- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I don't think it's a good policy to award Worlds slots to skaters simply because you feel sorry for then.
State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
I don't think it's a good policy to award Worlds slots to skaters simply because you feel sorry for then.
- Joined
- Nov 20, 2015
I wish they could have a skate off including Gracie with Mariah, Mirai, Karen all skating like two weeks out from Worlds and two strongest go. Might as well include Caroline, and probably Caroline Zhang. Make it six ladies all long programs and lay it all out on the table. The cards might fall exactly as they are, just feeling really nervous about retaining two spots on the shoulders of Mariah and KAren.
TSL suggested this years ago.
My only concern is that peaking at the skat off does not mean they will maintain the same level 2 wks later at Worlds.
Just look at Julia Lipnitskaia and how she skated at Team and Individual competition in Sochi.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
Based on what I saw at 4CC I'm seriously worried about the US retaining 3 spots for next year...
I'm not worried at all. I'd be worried if there were a remote chance of keeping 3 spots, but there isn't. The USFSA tarnished Ashley by singling her out for underrotations and scoring her PCS lower than she earned in Boston. Those calls were overlooked for virtually every other skater; Caroline Z had a clear << on the second 3Lo from the combo in the LP that received full credit. If they want to artificially inflate scores for unproven skaters then they have to face the consequences. Coming in as the national champ clearly helped Karen's PCS, as her disastrous SP scored within a point of Gabby's well executed program. But that PCS bump will be short lived if she doesn't skate a lot better.
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2011
Skate off? ...They did that already...it was called Nationals 
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I'd add that Nationals most closely resembles the pressure-filled situation of Worlds, so I think it is an effective enough skate off.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
Gracie should not be included. I love her but she is done this season, she needed to be done so she could close the book here and move on. I can very easily she her being great next year, but there is no chance she would be remotely ready by worlds.
I was surprised that Mariah got a SB in her SP with two jumping mistakes (doubling her 3T in the combo and a wonky flip landing). So if she had been clean here, she would be up with the top 3.
I'm concerned about Mirai's loop - she two foots and stumbles out of it when she's nervous and it used to be her best jump besides the 2 axel. I hope she and Tom work on fixing that habit b/c it marred an otherwise lovely program.
If Mirai and Mariah have good long programs and Elizabet or Mai falter in their FS, either one of them could grab bronze here.
I'm concerned about Mirai's loop - she two foots and stumbles out of it when she's nervous and it used to be her best jump besides the 2 axel. I hope she and Tom work on fixing that habit b/c it marred an otherwise lovely program.
If Mirai and Mariah have good long programs and Elizabet or Mai falter in their FS, either one of them could grab bronze here.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Eh, I don't see Ashley as tarnished in the least - she wasn't tarnished by her mediocre performances at Nationals last year. I think she's been around long enough and has had enough ups and downs that what she does at Nationals doesn't really change how she will be viewed internationally.
Karen got some help at Nationals to become champion, but I don't see any inflation/deflation having impacted the final team. The US ladies are just in bad place this year, all around.
When Mirai got on the ice for her LP at Nationals, she had total control of her own destiny. Mariah Bell made mistakes, Ashley made mistakes, awful Gracie, no Polina, and Mirai was 2nd after the SP. She had to skate as well as Mariah Bell did in her LP (which wasn't outstanding or perfect), or even only a little worse. The Worlds spot was hers and she lost it.
Mariah is a fighter and I trust her with Raf. She'll be stronger next year. She could place high enough at Worlds to help Ashley keep the spots. Idk.
Karen Chen is such a wild card, and it kills me. She's got it all, and she's got youth on her side. But her issues with consistency (which idk, to me seem to have more to do with technique than with any sort of mental junk, unlike Gracie) have persisted. She needs more control over those jumps. And what was up with the missed levels here??
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I agree. Gracie needs some uninterrupted training time to regain her jumps. If she has a strong GP season, she could easily find herself in the mix competing for the OGM. Realistically, Gracie is our only hope for a medal of any color in the women's Olympic event.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2015
I think someone said this before already - if the US loses 3 spots, then so be it. It just means the current top ladies weren't good enough. Would I be sad to see only 2 US ladies next year? Yes and very much so. But if it happens, then for a reason. I don't think it would be right to leave behind skaters who rightfully earned their place in the team, just because of the "we need to maintain 3 spots at all costs" logic.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I do. If, for example, Mirai were a reigning world medalist and finished 4th at Nationals, I'd have her on the team and bump Mariah. However, there is no group of three skaters that can get us three spots anyway, so you might as well pick the three best finishers.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2015
Well, yes I do agree with it and if the scenario you mentioned would be the case then sure. I was thinking more in the context of this year since there is no waterproof alternative here. I mean I love Mirai as much as the next person, but sadly she's been hit and miss for a whole season.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Ehh, I wonder if the skaters themselves disagree because of next year being an Olympic year. Going to Olympics >>>>>>>>> Going to Worlds.
ETA: But as has been pointed out, there's really no combination of ladies that will have a better chance at securing 3 spots than any other combination. We have Ashley and two wild cards. Ashley plus any other 2 ladies - including Mirai and/or Gracie - is still Ashley and two wild cards.
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- Joined
- Aug 29, 2016
USFSA singled out Ashley? no no no.. if anything she was overscored... They did not even call her clearly underrotated double axel and triple-triple.
Agreed.
They all had 60%-70% of their underroated jumps called out at Nationals this year. This applies to all top skaters. It's a way to let skaters know "work on your underroations" and not being too brutal on their TES.
You can't just compare one skater's one jump with "<" with another skater's jump without "<".
Because for the same skater, you have underrotated jumps that did not get called out.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I don't think Ashley was underscored. I think everyone else was overscored, probably Ashley too a bit.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
Karens jumps were examined by Skating Protocol, as were all the other girls, Karen rotated all her jumps at nationals. She has issues in the past by at nationals she got the jumps round.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
I think she has only ever had the 3/3 ratified at Nationals as a senior. I know this season she didn't have any internationally. But we'll just have to wait and see how the international panels view her jumps when she actually lands them.
- Joined
- Apr 4, 2016
She was higher on that second triple than have seen her ever do at nationals. It's really the weakest point of her skating when she is on.
