skater Flatt quickly ‘growing up'

[Blades of Passion]

I don't care who's doing what. If Rachael hits the 3lutz 3loop combo in the short, 3lutz-3loop, 2A-3T combo in the long and are clean in both programs, she will win. No one comes close technically.

Rachel Flatt will never land a clean, fully-rotated 3Lutz-3Loop in her life. It's not going to happen with her jumping ability. It simply won't. She trained the 3Flip-3Loop extensively going into the 2008-2009 season and when she tried it at 2008 Skate America, it was badly underrotated and got downgraded.

If Flatt somehow manages to cleanly land both the 3Lutz-3Loop and 2Axel-3Toe, she still won't necessarily win. "No one comes close technically" is a completely false statement. Mirai does the 3Lutz-3Toe and 2Axel-3Toe, there isn't a big difference there, and the quality of Mirai's jumps are better, not to mention her Spins and Spirals are 100x better than Flatt's.

Ashley Wagner is also a great jumper and will surely be trying some gutsy programs.

Flatt needs to improve her technique. Spending time training these jump combinations is a big mistake. There was absolutely nothing wrong with her jump layouts last year. She didn't score well at the Olympics because she skates so SLOW. It not only hinders her presentation but also gives her less momentum going into the jumps, which causes the rotation to be questionable and the quality to be lacking.

If Rachel focused on improving her speed and the quality of her jumps rather than trying to force jump combinations she would be much better off.

 

[R.D.]

Not to mention gravity

Ouch, well...didn't stop her from landing more jumps than certain other skaters *ahem*

 

[janetfan]

Ouch- now that's mean. tsk tsk

See, now R.D. wouldn't say something like that. And y'all were getting on MY case not too long ago!

It is only mean to those who are reading something into it. To those with unpure hearts :think:

I could have said the same thing about Caroline or my "sweetheart" Sasha.

For that matter, I could have said the same thing about Michelle and her belabored 3x3's.

I post - and how you perceive it might say more about you than me.

 

[R.D.]

I could have said the same thing about Caroline or my "sweetheart" Sasha.

Sure.

Remember, Rachel "defied gravity" and landed more jumps than your precious Sasha

 

[janetfan]

Sure.

Remember, Rachel "defied gravity" and landed more jumps than your precious Sasha

Please let me know when Flatt wins an Olympic Silver medal, or any World medal the way Sasha did.
But I will NOT be holding my breath

ETA: How silly of me. That should have been "multiple World medals" for her country - right RD

 

[R.D.]

Please let me know when Flatt wins an Olympic Silver medal, or any World medal the way Sasha did.
But I will NOT be holding my breath

touche.

My point is, flatt is helping to raise the tech bar. If that gives her an edge, it will push the other Americans as well. I would NOT say gravity is holding her back at all.

 

[FlattFan]

Rachel Flatt will never land a clean, fully-rotated 3Lutz-3Loop in her life. It's not going to happen with her jumping ability. It simply won't. She trained the 3Flip-3Loop extensively going into the 2008-2009 season and when she tried it at 2008 Skate America, it was badly underrotated and got downgraded.

If Flatt somehow manages to cleanly land both the 3Lutz-3Loop and 2Axel-3Toe, she still won't necessarily win. "No one comes close technically" is a completely false statement. Mirai does the 3Lutz-3Toe and 2Axel-3Toe, there isn't a big difference there, and the quality of Mirai's jumps are better, not to mention her Spins and Spirals are 100x better than Flatt's.

No one comes close technically! Mirai? Girl doesn't have a Salchow. Doing the 3Lutz-3Toe and 2Axel-3Toe won't help her at all. She still has a jumping pass with no jump to do. How is it a complete false statement?

Her spins and spirals are about 1/2 a point better, so, even if it's 1000000000x better, it's still not enough. . Flatt for the second title.

 

[janetfan]

Here is that rarest of all things - a clip of Rachael skating.

Has everyone seen this already? I guess it is a summer comp where some girl named Gong beat our Natl champ. But it is early and Rachael and the other top skaters are probably far from their best.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiEkC4jmKOs

I wish she skated faster

 

[Blades of Passion]

No one comes close technically! Mirai? Girl doesn't have a Salchow. Doing the 3Lutz-3Toe and 2Axel-3Toe won't help her at all. She still has a jumping pass with no jump to do. How is it a complete false statement?

Mirai has a Salchow. She has landed that jump many times. It's not her favorite jump but she doesn't have any serious technique issues with it. She likely took it out of her competitive programs because her 2Axel is so good and getting a +1 on a 2Axel used to be worth the same amount of points as a 3Sal.

Her spins and spirals are about 1/2 a point better, so, even if it's 1000000000x better, it's still not enough. . Flatt for the second title.

1/2 a point better??? LMAO!!! Maybe in your world where Rachel Flatt is the empress of the universe, but not in reality.

Mirai scored a total of 33.7 points at 2010 Worlds for her spins and spirals. Flatt scored 26.6.

That is a 7 point difference.

