2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[R.D.]

Unfortunately I don’t see her getting usfsa support or getting any buzz about her. The usfsa picks the people they decide they like, and considering I’d never heard of this girl before doesn’t bode well.

I disagree.

Was there much buzz about Wagner back in 2007, 2008? Nope, it was all Meissner & Hughes , then Zhang...Flatt...Nagasu...

Counterexample: Gracie Gold. Considered savior of US ladies skating as a JUNIOR in 2012. The next star. The next Big One. Nuff said.

No...backing off, on the contrary, may actually be a GOOD thing for this girl’s progress and development.

 

[mrrice]

Unfortunately I don’t see her getting usfsa support or getting any buzz about her. The usfsa picks the people they decide they like, and considering I’d never heard of this girl before doesn’t bode well.

.
Her opening combo alone is more difficult than any combo that Michelle Kwan landed in her entire career. If the USFSA doesn't treat her well, she should move to a Country where a skater who can jump like that would be appreciated.

 

[Chemistry66]

Unfortunately I don’t see her getting usfsa support or getting any buzz about her. The usfsa picks the people they decide they like, and considering I’d never heard of this girl before doesn’t bode well.

Um...

Hanna just turned 14. At the end of September. She's young, and was also skating in Juvenile only two seasons ago. Seriously.

I think the fact that USFS deemed her worthy of two internationals so far - Asian Open, where she placed 5th after very strong skaters of JPN's Kihira and Yamashita, and KOR's Lim and Kim, and this last JGP spot (rather than giving someone like Starr Andrews a second assignment), means they're interested in her skating.

 

[ice coverage]

Unfortunately I don’t see her getting usfsa support or getting any buzz about her. The usfsa picks the people they decide they like, and considering I’d never heard of this girl before doesn’t bode well.

Agree with Chem66 that USFS is showing support for Hanna Harrell.

Anecdotally: I know very little about U.S. up-and-comers (junior and below) in general, but I definitely have heard quite a bit of buzz about Hanna (going back to last season and maybe before).

---

Fun fact (cross-posting from the Regionals thread):

Today Deana Torgashev won Juvenile Girls QR Group B FS (with 54.19 and a margin of over eight points) at South Atlantic Regionals.

http://www.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2018/25066/results.html​

Big week of competition for the Torgashevs :yay:, what with big brother Andrew at JGP Italy, with a shot at qualifying for the JGPF.​

 

[frida80]

It's normal to not hear a lot of buzz about the upcoming junior skaters. They don't need a lot of unneccessary pressure when their still developing. I keep a very close eye on as many juniors as I can, and I can tell you she's definitely got the Feds' eye.

Hannah was only sixth last year in Novice, however that was sixth after skipping intermediate entirely! She was second place in the Broodmore Jump contest. How I wish I still had videos of her flawless 3-3-3 jumps. She is the highest scoring junior this year and very likely to make the podium. She was talented enough to be one of the two selected to go Asian open. While her team mate succumbed to <, Hannah put up a decent score and scored fifth just behind the Koreans and Japanese. She already had her technical minimums, but USFS still decided to give her a slot on the JGP for some experience.

This year, USFS gave four rising novices international competitions for more experience. She. Going on the JGP, it can be intimidating when you have no exposure to the level the Russians, Japanese, and Koreans are at. Being chosen this year means that USFS expects you to improve your current level and also be strong enough to be competitive in the future. I'm very happy their making this invest in the juniors like this. If we manage to get 14 slots, I expect they'll give even more newbie juniors experience.

Before I forget, Tom Z posted another Mirai 3A video. He's killing me.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...3407653386&refsrc=http://t.co/7UZSpGDSh7&_rdr

 

[mrrice]

It's normal to not hear a lot of buzz about the upcoming junior skaters. They don't need a lot of unneccessary pressure when their still developing. I keep a very close eye on as many juniors as I can, and I can tell you she's definitely got the Feds' eye.

Hannah was only sixth last year in Novice, however that was sixth after skipping intermediate entirely! She was second place in the Broodmore Jump contest. How I wish I still had videos of her flawless 3-3-3 jumps. She is the highest scoring junior this year and very likely to make the podium. She was talented enough to be one of the two selected to go Asian open. While her team mate succumbed to <, Hannah put up a decent score and scored fifth just behind the Koreans and Japanese. She already had her technical minimums, but USFS still decided to give her a slot on the JGP for some experience.

This year, USFS gave four rising novices international competitions for more experience. She. Going on the JGP, it can be intimidating when you have no exposure to the level the Russians, Japanese, and Koreans are at. Being chosen this year means that USFS expects you to improve your current level and also be strong enough to be competitive in the future. I'm very happy their making this invest in the juniors like this. If we manage to get 14 slots, I expect they'll give even more newbie juniors experience.

