2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[mrrice]

She'll have to earn the spot by skating great this season. I'd say she's been, overall, the #1 US woman this Olympic cycle. However, this past season was probably her worst since 2010-11. If that is foreshadowing a downward trend for the upcoming season, I don't think she will make it.

I agree...Karen has been great over the summer and so has Mirai. When you add Courtney Hicks, Maraih Bell, and Junior Champion, Kaitlyn Nguyen. It's going to be a tough battle for Ashley and Gracie. Fortunately, Ashley is a tough cookie and you can never count her out. Gracie also looks to be working hard and I think this season will be very exciting. BTW, have we seen Tess Hong or Bradie Tennel yet? How are they looking?

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I agree...Karen has been great over the summer and so has Mirai. When you add Courtney Hicks, Maraih Bell, and Junior Champion, Kaitlyn Nguyen. It's going to be a tough battle for Ashley and Gracie. Fortunately, Ashley is a tough cookie and you can never count her out. Gracie also looks to be working hard and I think this season will be very exciting. BTW, have we seen Tess Hong or Bradie Tennel yet? How are they looking?

I agree, it will be tough. I almost think Ashley should pull her 3Lo-3S sequence out and just focus on rotating 6 triples and hope that she gets the 3F-3T for 7. Missing the 3T and the 3S knocks her to 5 in the LP, and that will make it tough to beat Karen since she has better spins to pad her score. Ashley used to be able to put down a 6 triple long program (no 3-3) reliably, and I think that would be good enough to get her on the team.

 

[macy]

Ashley is a question mark for me .... even without getting underrotations in her sp at worlds last season, she still didn't hit the 70 mark.
The layback is no longer required, right? Maybe she can chuck that out completely, or put a layback feature in a combination spin?
I hope she starts doing the spread-eagle- into- triple-loop that she used to do years ago.

if I remember correctly, I think I saw somewhere on social media she had gone through a breakup with her long time boyfriend and I'm sure not having adam there everyday to train beside as normal affected her as well. losing both your best friend and boyfriend in the same time period I can imagine is very tough. I'm sure this last season was a learning experience for her and she will use it to her advantage this season. as we all have seen the last 10 years, she is a fighter.

 

[mrrice]

if I remember correctly, I think I saw somewhere on social media she had gone through a breakup with her long time boyfriend and I'm sure not having adam there everyday to train beside as normal affected her as well. losing both your best friend and boyfriend in the same time period I can imagine is very tough. I'm sure this last season was a learning experience for her and she will use it to her advantage this season. as we all have seen the last 10 years, she is a fighter.

Has Ashley changed training facilities? Why are she and Adam not training in the same rink? She hasn't left Raf has she?

 

[skylark]

Has Ashley changed training facilities? Why are she and Adam not training in the same rink? She hasn't left Raf has she?

No. Macy was talking about last season, when she didn't have Adam training beside her every day during the months that Adam was injured. It was also during that time period that Ashley broke up with her longtime boyfriend. So a double whammie.

I can't remember when it was exactly, but Ashley mentioned at some point really missing Adam's being on the ice with her every day. She and Raf have in the past couple years gone to Colorado olympic training center for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, so during those periods Adam was probably still at home in CA.

 

[mrrice]

No. Macy was talking about last season, when she didn't have Adam training beside her every day during the months that Adam was injured. It was also during that time period that Ashley broke up with her longtime boyfriend.

I can't remember when it was exactly, but Ashley mentioned at some point really missing Adam's being on the ice with her every day. She and Raf have in the past couple years gone to Colorado olympic training center for 2 or 3 weeks at a time, so during those periods Adam was probably still at home in CA.

Now I get it.. Thanks Skylark!!!

 

[skylark]

I agree, it will be tough. I almost think Ashley should pull her 3Lo-3S sequence out and just focus on rotating 6 triples and hope that she gets the 3F-3T for 7. Missing the 3T and the 3S knocks her to 5 in the LP, and that will make it tough to beat Karen since she has better spins to pad her score. Ashley used to be able to put down a 6 triple long program (no 3-3) reliably, and I think that would be good enough to get her on the team.

I hope Ashley keeps her 3Lo-3S sequence in. At 2016 Worlds, she earned 12.20 points for it; it was the highest scoring element (combination) in the entire Ladies event. Besides which, I simply love the way she:luv17erforms it. Gives me chills every time. There's something so smooth and sublime about it.

Also, I remember the first time she did it in a competition: GPF 2014, I believe it was; and how excited the commentators were because she was adding difficulty at age 23.

However, you seem to have a good sense about strategy, so I'm not discounting your view, in the least. I'd also love to see her do the spread eagle into 3Loop again. I guess it's about whether there's time and it fits into the program.

 

[skylark]

Now I get it.. Thanks Skylark!!!

You're welcome. And I would share your alarm at the thought of her leaving Rafael at this point! Not gonna happen.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I hope Ashley keeps her 3Lo-3S sequence in. At 2016 Worlds, she earned 12.20 points for it; it was the highest scoring element (combination) in the entire Ladies event. Besides which, I simply love the way she:luv17erforms it. Gives me chills every time. There's something so smooth and sublime about it.

