2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating

[lzxnl]

Makes me chuckle a bit when the senior champion is too young to go to...wait for it...Junior Worlds. There aren't too many pre-junior skaters out there that would be competitive with the seniors, and that's a testament to Alysa's hard work.

4CC, I think, will be a much-needed Worlds rehearsal for Mariah and Bradie.

 

[narcissa]

Why would anyone imply that Karen is done or in the same camp as people like Polina or Courtney Hicks? She seems to be very serious about training and with some of the "better" coaches in the US (despite their flaws) plus she has lots of natural talent and is still quite young.

She hasn't healed from that foot injury for years and it's clear it's going to cause her immense pain, maybe for the rest of her career

 

[andromache]

Starr needs a new coach. She’s falling behind technically and doesn’t have the skating skills to make up for it. She’s a great performer, but that can’t get her far enough.

I worry about Ting with Tom/Tammy. Neither has coached consistent skaters. Over the summer the rumor was that she went to Raf, and I wish that had been the case - he seems to be really great at helping skaters with consistency. His skaters aren’t perfect, but they rarely have meltdowns. Tom Z skaters seem to be especially meltdown-prone, unfortunately. Other than that, she’s the total package.

I’m kinda bummed Alysa won Nationals, although she 100% deserved it. It’s too much too soon for someone so young and I am very worried for her long term, mentally and physically. She’s already being hyped for 2022. Yikes.

Hopefully Bradie got all the yips out and saved her clean skates for Worlds. She’s got it in her. Mariah does as well.

I’m intrigued by the junior camps they are doing for Junior Worlds and it’s a promising idea to select the beat candidates for the competition and improve development. That said, no one other than Hanna and Ting should be sent to Junior Worlds.

 

[tosca]

Starr needs a new coach. She’s falling behind technically and doesn’t have the skating skills to make up for it. She’s a great performer, but that can’t get her far enough.

I worry about Ting with Tom/Tammy. Neither has coached consistent skaters. Over the summer the rumor was that she went to Raf, and I wish that had been the case - he seems to be really great at helping skaters with consistency. His skaters aren’t perfect, but they rarely have meltdowns. Tom Z skaters seem to be especially meltdown-prone, unfortunately. Other than that, she’s the total package.

I’m kinda bummed Alysa won Nationals, although she 100% deserved it. It’s too much too soon for someone so young and I am very worried for her long term, mentally and physically. She’s already being hyped for 2022. Yikes.

Hopefully Bradie got all the yips out and saved her clean skates for Worlds. She’s got it in her. Mariah does as well.

I’m intrigued by the junior camps they are doing for Junior Worlds and it’s a promising idea to select the beat candidates for the competition and improve development. That said, no one other than Hanna and Ting should be sent to Junior Worlds.

Yes to everything you said. I applaud Alyssa's accomplishments but I will bide my time until I jump on the train fully.

I also worry about Ting. I think she would have been an excellent skater under Frank Carroll but too bad he retired. I think she definitely learned more about competitive focus in this competition. For some reason she always seems surprised by good results. She needs to OWN her talent!

 

[Shani]

She is also like the rest of young skaters having adult growth issues. She will either compensate and adjust her jumps. But Caroline Zhang had similar issues. Sometimes its best to let young skaters grow and not hamper them with other peoples expectations.

 

[chuckm]

The thing is Ting did EXACTLY the same thing last year under different coaching.
She was 11th of 12 skaters after the Junior Ladies SP: 3t+2t, 3z, 2a↓, with -GOE on all the jumps, level2 steps and a V on the final spin.
The FS was a complete turnaround, with +GOE on all her elements: 3t+3t, 2a, 3f+2t+2lo, 3z, 3s, 3f, 2a+2t.
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Ting was 2nd in the FS, just 0.37 points behind Alysa Liu, and won the bronze medal.

Of course this year there were 18 senior competitors, so with a 12th place in the SP, it wasn't quite possible for Ting to make the podium. But with a 5th place finish, at least she won't have to do Sectionals next season.

 

[oatmella]

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019...and-more-from-final-day-of-u-s-championships/
Alysa Liu’s upcoming TV tour

U.S. Figure Skating’s newest prodigal sensation will get her first taste of celebrity this week.

Four days after becoming the youngest women’s national champion in history, 13-year-old Alysa Liu is set to be in New York for scheduled Tuesday appearances on TODAY and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The TODAY appearance is planned for the 8 a.m. hour.

