Kaetlyn Osmond will not compete during the 2018-19 season

[Skater Boy]

I am really sad. I sense my favorite pairs team is done - S and K from Russia. Chan and Javi are gone in men. Kaetlyn who i think is underrated gone probably forever now and Virtue and Moir have left the rink for good. This reminds me so much about Buttle- struggling with motivation. i hope she surprises us with an amazing comeback. I am just afraid that "logic" will take over. It is hard to beat the Japanese Russians already. Bradie and Gracie coming back are a forceto be reckon with. The baby Russians are eligible next year. I like that she skates with such power and yet style. I will miss her.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

i don't know... now that effortless throughout and amplitude of jumps are the important bullets... i don't think those will be automatic eteri bullets as you mentioned... tanos were... but those were taken away... backloading was 10% automatic.. that's also taken away... so i don't see the advantage for eteri skaters... other than if they keep raising base value.. but with a proper TP, lots of carrots are given and they hurt.

Tanos were never mandatory bullets. That’s just a myth. Judges could choose to award them or not just like now. It was and will still be up to the judges if each arm variation deserves GOE. Could be one, none or all. Now they will just fall into the “very good air position throughout” bullet. Before it was under “varied position in the air”. Nothing has really changed.

I do agree that the rule changes certainly had someone like Kaetlyn in mind but having said that I think arm variations should and will see GOE from the judges. I think most young skaters actually enjoy doing them. The have caught on like wildfire even in the US. :yes2:

 

[4everchan]

Tanos were never mandatory bullets. That’s just a myth. Judges could choose to award them or not just like now. It was and will still be up to the judges if each arm variation deserves GOE. Could be one, none or all. Now they will just fall into the “very good air position throughout” bullet. Before it was under “varied position in the air”. Nothing has really changed.

I do agree that the rule changes certainly had someone like Kaetlyn in mind but having said that I think arm variations should and will see GOE from the judges. I think most young skaters actually enjoy doing them. The have caught on like wildfire even in the US. :yes2:

i read the rules differently to me, before an arm variation was a plus.... and a lack of arm variation wasn't optimal... now, a skater with great air position without an arm variation can still earn a bullet... but maybe i am reading it wrong

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

i read the rules differently to me, before an arm variation was a plus.... and a lack of arm variation wasn't optimal... now, a skater with great air position without an arm variation can still earn a bullet... but maybe i am reading it wrong

It was varied air position / delayed rotation but no rule said it was mandatory just like any other bullet. You could get good height but if it didn’t help the jump (like making it look wild) it probably wouldn’t get the bullet. You could delay your rotation but if it was UR or even close it might not get the GOE. I’m not sure where the myth started just doing a tano got you a bullet though. The rules never stated it and judges certainly weren’t doing that.

I’m not sure how things will play out this season but a jump with a good rippon should score more than a regular arms pulled in jump with both having excellent air position. I’m sure the judges will find ways to reward them just like before. They might just add them into PCS if they feel it isn’t being reflected in their GOE marks.

I fear we’ve strayed from the topic at hand though

 

[Elucidus]

I dont blame her for not returning. With the current trajectory of ladies field and the new +5 goe system, we will be seeing uncalled URed tiny quad jumps getting twice the points of a perfectly executed triple of the same jump. Osmond is from a different era and it will not only be impossible but also frustrating for her to compete with a bias judging system that value muscled tiny quads at double the points over huge triples. Heres hoping Evgenia and Alina remain competitive when Eteri's juniors turn senior.

lol, so much hate here
actually Trusova's quads are not tiny at all - they have huge height and length comparing to typical ladies triples
they can seem as somewhat tiny because her body is tiny - but it's just an illusion
try to look at distance between her boots and ice surface carefully

on other hand Osmond is tall and with long legs and has delayed rotation in jumps like she hangs in air - so her triples seem much higher than they are in fact
again, try to watch carefully at distance between her boots and ice surface during jumps

https://youtu.be/ggt2iXhuxTA?t=301
https://youtu.be/wU5WTkLi3ms?t=381

both moments in videos I recommend to watch at 0.25 speed (can be turn on in youtube settings) and look only at boots
I tried to choose single jump (combinations tends to be somewhat lower) with angle along boards since many jumps are shown from somewhat above angle which lowers perceived height too

Thing is that people are not used to ladies quads at all - so they try to compare them with men's. Which they probably shouldn't do.

