2021-2022 US Women's Figure Skating

[skatefan17]

So, speaking of Bradie why would she be going over her choreo with Benoit in Boston (?) with no jumps? (According to TSL) If she's well you'd think she'd be doing the jumps or of she's not well then why even bother running the programs?

Probably to tweak and touch up the choreography? She could use placeholders where the jumps will be. It seems like she is very badly injured still or is just saving stamina.

 

[Amei]

So, speaking of Bradie why would she be going over her choreo with Benoit in Boston (?) with no jumps? (According to TSL) If she's well you'd think she'd be doing the jumps or of she's not well then why even bother running the programs?

Well even if she can't jump (I don't know the context of this as I do not and will not listen to TSL) its important to keep up some aspects of her skating to not have to start from zero with everything when she can jump.

 

[sheetz]

So, speaking of Bradie why would she be going over her choreo with Benoit in Boston (?) with no jumps? (According to TSL) If she's well you'd think she'd be doing the jumps or of she's not well then why even bother running the programs?

I thought this was fairly common? If you have to keep going over the same sections of the programs to get the choreo down obviously you'll leave out the jumps. Especially in this case since Benoit isn't a jumps specialist himself.

 

[Amei]

I thought this was fairly common? If you have to keep going over the same sections of the programs to get the choreo down obviously you'll leave out the jumps. Especially in this case since Benoit isn't a jumps specialist himself.

Perhaps the implication was more of: if she can't jump at this point then a good showing at nationals to justify the Olympics is unlikely - so why bother with choreography at this point

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

It's very likely this would be Bradie's last Nationals, whether or not she makes the Olympic team. I'm thinking she'll show up for one last performance at the event.

 

[Greengemmonster]

I'm very torn about Bradie. Love her to bits, no debate about that.

One one hand if she's healthy and continues, she's definitely going to be up there. I don't think she even needs a 3A. Just fully rotated jumps and 3-3s. She's got good PCS and international judges like her.

On the other she is getting older and I worry about her bones etc. I can understand wanting to move onto a new phase in life and not smash up your body anymore.

I'm going to be so sad if she retires but I do wish her all the best!

 

[ptvvibezz]

Michelle is the ambassador to Belize!

 

[moonvine]

True. Look at Alysa. She just changed coaches and we'll have to see how that turns out. A skaters career is very short and sometimes you need to make a change. Even if it's only for a comfortable environment. That can make a huge difference especially, from a mental standpoint.

I meant in their programs, but we will indeed see how her coaching change works out.

 

[moonvine]

Alysa is the clear favorite for a third national title. Who would be able to beat her?

A healthy Bradie.

 

[mrrice]

A healthy Bradie.

.......If only.

 

[TontoK]

Michelle is the ambassador to Belize!

Good for her, but I wonder what she knows about Belize? Like what are her qualifications?

Of course, ambassadorships are probably handed out to people with no connection to the country all the time. I think Shirley Temple was an ambassador to some random African country back in the day.

 

[skaket023]

Belize is a small Caribbean island that's filled with a lot of Americans. She'll be fine.

 

[el henry]

There is a thread on Michelle Kwan's nomination for the ambassador position in Belize:

Michelle Kwan nominated for ambassadorship to Belize

Belize. Kind of odd, I don't think it's even a country she's competed in. https://www.yahoo.com/news/biden-picks-caroline-kennedy-michelle-213050692.html

www.goldenskate.com

However, this Twitter thread explains her credentials:





My understanding, is that she has served in State Department roles since 2008 (?) although I can't find the immediate quote. Michelle is very accomplished off and on the ice.

 

[TontoK]

Belize is a small Caribbean island that's filled with a lot of Americans. She'll be fine.

She won't be if she thinks Belize is an island. It borders Mexico and Guatemala.

It does have a pretty famous reef system, and you may be thinking of that.

*Edit: I wish her well. She's probably as qualified as anyone else who might have been in contention.

 

[dorispulaski]

Good for her, but I wonder what she knows about Belize? Like what are her qualifications?

Of course, ambassadorships are probably handed out to people with no connection to the country all the time. I think Shirley Temple was an ambassador to some random African country back in the day.

Michelle Kwan: From the Podium to Politics | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

The above article is from March from USFS,and interviews Michelle about her post skating career in diplomacy and politics.