Liu’s outgoing personality, evident in one-on-one interactions if not yet at press conferences, belies her age and her physical stature (4 feet, 7 inches).

 

[frida80]

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019...and-more-from-final-day-of-u-s-championships/
Alysa Liu’s upcoming TV tour

U.S. Figure Skating’s newest prodigal sensation will get her first taste of celebrity this week.

Four days after becoming the youngest women’s national champion in history, 13-year-old Alysa Liu is set to be in New York for scheduled Tuesday appearances on TODAY and the Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.

The TODAY appearance is planned for the 8 a.m. hour.

Liu’s outgoing personality, evident in one-on-one interactions if not yet at press conferences, belies her age and her physical stature (4 feet, 7 inches).

Oh god, no!

Why why why why?!

It’s like the hype machine on steroids! USFS and Team USA are a bunch of morons! She didn’t just win a game show or make a viral video, she’s an athlete! Stop this! It’s not her responsibility to revive interest in US skaters!

Who wants to donate their miles so she can head out of the country for a while?

 

[Scott512]

Honestly, all the technical panel had to do was call Alysa's under-rotations (which she had the second 3A and the 3S) and she would not have won. But, Bradie and Mariah really threw away the title. They both made silly mistakes that they would not make in practice. The judges were willing to award them (justifiably) for their superior quality elements and superior SS but they really did not give the judges the chance to do that. I am not sure Alysa will be crushed by the hype. She seems very determined and focused. I am more concerned about her jump technique. She does not get a lot of height on her jumps. This will have to change as she grows if she wants to keep her jumps. I also hope her team works on her basics. Her SS are not very good and she is slow. She needs to improve if she wants to continue to have success.

The whole thing was amazing and confusing. I was stunned seasoned women in their 20s were beaten by a 13 year old phenom. But Alysa deserved the gold. I sure hope she can handle the hype and fame that she will receive for years. It will come and won't stop. Her team must be ready for this.

On a side note how does Alysa who is too young for the grand Prix circuit and who won't be on the senior circuit until 2021qualify for senior Nationals?

 

[Spirals for Miles]

The whole thing was amazing and confusing. I was stunned seasoned women in their 20s were beaten by a 13 year old phenom. But Alysa deserved the gold. I sure hope she can handle the hype and fame that she will receive for years. It will come and won't stop. Her team must be ready for this.

On a side note how does Alysa who is too young for the grand Prix circuit and who won't be on the senior circuit until 2021qualify for senior Nationals?

By skating at senior regionals, placing top 4 there, skating at senior sectionals, and placing top 4 there. Which she did, winning both her regionals and sectionals.

 

[natsulian]

Alysa and her team are ready. During one of the older interviews, they talked about the media attention and preparing Alysa because they knew what winning Nationals entailed. Let us not forget the Japanese media hyping Mao Asada at Alysa’s age with television coverage for years. Then there was Yuna Kim, who talked about having the weight of her whole nation on her shoulders at the age of 19. The hype had been building since she was a kid and culminated during the Olympics. Of course, Michelle Kwan is another example because she was every little girl’s dream when she became a phenomenon at the age of 13 and was on the covers of magazines by 14/15 and earning millions by 18/19. Some crumble, some don’t, it’s all dependent on their character and Alysa wants that Olympic Gold bad. She’s hungry for it, and she will not let anything stop her from getting it. Plus, she probably has an amazing team behind her who know when to push her and when to shield her and pull her back. As Mirai noted, the difference between Alysa and the other hyped up Americans is that she knows she can be the best, she has that kind of mentality. Now, whether or not she lets go of it is to be seen, but as of now, Alysa is a little firecracker, dynamite on ice.

 

[Mathman]

https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2019...and-more-from-final-day-of-u-s-championships/

Alysa Liu’s upcoming TV tour ...

Liu’s outgoing personality, evident in one-on-one interactions if not yet at press conferences, ...

When Alysa was briefly interviewed at Nationals, I got the impression that she had been carefully coached to answer each question with one brief sentence and then stop. Don't go chattering on. This could be cool if the experienced Today hosts and Jimmy Fallon are able to strike the right note. It is on them, not on the novice interviewee, to pull it off.

I personally don't see anything wrong with all the hype as long as Alysa herself remains grounded and enjoys the momentary hoopla. From the point of view of U.S. figure skating, all publicity is good publicity.

