2021-2022 US Women's Figure Skating

[R.D.]

Sounds like Alysa Liu is doing reasonably well for herself, at least relative to the rest of the US field. I’m not following closely like I used to, but I am finding myself a bit more curious on the state of the US ladies now given the upcoming Olympics. Good to see Gracie Gold still in the game too, although it looks like her chances of getting back to form and seriously challenging for a spot appear to be narrowing in real time. So I suppose the main contenders are Liu, Tennell, Bell and Chen (all familiar names to me), with perhaps a dark horse or two in the wings.

I’m not certain how many Olympic spots the US has in ladies (2?) but to my untrained eye it’s looking like barring injury or a catastrophe, it may be in the best interest of USFS to ensure that Liu gets one of those spots. Given her superior technical content they might even consider her to do both segments of the Team Event - I know traditionally the US has split ladies. But of course this would be getting bit ahead of ourselves a bit.

 

[Lzbee]

I'm not certain how many Olympic spots the US has in ladies (2?) but to my untrained eye it’s looking like barring injury or a catastrophe, it may be in the best interest of USFS to ensure that Liu gets one of those spots.

US women have 3 spots! The saviour Karen Chen did it again and came 4th at World's last season and Bradie came 9th.

(I say "the saviour" Karen because she was never expected to place in the top 5 at all and it was debated as to whether she should be sent because Bradie was expected to achieve around 5th but even 8th place seemed like a stretch for Karen. She pulled through to come 4th when Bradie had a bad skate to secure the chance of a 3rd spot.)

(Oh and I should give credit to Alysa for securing the 3rd spot at Nebelhorn too as someone other than the Worlds team had to place top 6 there to confirm the spot.)

 

[R.D.]

US women have 3 spots! The saviour Karen Chen did it again and came 4th at World's last season and Bradie came 9th.

3 spots? Wow, that’s a pleasant surprise. Thanks for the info.

Good for Chen and Tennell (and Liu) for pulling through and making it happen.

I believe Chen also contributed to the US having 3 ladies spots in 2018 as well…despite her consistency issues, when OLY spots are on the line, she delivers, it would seem.

(I say "the saviour" Karen because she was never expected to place in the top 5 at all and it was debated as to whether she should be sent because Bradie was expected to achieve around 5th but even 8th place seemed like a stretch for Karen. She pulled through to come 4th when Bradie had a bad skate to secure the chance of a 3rd spot.)

Ah, sounds familiar. Chen was never a beacon of consistency in her career and has been totally unpredictable. She can either be really good, or…melt down. It seems unlike Tennell to have an off-night at such an important event, but it is ice after all.

(Oh and I should give credit to Alysa for securing the 3rd spot at Nebelhorn too as someone other than the Worlds team had to place top 6 there to confirm the spot.)

Interesting. I was not aware of this additional detail for Olympic spot qualification. Thanks for mentioning this.

 

[Dawn825]

It seems unlike Tennell to have an off-night at such an important event, but it is ice after all.

She said her skate broke during the practice sessions, or something like that.

 

[mrrice]

She said her skate broke during the practice sessions, or something like that.

Yes. She recovered quite nicely at the WTT which is why I'm so upset that she might miss making the Olympic Team. The Committee can't really do anything for her if she's too injured to compete at Nationals.

 

[skatefan17]

I’m just putting this out there- I’m going to try to will Amber to the Olympics. I just have a feeling she is going to get that second spot. Despite Karen’s inconsistency, she usually hits at important moments and gets stellar PCS. USFS loves that. If there were higher scoring seniors, I think she would not even be considered. But the US depth isn’t like Russia.

Alysa, Amber and Karen might be the Olympic team. Sadly I just think Bradie won’t get it together in time.

 

[skatefan17]

Very impressed with Alysa's confidence... I just watched her SkCan gala performance that included a flawless 3Lz3T combo under the lights. I don't think we'll see Karen or Mariah attempt that (and I love Karen and Mariah).

The 3T looked under rotated to me and from the camera angle, very low to the ground.

 

[Greengemmonster]

If Bradie wishes to continue skating, my wish is now for her to heal and then go to another Worlds and have a career's best result there. That plus a Nationals win and another podium at 4CC.

If she wants to continue skating that's my wish for her when she recovers.

I'm trying to make peace with her not going to the Olympics so I'm just going to scrap this season for her in my head

 

[mrrice]

I’m just putting this out there- I’m going to try to will Amber to the Olympics. I just have a feeling she is going to get that second spot. Despite Karen’s inconsistency, she usually hits at important moments and gets stellar PCS. USFS loves that. If there were higher scoring seniors, I think she would not even be considered. But the US depth isn’t like Russia.

