What about Jenny Kirk?

She's a beautiful skater, but she seems to have mishaps at Worlds. I believe she was ill one year, but what happened this year?

She picks music that's well suited to her. Beautiful, appropriate costumes. Usually does well during SP, but doesn't manage to pull it together during Free program.

Everyone has spoken about Sasha and Michelle changing coaches. Jenny left the Scotvold's after her mother passed away and needed a fresh start. How long was she with Richard Callaghan before her most recent coaching change? I don't recall a peep of criticism.

Should she be a pairs skater? Would she perform better with a partner?

I like her skating and just wonder why she hasn't 'improved'

Some people have a different level of "this is as good as it gets" than others. Perhaps Jenny has already maxed out.

She's on my hit or miss list. I like her at her best, but cringe when she is not. But she's not the only one.

Joe

heyang said:

Should she be a pairs skater? Would she perform better with a partner?

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I was very disappointed when she stopped practicing pairs with Fedor Andreev - I thought it would have been a good change for both of them.

Jenny's FS music, while it is soft and ethereal as she is, doesn't have any punch. That is the "impact" that she is lacking. I think Jenny needs to get far, far away from that kind of music and select something with spark and fire. I think she is capable of performing at a higher level than she has been.

Aside from that, CoP is NOT her friend--she has even fewer "in between" moves than Kwan or Cohen. She needs to expand her horizons to be effective in international competition.

Jenny is a pretty performer on the ice, but I don't see her making a mark in the amateur ranks.

1. Her basics are on the level of a pre-Tarasova Sasha and live her lack of speed, power and edging are evident. Her jump technique is poor.

2. Irina, Michelle, Sasha and Shizuka all have moves or qualities which set their skating apart. Jenny doesn't.

3. Her choreography, except for Chicago, could cure insomnia. I think that Beatles program was one of the most bland pieces of drivel I've even seen Lori Nichol come up with. This was the same woman who did Fumie's great programs?

4. She is totally inconsistent in the big events, never skated a clean SP at Worlds in 3 tries; somewhat better in the LP but not even close to the Top 10.

Ogre Mage:
Jenny is a pretty performer on the ice, but I don't see her making a mark in the amateur ranks.

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I'd have to disagree with you on this one. Perhaps Jenny Kirk is not destined to win an Olympic Gold medal, but she is and always will be the 2000 World Junior Champion, and that is quite a "mark" in anyone's amateur ranks.

As far as her senior international competitions are concerned, we have far too great a tendency to think anyone American should automatically be on the women's podium. That, plus Jenny's junior achievements, set a pretty high standard for her to achieve. Jenny is a lovely skater. I am quite certain she has worked just as hard and diligently as her peers have. For certain she has paid oodles of $$$ to achieve her level of skill. And, it goes without saying there could be no one more dissappointed than Jenny Kirk in knowing she has fallen short of public expectations.

Just wanted to get that off my chest because I feel like we really dump on this skater and I am sure she isn't approaching her competitions like a boxing or wrestling match and taking a dive on purpose.

As far as her senior international competitions are concerned, we have far too great a tendency to think anyone American should automatically be on the women's podium.

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I disagree. I think a realistic expectation for Jenny would be a Top 10 finish at Worlds. She hasn't come anywhere close to that, so in my view she has not fulfilled her potential.

I love Jenny Kirk as she is. Several factors are not in her favor for competition success. Some of you mentioned about:
1. her skating skills deficits, and I agree. But those are not incurable. She needs to fix the flutz (Cohen can get away with doing 4 flips, i.e. 2 flips and 2 flutz per program but not Kirk). She needs to improve on her speed and edges, and she is doing that. The roller skater Tara like double axel!!! Tara could get away with that but not Kirk. Frank is good at fixing problems like these, hope he is doing his job. Improve on her spins.
2. Her hip injury, it is always going to be there, and there will be good days and bad days, hope she will maximize the physical therapy and hope for the best.
3. She is too beautiful, I am serious, is she too pretty to be taken seriously. Will it make a difference if she changes her hair color to dark brown and skates to Sarasate's Zigeunerweisen ?
4 Better music choice and choreography.

chuckm said:

Jenny's FS music, while it is soft and ethereal as she is, doesn't have any punch. That is the "impact" that she is lacking. I think Jenny needs to get far, far away from that kind of music and select something with spark and fire. I think she is capable of performing at a higher level than she has been.

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about the impact, I am reminded of Fumie's recent effort of ad for a boyfriend, so she can have more passion in her skating, but Jenny already has a boyfirend??

ITA. about soft and etheral


In order to have better choreography and better music choice she needs to have a world class choreographer who understands her and put her #1 in his or her list, pours all his/ her heart and soul into helping Kirk. Who will this be?? I assume since she is with Frank, Lori will be her choreographer. I have mixed feelings about Lori. She and MK had mutally made each other famous, back in the days when Lori was putting Michelle #1 on her list. There were some masterpieces, e.g. Salome, DOD, Taj etc. Then Lori wrapped herself around S&P when they hit the scene. They became her #1, and sure enough we had Love Story, and Libestod. I haven't seen any out of the world masterpieces from Lori since. (It is still not too late to shop for another choreographer.) It seems like Fumie is more on Lori's mind nowadays.

