2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[klutzy]

Completely true.....I like Mariah Bell as a skater but, I really don't like her long program this year. I was hoping she'd keep EOE and get a new SP but she went the other way. For Ashley, who knows what La La Land will look like and Karen just lost to Bradie at Skate America. Mirai is the wildcard here. If she skates well and lands that big 3 Axel, she'll more than likely make the team but, just like Karen, she hasn't had a spectacular season.

Yep. I know Mirai Nagasu is a favorite around here, but she's having real issues as a performer--you get the triple axel, but not much else. At this point in her career, she should have interpretation, strong non-jump choreography and SS to go with that axel. Instead, she seems to drop skills she previously had.

Mariah Bell is a beautiful skater, but like most of the field seems to have overthought and underthought her programs. The number of American skaters reusing, swapping and not connecting to new programs in an Olympic year is shocking.

 

[Lightstar]

So she could fall apart, but she's not going to be outskated unless Gracie Gold suddenly appears, old skills intact or emergency citizenship is suddenly granted to one of the Eteri girls.

This comment made my day

 

[chuckm]

Yep. I know Mirai Nagasu is a favorite around here, but she's having real issues as a performer--you get the triple axel, but not much else. At this point in her career, she should have interpretation, strong non-jump choreography and SS to go with that axel. Instead, she seems to drop skills she previously had.

Even the triple axel isn't often called as a triple axel, or when it is, it doesn't get the full value of a 3A because it isn't landed cleanly on one foot.
In her GP events, 3 of 4 attempts were deemed <, and the fourth was two-footed with -GOE.

 

[ice coverage]

Meanwhile, Mirai's GP scores were markedly higher this season compared to last season.

2017 Rostelecom 178.25
2017 NHK 194.46

2016 Skate Canada International 151.42
2016 NHK 180.33​

And of the U.S. ladies, Mirai is second-highest on the 2017-18 ISU SB list -- well above Bell, Wagner, Wang, Chen, and Hicks.

 

[klutzy]

Meanwhile, Mirai's GP scores were markedly higher this season compared to last season.

2017 Rostelecom 178.25
2017 NHK 194.46

2016 Skate Canada International 151.42
2016 NHK 180.33​

And of the U.S. ladies, Mirai is second-highest on the 2017-18 ISU SB list -- well above Bell, Wagner, Wang, Chen, and Hicks.

And I'd say that she has a shot at the team as a result, but she won't be bumping Bradie Tennell unless Bradie skates well below every skate she's had this season.

 

[ice coverage]

And I'd say that she has a shot at the team as a result, but she won't be bumping Bradie Tennell unless Bradie skates well below every skate she's had this season.

I was not attempting to make a comparison btwn Bradie (whom I like very much) and Mirai.

I said only that Mirai has the second-highest ISU SB this season, and named those who are below her.
Did not think it was necessary to state the obvious, which is that Bradie has the highest.

 

[labgoat]

So she could fall apart, but she's not going to be outskated unless Gracie Gold suddenly appears, old skills intact or emergency citizenship is suddenly granted to one of the Eteri girls.

I hear Radionova is free!

 

[labgoat]

Meanwhile, Mirai's GP scores were markedly higher this season compared to last season.

2017 Rostelecom 178.25
2017 NHK 194.46

2016 Skate Canada International 151.42
2016 NHK 180.33​

And of the U.S. ladies, Mirai is second-highest on the 2017-18 ISU SB list -- well above Bell, Wagner, Wang, Chen, and Hicks.

Kudos to Mirai for her improvement on the Grand Prix!

 

[Spinning]

I hear Radionova is free!

Tsurskaya is even better.

 

[ReasonOFF]

let's wish mirai a good skating! she deserves the gold medal at nationals! i expect two clean axels and clean programs overall!

 

[Skater Boy]

Well so far no super huge surprises at the various nationals so maybe the US Nationals will bring a huge surprise? It is going to be so exciting. Will Karen regain her form. Will Ashley dominate or will she place fourth with Mirai in third - oh the drama? Would the USFS dare to remove Mirai again for Ashley. Will Mariah, Bradie, Mirai rise to the occasion. Will the forgotten no. 5 lady from last year Caroline Zhang be able to shock the other ladies with a strong showing? Even without Gold there is lots of drama!

 

[R.D.]

Well so far no super huge surprises at the various nationals so maybe the US Nationals will bring a huge surprise? It is going to be so exciting. Will Karen regain her form. Will Ashley dominate or will she place fourth with Mirai in third - oh the drama? Would the USFS dare to remove Mirai again for Ashley. Will Mariah, Bradie, Mirai rise to the occasion. Will the forgotten no. 5 lady from last year Caroline Zhang be able to shock the other ladies with a strong showing? Even without Gold there is lots of drama!

