U.S. Ladies Prediction & Speculation Thread
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
So how does it work then if she's aiming to do 3lz-3lo? She can't do 2 flips, 2 lutzes, and 2 loops!
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2009
Oh, I guess if Rachael hits 3lz-3lo, then she changes the solo 3lo to a 2a.
Have you guys already seen this? Aunt Joyce's website linked it. Anyway, sounds like Ashley's season is off to a slow start, too - illness. However, she says her jumps feel great. Ashley seems like one of the most normal people in figure skating. I kind wish she had told her boyfriend to get out the way though. Kinda weird to watch him flopping around on the bed behind her why she talks.
http://www.universalsports.com/vide...1243208.html#vlog+part+another+setback+ashley
http://www.universalsports.com/vide...1243208.html#vlog+part+another+setback+ashley
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Boyfriend?
If I'm not mistaken that's her brother!
Oh.
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She must be a nice big sister. Or little sister, whatever. If it had been me I definitely would have kicked my sister out
:bummer. Maybe if you go to Aunt Joyce's and click on the link it will work. Anyway, she says she was ill for a long time, two weeks, I think and that because of that she couldn't prepare properly for Neblehorn and dropped out. And that she went to champions camp, whatever that is, and that Adam Rippon is her best buddy. And that she feels comfortable with her jumps, which is very nice to hear.
Oh, also, she says she feel like her coach Priscilla is like her second mom, which is also nice to hear.
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- Joined
- Feb 17, 2007
Thank you, but it's telling me I have to download something. I'm not sure I want to do that. :think:
but it's telling me I have to download something. I'm not sure I want to do that. :think:
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
From the USA Ladies I am waitng for something like this:
After her performance, a reporter for the London Observer wrote: “Janet Lynn’s free skating was one of those rare occasions when sport is lifted into the realms of art. She did not win a Gold medal, but that is only because the world is an unjust place. There is a moment in her program . . . when she suddenly moves backwards so that her blonde hair flies forward and her arms are outstretched and she is indeed a young girl in love with the world. She would say she is thanking God for so much happiness. Those who watch her can make of it what they will, knowing only that it is supremely beautiful.”
Did this end with Michelle and Sasha, coincidentily the last of our 6.0 skaters?
I think Alissa is capable of producing great moments of beauty on the ice. Caroline has the potential and maybe Ashley too - but at the moment the one who comes closest for me to showing that special spark is Mirai.
But does this even matter under the IJS? Frank Carroll has said that being different, being precious does not matter as much anymore and that hitting a level, whether it is beautiful or not has become more important.
“I hate sitting down and getting a concept of a program with numbers in front of me ... rather than what the music tells you. If you want to do a swooping movement that's really glorious, you can't take the time to do it because you're losing points by wasting the time.”
Frank Carroll
After her performance, a reporter for the London Observer wrote: “Janet Lynn’s free skating was one of those rare occasions when sport is lifted into the realms of art. She did not win a Gold medal, but that is only because the world is an unjust place. There is a moment in her program . . . when she suddenly moves backwards so that her blonde hair flies forward and her arms are outstretched and she is indeed a young girl in love with the world. She would say she is thanking God for so much happiness. Those who watch her can make of it what they will, knowing only that it is supremely beautiful.”
Did this end with Michelle and Sasha, coincidentily the last of our 6.0 skaters?
I think Alissa is capable of producing great moments of beauty on the ice. Caroline has the potential and maybe Ashley too - but at the moment the one who comes closest for me to showing that special spark is Mirai.
But does this even matter under the IJS? Frank Carroll has said that being different, being precious does not matter as much anymore and that hitting a level, whether it is beautiful or not has become more important.
“I hate sitting down and getting a concept of a program with numbers in front of me ... rather than what the music tells you. If you want to do a swooping movement that's really glorious, you can't take the time to do it because you're losing points by wasting the time.”
Frank Carroll
You bring up an interesting point, Janetfan: it's possible that CoP is hardest on the coaches and the choreographers. They have to be mathematicians, and imagine that kind of straightjacket on a choreographer of, say, ballet or Broadway. Not what they're built for.
But remember YuNa and Mao. Did you read the incredible blog entry that someone posted here (in one of the YuNa threads) about a non-skating-fan's reaction to the Olympic free skate given by both YuNa and Mao? That magic was definitely present this year, and that gives me hope for the future, though the CoP might have to be tweaked considerably to make more room for such a thing. Here's hoping!
Edit: That post is in the YuNa News thread, post 1384, I think. Do check it out if you haven't. It's a long post, but every word is worth reading.
