Championship Ladies FS

[cornell08]

Really, cornell, you wouldn't even put Flatt, who again finished 5th at last year's Worlds, as an alternate? Liang before Flatt, you truly think Flatt should place that low? I mean, Bebe has some good qualities and I like her skating, but has she ever had results like Flatt, or at least has she had them recently? Poor Rachael should just hang up her skates, if she should never have placed above 9th or so at US Nats.

Don't mean to get personal here, cornell, but c'mon -- Flatt's so bad she shouldn't even be an alternate?

In my ideal world, truly, Flatt and Nagasu go. Oh, wait, they are!

PS Thanks, Phoenix!

oh LOL i wasn't saying they should given their performance THIS nationals. Sort of meant like, in an ideal world with their ideal skates.

[rallycairn]

Everyone's ideal skaters are different, yo. Just because Flatt is your ideal skater doesn't mean it has to be hers/his.

Oh, sure, but really it's hard to say that our only skater with a solid 3-3 combo and decent to very good international results shouldn't be even on an alternate list for international competition. And Flatt is not my ideal skater by a long shot, but she and Nagasu are my picks out of the ladies who just competed for the Oly/Worlds teams. Note I said Flatt AND Nagasu, who I think together bring different but noteworthy elements to the ice.

cornell: Gotcha, but still am puzzled by not thinking Flatt was even in the running for an alternate position. But if you really don't see anything to her skating, hopefully you'll be able to see some of the other ladies you mentioned in their future performances.

So, did they confirm WORLDS team yet?

It's getting really late here on the east coast and plainly I'm not making too much sense anymore ... should probably give it up and go to sleep.

[miki88]

Tell me. We sure do like to eat our own in the U.S., don't we? Rachael is definitely a COP skater, and she knows how to skate within the system. With some exceptions such as PCS scoring being too consistent within skaters and used kind of like the old artistic mark, and things like very big names getting UR's not called, COP is a check-off-your-boxes, count-your-rotations type of system. Weir called it like mathematics instead of skating, Sasha mentioned not liking that aspect of the SP herself just yesterday. There's not a score for "it" or "wow." Rachael checks off her boxes. They may not be the same boxes as skaters who don't have the jumps but do have the spirals or the spins or whatever, but she checks enough of them and she's the winner.

She got 5th at Worlds last year, the best performance by a U.S. lady in a couple of seasons. No reason to expect it will be too much different this year; in fact, with the U.S. title she may be even more confident than ever, plus she's continued to improve each season. She actually finished ahead of Mao in the freeskate at that one GP event -- have any of our other ladies beaten one of the big guns like Mao or Yu Na in any phase of any competition? I don't think so, if so please do let me know if I'm misremembering. Anyway, I think we have every reason to believe she'll represent the U.S. respectably if not dazzlingly at Olys/Worlds. And that may be all we can hope for at this time.

All the poor girl's done is skate solidly for 3 years running ...

I think you meant Yuna. I don't think Rachel and Mao competed at the same GP event this season. Anyways, I am really hoping that upset does not happen at Olympics or else I will feel really sad :(

[kandidy]

WHy took them so long for another announcement?

I think the US figure skating president is making a phone call to Cinquinta in case he could use connection to drop some other country slots and add one more spot to US :lol: How about punishing Korea for not sending Yuna to 4 cc and reduce their olympic slot to one seat?

[PROKOFIEV]

YAY!! Congratulations to Rachael and Mirai!!!! well deserved!!
Thank you, Sasha for bringing back the excitement to this event. I admire you so much and what a treat for us to see you again on the ice in this olympic year!!
All the skaters deserve standing ovation from everyone.

[bigsisjiejie]

sorry i can't find the official announcement anywhere--who are the alternates for ladies for the Olympics?

[R.D.]

Well, maybe now you can understand why it was irritating that some people were so rude about Sasha.

But I would never, ever attack these posters in retaliation, like they did

[PROKOFIEV]

This girl is going to be a STAR. Her scores would have given her fourth place in the free skate and fifth overall. Wait until next year...she could certainly be a factor.

I agree!!!! She is an AMAZINg skater.

[Layfan]

She beat Yuna in the FS at Skate America, by 5 points. Although for that to happen Yuna had to totally botch 3 of her jumping passes, one of which was the 3-3.

Rachael beat Yuna's worst FS ever. It's not impossible to think any of the other US ladies could have done the same.
Still, even though Flatt is not one of my favorites, I am so impressed at how she just refuses to crumble under pressure. How does she DO it?? Also, I'm amazed at how Mirai rose to the occasion tonight. When Flatt and Ashley had great skates I thought, uh oh, that's going to be tough on Mirai. But she skated as if there was no one else in the world. She has truly come a long way.
Interesting that the Olympics will be the first major international competition for Mirai. It was the same for Sasha at 2002.

[aftertherain]

YAY!! Congratulations to Rachael and Mirai!!!! well deserved!!
Thank you, Sasha for bringing back the excitement to this event. I admire you so much and what a treat for us to see you again on the ice in this olympic year!!
All the skaters deserve standing ovation from everyone.

What ^ said. With that said, my stream link isn't working anymore and my apartmentmates are watching TV. Sad. I guess I'll have to wait for YouTube...

[daisies]

Not the same amount of points. 2A-3T is a combo and 3T-2A is a sequence. Sequences only get 80%.

Are you sure about that??

Yes, I'm positive.

[PROKOFIEV]

ON another forum someone said they thought at 1:00AM but not sure.

I'm proud of Sasha for getting back in the ring and battling it out with athletes so much younger than she-4th is not too bad for an old gal amongst all the new kids on the block! Sigh-if only she'd stood those jumps up. She clearly was not match tough. Physically she is in great condition. But all that aside-

Sasha's artistry was to die for, head and shoulders over everyone else imo and that GORGEOUS dress! I loved it! Her hair so elegant in a golden hair net.

I'm glad Sasha came back to light a fire in these young skaters-I'm sure she put a good scare into them and they each took it up a notch. Sasha was close-very close at 2nd place in the SP. 4th is nothing to be ashamed of at this level. I can only imagine how much better she would have been had she not been injured and had more time to train-or better yet if she had considered this at least a couple of years ago. But it's done.

BRAVA SASHA! BRAVA!!

I agree with you totally!!! She will stay as one of the most accomplished and memorable skater in the history. I was really really happy to see her back on the ice.

[jsteam4501s]

Bravo, College of Charleston!(beating UNC in basketball) -
Bravo, Alabama!(winning the national title in football) -
And Bravo, Rachael Flatt! I'm 3 for 3 in my sports moments so far in 2010!

Now, if the Indy Colts win the SuperBowl and Rachael wins Olympic Gold - wow!

It was Go, Tara! Then it was Gimmie Kimmie! Now it's Rock 'em Rachael!!

[Mathman]

Are you sure about that??

Yes, because in a combo you have to go right up into the second jump, whereas for a 3T+2A you have to do a half turn in between, so it's a sequence.

My twin 14 year old nephews who are NOT figure skating fans (they're more into Shaun White) for the first time watched the entire event with me because this is the first time they've watched an Olympic Trials before. They are completely confused and they do not understand why Mirai did not win....

Figure skating has to decide whether it wants to be a spectator sport or a sport just for the participants and insiders. For a spectator sport, the audience must know, when they leave the arena, who won and why. If they don't, then like your nephews they will never come back.

[greengal5874]

My stupid feed kicked the dust...Please anyone- let me know if they announce the Ol alternates or the World/4CC teams! Thank you All!

PS- I'm have a great time lurking tonight- love all of your convesations!