob

....... Maybe the CIA can help.

Or Jack Bauer?

**liketotally** · 04-24-2009, 08:40 AM

I think Caroline should try Joe Hisaishi music. It has nice, soft, princess-y parts, but also wonderfully moving and powerful ones, but the overall effect isn't too strong so it should suit her skating.

Laputa, perhaps, I haven't heard it used in skating before.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clJEd1VWNOQ

**Joesitz** · 04-24-2009, 10:07 AM

Originally Posted by antmanb

Well i wouldn't say that. Skating has an off season from April to July/August and then the season starts properly. I always think it is more like an academic where once you've finished your exams you don't say the next year has started, you have the holidays and come back in the next year.

Ant

Well, to each his own, but if I were skating competitions,and the Worlds has just completed. I would be thinking of the Olys instantly. However, if you want to not think about the Olys, that's ok.

**antmanb** · 04-24-2009, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Joesitz

Well, to each his own, but if I were skating competitions,and the Worlds has just completed. I would be thinking of the Olys instantly. However, if you want to not think about the Olys, that's ok.

To be honest it was just a point about semantics - what you call something really doesn't matter it's the activities that take place that count. I expect every skater has their eye on their preparation for the Olympics right now, but also i'd guess about half of them will either be lying on a beach or resting up at home having some form of holiday after a tough season and getting a break before the off season high peak training schedule kicks in. Certainly the British pairs skaters Kemp &King are in Spain enjoying a holiday right now!

For me the Olympic season will commence when we see the first competitions where the skaters debut their programs for the Olympic season. There's not much news to be heard during the off season anyway.

Ant