How are Agnes Chances-she seems forgotten | Page 3 | Golden Skate

How are Agnes Chances-she seems forgotten

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Given her roots, she could probably obtain citizenship very quickly and she'd have a guaranteed ticket to all European and World Championships.

Euros is usually such a train wreck that she probably has a better chance of winning there than the US championships :laugh:
 

Robeye

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Anyone know why Agnes is doing a 3t-3t? It is not a good sign when you are electing to do an easier triple-triple, and fail to execute it, especially for someone whose calling card is her jumping. This is not the formula for making the Olympic team, IMO.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Agnes has a nice curvy figure. Really, muscular thighs yes but she's in perfect toned shape for her body type. Her jumps even have pointed toes. I think a sports psychologist is needed, but may be too expensive. I hope 3 spot goes to Cesario or Gao. I can't stand Hicks.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
I can stand Hicks. Agnes' thighs are fine. I think we need to put up a banner on the front page: Skaters, do not read any thread with your name in the title. ;)
 

Eddie Lee

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 19, 2007
Zawadski has a lot of talent and comes off as a really nice person in interviews. I would like to see her develop to her full skating potential. Her team needs to follow the practices of teams of yore: A time when every aspect of the skater's image and style were developed--particularly the ladies. I would like to see a gifted, professional stylist develop a finished, fashionable look for Agnes that would enhance her attractiveness and look on the ice. I believe it might boost her confidence as well. Given that, I believe she could represent the U.S. well in Sochi. Best wishes and luck to Agnes!
 

MK's Winter

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 9, 2009
I checked Agnes's profile on Ice Network and saw that she is 5'7. Figure skates bump up height. I am wondering if this presents am issue with consistency. I have a very similar build as her. I hit that height at 15 and I had to have a certain amount of speed going into jumps everytime, if I didn't I would come up short and fall. I wonder if this is an issue for her. Any thoughts!
 

lcd

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
I'm not sure how her height would be as much of a factor given the fact that she is clearly able to do the jumps i.e., has the athletic ability. To me, the issue is more one of confidence and mental strength - where she could benefit from "standing taller"
 

hurrah

Medalist
Joined
Aug 8, 2009
I had no intention to make a derogatory remark re: Agnes' thighs. I was just suggesting the possibility that her thighs are too strong for her own good if she wants to land her jumps. Agnes' thighs are reminiscent of Midori's thighs, and Midori is known for having had a leg wrap. Leg wraps are usually a problem for skaters because they slow down the speed of revolution, but it was not a problem for Midori whose jump size was so much in excess that she could revolve slowly and still have leftover air space. It may also have been that the leg wrap was beneficial for Midori in that it reduced the impact of the torque that she would have experienced upon landing.

I would suggest that Agnes' thighs are so strong that they produce a torque force that Agnes cannot control upon landing. As she is jumping way higher than she really needs to to complete three revolutions in the air, it may be a solution for her to reduce her thigh muscle (which are probably adding extra weight to her body) and add muscle to her core, with which she could control the torque force upon landing. Or she could try and develop a leg wrap, like Midori??

This was all that I meant and I did not mean to make a dismissive remark about her lines.
 

flying camel

Medalist
Joined
Nov 16, 2005
Zawadski has a lot of talent and comes off as a really nice person in interviews. I would like to see her develop to her full skating potential. Her team needs to follow the practices of teams of yore: A time when every aspect of the skater's image and style were developed--particularly the ladies. I would like to see a gifted, professional stylist develop a finished, fashionable look for Agnes that would enhance her attractiveness and look on the ice. I believe it might boost her confidence as well. Given that, I believe she could represent the U.S. well in Sochi. Best wishes and luck to Agnes!

I think a makeover would help. I have never seen Agnes in costumes that look flattering. Maybe money is an issue for her. I feel bad for her. Maybe if she just delivered her programs she could get some sponsors and be able to pay for better packaging.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
I just watched her Cup of China LP on TV. She has work to do. I hope she can get her confidence back.
 

amc987

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 12, 2012
I really like Agnes's programs this year. She has all the attributes she needs to make the US team- strong jumping technique, flexibility, solid skating skills, and good choreography and interpretation.

Apart from her confidence, it seems that she skates rather slowly across the ice. I think Agnes should work on that because despite David Wilson's excellent choreography, skating slowly while she's trying to project the feistiness and vivacity of a tango isn't doing her any favors. Over the last 1/3 of the program, you can tell the music is supposed to build, but her skating doesn't match the tempo of the piece.

Additionally, I don't know if this has to do with her height or her body type (she seems very fit to me), but even though she gets tremendous height on her jumps, Agnes rotates pretty slowly in the air. There are skaters who don't get nearly as much amplitude on their jumps (Lipnitskaya, Wagner, Gao, etc.) and have far fewer underrotated jumps than Agnes has. I don't know whether rotational speed can be improved by increasing core strength or having better air position, but there is a definite disconnect between her jump height and jump quality.
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Apart from her confidence, it seems that she skates rather slowly across the ice. I think Agnes should work on that because despite David Wilson's excellent choreography, skating slowly while she's trying to project the feistiness and vivacity of a tango isn't doing her any favors. Over the last 1/3 of the program, you can tell the music is supposed to build, but her skating doesn't match the tempo of the piece.

