Caroline Zhang on the cover of SKATING magazine

[luvsasha]

Okay.

-the first part of the article most focuses on her career from the 2007 Nationals up untill this season's Trophee Eric Bombard.

-It also talks about her relationship with Mirai Nagasu and they are having a contest to see who can grow the most.

-Caroline's favorite candy is Skittles.

-When she was in Paris, she enjoyed eating french chocolate

-She is returning to her "Ave Maria" freeskate.

-She is excited that she might be able to go to Worlds in her home state.

-She has recieved a lot of advice from Michelle Kwan

 

[feraina]

-She is returning to her "Ave Maria" freeskate

Oh, no, what?! I really like her FS this season, and I was really hoping to see it done full justice, because it's so beautifully choreographed! She skated mostly clean in TEB, just the 3-3 was downgraded.

I mean, I can sort of see her reasons for doing it, since she got higher scores last season even when she got similar downgraded on the 3-3. Even though I didn't quite understand why her TEB FS score was so much lower than her FS's last season, when they had more downgrades and/or falls and/or edge calls. I guess they might not understand either, which is why they're going back to an older, more familiar program that she was more successful with.

Still, I really like Sleeping Beauty!

This might also explain her second program at the Rapid City Gymnastics and Figure Skating Spectacular. In the photos, she's wearing a white dress. It would be appropriate for Ave Maria, and also surely she outgrew last year's Ave Maria dress already (since she's already outgrown her Sleeping Beauty dress made last summer, ). It would also make sense for her to practice her old LP if she's bringing it back. I'll see if I can find that photo again...

 

[demarinis5]

I really liked her FS this year. I thought it was well constructed and suited her. It always worries me when a skater reverts back to last season program. I guess I feel that the skater has had enough time to work out the kinks of the program and by the time Nationals rolls around they should feel pretty comfortable with their program. Ave Maria is a lovely program though.

 

[feraina]

Here are some photos from the Disson show Caroline did recently.

(lovely white dress, a lot more mature-looking than previous Ave Maria dress)
http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3136884979/in/set-72157611605316553/

(nice high jump, with great tight position in the air)
http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3137714782/in/set-72157611605316553/

(why does she still have a blue scrunchie, the pony tail is much nicer; is her white dress slightly blue on top?)
http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3137717700/in/set-72157611605316553/

(still flexible as ever, but look at those big thigh muscles! hopefully that means more speed and higher jumps!)
http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3137720466/in/set-72157611605316553/

 

[Wrlmy]

I'm sorta happy she's going back to Ave Maria. It was a great program for her, and she skated many clean programs. I'm curious to see if her pcs will also rise. Fingers crossed.

 

[Mathman]

Skating magazine will have the last laugh when Caroline wins Nationals -- they will look like prophets!

 

[liketotally]

It's sad that she's going back to Ave Maria... although it was really a beautiful program for her. But I can't help but imagine what Sleeping Beauty would've been like if she'd stuck with it and ironed out all the little issues..

 

[singerskates]

I just got my copy today, and i suppose I could type up what it says for you, but is that copywriting?

I think Caroline looks great on the cover

Read the article, and then just mention the main points in a paraphase with maybe one or two quotes of what Caroline herself has said. That's not copyright infridgement.

 

[hanca]

After reading some of your entries I wonder why would Caroline Zhang want to compete for USA. Yes, I know, she is your citizen so who she should compete for? But with her results, I think any country would be happy if she competed for them and would gladly give her their citizenship. She could have dual citizenship. And in that country, she would have what she obviously doesn't have at home, which is respect!

How petty is to wonder whether she deserves to be on a cover of a magazine or not? She did win one world juniour championships, one JGP final, had very sucesfull first season as senior and has beautiful spins and spirals. OK, her technique at jumps is not perfect, but she is not yet 16; she may have another 10 year of competitive career.

 

[heyang]

I'm wondering if some people said the same when MK appeared on her 1st cover at a younger age than Caroline. Honestly, SKATING is the USFSA's magazine. It's going to feature American skaters of great potential. Caroline's a JR World Champ, just missed the podium at Sr Grand Prix Finals last season which was her 1st at the Sr level. She's proven that she's got potential.

 

[feraina]

Well, it's official. I have it straight from the horse's mouth (I looked up the origin of this phrase today, it's really interesting! http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/336400.html) that Caroline's going back to Ave Maria, mainly because she isn't getting the kind of PCS she needs to get for National's, and it's too late to get a new program from Lori. And she doesn't seem too happy about it either, but resigned to what is apparently the best choice under a tricky situation.

Well, I'm a little upset, I must say. Not only do I think Sleeping Beauty is better music, and more appropriate choreography for a maturing Caroline, but I'm a little afraid that her skating a program in which she doesn't have her whole heart will make it all that much harder for her to "shine" in a program, which is what she really needs right now. If she can bring her radiant light apparent in her exhibitions (e.g. the mesmerizing "Lullaby for a Stormy Night") to her competitive skate, then I have no doubt in my mind that her PCS will get a boost, and the skating will be all the more enjoyable for all of us.

Look at Alissa, she doesn't skate especially fast or powerfully, but she seems to really skate with her heart and "believe in" her program, and she's been getting great PCS's, especially this year. That's something that Caroline should really think about too. The last thing she needs right now is a program with which she's bored.

