I wasn't trying too be too harsh about Ashley, but at the same time I hope it's not too much to require certain amount of balletic grace from all female solo skaters. Sure figure skating is a sport, but it's also a form of art as shown by the existence of the "second mark," and I just think it's important for skaters to have a dancer-like fluidity, grace and elegance on the ice. Which is why I think posture and performance skills are very important. While I think Ashely's got some musicality, I yet don't think she' s as graceful as Mirai or Rachael Flatt. I couldt believe some people thought there currently are two schools of skaters, the first being one that Michelle Kwan belong to, one of elegant fluid style, and the other being the one for the jumping beans and the athletes, such as Tara Lipinski and Sarah Hughes I suppose. One poster in particular seemed to think that the return of the latter was evident nowadays and was a good thing for the sport. In fact, however, I believe BOTH qualities are required (not either or) and I think Michelle, rather than belonging to just one, actually embodied both qualities better than anyone else I can think of, until her age and aching muscles gave in....And long story short, I think Ashley comes across as more of an athlete than a total package skater who's as much an artist as she's an athlete. Mirai and Rachael are more like it, though I have to say Mirai has to smile more and Rachael has to learn to be faster on the ice......Currently Yu-Na kim's the only one that possesses both qualities equally--athleticism and artistry. And I'm not saying this because I hate ashley, but I would so hate it if she won the OGM for instance over someone like Yu-Na or Mirai because she was able to land more jumps and expressed more "joy" simply by being able to "attack" more in her usual tomboy style. I experienced enough sorrow when Kwan failed to win the gold in her two consecutive olypmics, and I just hope the skater who's closest to perfection in every way, not the one that was the luckiest that night, gets to win for once.
