Is USFS quietly hurting Zhang? | Golden Skate

Is USFS quietly hurting Zhang?

fairly4

Medalist
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
this is my opinion only, and very non-objective.

i wonder if caroline zhang is being quietly held back because the usa stated this was her growing year- so when mirai, rachel get to the senior grand prix they can surpass her. i recall dick button stating it was okay for rachel to finished where she did at national because she was going to be in the senior grand prix.

caroline way back in april, may stated in a article she wanted to skate in junior ranks to get her stuff up and corrected. She was on vacation when the assignments came out. The assignments came out she was put in senior ranks, the usfsa stated is was because the juniors who won last year won everything and no need for them to stay in juniors.
i think that way because they are keeping caroline down in jumps, pcs scores. like the usfsa wants to push kimmie, emily, and alyssa above her. it is almost like they want it handed to kimmie and emily and alyssa- but they want caroline to fight for it or not give it to her.
yes she skated slow but so did other skaters, and even with carolines time deduction the pcs still should been about mid 6's not 23. or 5's. she should be in the mid- to high 6.25 to 6.75 now not much lower.
 

dwiggin3

Final Flight
Joined
Mar 16, 2005
I don't think they're holding her down but rather, putting her through her paces.

I agree that the Sr. GP was the place for her to go give than she did what she could do in Jr.'s. Has she not been so outstanding in Jr.'s then I could see keeping her back a year. Now that she's in with the "big girls" she's having to learn it's a whole new ball game and things are more complicated, technical ect. At least now she is learning what is expected of a Sr. lady. Granted, this year the callers seem to be more aggressive with cheated jumps (YEAH!!!! :clap::clap::clap:) than in the past, so it may appear she's being held back - but all the seasoned Sr. gals are facing the same issues with the callers. I think it's just more prevalent with her because she got away with it in Jr.'s - partly because the callers were not as aggressive :scowl::scowl::scowl: and partly because her technique is substandard compared to many seasoned Sr. ladies.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
Somehow, I don't think a medal at her first ever senior international event sounds like Caroline has been "quietly hurt". IIRC, bunch of other great skaters coming from juniors to seniors (including, but not limited to, MK and Irina) didn't do as well.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
She already has a medl in her first senior event and it appears she will get another in her second senior event.

Joe
 

kandidy

Final Flight
Joined
Apr 29, 2007
I don't see that she was being hurt by any mean.
She was not downgraded her triple triple at COC and was scored 2nd even she was skating in the forst group. That seems fair to me.
 

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll
Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 27, 2003
let's remember spoilers! Cup of China hasn't been shown in N. America.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I agree about the spoilers.

However, now that I don't get cable any more, selfishly it doesn't really matter nearly as much any more ;)
 

NorthernLite

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2003
First you seem to think she shouldn't be in seniors at all, then you think she should be getting higher marks. And you're blaming that all on the USFS whom you think favors all sorts of skaters over her?

You might want to just step back and take a couple of deep breaths. :)
 

capcomop

Rinkside
Joined
Dec 26, 2005
this is my opinion only, and very non-objective.

i wonder if caroline zhang is being quietly held back because the usa stated this was her growing year- so when mirai, rachel get to the senior grand prix they can surpass her. i recall dick button stating it was okay for rachel to finished where she did at national because she was going to be in the senior grand prix..

Why would the USFSA do this when they spent so much time and, more than likely money, to promote her? The special interviews during Nats, the invite to Cheesefest, sending her to International thing in Japan. If they had the intention of ignoring her why bother with all that Why not start ignoring her now? Look at Liang. Promoted and promoted until it appeared she was not going to be the next Kwan and then nothing.

caroline way back in april, may stated in a article she wanted to skate in junior ranks to get her stuff up and corrected. She was on vacation when the assignments came out. The assignments came out she was put in senior ranks, the usfsa stated is was because the juniors who won last year won everything and no need for them to stay in juniors..
She has free will like everyone else. She could have turned down the assignments. In reality this year will HELP her against those still int he junior ranks who move to senior next year. She has an extra year experience with senior compeition, senior CoP rules etc. Heck it may even help her at Nationals since she has been competing with the same programs (unlike the junior GP ladies who have had to switch back and forth) all season!
i think that way because they are keeping caroline down in jumps, pcs scores. like the usfsa wants to push kimmie, emily, and alyssa above her. it is almost like they want it handed to kimmie and emily and alyssa- but they want caroline to fight for it or not give it to her..
Always a favorite..but who is "THEY?" The USFSA? You know that just because SA was in America doesn't mean all the judges were American and that would certainly be true at CoC. Unless of course you mean that the USFSA is dictating to the international judge and technical caller pannel what specific scores to give?
I guess I am not sure how, looking at the results of the SP at CoC it seems that anything is being 'given' to Czisny. If she was being given something, wouldn't 'they' give her something better?
yes she skated slow but so did other skaters, and even with carolines time deduction the pcs still should been about mid 6's not 23. or 5's. she should be in the mid- to high 6.25 to 6.75 now not much lower.

