State of American Ladies: 2013-14 Season | Page 36 | Golden Skate

State of American Ladies: 2013-14 Season

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
The sport is not helped by deeming only slow, serious and somber programs to be "artistic" or "sophisticated" enough to merit high scores. Skaters should be allowed to skate their own age and not pretend to be middle aged divas.

They should, but when you have a cutesy teenage program compared to Yuna or Caro it isn't going to score well. I was a bit disappointed that Mao's cutesy SP wasn't more well received, because she at least tried to do something different than the rest.

Regarding your comment about Mirai, I am among those who thought she should have skated more mature programs. In retrospect, I realize that what I loved about Mirai's skating was the youthful exuberance and her programs since have left me cold.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
^^^
I don't know if I agree with the first comment. First of all, those three are going to get a big PCS score NO MATTER WHAT anyone else does. BUT, if a skater is ticking off the boxes for good PCS marks, it's not going to matter what "kind" of program they skate to. That is one of the advantages of PCS having "discrete scoring criteria". Cutesy Carmen got big scores at the Olympics for being well done and her PCS was fairly close to the top 3 there, even with minimal exposure prior to the Olympics.
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Cutesy Carmer got big TES, I think ahead of Rochette, but the PCS didn't really rise until a month later at World's in Torino.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Cesario really deserved that.

Hope she has changed her LP since Liberty, though. It was hideous.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Cesario really deserved that.

Hope she has changed her LP since Liberty, though. It was hideous.


It looks like she is. Per her IceNetwork bio:

SP Music: "Fever" by various artists
FS Music: "Carmen Suite" by Georges Bizet and Konstantinovich Shchedrin

Costumes designed by Samantha Cesario and Stephanie Handler.
 

samson

Medalist
Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Here's a look at Christina Gao's LP from Cranberry Open. Thanks to Doris for finding the videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKerxjNJkiQ

She scored about 96

Not the hottest start for her but I'm guessing she'll be upping the technical ante later. Her 3t/3t looks great right now though. She also did her short program and scored 60.52.
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
Carmen again for Samantha? It was her SP last season... And, they're going to create a 100% new FS when we're already in the middle of the summer (I believe this decision was taken in July, after Liberty), just one month away from her first international competition? A lot of skaters change their SP during the year, but almost never have a completely new FS...
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Samantha had the Carmen SP for 3 seasons actually, not just last season. But maybe it's different music from the parts she used in the SP.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
Reports from Champs Camp said that Ashley landed a 3-3 in her free skate, but there's been no confirmation on if it was ratified or not.

Either way, it's already a big improvement on Worlds, when she shied away from it in both segments of the competition, possibly costing herself a medal. I hope that she and Arutunian ("Raf," as she calls him) are able to get her landing them cleanly and consistently in competition this season. Go, Ashley!
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
That's nothing though. When she lands it in a REAL competition, then we can talk...but until then...

What it does tell us, though, is that she is actually serious about trying to make it work. But I'll still believe it when I see it (not hear about it).
 

Cherryy

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2012
Reports from Champs Camp said that Ashley landed a 3-3 in her free skate, but there's been no confirmation on if it was ratified or not.

Either way, it's already a big improvement on Worlds, when she shied away from it in both segments of the competition, possibly costing herself a medal. I hope that she and Arutunian ("Raf," as she calls him) are able to get her landing them cleanly and consistently in competition this season. Go, Ashley!

I thought she was going to do a 3F-3T in the short and 2A-3T in the long, because she said she got used to doing a 3F-2T-2T at the beggining of her free skate and she feels comfortable with it. Did she change her mind?
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
Reports from Champs Camp said that Ashley landed a 3-3 in her free skate, but there's been no confirmation on if it was ratified or not.

Either way, it's already a big improvement on Worlds, when she shied away from it in both segments of the competition, possibly costing herself a medal. I hope that she and Arutunian ("Raf," as she calls him) are able to get her landing them cleanly and consistently in competition this season. Go, Ashley!
I thought she was going to do a 3F-3T in the short and 2A-3T in the long, because she said she got used to doing a 3F-2T-2T at the beggining of her free skate and she feels comfortable with it. Did she change her mind?
Yes, that's strage because she never planned a 3-3 in her FS recently...:unsure: But maybe she just wanted to prove that she can land it and she wasn't using her competition layout...
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Here's a look at Christina Gao's LP from Cranberry Open. Thanks to Doris for finding the videos!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKerxjNJkiQ

She scored about 96

It is early in the season but this music is not GAO. It is very heavy, dramatic and dark and Gao is more lyrical. Not sure if the dress is just for practice or if this is the actual costume but it is all wrong for the music - it is light, airy and flowy and the music driving, powerful, dark if not sombre of villainous sounding not virgen maidne in the spring garden.
 

clairecloutier

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
On TSL today, Jenny & Dave were pretty harsh on Christina's new long program. I don't agree--I like it. But it does seem like there have been strong reactions to it. It'll be interesting to see if she keeps it after Champs Camp, and if it gets better before Skate Canada.

I'm beginning to feel worried that the foot injury Christina had at the end of last season was more serious than they let on--I think someone said she was wearing a cast or support or something at Champs Camp.
 

LRK

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
On TSL today, Jenny & Dave were pretty harsh on Christina's new long program. I don't agree--I like it. But it does seem like there have been strong reactions to it. It'll be interesting to see if she keeps it after Champs Camp, and if it gets better before Skate Canada.

I'm beginning to feel worried that the foot injury Christina had at the end of last season was more serious than they let on--I think someone said she was wearing a cast or support or something at Champs Camp.

(Just an OT note as I just listened to that particular TSL just now - they seemed to be pretty harsh on everybody this week, actually, I'd say. And even any compliment tended to be pretty lefthanded... It was All Out Snark this week, I think.... :) )
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
It is still early, so I'm hesitant to make early judgment. However, the fact is - what I saw in that video bored me. It bored me because she is not taking command. I don't feel any presence from her. She blends in. I may as well be listening to an audio clip of the song. Of course, the other part is that she played it incredibly safe jump-wise, but again, it was probably just a test skate.

Let's see what a few months can do. As for TSL, forget them. When someone I want to hear from is on, then I'll check it out.
 

ForeverFish

Medalist
Joined
Aug 21, 2012
(Just an OT note as I just listened to that particular TSL just now - they seemed to be pretty harsh on everybody this week, actually, I'd say. And even any compliment tended to be pretty lefthanded... It was All Out Snark this week, I think.... :) )

That's just TSL's way of showing affection. ;)

However, I personally saw a lot of sense behind their criticism of Christina's program. The jumps notwithstanding, she lacked the command that a top 3 US lady needs. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Christina is NOT a dramatic skater. The intense music of "Angels and Demons" just doesn't cut it for her. Her tango last season left me with the same impression -- that she was struggling to fit herself into a box that she didn't belong in. She isn't particularly fast across the ice, so she needs a lyrical piece that will accentuate the lovely lines and extensions that she's capable of producing. But, then again, maybe I'll change my mind after seeing her at SC.

Right now, Agnes seems far more prepared to challenge for the third Olympic spot. Even if her programs aren't the best, her strong technical elements give her a presence on the ice that's impossible to ignore.
 
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