I never thought i'd say this but i almost wished that Caroline was going to Worlds instead of Alissa. She seems to be in the zone right now and Alissa just has that look on her face before she gets out on the ice like she's terrified. Too many US girls have that look Mira and Agnes included. I will say that Ashley seems to love the competition and Caroline seems more calm also. But i don't know if wither of them will be a factor come Sochi. Both have some major weaknesses and neither makes me stand up and take notice of their skating.
Are we witnessing the rebirth of American ladies figure skating?
- Thread starter oksanafan
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
Caroline has skated well, but her 4th and 3rd place finishes recently have depended on her skating a nearly flawless short and a flawless long, coupled with mistakes from others. Alissa can make mistakes in the short and long and still finish ahead of Caroline, as we saw at Nationals. If it was the third spot I'd say go with Caroline instead of Agnes because Caroline is surprisingly steady at the moment. But a great Alissa can medal and a few mistakes Alyssa can finish in the top 6; the same cannot be said of Caroline.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2003
Caroline has had one good international result in the past two years and her scores were not spectacular at 4CC. The Japanese left two of their top women at home. Caroline will not go far with 6's in the PCS department. She would be better off staying home and working on her stroking.
personally, i expect 3 spots from worlds this year.
the reason u.s for me was kinda down, is because when went to worlds, 1 or both wasn't skating for fighting for it. like ashley, caroline did at nationals and 4cc
i noticed mao, kanako for me didn't fight for it at 4cc.
mao kinda of expected, kinda of surprised at kanako since she came out like gangbusters her first year on senior circuit.
but she did okay.
the reason u.s for me was kinda down, is because when went to worlds, 1 or both wasn't skating for fighting for it. like ashley, caroline did at nationals and 4cc
i noticed mao, kanako for me didn't fight for it at 4cc.
mao kinda of expected, kinda of surprised at kanako since she came out like gangbusters her first year on senior circuit.
but she did okay.
It's sad really that we here in the US got so used to not only having great Ladies skaters but how good they were as competitors. Michelle, Sarah, Tara you never got the feeling they were overwhelmed or intimidated like it seems like this bunch from the last 5 years or so with maybe the exception of Ashley who was always her own worst enemy. Heck even Kimmie Meissner was a tough skater.
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I agree with you Dragonlady: Caroline's stroking is really holding her down now. She needs to get higher PCS to be competitive with the best ladies. But there are factors to PCS other than stroking and those need to be worked on too.
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2003
Lack of speed is the result of poor technique. The goal should not be to improve her speed, which she could do just by taking more strokes. Improving the efficiency of her stroke and the quality of her edges, will improve her speed without expending more effort. In fact, done correctly, she will skate faster and with less effort than she's currently putting into it. Watch skaters with really superior blade skills and they reach top speed with just a couple of blade strokes. In any sport, the correct way of doing things is usually easier than doing things the wrong way.
In reply to the question posed in the thread title: YES! :thumbsup:
Finally, a US woman wins a major title like 4CC, a competition created in 1999 to be the North American answer to the prestigious European Championships (oldest f.s. competition in history).
Yes, at first 4CC's was kinda taken for granted and a country sent their second-tier skaters, but that hasn't been the case since 2007. That's the year Kimmie Meissner won gold & Emily Hughes won silver, then began the loooong drought until now.
Once again two Americans stand on the podium. And not to forget Alissa Czisny's equally remarkable accomplishment by winning the GPF in 2011. ^)
I'd say that's definitely a REBIRTH of American Ladies Figure Skating. It gives me hope for the upcoming Worlds in Nice, France.
ps: this competition brought to mind 1991 Worlds in Munich, when the Americans swept the podium ~ Kristi, Tonya, Nancy. Here in Colorado Springs Agnes reminded me of Tonya, Ashley of Kristi, and Caroline of Nancy. Jmho.
Finally, a US woman wins a major title like 4CC, a competition created in 1999 to be the North American answer to the prestigious European Championships (oldest f.s. competition in history).
Yes, at first 4CC's was kinda taken for granted and a country sent their second-tier skaters, but that hasn't been the case since 2007. That's the year Kimmie Meissner won gold & Emily Hughes won silver, then began the loooong drought until now.
Once again two Americans stand on the podium. And not to forget Alissa Czisny's equally remarkable accomplishment by winning the GPF in 2011. ^)I'd say that's definitely a REBIRTH of American Ladies Figure Skating. It gives me hope for the upcoming Worlds in Nice, France.
ps: this competition brought to mind 1991 Worlds in Munich, when the Americans swept the podium ~ Kristi, Tonya, Nancy. Here in Colorado Springs Agnes reminded me of Tonya, Ashley of Kristi, and Caroline of Nancy. Jmho.
Since the 1991 Worlds there have been many times two american Ladies have been on the podium and in much more important events against the whole world unlike at 4CC which doesn't include European skaters. And we've had many stronger overall teams sent to Worlds, Olympics etc etc since then. The strongest team we've sent was probably the Ladies team at the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Yeah, but we haven't had a monster jumper like Tonya Harding since then. 