It is a beautiful combination to watch, like a stone skipping across the pond. I definitely think that, if she makes the Olympic team, she will need it to compete for a medal. Really, any American on the team will have to push themselves beyond their limits to challenge for the podium. That particular combination I find dangerous for a skater who now has a reputation for <, because being short on any of the three jumps will affect the GOE. It also means that she has two jumping passes (2A x 2) without a triple, which limits the GOE she can earn. Yes, if she rotates both combos her score will be maximized but if she doesn't, she's better off replacing the 2A with a triple. I'm sure that during the season that she will go for both combinations but, if they aren't getting credited, reconfigure the program to have the one 3-3 and 7 triples attempted. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

 

[skylark]

It is a beautiful combination to watch, like a stone skipping across the pond. I definitely think that, if she makes the Olympic team, she will need it to compete for a medal. Really, any American on the team will have to push themselves beyond their limits to challenge for the podium. That particular combination I find dangerous for a skater who now has a reputation for <, because being short on any of the three jumps will affect the PCS. It also means that she has two jumping passes (2A x 2) without a triple, which limits the PCS she can earn. Yes, if she rotates both combos her score will be maximized but if she doesn't, she's better off replacing the 2A with a triple. I'm sure that during the season that she will go for both combinations but, if they aren't getting credited, reconfigure the program to have the one 3-3 and 7 triples attempted. It will be interesting to see how it all unfolds.

Ah yes, I see what you mean. Well, something else to wonder about. thanks for the explanation. (I, unlike many people, really love explanations!)

 

[SkaterX]

Has anyone seen Isabeau Levito? She's amazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM6inChk3Lc

 

[mrrice]

Has anyone seen Isabeau Levito? She's amazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM6inChk3Lc

Spectacular and cute as a bug!!! We need to keep our eye on this young girl. Great post, SkaterX.

 

[Mathman]

She's fast and makes excellent use of the music. Nice triple Lutz/double toe half-way through. (I think that's what it was? ) Also a fine combination spin. Is she still in novices?

 

[concorde]

She's fast and makes excellent use of the music. Nice triple Lutz/double toe half-way through. (I think that's what it was? ) Also a fine combination spin. Is she still in novices?

Isabeau is skating as a Juv in that video so no triples are allowed. Biggest allowable jump as a Juv is a double axel.

 

[Ice Dance]

When I saw Sarah in 1999, I think she was maybe.....13. I honestly don't remember but, she was very young and certainly younger than Starr is now. Here's Sarah performing at Worlds in 2000. You can here the commentator say that she is indeed just 14 years old. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=30oMzkGPA9c

Sarah slid in under an exception to the age-limit rule by medaling at Junior Worlds. That loophole was closed shortly afterward. No one is allowed to compete at that age in seniors any more. For a while you could compete on the GP without being age-eligible for Worlds or the Olympics. But that loophole has closed as well. No one competes on the GP at an age as young as Mao, Tuktamysheva, etc. used to debut.

For that reason, the junior field is deeper today. In fact, the jump layouts & scores are often harder than in seniors; and you can have a female athlete in the hunt for a medal at Europeans or 4CCs that has less of a chance at Junior Worlds. (Angelina Kuchvalska was a prime example). The top three junior free skate scores at the Asian Open (Rika Kihira, Eunsoo Lim, and Yelim Kim) all outscored the top three free skate scores for senior ladies at the same event (Kaori Sakamoto, Yuna Shiraiwa, and Kailani Craine). Zagitova defeated Pogorilaya & Sotskova at Russian Nationals last year. Shiraiwa finished third in the FS at Japanese Nationals last season. Rika Kihira is the only lady who landed a triple axel last season. The Junior Ladies field is very tough; and if you medal there, you are likely outjumping most of the U.S. Senior Ladies field. Starr will have her work cut out for her in juniors.

 

[concorde]

^^ Not sure if I entirely agree with this.

There are several US Senior ladies (Starr) who skate domestically as a Seior but Internationally as a Junior. They pretty much fit into this very good category. The very top US Juniors domestically are very good but there is not real "pack" following them so the US have no depth in the current Junior ladies.

But the current US Novices are strong (Laura Jacobson scored 95 in her long last night at Philly). And there is also a pack in hot pursuit of the leaders.

So really the top US Novices are the pack following the top US Juniors. That is why it is not surprising that USFS chose the top US Intermediate from last year to compete Internationally over the summer.

 

[concorde]

Following upto my last comment, Emily Zhang out of Richmond (last year 2nd place at Intermediate) skated as a US Junior in Philly. She got 2nd in the short and 1st in the long. Her long scorr was 102.

 

[Skater Boy]

I think Gracie wants it - she wants to be on that olympic team and medal so good for her to getting into shape and taking this year with a fighting attitude. I am sad no one seems to mention Caroline Zhang. Though I admit her lack of speed, power and what I call extension - her body line sadly isn't as pretty as before nor are her spins as accentuated. Still I cheer for the underrdog. But we must remember only 3 spots exist. So you have Ashley, Karen, Mirai, Mariah, Gracie as probably your five leaders then you also have capable Polina coming back, Courtney, Caroline, Tenille?, Angela et al.

There will be a lot of wet sequins at US nationals.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Ok, so bradie tennell just won over Angela wang and Courtney hicks. I hope video is posted of bradie's skates. Cinderella is her lp, is it a good choice for her?

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Ok, so bradie tennell just won over Angela wang and Courtney hicks. I hope video is posted of bradie's skates. Cinderella is her lp, is it a good choice for her?

Bradie barely squeeked out her win over Angela. The season will tell the real story, but congrats to her for the win today.

Also, the overall LP was won by Hanul Kim from KOR