State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17

[Osmond4gold]

If the team event was going to be held this week, Canada would win. However, the Olympics are still 9 months away.

Canada had better results across all 4 disciplines at 2013 Worlds though and Russia still won the Olympic team gold a year later.

It's anyone's guess at this point in time.

Gravy to be fair, both Kaetlyn and Kevin were lowballed in the Team event, thus ensuring Canada would not obtain Team Gold in 2014. Just go back and look at KO's Team SP performance or Kevin's skate off with Plushy, for a whatda :eeking: just happened, moment.

We are not in Sochi anymore!

 

[stella luna]

It was a figure of speech; I meant adult, grown up. I am probably the last one on this forum who would comment on someone's weight. Guess the saying is politically incorrect these days.

I may have taken this wrong but I read you saying 'Gracie's a big girl' as if you were commenting on her weight. If thats the case, then that's not cool and I don't want to go down this road again- I've said what I needed to say on how inappropriate it is to comment on skaters weights. However if you meant it as in she's an adult who doesn't need fans worrying about her then I'm sorry for my reaction.

 

[stella luna]

I'd never heard that about Nancy before. Eating disorders are serious and the term shouldn't be used lightly.

She was heavier than her normal all last season. I don't think it's inappropriate to comment on it. When your body is your art, better to do your best to keep it fit. And let's not go down the eating disorder topic. That will just remind me of Nancy claiming she had an eating disorder because the couple of weeks before the Olympics in 1994 she wasn't eating well.... Gag. What a slap in the face to people who actually do deal with an ED. Nancy, being stressed out and training hard for a few weeks before the biggest event of your lifetime causing you to not eat a full plate of roast beef, potatoes, and greens does not an eating disorder make. *eyeroll*

 

[LiamForeman]

I'd never heard that about Nancy before. Eating disorders are serious and the term shouldn't be used lightly.

Here is the article, and I am glad she is doing a video about EDs. But to then say that she couldn't eat for a couple of weeks after being stressed out is just a slap in the face to real EDers. That's like saying "I lost both my parents in an auto accident and couldn't eat for weeks. I also suffered from an ED." Nope, not even close. Surprised that article didn't show up here.

http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/04/12/nancy-kerrigan-eating-disorder/

 

[Heleng]

And Polina made the JGPF that season. That helped her case quite a bit. Polina was seen as an up and comer, while Mirai was seen as a former superstar on her way down. Mirai has to do well in the GP this coming season and it would help if she could make the GPF or at least make the alternate list. It is not enough to do well at a Challenge event where most of the competitors would never even make it to Worlds.

Would the same not be true for Ashley? (Or for any of the other top US ladies?)

 

[stella luna]

Thanks for posting. Yep, people struggle with eating disorders for years. And it sounds like Nancy's problem was external stress, not because she wanted or felt like she had to be thinner.

Here is the article, and I am glad she is doing a video about EDs. But to then say that she couldn't eat for a couple of weeks after being stressed out is just a slap in the face to real EDers. That's like saying "I lost both my parents in an auto accident and couldn't eat for weeks. I also suffered from an ED." Nope, not even close. Surprised that article didn't show up here.

http://olympics.nbcsports.com/2017/04/12/nancy-kerrigan-eating-disorder/

 

[Seren]

Eating disorders are complicated. They can occur for a variety of reasons and you can't know that someone does or doesn't have one. And they are not always about being thinner. I had an eating disorder and as it evolved it stopped being about weight- weight was just the mechanism I could use to ignore the real problem. The reason I am so sensitive about commenting on skaters weights is because of how powerful that commentary can be. Gracie in no way has a weight problem. She is not in her best competitive shape right now of which I'm sure she's aware but the way people talk about her is not cool. Gracie has made changes to help her career so far this spring and I admire her for it.

What I don't want is for young skaters to hear comments like "Gracie gained weight- gaining weight is bad" and take that to heart.

Moving on...

I think there is a definite power vacuum in the US ladies ranks- there are several skaters who have good qualities who could put it all together this year. I'm interested to see if Karen and Mariah can continue their success, if Gracie can get her groove back, if Mirai puts out her 3A, and if Ashley can rekindle what she had last year. I think the lack of a clear #1 will be very motivating.

 

[KatGrace1925]

Three face smacks for three spots ... Don't know if that was on purpose. But if Gracie comes back guns blazing and can get one of those spots, good for her and good for U.S. figure skating!

She will.

 

[Nathan13]

She will.

I hope she brings back Firebird. It would be a perfect storyline for her this season.

 

[truthbooth]

Any idea what's going on with Polina Edmunds?

 

[KatGrace1925]

I hope she brings back Firebird. It would be a perfect storyline for her this season.

It would be, maybe as an EX, I doubt she would bring back a long program.

 

[chuckm]

Mirai has to do well in the GP this coming season and it would help if she could make the GPF or at least make the alternate list.

Would the same not be true for Ashley? (Or for any of the other top US ladies?)

It's more important for Mirai, because she's performed poorly in the GP for the past three years, while Ashley has won at least one gold medal every year for the past three years, and won a GPF medal for two of the past 3 years.

Ashley had a disappointing season, with a gold medal at SA but a 6th place at CoC, and no GPF, before a lackluster 7th place finish at Worlds. Fortunately for Ashley, no one else had an overwhelmingly great season last year.

Gracie self-destructed after 2016 Worlds in a cloud of depression.

Polina remained off the ice with her injury.

Karen Chen started the season well with a bronze medal at the US International Classic, then was 7th and 5th in the GP and 7th at Golden Spin before winning the US Championship; she was 12th at 4CC before she finished 4th at Worlds.

