2020-21 US Women's Figure Skating | Page 41 | Golden Skate

2020-21 US Women's Figure Skating

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i'm not going to lie, i'm afraid a lot of people are going to see her with a different body and not doing quads or triple axels and say she's done, even if she skates clean with 3+3s. the expectation of her is probably to clinch a 3rd title and be going for those jumps in the year before the olympics and also to prove she can still keep up with the Russians, and if they don't see that they will be harsh on her just like every other skater who shows any sort of struggle. she's already gotten so much hate after WINNING nationals twice, imagine what it will be now.
If she skates clean with 3-3s, the pressure will be on the others to skate clean with 3-3s, too. I'm not predicting what Alysa will do, but last year, she had two 3-3s in the second half of her program, so her program was strong even without the 3As and the quad.
 
If so, that's great. But, without her 3A/4Lz she will not be very competitive internationally or nationally. I wish Alysa the best and hopefully she'd still have time to restore everything before the Olympics, but this likely isn't going to be a great year at nationals.
She had two 3-3s in the second half of her program last year. That would still be very competitive against the other US ladies.
 
Regarding Alysa and Jeremy...

I get the concerns about jumping. But, it may be that with the natural rapid changes her body is undergoing, that they've decided to focus on the stuff they can improve and leave the jump adjustments until later when she is more physically stable.

I'm rooting for her to become a skater I can love.
 
If she skates clean with 3-3s, the pressure will be on the others to skate clean with 3-3s, too. I'm not predicting what Alysa will do, but last year, she had two 3-3s in the second half of her program, so her program was strong even without the 3As and the quad.

She tried most of what she's planning at the Points Challenge. Given that the Las Vegas skate a few weeks later was impacted by a minor injury, she probably will get most of the jumps landed if the Points Challenge skate was indicative of her form. However, she needs to get everything rotated, and that's where I think she might run into some trouble. She has a good team behind her so I know they will have her attempting only as much difficulty as she can execute successfully. For example, I doubt she will try two 3-3s if she's having issues rotating the second jump of those.
 
If she skates clean with 3-3s, the pressure will be on the others to skate clean with 3-3s, too. I'm not predicting what Alysa will do, but last year, she had two 3-3s in the second half of her program, so her program was strong even without the 3As and the quad.

Bell and Tennell should outscore her on PCS that she will need to make up, and if she's not going for those difficult quads or triple axel - will judges be as polite on her PCS scores?

LiuBellTennell
SP PCS 32.4534.8035.85
FS PCS68.3775.3771.28
 
A skater who skates in the same rink as Alysa in San Francisco says Alysa’s skating skills and speed has changed so much since Las Vegas that fans’ jaws will drop when they see the new Alysa. She’s skating like a total package. We are talking about a Kwan transformation a la Salome and believes she will be National Champion even without the Triple Axle and Quads. The skater also said she is landing her triple axles but not consistently.
 
A skater who skates in the same rink as Alysa in San Francisco says Alysa’s skating skills and speed has changed so much since Las Vegas that fans’ jaws will drop when they see the new Alysa. She’s skating like a total package. We are talking about a Kwan transformation a la Salome and believes she will be National Champion even without the Triple Axle and Quads. The skater also said she is landing her triple axles but not consistently.
I have to remind myself to lower my expectations because, oh god, they can fly so high in the sky.

I really really hope Alysa does well. I love her smile, her sparky eyes, and energetic attitude. Regardless of the outcome, I will be a supportive fan and cheer on her no matter what. She deserves all the credit in the world for raising the technical bar in the US ladies field these past years (even with her UR on some jumps and all) and not the pure hate, malicious comments and even jealousy she's gotten from trolls. I'm cheering so hard for you Alysa. Hope she skates happy and for herself at Nationals.
 
A skater who skates in the same rink as Alysa in San Francisco says Alysa’s skating skills and speed has changed so much since Las Vegas that fans’ jaws will drop when they see the new Alysa. She’s skating like a total package. We are talking about a Kwan transformation a la Salome and believes she will be National Champion even without the Triple Axle and Quads. The skater also said she is landing her triple axles but not consistently.
That’s good news! It would be so cool if she wins again (even without the harder stuff)! I’m really rooting for her and I can’t wait to see her improvements. I think her PCS should probably stay the same as last year (or maybe even higher) because even though she may not have the PCS bump for the jumps, if she has improved, her PCS score should reflect that (I mean...the US has shown they have no problem overscoring *some* people in PCS :ROFLMAO: )
 
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A skater who skates in the same rink as Alysa in San Francisco says Alysa’s skating skills and speed has changed so much since Las Vegas that fans’ jaws will drop when they see the new Alysa. She’s skating like a total package. We are talking about a Kwan transformation a la Salome and believes she will be National Champion even without the Triple Axle and Quads. The skater also said she is landing her triple axles but not consistently.
The thing is, these changes have to be evident in her programs, not just practicing at her home rink. Is she able to maintain speed three and a half minutes into her LP? Can she balance transitions and skating skills with doing seven triples? It will be a challenge to do these in just a few months because other things like stamina and focus must also improve along with the raw skating ability.
 