I’d even go as far to say the absence of Gold creates MORE drama since she was one of the more consistent skaters at Nationals. Who’s gonna step in to fill that void, if anyone?

 

[ReasonOFF]

Well so far no super huge surprises at the various nationals so maybe the US Nationals will bring a huge surprise? It is going to be so exciting. Will Karen regain her form. Will Ashley dominate or will she place fourth with Mirai in third - oh the drama? Would the USFS dare to remove Mirai again for Ashley. Will Mariah, Bradie, Mirai rise to the occasion. Will the forgotten no. 5 lady from last year Caroline Zhang be able to shock the other ladies with a strong showing? Even without Gold there is lots of drama!

why drama? mirai right now is a waaay more better than ashley

 

[chuckm]

Mirai still gets more URs than Ashley does. At least Ashley won a GP medal this season. Mirai hasn't won a GP medal since 2013.

 

[klutzy]

Ashley has the PCS, too.

So, in an ideal Nationals--La la Land is a beautiful program. Mirai gets GOE on her axel. Polina gets her jumps back. Mariah, Angela and Courtney skate clean. Karen rotates. Bradie does what Bradie's been doing.

Then what happens?

 

[tars]

My personal request to US fans: can you stop killing me?

Marin Honda, the greatest Japanese fs talent has not advanced to Olympics and now I keep reading here some of you want to leave US greatest talent in many years, Karen Chen at home as well.
Huge respect to Ashley, much to Gracie and some to Polina, but for real... These are girls have been working hard, taught well, dedicated, but they've been just so-so talent-wise. Not anywhere close to Karen.
Like OK, she's inconsistent, headcase, whatever, but seriously - when she's on she will leave people in Olympic arena speechless and will fight hard at the top like in last Worlds. She has some technical issues to solve, but she's a FIGURE SKATER for god's sake. Girl steps on the ice and moves like a feather, performs, moves her hands in most elegant way and purpose. Like she's not there to collect only, but to leave something in our hearts. Just...
Have mercy, please.

 

[ReasonOFF]

Personal request to US fans: can you stop killing me?

Marin Honda, the greatest Japanese fs talent has not advanced to Olympics and now I keep reading here some of you want to leave US greatest talent in many years, Karen Chen at home as well.
Like OK, she's inconsistent, headcase, whatever, but seriously - when she's on she will leave people in Olympic arena speechless and will fight hard at the top like in last Worlds. She has some technical issues to solve, but she's a FIGURE SKATER for god's sake. Girl steps on the ice and moves like a feather, performs, moves her hands in most elegant way and purpose. Like she's not there to collect only, but to leave something in our hearts. Just...
Have mercy, please.

and what's this all about..... mirai is the same....... the real figure skater. amazing beauty and jumps. but people somehow prefer ashley with horrible face expressions which look just awful and improbably, and with bad skating skills. not to mention her urs. i'll never forgive that decision after 2014 nationals, just ugly and unfair.

 

[ice coverage]

... So, in an ideal Nationals--La la Land is a beautiful program. Mirai gets GOE on her axel. Polina gets her jumps back. Mariah, Angela and Courtney skate clean. Karen rotates. Bradie does what Bradie's been doing.

Then what happens?

Then what happens is that we all will feel happy :yay: for all the ladies who competed so well at Nats.
Plus happy that we saw a lot of great skating.

And no matter who USFS selects for the Olympics and Worlds, all the ladies should feel proud of themselves for doing a good job under a lot of pressure.

 

[R.D.]

...I keep reading here some of you want to leave US greatest talent in many years, Karen Chen at home as well.
Huge respect to Ashley, much to Gracie and some to Polina, but for real... These are girls have been working hard, taught well, dedicated, but they've been just so-so talent-wise. Not anywhere close to Karen.
Like OK, she's inconsistent, headcase, whatever, but seriously - when she's on she will leave people in Olympic arena speechless and will fight hard at the top like in last Worlds. She has some technical issues to solve, but she's a FIGURE SKATER for god's sake. Girl steps on the ice and moves like a feather, performs, moves her hands in most elegant way and purpose. Like she's not there to collect only, but to leave something in our hearts. Just...
Have mercy, please.

Then, please, for her sake, let her skate that way next week

 

[jFarrisFAN]

Mirai still gets more URs than Ashley does. At least Ashley won a GP medal this season. Mirai hasn't won a GP medal since 2013.

Ashley did it with a 183 total in a very weak field.... Mirai has a much higher SB than ashley and has proven to be more consistent than ashley this season. Ashley's GP medal isn't as impressive as it seems.