2021-2022 US Women's Figure Skating

[saturdaysun]

I'm not sure how speculating who will be chosen for the team event is an insult to Karen.

Because people are acting like it would only be Karen if something went catastrophically wrong with the other two women, when actually she is a deserving and worthy choice in her own right and by her own merits. She is not some last-minute back-up. All signs point to her having been chosen long before anyone even left for Beijing.

 

[yume]

Chen is actually a better choice for the SP than the FS. She can end 3rd. But in FS where she rarely goes above 135 she can finish 4th if Gubanova delivers or even 5th if Schizas has the skate of her life.

 

[ice coverage]

FWIW, per NBC today (emphasis not added):

"The women’s short program portion of the figure skating team event is expected to be led by 2018 Olympian Karen Chen and will be presented Saturday live in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock."​

​

NATHAN CHEN STARS IN FIGURE SKATING LIVE IN PRIMETIME TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK - NBC Sports Pressbox

18 Consecutive Nights of Olympic Primetime Coverage on NBC & Peacock Begins Tonight at 8 p.m. ET Featuring Figure Skating and Moguls Nathan Chen Stars in Men’s Short Program of Team Event Live Tonight in Primetime on NBC and Peacock The Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics is Tomorrow in...

nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com

(Feb 3)​

I am not saying that this word (re Karen) is official. Only "expected."

Go, Team USA.

 

[bytheriver]

I would consider that pretty official. We all know how interconnected US Figure Skating and NBC are. I can’t see them issuing a press release without being certain of what is going on at one of their flagship events.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

FWIW, per NBC today (emphasis not added):

"The women’s short program portion of the figure skating team event is expected to be led by 2018 Olympian Karen Chen and will be presented Saturday live in primetime at 8 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock."​

​

NATHAN CHEN STARS IN FIGURE SKATING LIVE IN PRIMETIME TONIGHT AT 8 P.M. ET ON NBC AND PEACOCK - NBC Sports Pressbox

18 Consecutive Nights of Olympic Primetime Coverage on NBC & Peacock Begins Tonight at 8 p.m. ET Featuring Figure Skating and Moguls Nathan Chen Stars in Men’s Short Program of Team Event Live Tonight in Primetime on NBC and Peacock The Opening Ceremony of the 2022 Winter Olympics is Tomorrow in...

nbcsportsgrouppressbox.com

(Feb 3)​

I am not saying that this word (re Karen) is official. Only "expected."

Go, Team USA.

I think that's pretty firm confirmation of her selection. Nationals results are truly meaningless.

 

[Amei]

I think that's pretty firm confirmation of her selection. Nationals results are truly meaningless.

The US Fed just truly understands keeping casual fans casual, don't they? The ladies national champ appears to not get the team selection and the second place mens finisher is bypassed for 2 skaters he beat to go to the Olympics. Plus, based on the ice dance selection they are not using Chock and Bates catchy RD for the team event

 

[ice coverage]

I would consider that pretty official. We all know how interconnected US Figure Skating and NBC are. I can’t see them issuing a press release without being certain of what is going on at one of their flagship events.

My point is that NBC's wording leaves wiggle room.
And we all know that USFS does not need to officially commit until approx. forty hours from now.

I obviously posted the quote from NBC because I find it noteworthy.
(Although not official.)

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

My point is that NBC's wording leaves wiggle room.

They also used "expected" for Nathan. For them to not say Mariah (national champ) or Alysa (top American this season) suggests, to me, it was an informed statement. In other words, I don't think they'd mention Karen unless she was actually the pick.

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

I’m starting to wonder whether Karen is the only hope to beat the Japanese woman at least in the short.

Let’s be honest Mariah isn’t landing that 3-3 clean. Karen has at least been attempting it all season and has shown it very clean and nice in practices and warm up.

Without Alysa’s 3A she isn’t beating them even if she goes clean. Her short program isn’t good enough and she won’t get the PCS. But Karen can absolutely contend with them on this mark and is arguably better on composition/performance and spins.

I think ISU was pretty lenient on < at 4CC (maybe also Euros , I forget but definitely 4CC). I’ve noticed they sometimes become lenient in the 2nd half of the season so scores can be higher which looks “cooler” and makes for better ratings. I would certainly think this would be the case at the Olympics. So maybe they’re banking on Karen landing it, them not calling, and her racking up all those sweet points on PCS and spins. Neither Alysa (without 3A) or Mariah would be capable of doing this. Maybe this is the reason for her selection.

