What are Christina Gao's chances of making the American Olympic team? | Page 2 | Golden Skate

What are Christina Gao's chances of making the American Olympic team?

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam
Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
I'm very pleased to see she took my advice, smile. Last year I said she'd need to take a year off Harvard-wise decision. She has become an elegant woman out there. I think she has a good shot at Bronze-or better...her focus, her intelligence. She is lovely. Another Chinese beauty-not Lu Chen quite yet, but impressive. So fortunate-she and Rachel are the brainiest skaters we have at present.

I wish Miss Gao luck. Good decision for her!

Yep, what's an extra year, it's not like she NO chance at Sochi. And I agree, she really is beautiful. It's strange because she looks more like Shizuka Arakawa. Very regal.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Yep, what's an extra year, it's not like she NO chance at Sochi. And I agree, she really is beautiful. It's strange because she looks more like Shizuka Arakawa. Very regal.

You're right; she does resemble Shizuka. I like her as a skater, but it's tough to see how she can break away from the pack this year. In a way, that's a nice problem for American ladies' skating to have, but it does make it tense for the skaters themselves.
 

Blades of Passion

Skating is Art, if you let it be
Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 14, 2008
Country
France
Where is the 3Flip-3Toe? She needs to be doing it. I really don't think she has a good chance without it.
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
Where is the 3Flip-3Toe? She needs to be doing it. I really don't think she has a good chance without it.

I think she meant to try it in the FS but then only did a 2t when the flip landing was off. Last season when she wasn't trying the 3f-3t, she had two 3t in her FS, both in the 2nd half with one in combo, and no 3s. She did a 3s (well, she fell on it, but did attempt it) in her program today, and 3s isn't her best jump so I think that means she's trying to put the 3f-3t into her FS.

I also wonder if the goal is to eventually put the 3f-3t into her SP as well, because I'm a little curious as to why her solo jump is 3lo. She struggled with it in the SP last season and historically it has not been one of her better jumps. Her 3f is a beauty, so I think if she was committed to 3t-3t as her combo in the SP, she'd be doing 3f as her solo jump, but the fact that she isn't is making me think she's keeping her options open for trying a 3t-3t or 3f-3t in the SP. Not entirely sure, but it would seem to make sense. Otherwise she'd be training two 3-3 combos which wouldn't be the most practical, and she didn't open with a 3t-3t in her FS either so that's why I think the 3f-3t may be coming.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
After watching Christina's two recent performances, I understand better why she is viewed less favorably compared to Gracie and Agnes. She looks rather slow on the ice and does not generate as much power or excitement to match the music she is skating to. When I first saw her LP I liked that she was trying something different, but now I think the music is going to overwhelm her.
 

jaylee

Medalist
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
I also wonder if the goal is to eventually put the 3f-3t into her SP as well, because I'm a little curious as to why her solo jump is 3lo. She struggled with it in the SP last season and historically it has not been one of her better jumps. Her 3f is a beauty, so I think if she was committed to 3t-3t as her combo in the SP, she'd be doing 3f as her solo jump, but the fact that she isn't is making me think she's keeping her options open for trying a 3t-3t or 3f-3t in the SP. Not entirely sure, but it would seem to make sense. Otherwise she'd be training two 3-3 combos which wouldn't be the most practical, and she didn't open with a 3t-3t in her FS either so that's why I think the 3f-3t may be coming.

My guess is that Christina has difficulty with doing steps before her flip, so that's why she does the loop in the SP. I thought her track record with the loop was pretty decent last season, not sure what you're referring to. I think she landed it cleanly in all but one event.

Perhaps it was the injury she had over the summer, but Christina looks like she regressed in many aspects of her skating since last season. :slink: Lots of jump problems, her footwork was sluggish, and her spins weren't good either. Her final combo spin in the FS was not good at all.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I agree last season she looked better. But it is early, let's hope she improves by Nationals-esp her speed and flow and her spins need much improvement. Maybe that school/skating balance fred her spirit. Let us hope it is simply early in the season and she will be adding the difficulty.
 

mirai4life

1Lo <
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 26, 2013
Yep, what's an extra year, it's not like she NO chance at Sochi. And I agree, she really is beautiful. It's strange because she looks more like Shizuka Arakawa. Very regal.

Yes, Christina reminds me a lot of Shizuka Arakawa... Very similar style on the ice, and they even look alike
 

silverlake22

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2009
My guess is that Christina has difficulty with doing steps before her flip, so that's why she does the loop in the SP. I thought her track record with the loop was pretty decent last season, not sure what you're referring to. I think she landed it cleanly in all but one event.

Perhaps it was the injury she had over the summer, but Christina looks like she regressed in many aspects of her skating since last season. :slink: Lots of jump problems, her footwork was sluggish, and her spins weren't good either. Her final combo spin in the FS was not good at all.

She had a good track record with the 3lo in the FS last season, but not so much the SP. I believe she URed it at TEB and the URed and 2-footed it at the GPF. Her 3f she almost never misses except for occasionally the one in the 2nd half of her FS. And she did 3f out of steps on the JGP and at Nationals in 2010 without any issues, so really I think she's trying to put the 3f-3t back in.
 

lcd

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
Going out and having a "disappointing" competition can be tremendously helpful or it can be demoralizing. Christina is a smart cookie. Bet she turns this into something that works to her advantage.
 

hippomoomin

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 30, 2012
It definitely looks like she lacks training. Even her skating basics do not look very nice this time.
 

Mao88

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 9, 2011
Christina Gao's free skate at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy 2013. She scored 100.70 for the long program and 152.84 overall. She finished in 3rd place.
 

Victura

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 8, 2012
Well, she did have an injury at Champs Camp, so some of it was probably due to lack of training. Her jumps that required a right foot to toe pick in seemed kind of tentative, and that was the foot she hurt.

I like Christina overall and think she has a decent shot of getting on the Olympic team. However, I'm not convinced that this season's FS music is right for her - some parts especially seem too heavy and grand for her...at this point I don't know if she has the gravitas in her skating to carry that kind of music. It's early in the season yet though, and perhaps it will improve with a better performance of the program.
 

jaylee

Medalist
Joined
Feb 21, 2010
She had a good track record with the 3lo in the FS last season, but not so much the SP. I believe she URed it at TEB and the URed and 2-footed it at the GPF. Her 3f she almost never misses except for occasionally the one in the 2nd half of her FS. And she did 3f out of steps on the JGP and at Nationals in 2010 without any issues, so really I think she's trying to put the 3f-3t back in.

You're wrong about Christina's 3Lo in the SP. It was a very consistent jump for her last season in the SP. So there shouldn't be any surprise she's still doing the 3Lo this season.

Skate America 2012 +0.70 GOE: http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpusa2012/gpusa2012_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf
TEB: 3Lo/2T (she missed her 3T combo), +0.60 GOE: http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpfra2012/gpfra2012_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf
GPF: UR, -1.30 GOE: http://www.isuresults.com/results/gpf1213/gpf1213_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf
US Nationals 2013: +0.20 GOE: http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2013/68390/CAT001SEG001.html
Four Continents: +1.10 GOE: http://www.isuresults.com/results/fc2013/fc2013_Ladies_SP_Scores.pdf

The GPF is the ONLY competition where she missed it in the SP. And the fact that she last did 3F out of steps on the JGP and at Nationals in 2010 says a lot. If she thought she could do the 3F out of steps in the SP, I'm sure she would've put it back in since then.
 
Top