Jenny Kirk article

[Mathman]

For the Detroit Free Press.

http://www.freep.com/sports/otherspo...8_20040128.htm

Columnist Joann Barnas reports that Jenny was sick in bed with the flu for two weeks after Nationals. This is why she had to withdraw from Four Continents. She has just now returned to practice, with renewed health and optimism. She is planning two triple-triple combinations at Worlds, a 3t/3T and a 3F/3T.

I love this skater. I hope she makes the podium at Worlds. She has both the technical talent and the on-ice personality to take it all the way, lacking only the emotive depth that makes Michelle Kwan supreme.

Mathman

[brenlynn]

i am really behind jenny more so than any of the other US ladies. i really think she has a wonderful attitude and her skating is beautiful. i hope she can pull this off at worlds, it would be wonderful to see her in like the top 5! actually i'd like to see her higher, and who knows she can do it if she puts her mind to it.

GO JENNY!!

[insecureedge]

The Zayak rule basically says you can land a triple performed earlier in your program a second time only once, and only in combination. From this, it appears that having both a 3toe-3toe and 3flip-3toe would be in violation, since the same triple would be completed three times in the same program. It would seem easiest to say the author of the article is mistaken somehow: a) different combo, b) 3flip-3toe replaces 3toe-3toe, c) 3flip-3toe is plan B for a missed 3toe-3toe (only possible if she completely omits the second 3toe), or d) it is to distract her competitors (most unlikely IMO, since she has shown consistency all year in the 3toe-3toe at least). Even with only one 3-3, though, Kirk is definitely capable of shaking up the podium in Worlds this March (but probably not enough to win gold IMO).

By the way, with the likely adoption of the Code of Points this summer, I think it is very forward-thinking of Kirk to try different triple-triple combinations, since apart from a 2axel-triple combo/sequence, landing a triple-triple combo would be the only way to land a seven triple program.

InsecureEdge

[Bijoux]

I think of the top 3 US ladies, she is the most genuine. I think Jenny is only showing us the perky side of her personality in her skating.

I think she is a less complicated person than Sasha. She has a natural outgoing personality. She is very resilent. But I don't think she lacks "Michelle's emotive qualities." Michelle is a good actress and when the technical stuff is behind her, we then see her "emote." I think Jenny could do solemn peices as well. But maybe the recent death of her mother makes her steer clear of intense music choices. I think she is the most versatile of the three. She chooses peices that allow her to smile, dance, connect
with the audience.

I am on her side because she wants to fulfill all the love and sacrifice her mother made, and I think with time, as she allows herself to grieve (it does not look to me like she has) she will venture into different themes and moods. Right now she has a coach, the judges and the Cop to worry about, plus another 3/3.

No offense to those who adore Michelle, but I don't think Michelle is also "the best" at emoting. Please don't throw any rulers at me Mathman!

[Nadine]

Great article (thanks for posting it, Mathman)! {two thumbs way up}

The only thing that doesn't make sense though is the two 3/3s in question ~ one cannot do three 3Ts ~ breaks the Zayak rule (can only repeat a triple jump twice). That said, I still think gutsy Jennifer Kirk will do TWO 3/3s......probably a 3F/3T......and some other 3/3 combo. (most likely w/the 3T on the end since she seems to excel in the "toepick" jumps).

While most people on the net seem to be talking about Cynthia Phaneuf, Yukina Ota, Michelle Kwan, and Sasha Cohen for the gold @ the 2006 Olympics, I wouldn't be at all surprised to see someone like Jennifer Kirk show them all up ~ she's fairly consistent (the most consistent before she injured her hip & also reworked her lutz), gutsy, tough (skated w/the flu @ 2004 Nationals & managed to finish an impressive 3rd for the first time ever at Nationals), has very nice presentation, good spins & spirals, great line, nice choreography, and most importantly is more than capable of landing 7 triples along w/one 3/3 (ala 2000 Trophee Lalique & 2003 Skate America).

***Note: not to forget to mention she also was only one of a handful of women to medal her first time out on the Senior GP, along with such notables as Sarah Hughes, Tara Lipinski, Kristi Yamaguchi, Elaine Zayak, Debi Thomas, and Carolina Kostner.***

Peace & Love, Nadine

P.S. I really think this year's World Team is the strongest ever since 1991, no lie. (:^)

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO JENNIFER (& USA TEAM)!!!!

[BronzeisGolden]

If Jenny can skate the way she did in her "Chicago" SP at the 2004 Nationals, she is definitely a contender. She was radiant with confidence and charm. Hopefully, she'll be 100% for Dortmund and will be able to erase the bad memories from Nagano. I am a tad bit worried, though. I do hope that the international judges will mark her accordingly if she skates a brilliant program....I'm not so sure they will. She received fine scores under the COP at Skate America, but this is the old system again and I am curious as to how things will work out for her. WHAT A GREAT WORLDS! I have five favorites (Kwan, Cohen, Kirk, Suguri & Arakawa) and there are only three podium positions! This one will be a nail biter! I'd love to see Jenny with a medal. What an amazing accomplishment that would be for her. A top five finish would also be extremely impressive.

