2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[concorde]

It would be pretty cruel to invite Courtney or Bradie to Champ Camps, tell one of them they have SA, have them train for it for months only to snatch it away at the last minute.

The two of them have earn a chance at that spot by competing early and doing their best. Polina must do the same.

Agreed. When I wrote that comment, I was thinking that Polina might have it on paper but she would be told she had to prove it or it would be re-assigned to someone else.

The reality is no one should be training for months since Nationals is about 5-6 weeks after SA. I expect that any skater training for Nationals and would view a last minute GP assignment as a wonderful surprise bonus.

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

YOU GUYS LOOK AT MIRAI'S 3A SHE JUST UPLOADED ON INSTAGRAM

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXF8US6nBnC/?taken-by=mirainagasu

That was my response too when I first saw it on her Instagram!

Don't care, UR or no that 3A was a beauty on first watch!! It looks GORGEOUS and the first time she does that in competition I'm going to jump for joy and dance a jig!! :hap93::hap85:

 

[Bluediamonds09]

So, Karen and Caroline are way ahead of the other skaters at glacier falls. hoping the best for both this season. It'd be awesome if Caroline gets a GP.....
and even though I'm SO SICK of tango de Roxanne, I'll admit that Karen has what it takes to make the Final.....if she fully rotates her lutz-toe.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Oh, but Emily looks to still be struggling.... I don't understand. She's a mystery to me. She stayed novice a very long time (????) and where will she compete now, because she's past 19 and can't do the JGP?

 

[truthbooth]

Sylvia has links to videos of the top ladies from Glacier Falls on her blog.

Karen skated extremely well! I honestly wasn't excited about her music choices, but the choreography and performance in the SP was very good. Strong and commanding, she seems to skate with a lot more confidence and maturity. She could make quite a splash in the fall if she jumps the way she did last night.

 

[frida80]

Oh, but Emily looks to still be struggling.... I don't understand. She's a mystery to me. She stayed novice a very long time (????) and where will she compete now, because she's past 19 and can't do the JGP?

That wasn't Emily Chan but Emmy Ma. She was last years US Jr pewter medalist. Very artistic but struggles with jumps at times.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

That wasn't Emily Chan but Emmy Ma. She was last years US Jr pewter medalist. Very artistic but struggles with jumps at times.

Ohhhh.... I haven't seen the video yet, I just mixed up the names. Yikes.
Well, has Emily chan performed yet this season?

 

[frida80]

Ohhhh.... I haven't seen the video yet, I just mixed up the names. Yikes.
Well, has Emily chan performed yet this season?

I don't think so. I saw she withdrew from Slate Detroit.

 

[andromache]

So I was finally able to actually watch the SPs, and Karen looked phenomenal. She's ready to go - wish we were sending her to the Japan Open! For the first half of the program, I was pretty bored. The program just seemed generic to me. But as the music built so did the choreography and she really brought it. That Ina Bauer and the spiral!

Noticed a lot of two-foot skating in Caroline's program. She's pleasant to watch, but she wasn't a revelation. She's slow, especially after watching Karen. But still pleasant and lovely. Curious about how she'd stack up at a GP with all her jumps landed cleanly and rotated. She seems fairly solid - not prone to meltdowns. Wonder what kind of PCS she would get if she was relatively consistent.

Polina doesn't seem as slow as she used to be, and the stalking of her combo doesn't bother me TOO much. I wonder if she would look slower or faster in-person and/or compared to a TV camera angle? Love her choreography for this SP - much more interesting to watch compared to Caroline. Jump-wise, she's still got a lot of work to do.

 

[Seren]

Karen looked really good. I can almost forgive the warhorse because her skating has matured so much... almost....

I don't know what to think about Polina. She didn't go for a triple-triple and then fell on her triple loop. She has a much more commanding presence than she used to but if she doesn't get the jumps it doesn't matter. I know it's still early but when your competitors are skating triples it doesn't look very good.

 

[mrrice]

Karen looked really good. I can almost forgive the warhorse because her skating has matured so much... almost....

I don't know what to think about Polina. She didn't go for a triple-triple and then fell on her triple loop. She has a much more commanding presence than she used to but if she doesn't get the jumps it doesn't matter. I know it's still early but when your competitors are skating triples it doesn't look very good.

I don't think Polina's quite ready. I think she just wanted to get her programs out for the judges. I like the program very much but, she's still having speed and stamina issues. She landed the back half of her combo but it was under rotated. Karen was the star for me this afternoon but, I still haven't seen all the skaters.

Just had a look at Caroline Zhang......East Of Eden??? She looks great but come on, Mariah just used it last year and I can't believe they'd bring it back this soon. Oh well.

 

[R.D.]

- Chen did really well, especially for THIS early in the season. It's a question now of consistency - can she keep it up? She has struggled with this in the past...

(An aside...you know, it really has been ages since a US lady has come out guns blazing/taking names on the GP, made a big splash. Wagner had some moderate success earlier in the decade but you really have to go back to Cohen in the mid-2000s, that was the last time I can remember.)

