MIchael Weiss Working With Todd Eldredge

hrmsk8ngnutt · Aug 3, 2005

I was just checking around on skaters sites for any kind of news on programs, etc. and found this:

http://www.michaelweiss.org/news.shtml

Although I am not the biggest Michael Weiss fan, I certainly respect the approach he is taking this year and hope he does well this season. I hope this plan includes a new choreographer, but we'll have to wait and see....

Herm (sk8ngnutt)

Joesitz (RIP) · Aug 3, 2005

Michael has his work cut out for himself with just being American. He's got to top the Bronze World Medalist: Evan Lysenco; the American National Champ Johnny Weir; and the Silver medalist at the Nationals: Tim Goebel.

It's a must for Michael to make the team and reclaim his once position in the international scheme of things. Will Todd be able to help him? Will he be at Campbells? Will he do well in his one GP? Will he stand on the Nationals podium?

Just another reason not to make hasty predictions until you've seen what's going on (musical note here).

Joe

CDMM1991 · Aug 3, 2005

How many spots does the US have for the Olympics this year? If it's three then I think the three will be Evan, Johnny and Mike. If it's two then probably just Evan and Johnny, with Tim third.

attyfan · Aug 3, 2005

The US gets to send 3 men to Olys.

Eldredgefan2001 · Aug 3, 2005

Whatever...I just hope that Mike is able to come away with a better attitude about his competitors and sportsmanship by working with Todd. If that rubs off on him, he'll be better for the experience. Todd has great technique, which is something that Mike could use as well. He doesn't check his landings the way he should and his technique on his 3axel really needs some work. Anyway, I hope that Todd is able to help him achieve what he hopes to achieve. :yes:

jesslily · Aug 3, 2005

I am a little surprised that Michael Weiss went to Todd for help. When Todd was still competing and Michael was about to get his first national gold medal, Michael showed his strong dislike to Todd. It looked like Michael felt Todd should'nt win, and he deserved a placement higher than Todd. I guess afer Todd turned pro, that negative tension has been long gone.
Michael Weiss needs to work on his jumps and edges. Hope Todd can teach him quite a bit.

soogar · Aug 3, 2005

jesslily said:
I am a little surprised that Michael Weiss went to Todd for help. When Todd was still competing and Michael was about to get his first national gold medal, Michael showed his strong dislike to Todd. It looked like Michael felt Todd should'nt win, and he deserved a placement higher than Todd. I guess afer Todd turned pro, that negative tension has been long gone.
Michael Weiss needs to work on his jumps and edges. Hope Todd can teach him quite a bit.

I never got the impression that Todd and Mike didn't get along. Todd and Mike are/were extremely competitive people. I think that they are more alike than not.

I'm hoping that this "working with Todd" thing is just a way for Mikey to work with Richard Callaghan and still allow for Don Laws to "save face". Mikey has great edges (he was excellent at school figures), but he needs a lot of work on the triple axel. Now I've never seen a situation where a top level skater was able to teach technique well to another skater. I think that Todd has too much on his plate with touring and recovering from injury to really focus on teaching Mikey good triple axel technique. I hope Rich will be making a few appearances at Mikey's sessions with Todd.

SkateFan4Life · Aug 3, 2005

Eldredgefan2001 said:
Whatever...I just hope that Mike is able to come away with a better attitude about his competitors and sportsmanship by working with Todd. If that rubs off on him, he'll be better for the experience. Todd has great technique, which is something that Mike could use as well. He doesn't check his landings the way he should and his technique on his 3axel really needs some work. Anyway, I hope that Todd is able to help him achieve what he hopes to achieve. :yes:

I agree with you about Todd's consistency and strong work ethic. He was a model of solid jumps, good, clean programs, and interesting choregraphy. I certainly hope some of this rubs off on Michael Weiss, who, at the age of 29, is at the twilight of his eligible career. Todd knows what it's like to be up and to be down - he's been a multi-time US champion, a dethroned champion, and he's won a full collection of World medals. Like Weiss, he did not win an Olympic medal. Frankly, IMHO, Weiss is a longshot to make the US men's Olympic team, not to mention an Olympic medal. I think it would be a great victory for him just to finish third at Nationals and qualify for the Olympics. With Weir, Goebel, and Lysacek, Weiss (again) is going to need some help in order to make it to the podium. He has to skate two clean, excellent programs, and hope that at least one of the above-mentioned guys has a bad night on the ice.

