Rachael Flatt tries to work out kinks | Page 6 | Golden Skate

Rachael Flatt tries to work out kinks

I don't watch the junior levels for a lot of reasons, and judging from the number of posts on the forum, I'm pretty sure few other people do either. The senior GP is the only time anyone will notice a new skater before the National competition. I'd rather see a new, unproven skater debut on the big stage than Rachael skate her way to last and second to last place.

Unless all of the other junior skaters would also skate their way to last and second to last place. Then it would be a sad situation all around.
 
brightphoton said:
I'd rather see a new, unproven skater debut on the big stage than Rachael skate her way to last and second to last place.
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That's a fine thing to want but Rachael earned her spots on this season's GP last season. Rachael does not have to give up spots she earned for herself just because people on the internet do not like her. Rachael did not sneak into ISU offices in the middle of the night and change the names on the entry lists so she could get 2 GP slots. People here and elsewhere are acting like she did something illegal and unforgivable just by competing when she earned it.
 
I think Mrs. P. has the right idea. Rachael was far off the pace at Skate Canada, quite a bit better in Russia. By the time of U.S. Nationals, we will have to wait and see.

I don't think Rachael will give it away. If the other ladies -- Mirai, Ashley, even Alissa -- want a U.S. title and a trip to worlds, they won't win it on Internet message boards. They will have to to skate for it.

Just as it should be. :)
 
Mathman said:
I think Mrs. P. has the right idea. Rachael was far off the pace at Skate Canada, quite a bit better in Russia. By the time of U.S. Nationals, we will have to wait and see.

I don't think Rachael will give it away. If the other ladies -- Mirai, Ashley, even Alissa -- want a U.S. title and a trip to worlds, they won't win it on Internet message boards. They will have to to skate for it.

Just as it should be. :)
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I'm flattered you think so highly of my posts, Mathman. I hope that I will be able to possess your computational ability someday....
 
Mathman said:
I don't think Rachael will give it away. If the other ladies -- Mirai, Ashley, even Alissa -- want a U.S. title and a trip to worlds, they won't win it on Internet message boards. They will have to to skate for it.

Just as it should be. :)
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Abso-darn-lutely! Bring it on, and if Rachael's off the podium, so be it. But if she's on it, she'll have earned it.
 
i think rachel will be ready as she always is for nationals.
i don't think they will discount her national title, 3 2nds and 3 trips to worlds.
yes she had a bad worlds last year. the u.s isn't going to count her out because of it.
if she wants the title and medal i think she will have to attack/fight for it a bit more that is all.
 
Mathman said:
f the other ladies -- Mirai, Ashley, even Alissa -- want a U.S. title and a trip to worlds, they won't win it on Internet message boards.
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Mathman, you are breaking my heart! I thought that the USFSA read the evaluations of skaters written by the posters on this very forum and decided the outcome of nationals placements according to them. If that's not so, than all of our politicking on here is wasted!
 
The problem is that the US hasn't had anyone very good for a long time. If Rachael had skated in the Michelle/Tara/Sarah/Sasha years, she would be what she should've been all along--a very good skater to send 2nd or 3rd to the Olympics or worlds and maybe, if she's lucky, come in 5th or 6th. Not the national champion, not someone to pin hopes and dreams on. Just a very good, but 2nd tier skater. Like Tonya Kwiatkowski, Angela or Jenny Kirk.

She does not have the long, willowy limbs of someone like Carolina or Alissa or the petite body of some of the tiny skaters, which puts her at a disadvantage. Obviously, someone fat would not be able to have the stamina to skate at all. The best thing for her to do or hav done is to skate to entirely different types of music and have a different look than anyone else. She can't beat the willowy/tiny girls at their own game of being graceful and balletic.

If you want to compare her to someone, compare her to Mirai. She has or had the right body type and the natural gracefulness, but couldn't control the nerves or stick with the training or something. But I never thought Rachael didn't work up to her potential. She was just never really at the level of the top people of her day.
 
As long as we are even talking about Rachael being a factor at Nationals means that the US will continue to be mediocre when it comes to international events like Worlds. It's a sad time for US Ladies skating. If we had any skaters who were good competitors or could land their jumps consistently Rachael would just be a footnote in the history of US Ladies skating. Someone who overachieved but just wasn't good enough to be a champion.
 
I don't know why Rachael is hitting a slump, perhaps her injury, her struggling with skating and schooling. But these comments about her weight make me cringe. If you think 5' 2" and 110 lbs is overweight, go get a psychiatrist!
 
^^ I know what you mean. I am 5'3" and weigh 125, I must be obese. lol
 
Jammers said:
As long as we are even talking about Rachael being a factor at Nationals means that the US will continue to be mediocre when it comes to international events like Worlds. It's a sad time for US Ladies skating. If we had any skaters who were good competitors or could land their jumps consistently Rachael would just be a footnote in the history of US Ladies skating. Someone who overachieved but just wasn't good enough to be a champion.
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In any case, she overachieved and she has been a champion. She has consistently has been on the podium at all levels of U.S. skating (all except one year). She won the Novice title in 2005, silver in juniors in 2006 and on the podium at seniors since 2008. 2007 was the only year she was not on the podium, but still managed to get 5th on her first try at seniors. For most aspiring skaters in the U.S., that resume is amazing. She won junior worlds in 2008 beating Caroline and Mirai when they were at their peak in juniors.

I personally think that Rachael would still be a factor even if other skaters were doing just as well, namely because she wants it and works for it. The fact she struggles and continues to compete speaks to her drive. Why compete if you are only going to do it when things are going well?
 
More Rachael bashing from a Russian coach. This goes too far...
http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/showthread.php?t=80192&page=32

As for Flatt -excuse me, but she's impossible to watch without tears. She should be ashamed going to the ice in her shape. I'm serious. Last year she was a bit thinner, but now it was visible she has a stomach, big arms, like a grown woman with a couple of children. If I could I would have told her to watch her weight - she participates the GP events, which is a serious competition after all...
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John King said:
I don't know why Rachael is hitting a slump, perhaps her injury, her struggling with skating and schooling. But these comments about her weight make me cringe. If you think 5' 2" and 110 lbs is overweight, go get a psychiatrist!
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5'2" and 110 lbs. is precisely normal, a very healthy weight for an average individual. Additionally, with Rachel much of that is probably muscle weight.

It could be argued, though, that a normal weight might be a tad high for an athlete, especially if weight gain (while not gaining height) seems to impact their ability to do the sport.
 
I haven't been following this thread too closely because I knew it would turn out to be a bashing thread, in the end. ;)

But this latest interview by Alexei Urmanov, lol, just another reason for me to have never remembered his name nor his skating till now.

Serioulsy though, I have always found the Russian culture to be harsh, they speak their mind and don't hold back. Yegods, the insight I got from watching Johnny Weir being coached by Galina Zmievskaya, via his reality show, versus Priscilla Hill was something else. My heart bleeds for what Oksana Baiul had to endure. She had no choice, was an orphan, whereas Johnny was a grown man and knew what he was getting into, he even said so himself. Yes, it made Oksana a World & Olympic Champion, but at what cost? She paid highly imho...

Back to Rachael, there's a way one can say she's not in competitive shape ~ nicely, or like Alexei Urmanov ~ I choose the former. :)
 
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