Wagner, Zhang, and Gold Olympic team in 2014 | Golden Skate

Wagner, Zhang, and Gold Olympic team in 2014

pangtongfan

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Jun 16, 2010
I hope that Wagner, Zhang, and Gold is the U.S Olympic team for 2014. I think that would be an amazing team and give the U.S its best shot to sneak out of a medal from one of three.
 

skateflower

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Nov 5, 2011
It's way too early. One year or even 6-month is life time for female skaters.

I doubt zhang has much chance. She has improved a lot, jumping wise. However, her skating skills are still poor and she's very slow. She can't do complex programs with transitions. There are a lot of youngsters coming up.
 

pangtongfan

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Jun 16, 2010
It's way too early. One year or even 6-month is life time for female skaters.

I doubt zhang has much chance. She has improved a lot, jumping wise. However, her skating skills are still poor and she's very slow. She can't do complex programs with transitions. There are a lot of youngsters coming up.

Gold is the only U.S youngster that has impressed me as of yet. We will see what happens but I see Zhang as ultra determined to keep improving. I dont think she is the sure bet for Sochi that Wagner and Gold are, but if she continues to improve she could be the favorite for the 3rd spot.
 

skateflower

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Nov 5, 2011
Nobody is a lock for anything two years before Olys. Gold has not even competed at senior level yet. Most of your 'analysis' is just laughable. You can hype up or downgrade a skater to nth degree based on a single competition. There's absolutely no logic behind your reasoning.Well, I guess maybe the sole sole purpose of your 'analysis' is just to raise eyebrows or to entertain. This is my last word for this topic.
 

pangtongfan

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Jun 16, 2010
Nobody is a lock for anything two years before Olys. Gold has not even competed at senior level yet. Most of your 'analysis' is just laughable.

Says the person who refers to death spirals as dead spirals. Trust me, how you rate my analysis is of no concern to me whatsoever. Only what intelligent people might think of my analysis might I concern myself with.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I also don't see Zhang making the team. She skated great at Nationals and didn't even medal, and everyone who finished ahead of her made multiple errors. Too many factors are out of her control but if she can keep improving anything is possible. A lot of skaters have had one magnificent season (Sokolova comes to mind) and then have trouble replicating the results. I'm very excited to see what she brings to the table next year but it would take a lot to get ahead of Ashley, Alissa, Gracie, and Agnes (and she would need to beat 2 or 3 of them to make the team).
 

pangtongfan

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Jun 16, 2010
Wagner, Gold, Zawadzki

I would like that as well. I think it should come out of those 4, the 3 you mentioned or Zhang. I dont see Czisny having much of a shot as she is already going downhill. Nagasu doesnt seem to have any motivation left. Gao has alot improvement to be in contention, as do the other current juniors.
 

sweetskates1

Medalist
Joined
Feb 5, 2012
As much as it pains me, I agree on all counts; specially regarding Mirai's lack of motivation.

I would like that as well. I think it should come out of those 4, the 3 you mentioned or Zhang. I dont see Czisny having much of a shot as she is already going downhill. Nagasu doesnt seem to have any motivation left. Gao has alot improvement to be in contention, as do the other current juniors.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I think another question is which 2 skaters could we send to Worlds next year that would be able to secure 3 spots for the Olympic team. Russia will send (probably) 3 strong skaters, Japan will have 3 strong skaters, plus Kostner, so conceivably those could take the top 7 spots. An 8th and 9th place finish won't get the job done. I could see Ashley and Gracie compete with those 7 but the landscape next year is a lot tougher with the Russian girls becoming age eligible.
 

sky_fly20

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Nov 20, 2011
waay to early,
still 2 more years and a lot can happen in taht time

Wagner and Zhang ? we'll see by 2014
so far only Gold is a lock considering she is the only 1 of the three who will for sure podium at the Olympics
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
I also don't see Zhang making the team. She skated great at Nationals and didn't even medal, and everyone who finished ahead of her made multiple errors. Too many factors are out of her control but if she can keep improving anything is possible. A lot of skaters have had one magnificent season (Sokolova comes to mind) and then have trouble replicating the results. I'm very excited to see what she brings to the table next year but it would take a lot to get ahead of Ashley, Alissa, Gracie, and Agnes (and she would need to beat 2 or 3 of them to make the team).