 

[4everchan]

i mean, i have seen kaetlyn live and her jumps were the biggest at the competition every time... i don't think comparing a quad toe and a triple loop is really a good comparison point... i don't think trusova's jumps are tiny, but i think the jumps you are using are very different in technique and do not constitute a valid example.

why not compare, kaetlyn's triple flip to trusova or if you want to keep the loop, fine but compare it to a triple loop

 

[brens78]

Oh noes! Will be sad not seeing her this season and if she does retire, then even more sad but hey, she finished on top She's still quite young and very attractive, so perhaps something in the media next?

 

[koatcue]

I dont blame her for not returning. With the current trajectory of ladies field and the new +5 goe system, we will be seeing uncalled URed tiny quad jumps getting twice the points of a perfectly executed triple of the same jump. Osmond is from a different era and it will not only be impossible but also frustrating for her to compete with a bias judging system that value muscled tiny quads at double the points over huge triples. Heres hoping Evgenia and Alina remain competitive when Eteri's juniors turn senior.

On paper yes. But we all know the judges have majority of the bullets ticked before any of eteris skaters actually jump. They couldnt get it right when the bullets were specific. How do we expect them to be objective when the bullets are now ridicoulously vague.

Hater detected Seriously, aren't you getting tired of constant fake assumptions? Trusova's jumps are H U G E, and not acknowledging this makes you delusional and ineffective in all your attempts of attacking Eteri skaters.

 

[Yuzuruu]

Hater detected Seriously, aren't you getting tired of constant fake assumptions? Trusova's jumps are H U G E, and not acknowledging this makes you delusional and ineffective in all your attempts of attacking Eteri skaters.

I agree, Sasha's jumps, especially quads, are truly GIANT, and she is a tiny girl so you can see how she sometimes struggles with her landing because she gets such amazing hight.

But back to Kaetlyn, as this is her thread I love KO, she is really captivating on ice and her jumps are incredible, so fast and huge so I am glad I got to see her live in Milan because I have a feeling that this may be goodbye But I truly hope I am wrong!

 

[surimi]

It's a pity, but it's Kaetlyn's life and she has nothing to prove anymore, so I don't blame her for wanting to try something else for a change. If there is a comeback, I'll look forward to it, and I think even after a year's absence, she could still challenge any of the others for a podium. It all comes down to whether she finds she misses competitive skating or not. Also, there may be an additional unnamed reason, like a minor but long-lasting injury that might need a season to heal fully - we simply don't know so we shouldn't be too harsh on Kaetlyn in our judgment.

 

[iluvtodd]

I personally hope you're right. Her first Worlds was in Canada in 2013 and it would seem wonderfully fitting for a final Worlds in Canada also.

That said, if 2017/18 does prove ultimately to be her final season, then what a final season and what a career!

(But I really do hope she comes back)

Oh, yeah! ya, Kaetlyn!

 

[Osmond4gold]

For purely selfish reasons, I hope she returns to skating. I think she's barely scratched the surface of what she's capable of doing, artistically, and likely technically. But with that said, she has accomplished all of her goals and then some, and owes us fans, nothing. Ultimately, Kaetlyn has to do what she feels is best for her and if this was indeed her last season, she leaves on top after 2 dream seasons. What a wonderful ride it has been, she triumphed over adversity and persevered to earn her medals. That is the mark of a champion. Thank you Kaetlyn!

 

[demarinis5]

Is this one of the threads we are not supposed to mention other skaters

 

[Dr. Jenn]

I'm sorry to hear that Kaetlyn won't be competing this season. I was really hoping that she would take a break after the Thank You Canada tour and then return for nationals and Worlds. However, I trust that she is making the best decision for herself and her career (on or off the ice). I hope that the time away from the competitive scene will help her to re-evaluate what she wants out of skating. Like other posters have said, I think that she has a lot more to give to the sport, as she really is a 'full package' skater with wonderful performance abilities and technical skills. That said, if she wants to call it a career, she can be very proud of everything that she has accomplished, particularly after coming back from such a horrific injury that could have easily been career-ending. Thank you for all your wonderful contributions to the sport, Kaetlyn, and hopefully we'll see you back next year!