 

[coldblueeyes]

Alysa and her team are ready. During one of the older interviews, they talked about the media attention and preparing Alysa because they knew what winning Nationals entailed. Let us not forget the Japanese media hyping Mao Asada at Alysa’s age with television coverage for years. Then there was Yuna Kim, who talked about having the weight of her whole nation on her shoulders at the age of 19. The hype had been building since she was a kid and culminated during the Olympics. Of course, Michelle Kwan is another example because she was every little girl’s dream when she became a phenomenon at the age of 13 and was on the covers of magazines by 14/15 and earning millions by 18/19.

Media coverage 10, 20 years ago was something very different to what we have today. The impact of social media is much, much more invasive than anything these skaters might have gone through in their lives. You just have to look at how many athletes, even skaters now, have to back away from their accounts because of the immense weight put on them to deal with the pressure to deliver. It's not to say she won't be able to bear it, but it's a different ball game now. Also, reality coverage differs a lot from Japan to America, to say the least.

 

[sheetz]

I don't think a few TV appearances will make much difference to Alysa. It's when she starts to get endorsements that the pressure starts to build.

 

[natsulian]

I understand the concern, but 1) Alysa’s social media is heavily monitored 2) it’s just a few press stops and I’m sure certain questions will be off limits 3) the reality of media coverage and hype is that in this day and age, the hype lasts for a few weeks or months then it dissipates and dies. I hope that Alysa stays grounded and focused, because any kind of attention is hard for a 13-year-old to grapple with, imagine national media coverage...

 

[andromache]

The thing is Ting did EXACTLY the same thing last year under different coaching.
She was 11th of 12 skaters after the Junior Ladies SP: 3t+2t, 3z, 2a↓, with -GOE on all the jumps, level2 steps and a V on the final spin.
The FS was a complete turnaround, with +GOE on all her elements: 3t+3t, 2a, 3f+2t+2lo, 3z, 3s, 3f, 2a+2t.
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Ting was 2nd in the FS, just 0.37 points behind Alysa Liu, and won the bronze medal.

Of course this year there were 18 senior competitors, so with a 12th place in the SP, it wasn't quite possible for Ting to make the podium. But with a 5th place finish, at least she won't have to do Sectionals next season.

Yeah, and I think on the JGP she has basically proven that she can either skate a clean long or a clean short - never both in the same competition. Reminds me of Gracie Gold, unfortunately.

And it's not just one or two small mistakes when she messes up - when she doesn't skate well, she skates REALLY not well.

 

[SkateSkates]

Does anyone know if we will be sending skaters to Universiade?

 

[Mathman]

I don't think a few TV appearances will make much difference to Alysa. It's when she starts to get endorsements that the pressure starts to build.

She should try to get the Oliie's Bargain Outlet gig!

 

[moonvine]

Alysa and her team are ready. During one of the older interviews, they talked about the media attention and preparing Alysa because they knew what winning Nationals entailed. Let us not forget the Japanese media hyping Mao Asada at Alysa’s age with television coverage for years. Then there was Yuna Kim, who talked about having the weight of her whole nation on her shoulders at the age of 19. The hype had been building since she was a kid and culminated during the Olympics. Of course, Michelle Kwan is another example because she was every little girl’s dream when she became a phenomenon at the age of 13 and was on the covers of magazines by 14/15 and earning millions by 18/19. Some crumble, some don’t, it’s all dependent on their character and Alysa wants that Olympic Gold bad. She’s hungry for it, and she will not let anything stop her from getting it. Plus, she probably has an amazing team behind her who know when to push her and when to shield her and pull her back. As Mirai noted, the difference between Alysa and the other hyped up Americans is that she knows she can be the best, she has that kind of mentality. Now, whether or not she lets go of it is to be seen, but as of now, Alysa is a little firecracker, dynamite on ice.

I’m sorry, but I think awarding her the OGM at 13 years old before she has stepped a toe onto even senior International competitive ice is insane. We don’t know who will be competing from other countries. Look how well awarding Nathan Chen the OGM in advance went.

 

[natsulian]

I’m sorry, but I think awarding her the OGM at 13 years old before she has stepped a toe onto even senior International competitive ice is insane. We don’t know who will be competing from other countries. Look how well awarding Nathan Chen the OGM in advance went.

I’m not awarding her the Olympic Gold Medal, far from it. The point I was trying to make was that she has a goal set and will not enable trivial matters to obscure her. As for the media, they will tout her as the next “Gold Medal Contender” for the U.S. and award her all the medals even before she’s competed internationally. Hopefully it will not get to Alysa’s head and she can thrive off of it, rather than succumb to it.