Looking at Jenny's music in the past, she had pretty much covered a wide variety, w/o top notch success, but she is not uncomfortable in any genre either. Off the top of my head, she had tried swan lake, an old work horse ballet, dance macabre, supposed to be scary and dramatic, die fledermaus, nice comic opera. Even though those weren't overwhelming success, IMHO still way ahead of elevator music ABBA, or Beatles concerto. She ditched ABBA, but she kept the Beatle thing, and I am very disppointed at Nichols choice here. Even if etheral is the theme, there are still pieces like e.g. RvW's Lark Ascending, Dvorak's American Suite, Mendelssohn's overture to Mid summer nights dream, even Eric Wolfgang Korngold's VC.

If her choreographer wants to try some more passionate dramatic pieces, there are plenty to choose from, e.g. Shostakovich VC 3rd movement passacalgia, or Lori can even resurrect Libestod from Tristan und Isolde.

Aside from that, CoP is NOT her friend--she has even fewer "in between" moves than Kwan or Cohen. She needs to expand her horizons to be effective in international competition.

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Irina, Fumie, Arakawa do not exactly have a lot of in between moves. But I agree it does not hurt for Kirk to have some sort of signature moves. If she improves on her basic skating skills, I think putting in dramatic, difficult serpentine fw may help. She has done that in Chicago,

I think she should try her very best to make the olympic team, afterall being chosen as an Olympian itself is an honor. If singles skating does not work out, she can return to pairs. The US pairs scene kind of sucks currently, so Kirk still has a chance there post 2006

Ogre Mage said:

I disagree. I think a realistic expectation for Jenny would be a Top 10 finish at Worlds. She hasn't come anywhere close to that, so in my view she has not fulfilled her potential.

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She did not fulfilled her potential due to a nasty injury, and the consequence of not learning or being taught the proper techniques, and unfortunately she has to unlearn some of those techniques.

Fulfilling her potential

Maybe Jenny's career can't be measured in medal she's won but in hearts she's won. I was totally thrilled with her performance at Skate America in Reading - was that 2002? 2003? when she had it all over Cohen, yet Cohen got the nod from the judges. I wasn't the only fan who felt this way: the audience was much louder for Kirk.

Linny

The US pairs scene kind of sucks currently, so Kirk still has a chance there post 2006

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That's actually a fairly generous description of the current situation. I would remove the "kind of" clause from the sentence and say that you have an accurate description.

Linny said:

Maybe Jenny's career can't be measured in medal she's won but in hearts she's won. I was totally thrilled with her performance at Skate America in Reading - was that 2002? 2003? when she had it all over Cohen, yet Cohen got the nod from the judges. I wasn't the only fan who felt this way: the audience was much louder for Kirk.

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I have seen Jenny skate maybe a half a dozen times in competition. I belive that in every one of those performances the audience booed her marks and felt that she should have been placed higher. For some reason audiences love her more than the judges do.

It's not just beauty -- there is a warmth about her interaction with the audience that always comes through. She makes you feel that you know her, that you and she are old friends.

Mathman

ITA, MM...

I was not bored with Jenny's LP at nationals, even though she didn't skate her BEST... she is a wonderfully beautiful skater and she just lights up the arena!

wonderful skater

Kirk is a beautiful woman and a beautiful skater. She is not a powerhouse, but she has her own style that I can appreciate. I agree that her jumps are not technically "there" most of the time, but she has a full stable of jumps that she works on and an engaging delivery most of the time. I believe she has "delivered" more often than not, esp. compared to ...for instance...Angela Nikodinov or Nicole Bobeck...and yet, they are/were "forgiven" time after time for their short-comings and near misses. Jenny can and does stand on her own two feet and fight for her programs, whatever the outcome. She's got a few good programs still in her, IMO, and could still develop and improve. Her body is not changing, and if her motivation is there, she can improve and develop if she chooses to do so. She is one of those female skaters who got better as they aged...instead of the like the little kids who peaked early and got out (and who could/would not have been able to compete at a National/otherwise level by the time they reached 18). IMO whatever Jenny chooses to do, Jenny will be able to do.

Also--yes, Frank Carroll is a grand technition on the jumps--but, he is slow and methodical about constructing an improvement to a jump. Working with him is not an overnight thing. And now, I don't know how much or IF his recent injury has slowed his own life down or not. Any reports on that?

rtureck said:

I assume since she is with Frank, Lori will be her choreographer. I have mixed feelings about Lori.

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Lori was her choreographer this season..

rtureck said:

Irina, Fumie, Arakawa do not exactly have a lot of in between moves. But I agree it does not hurt for Kirk to have some sort of signature moves. If she improves on her basic skating skills, I think putting in dramatic, difficult serpentine fw may help. She has done that in Chicago,

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Fumie and Arakawa don't bet a lot of in between moves?? then who does? Michelle Kwan??

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