American Girls--what's wrong?

[EricRohmer]

YUNA's clean LPs including 3loop. and 3loop
......
Oh, Sorry for off-topic

Add this too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rI39RkU3p6I (2006.1.8 korean nationals LP)

3Lo
3F-3T
3Lz
2A-3T-2T
3S-2T
2A
3Lz

 

[parasolka]

Rachael's all but in, some very strange things would have to happen for her not to make the GPF.

And I think most people agree Gao is superior in almost every way to Perkova.

And I think most people agree Sotnikova is superior in almost every way to Flatt. And judges think she is superior also to Gao. But I don't understand what's the use in this comparisons.

 

[silverlake22]

And I think most people agree Sotnikova is superior in almost every way to Flatt. And judges think she is superior also to Gao. But I don't understand what's the use in this comparisons.

The difference is that Christina can compete at senior worlds this season and Adelina can not.

 

[oleada]

Shouldn't we wait until Senior Nationals even happens before we speculate about Christina being at Worlds at all? At this point Gao is a good junior skater, but she hasn't even won a JGP, nor did she medal at Junior Worlds last year. Not that she doesn't have potential - she does - but it seems like their is a lot of excessive hype coming for some quarters, when her resume doesn't exactly back it up (yet).

 

[Lucky Star]

To be honest, I don't understand all that hype about Gao at all. She has weak skating skills, weak spins and not the best presentation, she is a bit boring to watch. I don't think she will beat skaters like Flatt, Wagner and even Zawadzki if they have decent skates, and she has no chance against clean or almost clean Czisny and Nagasu. I think she needs some time and maybe will make the team next year, but not this year

 

[Sylvia]

There's a big difference between "online fan hype" and "media hype" and Christina Gao is receiving much more of the former (here, at FSU, etc.) than the latter, from what I can tell.

ETA: The key for young skaters is to develop and progress from one season to the next, and I believe that Gao has made some significant improvements in her overall skating so far this season. That's more important than her junior international record to date, IMO.

 

[SkatingAnalyst]

Christina is a beautiful girl with lots, lots of potential.
She is better than any of current US ladies.

You'll see her...getting a Grand Prix title next year...POSITIVE !

 

[silverlake22]

Christina is a beautiful girl with lots, lots of potential.
She is better than any of current US ladies.

You'll see her...getting a Grand Prix title next year...POSITIVE !

I second that.

Just wait until nationals, I'm fairly certain if Christina skates well there she will put up very big, impressive scores and may just win the US title.

 

[R.D.]

Shouldn't we wait until Senior Nationals even happens before we speculate about Christina being at Worlds at all?

DING DING DING ladies & gentlemen, we have an answer!

 

[oleada]

There's a big difference between "online fan hype" and "media hype" and Christina Gao is receiving much more of the former (here, at FSU, etc.) than the latter, from what I can tell.

ETA: The key for young skaters is to develop and progress from one season to the next, and I believe that Gao has made some significant improvements in her overall skating so far this season. That's more important than her junior international record to date, IMO.

I agree, particularly with the first part. The incessant hyping only annoys & alienates people, and sets her up for failure when she doesn't mean the ridiculously high expectations some have set out for her. I think that's part of the problem with the American girls right now - they start getting massively hyped when they are still tiny and when they don't fulfill the unrealistic expectations some set out (World domination! World champion! Winning everything under the sun!) people are disappointed.

I second that.

Just wait until nationals, I'm fairly certain if Christina skates well there she will put up very big, impressive scores and may just win the US title.

I hope you can handle if Christina doesn't win, since you seem more invested in that than anyone else.

 

[NMURA]

Shouldn't we wait until Senior Nationals even happens before we speculate about Christina being at Worlds at all? At this point Gao is a good junior skater, but she hasn't even won a JGP, nor did she medal at Junior Worlds last year. Not that she doesn't have potential - she does - but it seems like their is a lot of excessive hype coming for some quarters, when her resume doesn't exactly back it up (yet).

