Reliable Rachael and Reputation

FlattFan said:

Rachael has a remarkable consistency. That's her WOW factor. How many girls landed 7 triples LP time after time in the past few years?

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That is so true. When you see a competition live, there is nothing like the excitement that builds when a skater lands her first five jumps...then six (YES!!) and now here she goes, the last jump...will she do it???

Check out Michelle Kwan's performance of the Red Violin at 2000 Worlds: triple loop, triple Lutz/double toe, triple toe/triple toe rock: she missed it at the Grand Prix Final and U.S. Nationals), triple Salchow...triple flip!...double Axel!...triple Lutz!!!, And here she comes around the curve of the Lutz corner heading for center ice and her final spin like a baseball player rounding third and digging for the plate!!!!

Edited to add:

http://espn.go.com/media/skating/2000/photo/kwanw.jpg

And off-topic, but if anyone wants to know what "deep edges" means, here is Michelle at 15.

http://www.freewebs.com/caterina93/96salome_pose.jpg

Bluebonnet said:

Rachael doesn't have the perfect posture that a lady skater should have and many ladies possessed. She wasn't a born-to-be-a-skater type. All she has were the determination and amazing consistency (and I admire her of that). She was not robbed in PCS. It was about as high as she could possibly get. Like Evan Lysacek, she's already maximized her potential and did incredably well. Can't ask more than that.

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But Evan beat Plushenko, Dai, Lambiel, Chan, Weir, Oda, etc, etc,

Rachael just lost to Kanako.
Somehow it does not seem the same. :think:

^ I think Bluebonnet is just saying that Rachael has done the best she could with the talent that the Good Lord, in his wisdom, gave her. Just like Lysacek made the most of his particular skill set.

I think the poster who said Rachel could use a coaching change is probably right. A change in direction can be helpful.

Rachael is picking a new coach in the area of Stanford for next year.

Perhaps Linda Leaver is yearning to get back into coaching?

Brian Boitano used to be written off in just this way, as a consistent guy with no pizzazz.

And then came the 1988 season...

FlattFan said:

Rachael has a remarkable consistency. That's her WOW factor. How many girls landed 7 triples LP time after time in the past few years?

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That is what makes her most competitive American right now for sure but I guess I don't recently consider it a wow factor.
But I don't really agree that Rachael should be out there trying to procure some elusive wow factor, anyway... She needs to do what she does best and improve where she can and let her personality shine through.
For instance, I don't think Joannie Rochette has a "wow" factor like Mao's 3a or Sasha's flexibility and lines. But Jo-Ro worked hard to be the best she should be and she was a very strong skater - one of the very very best of the best.
I have to say, even though injuries are plaguing her jumps a little, I do think Rachael's overall skating - fluidity or something - has already improved from last year... I thought until very recently that Rachael had reached her best possible level but now I"m not so sure. If she can keep her jumping level and improve her presentation even a smidge... she could go farther than many think..
Some people - like you obviously _ already think Rachael is charismatic and Nadine has said over and over again that she was "wowed" by Rachael at SA. So I kinda think Rachael needs to be herself - but keep improving and keep searching for choreo that bests suits her style, abilities and natural lines.

^ I think Bluebonnet is just saying that Rachael has done the best she could with the talent that the Good Lord, in his wisdom, gave her. Just like Lysacek made the most of his particular skill set.

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Yeah, that's what Blue was saying ... What he was implying is that Rachael and Evan are rather limited skaters who manage to max out what little talent they have in almost every competition.

Maybe.

Only Evan is a World and Olympic champion. Clearly, the judges liked him and were ready to crown him the best in the world.

That is not the case with Rachael but this thread seems to be about what she can do to move in that direction.

Thanks, Mathman and Layfan! That was what I've meant.

Sure, Rachael has a chance. Maybe ISU would consider that giving Rachael a win is so important in order to boost US figure skating?

Personally, I think Rachael is over hyped by US, like Nancy Kerrigan. She is a skater who did all she could possibly do and still not up to par. She could jump, yes. But her a-mother-like terrible postures were everywhere and I don't believe she could change much on them. And I've seen her skating live. She skates slow. Don't want to turn it into bashing because she is so hardworking and determined and academically admirable. I can see her becoming a great doctor or scientist but not a great skater.