As all the ladies are, more or less equal, they will pick the top two to avoid the HUGE outburst that will follow if they don't.
Edit : The point is that Sasha does not have any brownie points - zero, zip, nada, nichts, arc cosine of 1. Even if she wins Nats, she may, and may not, make the Olympic team.
I don't think Rachael will be around for 2014. She is intellectually brilliant and will almost certainly start college, if not next year, then shortly thereafter.
How would you know that? :scratch:b) she's probably hit her peak in skating already, and if not now, certainly after this season.
I agree- she's a) the least likely to continue and b) she's probably hit her peak in skating already, and if not now, certainly after this season.
Sorry, Janetfan, I don't agree with this. Skaters more talented than Ashley and Mirai? I think they're two of the most talented and most fun to watch in the world, and they have a lot of skating left in them, since both are healthy, if they want to. And I hope they do. I really don't think they come a lot more talented than this.
There are other factors too, after all - work, money, injury, the competition, etc.
But I look at Yuna - and see that as the direction to shoot for. I would be disappointed if Mirai and Ashley were the best we can hope for.
I say that remembering when US ladies set the standard and were not chasing it - and from so far behind.
I could be wrong now, but I don't think so. (Monk fans will recognize this line!) From what I've read, Yu Na's success doesn't represent talent alone. There is a vast amount of single-minded work. I'm not sure any American skaters work that hard.
I think that if either Ashley or Mirai dedicated herself singlemindedly to skating, with the team effort and national pressure and support that Yu Na has (and let's not forget her amazing, single-minded diet ), their results would shoot up too. But American parents tend to want their children to be happy as much as they want them to succeed. JMO.
But then of course there's Kwan. How the heck did she do it? Talent or work? Or both? Or something else?
I would never deny that Yu Na has a giant special talent. It's just that Mirai looks incredibly naturally gifted to me too, and so does Ashley albeit in a different way - with her it's more her style that bowls me over, but she also has big physical gifts.I think your views are as good as mine and Monk's are better! .
Button did point at the USA Ladies work ethic which he found lacking.
There is also a thing called "talent." Something given by God, in Yuna;s case, the skating Gods
Is doesn't matter how hard Michelle worked, she would never have achieved as much without a certain natural aptitude for skating - or perhaps something else that requires similar gifts. :yes:
I will never shortchange the hard work skaters put in. Surely there are skaters who work so hard (Evan) and maybe don't have as much natural talent (Yagudin) as others.
Also, I think what the USA must address now is all the 3x3's little girls can do without proper technique. It comes back to slap you hard once you grow - and that is why I am hoping the next gen will be trained better and with this in mind.
I think Yuna could do most of the triples when she was very young. She has managed to keep them and that has to do with good technique and not just training hard or having a special diet. It also is reflective of a special talent.
I would never deny that Yu Na has a giant special talent. It's just that Mirai looks incredibly naturally gifted to me too, and so does Ashley albeit in a different way - with her it's more her style that bowls me over, but she also has big physical gifts.
That's why I move to sheer work to explain why they don't have Yu Na's results - esp. since we know how hard Yu Na has worked to get where she is.
It will be interesting to see if she shows up at nationals. I just hope that she doesn't ask for a bye after missing the nationals.
OK, but whose success is pure talent?I could be wrong now, but I don't think so. (Monk fans will recognize this line!) From what I've read, Yu Na's success doesn't represent talent alone.
Please elaborate on this "single-mindedness" that YuNa so especially has, and what "diverse" or "multi-mindedness" that the American skaters have. For all I know (and I'm just a biased YuNa fan, after all), YuNa used to excel at school, she loves to shop, blog and browse on the internet, has learned the piano (well, what Asian child doesn't ), enjoys singing, and she's curious about the world and has said if she lived another life she may not choose figure skating (because she's interested in photography? and seeing the rest of the world for herself.)There is a vast amount of single-minded work. I'm not sure any American skaters work that hard.
Sorry, but Mirai has already said that she thinks her main talent is Figure Skating and is probably "single-mindedly" dedicated to Figure Skating, too. Contrary to Phoenix347, I think Mirai does work very hard and may pull away from the other American ladies in due time.I think that if either Ashley or Mirai dedicated herself singlemindedly to skating, with the team effort and national pressure and support that Yu Na has (and let's not forget her amazing, single-minded diet ), their results would shoot up too.
It's JMO that that is one of the most culturally bigoted comments I've ever seen on this board. But now that I think about it...hmm, YuNa does look rather miserable and unhappy!But American parents tend to want their children to be happy as much as they want them to succeed. JMO.
Probably both. Like most top-anythings.But then of course there's Kwan. How the heck did she do it? Talent or work? Or both? Or something else?
I believe Sasha has one more bye in her entire life - and that's the one to Nationals.
The USFSA must be pretty fed up by now.