Alysa, Amber and Karen might be the Olympic team. Sadly I just think Bradie won’t get it together in time.

Unless Bradie Tennell is unable to compete, I don't see this happening for Karen. She did herself no favors with her showing at Skate Canada. Lindsay continues to impress the judges and me as well. That final spot is really up for grabs. I'd give it to a healthy Bradie but, we'll just have to wait and see. Remember, Karen has only defeated Bradie once in the last 4 years. Yes, it was the most recent Big international event but, Bradie has the last win at WTT.

 

[ManyCairns]

I’m just putting this out there- I’m going to try to will Amber to the Olympics. I just have a feeling she is going to get that second spot. Despite Karen’s inconsistency, she usually hits at important moments and gets stellar PCS. USFS loves that. If there were higher scoring seniors, I think she would not even be considered. But the US depth isn’t like Russia.

Alysa, Amber and Karen might be the Olympic team. Sadly I just think Bradie won’t get it together in time.

I'm with you on willing Amber onto the team! I just don't like Karen as a choice because of her technical issues (low relative difficulty, tendency to UR) -- so I'll hold onto hope for Bradie or one of the others.

 

[readernick]

I'm trying to make peace with her not going to the Olympics so I'm just going to scrap this season for her in my head

Yes. I mean it's impossible to say what will happen but , unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective, the USFS had released selection criteria which , in general, make the selection requirements more clear but also hurt injured skaters like Bradie. There is no way she is going to be able to build up a competitive record while injured. I still think that a clean Bradie has by far the highest consistent scoring potential of the US women but unless she goes out and wins Nationals ( which she might do) it is hard to see her on the team. I really just hope she is able to get healthy.

As far as who will be on the team, obviously Alysa is a lock despite not scoring as highly as a few of her most devoted fans thought she would. She is just a good competitor and that matters more than quality of elements or SS.

Karen could help her chances with a better showing at the next competition or a more lenient technical panel who ignores URs. If she gets a technical panel like Autumn Classic or SC, it will be hard for her to score well. In Karen's favor judging at large events is usually lenient, so she might do ok at the Olympics.

Amber could help her chances by having a more solid SP. She doesn't need a 3A or 3Lz in her short. She needs to get level 4s on everything and perform all her jumps cleanly. If she does this, her score should be 70+ in the SP. I wonder if her decent showing at SA will lead to more clean and less nervy performances or if she will just go back to being inconsistent? In the LP, she needs to add at least one more triple and preferably two. She also needs all level 4s. She was very clean at her last competition in the LP but the BV was just too low. Again, why didn't she do a 3S?

Mariah needs to rotate her 3-3 in the SP and do clean combos in the LP. We haven't seen her yet so it is hard to speculate how she will do.

Lindsay needs an acting coach and more speed. All her elements are already great.

At this point, my personal selection for the team would be Alysa, Amber and Lindsay but I hope Karen, Mariah and Bradie come out and surprise us all.

 

[moonvine]

Yes. She recovered quite nicely at the WTT which is why I'm so upset that she might miss making the Olympic Team. The Committee can't really do anything for her if she's too injured to compete at Nationals.

She’s been injured since at least August (wd from Cranberry Cup). If she’s still injured in January there’s no chance of her recovering and getting back into competitive shape by February. I hope this does not happen and she is fully recovered quickly. But with all the comps she’s withdrawn from it doesn’t look good.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Yes. I mean it's impossible to say what will happen but , unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective, the USFS had released selection criteria which , in general, make the selection requirements more clear but also hurt injured skaters like Bradie. There is no way she is going to be able to build up a competitive record while injured. I still think that a clean Bradie has by far the highest consistent scoring potential of the US women but unless she goes out and wins Nationals ( which she might do) it is hard to see her on the team.

The criteria also allow for special consideration for situations like Bradie's. She is one of our best skaters when healthy and if she skates well at Nationals she has a track record of producing strong results internationally. If she finishes in the top 3 at Nationals I don't see how the USFSA bumps her in favor of someone like Amber or Karen who haven't even won a GP medal.

