2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating | Page 250 | Golden Skate

2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating

sheetz said:
To me any "savior" to US ladies would require someone with a Kwan-like competitive record. Most people thought Bradie would be the best senior US lady, and she has been when Alysa is excluded. But I don't think anyone ever thought Bradie was going to seriously challenge for gold at Worlds.
Click to expand...

I think what Bradie will be good at is securing a 3rd spot. How far away is Alysa from becoming a Senior? With Mariah finishing 5th in a field with No Russians makes me think we won't be getting (or needing) a 3rd spot anytime soon.
 
mrrice said:
I think what Bradie will be good at is securing a 3rd spot. How far away is Alysa from becoming a Senior? With Mariah finishing 5th in a field with No Russians makes me think we won't be getting (or needing) a 3rd spot anytime soon.
Click to expand...

Alysa can’t compete at Worlds until after the Olympics, her first season as a senior would be 2021-22.
 
Now, is when I'd like to see a report from the skaters training centers. You know, "We caught up with Bradie Tennell and we asked about how things are going heading into Worlds." Do you think the skating lesson could pull this off?
 
Anybody else wondering what is happening with Karen Chen? She has kind of been forgotten, but I follow her on social media and she has been away from Colorado for quite some time. I assumed she would be treated there, but it seems like she has been in CA and MI.
 
tothepointe said:
This is all very true. She is only making mistakes because she is trying new elements and different style choices.

I feel like the team realizes that getting on the podium is what counts so you have to take risks like the 3Lz-3Loop because without it your just going to end up off the podium anyways. Is it better to lose with a fall or to lose by not having the content be difficult enough?

For a true competitor I think it's hard to sell the strategy of just trying to skate clean doing a simpler routine in the hopes that others might falter. That's not taking your destiny into your own hands.

For me however that's EXACTLY what I would do but probably also the reason I'm not an elite anything.
Click to expand...

I totally agree. At least this way she has a chance, a small one but an actual chance, of being competitive. We’ve seen her do the LzLo successfully so perhaps it’s only a matter of time until she nails it.
 
Okay - might not make sense to non-americans but here goes (and i suspect this will get flagged and possibly deleted as it is pure opinion)
I think the US ladies team is a lot like Susan Lucci.
Remember her? famous soap opera star on All My Children. Nominated for an Emmy something like 17 times.. and finally winning it.
Thats what this crop of skaters feels like - pre competition chat we bolster them up, wish them great things, hope, hope hope..
and then splat. Disappointment re-grouping, excuses.. and new hope for the next competition.
Why does this happen? we have great facilities, an abundance of coaches, decent support. Is it lack of discipline? is it too expensive? is it lack of motivation. Russia fixed its ladies problem. why can't we?
 
Bord said:
Okay - might not make sense to non-americans but here goes (and i suspect this will get flagged and possibly deleted as it is pure opinion)
I think the US ladies team is a lot like Susan Lucci.
Remember her? famous soap opera star on All My Children. Nominated for an Emmy something like 17 times.. and finally winning it.
Thats what this crop of skaters feels like - pre competition chat we bolster them up, wish them great things, hope, hope hope..
and then splat. Disappointment re-grouping, excuses.. and new hope for the next competition.
Why does this happen? we have great facilities, an abundance of coaches, decent support. Is it lack of discipline? is it too expensive? is it lack of motivation. Russia fixed its ladies problem. why can't we?
Click to expand...

Too expensive. Unless you can find a sponsor, shelling out upwards of $30-$50k/year for elite training is cost prohibitive for most. Plus no opportunity for college scholarships.
 
SkateSkates said:
Too expensive. Unless you can find a sponsor, shelling out upwards of $30-$50k/year for elite training is cost prohibitive for most. Plus no opportunity for college scholarships.
Click to expand...

At least double your cost estimate. And remember even if you shell that out, there are no guarantees since the ice is slippery.
 
Bord said:
Okay - might not make sense to non-americans but here goes (and i suspect this will get flagged and possibly deleted as it is pure opinion)
I think the US ladies team is a lot like Susan Lucci.
Remember her? famous soap opera star on All My Children. Nominated for an Emmy something like 17 times.. and finally winning it.
Thats what this crop of skaters feels like - pre competition chat we bolster them up, wish them great things, hope, hope hope..
and then splat. Disappointment re-grouping, excuses.. and new hope for the next competition.
Click to expand...

The last few years, I think the American women have performed pretty much how we expected them to. Ashley (2016 Worlds) and Mirai (2018 Olympics Team LP) probably had some of the better-than-expected performances, but for the most part I don't think anyone has expected the Americans to compete against the top women internationally for several years.
 
b-man said:
I love to see skaters getting endorsements. However, an endorsement for Karen would have been more appropriate in 2017-2018.
Click to expand...

