Australian figure skaters

Chemistry66 · Mar 7, 2014

Mrs. P said:
It would be nice if they had a range...i.e. if you're within a point or two. It seems silly to leave someone out over hundredths or tenths of a point.

Problem with ranges is that then there'll be another team just outside of the range, and then if they extend the range, there'll be another team.

Maybe a straight minimum, and all teams above automatically get in. But then only if there's not a certain amount of teams/skaters, the minimum drops by a certain pre-arranged amount and all teams above the new amount get in. Still not enough teams, it drops again by the same amount and more teams, etc.

aussie_SKATES · Mar 7, 2014

Chemistry66 said:
Problem with ranges is that then there'll be another team just outside of the range, and then if they extend the range, there'll be another team.

Maybe a straight minimum, and all teams above automatically get in. But then only if there's not a certain amount of teams/skaters, the minimum drops by a certain pre-arranged amount and all teams above the new amount get in. Still not enough teams, it drops again by the same amount and more teams, etc.

I agree. It amazed me that prior to set TES minimums for Worlds, Junior Worlds, Four Continents and Europeans, the number of lower ranked skaters that attended these events who didn't even have a reliable double axel, let alone two different triple jumps.

These jump components alone are REQUIRED in the short, and some of the developing skating nations sent athletes that did not even have them.

It should be expected that to send an athlete to a championship international event, that they have at least landed it previously in competition. Or gained experience first by attempting them in junior and senior B events.

Skating is a sport that isn't measured in absolutes like swimming or running which have their own set of timed minimum standards.

But it is still a massive risk attending an event without the minimum standard necessary, if you're likely to be penalized for not meeting that.

Downunderskatefan · Mar 8, 2014

Chemistry66 said:
Problem with ranges is that then there'll be another team just outside of the range, and then if they extend the range, there'll be another team.

Minimum requirements are very important not only to set standards but also to give competitors something to strive towards. I don't believe countries should send skaters to international events if they aren't up to it, they just need to suck it up and get better.

Australia is at a disadvantage with pairs because they don't have enough clear ice to train properly or develop speed.

But I understand a new Aussie junior pairs team has just started up and I have heard there is also a promising new dance couple in the wings, I haven't seen either but let's watch this space.

sk8ingcoach · Mar 9, 2014

Downunderskatefan said:
But I understand a new Aussie junior pairs team has just started up and I have heard there is also a promising new dance couple in the wings, I haven't seen either but let's watch this space.

Exciting to here about new teams. Who are they

Downunderskatefan · Mar 9, 2014

sk8ingcoach said:
Exciting to here about new teams. Who are they

As I said they have only started up and are untested in competition so I don't want to put pressure on them by throwing around names at this stage. If they are any good we'll be hearing about them in due course and if they flop I guess we won't!

GF2445 · Mar 10, 2014

Just saw on the Aussieskates facebook page that they will be reporting from Saitama Japan for 2014 Worlds. Very excited!

elle_e · Mar 10, 2014

karne said:
I haven't heard anything either way. I hope they continue on. They're young enough to hit 2018.

I've heard from a reliable inside source that they're leaning more towards retiring, but haven't made a decision yet.

Orange Cat · Mar 10, 2014

elle_e said:
I've heard from a reliable inside source that they're leaning more towards retiring, but haven't made a decision yet.

Ohh. I hope they decide to stay for a bit longer... I completely understand if they retire (funding and all that), but they've improved so much and they're a joy to watch! Even if they don't stay on a full quad, it'd be lovely to see them for a few more competitions, at least (and maybe that would give Australian ice teams more time to develop etc? On which note, I really, really hope that Kim Hew-Low can find another partner as she and Cameron were quite promising junior ice dancers. I know she's training in the US and looking for a partner...)

