What will 2010-11 bring for Caroline Zhang? | Golden Skate

What will 2010-11 bring for Caroline Zhang?

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Carried over from the 2009-10 thread:
Her facebook wall says shes in Colorado. Anyone know what for?
Choreography with Tom Dickson.
I did hear from a friend in Colorado that they saw Caroline do a few triple flips without the mule kick today. He said that he couldn't even tell it was the same skater at first. I can't wait to see her next season now!
It's the start of a brand new season, so I'm taking the initiative to create a new thread for Caroline Zhang. :) If someone has a more creative title for this thread, please suggest it.

I'm told that she is still training with Coach Li Mingzhu in Artesia, CA.
 

Meli_Huber

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
Carried over from the 2009-10 thread:



It's the start of a brand new season, so I'm taking the initiative to create a new thread for Caroline Zhang. :) If someone has a more creative title for this thread, please suggest it.

I'm told that she is still training with Coach Li Mingzhu in Artesia, CA.

I want to see this first. At the beginning of last season there were people who told us the same, and said that her speed was much better than before .... and then?? Nothing! The same worse technik, no speed .... so, wait!

And one point more. Nobody is able to change the technik so much, which is necessary for Caroline, because her technik is sooooo bad!

Don´t think that I don´t like her. I saw her at her first Junior World, and she really was a cute there!
But her skating skills and technik are not good enough for an American Senior lady.

I really hope for the whole skating world, that we don´t lose a big talent, which Caroline is, because we need every talent for this sport!
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
I think Caroline really does try and improve but she looks positively frozen when she competes. I think she gets very nervous and tends to just shut down and try to "get through" the program. She needs to learn how to relax and perform to the music which will put her in a better place mentally to try her new technique.

Glad to hear she is looking better, I hope they really work on the double axel as well, IMO that is always her worst jump to watch.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I think Caroline really does try and improve but she looks positively frozen when she competes. I think she gets very nervous and tends to just shut down and try to "get through" the program. She needs to learn how to relax and perform to the music which will put her in a better place mentally to try her new technique.

Glad to hear she is looking better, I hope they really work on the double axel as well, IMO that is always her worst jump to watch.

Mavy, when I read your observation about Caroline, I suddenly thought of this week's episode of Dancing with the Stars. When Pamela Anderson's turn came up, I was struck by how at ease she looked. She was previously a nondancer, but she always seems to be doing a good job of creating a "performance moment." Nothing seems to throw her. Now, Pamela Anderson is not someone I ever was a fan of, and I didn't expect to like her at all, but her sense of relaxed enjoyment has won me over. It occurs to me that though basic talent, technique, and hard work are certainly important, one of the great X-factors in a successful competitive attempt is the ability to be comfortable under the spotlight. It's one reason Katarina Witt was so successful, and Naomi Nari Nam in her brief career. I don't know if this ability is innate, or if it can be developed. But I hope Caroline manages to locate it within herself, because I'd hate to lose her as a top-level skater. She has a lot to offer. (I wish Czisny could have figured it out, too, but maybe when she's skating in shows instead of in competition, her jitters will diminish.)
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
I was also surprised when I saw that report from Colorado. Is it really possible to re-work jumps in 3 months? I guess we will see how she's doing at Golden West in August.
 

tarotx

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
I think it's possible to work on the jumps in 3 months but Caroline always seems like she is improving on her jumps early in the season but once the season has started in the past by Nationals they are as bad as ever.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
I am hoping that now that Caroline is almost 17 she has matured and realizes what needs to be done so that she can remain competitive on the senior level. I feel that if she has another season like her past season she is done. She really needs to break down her technique and improve even if it is only baby steps, or otherwise she will be left behind. Last season she regressed. She was plagued by injuries that were caused imo by her growth spurt and her poor techique which took her out of contention in every major competion she was in except for 4CC. As a fan of Caroline last season was painful to watch.
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
Yes, last season was painful except the end. At least her 4CC bronze will almost guarantee 2 Grand Prix events. She won't have to go through Sectionals.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Yes, last season was painful except the end. At least her 4CC bronze will almost guarantee 2 Grand Prix events. She won't have to go through Sectionals.