Well if you saw her 4CC freeskate, she already improved, with a 117 score and ahead of Agnes, and certainly far better than Czisny just performed in the Netherlands.
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I think another question is which 2 skaters could we send to Worlds next year that would be able to secure 3 spots for the Olympic team. Russia will send (probably) 3 strong skaters, Japan will have 3 strong skaters, plus Kostner, so conceivably those could take the top 7 spots. An 8th and 9th place finish won't get the job done. I could see Ashley and Gracie compete with those 7 but the landscape next year is a lot tougher with the Russian girls becoming age eligible.

The #2 and #3 Japanese, whoever they are, will be easily beatable. Murakami, an old Ando, Suzuki. If the U.S girls are doing well they should be able to beat them.
 

krenseby

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
Well if you saw her 4CC freeskate, she already improved, with a 117 score and ahead of Agnes, and certainly far better than Czisny just performed in the Netherlands.

Well I think a lot of folks are just concerned that the judges wouldn't be willing to give Caroline good PCS. So in a situation where she skates strongly, wouldn't we expect her to still finish behind those with similar or lower TES but a significant PCS advantage?
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Well I think a lot of folks are just concerned that the judges wouldn't be willing to give Caroline good PCS. So in a situation where she skates strongly, wouldn't we expect her to still finish behind those with similar or lower TES but a significant PCS advantage?

I don't think Zhang would get the same PCS she got at 4CC. There were probably 5 skaters at 4CC who had any chance to medal (out of 30) so she was bound to get good PCS because the judges had to mark about 25 skaters below her on a 10 scale. At Worlds she would not be in the medal hunt because the favorites would be placed above her even with errors, as we saw with Czisny in the SP at Nationals.
 

Jammers

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Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
I'm not sold on the girls from the last Olympic cycle 2007-2010 and would rather see some new girls. Alissa will be almost 27 and seems to be running out of steam Zhang doesn't have the overall skills and Mirai just seems to want to screw off and not do the work to be a champion. As for Ashley i'm not sold on her either. Agnes is one of the new girls and has the talent but needs to be able to do a clean LP. She has the jumps which most of the other US Ladies don't have. Who knows some Junior that's under the radar right now might get a spot for all we know. There's a lot of talent in the Junior ranks and one of them might peak at the right time.
 
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noidont

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
I have doubts the US would get three spots for Sochi. Coming 2013 with three Russian babies, three solid Japanese girls (even Miki might be back then) plus Carolina and a few others, it is just going to be really difficult. I think this would be a Russian dominating quad anyway, Sochi and all. Wherever Putin puts his money at, he usually gets what he pays for.
 

skfan

Final Flight
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Jul 29, 2009
I don't think Zhang would get the same PCS she got at 4CC. There were probably 5 skaters at 4CC who had any chance to medal (out of 30) so she was bound to get good PCS because the judges had to mark about 25 skaters below her on a 10 scale. At Worlds she would not be in the medal hunt because the favorites would be placed above her even with errors, as we saw with Czisny in the SP at Nationals.

i see. so every judging panel will follow the sterling example set at nationals?

and judges never, ever change their minds about PCS. nope, they didn't slam mao, 2-time world champion, when she had multiple not-so-outstanding outings. nope, ashley wagner's PCS didn't suddenly skyrocket at 4cc after she finally became national champion either.
 

Jammers

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Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
I have doubts the US would get three spots for Sochi. Coming 2013 with three Russian babies, three solid Japanese girls (even Miki might be back then) plus Carolina and a few others, it is just going to be really difficult. I think this would be a Russian dominating quad anyway, Sochi and all. Wherever Putin puts his money at, he usually gets what he pays for.
Yeah no doubt that's how he got elected yet again.
 
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