Alysa has definitely improved her speed. It was a noticeable change during ISP and even during the Vegas cheesefest thing. That and the fact that she still moves across the ice easily (not labored-looking) are keeping hope alive that she can weather this puberty storm. I don't see her getting her big elements back until some time next year but, like everyone said, if she can put out some elevated normal content (i.e. a 3-3 or two) that will help to keep her on the podium. I don't know about crowning her (or anyone) national champ right now but if she can deliver her content cleanly she'll have a good chance. Bradie is pretty solid, Mariah has the edge in PCS but not in TES, Amber has the 3A but is so inconsistent in the FS, and Karen is often a mix bag--she can be very strong or a mess. The door to the podium isn't closed--Alysa can make it if she skates well.

Shedefinitely needs another 6-8 months before she's ready to compete internationally but she has a shot at maintaining her title or at least staying on the podium. My hope is that Tara/Johnny/Terry don't do that thing where they talk all about 3As and quads and set the expectation that those are elements we'll see this year. They definitely did it at the cheesefest thing and I don't get that. Don't set unrealistic expectations, even for the casual viewer. People who follow the sport know full well what's been going on with Alysa this season.

I wish her the best. I'm cheering for Mariah to win (just b/c I think she should have won last year and I'd like to see her win at least one title before she retires) but I'm also hoping everyone can turn in strong performances.
Jackie Wong is reporting Mariah Bell's ABBA free skate has new music cuts: now starts with Winner Take It All, then Mamma Mia, then Thank You For the Music.

Glad to hear it. I think it's better to start with the slower music and end with the energy, rather than start with energy, slow it down and then pick it up again. That works for some programs but not this one. I still don't care for it very much but if she skates cleanly I think the judges will give her a hand.
 
Can she balance transitions and skating skills with doing seven triples? It will be a challenge to do these in just a few months because other things like stamina and focus must also improve along with the raw skating ability.
Yeah I get what you are saying. But to be fair, transitions (or skating skills tbh) is not really something the US ladies are known for:slink:. I think that if speed/ice coverage is something they are really working on, she will be able to show some improvement within the programs at nationals (even though the jumps weren’t there, her PCS had improved from where they were at nationals—and that was before working with Jeremy).
 
I think this years National will be a true battle. I'm still going with Bradie as she is closest to Alysa without her quad and 3A. Bradie has the 3-3's to match Alysa and IMO is stronger on Components. Should be an exciting event filled with pressure for our top ladies
I completely agree! Would love to see either win!
 
My hope is that Tara/Johnny/Terry don't do that thing where they talk all about 3As and quads and set the expectation that those are elements we'll see this year. They definitely did it at the cheesefest thing and I don't get that. Don't set unrealistic expectations, even for the casual viewer. People who follow the sport know full well what's been going on with Alysa this season.
To be fair, Alysa attempted a 3A a few weeks before the Las Vegas event so it wasn't unrealistic to expect her to try it if they didn't know she was dealing with a minor injury. But I agree that touting her as the girl with quads who can challenge the Russians is misleading at this point, knowing where she is now.
 
She tried most of what she's planning at the Points Challenge. Given that the Las Vegas skate a few weeks later was impacted by a minor injury, she probably will get most of the jumps landed if the Points Challenge skate was indicative of her form. However, she needs to get everything rotated, and that's where I think she might run into some trouble. She has a good team behind her so I know they will have her attempting only as much difficulty as she can execute successfully. For example, I doubt she will try two 3-3s if she's having issues rotating the second jump of those.
If a " minor injury" can cause such a disaster skate, i don't want to know what a serious injury would do :rolleye: There are skaters out there jumping all kind of jumps with serious back and ankle injuries and landing them, just saying :shrug:
 
If a " minor injury" can cause such a disaster skate, i don't want to know what a serious injury would do :rolleye: There are skaters out there jumping all kind of jumps with serious back and ankle injuries and landing them, just saying :shrug:
yeah this is not how it works. completely depends on the injury and everyone's body reacts differently to an injury. i really hope you are not insinuating Alysa is using it as an excuse for a poor performance, but that wouldn't surprise me.
 
If a " minor injury" can cause such a disaster skate, i don't want to know what a serious injury would do :rolleye: There are skaters out there jumping all kind of jumps with serious back and ankle injuries and landing them, just saying :shrug:
A minor injury can result in a disastrous skate. A serious injury can mean the end of a career. (Just sayin'. ;) )

Athletes who can push through aches and pains, good for them, but risk/reward is also a factor. Go for broke or live to fight another day?
 
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