The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

Who, if not the USA will have the edge in Ladies' figure skating in the near future?

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

The Japanese ladies continue to gain ground. Technicall, obviously but there is a trend towards artistry, too.

Joe

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

I'm saying the Japanese ladies. The Russian ladies are pretty sparse after Slute. Meanwhile, there are jumping machines coming up in Japan and some of them have good presentation too. Miki Ando, who just landed the first quad in competition, is coached by Nobuo Sato, who coaches Suguri and of course his own daughter Yuka, so you know she will have good presentation even if she doesn't have it now. I've never seen her skate, so I don't know.

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

Japan over the US????

What???

Kwan def. Nakano
Cohen def. Suguri, Onda, Arakawa


None of the Americans showing up @ worlds have been beaten by a Japanese women...this season...??

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

<blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>None of the Americans showing up @ worlds have been beaten by a Japanese women...this season...??[/quote]

I don't know about this season, but Fumie Suguri beat Sasha Cohen at Worlds last year didn't she? I personally think ladies is going to turn into a big mixture - I don't see any one country completely dominating, there's too many countries with world-class talent.

The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

Oops, I didn't even see the option that US ladies will continue to dominate (which I think is true), so I put the Japanese ladies. It was a tossup between the Japanese and the Russians - but I think that the Russians tend to have 1 or 2 ladies who excel, and the rest may have 1 or 2 very strong points but aren't overall strong competitors, whereas the Japanese, suddenly, seem to have improved as a field, and there are several skaters at the telite level and coming up through the ranks.

Do I think the Japanese ladies are (as a whole) on a par with the US ladies? No. But I do think that they are becoming a force to reckon with, and that, taken as a group, they are now the next strongest field.

guinevere

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

Even though we have, what Peggy calls, "the three most powerful US ladies", I think the Japanese gals are comin' on hard in skatin'.

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

the japs...

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

Lets just take out the top 5 skaters in each nation real quick...



this is how I would rank these skaters...by results...

Michelle Kwan, USA- Yes she has only skated in one international event, but hey she won. Then she came back to Nationals and beat the #1 ranked skater in the Grand Prix during the season, I think that can solitify a #1 ranking so far.

Sasha Cohen, USA- She won 3 Grand Prix medals, two of them gold, and won the Grand Prix Finale, what more can you ask for?

Yoshi Onda, JPN- Probably the most consistent thruought the season, Won 2 Gold medals and a silver in the Grand Prix.

Irina Slutskaya, RUS- Got off to a bit of a rocky start this season, Didn't win a Grand Prix gold of any kind, but she was in the top 3 each time. Won another European Title.

Fumie Suguri, JPN- Well she was able to win 2- silver medals during the grand prix and then win the 4CC.

Elena Sokolova, RUS- 2nd @ Europeans

Victoriya Volchkova, RUS- Won Trophy Lalique, 3rd in GPF

Sarah Hughes, USA- Could possibly be as high as 3 or 4 but hasn't competed. But Nationals performance is worthy of being this high.

Shiziku Arakawa, JPN- Consistent season, 3rd in a grand prix event, and 2nd @ 4CC

Ann Patrice Mcdonough, USA- 2nd @ Skate America, and 4th @ Nationals with a wonderful technical performance. I put her ahead of Nakano because she beat Nakano @ Skate America

Yukari Nakano, JPN- Has not be consistent during the season but was able to pull off a 3rd place finish in a rather weak field @ 4CC

Jenny Kirk, USA- Was able to salvage a 4th and 5th place finish @ Grand Prix events, and finished 5th @ Nationals which is respectable.

Miki Ando, JPN- She will only climb the ranks, finishing 2nd @ Junior Worlds

Ludmila Neledina, RUS- She needs major work

Kristina Oblasova, RUS- Haven't seen her this year.

Re: The Ladies' Force in Figure Skating

SARAH vs. YOSHIE -- both have emerging styles, high technical difficulty. Sarah Olympic Champ, Yoshie did very well on the circuit this season. Sarah 3/3's, Yoshie 3axel. Both need to continue to define a style for themselves, Yoshie needs to improve some positions. Sarah can be frantic with fast footwork, Yoshie can be frantic with throwing away choreography in favor of extra jump.

MICHELLE vs. ARAKAWA -- both have a lyrical quality, something special artistically. MK has lots of experience, Arakawa much less. MK - consistent, Arakwawa - has difficult 3/3 but not consistent with it.

SASHA vs. FUMIE -- Sasha perfect form, a bravura skater. Fumie attampting balletic style, a gentle skater. Both very inconsistent, both can win if they skate 2 clean programs but it seems like an outside chance that they will skate clean.