2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating | Page 237 | Golden Skate

2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

I'm not sure what to expect next week. I think we'll have a better idea once we hear some practice reports. Until then I think we'll just need to trust what we hear from the teleconferences. I think most can agree there are only a few "real" candidates for the Olympic team this time around, especially given the body of work criteria.

I'll start with Karen Chen, while she has been less than stellar this season, she was the "savior" of US Figure Skating last season and her Nationals win and Worlds 4th will give her that "body of work" edge over many if she finishes 4th at Nationals. Ashley Wagner, also not stellar this season, squeaked out a medal at Skate Canada with a low score (though many will admit that was a harsh caller at that competition in relation to ALL other Grand Prix's this season), she should podium at Nationals if she is her best shape but her Nationals 2017 and Worlds 2017 placements and GP medal give her a BOW edge. Bradie Tennel has been showing strong consistency this season and her Skate America medal and high scores in relation to other US ladies gives her the momentum to win Nationals but she needs to hold up to the expectations. If she skates well, she will get high scores and make the team but the win will depend on Karen/Ashley. Mirai Nagasu, everyone's sentimental favorite has been skating better this season but has it been good enough to give her a body of work edge? The 3 axel is exciting and I hope she is able to land them at Nationals and bring the house down but she'll need to bring it more on the components side to pull off the win.

Outside of the above 4 we have Mariah Bell and Polina Edmunds. Mariah had a good season last year and made it to Worlds but didn't carry that momentum into this season. If she skates her best without under-rotations, she will be a factor in the top 3. Polina is a returning Olympian with clout, she can factor in if she has all her jumps back but that seems unlikely given her recent struggles.

All I know is that it should be an interesting 2 days of competition. I wouldn't be surprised to see major movement between the SP/LP depending on if some favorites struggle in the short.
 
I love Karen. I would be happy to see her on the podium. I don't think she is consistent enough that she would be a likely choice for the team event; but she is competitive.

I love Mirai. I would love to see her make the team because she has worked so hard and upgraded her difficulty along the way. Never letting herself rest on what she has already accomplished. And because she can skate strong at the end of the season. Has an especially good track record in Asia.

I respect Ashley. I am glad she is switching to the Audition program. If she skates well, I think it could be a beautiful moment for her.

I like Bradie. She had the farthest to come in proving herself this season, and she did. It will be a different challenge to go into a competition with expectations on her, but she has skated solidly all year. If she does again, I will be impressed.

I enjoy Mariah. Think she is a joyous performer.

I think Courtney is packaged better than she has ever been before and the FP is a stunner.

I hope the ladies will skate their best. That the strongest will rise to the top. And I hope the top three finishers will be selected for the Olympics. Though if neither Mirai nor Karen make it, I will be very sad.
 
Ice Dance said:
I love Karen. I would be happy to see her on the podium. I don't think she is consistent enough that she would be a likely choice for the team event; but she is competitive.

I love Mirai. I would love to see her make the team because she has worked so hard and upgraded her difficulty along the way. Never letting herself rest on what she has already accomplished. And because she can skate strong at the end of the season. Has an especially good track record in Asia.

I respect Ashley. I am glad she is switching to the Audition program. If she skates well, I think it could be a beautiful moment for her.

I like Bradie. She had the farthest to come in proving herself this season, and she did. It will be a different challenge to go into a competition with expectations on her, but she has skated solidly all year. If she does again, I will be impressed.

I enjoy Mariah. Think she is a joyous performer.

I think Courtney is packaged better than she has ever been before and the FP is a stunner.

I hope the ladies will skate their best. That the strongest will rise to the top. And I hope the top three finishers will be selected for the Olympics. Though if neither Mirai nor Karen make it, I will be very sad.
Click to expand...

I agree. She is also in the best shape of her life.
 
I'm almost dreading going to the ladies events. No matter what happens, or who gets picked for the team, there will be disgruntled people. IMHO, it doesn't matter that much who goes anyway, as none of the US ladies has any hope of finishing anywhere near the podium. The best that can be expected is at least one of our ladies finishes in the top 10.
 
Mrs. P said:
Really good profile on Bradie Tennell form Phil Hersh on IN: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/12/27/264031232
Click to expand...

It was a good article. I know Bradie is a hardworker and has great technique on her jumps but I found it shocking when she said she never falls. Not that I don't believe her, it's just very impressive. She has to fall once in a while right? :laugh: Anyways I like her a lot. Her season has been an upward trajectory and I don't expect it to fall at nationals. She is a real contender for the title and she knows she has to make top 2 to make the team. I think she will show how much she wants it in her performances next week.
 
Mrs. P said:
Really good profile on Bradie Tennell form Phil Hersh on IN: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/12/27/264031232
Click to expand...

