State of American Ladies: 2013-14 Season | Page 44 | Golden Skate

State of American Ladies: 2013-14 Season

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Just as I was starting to like Gracie....of course I don't know the whole story, but the sudden coaching change and lack of adequate explanation to Alex O. about why she was leaving him smells of Gracie having a bratty/diva attitude. I know she has a good work ethic, and it seemed like she and Alex were very close, so idk, it's just all so weird. Also, she is VERY close to her twin sister Carly, who I assume is not moving out to California with her, so that's yet another change to add to the boatload of adjustments she'll be making between now and Nationals. Gracie is hugely talented and a hard worker so that will help, but I just don't feel good about this whole situation, seems very abrupt and messy.

There is way more to it, and Alex O isn't saying everything either, so don't pin it all on an 18 year old...
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Salt Lake City is not so bad -- 4300 hundred feet. I think that the problem gets serious at about 5000 feet (mile high). The elevation of Colorado Springs is 6000 feet above sea level. When Four Continents was held there a couple of years ago some of the skaters were all but passing out.

Sochi = 300 feet above sea level. :)
KKonas posted (in the competition thread) some interesting quotes from the ladies on their performances/mistakes, and while the explanations were extremely various (including "where am I?" :laugh:), no one mentioned being out of breath.

Isn't Sochi known for being a beach resort? Amazing that they can hold a Winter Olympics there. :p
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Salt Lake City is not so bad -- 4300 hundred feet. I think that the problem gets serious at about 5000 feet (mile high). The elevation of Colorado Springs is 6000 feet above sea level. When Four Continents was held there a couple of years ago some of the skaters were all but passing out.

Sochi = 300 feet above sea level. :)

Maybe it's not so bad, but for skaters who don't train at altitude, there is a subtle change in stamina. The skaters don't particularly notice this during the SP, but in the FS it becomes more of a factor. I noticed during the pair FSs that many of the men were struggling with lifts towards the end of the program. There was also a lot of sloppy landings.

I know that I went to Lake Placid several years ago (it's about 2.4K) and just walking around, I didn't notice the change in altitude (I live at sea level). But walking uphill, carrying a heavy bag, boy did I notice! I was huffing and puffing, when normally I wouldn't be even a bit out of breath doing the same thing back home.
 

Icey

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 28, 2012
People keep saying it's early. The Grand Prix starts next month! Is it really that early?

No, it most certainly is not. Excusing her poor performance on that basis is just wishful thinking. And just how much can Frank really do in such a short time? Her strong suit, the jumps, seem in danger of failing her. I think she is entering a difficult period.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Really folks? She's in the middle of some major changes, had issues with her skate, and you all just want to right her off...let her settle back down after the last couple weeks and see what happens. Sheesh.
 

Selene

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
Really folks? She's in the middle of some major changes, had issues with her skate, and you all just want to right her off...let her settle back down after the last couple weeks and see what happens. Sheesh.

Her jumps looked awful. Poor quality and underrotated. Courtney and Agnes' jumps looked much better, even with their jump failures. The program is a disaster, too. I think Frank will have to get her a new SP, because the screechy, ear-piercing music doesn't suit her. Her arm windmilling has gotten much worse. Just a bad performance all around.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Her jumps looked awful. Poor quality and underrotated. Courtney and Agnes' jumps looked much better, even with their jump failures. The program is a disaster, too. I think Frank will have to get her a new SP, because the screechy, ear-piercing music doesn't suit her. Her arm windmilling has gotten much worse. Just a bad performance all around.

Again, Gracie is not the first person to make drastic changes as the season goes on. So I'm not sure why there is this doom and gloom happening. Again the goal is to peak later. Repeat: SHE DOES NOT NEED TO PEAK NOW.
 

MoonlightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
May 17, 2011
Wait, Gracie won an early season short program, and we're all panicking?

(Room for improvement aside, don't you think that's a bit extreme?)
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Wait, Gracie won an early season short program, and we're all panicking?

(Room for improvement aside, don't you think that's a bit extreme?)

LOL. Funny how nobody remembered that...

Everyone is "beneath" her so therefore it doesn't count. :laugh:

Though seriously, I guess the thing is that since everyone did poorly, it doesn't count for much, I suppose.
 

wordsworthgirl

Medalist
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Oh my, I like Gracie, but that SP has to go ASAP!