From Toyota's point of view, I don't think it's the currency of Karen's achievements that are what they care about. I don't think the ad is targeted especially at figure skating fans. Here she is equal parts hard-working athlete, talented superstar, pretty girl next door, and glamorous diva. Buy a Toyota and you can be just like her! (Or attract a girl friend that is just like her.)

As an aside, and as a Mirai fan, since Toyota makes a car model called the Mirai, its appears they could have found an appropriate US skater to promote that model.
Click to expand...

I think Ashley Wagner would be a good choice to promote the Mirai. :yes:
 
Bear in mind that this was a promo for Southern Cal Toyota, not a nationwide campaign. So in a way this might have been a bit too "small" for Mirai, who achieved much greater fame than Karen did after the Olympics and DWTS.
 
drivingmissdaisy said:
The last few years, I think the American women have performed pretty much how we expected them to. Ashley (2016 Worlds) and Mirai (2018 Olympics Team LP) probably had some of the better-than-expected performances, but for the most part I don't think anyone has expected the Americans to compete against the top women internationally for several years.
Click to expand...
Throw in Karen's SP at 2017 Worlds and I agree.
 
Mathman said:
From Toyota's point of view, I don't think it's the currency of Karen's achievements that are what they care about. I don't think the ad is targeted especially at figure skating fans. Here she is equal parts hard-working athlete, talented superstar, pretty girl next door, and glamorous diva. Buy a Toyota and you can be just like her! (Or attract a girl friend that is just like her.)
Click to expand...

Or have a daughter just like her.
 
Bord said:
Okay - might not make sense to non-americans but here goes (and i suspect this will get flagged and possibly deleted as it is pure opinion)
I think the US ladies team is a lot like Susan Lucci.
Remember her? famous soap opera star on All My Children. Nominated for an Emmy something like 17 times.. and finally winning it.
Thats what this crop of skaters feels like - pre competition chat we bolster them up, wish them great things, hope, hope hope..
and then splat. Disappointment re-grouping, excuses.. and new hope for the next competition.
Why does this happen? we have great facilities, an abundance of coaches, decent support. Is it lack of discipline? is it too expensive? is it lack of motivation. Russia fixed its ladies problem. why can't we?
Click to expand...

This might not be PC, but IMO Russia has great ladies because their ladies are hungry for success. From what I heard it's harder to stand out in Russia for children from poor families. Becoming a top athlete is one of the few ways. A lot of these girls are paid for by the state and would have few opportunities otherwise. In the US, our ladies just have too much of a life outside of skating. If they fail in skating they can still go to an Ivy League and be successful. They usually come from families that will support them with money and opportunities regardless. Why persevere through injuries, countless hours of training, loneliness, strict coaching, etc? How many of them moved away from their hometown to live with extended relatives and coaches in their pre-teens like Alina Zagitova? And should we even encourage them to do it?
 
Bord said:
Why does this happen? we have great facilities, an abundance of coaches, decent support. Is it lack of discipline? is it too expensive? is it lack of motivation. Russia fixed its ladies problem. why can't we?
Click to expand...

Russia "fixed" it's ladies by getting rid of the mismatch between talented skaters and the ability to afford it. However it comes at a cost. You MUST perform or you no longer get to train. It's like the ballet academies there. They only want the best so if you are there you must work hard, do as your told, perform well or you are sent home.

I don't think we would like to have that system to be honest.
 
SkateSkates said:
Too expensive. Unless you can find a sponsor, shelling out upwards of $30-$50k/year for elite training is cost prohibitive for most. Plus no opportunity for college scholarships.
Click to expand...

Probably more like 70-100K for elite. Who can afford that? In America, it is just too expensive. I could probably "swing" that if I had an elite skater, but I wouldn't. I'd rather have money saved for college and a nice retirement. I understand that elite skating is not just results based. It does teach a child self discipline, hard work, and being excellent at something is something to be very proud of. But for that cost?? Go into tennis, which is not cheap either, but MUCH cheaper, and you can get a college scholarship. A good friend of mine was a great tennis player, and her parents put ALOT of money into it. She received a full tennis scholarship at a top school, and her parents actually SAVED money by putting all those thousands into her tennis, if she were to go to that same school without scholarship. Plus, she was well known in the city she grew up in, had an aura of success about her, and deserved her healthy ego. Skating just doesn't offer that, unless you are an Alysa Liu.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

J
Boot and blade advice for daughter
Replies
4
Views
954
JazzyDaddy
J
J
Wide skates for beginner
Replies
2
Views
681
Ic3Rabbit
Ic3Rabbit
P
Nervous About American Women Yet?
2
Replies
22
Views
3K
dorispulaski
dorispulaski
B
2026-27 U.S. Pairs Figure Skating
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
Spiralgraph
S
ladyjane
2026-2027 Dutch Figure Skating
Replies
4
Views
369
ladyjane
ladyjane
Back
Top