- I put on C Zhang's program right after Chen and wow, what a contrast. Much slower, and less engaging too. Still though, it's impressive that she has come as far as she has, and somehow still manage to be somewhat competitive with the US top guns. Frankly I wouldn't rule her out for the TBD spot at SA, she has a history of getting these things as USFS for some reason seems to like(?) to give her chances.

- Edmunds' effort reminded me of Meissner 2007-08 and Flatt post 2011 - presence on the ice has improved BUT... what happened to the jumps? Anyway, it is still (very!) early, she is on the comeback trail and there is time - like I pointed out earlier. That said, there's definitely work to be done before "she is back" so to speak.

 

[andromache]

Even though her content was disappointing, mad respect for Polina going out there and competing, getting it out there, getting used to competition ice again after time off. Like Jason, she seems to be one of those skaters who is mentally okay with competing in the pre-season, when it's not all at 100%. It's part of the journey. Other skaters like Gracie and Ashley just don't do it - I'm guessing because going out there and KNOWING you can't deliver is tough as heck.

I'm 95% confident Polina will get her triples back by the GP series. Since she seemed to enjoy her time off so much, I don't think she'd be making an effort this season if she wasn't confident in her ability to get back to where she was before her injury. But I'm also VERY worried that the UR problem will have gotten worse. Her height is wonderful to see on ice, and she really has learned to use her limbs well - but I doubt growing so tall will have helped her rotations. Likely the opposite.

 

[hippomoomin]

Karen looks pretty good, and did she choreographed her program again?
I am a little disappointed at Polina. A year off after injury, and at the age of some natural body change, I am not really optimistic that she will get her jumps back in time. Based on the video, she looked fuller than two seasons ago, and it is even more troublesome for a already tall skater.

 

[Kittosuni]

Karen needs to inject more character to her LP. She needs to beef up that STSQ because it doesnt scream level 4. Good fight on her jump landings. That 2A combo was freaking beautiful and right on the music. Polina was meh.

 

[KweenAsada]

Ashley and Mirai are the two American ladies that I am looking forward to the most this season. It's go time and I believe that one of them will be in, and one of them will be out. My money is on Mirai having a breakthrough. Don't ask me how I came to this conclusion, lol. I just feel it in my bones.

 

[KweenAsada]

Ashley and Mirai are the two American ladies that I am looking forward to the most this season. It's go time and I believe that one of them will be in, and one of them will be out. My money is on Mirai having a breakthrough. Don't ask me how I came to this conclusion, lol. I just feel it in my bones.

Or...they both come out swinging and leave the third spot to be decided in a bloodbath at Nationals.

I like this vision better.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I agree with everyone with what Karen needs to add to the LP, but I'm seriously loving what she's giving us in July right now. It has the potential to be spectacular. I hope she has it in her to keep improving it and keep landing those jumps. It's exactly what I wanted to see at this point in time. I'm loving the costume, the music edit, what character she brought to it, her excellent natural ear for the music, etc. I think she has an innate musicality almost every other American woman does not have. Add in her speed and aggressiveness that matches what the international judges reward, we have a true international contender.

Polina's program is no where near competition ready (does she plan 5 triples before the 2 minute mark?) and her UR issues I believe will plague her even if she starts attempting all of her triples again. That said, despite that, I seriously enjoyed that LP. I don't know why. Maybe it's irrationally reminding me of Maria Butyrskaya for some odd reason. Maybe it's to the one Sarah Brightman song I like, maybe it's the music in the beginning and the theme of the movie it's from, maybe I'm a sucker for natural emotional build-ups of classical pop songs....whatever it is, Polina made me feel something and I connected with it.

 

[andromache]

At her level of experience and at this time of year, Karen is simply to die for. Even her Carmen is wonderful. She is one of those skaters who has enough speed, dynamism, and character where warhorses can really suit her (no US lady since Sasha Cohen). In spite of my love, I won't be surprised if she 150% bombs the next competition. She either sinks or swims.

ETA: So as much praise as I had for Polina's SP, OMG her LP hurts my ears!!!! I guess visually it doesn't kill me, and of course it's better than Tinkerbell, but please. No more.

 

[frida80]

At her level of experience and at this time of year, Karen is simply to die for. Even her Carmen is wonderful. She is one of those skaters who has enough speed, dynamism, and character where warhorses can really suit her (no US lady since Sasha Cohen). In spite of my love, I won't be surprised if she 150% bombs the next competition. She either sinks or swims.

ETA: So as much praise as I had for Polina's SP, OMG her LP hurts my ears!!!! I guess visually it doesn't kill me, and of course it's better than Tinkerbell, but please. No more.

This seems to be Polina's thing. Dynamic short, flowy music for her long. That said, I think she's got a better composition this year. Now it's all about the jumps. I saw some < on some of her jumps. Plus she needs her lutz and flip back. I hope everyone can be patient with her. This was her first competition in a year and a half.