Could not agree more. I really like her and was excited to see her skate, but was aghast by the program. The jumps were terribly done, the choreography was manic, and she looked herky-jerky, stiff, and not at all fluid or graceful.
 

MoonlightSkater

On the Ice
Joined
May 17, 2011
LOL. Funny how nobody remembered that...

Everyone is "beneath" her so therefore it doesn't count. :laugh:

Though seriously, I guess the thing is that since everyone did poorly, it doesn't count for much, I suppose.

Really, I hadn't looked at results or skates from the competition when I looked at this thread today, and I immediately went to look, because the way everyone was carrying on, you'd think she had completely imploded and finished middle-of-the-middling-field or worse. When I found out that the competition overall was weak, I was not surprised. When I found out Gracie was in first, despite all I'd read, I was surprised.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Anyone else wondering what involvement, if any, Zoueva had in orchestrating Gold's departure from Alex O?
MZ seems to relish the role of powermonger, if last year's Team Canton showdown is any indication.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Anyone else wondering what involvement, if any, Zoueva had in orchestrating Gold's departure from Alex O?
MZ seems to relish the role of powermonger, if last year's Team Canton showdown is any indication.

There seems to be some chatter about that, but I really doubt it. I truly believe there were issues that came to a head.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I'm glad she made the coaching change. She isn't going to make any substantial technical improvements this season since her difficulty is already world class. Frank, I'm sure, will help her make huge strides in artistry but we may not see the results this season.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
I have to say, I like Samantha's new Carmen LP. It suits her. And a pretty clean program other than a bobble in the 3L-2A sequence...And 109.39! Pretty decent score! It's a PB, I think. (Though obviously not a ISU PB).
 

Selene

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 7, 2012
The USFSA snubbed Courtney Hicks for Grand Prix spots, but she just easily beat their pets Gracie and Agnes at the SLC competition. She had great jumps and blew away the rest of the field technically!

Agnes’ program is bad. She doesn’t have the fire to pull off the tango, and she had her usual long program jump-wise. I don’t see the improvement from her.

Gracie was so bad. She has no grace and should not be performing to ballet music. Or wearing pink; she just looks ridiculous. Frank needs to get her new programs, because these bland Marina creations are total failures. Her jump consistency in competition continues to be terrible as well. She needs to drop some of her transitions, like the back spiral into the lutz, because she has nothing to offer as a skater if she puts out horrid technical performances like this one.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
The USFSA snubbed Courtney Hicks for Grand Prix spots, but she just easily beat their pets Gracie and Agnes at the SLC competition. She had great jumps and blew away the rest of the field technically!

Agnes’ program is bad. She doesn’t have the fire to pull off the tango, and she had her usual long program jump-wise. I don’t see the improvement from her.

Gracie looks ridiculous wearing pink & performing to ballet music. Marina gave her terrible, bland programs for this season. They are not any better than the Scott Brown disasters of last season. She needs to quit trying to be “artistic” and graceful. It doesn’t work for her. She’s just so poorly packaged, from costuming to programs, and her jump consistency in competition is terrible. She needs to drop some of those transitions, like the back spiral into the lutz, because she has absolutely nothing to offer as a skater if she can’t land her jumps in a competition.

The judges don't agree with you. Here's what I posted in the other thread: Gracie's GOE for the elements she did complete well.

+1.63 on 3Z-3T
+1.17 on a Level 4 flying Combo spin
+1.00 on her Level 3 step sequence
+1.00 on her level 3 combo spin
+1.40 on her spiral sequence
+1.17 on her level 4 layback.
===
7.37 GOE on those elements; +8.3 GOE overall. That's the highest in this competition.

The last I saw, spins + steps are not jumps.

Amelie had two elements (3Lo and spiral) with +1.40 on both; Courtney got a +1.17 on 3Z; Samantha got a +1.40 on her spiral.

So yeah, a bad skate for Gracie, but again, wouldn't say she doesn't have "nothing to offer" without the jumps.
 

Krislite

Medalist
Joined
Sep 22, 2010
Gracie does have a habit of being inconsistent, so this doesn't necessarily spell doom. Who knows which side of her will show up in Skate Canada? But that competition is heavily stacked.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Gracie in the middle of a coaching change which is always stressful but even more so since it happened right at the start of the season. Last year she started slow too but look how she finished. Let her get settled in with her new coach and lets see how she does. She does need to conquer her nerves though or she will become another Alissa or Mirai another skater with great talent who's a terrible competitor.
 
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