 

[BillNeal]

For purely selfish reasons, I hope she returns to skating. I think she's barely scratched the surface of what she's capable of doing, artistically, and likely technically. But with that said, she has accomplished all of her goals and then some, and owes us fans, nothing. Ultimately, Kaetlyn has to do what she feels is best for her and if this was indeed her last season, she leaves on top after 2 dream seasons. What a wonderful ride it has been, she triumphed over adversity and persevered to earn her medals. That is the mark of a champion. Thank you Kaetlyn!

Osmond24:medal"! (if she chooses to return but cheering her on either way)

 

[Fluture]

Why do people always seem to assume that skaters would retire because they can‘t compete with the Russian wonderbabies? Yes, they are threatening but if an athlete retires they do it because that‘s what they want to do with their life not because they feel like they can‘t compete anymore. Why would someone like Kaetlyn or Carolina care about Trusova and co. ? They have been competing with the Russian “babies“ for years, Lipnitskaya, Sotnikova, Radionova, Tuktamysheva, Medvedeva, Zagitova... it‘s not like it‘s entirely new that there are Russian skaters who are pushing it with their technical abilities.

And we don’t even know Kaetlyn is retiring yet. That sounds like jumping to conclusions to me. Yes, it might be likely given what she’s achieved this season but she might very well come back, too. We don’t know that. So, if Kaetlyn wants to take a season off she should do that without thinking about anyone but herself. It‘s her life. While I will be sad to not see her this season it‘s understandable. She has achieved a lot, came back after an injury when everyone claimed her to be done and procedeed to win an Olympic Gold and Bronze Medal as well as a Silver and a Gold at Worlds, including several GP medals as well. She has an Olympic Medal of every colour, two World Medals, a GPF bronze... what else is there to get? Athletes compete for the love of the sport, yes, but it‘s not unheard of that one might lose the drive for constantly competing after winning all the big prizes. It‘s constant stress, constant adrenaline. Maybe she decided that she wants something else now? It‘s not like she has to stop skating entirely. There‘s lots of shows that would love to have her.

And I‘m sorry but I get angry when I hear things like ”it feels like giving up to me that she stops competing after winning a World Title“ Erm, no? She‘s not giving up. She‘s deciding what she wants to do with her life. Being an athlete at her level takes a lot, I don‘t think anyone of us can possibly imagine that. So, all power to her. I will be happy if she decides to come back after this season but I certainly won‘t judge her either if she doesn‘t.

 

[Osmond4gold]

ALL

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Why do people always seem to assume that skaters would retire because they can‘t compete with the Russian wonderbabies?

It’s the Japanese too that seem to be contributing and dictating the flow of things. I never bought into that defeatist thinking myself of “I will be overshadowed so I’ll just retire”. People skate because they love it and the field just gets better for it. Kaetlyn like everyone else just seems to thrive off of the competition.

The competitive skaters I know don’t do it for the success but because of a love of the sport and a drive to push their athletic abilities. Lots of them use that experience to pursue their own ventures...be it on the ice or in another avenue of life. Any competitive athlete is just trying to reach their top goals. At every level.

I have a really close friend with a medal from the oVancouver games and she isn’t doing anything related to her sport but she uses her past experience in everyday life. You can bet on that!

 

[TGee]

The thing that I am finding very odd, is that so many people are jumping to the assumption that extending her break equals retirement.

It's complex decision and one that is influenced by so many factors. The direction that this thread has taken in terms of bringing up other skaters has really surprised me.

We had Virtue and Moir take off two years and come back last quad to gold at the World and Olympic level.

We had Patrick Chan take one year off, and realize that his coaching situation and training approach was not what would work for the top of the podium under IJS as it was.

Kevin Reynolds all but filed his retirement, but has decided to continue another year.

And while few have mentioned it, Kaetlyn has acknowledged she had psychological work to do to get through the past season. Not on motivation, but on recovery from trauma.

Skating with constant fear of further injury has to have been taking away so much of her joy.

And the financial cost of continuing has to be a consideration as well.

That said, her relationship with her coach Ravi appears to remain solid.

What I would most hope is for Kaetlyn to be able to return having made some income from skating and having made peace with the trauma of her injury.

But if she choses another path, I wish her every success.

 

[4everchan]

and nobody is even mentioning how well Caro is doing, without even all her jumps back... after her suspension... at a much older age