Well from what I have read from the few who were in China, she skated SIGNIFCANTLY slower. Not just the same old slower from practice that happens with skaters, but slower then most of the other senior lady skaters. Most of those I read said that the difference in the basic skills are pretty obvious with Zhang looking like a skater who just moved from juniors rather than a seasoned senior lady skated. She isn't the first, first year senior lady to need a year or so to develop and she certainly won't be the last!
Poor girl, at this rate of fan zeal, if she doesn't starting winning everything in sight soon she will be labeled the biggest flop in figure skating!
 
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flying camel

Medalist
Joined
Nov 16, 2005
Too me Caroline is the new it girl. She is the one that is going to all the competitions. She is being showcased. She deserves the attention. She has proven herself in the junior ranks. Now, it's her time to shine. If only she was old enough to go to worlds. Yes, she has some work to do on her jumps, but who doesn't. I hope when Rachael and Mirai make it to seniors they will all push each other to be at their best.
 

gsrossano

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 11, 2006
On the contrary, I think she is being pushed forward in preference to the other Juniors who were/are her contemporaries.
 

feraina

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2007
I don't think there's any reason to believe USFSA is trying to hold Caroline back. Caroline and Mirai were both assured of 1 GP assignment due to their JW placements. Mirai and her coach have said that they decided to let her do JGP because she would get only 1 GP. It is not a coincidence that Caroline got two. USFSA could only give one of the three SA spots to an unproven junior, and they obviously decided to give it to Caroline instead of anyone else. Of the newbies coming up from juniors (Caroline, Mirai, Ashley), Caroline was obviously the most favored. Interestingly Ashley got two assignments, so maybe if Mirai had chosen to do GP, she would've gotten two as well, but there was no guarantee, and I guess her team decided that the risk was too high.
 

Wrlmy

Medalist
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
I say lets wait and see how eveyrone places at nationals.

She will place well at Nationals. IMO Caroline and Kimmie will fight for gold. Judges are not going to be as harsh on underrotation. Even if they are, there's no way they will ratify Kimmie's jumps and downgrade Caroline's (Wait, that happened to Rachael!). We've seen all the possible contenders so far, and the problem is not who will win Nationals but which 2 ladies can get 3 tickets for US at worlds. Caroline can't go, Marai can't go. We will probably see Kimmie and any two of Emily, Alissa, Rachael, Ashely, Bebe (since Katy is not competing this year). Kimmie will place anywhere within top five. But, can any of the other ladies place top 10? If now, we will end up seeing only two ladies at 2009 worlds, and losing an extra ticket is losing a security blanket so to speak.
 

gkelly

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
but which 2 ladies can get 3 tickets for US at worlds. Caroline can't go, Marai can't go. We will probably see Kimmie and any two of Emily, Alissa, Rachael, Ashely, Bebe

Rachael Flatt is also too young for Worlds this year.
 

Wrlmy

Medalist
Joined
Jun 17, 2007
Rachael Flatt is also too young for Worlds this year.

That's too bad. We could really benefit from one more senior world-eligible contender. Nationals' going to be competitive, but the three ladies who get to go to worlds will probably make up the weakest team we've seen in a long time.
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
No one forced Caroline to skate in the GP. I am sure that the USFS consulted with Caroline, her coach and her family before putting her on the list for the GP rather than the JGP. The Skate America results just prove that Caroline does belong there. She beat Emily Hughes, a USFS favorite, didn't she?

I'm not so sure Caroline will be close to beating Kimmie at Nationals, and she might not beat Rachael, either. If Rachael's 3/3 was downgraded last year, I don't see how it can be downgraded again without downgrading Caroline's 3/3 as well. And if the USFS deducts for the flutz, Caroline could take a double whammy. Caroline and Rachael are both slow, but Rachael is far more expressive than Caroline. Mirai can't be taken out of the equation, either, nor can Ashley Wagner (another flutzer).
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
It seems to me as if USFS is not-so-quietly pushing Zhang as forward as much and as fast as they can.

I'm prepared to be very disappointed if the callers back down from the underrotation and blatant wrong-edge calls. The reason Lipinski fixed the flutz is because she was told judges were dinging her for it. Zhang has wonderful spins, but not multiple 3/3's or 3A or Asada-like reputation as a giant-slayer (Arakawa/Cohen/Slutskaya) in her first senior events, to make up for the GOE deductions for the flutzes and underrotations (that were much less important under 6.0). I'm glad she will see that in the greater field, the chances that she'll get near the final group are much less unless she fixes her jumps and gets back the 17 points she's leaving on the table.
 

krenseby

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 8, 2006
It seems to me as if USFS is not-so-quietly pushing Zhang as forward as much and as fast as they can.

But not the international judges. International judges don't want to see her beat established ladies because she's not old enough to go to Worlds and because she is the new kid on the block.

Somehow, figure skating judges are confused about their job. They are there only to judge the skaters' performance, but they are confused enough to think that what their job description involves is ENDORSING skaters and VOUCHING for their talent.

So, these judges wait until a skater has proved themselves in several competitions on the senior level before giving them fair scores. They hold them down initially because they fear "endorsing" these newcomers prematurely.
 
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