Pressure---who is feeling the most?

At US Nationals, which skaters/teams are feeling the most pressure due to expectations, goals, their circumstances, etc. ? How can this effect the performances?

Dance: The most pressure seems to lie in Matthews/Zavosin to place 3rd due to expectations, but there are other teams with more experience at Senior Nationals.

Pairs: Scott/Dulebohn---without a doubt it is now or never for them.

Men: Michael Weiss---without a doubt is is also now or never for him.

Ladies: I think the pressure this year lies right on top of Michelle Kwan like a huge anvil. She is the US team's best hope for Gold in any discipline at Worlds and Olympics, and she must demonstrate her ability to win Worlds/Olympics at Nationals by continuously skating superb programs year after year after year after year. This year, she hasn't skated a clean long program in public yet, and no short programs. The pressure on her is enormous, especially in practices during the week and the short program.

What's everyone's take on the pressures?

Chisk8 - Your list of tense skaters is right on. For the men, in addition to Weiss who is indeed slipping, there is Jahnke who is getting on in age and would like to do at least one Worlds. Tim has enough excuse to skate less than perfect and will not feel so much pressure, and Johnny is just cool.

Mathews and Zavosin are the flavor of the month so I think that could bring in some pressure for the third spot. Also with pressure would be Goodwin and Bommentre.

Scott and Duelebohn have lost some face so they are pressured to make the team. Innoue and Baldwin may also have pressure because Don and Hunt are improving so much. Orscher and Lucash, a team in progress will also be looking for a podium spot. They are all pressured.

Kwan's been there, done that. I don't think she will get the willies at skate time. Sasha is not pressured, and I hope she knows that. The third place ladies is the humdinger. I think all of them are under pressure. Like the Japanese Federation who can't even use the Nats as a benchmark. When you think of it, suppose Katy Taylor places third. What happens to the World Team?

Joe

IMHO, Sasha will feel quite a bit of pressure. Her Nats performance will need to answer such questions as (1) can she ever hold it together in a major competition? (2) is her back strong enough to keep her going for a while? (3) did she do the right thing in leaving Wagner and returning to Nicks? Kwan, OTOH, has the experience to deal with the pressure. Furthermore, she already holds the record for longest winning streak, so if she loses this year, she can have a great comeback next year to tie the record -- just like (I believe) Maribel Vincent Owen did to set the record.

My vote is Sasha, I think the girl always pressures herself to win. IMO, for Sasha there is no second place. Kwan can handle the outside pressure, she's an old pro at it right now, Sasha can't handle the internal pressure.

ChiSk8Fan said:

Ladies: I think the pressure this year lies right on top of Michelle Kwan like a huge anvil. She is the US team's best hope for Gold in any discipline at Worlds and Olympics,

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I don't think she is necessarily the US team's best hope. I think that would go to Belbin and Agosto despite the fact that they are not going to be competing at the Olympics.

I think Sasha has alot of pressure. If she doesn't win Nationals this year I think the judges will stop giving her such generous marks. I expect to see another 6.0 with a fall for her, just like she got last year. But if she doesn't win big this year, those 6.0's for falls will no longer be given.
Kwan will face some pressure too. She is being called a has been, so she needs to prove she isn't...again.
Jenny Kirk needs to get on the poduim!

doubleaxelcm said:

I don't think she is necessarily the US team's best hope. I think that would go to Belbin and Agosto despite the fact that they are not going to be competing at the Olympics.

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Is that definite? There is no way she will have U.S. citizenship by 2006?

"Feeling pressure" is so subjective. I don't think there is any way to guess from external factors what the athletes are thinking. There is no reason why Michelle should be feeling any pressure whatsoever. She shows up. She skates. She could retire tomorrow if she wanted to. Same with Michael Weiss.

Sasha has, IMO, only the pressure she puts on herself. The up-and-comers like Kimmie Meissner just have to skate their programs and not finish last.

To me, the people most under the gun in the ladies are Jenny Kirk, Amber Corwin and Angela Nikodinov. If they are going to advance to the next level they had better be getting on with it.

Mathman

RealtorGal said:

Is that definite? There is no way she will have U.S. citizenship by 2006?

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Thats what I've read.

As always, in the ladies competition, it will be on the top two. Kwan can deal with this level of pressure, so she should be fine. In fact, it may even push her to do better. The pressure on Cohen may have dropped somewhat since last year but it'll still be on. Remember, this is NATIONALS, not worlds...I recall several skaters saying that there is a bit more pressure at nationals to do well than at worlds because you're in front of your home crowd. I suppose it would depend on the skater, but I haven't yet heard anyone say the opposite.

IMHO - Johnny Weir will feel a great deal of pressure - the weight of defending his National Title. Sure, he's won several Grand Prix titles this past fall, and he has established himself well internationally, but he still needs to demonstrate that he's the best in the U.S. Unless he's still injured, I fully expect Johnny to successfully defend his title. Go, Johnny, go!

Timothy Goebel is just trying to hang on to win a spot on the World Team. If he's still seriously injured, I would not be surprised to see him pull out of the long program after the short (if he skates another disastrous short, i.e.). I hope he can win silver or bronze.

Michael Weiss just won't go away. :sheesh: Sorry, but his skating does absolutely nothing for me. At age 28, he's still trying to figure out the mechanics of landing a triple axel. :sheesh: IMHO, the judges hold up his marks because he's a two-time Olympian and two-time World bronze medalist. That was in the past, but that appears to be the mindset of the US judges. So, all things being equal, I expect him to make the World team.

Ryan Jahnke is another "old" skater (26) who is also trying to master the triple axel. However, Jahnke doesn't have Weiss' credentials, so don't expect the judges to give him any sort of break. To make the World team, Jahnke will need to skate on the wings of angels, and receive some help from the other skaters.

Michelle Kwan will continue to win the US National title until she retires - or unless she skates a disastrous competition - something that just isn't going to happen. The lady owns this title, and I expect her to stay in the game so she can win a historic 10 National titles. Does she feel nerves? If she does, it doesn't show. The lady is serene and confident.

Sasha Cohen continues to be the champion in the wings, and she will continue to wait in the wings unless she can pull out the stops and skate two absolutely brilliant, mistake-free (!!) programs. Can she do it? I doubt it. I expect her to make the World Team, but to win silver or bronze, not gold. Sasha still appears to skate with fear or with a lack of confidence.

Jenny Kirk and Angela Nikodinov will battle for the bronze medal. I have no idea who will win it and win the third spot on the US team. Both of these women have battled nerves in the past, so I think whoever manages to control her emotions the best will win the day.

Duhlebon and Scott are at a crossroads of their career. Former US champions and a pair that skates sloppy long programs. I just don't see them ever winning another National title - unless it's a splatfest and they skate the least worst program.