Gao was really unlucky to face "them". The score of 167 points is enough to win Jr worlds in past four years (after adding one or two spirals). Maybe, her lack of luck is the real problem to be a winner.

 

[Sylvia]

Personally, I think Gao was lucky to compete against both Adelina Sotnikova and Elizaveta Tuktamisheva on JGP this fall and see first-hand the new generation of talented Russian ladies.

I think that's part of the problem with the American girls right now - they start getting massively hyped when they are still tiny and when they don't fulfill the unrealistic expectations some set out (World domination! World champion! Winning everything under the sun!) people are disappointed.

I think you're on to something here.

 

[Wicked]

Mirai's biggest problem is Mirai. I am hoping Frank can help her manage the mental stuff. I think it's too early to write her off just yet. She was so solid at the Olympics. I think she can do this. She just needs to work on that mental game some more.

 

[gkelly]

I think that's part of the problem with the American girls right now - they start getting massively hyped when they are still tiny and when they don't fulfill the unrealistic expectations some set out (World domination! World champion! Winning everything under the sun!) people are disappointed.

Personally, I think Gao was lucky to compete against both Adelina Sotnikova and Elizaveta Tuktamisheva on JGP this fall and see first-hand the new generation of talented Russian ladies.

So what will happen to those Russian girls if they're not immediately and consistently dominant as soon as they get to seniors?

Does even Mao Asada, despite all she has accomplished, suffer from not living up to unrealistic expectations?

 

[miki88]

So what will happen to those Russian girls if they're not immediately and consistently dominant as soon as they get to seniors?

Does even Mao Asada, despite all she has accomplished, suffer from not living up to unrealistic expectations?

I'm sure they will have their critics. Even Michelle got her share of criticism for not getting the OGM. When she retired, I remember reading articles that questionned if she should be labeled a choker. :disapp:
But I guess it's kinda understandable for US skating fans to be more hesitant of hyping up our own young skaters since we are still awaiting our breakout star.

 

[oleada]

So what will happen to those Russian girls if they're not immediately and consistently dominant as soon as they get to seniors?

Does even Mao Asada, despite all she has accomplished, suffer from not living up to unrealistic expectations?

I'm sure they'll get their fair share of criticism.

Perhaps it is more prevalent, or appears to be more prevalent, among the US skating fans because ladies is the highlight discipline in which the USA has had long history of domination and success. Or maybe we just see it more because these are English language boards with a majority of American fans.

 

[krenseby]

So what will happen to those Russian girls if they're not immediately and consistently dominant as soon as they get to seniors?

Does even Mao Asada, despite all she has accomplished, suffer from not living up to unrealistic expectations?

Well, it can't get worse for the Russian girls than it has been for the American girls. With the American girls coming up from juniors, we've given them a couple of years to mature and they medal at the GPs, but have no World medals. At worst, the Russian girls will have a similar result. Or, if the stars align right, one of the Russian ladies will medal at Worlds or the Olympics.

 

[janetfan]

I sometimes fuss over silverlake's support for the young skaters - but without Yuna or Mao at the senior GPF this season I seriously wonder if the young Ladies who will be competing at the junior GPF are not better.

I suspect that the three medalists from the Jr GPF will be as good or better than the three medalists from the Sr GPF this season.

Please don't tell me than several of juniors could not have won SA or more than held their own on the senior circuit this season.

Kanako has not even skated a clean program yet this season and she is doing quite well for herself on the senior circuit.

Look for her to medal at the GPF......
and so could a couple of the best juniors...........

 

[R.D.]

It's a post-Olympic season though. I don't expect top-notch talent immediately.

 

[krenseby]

Look for her to medal at the GPF......
and so could a couple of the best juniors...........

Also, I expect Kanako to be quite a threat at the Japanese Nationals. I can't exclude the possibility of her winning the silver medal. I don't quite see her beating Mao, but then again, she is getting to be a star in her own right, and that could be enough to come within a striking distance of Mao in terms of scores.