Caroline Zhang's 2009-10 season

PolymerBob said:

A poster at FSUniverse reported seeing Caroline at the hotel. So she made it there OK.

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I hope she remembered her skates for this event

Thanks to feraina for the clips from the other Caroline thread. I watched Caroline's SP from TEB again and it was better than I remembered. But her skating also looks a bit juniorish to me.

I don't mean the jumps either - but her interpretation. It is just so introverted, and as graceful as she can be at times, she also doesn't appear to hold or finish some of her moves. It was much worse in her LP and I am sure she will do better at SC.

I wonder - Is Caroline a very shy girl? If she would "sell" herself better to the crowd not to mention the judges I think her overall marks would go up.

I think she was more animated at 4CC last season and I hope to see more of that at SC and Natls.

I am a big Caroline fan and love aspects of her skating. I love that she has had so much ballet training and can show this on the ice,
But I really think she needs to show something else too.

I think of Mao's Tango program from last season. Some of her choreo and footwork is just dazzling. Mao is a great skater and it is OK if Caroline is not as good as Mao.
But I think Lori, or whoever has to begin to stretch Caroline's routines. It is part of the way skater's grow - by learning different styles.

For starters, no more pop ballads for her Galas. Take her out of her "comfort zone" and let's see a broadway routine with some softshoe or tap style steps, or some modern jazz moves. Anything but the same old "pretty princess" pop ballad style would be an improvement and might actually help Caroline grow as a skater and performer.

Anything different would be a step in the right direction. And sorry to say this but the LP music seems to be a poor choice in an Olympic season. Maybe I will change my mind if I see a better performance this weekend.

We could say the same about Mirai and "Carmen" but that was chosen specifically to try and take Mirai out of her comfort zone and to show her looking less like a bubbly young teenager and more like a senior skater. I think Carroll probably has already formulated a three year plan for Mirai looking ahead to 2014.

I don't see the same thing happening from Caroline's huge team of coaches - and hope someone besides Caroline herself will map out a similar plan for her.

Where are you Rafael??

^ I totally agree with you about her exhibitions. You Raise Me Up was cute when she was little, and even Lullaby for a Stormy Night was good last year, but no more!! Like Miley Cyrus? Really? Blehh.. Also doesn't help that Ashley is skating to The Climb as well.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXuDijS49Rk

As for her Nutcracker LP, I don't think it's the music that's the problem. I actually had pretty high hopes for this program. It's not a bad thing to use well-known music during the Olympic year, and the music certainly suits Caroline's balletic style very well. It comes nowhere near expanding her horizons, but it's not monotonous like Ave Maria was. It's got some great crescendos in the music that could encourage Caroline to skate faster and work really well with her beautiful spirals. It's the choreography that's the problem. Lori really could have done so much more to use to music to highlight Caroline's strengths. There have been great programs to this music, like Sasha's 2005 LP and Shen/Zhao's 2004 LP. Unfortunately, Caroline's rendition just looks like Ave Maria shaken up and rearranged..

I wouldn't be surprised if you were right about Frank's plan for Mirai. Caroline desperately needs a team like that to point her in the right direction for the next few years.. Anyone recall if the switch back to Li Mingzhu was temporary, just for this season? Someone really ought to hint about Rafael to Caroline.. He doesn't have any top skaters right now, if I'm not mistaken, and isn't he right in Lake Arrowhead? She wouldn't have to go far at all...

janetfan said:

For starters, no more pop ballads for her Galas. Take her out of her "comfort zone" and let's see a broadway routine with some softshoe or tap style steps, or some modern jazz moves. Anything but the same old "pretty princess" pop ballad style would be an improvement and might actually help Caroline grow as a skater and performer.

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The most life I've seen in Caroline's skating was the encore to her first JW exhibition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdPCiSRPwUY

I dare say that it didn't have a photographer; she probably picked something out of her ipod on the bus ride to the rink when she was told that as the JW champion she'd probably be expected to do an encore.

It looks great! I feel like whenever she has more say in her own choreography, she shows more life and spirit, this encore is a classic. Look at how she plays with the audience and draws them in! Where is that cute, energetic Caroline hiding?! I think if more of her skating looked like this, nobody would be thinking that she's shy!

To me, these days she looks way too stressed out and preoccupied by her skating. It *never* looks like she's having any fun at all, that's what really bugs me. I want to see some joy in her skating -- at least some relief when she lands those jumps, like Emily & Rachael & Mirai do. Her gloominess, especially in that TEB LP, is so upsetting, and I feel like it's really slowing her down and sucking the life out of her skating. :no:

So, a practice report at FSU mentions that Joannie looking very good, Alissa second -- showing a lot of confidence and presence. Mirai, Akiko, Laura all looking good. And... no mention of Caroline! At least she wasn't singled out for looking bad...

ETA: To my question of how Caroline looked, they replied she looked tentative and lacking confidence, and most importantly like she's not having fun. :no:

Sounds like Rochette is on the way to winning it all- assuming she holds it together, of course. She seems to be doing that lately though.


Then again, maybe I'm speaking too soon...

feraina said:

So, a practice report at FSU mentions that Joannie looking very good, Alissa second -- showing a lot of confidence and presence. Mirai, Akiko, Laura all looking good. And... no mention of Caroline! At least she wasn't singled out for looking bad...

ETA: To my question of how Caroline looked, they replied she looked tentative and lacking confidence, and most importantly like she's not having fun. :no:

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Well, FWIW, reports were that she looked very strong in practices at TEB and look what happened...

It still looks like it's gonna be the Joannie show, though, so I'm not holding up much hope.

There is an old expression ..................

......... "It is always darkest before the dawn."

Caroline surprised us last year - she may do it again. Go, Caroline!

