Which ladies -USA -deserve Sochi? | Page 5 | Golden Skate

Which ladies -USA -deserve Sochi?

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
I agree Ashley should go no matter what.

I dont think Gold should be a lock the way she is skating this year but I think she still is in reality. Maybe with good reason though, as even skating so so, she is still competitive with some of the Worlds top skaters as her results this year show. Other U.S lady skaters have to skate their best just to achieve similar results, and if they skate subpar will fall way down.

Nagasu has a good shot if she can build on her COR performance but USFSA does not like her much these days so she will have to really earn it. COR shows Zawadzki both struggles with consistency still, and doesnt even have much scoring potential internationally either (even without her mistakes, her scores wouldnt have been that big there). The USFSA lovefest for her will likely continue though, enough to make the team? We shall see. I was really pulling for Gao but she has done nothing to distinguish herself thus far.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I dont think Gold should be a lock the way she is skating this year but I think she still is in reality. Maybe with good reason though, as even skating so so, she is still competitive with some of the Worlds top skaters as her results this year show.

I agree with you, although I find it difficult to imagine three people beating Gracie this year. She usually nails one program and can probably score enough in the other to find herself on the podium.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
The only person I see the USFSA putting on the team if they aren't in the top three is Ashley. Ashley has been in the top five at worlds for two years and has won a few grand prixs to prove she's competitive internationally. Beyond Ashley, I think it will just be who skates into the top three. None of the other skaters have a strong enough record where I can see the USFSA deciding to put them on an Olympic team if they aren't in the top three spots. That being said I do think even with a bad skate the judges will find a way to keep Gracie in the top three as well. It's anyone's game after those two. Courtney Hicks and Samantha Cesario are much more consistent overall, but for all their inconsistency when Agnes and Mirai skate well they are rewarded favourably. I don't see Gao making the team short of anyone above really bombing.
My prediction for nationals:
1) Gracie
2) Ashley
3) Agnes or Hicks
4) Samantha

My personal dream team:
1) Ashley
2) Mirai
3) Samantha

Welcome to Golden Skate, Kelisiting! Post long & often!
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 19, 2011
I agree Ashley should go no matter what.

I dont think Gold should be a lock the way she is skating this year but I think she still is in reality. Maybe with good reason though, as even skating so so, she is still competitive with some of the Worlds top skaters as her results this year show. Other U.S lady skaters have to skate their best just to achieve similar results, and if they skate subpar will fall way down.

Nagasu has a good shot if she can build on her COR performance but USFSA does not like her much these days so she will have to really earn it. COR shows Zawadzki both struggles with consistency still, and doesnt even have much scoring potential internationally either (even without her mistakes, her scores wouldnt have been that big there). The USFSA lovefest for her will likely continue though, enough to make the team? We shall see. I was really pulling for Gao but she has done nothing to distinguish herself thus far.

ITA with all of this.

As much as Gracie has underwhelmed me this season she still has the necessities to finish in the top 10 at Sochi as long as she doesn't completely implode. Even when she's bad she can score better than most. Mirai got 114.93 at COR (5 triples, clean skate); Gracie got 114.98 at NHK (3 triples and a fall). Overall Gracie skates big and whether she's nailing her jumps or sucking, she manages to leave an impression which can't be said for everyone else. I don't think she's earned the right to be a lock for the team but the reality is she's the best bet for good scores internationally (behind Ashley of course).

If Mirai can replicate her COR performances and add some semblance of life to them, I think she'll be the best bet for that 3rd spot. Agnes is at the bottom of the "potential 3rd spot" heap IMO. She had a good SP but her FS was still subpar. It was better for her but judging it against what will be needed in Sochi, that wasn't good enough. Christina looked promising earlier in the year but it's not coming together for her at all. I'd like to see her make the team but I don't really see it happening anymore unless she shocks everyone at nationals and a few others falter.
 

icellist

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 16, 2011
If anything, Mirai has medalled on the GP circuit once every season for this quadrennial. Has done rather well in her senior B's in deep fields. She should be considered more deserving of a spot than Agnes who only has her junior worlds silver and cup of russia bronze last year for international success. I agree Ashley Wagner is a lock.

Of the two spots left: Samantha Cesario, Courtney Hicks, Christina Gao, Gracie Gold and Mirai Nagasu.

Who deserve the spot on past success are Gao, Gold and Nagasu.

What is going to happen is whoever places highest with Ashley is going. And I sincerely hope it's Mirai
 

gottadance

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 27, 2009
nobody is mentioning Polina Edmunds who impresses me greatly - is she just too young/raw to have the potential to make the team?
 

kwanatic

Check out my YT channel, Bare Ice!
Record Breaker
Joined
May 19, 2011
nobody is mentioning Polina Edmunds who impresses me greatly - is she just too young/raw to have the potential to make the team?

I think both Polina and Angela Wang have massive potential. However, as great as they are both are a little too green for Sochi IMO. They lack senior level experience and exposure and that will work against them. If one or both of them have two great skates and others falter, I think they should make the team. But more than likely they'll receive "wait your turn" scores...especially if the favorites for the team have semi-decent skates...