Ms. Kwan Goes to Washington

www.chicagotribune.com

Before she finished college:

She already is active in two State Department initiatives under two different administrations. Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice made Kwan the first American Public Diplomacy Envoy in 2007. Current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Chinese State Councilor Liu Yandong named Kwan an ambassador to a new U.S.-China women's leadership exchange, Women-LEAD, this April.

Kwan's field of study at Fletcher was East Asia and Foreign Policy Analysis, and her master's thesis focused on how the Beijing Olympics became a vehicle for a form of international relations. She learned Mandarin to fulfill the Fletcher language requirement and wants to keep studying it until she can speak it as well as she does China's other major language, Cantonese.

Her wikipedia entry, although obviously written primarily by skating fans, has some details of her post skating activities.

Michelle Kwan - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

She was chosen as the guest of honor to help open a new synthetic skating rink at the Marina Bay Sands resort in Singapore in December 2010, where she performed a modified routine to "Winter Song", a program she self-choreographed with her sister.[46] She returned to Singapore a month later as a Public Diplomacy Envoy[47] to meet local students and to promote ice skating in the tropical country.[48]

Post school,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/reliable-source/post/michelle-kwan-bureaucrat-skating-champ-now-has-state-department-job/2012/12/05/95dba4b8-3f1d-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_blog.html

About a year and a half after moving to D.C., the former Olympian is launched on a career track, with a new job this fall at the State Department. Official title: Senior adviser for public diplomacy and public affairs.

The only thing for which Belize seems a bit of a fit for Michelle is that it has a small Chinese immigrant community large enough to earn its own Wikipedia entry.

Ethnic Chinese in Belize - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Sad to say, racism against ethnic Chinese is a thing there.

 

[ptvvibezz]

New piece on Karen from NBCOlympics

Meet the Athletes: Karen Chen

Get to know Olympian Karen Chen as she eyes another Olympic berth in 2022.

www.nbcolympics.com

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

New piece on Karen from NBCOlympics

That diet regimen would be strict for a regular person, much less an athlete who trains 4+ hours a day.

 

[Tavi...]

New piece on Karen from NBCOlympics

Meet the Athletes: Karen Chen

Get to know Olympian Karen Chen as she eyes another Olympic berth in 2022.

www.nbcolympics.com

I thought it was really interesting that she trains wearing a gadget that tracks the speed of her rotation- hope it’s helping her!

Regarding her meals: I don’t think there’s any need for criticism. We don’t know her daily caloric needs and she looks healthy and not overly thin, so she’s obviously eating enough to fuel herself and her work outs. She mostly doesn’t specify quantities or how much fat (oil / butter) she’s getting daily, but she’s obviously getting some, and her choices include a lot of variety and actually look quite well balanced to me.

 

[Lamente Ariane]

I wish they didn't ask about the meals at all, for exactly this reason. Inviting a lot of strangers to comment on ANYONE'S diet is a terrible idea.

 

[ice coverage]

I thought it was really interesting that she trains wearing a gadget that tracks the speed of her rotation- hope it’s helping her! ...

Sounds as if Karen's training gadget is the sensor that USFS has been using both to improve technique and to prevent injury.

Lynn Rutherford wrote about it about a year ago, if anyone is interested in reading more:

https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/u-s-figure-skatings-automated-monitoring-of-jump-loads-in-training.87354/#post-2676645

ETA (on Apr 29, 2022):

From 2022 MIT Sloan Sports Analytic Conference:
https://www.sloansportsconference.c...y-to-monitor-workload-in-elite-figure-skating (Mar 4, 2022)

https://global-uploads.webflow.com/5f1af76db47b36e28b98eead/62184e785e1cf96a2625c370_SSAC22%20Agenda%20vF2.pdf

https://youtu.be/Rn7sZ5kNsNw (27:10, posted Mar 25, 2022)

SSAC22: Using Technology to Monitor Workload in Elite Figure Skating

youtu.be

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Regarding her meals: I don’t think there’s any need for criticism. We don’t know her daily caloric needs and she looks healthy and not overly thin, so she’s obviously eating enough to fuel herself and her work outs. She mostly doesn’t specify quantities or how much fat (oil / butter) she’s getting daily, but she’s obviously getting some, and her choices include a lot of variety and actually look quite well balanced to me.

And I (as a layperson) think those Sargento snack packs would be good for fueling?
I believe they combine cheese plus dried fruit and/or nuts and/or chocolate, depending on which exact pack.

Also, Karen's answers for indulgences include Korean BBQ, pan-fried dumplings, and two brands of ice cream.
Which I hope is a good sign that she believes in balance.