What will 2010-11 bring for Caroline Zhang?

[janetfan]

Judges, at least subliminally, want to see command of the ice with good technique. Caroline has to work on that. It wont be easy because these flaws are habit forming. We'll soon see if she gets a GP.

Wouldn't Caroline's Bronze medal from 4CC assure her of atleast one GP slot for this season?

I believe it was the only medal won by a US lady at a major ISU event last season.
Unless her skating has deteriorated I would think Caroline might get two GP assignments.

[PolymerBob]

I forget exactly which ISU rule applies, but Caroline is guaranteed one Grand Prix assignment. She will almost certainly get two.

[Olympia]

I think it was at the St.Louis Nationals that I first saw Caroline executing double jumps in Juniors while a few of her competitors were doing triples. But she had such beautiful line which so impressed me that I would announce she would be the next big American skater. Unfortunately, that didn't happen. Her flaws are correctable and I do not understand why her coaches didn't work on them, but since young lady skaters seem to me to be in a hurry to be crowned Olympic Champion that their technique suffers.

Balanchine insisted, among other things, that his dancers have perfect technique. If they made the corps de ballet he believed that the music would give the dancer the personality that goes with a performance.

What I am expecting Caroline to bring to her next competition is the simple take-off for her toe jumps. No need for the mule kick and jam the pick into the ice. That's horrible technique.

The other big flaw as I see it, is her speed, A good coach would encourage her to gather more speed at practice when she is preparing for an exhibition (competitive or otherwise).

Judges, at least subliminally, want to see command of the ice with good technique. Caroline has to work on that. It wont be easy because these flaws are habit forming. We'll soon see if she gets a GP.

I also believe that Caroline has too many good points for us to give up on her. I love your quote about Balanchine. I too am puzzled that there are coaches who would let any skater, let alone one as wonderful as Caroline, hold on to such substandard technique, even just for reasons of personal pride--no coach trains a skater anonymously, and every skater is an advertisement, for good or ill, for his/her coach. I understand that some skaters have a strong will, but how hard is it to get a fifteen-year-old girl to practice stroking for speed for a half hour every day?

[Joesitz]

I forget exactly which ISU rule applies, but Caroline is guaranteed one Grand Prix assignment. She will almost certainly get two.

You're probably correct. I believe Sylvia or someone mentioned that there are new rules afoot.

Anyway even one with improvements in speed and better toe-pic take-offs will be a happy occasion for one so talented. I still think she is special.

[Sylvia]

Based on past years' Grand Prix selection guidelines, Zhang is guaranteed one Senior GP due to being in the top 24 ISU World Standings rankings (12th) at the end of this season. The top 24 skaters/teams in the ISU Season Best scores list are also guaranteed 1 Senior GP. Since Zhang is 20th on that list, it's likely she will end up with 2 GP assignments.

We won't know for sure if there will be any significant changes in the GP selection guidelines until the 2010-11 GP Announcement is published online.

[Sylvia]

PolymerBob posted this link in another forum -- short Q&A with Caroline published on May 17: http://worldskating.blogspot.com/201...e-i-go-to.html

[silverlake22]

Based on past years' Grand Prix selection guidelines, Zhang is guaranteed one Senior GP due to being in the top 24 ISU World Standings rankings (12th) at the end of this season. The top 24 skaters/teams in the ISU Season Best scores list are also guaranteed 1 Senior GP. Since Zhang is 20th on that list, it's likely she will end up with 2 GP assignments.

We won't know for sure if there will be any significant changes in the GP selection guidelines until the 2010-11 GP Announcement is published online.

With none of the little Russian babies (Shelepen, Ovcharova, Agafonova) moving up and Agnes likely to do the JGP, I would be very surprised if Caroline didn't get 2 GP events. USFSA would likely give her 2 events before giving someone like Czisny or Dobbs 2 events, and I actually think it's likely all three will get 2 events each.

[PolymerBob]

All 3 ladies might get 2 events, but none of them get an automatic bye to Nationals. I know that they get a bye through Regionals or Sectionals if it conflicts with an international assignment. But how close does it have to be? Is it possible for a skater to get 2 assignments, and still have to do Regionals or Sectionals?

[cornell08]

How often does that happen though? That a skater gets 2 GP events but not a bye to Nationals?

[mskater93]

2 wks before/2 wks after

[Sylvia]

My understanding is that USFS' international bye window is 7 days before or after, and up to 10 days when travel to Asia is involved. However, for the past few seasons, anyone who has received 2 Senior Grand Prix assignments has not had to compete either at Regionals (in October) or Sectionals (in November).

[cornell08]

I wonder when that interview was actually conducted. In it Caroline says that she doesn't have an choreography/programs yet...so if it was recently conducted, what was she in Colorado for?? Picking music? How very curious indeed.

[PolymerBob]

I would have to guess the interview was done after 4CC, but before Colorado. She seems fairly confident that this season will be better.

[janetfan]

I think Caroline needs a serious but peppy number like this one. Something to get her feet moving a little quicker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO31Da4es_I

[silverlake22]

I think Caroline needs a serious but peppy number like this one. Something to get her feet moving a little quicker.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dO31Da4es_I

I think Caroline should take a cue from the young Russian chic Anna who has super exciting, fast programs that disguise the fact that her technique isn't great.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s-c5Jw6MuE
This girl is fabulous even though her jumps are questionable.