State of American Ladies: 2013-14 Season

[kwanatic]

This is also why Yuna's speed is so exceptional. If all skaters COULD generate that power across the ice, I'm sure they would. But many can't.

I actually think most skaters can go faster than they do but the issue is like mskater93 said, it's all timing. When you lack the control and confidence necessary to harness that kind of speed, you back off and slow down b/c if you're off the slightest bit, you end up like Carolina back in 2003-2006. Carolina has always been crazy fast on the ice but she lacked control in her jumps. Her increase in confidence over the past three years has helped her to gain more control.

Mirai is a perfect example of being a faster skater who doesn't utilize her speed. She's capable of skating with enough speed to be among the fastest in the field...but she severely lacks the confidence in her skating or the control in her technique to maintain that level of speed throughout her performances. So after a mistake or the nerves begin to kick in, she backs off and slows down which usually leads to more mistakes unfortunately...

 

[ForeverFish]

I actually think most skaters can go faster than they do but the issue is like mskater93 said, it's all timing. When you lack the control and confidence necessary to harness that kind of speed, you back off and slow down b/c if you're off the slightest bit, you end up like Carolina back in 2003-2006. Carolina has always been crazy fast on the ice but she lacked control in her jumps. Her increase in confidence over the past three years has helped her to gain more control.

Mirai is a perfect example of being a faster skater who doesn't utilize her speed. She's capable of skating with enough speed to be among the fastest in the field...but she severely lacks the confidence in her skating or the control in her technique to maintain that level of speed throughout her performances. So after a mistake or the nerves begin to kick in, she backs off and slows down which usually leads to more mistakes unfortunately...

Yuna's speed is so exceptional BECAUSE she can control it. You and mskater93 are correct in saying that many others can't; therefore, they're not really capable of skating that fast.

I had the opposite idea about, Mirai, actually -- that her body changes after 2010 caused her to slow down. But perhaps I was wrong...

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Mirai is a perfect example of being a faster skater who doesn't utilize her speed. She's capable of skating with enough speed to be among the fastest in the field...but she severely lacks the confidence in her skating or the control in her technique to maintain that level of speed throughout her performances. So after a mistake or the nerves begin to kick in, she backs off and slows down which usually leads to more mistakes unfortunately...

Yep, she seems to want to avoid falls so she goes into her jumps with less speed, but like you said often ends up being short on rotation and as a result makes an error that is essentially as bad as falling.

 

[Moment]

A lot of Mirai's jumps were borderline rotated even when she scored high (2011 4CCs). It looked fine when you look at the protocols, but it really wasn't. No one should be surprised she's suffering from UR calls left and right.

 

[kalle]

A lot of Mirai's jumps were borderline rotated even when she scored high (2011 4CCs). It looked fine when you look at the protocols, but it really wasn't. No one should be surprised she's suffering from UR calls left and right.

So you mean that the was wrongly judged at that competition?What about at the Olympics,was she wrongly judged there too?

 

[Moment]

So you mean that the was wrongly judged at that competition?What about at the Olympics,was she wrongly judged there too?

No. The callers should give the benefit of the doubt to borderline rotated jumps.

 

[FSGMT]

Yuna's speed is so exceptional BECAUSE she can control it. You and mskater93 are correct in saying that many others can't; therefore, they're not really capable of skating that fast.

I had the opposite idea about, Mirai, actually -- that her body changes after 2010 caused her to slow down. But perhaps I was wrong...

You're right: think about Carolina, when she was younger she couldn't control her speed well and her jumps, even if they were high and performed with good technique, resulted in falls/step-out/two-footed landings... Now she has learned how to control and use her SS better and her jumps are much more stable (this along with the mental improvement)...

 

[mskater93]

Basically speed will magnify even the slightest mistake (see Carolina for years and years) in technique. This is why at the lowest levels (Pre-preliminary) you see "dead stop Axels" and why at Juvenile and Intermediate (and sometimes Novice and Junior) you see "dead stop double Axels". Basically, the skater comes to a dead stop before performing the element.