Indeed, 4CC was the best thing that happened to her in a long time. Seeing her face light up with joy when she saw her score made my day. But I also fear that the success made her complacent about staying with Mingzu Li.
 

Ginask8s

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 27, 2008
Indeed, 4CC was the best thing that happened to her in a long time. Seeing her face light up with joy when she saw her score made my day. But I also fear that the success made her complacent about staying with Mingzu Li.

It's possible that no ELITE coach wants to risk their rep on FIXING her issues. Perhaps she as tried to get someone and they just wont take the risk. Its often viewed as the coaches fault if things dont work out. Having said that, I hope she turns herself around, because I love her line.
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Indeed, 4CC was the best thing that happened to her in a long time. Seeing her face light up with joy when she saw her score made my day. But I also fear that the success made her complacent about staying with Mingzu Li.

Everytime I think of Mingzu Li I also think about Chen-Lu :love:

Did Mingzu teach and train Lulu or was it done by committee? Maybe different coaches for jumps, spins, etc,?

I always see Caroline's bios with two coaches listed - Mingzu Li and also Sandra Holmes.
I believe Mingzu is Caroline's primary coach but am not sure about the role of Sandra Holmes.....

I think I also read once that Caroline has a jump coach who she has worked with for years.
Would that be Sandra Holmes by any chance?
 

tarotx

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 30, 2005
Perhaps she's just not ready or is not aloud to leave home yet and is sticking with what she has now for now. She can get lessons from a decent jump coach and a skating skills coach without changing head coaches.
 

Meli_Huber

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 25, 2008
I think I also read once that Caroline has a jump coach who she has worked with for years.
Would that be Sandra Holmes by any chance?

Then the jump coach is the worst coach I ever seen! :p

At the beginning of last season it was mentioned that Sandra Holmes will work with Caroline on her skating skills - increase her speed ....
 

janetfan

Match Penalty
Joined
May 15, 2009
Then the jump coach is the worst coach I ever seen! :p

At the beginning of last season it was mentioned that Sandra Holmes will work with Caroline on her skating skills - increase her speed ....

Sometimes I think about comments Frank Carrol made when he took on Mirai. He mentioned Mirai had been "coached by committee" and that would not continue. Sometimes I wonder about skaters having multiple coaches along with an active parent involved.

I get the feeling that what can happen at times is the skater runs more of their training, decides too often what to practice and may not make as much progress as a skater being drilled and watched by one coach.

I read that Mirai initially tried to practice her own way and Carroll quickly put an end to that.
I wonder about Caroline and how much control Mingzu has over her training. I remember that after Caroline left Charlene she said she would still work part time with Charlene.

So entering last season Caroline was working with Mingzu Li, Sandra and Charlene. And maybe some others.
Is that is too many coaches for a sixteen year old :think:
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
I wish Caroline all the best but I am a little skeptical about this fixing of her technique. Alissa spent the 07-08 season "fixing" her jumps but in reality they aren't really better now - she she falls and URs all the time. She didn't change coaches and I'm guessing continued to practice "her way" and it shows because it didn't really work.

Mirai did fix her jumps but only through getting a new coach and doing things "his way". Caroline needs a complete overhaul not a half-hearted attempt at fixing her jumps. If she doesn't do that, shell end up like Czisny but with even worse technique.
 

czfan

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 16, 2009
I wish Caroline all the best but I am a little skeptical about this fixing of her technique. Alissa spent the 07-08 season "fixing" her jumps but in reality they aren't really better now - she she falls and URs all the time. She didn't change coaches and I'm guessing continued to practice "her way" and it shows because it didn't really work.

Mirai did fix her jumps but only through getting a new coach and doing things "his way". Caroline needs a complete overhaul not a half-hearted attempt at fixing her jumps. If she doesn't do that, shell end up like Czisny but with even worse technique.

I thought she received 3 downgrades and 2 edge calls at Worlds, which, IMO, is not uncommon for her. As for Caroline, unless you see her practices and know for a fact what steps she may or may not be taking and all of the details, than I'm not sure how anyone can classify what she is doing as a "half-hearted attempt" until we actually see her at a show or a competition.
 
Last edited:

Taan

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 27, 2003
CZ just needs to do 2 main things: skate faster and skate to music in her lp that is not slow and lullaby-like and sleep inducing. then she will be fine.
 
Top