Thus *my* comparison and my good thoughts.
By the way, I've been thinking if Ashley can *peak* at Worlds by hitting all 7 of her triple jumps in the FS (also going clean again in the SP), I definitely think she has a chance at a medal. She can win a medal all on her own, even if the other gals go clean as well. Why? Because she has the best two programs in the world imho, additionally packed full of transitions, and she skates with fire/passion/verve/intensity!!!!! In other words, she skates like a champion.
For posterity, I'd also like to go out on a line and say Ashley can win if others make mistakes and she goes clean. Not a daring prediction as 90% of championships are won this way imho.
Thus *my* comparison and my good thoughts. By the way, I've been thinking if Ashley can *peak* at Worlds by hitting all 7 of her triple jumps in the FS (also going clean again in the SP), I definitely think she has a chance at a medal. She can win a medal all on her own, even if the other gals go clean as well. Why? Because she has the best two programs in the world imho, additionally packed full of transitions, and she skates with fire/passion/verve/intensity!!!!! In other words, she skates like a champion.
For posterity, I'd also like to go out on a line and say Ashley can win if others make mistakes and she goes clean. Not a daring prediction as 90% of championships are won this way imho.
Yeah, but we haven't had a monster jumper like Tonya Harding since then.
By the way, I've been thinking if Ashley can *peak* at Worlds by hitting all 7 of her triple jumps in the FS (also going clean again in the SP), I definitely think she has a chance at a medal. She can win a medal all on her own, even if the other gals go clean as well. Why? Because she has the best two programs in the world imho, additionally packed full of transitions, and she skates with fire/passion/verve/intensity!!!!! In other words, she skates like a champion.
For posterity, I'd also like to go out on a line and say Ashley can win if others make mistakes and she goes clean. Not a daring prediction as 90% of championships are won this way imho.
This entire post is great! Yes, you are definitely right she can win a medal on her own if she skates to the best of her ability.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2010
I am positive about Ashley's podium chances at worlds. I remember being quite impressed with Ashley when I saw her live at ATS LA 2 years ago and wonder why she is not above Rachel. She has good speed, performed with her entire body and there's good attempt to address the audience. To me she is the type of atheletic skater maybe around the same level as Mirai had Mirai able to consistently putting out 3:3s like she did at Olympics.
I like the fact she is one of the few ladies who took risks this year, get more in an attack mode, brought an dark edgy quality to her performance while still remembered to projecting and entertaining the audiences. Her FS program is hardly conservative, and playing it safe. She has decent technical content that is challenging to her. The performance is also faithful to the concept rather than doing another wishy washy job just getting the required element out of the way while skating to pretty music in the background and remember to smile in the end. I like many of her upper body movement which interpret the black swan with a new approach, good variations, transitions, momentum build ups in her program. Sure, there are areas she can still polish (including musicality towards the 2nd half, rushed by a beat at 4CCs) and while this program might not be appealing to all, I think the package works and is thoughtfully put together with enough showmanship and good speed to be credible on its own beyond a competitive skating program.
There's the sort of thematic plot, character and drama I misses from watching old Yuna's programs. I'd also award her with the best FS costumes this year. The style is current and glam and she looks like a 2012 champion instead of stuck in the 70s. Ashley's confidence is clearly building and it is always wonderful to see an under dog proving herself and be allowed to shine which she is beaming right now.
I love how she clearly want to go after the gold, while others seem merely taking defensive calculated risk approach to not let go of their assumed positions. Wish Ashley the best of luck. I'd be cheering her on as well as Akiko, who's program I might have liked less this year, but I'd love her to medal if this is her last year in competition. She deserve to go out with a bang.
I like the fact she is one of the few ladies who took risks this year, get more in an attack mode, brought an dark edgy quality to her performance while still remembered to projecting and entertaining the audiences. Her FS program is hardly conservative, and playing it safe. She has decent technical content that is challenging to her. The performance is also faithful to the concept rather than doing another wishy washy job just getting the required element out of the way while skating to pretty music in the background and remember to smile in the end. I like many of her upper body movement which interpret the black swan with a new approach, good variations, transitions, momentum build ups in her program. Sure, there are areas she can still polish (including musicality towards the 2nd half, rushed by a beat at 4CCs) and while this program might not be appealing to all, I think the package works and is thoughtfully put together with enough showmanship and good speed to be credible on its own beyond a competitive skating program.
There's the sort of thematic plot, character and drama I misses from watching old Yuna's programs. I'd also award her with the best FS costumes this year. The style is current and glam and she looks like a 2012 champion instead of stuck in the 70s. Ashley's confidence is clearly building and it is always wonderful to see an under dog proving herself and be allowed to shine which she is beaming right now.
I love how she clearly want to go after the gold, while others seem merely taking defensive calculated risk approach to not let go of their assumed positions. Wish Ashley the best of luck. I'd be cheering her on as well as Akiko, who's program I might have liked less this year, but I'd love her to medal if this is her last year in competition. She deserve to go out with a bang.
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