 

[MCsAngel2]

Re: Gracie Gold, I know someone mentioned a few pages back that she came 3rd in the short at the competition she did last week (the one that Isabeau withdrew from last minute), but she had a fall in the long and checked out for the rest of the program, and came 5th, finishing 4th overall. Well, apparently when she finished, she came off the ice and left immediately. She did not sit in the K&C to get her scores. Behavior like that does her no favors. For the person a few posts up who said it was good to see her in the conversation for the US team still, to clarify, there's no way Gracie is making the Olympic Team - the question of the moment is whether or not she'll make Nationals as the last spot. I'm thinking it won't happen.

I previously said Bradie is the only US woman who has the political capital to spend on missing all the fall competitions without it hurting her reputation, AS LONG AS she skates in top form at Nationals. I still believe that, but it's certainly looking like a taller and taller order to fill. But if anyone can do it, Bradie can.

However, if you believe Bradie is unlikely to be in top form by January....I've got to say, I think that gives Amber's chances of making the team quite a bump. And I'm a HUGE Amber fan. I would love to see her go.

 

[MCsAngel2]

She’s been injured since at least August (wd from Cranberry Cup). If she’s still injured in January there’s no chance of her recovering and getting back into competitive shape by February. I hope this does not happen and she is fully recovered quickly. But with all the comps she’s withdrawn from it doesn’t look good.

I'm pretty sure she/her team has said she got injured in June.

 

[skatingiscool]

I'm with you on willing Amber onto the team! I just don't like Karen as a choice because of her technical issues (low relative difficulty, tendency to UR) -- so I'll hold onto hope for Bradie or one of the others.

Don't forget that Skate Canada has more "strict" technical panel. Skate America is much lenient. Both Karen and Alysa are underscored and hammered by strict carrot fest at SC. US domestics competitions always have much higher (inflated) scores compared to international competitions. We cannot compare Lindsay "domestics" competition score to Karen's SC international score. You're comparing APPLE to ORANGE.

However, I do agree that Lindsay should be included in US Olympics team. Lindsay is consistent and she can fully rotate triple/triple. I feel like Alysa showed her nerves at SC compared to her earlier small competitions. According to Jonathan in this and that program(Jonathan watched SC LIVE), Alysa hit 3A during warm up but fell in real competition. Perhaps it's better for Lindsay to share the Olympics team event which can ease Alysa's pressure.

P.s.: Jonathan also mentions that Alysa skates much "FASTER" now by watching her skating "LIVE" at Skate Canada.

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[Amei]

Don't forget that Skate Canada has more "strict" technical panel. Skate America is much lenient. Both Karen and Alysa are underscored and hammered by strict carrot fest at SC.

Well regardless of the tech panel I think we can all agree though that Karen does do some of the easier tech content and has a tendency to under-rotate; it's just a matter of is the tech panel lenient or strict and calls the under-rotations or not.

 

[MCsAngel2]

Don't forget that Skate Canada has more "strict" technical panel. Skate America is much lenient. Both Karen and Alysa are underscored and hammered by strict carrot fest at SC. US domestics competitions always have much higher (inflated) scores compared to international competitions. We cannot compare Lindsay "domestics" competition score to Karen's SC international score. You're comparing APPLE to ORANGE.

I feel like I'm missing something you're saying here. It sounds like you are calling Skate America a domestic competition. It's not - like Skate Canada and the other 4 Grand Prix competitions, it's an international competition, with international judges.

 

[skatingiscool]

I feel like I'm missing something you're saying here. It sounds like you are calling Skate America a domestic competition. It's not - like Skate Canada and the other 4 Grand Prix competitions, it's an international competition, with international judges.

My point is Skate Canada is the most strictest Grand Prix competitions so far.

Lindsay skates in other small US domestics competitions over the weekend.

Skate Canada GP (Strict) > Skate America GP (Lenient) > US domestics competitions (Lenient + inflated)

By looking at Nathan Chen scores at Nationals in the past few years, we all should know US domestics competitions are very good in giving out inflated scores .

p.s: Karen's latest instagram. Let's give some support and love to Karen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVs7vVePlzX/

"my performances here have not been what i’ve envisioned at all. i’m honestly still trying to process, but i know that rough skates happen & this just happens to be another one i can add to my collection . i know i’ve been marked as an inconsistent skater & so i will continue to work harder than ever to break that mold. although skating can bring me such pain at times, at the end of the day i love it & i’m excited to get back to work. thank you for all your support! it honestly means a lot to me!"

 

[Skater Boy]

I think the American ladies look fairly strong. They need to have confidence in themseles. Liu is reaally coming on strong. She could sneak out a medal. Bradies injury is key to who goes to the olympics How is Gracie doing? Is she guaranteed a spot a nationals? Is she back in form?