 

[Mathman]

^ Caroline's PCSs would go up automatically if she would make improvements on the technical side. There is nothing like a clean, sharp (no underrotations), smooth-flowing (no coming to a stop on a double Axel), effortless (no high kick on toe jumps) technical program to make the judges love the music and the choreo.

 

[Wrlmy]

She may be bored, but Caroline and her fans, including myself, must have a fond memory of Ave Maria receiving huge standing ovation. I am upset that Caroline isn't too happy about going back to Ave Maria. But it worked for Carolina, so I'll be hoping for the best.

ITA with your assessment of Alissa, and I really believe working with a different choreagrapher will do the magic for Caroline.

 

[feraina]

^ Caroline's PCSs would go up automatically if she would make improvements on the technical side. There is nothing like a clean, sharp (no underrotations), smooth-flowing (no coming to a stop on a double Axel), effortless (no high kick on toe jumps) technical program to make the judges love the music and the choreo.

How does that jive with Alissa's PCS boost this year, then? She still hasn't skated a clean FS from what I can recall.

By the way, more news: Caroline confirmed the second white dress from Rapid City's Disson show is her new Ave Maria dress, and that she doesn't know what judges are looking for in PCS (that's really disturbing when a skater and her coaching team can't tell, isn't it? Didn't Joannie basically say the same thing last year, and now she went back to more lyrical style of skating, and judges seem to like her better again? It's crazy.), but that a judge suggested she go back to Ave Maria after a competition.

I'm sorry but I'm personally bored by Ave Maria, and I say that as the most devoted fan possible of Caroline's skating. I hope that she doesn't feel even a fraction of this boredom, because it wouldn't be fun skating it then. At least the new dress is very pretty, I like it that she's skating with a slightly longer skirt, very elegant!
http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3136884979/in/set-72157611605316553/

 

[AwesomeIce]

I'm not wild about Caroline's programs this year, but ANYTHING is better than Ave Maria. I can't believe she is bringing that back.

 

[Mathman]

How does that jive with Alissa's PCS boost this year, then? She still hasn't skated a clean FS from what I can recall.

That's an interesting comparison. Actually, Alissa skated pretty close to clean in her LP at Skate Canada, just messing up her second Lutz, while at Cup of Russia she fell on both of her first two jumps and got two downgrades.

Even so, her PCSs were virtually identical (52.08 and 52.40.)

Caroline, on the other hand, skated better in her second Grand Prix event than in her first. Her TES improved by 2.98 and her PCSs went right along, improving by 3.28.

It is hard to draw any conclusions from this, but I have the idea that the international judges have pretty much settled in on what to expect from Alissa. She has pretty spins and spirals and good connection with the audience, but is "consistent in her inconsistency" on the jump side. So maybe they are quite compfortable with rewarding her for what she does well (Performance/Execution is her highest of the five Program Components) while letting the chips fall as they may on the jump elements.

In contrast Caroline is a work in progress. The better she gets, the better she gets. The judge who told her to go back to Ave Maria -- I bet he/she would have sung a different tune if Caroline had delivered a slam-bam Sleeping Beauty.

By the way, more news: Caroline confirmed the second white dress from Rapid City's Disson show is her new Ave Maria dress...

http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3136884979/in/set-72157611605316553/

What a beautiful look this is for her! :thumbsup:

 

[gocaroline]

[:agree::agree::agree: Well said, thanks!
QUOTE=hanca;359084How petty is to wonder whether she deserves to be on a cover of a magazine or not? She did win one world juniour championships, one JGP final, had very sucesfull first season as senior and has beautiful spins and spirals. OK, her technique at jumps is not perfect, but she is not yet 16; she may have another 10 year of competitive career.[/QUOTE]

Heyang: Honestly, SKATING is the USFSA's magazine. It's going to feature American skaters of great potential. Caroline's a JR World Champ, just missed the podium at Sr Grand Prix Finals last season which was her 1st at the Sr level. She's proven that she's got potential.

 

[bekalc]

I actually agree with those who say that the people complaining about Zhang's cover are being petty.. I mean I'm hardly her best fan, but who cares if she got a cover, it's not like she achieved nothing in her career.

 

[feraina]

Oh, Caroline also said that she's been working on her speed, which she hopes will show at National's. Physically, she's finally shedding her "delicate" look. Her thigh muscles are especially noticeable here:
http://flickr.com/photos/alexlc13/3137720466/in/set-72157611605316553/

That is my fondest hope -- her having the kind of speed CoP demands for high PCS. I think it will help her so much, more than fixing the mule kick or the flutz.

 

[feraina]

icenetwork now has a "Behind the Scenes" video for the Progressive Skating & Gymnastics Spectacular that took place in Rapid City around Christmas. It will be aired on NBC next Sunday at 4-6 PM EST. It has some warm-up scenes, interviews, and scenes of skaters teaching gymnasts to skate, and a group trip to Mt. Rushmore.

The Caroline haterz will be angry that she got more face time in this video than anyone else. Any moment, I'm expecting an outcry that a more "deserving" athlete didn't get featured more prominently.

Personally, I can't get over how tall Caroline's gotten! Does anyone remember how little she was only a couple of years ago on the JGP circuit?! Or three years ago, when she was a tiny little thing featured on "Little Girls Have Big Dreams Too" when she was 12 (looking about 8)?! Now she's young lady, and taller than most of the female skaters/gymnasts (at least at this show) despite being the youngest, and taller than some of the guys (including the one she was teaching to skate). Amazing! And maybe slightly worrying... At this rate, she'll beat out Carolina Kostner pretty soon.