2025 U S.Nationals Senior Women's Free Skate

[Bluediamonds09]

Well Gracie was not exactly a great artistic skater with those airplane arms when she went to Worlds for the first time in 2013 with Ashely but because she had great jumps she still got big scores and helped get the 3rd spot back just in time for the Olympics.

"Zero artistry" is harsh, but I'll concede your point that this is a weak area.

But what does she have? Confidence. Consistency. Grit. Rotation. I think that alone might be enough to earn a Top 10. That's a pretty good cleanup hitter when you're trying to get 3 Olympic spots. I find much to admire in Isabeau's skating, but she hasn't delivered at all this season - even before injury.

I don't think it's harsh because Sarah is truly very weak at performing and giving her all to the choreography. Moreso than the US competitors of only several years ago. Grit, determined, absolutely....on the tech side.

 

[badknees]

Ashley has a young baby and is finishing her Masters. No wonder she got sick. I wonder if she infected Madi and several others.

Sure she could be sick but.....she's using her voice much to hard, a bit loud, using her throat to push out her tone. She needs to get a vocal coach. Perhaps lighten her tone and raise her tone up higher so it's not so hard on her throat. Actually if she is sick, then that would make her push too hard like sheis doing. Huge Ashley fan here. I didn't know she is going for her masters! That's great! Hoping she also turns Skate and Sculpt into a major business.

 

[museksk8r]

That was such a sweet gesture to see Amber bring in all the medalists on the podium for a hug. Between the Japanese and American women, good, supportive sportswomanship is alive and well.

 

[Agent Michael Scarn]

I thought they announced them at one time but I'm often wrong.

I meant do they announce them before 4CC takes place, not do they announce them before announcing the 4CC entries.

You're probably right, I seem to recall the entries for both being announced at the same time in the past.

 

[YuBluByMe]

She scored a 210 in her only GP. Sarah's highest GP score is 196. So, the numbers don't agree.

If you’re talking about Levito, you are wildly incorrect. Her only GP was 190ish, a bronze medal on home ice. She hasn’t broken 200 in any of her competitions this year nor has she won any.

 

[readernick]

If you’re talking about Levito, you are wildly incorrect. Her only GP was 190ish, a bronze medal on home ice. She hasn’t broken 200 in any of her competitions this year nor has she won any.

You are correct. I'm sorry I looked at the wrong year but she does have only non-Amber GP medal among US ladies this year. And, she finished on the podium in the competitions she entered. So, you can't say she didn't show anything...

 

[withwings]

I have not yet had any opportunity to watch. Why sublime Lindsay is 12th??

 

[skylark]

Alysa has improved so much since even the start of this season - her jumps have more spring and ease, her rotations are cleaner, her skating skills and speed are much better, and her stamina is getting back up to allow her to go all-out for the entire program. This is just such a fun program and such an incredible moment for an athlete to be able to medal at Nationals after retiring, after choosing to come back to the sport and skate because they truly love it.

damn layback spin cost her the title lol

Someone said there'd been no standing ovation, but let's not forget -- Alysa got a beautiful standing ovation, and she deserved it.

Phil Hersh interviewed Frank Carroll not long before he died. A remark from Frank: the points system is killing figure skating. Tonight's result shows why. Alysa skated a beautiful program that had all the artistry, all the emotion, all the fun, all the lightness and exquisite grace and beauty that a winning skate has. She connected with her music and her audiences. This is why in the old scoring system, the second mark was the tie-breaker. Because artistry and performance matters.

Amber had the triple axel, a beautiful one, and those points made the difference. But as Ashley said, Alysa's was a championship skate.

 

[readernick]

I have not yet had any opportunity to watch. Why sublime Lindsay is 12th??

Lindsay is sublime but her skating today wasn't. The FS score today was fully deserved and the SP score was harsh but the TES was correct at least (even though the URs of others weren't called) and the judges didn't want to give her the PCS.

 

[readernick]

Someone said there'd been no standing ovation, but let's not forget -- Alysa got a beautiful standing ovation, and she deserved it.

Phil Hersh interviewed Frank Carroll not long before he died. A remark from Frank: the points system is killing figure skating. Tonight's result shows why. Alysa skated a beautiful program that had all the artistry, all the emotion, all the fun, all the lightness and exquisite grace and beauty that a winning skate has. She connected with her music and her audiences. This is why in the old scoring system, the second mark was the tie-breaker. Because artistry and performance matters.

Amber had the triple axel, a beautiful one, and those points made the difference. But as Ashley said, Alysa's was a championship skate.

Respectfully disagree. That skate totally lacked all power in the second half. The program falls flat. Alysa had the championship skate in the SP.

 

[Mathman]

This is a hard sport. Let's say you have a 90% chance of of success on each jumping pass individually. The chances of getting through all seven unscathed are less than 50-50.

Amber has been through the emotional wringer. She came out the last one standing, good for her. Her triple Axel was excellent.

I thought that Alysa had the most confidence and control over her body. She looked like she was just happy to be out there. Also Sherrt Zhang. Overall, a real nail-biter of a competition!

Starr gave a performance that she can be proud of and takes home a good result.

Has Isabeau officially petitioned yet? My recollection is that the world's team is announced directly at the end of Nationals, pending test skates by the injured petitioner. I think that it will be hard for the selection committee to turn down the reigning world silver medalist.