 

[FlattFan]

Saw it a few days ago. Rachael appeared to change the flip technique. I like her entrance to the second lutz, snap snap, fist pump, bam. Go Rachael!

 

[FlattFan]

Mirai has a Salchow. She has landed that jump many times. It's not her favorite jump but she doesn't have any serious technique issues with it. She likely took it out of her competitive programs because her 2Axel is so good and getting a +1 on a 2Axel used to be worth the same amount of points as a 3Sal.

Yeah? now that she can't do 3 2As anymore. Let's see how she lands that imaginary 3S, ok? This girl hasn't done the 3S in I don't know how long. Yeah, I believe it just like I believe Kristi can do quad Sal in her 40s.
The point is, no one comes close, technically.

1/2 a point better??? LMAO!!! Maybe in your world where Rachel Flatt is the empress of the universe, but not in reality.

Mirai scored a total of 33.7 points at 2010 Worlds for her spins and spirals. Flatt scored 26.6.

That is a 7 point difference.

Of course I was speaking in hyperbole. I don't know off hand what's the difference, and know some nerd would dig out the protocol and give the exact number, so why bother? . Maybe in your world 7 points difference is 100x better, but in my world, and in my point, it was just that, 7 points difference. Gosh.

 

[SerpentineSteps]

Yeah? now that she can't do 3 2As anymore. Let's see how she lands that imaginary 3S, ok? This girl hasn't done the 3S in I don't know how long. Yeah, I believe it just like I believe Kristi can do quad Sal in her 40s.
The point is, no one comes close, technically.



Of course I was speaking in hyperbole. I don't know off hand what's the difference, and know some nerd would dig out the protocol and give the exact number, so why bother? . Maybe in your world 7 points difference is 100x better, but in my world, and in my point, it was just that, 7 points difference. Gosh.

Whoa there sunshine, why so bitter?

 

[Mathman]

...just like I believe Kristi can do quad Sal in her 40s.

Kristi is 40?!

...Whew. No, she's 39. Got another 10 months to work on that Sal. :yes:

Ice is slippery and gravity is......ummmm........help mathman!

Gravity is space-time curvature (Einstein).

Sorry about that.

 

[silverlake22]

Yeah? now that she can't do 3 2As anymore. Let's see how she lands that imaginary 3S, ok? This girl hasn't done the 3S in I don't know how long. Yeah, I believe it just like I believe Kristi can do quad Sal in her 40s.
The point is, no one comes close, technically.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwcAYX22X78
Mirai did 3sal at 2009 nationals with an ankle injury. It isn't her best jump but she can certainly do it, it wasn't even downgraded here.

 

[PolymerBob]

There really isn't any need to argue here. Rachael and Mirai are both superb athletes. And I am certain that Nationals will be a great, wonderful, glorious, struggle between these two titans of the sport. And when the dust and ice chips settle, one of these tremendous skaters will emerge victorious, and earn the right to fly to the World Championship in Tokyo with Caroline and represent her country with pride, grace and honor. :yay:

 

[R.D.]

There really isn't any need to argue here. Rachael and Mirai are both superb athletes. And I am certain that Nationals will be a great, wonderful, glorious, struggle between these two titans of the sport. And when the dust and ice chips settle, one of these tremendous skaters will emerge victorious, and earn the right to fly to the World Championship in Tokyo with Caroline and represent her country with pride, grace and honor. :yay:

Wishful thinking buddy

Ah, what a difference a couple months make.

 

[MikiAndoFan#1]

Wishful thinking buddy

Anything can happen.

:yay:

 

[Blades of Passion]

FlattFan, you make absolutely no sense. You claim Rachael is technically the best skater in the U.S. right now even though Mirai is 7 points better in the non-jump technical elements. If you don't "know what the difference is" then maybe you shouldn't be making statements as if you know what you're talking about.

If Mirai doesn't do a 3-3 at all she will still outscore Rachael. That's what happened at 2010 Nationals in the SP, remember, and Mirai will not be receiving any bogus downgrades in the LP now that she has established herself as the top female in the country.

 

[silverlake22]

There really isn't any need to argue here. Rachael and Mirai are both superb athletes. And I am certain that Nationals will be a great, wonderful, glorious, struggle between these two titans of the sport. And when the dust and ice chips settle, one of these tremendous skaters will emerge victorious, and earn the right to fly to the World Championship in Tokyo with Caroline and represent her country with pride, grace and honor. :yay:

Or, Gao outskates both of them and becomes the US Champion , and Adam Rippon will be the men's champion. And then Orser can feel good about himself again and people won't think he's a bad guy anymore just because of the Yuna mess.

 

[Mathman]

Please let me know when Flatt wins an Olympic Silver medal, or any World medal the way Sasha did.
But I will NOT be holding my breath

Actually, I think that keeps things in perspective as we argue about who's better, Rachael, Mirai, Ashley, Caroline, etc. No U.S. lady has won a thing internationally since Kimmie in 2006. (Not to go Red Dog on y'all, but just sayin'. )