Mariah Bell started her season with silver at the US International Classic, bronze at Nepela, and silver at SA. Then she was 4th at the Tallinn Challenge before her bronze at US Nationals. In her first major internationals, she was 6th at 4CC and 12th at Worlds.

Mirai's season started and ended with medals: bronze at Lombardia, gold at SC International Classic, 9th place at Skate Canada, 5th place at NHK, 4th place at US Nationals, and bronze at 4CC.

All of the ladies are vulnerable, including Ashley, but remember in the Olympic season what will count in the end is the BODY OF WORK which includes the current season and events going back to Nationals 2016, which includes Ashley's World silver medal.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

All of the ladies are vulnerable, including Ashley, but remember in the Olympic season what will count in the end is the BODY OF WORK which includes the current season and events going back to Nationals 2016, which includes Ashley's World silver medal.

I actually think everyone is starting from the same place at this point. Unless someone has a top-notch 2017 GP season, "body of work" won't be invoked and the USFSA will go with the top 3 at Nationals. Karen's top results match Gracie's last year, and Gracie couldn't get on the team on the basis of those. I also don't think Ashley's WSM will have any impact on the selection process, since she has had a undeniable dip in form since. If someone makes the GPF, that would help their case because that will be a huge achievement next season with the depth of international competition.

 

[Nathan13]

It would be, maybe as an EX, I doubt she would bring back a long program.

At one point in an interview I remember her saying that she thought Firebird may come back some day because of how much she loved it. Perhaps she did mean as an EX.

 

[andromache]

I think now that she's left Frank and presumably Lori, it's unlikely she will bring back Firebird.

(It's a shame we will never see Daphnis et Chloe skated to its full potential, though maybe Lori should reuse it for Tessa Hong? Lol. Really had the potential to be a masterpiece of a program, but not for Gracie. Tessa really seems like more of a Lori Nichol skater.)

 

[geige]

I think now that she's left Frank and presumably Lori, it's unlikely she will bring back Firebird.

(It's a shame we will never see Daphnis et Chloe skated to its full potential, though maybe Lori should reuse it for Tessa Hong? Lol. Really had the potential to be a masterpiece of a program, but not for Gracie. Tessa really seems like more of a Lori Nichol skater.)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks this! I LOVE Daphnis et Chloe, and I feel that, if skated well, it could outdo Firebird. I just didn't like the costume that much :/

 

[Seren]

I think now that she's left Frank and presumably Lori, it's unlikely she will bring back Firebird.

(It's a shame we will never see Daphnis et Chloe skated to its full potential, though maybe Lori should reuse it for Tessa Hong? Lol. Really had the potential to be a masterpiece of a program, but not for Gracie. Tessa really seems like more of a Lori Nichol skater.)

I thought Daphnis et Chloe had the potential to be a lovely program too.

 

[Ice Dance]

If we can't look at Mirai's entire career and know that she typically peaks late in the season after the GP, then I don't know what the point is of looking at "body of work."

If we can't look at Karen and Mariah's careers and know that they are capable of bombing and of great scores in consecutive events, then I don't know what the point is of looking at "body of work."

If we can't look at Ashley and know that she tends to win early on the GP, has the ability to get onto the podium when you count her out at the GPF, has only once made the world podium at home, and is as close to a rock as we have had over the past quad, then I don't know what the point is of looking at "body of work."

If we can't look at Gracie and know that she doesn't lead well, has serious scoring potential and the ability to pull up & cover a lot of ground in the free, and is fully capable of bombing, then I don't know what the point is of looking at "body of work."

I really hope they just choose the ladies who are best at U.S. Nationals. When, in the past ten years, has there been any evidence that this is a worse idea than choosing the team based on the GP?

 

[Skater Boy]

Mirai has to do well in the GP this coming season and it would help if she could make the GPF or at least make the alternate list.





It's more important for Mirai, because she's performed poorly in the GP for the past three years, while Ashley has won at least one gold medal every year for the past three years, and won a GPF medal for two of the past 3 years.

Ashley had a disappointing season, with a gold medal at SA but a 6th place at CoC, and no GPF, before a lackluster 7th place finish at Worlds. Fortunately for Ashley, no one else had an overwhelmingly great season last year.

Gracie self-destructed after 2016 Worlds in a cloud of depression.

Polina remained off the ice with her injury.

Karen Chen started the season well with a bronze medal at the US International Classic, then was 7th and 5th in the GP and 7th at Golden Spin before winning the US Championship; she was 12th at 4CC before she finished 4th at Worlds.

Mariah Bell started her season with silver at the US International Classic, bronze at Nepela, and silver at SA. Then she was 4th at the Tallinn Challenge before her bronze at US Nationals. In her first major internationals, she was 6th at 4CC and 12th at Worlds.

Mirai's season started and ended with medals: bronze at Lombardia, gold at SC International Classic, 9th place at Skate Canada, 5th place at NHK, 4th place at US Nationals, and bronze at 4CC.

All of the ladies are vulnerable, including Ashley, but remember in the Olympic season what will count in the end is the BODY OF WORK which includes the current season and events going back to Nationals 2016, which includes Ashley's World silver medal.

Can you imagine if Mirai was fourth and Ashley was third at next year's nationals??? Oh the drama! Trauma!

 

[narcissa]

I really hope they just choose the ladies who are best at U.S. Nationals. When, in the past ten years, has there been any evidence that this is a worse idea than choosing the team based on the GP?

They almost always do so we'll never know, I guess?