The Possible Podium Spoilers at the US Nats | Page 3 | Golden Skate

The Possible Podium Spoilers at the US Nats

Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Unfortunately Adrian Chew's board took a nasty turn as Chew himself inexplicably turned on a skater he once liked and developed a pathological hatred for her.
 

Nadine

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
Skate Forum was part of Skating Inc (also now defunct) they had official websites for Alexei Yagudin, Maria Butyrskaya, Angela Nikodinov and others... as well as "skate radio" which played music that skaters skated to, and several other great programs... they tanked when they tried to bring out the Skating Inc. Magazine... they just got stretched too thin, I think.


OMG, I know what forum, et al, you are talking about now! *light bulb goes on*

Yes, I recall Skate Forum, and especially "skate radio"!!!! I won several contests on Skate Radio, I love that station, as while as that forum. I was there too, Tonichelle. :)

Lol, in fact right in front of me now I have the CD I won with Deanna Stellato, a favorite skater of mine at the time. I also won several Sonja Henie videos, et al. :love: Thanks for bringing back good memories, Tonichelle. :cool: :party:
 

Nadine

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 3, 2003
p.s. mathman, do you know what happened to him, Adrian Chew that is? I think I recall he got some big job offer with computers or some such thing. Also, didn't he sell his board? He was some sort of computer genius. All's I know is that I missed his board and I was only a handful of pathetic members that actually paid after he sold it, then that too went kaput! :(
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
yeah ... where IS Janetfan?


Anyway, I'd like to see Christina dramatically improve her spins and even her presentation before I start calling her the next Yuna-Kim. So far I see her as as being in a similar position as rest of the U.S. ladies. Good - but not really able to compete with the best of the best internationally. Not yet anyway. The only two U.S. skaters who I see as mayyyyyy-beeee being competitive at the very top are Alissa and Mirai but they have the problems that we all know about. Still, they are my two favorites and I honestly think they are the best so I can't help but hope they go to worlds this time.

I think Armin could medal but I would definitely call him a long shot. He doesn't have a quad and Jeremy, Brandon and Ryan do. So think Armin - much I really loved his SA performance - would need those three and Adam to mess up. Which I know is totally possible. But still. That makes him a longshot.

Wasn't Armin planning on opening his FS with a 4t at skate america and just tripled it? I was pretty sure he had a quad...
 

ibauer

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 16, 2011
I believe he's working on a quad toe. I don't know what his success rate is, though. There was an interview on Universal Sports' website where he said he might do a quad at nationals.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
The Quad Toe: Jeremy, Brandon, Bradley, The possible quad toe: Adam, Armin, Ross, Dornbush.

Questions: a) Is it necessary?
b) Who will go for it?
c) In SP or LP or both

First man out has to make the decision.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
I didn't know that about Armin, thanks.

I don't know if it's necessary. I guess it depends on necessary for what? I think if Jeremy skates clean no one will beat him even if they have a quad. If Brandon skates clean then probably Armin would need his quad to edge him out. I'm just guessing and part of it is based on reputation, as I think the judges might need a bit more time to figure out what kinds of PCS to give Armin, etc.

But it's great to have new talent show up like that :)

ETA: Adam is an interesting question. The judges seem to like him and he might just want to go clean. I mean, if he's clean and Brandon or Ryan mess up, Adam's on the podium. He should decide based on his consistency at practice.
 
Last edited:

sigrid

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 25, 2006
I think Adam won't try the quad here after reading his latest interview
http://figureskatersonline.com/news/2011/01/17/heading-to-greensboro-rippon-feels-really-good/

“I’m feeling really good and really healthy going into nationals,” he said. Rippon will be tweaking a few spins to maximize points, but otherwise he expects no changes to his programs.

If he skates clean he'll be on the podium, and knowing his problems with the 3A, maybe he just want to focus and fix them before adding the quad
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
For the Ladies:


Gilles, Zawadski, Gao, Other?

I would say Zawadski who seems very serious and determined to make this her sport.

Zawadski NEEDS to gain mental toughness if she hopes to make it. I can let a couple "adjustment years" slide though. Can't expect too much too soon.

In the event she DOES get it together, she'll be up there with the Contenders. I just don't think it will happen this year.

Same with Gao.

I think Nationals goes like this: the key for the Contenders is the Short Program; the key for the non-Contenders is the Free Skate.
 
