That was the worst SP ever for US women (OG)

[Manitou]

By the way, I couldn't help but notice last night that the skater representing Slovakia was from New York, the skater representing Brazil was from (the U.S. state of) Georgia, the skater representing Finland was from Tennessee and the skater representing Switzerland was from Connecticut.

And Kazachstan from Toronto....

 

[narcissa]

And Kazachstan from Toronto....

No, she trains in Toronto. She's from Moscow.

 

[Manitou]

And Kazachstan from Toronto....

.. and Germany from Ukraine and France.
Time for Yulia to come to Poland, change name to Julia Lipnicka and be guaranteed Olympic participation for life.

 

[narcissa]

Find an international star that you like (may I recommend Kaori Matsamoto?) and follow that person's career. :yes:

Kaori...Sakamoto? Or are you talking about the judo star?

 

[Mathman]

Kaori...Sakamoto? Or are you talking about the judo star?

:

 

[jenaj]

^Not when they were skating at their best. Hanyu was scoring >30 points below his PB at that time. Rachel Flatt beat Yuna Kim during 2010 season. I didn't see people screeching about Flatt back then.

Again, context matters.

Nathan was skating 20 points below his personal best too when he beat Hanyu. He also beat Hanyu at Four Continents last year with both scoring over 300 points. Rachael Flatt never beat Yuna Kim. She did win the long program against her, once. But comparing Nathan to Rachael Flatt--really?

 

[Mathman]

Hard to do when your jumps are huge and not pre-rotated.

Very hard to do. But that's what she must do, even so.

 

[Grin]

And then just compare it with the content which Trusova tried today: two quads and three 3-3's. This is where the difference is.
Though I have to say I feel a bit uncomfortable watching those Sasha's quads, because of how dangerous it is.

It can be a winning strategy for the US. If they get Nugumanova or other 10th-12th Russian junior lady and hype her as they hyped Tennel, she could become major contender in a few years.

 

[avalyn]

At the end of the day I just enjoy great skating, regardless of nationality, so that helps in continuing to be invested and enjoying following the sport. I got into watching skating through Yuna Kim, not a US skater. Currently rooting most for Satoko and her beautiful detailed skating
I read someone speculate that the recession might not have helped get US skaters to the top. I think FS is kinda inaccessible for the average family.

 

[Blades of Passion]

This was not unexpected for the US women. Even a typical clean SP from Tennell or a miraculously clean SP from Chen would have kept them out of the final flight.

Chen could have made it, look at the PCS she got with a huge mistake. Doing a good GOE 3Lutz+3Toe and 3Loop, expected PCS increase for a perfect performance, and she's hitting 74.

 

[Tolstoj]

It can be a winning strategy for the US. If they get Nugumanova or other 10th-12th Russian junior lady and hype her as they hyped Tennel, she could become major contender in a few years.

Nugumanova in US would be easily seen as the next Sasha Cohen, and she would get great programs by top-class choreographers.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Nugumanova in US would be easily seen as the next Sasha Cohen, and she would get great programs by top-class choreographers.

Please make this happen!!!

 

[JSM]

I feel like (many/most of) the US ladies aren't getting the early intense training needed to compete at the level of the current leaders of the field. A lot of parents of talented skaters are not willing to/able to take their young child out of school, relocate to a training hub, and pay the insane amount of money needed for proper coaching/off ice/choreography/sports psychology/dance/ice time/etc that is needed to get to that high level. I'm not sure if it's due to the recession, cultural issues, or other factors, but the current methods of growing skaters in the US won't produce an Olympic ladies champion. We will have elite, internationally competitive skaters, but not OGM caliber skaters.

 

[Tigerlily87]

I could be completely off about this one, but I just don’t think that it’s the cool thing to be a lady single skater in the USA anymore. Little girls are going up now to want to do either other sports or they’re seeing more options like ice dance or pairs.

 

[Grin]

Please make this happen!!!

Call her parents, do the 1st step ^^

 

[VenusHalley]

. Quote Originally Posted by el henry View Post
Dear heavens, a medal is *that* important?

I do not follow the ladies. I don’t care if 85 Russians medal, 85 Americans medal, or if 85 Chileans medal. It says nothing about the country, about the people, or about anything. Except that they have 85 good skaters.

For the disciplines I do follow, I care if skaters I like are happy with their results. if the skills thatI value are not valued by the judging system, so be it. I’m not going to change my favorites based on medals, sheesh, that would be pretty silly

And for the skaters I like, I care if they do well for their sake, I care if their skills are valued for their sake, and I care if they develop into happy, healthy well-rounded adults with lives to live after skating. Which no amount of world medals will make right. ( c.f. Christopher Bowman. I adored his skating back in the day. And if fewer World medals and a more balanced existence would have driven his demons away, then to heck with medals And no, there is no proof would have. But as an example of the ultimate non-importance of it all...)

Just my opinion - - end of el henry's post

I hate it when NBC announces the medal count. Honestly I don't care which country wins the most medals. That is not what the Olympics is about.

I am from small country with bad history.... and I hate that each time one of our hard working athletes medal, every last loser acts like it's their doing. No, it is not. It's usually an individual that worked hard, sometimes against the odds.

Maybe not having top contenders born on the same piece of dirt (or... holding the same passport) as me makes the sport more enjoyable for me, because I can root for individuals cause I like their style. And I can be free to like one skaters from the country and not like the other skater from the same country so much.


PEOPLE, this is Olympics. It should be about the individual athletes, nations coming TOGETHER. Not some extension of cold war or battlefield of the hybrid warfare.

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

Evgenia is a 2 time World Champion whos UR and wrong edge on her Lutz has been ignored for 2 years. And you're still missing my point. Karen Chen should be receiving equal, "inflated", PCS if Zagitova were to receive such thing. And you're (like many others before) mentioning the "medals" but failed to explain where in the rule book it says winning medals = rise in PCS.

Not medals but clean skates. Inconsistency has been a huge problem for the American ladies. If they cannot skate clean they cannot expect to beat the ladies who do, even when PCS judging is accurate. I'd have a slightly flawed Karen's PCS above a clean Alina, but not enough to make up the difference in tech. I agree that if Karen skates clean she should have it, but she never skates clean so the discussion can never happen.

 

[Osmond4gold]

Do you think Eteri's approach would work in the North America? Parents tend to be very involved here and I've always got the impression that Eteri frowns on that.

She is Seinfeld's Soup Chef of skating. And given the state of the limited skating careers for Russian ladies at this moment, why would NA adopt same? Who would want to be 18 and done? I don't think the names of Kostner, Asada, Kim, Rochette, Wagner or even Osmond, is the standard Eteri is looking for, nor would she be great at coaching such an elite field in their peak.

 

[moonvine]

Where in the ISU rule book does it say winning events = rise in the PCS? Which criteria does it specify that winning medals is a bullet point for earning points in the PCS? This is favoritism.

It doesn't, but judges are human, and that's the way it works out. You can't write human nature into a rule book. If you could this sport would be much less controversial.

 

[charlotte14]

Hard to do when your jumps are huge and not pre-rotated.

The rules need to change to stop giving out so much GOE to Medvedeva quality jumps and to examine those jump takeoffs more closely. Her double axel is 0 or +1 GOE quality at best, her other jumps are never deserving of a +3, and her combos should be getting a < call at times.

Osmond also PR, so does Daleman. They're not really consistent.

Satoko PR hell a lot. And she is consistent.