Wow, I'm really amazed she managed to come back from two serious back problems. Those sorts of injuries are no joke, many girls would have quit rather than go through the strenuous recovery process only to risk it happening again. I also found her attitude quite notable -- she has a clear dream and a goal, but she doesn't get ahead of herself. I think the whole "I'm here to go to the Olympics" being taken over than "I'm here to show what I do every day in practice" mindset may have been the reason we saw some uncharacteristic messy skating at JNats from previous seasons' favorites (thus the somewhat unexpected Olympic team there). I fear it also may cause issues for our girls who are known to have nerve issues. I'm hoping she can stick to this and stand up to the pressure, because if she's telling the truth about her mindset, her toughness is exactly what we need.
 
Thanks for sharing the article.

Well, if she thinks she's so consistent :biggrin: , here comes her first big test :thumbsup:
 
Great article! I'm happy to hear she never falls in practice.

I do disagree with Phil on this: "U.S. Figure Skating's selection criteria mean Tennell almost certainly must make the top two at next week's U.S. championships in order to punch her ticket to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games." I think a bronze will get her on the team in any scenario.
 
drivingmissdaisy said:
Great article! I'm happy to hear she never falls in practice.

I do disagree with Phil on this: "U.S. Figure Skating's selection criteria mean Tennell almost certainly must make the top two at next week's U.S. championships in order to punch her ticket to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games." I think a bronze will get her on the team in any scenario.
Click to expand...

if she finishes outside the top 3 I don't think she will make the team.......(maybe if she finishes fourth but it depends who finished third). One GP bronze doesn't make her a lock based on criteria.
 
drivingmissdaisy said:
Great article! I'm happy to hear she never falls in practice.

I do disagree with Phil on this: "U.S. Figure Skating's selection criteria mean Tennell almost certainly must make the top two at next week's U.S. championships in order to punch her ticket to the 2018 Olympic Winter Games." I think a bronze will get her on the team in any scenario.
Click to expand...

Agreed. I don't see who would bump her, given that her international scores are higher than any other American lady this season.
 
Procrastinator said:
If Mirai or Ashley is the 4th place finisher and Bradie is 3rd, we could see some wyld stuff go down.
Click to expand...

I don't think there would be any basis to remove a medal-winning Bradie from the team. If Ashley is 4th, she would effectively be 0-2 against Bradie this season. If Mirai is 4th, none of her international results are good enough to bump Bradie; Mirai's best total score this season is behind two of Bradie's outings. However, I really think the USFSA would like to see Bradie win the title because it would mean a full season of strong performances, and allow the USFSA to assign her alone to skate for the women in the team event.
 
angelicaamatina said:
if she finishes outside the top 3 I don't think she will make the team.......(maybe if she finishes fourth but it depends who finished third). One GP bronze doesn't make her a lock based on criteria.
Click to expand...

I meant bronze at Nationals, not her GP bronze :) I don't think any woman makes the team without a medal.
 
Procrastinator said:
If Mirai or Ashley is the 4th place finisher and Bradie is 3rd, we could see some wyld stuff go down.
Click to expand...

Then, they should both earn the higher spot. I am not going to hate it if they don’t and I am a fan.I want to see other skaters with that great opportunity. It’s not that US will miss the chance for a metal no matter who goes.
 
Chris_E said:
I'm not sure what to expect next week. I think we'll have a better idea once we hear some practice reports. Until then I think we'll just need to trust what we hear from the teleconferences. I think most can agree there are only a few "real" candidates for the Olympic team this time around, especially given the body of work criteria.

I'll start with Karen Chen, while she has been less than stellar this season, she was the "savior" of US Figure Skating last season and her Nationals win and Worlds 4th will give her that "body of work" edge over many if she finishes 4th at Nationals. Ashley Wagner, also not stellar this season, squeaked out a medal at Skate Canada with a low score (though many will admit that was a harsh caller at that competition in relation to ALL other Grand Prix's this season), she should podium at Nationals if she is her best shape but her Nationals 2017 and Worlds 2017 placements and GP medal give her a BOW edge. Bradie Tennel has been showing strong consistency this season and her Skate America medal and high scores in relation to other US ladies gives her the momentum to win Nationals but she needs to hold up to the expectations. If she skates well, she will get high scores and make the team but the win will depend on Karen/Ashley. Mirai Nagasu, everyone's sentimental favorite has been skating better this season but has it been good enough to give her a body of work edge? The 3 axel is exciting and I hope she is able to land them at Nationals and bring the house down but she'll need to bring it more on the components side to pull off the win.

Outside of the above 4 we have Mariah Bell and Polina Edmunds. Mariah had a good season last year and made it to Worlds but didn't carry that momentum into this season. If she skates her best without under-rotations, she will be a factor in the top 3. Polina is a returning Olympian with clout, she can factor in if she has all her jumps back but that seems unlikely given her recent struggles.

All I know is that it should be an interesting 2 days of competition. I wouldn't be surprised to see major movement between the SP/LP depending on if some favorites struggle in the short.
Click to expand...

:agree: Whole post. :clap:
 
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