Andalusia said:

Well, FWIW, reports were that she looked very strong in practices at TEB and look what happened...

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Oh, that's true! Yeah, the practice reports there were very positive. Didn't amount to much, eh?

feraina said:

The most life I've seen in Caroline's skating was the encore to her first JW exhibition:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdPCiSRPwUY

I dare say that it didn't have a photographer; she probably picked something out of her ipod on the bus ride to the rink when she was told that as the JW champion she'd probably be expected to do an encore.

It looks great! I feel like whenever she has more say in her own choreography, she shows more life and spirit, this encore is a classic. Look at how she plays with the audience and draws them in! Where is that cute, energetic Caroline hiding?! I think if more of her skating looked like this, nobody would be thinking that she's shy!

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I've always thought so too! The sad thing is most people probably have never even seen this encore. I wish she'd skate to more peppy, energetic music...who knows, it might even energize her into skating faster. Gyms don't play ballet music for a reason...

LeCygne said:

^ I totally agree with you about her exhibitions. You Raise Me Up was cute when she was little, and even Lullaby for a Stormy Night was good last year, but no more!! Like Miley Cyrus? Really? Blehh.. Also doesn't help that Ashley is skating to The Climb as well.. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXuDijS49Rk

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I really liked all of Caroline's exhibitions from 2006 to last year (including Born To Try and River) but Miley Cyrus? I know the song is meaningful but ... *cringes* Just not a fan, sorry! I would love to see her do a fast number for a change.

I love Caroline and I hope she goes to another coach next season, coaches like Artunian or Tarasova (I think JSF might force Asada to switch), heck, even Mishin. She desperately needs to work out those tehnical issues to be competitive.

I'm hoping she podiums at SC but it looks like it's going to be tough to beat Akiko and Joannie. Oh well, never say never.

Go Caroline!

mishieru07 said:

I really liked all of Caroline's exhibitions from 2006 to last year (including Born To Try and River) but Miley Cyrus? I know the song is meaningful but ... *cringes* Just not a fan, sorry! I would love to see her do a fast number for a change.

I love Caroline and I hope she goes to another coach next season, coaches like Artunian or Tarasova (I think JSF might force Asada to switch), heck, even Mishin. She desperately needs to work out those tehnical issues to be competitive.

I'm hoping she podiums at SC but it looks like it's going to be tough to beat Akiko and Joannie. Oh well, never say never.

Go Caroline!

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I don't think Tarasova would be a good choice for Caroline. Tarasova is never known as a coach help her students solve technique problems. As to Mishin, he has Elizaveta Tuktamisheva now. I don't think he would take Caroline. As to Arutunian, I don't know. But at least he helped keep Mao's 3A and bring 3Toe-loop back. I simply don't know who would be appropriate coaches for Mao and Caroline-_-|||||

I just watched the ladies' short on Ice Network. Caroline is sitting in 7th place right now. I know she will pull herself up, she always does, but the Grand Prix Final is looking unlikely. She did her triple-triple, but there must have been underrotation calls.

I guess I will never be a figure skating judge. I am simply unable to see what they see.

PolymerBob said:

I just watched the ladies' short on Ice Network. Caroline is sitting in 7th place right now. I know she will pull herself up, she always does, but the Grand Prix Final is looking unlikely. She did her triple-triple, but there must have been underrotation calls.

I guess I will never be a figure skating judge. I am simply unable to see what they see.

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Her second jump out of the combination was clearly cheated, you could see at least 1/2 of a rotation completed on the ice, but aside from that my problem with her is that has almost no speed going into her jumps and they barely reach a height of 5 inches, I'm amazed she can do 3 rotations in the air for most of her jumps given the speed/height issues, probably takes a lot of will power.

I don't know what's wrong with Caroline, but clearly something is.

I am guessing she is not totally over her injury, or she is, but hasn't had enough time to train. At least now, she can forget about the Grand Prix Final and take a couple of months to get back in shape for Nationals.

Her chances for Vancouver are slipping away as this thread grows...

PolymerBob said:

I don't know what's wrong with Caroline, but clearly something is.

I am guessing she is not totally over her injury, or she is, but hasn't had enough time to train. At least now, she can forget about the Grand Prix Final and take a couple of months to get back in shape for Nationals.

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Honestly, she has had a simply disastrous season and she is not at all competitive anymore. With Mao Asada, when she has a breakdown at one of the events, at least you know that she's still amazing and can come back. With Caroline, it's the opposite: when her jumps leave her, she's got nothing. And they have left her for good.

R.D. said:

Her chances for Vancouver are slipping away as this thread grows...

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And her chances for Sochi as well ;-) That Vancouver's not an option is already a foregone conclusion.

PolymerBob said:

I don't know what's wrong with Caroline, but clearly something is.

I am guessing she is not totally over her injury, or she is, but hasn't had enough time to train. At least now, she can forget about the Grand Prix Final and take a couple of months to get back in shape for Nationals.

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You have to accept that Caroline has outgrown her wonky technique. It just doesn't work for her now that she has grown.
I dont think she could medal at Jr Worlds this year let alone medal at Natls. The others got better and she has gotten worse.

She has to go to Arutunian and sacrifice a year , more likely two and learn proper jumping technique.

Sorry to sound so negative but it is pretty easy to see what her problem is.

I have to agree with you. With her gaining weight and height, the strange technique she used to pull out jumps certainly not working any more.

janetfan said:

You have to accept that Caroline has outgrown her wonky technique. It just doesn't work for her now that she has grown.
I dont think she could medal at Jr Worlds this year let alone medal at Natls. The others got better and she has gotten worse.

She has to go to Arutunian and sacrifice a year , more likely two and learn proper jumping technique.

Sorry to sound so negative but it is pretty easy to see what her problem is.

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