GF2445 · Mar 10, 2014

I completely understand if they do not want to go and do another whole olympic cycle. It is a very long time to wait and Australia is home to them. Their Olympic Story is one that fully embodied the Olympic Spirit. Both of determination in the face of dissapointment and defeat and rising above to not only have the performance of their careers but one that will be written in the Australian Winter Olympic History books.

In saying that, from the programs they produced, I am wondering whether they may still have something in them that we haven't seen yet that would be great if they brought it out onto the ice. The question will be answered in Saitama. If they do really well there, i have a feeling that they might get the hunger to do one or two more seasons. Imagine if they could get a grand prix spot- that would be grand!

GF2445 · Mar 10, 2014

Also, great to hear that there are more pairs teams on the cards and an up and coming dance team.

GF2445 · Mar 13, 2014

Team Australia starts their charge at 2014 Junior Worlds!

Brendan is skating last in the 2nd last group in e jnr. Mens Short Program.

Hopefully we will see a rebound.

Just a fun fact, Robin Cousins in an interview with Channel 10 during the Olymics described Brendan as a little 'boshy' -the old english slang word is an interesting word choice to describe him.

Anyway. All the best and don't have another collapse or elso you will cause us grief again!

karne · Mar 13, 2014

If that means what Urban Dictionary says it means, that's rather rude.

BusyMom · Mar 13, 2014

karne said:
If that means what Urban Dictionary says it means, that's rather rude.

In England, they mean "junior" or "minion". In this case, I think he means junior-ish.

GF2445 · Mar 14, 2014

Well Done to Kailani for scoring a massive PB for her short program. Even though it will be unlikely that she will make the top 24, she shows so much potential for the future. She has that attack and killer instinct in her skating.

Interesting fact about Kailani- one of her listed coaches is former American Skater Tiffany Chin.

GF2445 · Mar 14, 2014

35th place for Kailani. Well done and hope that her experiences at 2014 Jnr. Worlds will be a stepping stone for her future!
For someone who has not had that much International Experience until this season, her results (which included a silver medal at Lombardia last year) have been fantastic.

It's now all up to Brendan. If he had skated his seasons best score of 67.97, he would of been as high as 8th place coming into the Free but he is currently in 19th place with 58.10. His highest rank at Jnr. Worlds is 22nd place in 2012.
He has struggled in the later half of this season, especially in his Free Skate so we all hope he can break this cycle and put down something stronger so he can have a confidence booster heading into Saitama Worlds (and that arena is HUGE! more than twice as large as Sochi!).

GF2445 · Mar 15, 2014

Brendan is going down struggle street again.

Just from looking at his body language in his performance, you can tell that something is bothering him in his mindset. Unfortunately, his intellectual, musical and physical engagement to the program today was simply not there.

I feel for him again (it must hurt to bomb again, especially if the next competition is worlds in Japan) but at the same time I wish somebody around him who personally knows and cares for him can grab hold of him and tell him to come back to his senses. He has talent to burn and he hasn't been able to show it which has been an absolute shame.

karne · Mar 15, 2014

What?! I thought he wasn't on til 10:30!

GF2445 · Mar 15, 2014

98.86 for is Free Skate for a Total Competition Score of 156.96- Slips into 2nd place.
I'm sorry to sound tough but it's just very frustrating to see him struggle continuously and not see any changes made to help him to settle and calm himself into the program.
I'm a musician and when you perform and things go downhill you have to rely on your practice and training in order to pull through and in many cases, it does. When things go wrong, you have to prepare and create strategies to deal with it if things go wrong in a performance. In his interview at the Olympics, he said that the Olympics really threw him off his training. Sochi is now over but it seems that those demons that haunted him to Sochi have stayed with him.

GF2445 · Mar 15, 2014

karne said:
What?! I thought he wasn't on til 10:30!

Group One's warm up began at 10:00pm AEST and Brendan was 2nd to skate

karne · Mar 15, 2014

Clearly one should never believe ISA's twitter then, they clearly said 10:30 AEDT and 2nd to skate. *grumble*

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