Polina Edmunds: Can she compete at Seniors next season

QUOTE: Mrs. P: "Just for the record the Jr. World teams from the last few years"

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Added the JR World Placements to their placements from US National Championships

2013: Courtney Hicks (4th), Yasmin Siraj (6th) Samantha Cesario (8th). Angela Wang (9th) was first alternate.
JR World results: Cesario 4th, Hicks 5th, Siraj 11th

2012: Christina Gao (5th), Vanessa Lam (9th) and Gracie Gold (1st -J). Angela Wang probably should have gone instead of Lam, but with zero international experience + bad SP, they opted for Lam, who went to the JGPF that year. Ashley Cain (2nd-J) was first alternate.
JR World results: Gold 2nd, Gao 7th, Lam 13th

2011: Agnes Zawadzki (4th); Christina Gao (5th) and Courtney Hicks (1st - J) Vanessa Lam (who finished 7th, was the first alternate)
JR World results: Zawadzki 3rd, Gao 4th, Hicks 6th

2010: Christina Gao (5th); Agnes Zawadzki (1st -J), Kiri Baga (4th-J; sent due to being in JGP Ashley Wagner (3rd) was originally named to the team, but withdrew, leading the way for Kiri to go.
JR World results: Zawadski 2nd, Baga 7th, Gao 8th

2009: Caroline Zhang (3rd); Ashley Wagner (4th); Katrina Hacker (6th) (she was originally first alternate, but then Mirai Nagasu (5th) withdrew and Katrina was sent)
JR World results: Zhang 2nd, Wagner 3rd, Hacker 5th

2008: Mirai Nagasu (1st); Rachael Flatt (2nd); Caroline Zhang (4th) Alexe Gilles (1st-J) was first alternate.
JR World results: Flatt 1st, Zhang 2nd, Nagasu 3rd

2007: Mirai Nagasu (1st-J),Caroline Zhang (2nd-J), Ashley Wagner (3rd-J) Rachael Flatt (5th) was 1st alternate.
JR World results: Zhang 1st, Nagasu 2nd, Wagner 3rd

ForeverFish said:

Technically speaking, there's no rule that says she CAN'T compete in senior Nationals. She probably will. But I wouldn't put any money on her winning a medal this year, especially when all of the top-tier ladies (Ashley, Gracie, Agnes, Alissa, Christina, Mirai) will be gunning hard for Olympic spots. ....

Polina can rest assured that she won't have to carry the hopes of US ladies' skating for at least another Olympic cycle, and can instead focus on growing as a skater and fixing her jumps. ....

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The top three junior ladies from 2013 will all be competing in the senior ladies’ event in Boston. 2013 U.S. junior champion Polina Edmunds, 15, won the crown in Omaha with ethereal grace. ....
Edmunds says her goals for the 2014 U.S. Championships include a top-three finish.
“It is my dream to qualify for the Olympic Team this year,” she said. “I feel I am strong enough and [I’m] excited to participate in the Olympic Trials in January. I’m ready right now and I would like to have equal opportunity to try to make Olympic Team 2014.”

Reginald said:

Polina's Romeo and Juliet at Nationals in 2013 was one of the best figure skating programs I've ever seen.

Certainly the best Romeo and Juliet.

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Old news, but Edmunds' R & J won the "Edi" Award for Best Female Performance at the 2013 U.S. Championships in Omaha, Nebraska.
She was the only junior to win for 2013. Max Aaron, Scimeca/Knierim, and Davis/White won for the other disciplines.

I first saw Polina as a skinny 12 year old skating as a Junior at the 2011 US Nationals and wondered why she still wasn't a Novice. Even then she didn't look out of place with the older girls. I can see big things are headed her way if she can just rotate those jumps. She along with Karen Chen are 2 ladies to watch out for in the next few years.

Jammers said:

I first saw Polina as a skinny 12 year old skating as a Junior at the 2011 US Nationals and wondered why she still wasn't a Novice. Even then she didn't look out of place with the older girls. I can see big things are headed her way if she can just rotate those jumps. She along with Karen Chen are 2 ladies to watch out for in the next few years.

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Agree! I think Karen is special

I saw Polina's FS at Glacier Falls not long ago. Although she had a fall, she looked pretty refined compared to the older and more experienced Hicks. I was standing close to her after the comp, she looks to be around 5'4", maybe 85-90 lbs. currently.

Polina was beautiful in both her programs!

b-man said:

I saw Polina's FS at Glacier Falls not long ago. Although she had a fall, she looked pretty refined compared to the older and more experienced Hicks. I was standing close to her after the comp, she looks to be around 5'4", maybe 85-90 lbs. currently.

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That is veryy thin but she is growing fast and looks healthy regardless. She instagrams lots of pictures of frappucinos so hopefully she is so thin due to her active lifestyle, young age, and good genetics rather than a restrictive diet. I love her skating so much and hope she can keep skating at such a high level when she inevitably fills out (although given how thin she is now and the build of her parents, her adult shape is likely to still be very slender). I'm really excited to see how she does on the JGP, I think she can give the baby russians a run for their money!

Polina won JGP Mexico City and so far has the highest total Ladies score.

There was a lot of "mess" in that program in Mexico City, though. To contend in Seniors, she'll have to fix that.

I don't know what's special about her.

That certainly wasn't her best, but when she's on, she's got solid jumps (and a couple different 3+3's) and people seem to like her long limbs (although to me, she looks a bit gangly). She's got pretty good speed and power as well

I think Polina is a solid skater so far. Most of the time girls with arms and legs that long look extremely awkward b/c they just aren't aware of the placement of their limbs. Even though she's very willowy, I think Polina has very good control over her length for a 15 year old. On the junior level she definitely stands out b/c her presentation is very nice but I'm noticing that a number of the ladies this year look more mature and present themselves with more maturity. I'm seeing fewer little jumping beans and more half-baked senior skaters at the front of the pack which is great IMO. If they are working on refinement and maturity now, hopefully we'll see less deaf-to-the-music/non-performing/mechanical newbies entering the senior level in the next few years...