Caroline Zhang - Is She an Oly Contender? | Page 10 | Golden Skate

Caroline Zhang - Is She an Oly Contender?

shallwedansu

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
Yuna Kim 2003/2004 korea national FS:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrqeSsDb2Qo

Yuna Kim 2003/2004 korea national SP
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YfG2z60aE4Y

IMO, every skater has different strengths. Speed is obviously not one of Caroline's, but her flexibility is something desirable for someone like Yu-Na. Different skaters, different styles and strengths.

As for the original question, is Caroline an Olympic contender? As much as I like Caroline, I think she has a better chance in medaling at Sochi than in Vancouver. I think she has a 75% chance for making the Olympic team next year and it will be a great experience for her to go into the competition without much pressure. She could end up in the top 6, but to actually medal, I think it would take significant mistakes from the top ladies.
 

gourry

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 7, 2007
Caroline seems slow during step sequences, spiral sequences and before jumps. But I don't think Caroline is the slowest lady. She is not fast, but her speed is not that bad. It is just many people including me worry about her jump technique and think if she has more speed, she will have better, bigger and/or higher jump with less harm to her body. At least that's what I think.
Besides, if she gains more speed, she can try various kinds of music, she will cover more ice, and that is all good.


The only amateur video I could really find is an exhibition program of Yuna:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwCp2s9fVYc


I found another amateur video of Yuna to a really slow music-as slow as Ave Maria or even slower. It's also gala number done in 2007.

Yuna Kim (Once Upon a Dream)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQdAA-K4-vo

It doesn't look like she slowed down yet it looks great with the music. She strokes less and it gives more fluid and seamless impression IMO.

The bottom line is that speedy skaters can do slow music as well as fast music, whereas less speedy skaters can't do fast music.

By the way, I thought when we talk of fast skaters Carolina would be first in the list.:p
 
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antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
Even if what you said IS true, the way she slams her entire leg into the ice to thrust herself into the air (instead of relying on speed/momentum and good picking technique to do so), cannot be healthy either way. There's simply too much of an impact to her waist and hip each time she does that.

The only thing i would point out is that relying on speed/momentum is also not very good technique - that would be relying on raw power rather than technique. I'm sure it is in John Curry's biography that when he started taking lessons from Carlo Fassi, Fassi would cone off a third of the rink and force Curry to peform his triple jumps in the much smaller space on the basis that he would have to rely on sound technique, good height and fast rotation to complete the jump and that when he had the full rink and the speed added to it the jumps would feel easier.

Of course Curry's jumps were seemlessly incorporated into his programmes.

Ant
 
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antmanb

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 5, 2004
I think Joesitz raises a good point about speed and music--does it really make sense to tear around the rink when skating to something like Ave Maria?

My coach has always said - the slower the piece of music the faster you need to skate otherwise slow skating + slow music gives the illusion of being even slower than the you are.

The key to skating to slow music would be to generate tons of speed/power from very few strokes so that the body movemet appears to be minimal (and in keeping with the slow music) yet you still cover as much ice as if you stroking at your normal speed.

Ant
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I have no idea what normal speed is.

If one looks at the animated gestures of a symphonic conductor, one can see his body language as well as his arms, hands and fingers drastically change following the composer's musical directions, including speed.

If one insists that Music be part of this so-called Sport, then should a separate glossery of musical terms be part and parcel to this Sport?

Here's a link containing so many variations of speed to choose from:


Is the question of Caroline's speed for Ave Maria really that important to this little Chopin concert piece with little variation in tempo? She seems to me to be following the composer's wishes.

I think this discussion should be more about Caroline's selection of music than her skating to this piece of music, which imo, does not able to show the skater's versatility.
 
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