But remember YuNa and Mao. Did you read the incredible blog entry that someone posted here (in one of the YuNa threads) about a non-skating-fan's reaction to the Olympic free skate given by both YuNa and Mao? That magic was definitely present this year, and that gives me hope for the future, though the CoP might have to be tweaked considerably to make more room for such a thing. Here's hoping!
Edit: That post is in the YuNa News thread, post 1384, I think. Do check it out if you haven't. It's a long post, but every word is worth reading.
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- Joined
- May 15, 2009
Hmmm......I also saw a quote from Frank about Yuna - but did not post it. His comments were very interesting and might surprise a few fans.
From an article at the MK Forum:
This led respected coach Frank Carroll to question Wednesday whether gold-medal favorite Kim Yu-Na of South Korea deserves a place alongside the pantheon of great female skaters such as Kwan.
"Unfortunately with the new system she hasn’t had time to develop the charisma and the legendary thing skaters of the past had," Carroll said after the free skate practice. "So she will be known as one of the great technical skaters."
Not sure if I agree with him about the "charisma" comment. But I think I see what Frank is getting at. Wilson is a fine CoP choreographer - but if we watch Christina now it is like watching a clone of Yuna - minus the speed and power.
Frank is also suggesting that when we think of Yuna we think of a 3x3.
When we think of Michelle - well our thoughts might be much different about why we loved her skating so much.
I can even see similarities to Yuna watching Adam Rippon skate. Is this Wilson's fault - or is it the demands of CoP?
I recall remarks from Chen-Lu where she had mixed feelings about CoP. She said "they are all doing the same thing and individuality has been lost.
Doesn't it feel ironic that a skater from communist China is asking for less conformity and more individuality? :think:
ETA: If this feels OT I would add that my expectation from the USA Ladies is to show some originality.
I have no desire to see "mini-Yunas" or "mini-Maos" skating for USA. Something different would be preferable but I wonder if that is possible under this system.
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Your point is valid. After all, many of us love Michelle and/or Sasha, but we don't want to see endless imitations of them. Speaking for myself, I was extremely excited to see YuNa and Mao come along because they brought beauty out of skating as Michelle and YuNa did, but neither of them was a retread of anyone else. Similarly, the next bunch shouldn't be repackagings of YuNa and Mao.
Another example: When I mention my four all-time top favorite guys--John Curry, Kurt Browning, Paul Wylie, and Alexei Yagudin (given chronologically, not in order of preference)--it's easy to see that none of them fits into the skate tracks of any of the others. Their very originality is what helped inspire my devotion to them. I only hope that the future of skating will give us diversity and splendidness of this level, in all four disciplines.
Another example: When I mention my four all-time top favorite guys--John Curry, Kurt Browning, Paul Wylie, and Alexei Yagudin (given chronologically, not in order of preference)--it's easy to see that none of them fits into the skate tracks of any of the others. Their very originality is what helped inspire my devotion to them. I only hope that the future of skating will give us diversity and splendidness of this level, in all four disciplines.
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
My choice of Men is similar but I have Boitano in place of Wylie.
Back to the US Ladies, here is what I am talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKcM3pYLQ4A
The way the clip ends with Michelle is nice - but I hope it is not really the end.
What a lovely video, Janetfan. Floskate does some wonderful videos, including this splendid one of Katherine Healy, never a competitive contender but certainly someone who brought a special beauty of line and position to skating. When Sasha Cohen showed up, I thought of her as Katherine Healy with jumps. See why:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_QhuJrDVW0
It's so wonderful to see all the American champions in one gorgeous parade. Especially haunting was that splendid, quick moment of Laurence Owen. What a skater she would have been, had she survived. That's the marvel of YouTube University--you get to see the world laid out before you. I never in my life thought I'd get to see Laurence Owen in action.
And as you say, it's especially lovely to watch Kwan grow up before our eyes. That row of sixes, the memories of each program, the tearful ending...definitely drives home what an anchor she has been in the history of American skating.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_QhuJrDVW0
It's so wonderful to see all the American champions in one gorgeous parade. Especially haunting was that splendid, quick moment of Laurence Owen. What a skater she would have been, had she survived. That's the marvel of YouTube University--you get to see the world laid out before you. I never in my life thought I'd get to see Laurence Owen in action.
And as you say, it's especially lovely to watch Kwan grow up before our eyes. That row of sixes, the memories of each program, the tearful ending...definitely drives home what an anchor she has been in the history of American skating.
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I am learning!