I won't say it's impossible but I do think it's a bit unlikely either will be chosen unless they steal the show in Boston.
 

louisa05

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 3, 2011
This. In no way do I expect Ashley to tank at nationals this year but on the off chance that she did, she definitely deserves to go. She's the only complete package skater the US has right now (jumps, spins, programs, consistency, international reputation, etc.) so it would be suicide to leave her off of the team. She is the best hope the US has for a medal.

Yep. They would have to "hold her up". Which is sort of the problem with using only Nats to pick the team. The Japanese method of using the entire season as criteria seems better. If Mao had a bad day at nationals, they would not have to play games with scores to keep her on the team.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I won't say it's impossible but I do think it's a bit unlikely either will be chosen unless they steal the show in Boston.

It's going to be hard for them to do so. Fans are going to show up ready to cheer for their favorites (Ashley, Gracie, Mirai) and even a great performance from Angela or Polina is going to get a tepid response because a lot of the fans don't know much about them. I can easily see those two going clean in the SP and scoring < 60.
 

Sara

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 6, 2013
1. Ashley
2. Samantha
3. Gracie

I'm curious to see how Polina will do at nationals. I absolutely love her SP this season and she's a joy to watch!
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I like Samantha but she does have a tendency to UR her jumps; same with Polina---that could hurt both of them at Nationals. Just because Mirai didn't get a string of URs at CoR doesn't mean her UR problem is a thing of the past. That particular caller was pretty lenient with URs; Miyahara and Murakami usually get many more than they did there.

Gracie doesn't UR and last year she showed her Nationals grit. I can't imagine Gracie NOT making top 3.
 

Mrs. P

Uno, Dos, twizzle!
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 27, 2009
It's going to be hard for them to do so. Fans are going to show up ready to cheer for their favorites (Ashley, Gracie, Mirai) and even a great performance from Angela or Polina is going to get a tepid response because a lot of the fans don't know much about them. I can easily see those two going clean in the SP and scoring < 60.

If they do a super awesome performance, the audience will stand behind them even if they don't have a lot of name recognition.

That happened with Jason Brown in 2011. Nobody knew he was and he didn't even have a 3A. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G94pHGvq3Fs

Ross Miner, who compared to his competitors wasn't as well-known, also got a standing ovation for his performance that year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOgpzmj4Lc That was the performance that helped him edge out Jeremy Abbott for bronze.

Okay, those were both FS, not SP...but I still think my point stands.
 

Rachmaninoff

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 10, 2011
If they do a super awesome performance, the audience will stand behind them even if they don't have a lot of name recognition.

That happened with Jason Brown in 2011. Nobody knew he was and he didn't even have a 3A. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G94pHGvq3Fs

Ross Miner, who compared to his competitors wasn't as well-known, also got a standing ovation for his performance that year: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hOgpzmj4Lc That was the performance that helped him edge out Jeremy Abbott for bronze.

Okay, those were both FS, not SP...but I still think my point stands.

I agree; I don't think skating audiences are biased against newcomers at all. On the contrary, they've always been very quick to get excited and enthused about a new skater that really lays down a great performance, especially a young one. Look at the response Naomi Nari Nam got at nationals in 1999, or Sasha a year later. If anything, the fact that the skater was new on the scene made everyone more excited about what they were seeing.

I do think a newer senior has a chance for the third spot, definitely. If a new face really brings it and the Mirai et al. is fairly mediocre, they'll give it to them.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Last year, Alex Johnson and Wes Campbell skated early in the FS order and both got standing ovations. Wes was 20th after the SP, was 11th in the FS and 14th overall; Alex was 12th after the SP, 5th in the FS and 7th overall.

Wes retired after Nationals. Alex had surgery this summer and won't be at Nationals this year but hopes to return next year.
 

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Ashley will be champion barring any major upset/ blunders. The second spot right now belongs to Gracie, I honestly don't see Samatha in the conversation. She is a beautiful woman and has a nice style but her skating skills and tech content are not there yet. I hope Mirai can have a skate of her life but i don't see that Bomd program being "it" for her.
 

OS

Sedated by Modonium
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 23, 2010
It is about what international judges likes, and I think Mirai will fair well compare with Sam, who still need to build her international reputation. A Mirai with the US federation behind her would be very competitive.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Samantha has great programs, she attacks. She performs better than anyone-if Ashley is tentative, she slows down, double foots, she is not with a great sp and lp. Rocky changes have affected her. I think Samantha is capable of skating under the pressure -she doesn't have Agnes huge jumps, but Agnes is so inconsistent. I see her falling apart in Sochi. Gao has more confidence but blew it in GP. I think Samantha has good skating skills and is among a handful of ladies unafraid to let loose and perform under pressure. I think she will do very well. She is underscored. That is problem, not having the cred from two lost years.

I would be happy to see her beautiful fluid skating recognized at nationals. May she have great luck.
 

nam57

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 5, 2013
The audience loves a new face! 3 years ago Vanessa Lam got a standing O in the SP and made the final group. Look forward to Francesca Cierra, Polina and maybe Ashley Cain breaking through to the last warm-up, then who knows?
 

anthologyz

Rinkside
Joined
Mar 28, 2012
samantha's had the most consistent performances, but i'm still lighting a warehouse of candles for mirai.
 

AlexaD

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 2, 2011
It will be the feel good moment of Nationals if Mirai comes back to life and gets that third spot! IMO.
 
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