 

[ManyCairns]

I still find that program weird, but at least she seems to be enjoying herself, so there’s that

I have loved Bradie since her Romeo and Juliet routine days. I felt like she was peaking just before her foot took her out.

I will forever be bitter that she and Rika were doing well in the quad era, felt they needed to learn quads to stay competitive (Rika quads, Bradie 3A) and their foot injuries took them out. Then quads were not needed but they were injured

Still it’s early days for Bradie so whilst she’s probably not going to make the Olympic team, she might have a Worlds spot again down the track!

I agree with every bit of this, so much!

 

[skylark]

Respectfully disagree. That skate totally lacked all power in the second half. The program falls flat. Alysa had the championship skate in the SP.

Respectfully disagree with all but your last sentence.

 

[labgoat]

I didn't know she is going for her masters! That's great! Hoping she also turns Skate and Sculpt into a major business.

On her podcast The Runthrough with Adam Rippon, she has taken Skate & Scupt to One of the Scandinavian countries I believe. She is working on her thesis in psychology.

 

[readernick]

This is a hard sport. Let's say you have a 90% chance of of success on each jumping pass individually. The chances of getting through all seven unscathed are less than 50-50.

Amber has been through the emotional wringer. She came out the last one standing, good for her. Her triple Axel was excellent.

I thought that Alysa had the most confidence and control over her body. She looked like she was just happy to be out there. Also Sherrt Zhang. Overall, a real nail-biter of a competition!

Starr gave a performance that she can be proud of and takes home a good result.

Has Isabeau officially petitioned yet? My recollection is that the world's team is announced directly at the end of Nationals, pending test skates by the injured petitioner. I think that it will be hard for the selection committee to turn down the reigning world silver medalist.

Ashley said she has petitioned. My feeling is that if Sarah or Bradie had been perfect Isabeau would have been left home. They weren't. So, if healthy, I think she goes.

 

[TontoK]

I have loved Bradie since her Romeo and Juliet routine days. I felt like she was peaking just before her foot took her out.

I will forever be bitter that she and Rika were doing well in the quad era, felt they needed to learn quads to stay competitive (Rika quads, Bradie 3A) and their foot injuries took them out. Then quads were not needed but they were injured

Still it’s early days for Bradie so whilst she’s probably not going to make the Olympic team, she might have a Worlds spot again down the track!

I wouldn't bet on Bradie making another Olympic team, but I certainly wouldn't bet against her either. I wrote her off after her injuries a few seasons ago... foolish me.

She's such a demure skater, but there's some steel in the backbone.

 

[CoyoteChris]

This is a hard sport. Let's say you have a 90% chance of of success on each jumping pass individually. The chances of getting through all seven unscathed are less than 50-50.

Amber has been through the emotional wringer. She came out the last one standing, good for her. Her triple Axel was excellent.

I thought that Alysa had the most confidence and control over her body. She looked like she was just happy to be out there. Also Sherrt Zhang. Overall, a real nail-biter of a competition!

Starr gave a performance that she can be proud of and takes home a good result.

Has Isabeau officially petitioned yet? My recollection is that the world's team is announced directly at the end of Nationals, pending test skates by the injured petitioner. I think that it will be hard for the selection committee to turn down the reigning world silver medalist.

I think after the Rachel Flatt debacle, where she was fined for hiding an injury...a doc is going to have to come forward with imagry and state she is healthy enough to skate. Feet dont heal overnight.

 

[CoyoteChris]

Someone said there'd been no standing ovation, but let's not forget -- Alysa got a beautiful standing ovation, and she deserved it.

Phil Hersh interviewed Frank Carroll not long before he died. A remark from Frank: the points system is killing figure skating. Tonight's result shows why. Alysa skated a beautiful program that had all the artistry, all the emotion, all the fun, all the lightness and exquisite grace and beauty that a winning skate has. She connected with her music and her audiences. This is why in the old scoring system, the second mark was the tie-breaker. Because artistry and performance matters.

Amber had the triple axel, a beautiful one, and those points made the difference. But as Ashley said, Alysa's was a championship skate.

I agree with Ben. Alysa won. But for me, it was not only the beautiful skate Alysa had...its was Ambers big score in the free but mostly it was the miscall of the tech panel in the short, proven by NBC rabbit ears tonight as well as on instagram by NBColympics. Amber's 3A should have been downgraded, but the mistake wasnt caught on those dinky screens the panel uses, till NBC showed it. I watch the slow mo stop action 4 times. I would say her skate hit the ice at 190-200 degrees short.

 

[R.D.]

I just caught the last portion of this...Alysa Liu was the one I wanted to see, and she may not have won, but she looked genuinely happy to be back. That kind of joy really makes a difference when it comes to the entertainment factor. Everyone else (at least that I saw)...meh.

That said, I will say Glenn has an impressive 3A. That clearly was the difference maker (and Liu missing that final spin). Tennell, I've seen much better from her in the past...but good for her for sticking around. It's crazy to think she's the veteran among the crew though...the other girl that placed 3rd put forth a good skate, if a bit bland otherwise.

 

[Skater Boy]

Skate USA is going to have some tough decisions. While Alyssa and Amber look like obvious choicices who do you go for the third. If Isabeau was healthy and skated throughout the year I can see a stronger fight for her. Sarah might be the third choice as she is fresh and relatively new.