2013 US Nationals Senior Ladies SP

[ForeverFish]

Protocals are up:
http://www.usfigureskating.org/leade...0/results.html

Ashley: Level 2 sit spin. Postive GOE on everything. Two of her three jumping passes was after the halfwaymark
Agnes: Besides the 2A, great GOE. Level 4 step!
Mirai: Level 2 combo spin. Lower GOE than the other two. Even her layback only got .79.
Courtney: 3T in 3-3 UR, no level 4 elements.
Christina: Level 2 spin and obviouly -GOE. But OK GOE on everything else. Level 4 step sequence!
Yasmin: 3T in combo UR. negative GOE on combo and 3Z, but level 4s on everything!
Samantha: Level 2 layback. OK GOE.
Hannah Miller: Ah, 3Lo was DG, so in essence scored like a 2Lo-2Lo. yikes! a little bit of -GOE on the flip. But level 4s on everything.
Gracie Gold: Negative GOE on combo and 2A 3T on combo UR..But got decent GOE on the rest.
Angela Wang: Negative GOE on Lutz fall.
Ashley Cain: 3S UR -- level 2 layback with negative GOE.
Caroline Zhang: 3Lo UR - 3Lo DG, 3F DG -- huge negative GOE on both -- scant + GOE on everything else except layback.

I retract what I said about the judges trying to save Gracie (mostly). She got hammered in the PCS, and rightfully so.

[museksk8r]

How does a clean Caroline with a 3R-3R end up in 12th place?

Errr, because she habitually under-rotates her jumps and they get downgraded perhaps?

[Layfan]

Mirai should try a new choreographer, why not take the choreographer of Kaetlyn Osmond for her, I think it will really suit Mirai since Osmond have the joy of skating like Mirai has in the past

Well, I definitely don't think this SP does her justice at all.

Even so, Agnes being in front of her is nonsense. I do like Mirai's FS. Go Mirai!!!!! We love you!

[Jammers]

I find Agnes to be a more well rounded skater right now then Mirai. Mirai doesn't have the speed she used to have and doesn't perform her programs with a lot of energy or zest. Agnes seems faster and performs her choreography better too.

[icellist]

How is Mirai's combination spin level 2? farce...

[Art&Sport]

Looks to me to be a premium on speed, power and big jumps. I've noticed the same on the international level, so our judges just seem to be following suit.

Still a big time gift for Agnes. She's lucky that Christina and Gracie did not skate their absolute best. Still I think on her better line and grace, despite a silly mistake on a spin, Christina should at least be ahead of Courtney Hicks at least by a little. And Agnes should be behind Mirai, at least by a little. Zhang should have a bit higher score, and so should Cesario.

[icellist]

I find Agnes to be a more well rounded skater right now then Mirai. Mirai doesn't have the speed she used to have and doesn't perform her programs with a lot of energy or zest. Agnes seems faster and performs her choreography better too.

From the practice videos of her FS, she seems to have amazing ice coverage and speed going from side to side of the rink. Something I seldomly see from Agnes

[katymay]

Remember, we have to go with the two who have the best chance of getting us back the third spot. Ashley is a lock because she has shown herself to be dependable and reliable. Anyone want to guess what would have happened to Alyssa if she had not been injured,and had skated here and skated well? The judges would have found a way for her to 'miss the podium.'
The international judges also seem to ding Caroline without mercy, and Gold isn't known enough. Mirai also fares poorly internationally....so that leaves Agnes by default. And the international judges love big, powerful jumps. So I would guess that the preference is for Ashley and Agnes.

[Reginald]

Errr, because she habitually under-rotates her jumps and they get downgraded perhaps?

Okay.

[ForeverFish]

From the practice videos of her FS, she seems to have amazing ice coverage and speed going from side to side of the rink. Something I seldomly see from Agnes

Practice and competition, unfortunately, are two different worlds.

[Selene]

It looks as if the competition for the 2nd spot at Worlds is between Agnes and Mirai. I thought Mirai deserved to be placed above Agnes. I don't understand how her TES is lower than Agnes'. The fall on the 2A should have cost Agnes more. Her score was very generous, especially considering the tough scoring of most of the other competitors.

[willdu]

Ashley definitely got some favoritism boost in GOE but its warranted. Seeing the protocols the math does add up in Agnes' favor. But how did Mirais combo spin only get level 2? It's the best I've seen of that spin this season from her. There was speed in the spin that wasn't there during the GP.

[pangtongfan]

I wouldnt count out Christina for the 2nd spot yet. She can do a clean LP and if Nagasu and Agnes have mistakes....then again I am not sure she would score high enough to overcome her current deficit even then.

As for Zhang the message is "great comeback last year kid, nice little story, but now your time is up, move on."

[MK's Winter]

I would love to see Mirai work with David Wilson, she has grown up since 2010 and I think he could develop that better. I would love to see her skate to Giselle, she has a great light hearted quality.

Gotta give Ashley props for her performance under food poisoning, but fact remains she needs a 3/3.

I wasn't really into Agnes performance. That fall on the 2A was unfortunate though. She seems to enjoy her program and skated it well but I would have had her third.

Christina Gao skated beautifully and I think she should have been at least fourth:(

[wallylutz]

What helped to put Agnes above Mirai is the higher base value of her solo jump and other elements combined. Agnes had a Triple Lutz and Mirai lost some level her spin and step sequences (vs. Agnes).

Then Agnes also got higher PCS, in part due to skating last while Mirai skated very early. This latter would have been far worse under 6.0 than under CoP. So for anyone who wants to rescore this using 6.0 - know that skating early used to be the kiss of death for many skaters considering that in the past, skating order was a total random draw and the design of 6.0 forced judges to save marks or else risk running out room for their ordinals.