I have to believe that Alysa doesn’t have the 3A and isn’t in form, which makes sense considering everything she has been through. I’m so sad for her.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

All though Mariah looks great in practice, it´s not the same as doing two full programs or 4 if you are going to do the Team Event. A lot only mark their jumps in the run trough for the FS in practice. We know a lot of skaters have struggled with their breath and stuff after covid and FS are usually very hard without having covid, and she recently recovered. As she had symptoms also, it would be a lot and very demanding having her do the TE alone. If they had split the ladies event it would have been different. It may be the reason, it may not. But for her health and wellbeing i´m happy she is not doing TE. With covid you should not push yourself too hard afterwards, like with EBV, a lot of people who got long covid din´t get it right away but a few weeks or months later.

 

[readernick]

Chen is actually a better choice for the SP than the FS. She can end 3rd. But in FS where she rarely goes above 135 she can finish 4th if Gubanova delivers or even 5th if Schizas has the skate of her life.

Yes, but all the US women would likely be 3rd in the SP. The issue is in the LP where Karen's scores this season likely place her 4/5 where as Alysa/ Mariah are much more likely to place 3rd. It seems like a bad strategic decision. However, technical calling at large events is often very lenient. The USFS may be counting on that to help Karen's scores in the LP. We will see how it goes.

 

[ptvvibezz]

I hope Karen proves everyone wrong and puts out two amazing skates

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I hope Karen proves everyone wrong and puts out two amazing skates

There is nothing to prove wrong because no one is saying she isn't talented enough. She's just the third most qualified. Her skating well doesn't change that.

 

[Jammers]

There is nothing to prove wrong because no one is saying she isn't talented enough. She's just the third most qualified. Her skating well doesn't change that.

Yeah her international record recently over the last few years says it all Mariah and Alysa have had more success and gotten on the podium many more times then Karen who last medaled at a international event back in 2017.

 

[readernick]

The fact that Mariah also had COVID-19 following Nationals makes Karen's selection more logical. So, it no longer bothers me that much. I was irritated before because it appeared that the USFS wasn't following it's own documented criteria. I also thought they might split ladies not ice dance which would have been terribly unfair. It still doesn't seem like the most strategic choice but it's understandable.

We all want Karen to skate well. Questioning the wisdom of a USFS decision has nothing to do with her personally. I hope all the skaters skate to potential.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Yeah her international record recently over the last few years says it all Mariah and Alysa have had more success and gotten on the podium many more times then Karen who last medaled at a international event back in 2017.

Karen (if she does the team event) might be the first skater in history to earn more Olympic medals than Grand Prix medals.

 

[lunastartron]

Because people are acting like it would only be Karen if something went catastrophically wrong with the other two women, when actually she is a deserving and worthy choice in her own right and by her own merits. She is not some last-minute back-up. All signs point to her having been chosen long before anyone even left for Beijing.

This is quite the narrative given that Karen suggested in an interview with Zhukov/Match.TV just yesterday that she was aware of no final decision on her involvement with the team event: https://fs-gossips.com/we-have-a-go...-skaters-karen-chen-about-olympic-team-event/

 

[AlysaLiuStan]

Team USA is in first place! #StopTheCount

 

[bubblecherry]

This is quite the narrative given that Karen suggested in an interview with Zhukov/Match.TV just yesterday that she was aware of no final decision on her involvement with the team event: https://fs-gossips.com/we-have-a-go...-skaters-karen-chen-about-olympic-team-event/

i think both things are somewhat true… karen was definitely on the first flight for a reason. she was definitely told in advance to prepare for the team event because others had covid. if mariah or alysa had shown up to beijing in peak form, they’d be doing the team event and that’s why we still have questions (is mariah in peak form? will alysa even make it to beijing in time? we don’t know). karen is training well and got out some clean SP run throughs while in beijing, so they may just stick with her unless mariah is able to convince them otherwise.

 

[bytheriver]

All of the skaters have been giving the same generic answer about the team event. They’re media trained so they know not to reveal information even if they have it.