Before I forget, Tom Z posted another Mirai 3A video. He's killing me.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...3407653386&refsrc=http://t.co/7UZSpGDSh7&_rdr

What The.........Look out US Ladies. If Mirai can hold it together and skate clean at Nationals, she will not be beaten by anyone.

 

[R.D.]

What The.........Look out US Ladies. If Mirai can hold it together and skate clean at Nationals, she will not be beaten by anyone.

She hasn't been able to do that for awhile now, so odds aren't that great. In any case, she can control her destiny from the get-go.

 

[MarinHondas]

Gracie Gold has withdrew from both her Grand Prixs. https://twitter.com/cbrennansports/status/918963549917114368 incredibly sad and wish her the best.

 

[insecureedge]

Gracie Gold Withdraws from Grand Prix (Source: USFSA http://www.usfigureskating.org/story?id=90945&type=media)

(10/13/17) -- U.S. Figure Skating announced today that two-time U.S. champion Gracie Gold has withdrawn from Cup of China and Internationaux de France as she continues to receive professional treatment for off-ice matters.

 

[MarinHondas]

It's normal to not hear a lot of buzz about the upcoming junior skaters. They don't need a lot of unneccessary pressure when their still developing. I keep a very close eye on as many juniors as I can, and I can tell you she's definitely got the Feds' eye.

Hannah was only sixth last year in Novice, however that was sixth after skipping intermediate entirely! She was second place in the Broodmore Jump contest. How I wish I still had videos of her flawless 3-3-3 jumps. She is the highest scoring junior this year and very likely to make the podium. She was talented enough to be one of the two selected to go Asian open. While her team mate succumbed to <, Hannah put up a decent score and scored fifth just behind the Koreans and Japanese. She already had her technical minimums, but USFS still decided to give her a slot on the JGP for some experience.

This year, USFS gave four rising novices international competitions for more experience. She. Going on the JGP, it can be intimidating when you have no exposure to the level the Russians, Japanese, and Koreans are at. Being chosen this year means that USFS expects you to improve your current level and also be strong enough to be competitive in the future. I'm very happy their making this invest in the juniors like this. If we manage to get 14 slots, I expect they'll give even more newbie juniors experience.

Before I forget, Tom Z posted another Mirai 3A video. He's killing me.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...3407653386&refsrc=http://t.co/7UZSpGDSh7&_rdr

impressive. Both 3a and 3toe are cheated but we know she can do the 3a solo clean! Good for her to go for these combos. Her jumps really do look better than ever. I am so excited for Mirai's future!

 

[KatGrace1925]

As has been mentioned several times in the last few pages of this thread, fortunately Ashley doesn't listen to people who tell her she's not good enough. As evasorange said, if Ashley had paid attention to all the b.s. before and after Sochi, the USA would still be in a Ladies World Medal Drought. We're all lucky that Ashley uses such talk as fuel to motivate her.

I just want to correct one thing... Technically Gracie Gold would have had the bronze medal locked down if Ashley wasn't there, (In Boston Gracie was in bronze medal position before Ashley skated and Ashley was the last skater) so the world medal drought would have been over but it would have been a less glorious ending of that drought.

 

[R.D.]

Gracie Gold has withdrew from both her Grand Prixs. https://twitter.com/cbrennansports/status/918963549917114368 incredibly sad and wish her the best.

Like I said in the other thread, I all but expected this to happen. I suspect that will be the season for her.

Moving forward with the US ladies picture without Gold - can Wagner, Chen & Co. keep three spots? Or hold their own in the Oly Team Event? And I suspect Wagner will be on her way out too after these Games, so it will be solely up to the next crop - the first complete changing of the guard since 2008.

 

[R.D.]

I just want to correct one thing... Technically Gracie Gold would have had the bronze medal locked down if Ashley wasn't there, (In Boston Gracie was in bronze medal position before Ashley skated and Ashley was the last skater) so the world medal drought would have been over but it would have been a less glorious ending of that drought.

Exactly - people forget Gold was actually in the (tentative) bronze medal position before Wagner skated. It was Wagner who knocked her compatriot out of the medals in this case.

I wonder though, had Gold actually held onto 3rd and got on the podium, would she be in a better place now?

 

[KatGrace1925]

Exactly - people forget Gold was actually in the (tentative) bronze medal position before Wagner skated. It was Wagner who knocked her compatriot out of the medals in this case.

I wonder though, had Gold actually held onto 3rd and got on the podium, would she be in a better place now?

I don't know that she would have been, she very much wanted to win that competition not just place. Maybe she would have been just a little more apt to get through it but when you are facing the things she is facing now they are never caused by just one thing.

 

[ice coverage]

Hugs to Gracie .

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Does a team medal count?