Last edited:

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
I think Nationals goes like this: the key for the Contenders is the Short Program; the key for the non-Contenders is the Free Skate.

Well said. ITA. It will be very exciting!
Although I think it's also important that the newcomers on the cusp of medaling/making the final flight don't bomb the SP as well because if they end up in the penultimate warm up or even lower for the FS, their PCS will likely be quite a bit lower than they will be if they skate in the final flight, regardless of how well they skate. We saw at the JGPF that Christina and Yasmin both got lowballed in PCS in the FS even though they both skated fairly well in that segment after bombing the SP and having to skate in the first warm up. A similar SP at nationals for either girl could make the difference between, say a 4th place finish and an 8th place finish, regardless of how well the FS goes.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Under the NJS, if you are a Contender, you want to build yourself enough of a cushion in the SP so you can afford a mistake or two in the FS and still place well. If you're not, then you should position yourself well in the SP, and then shock everyone in the FS.

You make a good point about program component scores. However, does that or does that not offset the increased jitters that occur due to being in striking distance of a Medal? Increased jitters = less relaxation = less confidence = more mistakes in FS.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I don't really think there is a strategy available for anyone, favorite or hopeful. You try your best in the short program. Then you try your best in the long.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I could definitely see Ashley skating well - the last time she was out of the spotlight as a "frontrunner" (2008), she skated two clean programs with triple-triples in both, finishing second in both segments of the competition.

She wasnt totally clean. She made a silly little mistake, stepping out of a double at the end of a combination. She would have probably won the gold without that mistake. As it was she was royally robbed that year IMO. There is no way an almost clean Wagner with a triple lutz-triple loop in both program should have ever finished below Flatt. And Nagasu had too many mistakes in the long so Wagner should have beaten her too.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
is that the 3-3 Ashley's been trying to get back this season? I wonder why Ashley lost her 3-3. Her body doesn't seem to have changed at all the much since 2008. Nature has been kind. If anything, she looks better than ever :)

Ashley's kinda the dark horse in the race. I find myself forgetting to count her in but she could do very well and be the surprise.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
All I'll say...look at the history, Wagner's due one. ;)

[Disclaimer: This does not translate into a prediction of her winning.]
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
is that the 3-3 Ashley's been trying to get back this season? I wonder why Ashley lost her 3-3. Her body doesn't seem to have changed at all the much since 2008. Nature has been kind. If anything, she looks better than ever :)

Ashley's kinda the dark horse in the race. I find myself forgetting to count her in but she could do very well and be the surprise.

No, the 3-3 Ashley has been trying this season is flip-toe, and she used to do flip-loop (or flutz-loop? ). The one thing I can maybe think of as to why she lost the 3-3 was that didn't she used to be not very flexible? Working on flexibility in spins and spirals can loosen up tight muscles which can make it harder for one to jump. She's also probably grown a couple inches since 2008.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
No, the 3-3 Ashley has been trying this season is flip-toe, and she used to do flip-loop (or flutz-loop? ). The one thing I can maybe think of as to why she lost the 3-3 was that didn't she used to be not very flexible? Working on flexibility in spins and spirals can loosen up tight muscles which can make it harder for one to jump. She's also probably grown a couple inches since 2008.

it was the flutz loop. I think she was pretty much as flexible in 08 as she is now. I don't know about that. I was thinking maybe she just kept getting edge calls on it. although she still gets edge calls on her lutz so what's the difference?
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
^^^
What is a flutz loop? I presume one takes off on a back inside edge instead of a back outside edge. If that is what she does, should it not get a WET? or do WETs only pertain to lutzes and flips.

It could make a nice Walley. No?
 
Last edited:

burntBREAD

Medalist
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
^^^
What is a flutz loop? I presume one takes off on a back inside edge instead of a back outside edge. If that is what she does, should it not get a WET? or do WETs only pertain to lutzes and flips.

It could make a nice Walley. No?

No. They're talking about the combination Ashley did in 08. It was a 3 Lutz - 3 Loop, but her lutz is a flutz... so therefore flutz loop.
 

SkateSkates

Medalist
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
She actually attempted and rotated the triple flip-triple toe at COR this year in her SP, but it was two-footed so she had -GOEs. She did, however, land a double axel-triple toe in her LP at that event, so it is possible for her to land it.
 
Top