I would hardly call myself a Michael Weiss fan, as I really dislike his whiny attitude and his apparent inability to analyze his technical mistakes and correct them. The guy still has poor takeoffs, and his landings are still sloppy. :eek:

hwell:

Ptichka · Aug 3, 2005

soogar said:
I'm hoping that this "working with Todd" thing is just a way for Mikey to work with Richard Callaghan and still allow for Don Laws to "save face". Mikey has great edges (he was excellent at school figures), but he needs a lot of work on the triple axel. Now I've never seen a situation where a top level skater was able to teach technique well to another skater.

If you're right, then it's a very wise decision. Kind of like Joubert working with Yags and TT.

antmanb · Aug 4, 2005

CDMM1991 said:
How many spots does the US have for the Olympics this year? If it's three then I think the three will be Evan, Johnny and Mike. If it's two then probably just Evan and Johnny, with Tim third.

I don't get it are you saying that the number of births the US men have for the olympics would change the result of the natioanl championships? If you think the three spots would go to Evan, Johnny and Mike then why wouldn't the podium be the same if the US only have 2 spots?

Ant

iluvtodd · Aug 4, 2005

Eldredgefan2001 said:
Whatever...I just hope that Mike is able to come away with a better attitude about his competitors and sportsmanship by working with Todd. If that rubs off on him, he'll be better for the experience. Todd has great technique, which is something that Mike could use as well. He doesn't check his landings the way he should and his technique on his 3axel really needs some work. Anyway, I hope that Todd is able to help him achieve what he hopes to achieve. :yes:

I don't know how this is going to play out, but I do wish Mike well (even though I'm pulling more for Ryan, Johnny, Matt, & Evan). As far as Mike & Todd getting along, I imagine there must have been some tension during Todd's eligible years (particularly at Nationals 1998). However, if you take a look at Todd & Mike in the Kiss & Cry at the Hershey's Spring Challenge 2002, they seem to be getting along quite well. Yes, I realize that was a "fluff" competition, but it was still nice to see that. Mike was a guest skater at a number of the SOI shows this season, and I would guess that that gave him and Todd a chance to get to talk things out without the pressure of competition hanging over them, not to mention during the other times they appeared in this past season's Disson shows (Andrea Bocelli on Ice, Holiday Celebration on Ice).

Dee4707 · Aug 4, 2005

jesslily said:
Hope Todd can teach him quite a bit.

Especially how to spin!!!! Love Todd's spins.

Dee

michaelfsfan · Aug 4, 2005

Dee4707 said:
Especially how to spin!!!! Love Todd's spins.

Dee

ITA. Todd's spins are well-centred and fast, and his body position is tight. Also, the other area which I think Michael should work on is "finishing" his moves; his lack of finesse and attention to detail in both programs was very obvious at this year's Nationals.

brad640 · Aug 4, 2005

soogar said:
I'm hoping that this "working with Todd" thing is just a way for Mikey to work with Richard Callaghan and still allow for Don Laws to "save face"

Don Laws probably wouldn’t realize it even if he wasn’t saving face. He has not had any constructive impact on Mike’s skating and does not have experience in CoP. I thought it was strange that Weiss turned to Don Laws and seemingly resurrected him, and I suspected that Lisa favored Laws because he was too senile to object to her amateurish choreography. Maybe Mike can benefit from some vicarious Callaghan coaching on technique, but the downfall of his career has been poor choreography and amazingly bland programs, such as “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” and cheap knock-offs of the rock inspired programs created by Brian Wright that worked so well for him years ago. Unless Weiss’s plan for the new season involves a change in choreographer, I don’t see any success for him. It’s too bad because he could potentially score well under CoP since he used to have strong skating skills other than jumps.

