Ladies Short Program | Page 21 | Golden Skate

Ladies Short Program

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Rachel's flapping of her arms in her SP is still way over the top. No matter how clean she skates she never will beat the best. Example today she was clean and still Ando and even a flawed Mao beat her.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
I'm glad Rachael's new SP went over well with the international judges. I think this might even be her second best SP score ever internationally, after the Olympics.

But they're still putting her in a different category from other skaters. Mao made mistakes and still beat Rachael. In all honesty, Mao IS in a different category than Rachael. Heck, she's in a different category than everyone at this competition... but anyway, Rachael's good score is encouraging for her.

in my opinion, Rachael's disadvantage is that her LP is not so great. However, yesterday she was completely back to herself with a rock solid performance. You never know - she could WIN this if the other make enough mistakes and she doesn't. The judges certainly made that possible with her score.

Wouldn't that be something if the two girls USA is sending to worlds won the two major international competitions this season aside from Euros of course??? That would be unexpected.

Alissa got a good score despite a fall, which shows both that she refused to give up on the performance and that the international judges totally love her and reward her big time for her amazing spins.

Mirai. I'm actually a bit more disheartened with Mirai's little mistakes than with Alissa's fall - and they were almost as costly. I hope she can finally deliver an amazing performance tonight but she hasn't really done that all year. I'm worried about her relationship with her coach. Her skating is soooo good. You just want her to go there and grab it already.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
I would not be suprised at all to see Racheal on the podium. I do worry about her PC's.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Mirai needs to be a stronger competitor like Ando or Flatt or should will never realize her full potential. Also her work ethic is questionable since she didn't seem to be in the kind of shape heading into Nationals that she should have been. And lastly she needs to start rotating her jumps. It's getting to be a habit. Frank isn't the problem. It's time for her to grow up and start taking her skating career seriously.
 

miki88

Medalist
Joined
Dec 28, 2009
Mirai's programs this year also doesn't do her much advantage. Hopefully, she returns with much better programs next season. I'm not too fond of Mao's SP this year, but her LP is lovely.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
Mirai needs to be a stronger competitor like Ando or Flatt or should will never realize her full potential. Also her work ethic is questionable since she didn't seem to be in the kind of shape heading into Nationals that she should have been. And lastly she needs to start rotating her jumps. It's getting to be a habit. Frank isn't the problem. It's time for her to grow up and start taking her skating career seriously.

AT least people think Mirai has it in her to be at the top. if she were a different skater - hcek even if she were Rachael or Alissa - people would probably be applauding her bronze medal at nationals and her fourth place finsh last night. Great expectations are tough. She needs to learn to deal with them. Or maybe we really do just expect too much from her.
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Sometimes it is easy to forget how young some of the skaters are. Heck when I was Mirai's age the only thing that was
on my mind was juggling all my senior activities, getting into a good college and the prom. I can just imagine the pressure
these kids are under in this sport. Some handle it better than others.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Mirai's face after she skated said it all--a look of wry amusement. She knew she hadn't skated well, but she didn't particularly care. Too bad. She has the talent, but she is frittering it away through her lack of seriousness and resistance to doing the hard work it takes to be a top skater.
 

MK's Winter

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
I watched the top 5 on you tube, here's what I think:

Miki: beautiful dress, great program! You can tell she has been working on the artistry. Very deserving of 1st place.

Mao: loved the new dress suits her so much better than the bra looking dress! Aside from the 3A the program was nicely done!

Rachel: I agree that she does look like she has lost some weight. Her jumps are the best they have been all season. She has also worked on her catch foot spin, still not the greatest but a lot better than it was! Overall a good program despite the spastic footwork.

Mirai: such a charmer! Bad luck on the lutz though:( I think being 4th is going to give her the fire she needs for the long, she can medal here but she has to tackle the mental demons.

Alyssa: despite the fall a truly beautiful program. I am loving the fact that she didn't unravel after the fall. She is a lot tougher this season mentally and it shows.
 

lilshorty

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 20, 2010
Mirai is a nice skater but her music this season is Zzzzzz. Too bad the judges were alert enough to still give her downgrades.
 

SerpentineSteps

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
Mirai's face after she skated said it all--a look of wry amusement. She knew she hadn't skated well, but she didn't particularly care. Too bad. She has the talent, but she is frittering it away through her lack of seriousness and resistance to doing the hard work it takes to be a top skater.

I'm pretty sure she's just taking a moment to get out of character, since she's had similar expressions at the end of her feisty SP in previous competitions (although not as obvious) and she doesn't in her FS.

Don't be too quick to project negative attributes to young skaters we barely know.
 

BackStage Barbie

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
Its funny how people are so quick to pick Rachael apart even when she skates very well, yet they are so quick to hold up Mirai based on her "potential" when she fails to deliver.
 

BackStage Barbie

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
When Michelle Kwan "sold it" in the footwork it was called passion. Yet when Rachael "lights it up" in her foorwork sequence, it is called flailing? I think Rachael is doing a phenomenal job and that much commitment to performance should be rewarded in my opinion.
 

SerpentineSteps

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 18, 2009
When Michelle Kwan "sold it" in the footwork it was called passion. Yet when Rachael "lights it up" in her foorwork sequence, it is called flailing? I think Rachael is doing a phenomenal job and that much commitment to performance should be rewarded in my opinion.

Agreed! I think that she has room for improvement in terms of expression using her arms, but I think the joy that she brings to that step sequence is praise-worthy. Just because Dick Button used the word to criticize skaters' arm movement a few seasons back doesn't mean that enthusiastic arm movement unto itself is a bad thing.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I'm pretty sure she's just taking a moment to get out of character, since she's had similar expressions at the end of her feisty SP in previous competitions (although not as obvious) and she doesn't in her FS.

Don't be too quick to project negative attributes to young skaters we barely know.

When was she ever in character during her SP? To my eyes, she went through her program rather mechanically with very little facial expression. OTOH, Mirai has a habit of showing her feelings before and after she skates. When she skates well, she ends her SP with a big smile. Not so this time.

Mirai is starting to remind me of Nicole Bobek. Bobek was an amazingly talented skater who just couldn't seem to apply herself when it came to training. Nicole was often at odds with her coaches because of her training habits, and as a result, she changed coaches over and over again. Mirai hasn't quite reached that point yet, but the potential is there, if she doesn't make a commitment to training and improving.

If Mirai had Rachael's work ethic, she would quickly become unbeatable.
 

BackStage Barbie

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 22, 2010
If Mirai had Rachael's work ethic, she would quickly become unbeatable.

Now a Rachael and Mirai combination would be a truly phenomenal skater. The drive, work ethic and athleticism combined with the grace, elegance, and artistry...oh wait I just described Yuna Kim.
 
Joined
Mar 14, 2006
Mirai doesn't seem to accept that it's her gift and destiny to be a champion. And if she doesn't accept it, the gift will be taken back.
 

Layfan

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 5, 2009
When was she ever in character during her SP? To my eyes, she went through her program rather mechanically with very little facial expression. OTOH, Mirai has a habit of showing her feelings before and after she skates. When she skates well, she ends her SP with a big smile. Not so this time.

I thought Mirai was expressive throughout her SP this competition - for the first time this season. At least she performed throughout. I just don't really like this program for her though.

I think Spun is right and Mirai needs to embrace that she can be awesome. But easy for us to say, right?
 
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