No; according to the current USFS rulebook, it must have been in the same discipline as the one for which a bye is being sought:

2515 For all championship (senior) events, the following competitors will receive an automatic invitation to the same event;
however, any such competitor or couple must enter to compete through the online registration process as described in
rule 2401 and by the deadline of Sept. 1. Failure to do so will result in the competitor(s) not being entered nor allowed to
compete at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships for the current season.
A. A competitor or couple placing in the top five at last year’s U.S. Figure Skating Championships;
B. A competitor or couple who won a medal at the most recent Olympic Winter Games;
C. A competitor or couple who won a medal at the most recent World Championships

There is no "event" at U.S. Nationals that corresponds to Olympic team event, so no bye from it.

With the understanding that we do not know whether Gracie even would want to compete at Nats:

My belated thanks to Moxiejan for posting the full text from the rulebook for us .

FWIW, will mention a sentence from AP's story today that raised my eyebrows.

"She will still be eligible to compete at nationals even though she is skipping her Grand Prix assignments."

https://www.washingtonpost.com/spor...3533f6-b064-11e7-9b93-b97043e57a22_story.html (Oct 13)​

 

[Eeyora]

Like I said in the other thread, I all but expected this to happen. I suspect that will be the season for her.

Moving forward with the US ladies picture without Gold - can Wagner, Chen & Co. keep three spots? Or hold their own in the Oly Team Event? And I suspect Wagner will be on her way out too after these Games, so it will be solely up to the next crop - the first complete changing of the guard since 2008.

It’s going to be an uphill battle with the Neverending Army of Russian Wunderbabies followed by all the talent and consistency of the Japanese Ladies. If Karen Chen continues to grow and gain consistency, Mariah Bell reaches her full potential, if Polina gets her jumps back which is a big (if) it’s possible.

 

[tosca]

Before I forget, Tom Z posted another Mirai 3A video. He's killing me.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...3407653386&refsrc=http://t.co/7UZSpGDSh7&_rdr

Mirai also posted a CLEAN @A 1/2 loop CLEAN 3F on her insta story! It was beautiful. I am a HUGE Mirai fan and am so happy to see her SO in shape. She also commented on a change to her fitness level on her instagram. I have been disappointed in the past.... Mirai and the American girls seem to have trouble putting out two clean programs ever but I think we are seeing a new Mirai. Phil Hersh also picked Mirai as his early favorite to win Nationals.

I am not a blind Mirai fan - she has a lot to work on to get competitive on the international front. She needs to ensure her jumps are clean, get those positive GOE points, and get those PCS's UP! I honestly think a furrowed brow might help - give some angst in that Miss Saigon performance!

 

[frida80]

Mirai also posted a CLEAN 3A 1/2 loop CLEAN 3S on her insta story! It was beautiful. I am a HUGE Mirai fan and am so happy to see her SO in shape. She also commented on a change to her fitness level on her instagram. I have been disappointed in the past.... Mirai and the American girls seem to have trouble putting out two clean programs ever but I think we are seeing a new Mirai. Phil Hersh also picked Mirai as his early favorite to win Nationals.

I am not a blind Mirai fan - she has a lot to work on to get competitive on the international front. She needs to ensure her jumps are clean, get those positive GOE points, and get those PCS's UP! I honestly think a furrowed brow might help - give some angst in that Miss Saigon performance!

Actually that was a 2A+1/2Lo+3F. It's still gorgeous nonetheless. She's having a good practice today. Very fired up.

I also think the fact that Rika Kihara is going for a 3A+3T tomorrow makes her want to show she can do it too.

 

[draqq]

Mirai also posted a CLEAN 3A 1/2 loop CLEAN 3S on her insta story! It was beautiful. I am a HUGE Mirai fan and am so happy to see her SO in shape. She also commented on a change to her fitness level on her instagram. I have been disappointed in the past.... Mirai and the American girls seem to have trouble putting out two clean programs ever but I think we are seeing a new Mirai. Phil Hersh also picked Mirai as his early favorite to win Nationals.

I am not a blind Mirai fan - she has a lot to work on to get competitive on the international front. She needs to ensure her jumps are clean, get those positive GOE points, and get those PCS's UP! I honestly think a furrowed brow might help - give some angst in that Miss Saigon performance!

Strongly agree that Mirai needs to get those program components up. She has a tendency to drop the face and the musical interpretation to concentrate on the jumps, but i think she's getting more confident in her jumps so that they aren't dinged for underrotations. The better her jump technique, the more she can focus on the emotional intricacies of the program. I really hope she clinches an Olympic spot!

 

[tosca]

Actually that was a 2A+1/2Lo+3F. It's still gorgeous nonetheless.

whoops - got too excited at work and didn't look closely! edited my post - thanks for the callout