I will be surprised if the men’s team is anyone other than Johnny, Evan and Tim, with the only suspense being whether Evan or Johnny will win the title and federation support going into the Olympics. I feel that Goebel will not deserve his spot on the team, and I hope Savoie gets the third spot. If not Savoie, I would hope for Jahnke to go, and if not him, I would hope for one of the new generation like Dennis Phan or Jeremy Abbott to get a trip to the games, and I can't see myself hoping for Weiss to go to the Olympics under any circumstances.

euterpe · Aug 4, 2005

I don't relish the idea of Weiss on the Olympic team either. I can still recall his fatuous remarks about what a terrific team they were in 2002, when he finished a controversial third, pushing Matt Savoie off the team.

He didn't even make the 2005 World Team, and IMO, he won't make the Olympic team unless he can completely relearn his money jumps, and that is extremely unlikely. I would be shocked if the Olympic team wasn't Weir, Lysacek and Goebel.

Mathman · Aug 4, 2005

I'm not sure what Michael would hope to learn from Todd. They bring such different styles and approaches to their performances. For Todd to say, "See Mike, spin fast, like this, here's how I do my triple Axels, and by the way, wear a cowled shirt instead of fake tatoos," -- not very useful, it seems to me.

Wow, Brad, what have you got against Don Laws? IIRC he was one of the few American coaches who had input into the development of the NJS.

merrywidow · Aug 4, 2005

My guess is that Todd is being brought in to try & teach Mike how to enter the triple axle correctly. As to being friends or not, I recall reading an interview that Todd did with a skating magazine about 5 years ago in which he stated how happy he was that he (& the other golfers on the COI tour) had talked Michael into taking up golf so that Mike could join them on the various golf courses.

michaelfsfan · Aug 4, 2005

merrywidow said:
My guess is that Todd is being brought in to try & teach Mike how to enter the triple axle correctly. As to being friends or not, I recall reading an interview that Todd did with a skating magazine about 5 years ago in which he stated how happy he was that he (& the other golfers on the COI tour) had talked Michael into taking up golf so that Mike could join them on the various golf courses.

The triple axel is only one of the problems that needs fixing. Landing two triple axels successfully isn't going to mean much if he continues to have bland, uninspiring choreography, inspired by 80's jazzercise routines, and uninteresting music. Hopefully his somewhat conservative (and classical) music choices for this season will go some way towards remedying that situation.

Joesitz (RIP) · Aug 4, 2005

Todd and Michael have the same fast sitzspin. Neither of them have special camels spins and I believe both have speedy scratch spin endings.

I think too, they both have solid 3s and 3.5s. No quad for Todd, and Mike's is always a question.

I think Mike would have a higher PCS than Todd, but so much of that is personal taste. And Mike should get David Wilson to do a decent choreographed routine.

Joe

michaelfsfan · Aug 4, 2005

Joesitz said:
Todd and Michael have the same fast sitzspin. Neither of them have special camels spins and I believe both have speedy scratch spin endings.

I think too, they both have solid 3s and 3.5s. No quad for Todd, and Mike's is always a question.

I think Mike would have a higher PCS than Todd, but so much of that is personal taste. And Mike should get David Wilson to do a decent choreographed routine.

Joe

According to an item on his official website, Michael plans to continue working with Todd as the season progresses.

MIchael Weiss Working With Todd Eldredge

hrmsk8ngnutt

Joesitz (RIP)

CDMM1991

attyfan

Custom Title

Eldredgefan2001

jesslily

soogar

SkateFan4Life

Guest

Ptichka

Forum translator

antmanb

iluvtodd

Dee4707

Ice Is Slippery - Alexie Yagudin

michaelfsfan

brad640

euterpe

Mathman

merrywidow

michaelfsfan

Joesitz (RIP)

michaelfsfan

Similar threads

Connect with us