Senior Ladies Short Jan 26 7:30 PM

[icebeauty]

^ I just hate hearing that word (lazy) applied to skaters. I don't think there is a single one of them whose so-called laziness can compare to most people. It's such a moral judgment and anyway I don't think it fits Mirai. Something's off, for sure, but I'm pretty sure it's more complicated than laziness. Wouldn't she and Frank have split by now if that were the problem?

i agree. Frank doesn't tolerate laziness...hello he's coached how many champions? and look no further than Evan for "workaholic"
that being said, i think Mirai, hasn't genuinely figured out what she's doing. does she love skating enough to fully make the commitment? what does she want to get out of the sport...is she doing it for the wins, the love of skating, or is it because she feels like she should?
2 years ago, Caroline and Mirai were on diverging paths and many of us thought Caroline would stop skating since she wasn't make any changes...but this year, it's clear Mirai has stagnated and Caroline not only made the changes, but has also shown us that she's sticking with it even if the road won't be smooth-riding.
The most telling difference between the two i think is that Caroline has beter control of her emotions even when she's frustrated and Mirai is more inclined to "phone it in." This could be a true personality/emotional difference or just a Caroline is an overall better competitor, as in she is willing to fight until the end and actual show us that she's fighting...Mirai, i think, is slightly more inclined to do as she's trained, but when things don't work, she doesn't know how to fight/show that she is fighting for it (even if she is trying...almost like Johnny)
but of course if this is just my opinion so make of it what you will...

[Chemistry66]

They're showing Caroline on NBC right now!

[Dots]

OMG! That was beautiful from Caroline. Good for her!

[icebeauty]

They're showing Caroline on NBC right now!

and Scott and Sandra are in LOVE with it...
great comments about how she's had a tough 2 years (technique issue, growth spurt, etc were all brought up), but she's persevered and work REALLY REALLY hard to get back to this point.
Scott was so excited about 3r-3r...i still think it was fully rotated, i hope she goes for it tonight...
and Scott's final thought on the crowd's reaction "THIS is what she's been working for 2 years to feel again."

[Jtsmith12]

Loved the fluff piece they did on Ashley!

[Dots]

I got to say Agnes has one of the most beautiful lutzes I have ever seen.

[lilshorty]

They're showing Caroline on NBC right now!

They showed all of the top ladies--Mirai, Caroline, Ashley, Alissa and Agnes.

They were all so amazing. Disappointed a little by Mirai, but I think she still has a chance to medal. I'm excited and looking forward to the long program.

[drivingmissdaisy]

The senior ladies have really stepped up. Agnes was great, Caroline was great, and Ashley was great (I also loved her fluff piece on NBC). I really thought Agnes was so elegant and her program suited her perfectly. I don't get the arrogance that some people see in Ashley; I see a woman who has high standards for herself and who tries to exude confidence when performing (as we saw Mr. Nicks coaching her on). Between those 3, Alyssa, and Mirai, I am confident we are going to have 2 very strong ladies to send to Worlds. Particularly after seeing these great short programs, I wonder how well Gold would have handled the pressure in the senior LP knowing these very capable ladies are just behind her. Gracie's position really wasn't threatened at all in the juniors.

[genki]

I saw Caroline on NBC. So wonderful. I am tearing up. So nice to see a skater overcoming a lot of obstacles.
Big congratulations on Agnes. I did not see the scores in details, but my first impression is that this is a nice judging, because they have right mind to put young up and comer like Agnes on top who truly deserves it. Sad about Mirai, but I am sure that she will come back strong in the future. Just too talented to stay low like today.

[Blades of Passion]

The senior ladies have really stepped up.

Meh. I don't think any of them even deserved to break 60 points.

[Spun Silver]

Ashley's Truth Booth was hilarious. "He's been doing this for like 18 billion years and I've only done it for 15, so he wins." Loved the way she talked about him.

[blue_idealist]

I just watched Caroline on NBC, looks like a totally different skater! Definitely lost some weight too.

Ashley was awesome. I thought she should have been ahead of Alissa (I'd maybe put Caroline in front of Alissa too, but Caroline still has a bit of an awkward, clunky vibe to her skating).

[Spun Silver]

^ ITA re: Caroline. A huge step forward but she still has a ways to go. Her posture is kind of hunched, her arms are stiff, and she still makes fists. It would be nice to see more fluidity. But what an improvement in her jumps! The other things should be easy to correct compared to that achievement.

[FTnoona]

Just saw Mirai's SP. I really need to see her live during a competition because the video on nbc doesn't make her look that slow. She certainly looks like she lost some weight from the beginning of the season. The dress looks very nice on her. Aww.. her face at the end of the program :(

[Sasha'sSpins]

Mirai is extremely talented and she's never one that you can write off. But Nagasu's situation isn't the same as the other girls. Nagasu's issues seem to be work ethic, and drive not technique/competitive nerves etc... Asada for example is known for having an incredible work ethic; Zhang, in order to fix those jumps; has to have a work ethic too.

Mirai is very talented but I question if she really wants to put in the work necessary to be a big star in this sport. She may change her mind someday, but I can't help feeling if she isn't motivated by now when will she be?

I agree but from what I've read about her training situation it is not ideal. Apparently she is driven a total of four hours a day to Frank's rink (2 hours to, 2 hours from) and she's hop-scotching from one rink to another in between. I even read she trains alone at times and that CANNOT be good for someone who seems to need to be pushed. This Nationals (the way is going) will hopefully be the wake-up call she needs. She doesn't have too many chances left but there is time to improve tremendously-and get herself programs worthy of her talent. These current two, especially the long, are a snooze.