No spiral in the SP, reduced GOE effect, etc... sheesh, and then roll eyes and then laugh.Even with her implosion at worlds last year, Mirai still scored 175.48, which would have placed her 6th behind Alissa this year. :sheesh:
No spiral in the SP, reduced GOE effect, etc... sheesh, and then roll eyes and then laugh.Even with her implosion at worlds last year, Mirai still scored 175.48, which would have placed her 6th behind Alissa this year. :sheesh:
No spiral in the SP, reduced GOE effect, etc... sheesh, and then roll eyes and then laugh.
No spiral in the SP, reduced GOE effect, etc... sheesh, and then roll eyes and then laugh.
5+6=11= 3 ladies at worlds 2012
...ie. pulling Rachael and sending Mirai,..
Here is what I wish had happened. The USFSA "pulls" Rachael. Rachael refuses to be pulled and threatens to sue.
Hey, it worked for Tonya Harding.
it's the american way! LOL
not only that, but until the US ladies are consistently strong, even if they get 3 this year, will they retain 3 spots after the next worlds? it's not like it's the olympics next year already.
of course it's good to have had that spot even ONE year, one more US lady has worlds experience on her resume, but i think the US ladies are on really on the border line--even if they scrape by using the 5+6=11 math this year, next year it will be back to 2 again. let's not paint it as though rachael committed some grave injustice against us figure skating--and us figure skating doesn't seem to mind so much because there's been no new developments since phil hersh made his noise, far as i know.
Rachael's grave injustice was to herself to be honest.
Reputations are very difficult to come by but super easy to break. She was treading on thin ice (no pun intended) in the first place. I mean her scores had just reached the point where they were actually giving her GOEs on her jumps and decent PCS scores. Her tanking at worlds will hurt her, not only in the USFSA's eyes but her shaky international cred took a hit as well.
Mirai is a bit too erratic to hang your hat on, but if there's one skater in the US who has everything necessary to contend with the likes of Yu-Na, Miki, Mao and the like, it's Mirai. Alissa lacks the speed, power, and technical content, and Rachael lacks the aesthetics and appeal...
Agnes and Christina have a shot, but they'll be paying their dues for a while...
Some skaters can fall, pop jumps and still score decently...but they should have known that the international judges are very iffy when it comes to Rachael. Anytime they can help it, they don't put her in first. Case in point: both of her GP assignments this year. At NHK, Carolina, with all of those mistakes and that junior level jump layout, beat her out for gold. Skate America: she loses to a newby, Kanako Murakami, at a "home" event, by 2 points. Being that she's a national champ, Olympian and veteran senior, you'd think the judges would have spotted her those 2 points in PCS or GOEs...nope.
not only that, but until the US ladies are consistently strong, even if they get 3 this year, will they retain 3 spots after the next worlds? it's not like it's the olympics next year already.
True. Rachael didn't do a grave injustice to US skating... the whole notion of the 3 spots vs 2 spots is a silly arguement since the spots need to be earned. If US Ladies didn't get it done, then tough.
skfan said:Mirai's smile most especially (what can i say, i'm shallow like that
Although, she faces tough competition against Alissa's megawatt-er.
aesthetics, my man, entirely subjective. to me there is something about alissa's smile...
aesthetics, my man, entirely subjective. to me there is something about alissa's smile that doesn't feel genuine, that makes me think she is smirking--my theory is alissa isn't actually relaxed, she's nervous, and so the smile doesn't come across as genuine. i know my reaction is not rational, it's not even common, and everyone who's met her swears she is an absolute angel, sweet as can be to her fans. i even believe everybody's account that she is a sweet, wonderful person in real life--i just can't help preferring programs where she doesn't smile as much.
there are some smiles i love, even without straight teeth, and there are some crest-commercial worthy smiles that i just... turn away from. that's all right though, i get all the kicks that you get from alissa's smile when i watch carolina kostner. LOL
Despite the physical risk she took, what happened to the three women on the podium at Nationals was the best thing for them:
1. Alissa gained confidence by placing fifth at Worlds. She basically has affirmation that she is among the best.
2. Rachael is getting a kick in the pants for finishing 12th not from us, but from her. She's gonna do all she can to get back what she had in 2010--maybe, as another poster put it, she needs to do more, instead of less (ie--attend school, skate, and do other things). she seems to thrive on a full plate.
3. Not going to Worlds is gonna make Mirai want it more.
Although, she faces tough competition against Alissa's megawatt-er.
Too funny! I have the exact opposite reaction to Alissa's smile. For me its all "Love Me! Please love me!" And while it makes me WANT to love her, I just can't. I just want to hug her and make her a PB & J with the crusts cut off.
I have a pathological need for my athletes to have swagger. I NEED that smirk and that innate confidence to root for them - to fight for the death for them. That demand that we not only love them - but that we have no choice in the matter.
Blue, on all counts I sincerely hope you are right. I also hope that while attending Stanford, Rachael finds another coach to work with her. She definately has a great base to work with - she just needs to pull it all together. Many skaters have been successful without instictive grace and natural line. There's no reason her technical ability should be ignored simply because she's not "pretty" on ice.
As for MiRai... she's got the complete package. Everything but the mental piece. I am praying its immaturity and not simply lack of will. Time will tell.
LOL you need the smirk, eh? why do i feel like i'm gonna strap on some pads and bang heads (with the opposing team) after reading your post?
well, i also love mirai. i was gonna say, may our joint hopes for mirai turn out better for mirai than they did for mk, but 5 world championships isn't too shabby.
but... because being a fan isn't mutually exclusive with being a nit-picker, i must ask, do you find mirai's layback aesthetically perfect as is? i find the back position and leg turn out as well as foot position not-quite-ideal. i feel since i dared to question the gospel of alissa's perfect smile on this board where mathman is king, (i must be on a roll LOL) that i can also question the perfection of mirai's layback--centered, fast, showing great flexibility, but no where near as beautiful as even ashley wagner's, much less angela nikodinov's.
to me there is something about alissa's smile that doesn't feel genuine
You're right. Then again, I feel that way about most, if not all, skaters.
But I don't think it's fair to use that to deduce that Czisny has no determination or fight. IMO, it was clear that she did after her fall at Worlds.
Save the smiles and pretty posing for the Gala.