Flatt should go to school, her peak is already in the past
- Thread starter pangtongfan
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- Nov 12, 2009
Very well said - all of it. I'd only add that in Rachael's case she actually still is in medal contention - just won two international silvers in fact - so why on Earth would she quit? She's been no less in the mix for a world medal than others like Kiira Korpi and Akiko Suzuki who are dark horses but could potentially medal. Rachael has her fans. Sometimes, I think others want her to quit because she's a constant threat to their favorites, what with her (usually) consistent jumps.
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- Aug 19, 2003
Well, Rachael did "make it" last year at Nationals. Maybe that will be the high point for her skating career. I don't consider her to be a late bloomer.
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- Jul 28, 2003
I wonder if Rachael ever read this what she would think!! I am sure she continues to compete because she wants to. No she is not a "phenom" in the skating world by any means, but she is a hard worker and it has paid. Hard work is what figure skating is all about and many skaters have made it to the top through their diligence - including skaters such as Rachael Flatt and Joannie Rochette.
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- Mar 5, 2004
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Amen!
Yuka Sato = the miracle worker
or so it seems
I do not claim that she is miracle worker, I just think that coach change would be good for Racheal, and Yuka is one of the choices I thought of, since she seems to understand the skaters needs and feel which style would fit them. Of course, she is not the only option.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
So very true. We've often discussed the natural gifts of Nicole Bobek and Christopher Bowman that were wasted. Both were natural skaters and performers - however, their lack of work ethic and lack of maturity made them unreliable on many levels. Both lost their way. Fortunately, Bobek seems to be working to get her life back on track.
We also have highly successful skaters who weren't as talented, but worked harder. Kristi Yamaguchi, as per her coach Kristy Ness, was not a natural jumper. Her work ethic is what made her a successful jumper.
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- Jan 15, 2010
AND, to add to that, she had club feet. So it's amazing she could walk properly, let alone do the triple lutz-triple toe combination. Well, there was therapy and surgery involved of course, but i'm just saying ...
I just watched Rachael do a high-spirited number on the NBC program spotlighting skaters and gymnasts. (Alas, I missed most of the rest of the broadcast.) She was very appealing to watch, and I was reminded of Nadine's warm reaction on seeing Rachael skate live. Rachael seems very fluid, which I like, and she has a fine spread eagle (both inside and outside) and a rather nice Ina Bauer. (A better backbend than Michelle, certainly! And you know that Michelle is at the top of my "life list.") There's no reason to give up on her, and certainly no reason for her to give up on her career.
One more thought: I also love Alissa, and I think her smile is a national treasure, but you know what? Rachael's smile is lovely as well--she musters up quite a bit of wattage with it when the music gets going.
One more thought: I also love Alissa, and I think her smile is a national treasure, but you know what? Rachael's smile is lovely as well--she musters up quite a bit of wattage with it when the music gets going.
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And she ditched the OTB tights so we could see her WHITE BOOTS! A huge step in the right direction for Rachael.
I agree 100% about Rachael's performance on the gymnastics show! She was like a different skater.
Rachael needs to do very bouncy, youthful programs. I get the impression that she's trying to force herself into a "delicate, graceful, tasteful, ballerina" mode that Alissa, YuNa and Mirai fit perfectly, but is completely wrong for Rachael. She's a great skater, but she's not delicate or balletic. She seems much less awkward with the faster music, and if she's skating slowly--well, it was covered up. Of course, she'd have to have wordless music and do the harder jumps, but I was also impressed.
Rachael needs to do very bouncy, youthful programs. I get the impression that she's trying to force herself into a "delicate, graceful, tasteful, ballerina" mode that Alissa, YuNa and Mirai fit perfectly, but is completely wrong for Rachael. She's a great skater, but she's not delicate or balletic. She seems much less awkward with the faster music, and if she's skating slowly--well, it was covered up. Of course, she'd have to have wordless music and do the harder jumps, but I was also impressed.
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- Jun 27, 2003
you know, in dog mushing, the only reason fans want a musher to retire is because they're the dominant musher and are too cocky... puts things into perspective for me...
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- Jun 21, 2003
OT, but if you are a champion musher, does that mean that you are really good at it, or does it mean that you have the best dogs?
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- Jun 27, 2003
That's the lifelong debate... basically it boils down to a combination of both. You have to have a good set of dogs, but there isn't just one bloodline that all sled dogs have to have... and then you have to have a musher who not only knows what they're doing but speaks the sled dog language. A Happy Kennel is going to be far more successful than a kennel that's unhappy. You want a team that wants and loves to run. Some mushers try to force it, and they either scratch or never make it to the Iditarod... while others year in and year out see success on the trail and have a following and a "name" because they know their dogs, have trained them correctly and don't force anything.
So, I guess, the musher is the coach, and it's still up to the dogs to see her through... but it's mroe than just a coach at teh boards or sidelines... they have to be in shape, and are their own special breed of human.
