Skate Forum was part of Skating Inc (also now defunct) they had official websites for Alexei Yagudin, Maria Butyrskaya, Angela Nikodinov and others... as well as "skate radio" which played music that skaters skated to, and several other great programs... they tanked when they tried to bring out the Skating Inc. Magazine... they just got stretched too thin, I think.
yeah ... where IS Janetfan?
Anyway, I'd like to see Christina dramatically improve her spins and even her presentation before I start calling her the next Yuna-Kim. So far I see her as as being in a similar position as rest of the U.S. ladies. Good - but not really able to compete with the best of the best internationally. Not yet anyway. The only two U.S. skaters who I see as mayyyyyy-beeee being competitive at the very top are Alissa and Mirai but they have the problems that we all know about. Still, they are my two favorites and I honestly think they are the best so I can't help but hope they go to worlds this time.
I think Armin could medal but I would definitely call him a long shot. He doesn't have a quad and Jeremy, Brandon and Ryan do. So think Armin - much I really loved his SA performance - would need those three and Adam to mess up. Which I know is totally possible. But still. That makes him a longshot.
“I’m feeling really good and really healthy going into nationals,” he said. Rippon will be tweaking a few spins to maximize points, but otherwise he expects no changes to his programs.
For the Ladies:
Gilles, Zawadski, Gao, Other?
I would say Zawadski who seems very serious and determined to make this her sport.
I think Nationals goes like this: the key for the Contenders is the Short Program; the key for the non-Contenders is the Free Skate.
I could definitely see Ashley skating well - the last time she was out of the spotlight as a "frontrunner" (2008), she skated two clean programs with triple-triples in both, finishing second in both segments of the competition.
is that the 3-3 Ashley's been trying to get back this season? I wonder why Ashley lost her 3-3. Her body doesn't seem to have changed at all the much since 2008. Nature has been kind. If anything, she looks better than ever
Ashley's kinda the dark horse in the race. I find myself forgetting to count her in but she could do very well and be the surprise.
No, the 3-3 Ashley has been trying this season is flip-toe, and she used to do flip-loop (or flutz-loop? ). The one thing I can maybe think of as to why she lost the 3-3 was that didn't she used to be not very flexible? Working on flexibility in spins and spirals can loosen up tight muscles which can make it harder for one to jump. She's also probably grown a couple inches since 2008.
^^^
What is a flutz loop? I presume one takes off on a back inside edge instead of a back outside edge. If that is what she does, should it not get a WET? or do WETs only pertain to lutzes and flips.
It could make a nice Walley. No?