Tell us more, Math!
I got a sweet reply from Alissa to my email message. Anyone else?
She thanked me for the good wishes. I sent her the list of multiple winners of U.S. nationals and she said she was honored and humbled to be among those great champions.
I think Alissa just wasn't ready to come back. It's no one's fault. Who can blame her? It's her last year before the Olympics. Everyone wants to make an impact in this season. So often, the preceding year's World's podium is the same as the Olympic podium. She probably felt fine and was doing well in practice, but this was the same hip she had surgery on. She probably needed to do another six months of PT before returning to competitive style skating. I hope Alissa can come back next year. She is still, to me, the most beautiful skater (skating-wise) of all of the current ladies.
Even if this is it for Alissa, she has a lot to be proud of. 2011 was an amazing year for her and she proved that she does have the competitive fire to hold up under pressure. That was her peak season and I really don't think she could have done better than she did that year.
She's the most elegant skater the US has had since Sasha Cohen and is probably the best spinner the US has ever had. I've never been a huge fan of hers but I was very, very proud of her for what she accomplished that year. She earned her GPF and national title that year...I gained a lot of respect for her. I held a grudge against her for a while b/c of the 2009 nationals where she was gifted the title and wasn't able to place respectfully at worlds. I've always loved her skating though. Very smooth flow and ease over the ice...very elegant and mature...for a while there she was definitely the lady among the girls. And her La Vie en Rose program will always be a favorite of mine.
She sent me a private email, too, and thanked me for the support. She is such a nice person. Good things will come her way.I also got a reply a day after I sent her good wishes. What a sweet heart.
I got a sweet reply from Alissa to my email message. Anyone else?
that would be tough too - watching in Omaha - I always wonder where do these skaters get their money to go to such events when they aren't competing or whatever.
I held a grudge against her for a while b/c of the 2009 nationals where she was gifted the title...
I got a sweet reply from Alissa to my email message. Anyone else?
I got one yesterday too, Mathman.
Steve,
Thank you for the message and for the support and encouragement.
Best wishes to you,
Alissa Czisny
I think your grudge is with the CoP. Alissa skated a fine short program and was quite justifiably 5.56 points ahead of Rachael, 6.84 points ahead of Caroline Z., and an insurmountable 15.47 points ahead of Ashley going into the long program. Nor were her PCSs inflated (37.98 TES, 27.77 PCS -- if anything her program component scores were held down to make some semblance of a competition out of it.)
In the long program Alissa fell once, giving back 4 points, but both Rachael and Caroline had their triple-triple attempts downgraded (correctly). Ashley gave a superb performance and rightly won the free skate (Rachael was second), but Ashley was too far behind to medal no matter what she did. Alissa's program components were in the mid-sevens, her rivals' in the mid to high sixes -- nothing scandalous there, given the grace and maturity of Alissa's skating despite errors.
Even so, Alissa was nervous in the kiss and cry. When her marks came up she said, "I was surprised a little bit. My short program saved me." As indeed it did. Under 6.0 Rachael would have won, 6 factored placements to 7.