Additionally, I don't know if this has to do with her height or her body type (she seems very fit to me), but even though she gets tremendous height on her jumps, Agnes rotates pretty slowly in the air. There are skaters who don't get nearly as much amplitude on their jumps (Lipnitskaya, Wagner, Gao, etc.) and have far fewer underrotated jumps than Agnes has. I don't know whether rotational speed can be improved by increasing core strength or having better air position, but there is a definite disconnect between her jump height and jump quality.

I noticed her speed, too, especially when they showed the skater who followed directly after her. It was like watching someone skipping along after seeing a sedate stroll.

Your point about her rotation speed in the air is really apt. I wonder whether a jump specialist might have some way of teaching her to change her midair dynamics.
 

MFarone

Final Flight
Joined
Aug 20, 2003
Country
United-States
When Agnes left Tom Z. she went back to David Santee and Christy Krall. Christy Krall is considered a jump coach - I think. Krall was the coach that finally taught Patrick Chan 3A and the quads. Unfortunately, I didn't really see any improvement in consistency while Agnes trained with her. Rafael Arturian might be able to help Agnes, but since he is involved in training Ashley Wagner that probably won't happen.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
I am sad for her...raw talent. I like her look, its her fears sadly. Sometimes her jumps are like buttah!
 

Sasha'sSpins

Medalist
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Country
United-States
Seems to me that Mirai is the forgotten one as far as the U.S. ladies heading to NHK. I don't think Agnes has anything to worry about. Even when she falters at Nationals she's still held up over cleaner skates.
 

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam
Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
I am sad for her...raw talent. I like her look, its her fears sadly. Sometimes her jumps are like buttah!

I've never seen a better 3toe/3toe than Agnes'. Or a 3flip, or 3lutz. She HAS it. And she has great speed, spins, ice coverage. She is like the Caryn Kadavy of the 2010s, has it all but will never put it together.
tatio
After seeing Mirai Nagasu's program at Finlandia, well, she looks on fire, but gets hammered, butchered by the caller. Mirai is in shape, it might just take a Nationals with Olympic births on the line to lift her up that extra inch to make a clean rotation. Mirai looked great, too bad for all the << s . She's still in the game.
 

Sasha'sSpins

Medalist
Joined
Apr 2, 2009
Country
United-States
This and this.
Dear USFS: Please tech call and judge what really happens on the ice at Nationals and stop giving brownie points to your pet skaters.
Dear Other Skaters: Please skate really really incontrovertably better than Agnes so there is no lingering doubt.

You should post this letter to USFS on twitter!! :biggrin:

I personally find that she is just forgettable, and the internationsl judges seem to hold the same opinion. Even if she were to skate clean there would be other skaters with more personality ahead of her...

ITA. It reminds me of Flatt with whom the USFS seemed to have a love affair until she imploded at her last Worlds (and then there was the tibiagate thing...). Flatt would be placed over Nagasu seemingly time and again at home - then internationally it would seem to be the reverse including at the Olympics and Worlds.

Hicks is so awkward in her skating other then her jumps. Agnes is probably a better all around skater but if you can't skate clean it doesn't matter.

I agree with this. For me, Agnes is the lesser of two evils when it comes to those two.
 

skateluvr

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 23, 2011
Mirai skated the two skates of her life in Vancouver. Bodily changes and the rep of being a serial under rotator really killed her magical skating. But she came in fourth right after the big 3. And they were performances to rewatch. Sometimes people peak early, esp in CoP. The sport so favors Mirai's little girl body type, but she is a woman now. I still enjoy here and think 3rd spot is wide open. I would not assume Agnes has it, esp. after CoC. It's pretty sad.
 

Pepe Nero

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 11, 2011
Pepe, if I were a skater from a family with not a lot of money, I'd spend it all on a choreographer and buy a cheap costume. So I wouldn't hold that against her. In the old days, any number of skaters including Peggy Fleming wore skating dresses sewn by their mothers. I know that costumes are different now, but I still feel reluctant to judge someone on a lack of resources in that department.

You are right, Olympia. I apologize to Agnes Zawadzki! I don't know why such cattiness comes over me sometimes.
 

R.D.

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Many people are saying that USFS holds Zawadzki up at Nationals. While I think there is a bit of truth there, I also think that Zawadzki actually DOES skate better at Nationals (at least in the SP) than in the GP, leading to her higher scores there.

Zawadzki needs to land those jumps. She will not get anywhere otherwise. Unfortunately for her Olympic hopes, I don't as much improvement in her skating this season as I'm seeing in Gao's. But let's see her in Russia first. She is like Nagasu in that she does not light up the scene at season's start. But again, she just needs to land the jumps. If she does so at Nationals, the other contenders will have to be ON to pass her for the 3rd spot. That includes Gao.

Seems to me that Mirai is the forgotten one as far as the U.S. ladies heading to NHK.

Perhaps...but now, after NHK, she didn't necessarily give folks any reason to go "Oh yeah, I remember Nagasu now...let's throw her in as a top US contender!"
 
Top