Also, whether she looks it or not, Jenny is grieving. She will be grieving for the rest of her life. Perhaps this tragedy has produced one good result: Jenny seems to have gained confidence in herself. She has her sister, but that isn't the same I'm certain....she has had to learn to rely on herself. Her performance at Skate America was a prelude to the masterful and ultra-confident short program she skated in Atlanta. She is building upon each success slowly, making mistakes and learning from them...and all the while shaping the rock solid self-reliance that characterizes all great champions. (LOL..And that was my cheesy Goldenskate fluff segment!)

[Bijoux]

I wouldn't mind at all if Jenny won worlds, but I think she has been underscored many times. I am afraid that might happen at Worlds with the 6.0 system. Although how do they ignore the 2 3/3s if she does them well.

I just hope she stays healthy and can train. I don't want to see injuries in pursuit of medals which may be slated for others unless the top stars implode.

I hope Sasha gains confidence with Robin to skate freely. And I hope to see her with a more well rounded program choreographically.

I also like Shizuka and Fumie, as well as Hungarian skater Julia S.
She is a lovely skater. Yukina I've seen only a bit of but she is impressive. Elena Liashenko will be in the mix I think, as the Russian ladies are all doing poorly. I hope America roots for Jenny this time!

[IDLERACER]

"The U.S. is sending its strongest ladies team to worlds in years. The Americans last swept the world medals in 1991, when Kristi Yamaguchi, Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan captured gold, silver and bronze in Munich, Germany."

And with Irina Slutskaya sidelined, the Russians are sending what just might be their weakest team ever. They still are the best looking though
:D

[jesslily]

Past couple of years Jenny has made a lot of improvement on both technical and artistic sides. I respect this young lady the most is after her mom passed away when she was16 or 17 who is her major part of supporting system, Jenny could take charge of her own skating in such young age. And she made her skating even shiner than ever. I also respect her sister Emily a ton. She put her own college on hold to support her younger sister's skating career. What a great loving sister!

[Joesitz]

I believe Callahan has the knack for improving the overall problems of his students. There's no guarantee of gold but their is decided improvement. The difference between Nutcracker and Die Fledermaus is obvious.

Joe

[Mathman]

Oh, Bijoux, I would never throw anything at someone who likes Jenny Kirk, my second favorite skater in the whole world (along with Fumie). I don't expect everyone to have the same irrational affection for MK that I do. I think you're right when you say that most of Michelle's "acting" takes place after the jumps are out of the way. On the jumps, she's all business -- yet still, to me, she is the best at using a series of technical successes early in the program to build up an emotional crescendo at the end. I think that in the very near future we will see Jenny, too, expand her repertoire beyond smiling and dancing and connecting to the audience.

It will indeed be interesting to see whether the international judges will be able to ignore a program with two 3/3s in it. Shizuka Arakawa will probably have two 3/3s as well. On thing for sure, the CoP does not ignore it. In fact, it seems likely that when the CoP is reviewed, greater credit will be given to triple-triples for women and quads for men.

Bronzeisgolden, I love cheesy fluff! If I posted half of the cheesy fluff I think of, you guys would really think I was off my rocker (or Mohawk).

Nadine, about the Zayak rule, what if a skater does a 3T/3T combination, and then later does a 3T as a single jump. Is that a violation?

And last but not least:

"(The Russian team is) still the best looking though." -- Idleracer

PU-LEASE! With a U.S. team featuring Michelle Kwan AND Sasha Cohen AND Jenny Kirk???!!!

And that doesn't even mention Ann Patrice McDonough!

Mathman

[Ptichka]

MM, I believe that in your example it would be a Zayak violation.

I love Jenny's skating; she has really come a long way in the last few years. I do, though, get nervous when I hear all the talk about the US sweep at Worlds -- doesn't it aner the Ice gods? I mean, remember last year -- Elena came out of nowehere, and Fumie beat Sasha. So you never know what will happen.

[berthes ghost]

Talk of sweeps doesn't bother me as it's just that :talk. No different than a high school pep rally.

When the US were peping fans up with US sweep talk last year, Cupcake had already dethroned the world champ at nationals and Fumie had already beaten Sasha at the previous year's worlds.

It's just talk to get fans motivated, nothing more IMHO.

[jesslily]

Definitely Richard Callahan and his assistants play a big roll on Jenny's skating improvement. But if a skater does not have the motivation to do better every day, no coach can really make much impact. But on the other hand, talking about US ladies sweeping Worlds might be not realistic. Fumei, Julia Sebestian, and few others are much more experienced international competitors.

[nymkfan51]

I agree with you Mathman ... I would love to see Jenny on the podium at Worlds. After going to SA and seeing her do two wonderful programs, and how she related to the audience ... well, I just fell in love with her.

I still don't understand though, what two 3/3's she will be doing ... because if she does the 3F/3T ... then her 3T/3T is out.

Whatever, I just hope she skates her heart out!

And I can't believe I'm saying this, but as much as I ALWAYS want MK to win ... seeing Jenny with a World Championship would be a sweet thing!