Thanks to GS posters. I would never heard of Katherine Healy or John Curry if it were not for this forum.My thought. Without jumps, nobody can compete and nobody can judge those performances without any jumps. But look at Shae-Lynn Bourne as thouh Katherine Healy is beautiful too.
Shae-Lynn is great at shows without any jumps or spirals and even without a dancing partner. What a great dancing!(modern dancing) Will today's audience be able to enjoy a few other Katherines or Shae-Lynns or John Currys? Will they pay for them? I know some figure fans don't like overall show skating but if there are quality ice shows which could amaze everybody? People like variety - great jumps from some skaters and great acting from others...
OK, on topic. I think Agnes Zawadzki can be a strong competitor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rkjdRcOpvI&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Tjhu9R9ddVU/
Relatively tall but has a good height when jumping.
- Joined
- May 15, 2009
I am learning!
My thought. Without jumps, nobody can compete and nobody can judge those performances without any jumps. But look at Shae-Lynn Bourne as thouh Katherine Healy is beautiful too.
Shae-Lynn is great at shows without any jumps or spirals and even without a dancing partner. What a great dancing!(modern dancing) Will today's audience be able to enjoy a few other Katherines or Shae-Lynns or John Currys? Will they pay for them? I know some figure fans don't like overall show skating but if there are quality ice shows which could amaze everybody? People like variety - great jumps from some skaters and great acting from others...
OK, on topic. I think Agnes Zawadzki can be a strong competitor.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rkjdRcOpvI&feature=player_embedded#!
http://www.tudou.com/programs/view/Tjhu9R9ddVU/
Relatively tall but has a good height when jumping.
Olympia - thanks for sharing that wonderful Katherine Healy clip!
And Sunny makes some very good points - although John Curry was a very good and very reliable jumper or he would not have become Olympic champion).
Katerina Gordeeva was another skater who I loved to see in any type performance and even though she could jump she didn't need to for us to see how special she was.
Here is a little clip of Katherine Healy skating to choreo by John Curry. The end caught my attention as we see Sasha's split jump, followed by Janet's turns and ending with a beautiful spin so reminiscent Peggy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_FafLL1Dnc&p=31B11433C5755159&playnext=1&index=48
ETA: Katherine's costume was also designed by Curry
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I just watched an interview with Curry on YouTube, in which he made the same point that you make in tiny print, janetfan--that he knew that he wouldn't be taken seriously as a skater unless he fulfilled all the requirements, and he kept up with the jumps and other aspects of competitive skating. For a while, Curry studied with Gustave Lussi, a premier jump and spin coach. Besides being a great triple jumper, Curry was one of the last skaters (except for Kwan herself) who spun in both directions, which you'll see him doing in his Olympic long program. Curry also believed that the best jumping was with the smallest preparation time. So he didn't skate a long trail across the ice before springing into a lutz. His lutz just came out of nowhere.
By comparison, Kathryn Healy went pro at the early age of fourteen or so--about the time of that charming John Curry video. She wasn't interested in the competitive aspects of skating at all. That's why Sasha is so marvelous to me: she has a dancer's sense of position and body placement but can do triples and combinations.
Sunny, like you, I hope that pro skating and show skating finds more venues again, so audiences can enjoy people like Gordeyeva, a gorgeous skater without jumps. This applies to our topic because I think only if American ladies can become really accomplished internationally will American audiences get interested enough in skating to make TV broadcasting of "extra" shows worthwhile to producers. So I really hope that Gao and the other up-and-comers can revive the dynasty! The general American public seems unimpressed with men's champions, ice dancers, or pairs. Ask anyone who won the Olympic silver ice dancing medal or even the Olympic men's gold, and most people will look at you blankly. But everyone knows Dorothy Hamill.
By comparison, Kathryn Healy went pro at the early age of fourteen or so--about the time of that charming John Curry video. She wasn't interested in the competitive aspects of skating at all. That's why Sasha is so marvelous to me: she has a dancer's sense of position and body placement but can do triples and combinations.
Sunny, like you, I hope that pro skating and show skating finds more venues again, so audiences can enjoy people like Gordeyeva, a gorgeous skater without jumps. This applies to our topic because I think only if American ladies can become really accomplished internationally will American audiences get interested enough in skating to make TV broadcasting of "extra" shows worthwhile to producers. So I really hope that Gao and the other up-and-comers can revive the dynasty! The general American public seems unimpressed with men's champions, ice dancers, or pairs. Ask anyone who won the Olympic silver ice dancing medal or even the Olympic men's gold, and most people will look at you blankly. But everyone knows Dorothy Hamill.
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