 

[R.D.]

^ I've seen C Zhang do that.

 

[mskater93]

Exactly, RD.

 

[Jammers]

I think Gracie at times is like Carolina in her younger days. She needs to control her speed more and not rush. She has the makings of being a great jumper. That 3-3 combo in the LP at Nationals was huge in height and ice coverage.

 

[kwanatic]

I think Gracie at times is like Carolina in her younger days. She needs to control her speed more and not rush. She has the makings of being a great jumper. That 3-3 combo in the LP at Nationals was huge in height and ice coverage.

That is definitely her problem. Her nerves kick in and she rushes her take offs and loses her form; her shoulders go up, she tilts in the air and usually steps out or falls. She needs to learn to calm down. I honestly think better attention to her music and choreography would help her in this area. If she allowed herself to be absorbed in the music everything would flow a lot easier which would help her timing and calm her down.

People want Gracie to be this awesome skater right away and she may surprise us and actually do it. However, my feeling is that it's going to take her a few years for everything to come together and that's fine. Look how long it took Carolina to get herself together. I really would like to see her develop into a complete skater and not just a jumper...but we'll see.

 

[LeCygne]

Gracie training new jump combos: http://instagram.com/p/bB-u-4rAvW/ Looks good, but I don't know if they will make it into her programs next season. Could just be jump exercises.

 

[ForeverFish]

Gracie training new jump combos: http://instagram.com/p/bB-u-4rAvW/ Looks good, but I don't know if they will make it into her programs next season. Could just be jump exercises.

Those are excellent. 2A+3T+3T and 2A-Lo-3F. It would be great if we saw them in her new programs, since she has stated her intention to max out her technical content.

An featured article on the Boston 2014 website mentioned that Gracie trains both 3A's and 4S's in the pole harness. It's not likely that she'll add anything so difficult when so much is on the line, but wow. How amazing is that?

 

[Robeye]

Those are excellent. 2A+3T+3T and 2A-Lo-3F. It would be great if we saw them in her new programs, since she has stated her intention to max out her technical content.

An featured article on the Boston 2014 website mentioned that Gracie trains both 3A's and 4S's in the pole harness. It's not likely that she'll add anything so difficult when so much is on the line, but wow. How amazing is that?

I think it's going to be exciting to be a Gracie fan over the next year or three. Put your head down and keep at that grindstone, girll! :agree:

(but as other posters have said, I do hope she focuses on her presentation as well; I would hate for her to be considered the female version of Elvis Stojko).

 

[ForeverFish]

I think it's going to be exciting to be a Gracie fan over the next year or three. Put your head down and keep at that grindstone, girll! :agree:

(but as other posters have said, I do hope she focuses on her presentation as well; I would hate for her to be considered the female version of Elvis Stojko).

You caught me -- I'm already a Gracie uber, and she's barely even transitioned into the senior ranks.

I agree, though. What frustrated me most this season was her minimal expression throughout her programs. I really, really hope that working with Marina Zoueva will nudge her in the right direction; she can still land on international podiums with her TES, but to truly be competitive, she needs her PCS to be in the mid- to upper-60's as well.

 

[Jammers]

Gracie last season overdid it with her jump layout and had to go back to was doing before. I think consistency is what she needs to be shooting for and not going overboard on her jumps.

 

[vera01]

I'm just wondering, who did the choreography for Gracie's Girl on Fire EX program?

 

[mskater93]

Marina cleaned that up in December for her.

 

[chuckm]

Those are excellent. 2A+3T+3T and 2A-Lo-3F. It would be great if we saw them in her new programs, since she has stated her intention to max out her technical content.

An featured article on the Boston 2014 website mentioned that Gracie trains both 3A's and 4S's in the pole harness. It's not likely that she'll add anything so difficult when so much is on the line, but wow. How amazing is that?

I could see the 2a-loop-3f (although Gracie lips), but 2a+3t+3t means she couldn't do her 3z+3t combo (Zayak rule); she'd have to do 3z+3lo, which is too risky.