2015 US Nationals Senior Ladies FS Jan 24

[Meoima]

Interviewer to Plushenko: "So, what have you learned skating in the same rink with
Plushenko: "Nothing."
Get off Ashley's back. It's not wrong that she wants to win, and she works hard to achieve improvement in her skating.
I wish some more skaters had a little fire in the belly and a bit more diva attitude... are you listening Shibutanis?
And, if my prayers are realized and Josh wins Nationals, you can expect some little bro-mances to fall apart, too.

I love Plushy but it's obvious that he did learn a lot while skating in the same rink with Alexei. If anything it's the killer attitude. I think it's not wrong to say thanked to Plushy that Alexei reached such height and thanked to Alexei that Plushy reached that height.
Of course they have been through a lot so neither of them might say nice things to each other again but..from the inside I highly doubt that they didn't give each other any credit at all.

 

[ice coverage]

Gracie's programs are least a good effort/attempt in choreography and technical content, while Ashley's FS has empty choreography. If her FS falls apart technically, there's nothing not much else to appreciate.

The matters that you're raising in your post don't seem relevant to what I was saying in my post, IMO.
Apples and oranges.

 

[Mrs. P]

Of my years of watching skating I have not seen a skater I dislike as much as Ashley Wagner. I can not fully explain why, except that her facial expressions always make me think of some cringe-worthy reality show. She just seems fatally uncool, always trying too damn hard. It's overwhelming and depressing at the same time.

Well then use her as your fridge break if she's that horrifying to you.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Of my years of watching skating I have not seen a skater I dislike as much as Ashley Wagner. I can not fully explain why, except that her facial expressions always make me think of some cringe-worthy reality show. She just seems fatally uncool, always trying too damn hard. It's overwhelming and depressing at the same time.

You are entitled to your feelings but they have no bearing on her performance and results. She earns her prizes.

 

[TontoK]

I love Plushy but it's obvious that he did learn a lot while skating in the same rink with Alexei. If anything it's the killer attitude. I think it's not wrong to say thanked to Plushy that Alexei reached such height and thanked to Alexei that Plushy reached that height.
Of course they have been through a lot so neither of them might say nice things to each other again but..from the inside I highly doubt that they didn't give each other any credit at all.

My point was that it's not a problem for men to say exactly what they mean. But, good grief, we seem to have a hissy-fit if a woman comes right out and says she wants to win.

 

[ks777]

AshLeeY isn't my favorite but I thought she had the skate of her life last night, even though I don't agree with the score she got from those judges who gave her 10s. Anyways, my favorite of the night was Mariah Bell.

 

[ice coverage]

Josh and Jason have been trading off No.1 status since they were Novice skaters. I really doubt if Josh wins their friendly rivalry will become nasty; it'a not in either of their personalities.

In fact, Jason credits his trademark flexibility to Josh, when he was doing billeman spins as a juvenile and he barely could touch his toes. I think they have pushed each other to improve.

:agree: And probably my favorite moment in the post-SP presser was Josh's look of admiration at Jason -- as Josh started to answer a question about choreo. Josh explained that Jason's connection with the audience helped inspire Josh to work on becoming more than an "internal" skater and to turn to Buttle for his SP choreo.

The warmth btwn Josh and Jason as they were settling into place before the presser started was lovely to behold as well.

 

[100yen]

As Johnny put it so well last night, ladies' figure skating is "brass knuckles under velvet gloves".

I love this Ahh...the duality of figure skating...it's a literary analysts' dream.

 

[TontoK]

:agree: And probably my favorite moment in the post-SP presser was Josh's look of admiration at Jason -- as Josh started to answer a question about choreo. Josh explained that Jason's connection with the audience helped inspire Josh to work on becoming more than an "internal" skater and to turn to Buttle for his SP choreo.

Perhaps you are right, and I am wrong. Stranger things have happened.

When the expected order of things gets shaken up, people can react differently.

I hope Josh wins in a rout, and we get to find out how they both react to change in status and public perception.

 

[Sophie-Anna]

I saw only Ashley Wagner I will watch others later. Ashley is my favorite skater so I love many of her performances but this was THE BEST EVER I HAVE EVER SEEN HER. She was absolutely stunning, beautiful from the start till the end of the program. I was smilling like an idiot D I am very very happy for her. I was wondering if Ashley will put some higher technical elements in her program to have a chance to get better scores. And she did which I'm also very happy(although I think that she was overscored last night, but it is quite normal at nationals).

 

[thoakun]

OK, I've watched some more videos of the ladies event and the extensive focus on Ashley and Gracie gave the impression that they walked out from the Mean Girls movie and got so ready to get down on the floor for a bloody cat fight . The bold lipsticks and blond hairs were ironically even more complimentary to the drama. I can see why people would see Ashley as cocky diva now, but I just think all the ladies have worked extremely hard to get here and under that pressure, every one would look like a frosty tigress.

 

[BlackPack]

My point was that it's not a problem for men to say exactly what they mean. But, good grief, we seem to have a hissy-fit if a woman comes right out and says she wants to win.

Not in FS. Scott Moir and Patrick Chan didn't get away with their comments, and Trankov is now considered the Perez Hilton of FS.

 

[Li'Kitsu]

I hope Josh wins in a rout, and we get to find out how they both react to change in status and public perception.

But Josh was the more dominant one during their junior days, besting Jason at both of their Junior world trips. They already changed status and public perception at least once.

(Reminds me, wasn't there an uber-cute vid of Josh and Jason at some point, after Josh was 2nd and Jason 3rd at JW, where they were looking for food or something - and Jason introduced Josh and was like "and he just won the silver medal, wooohooo!! " and Josh was like : )

 

[TontoK]

I hear you, but we're in the big leagues now.

Like I said, maybe I'm completely wrong, but I really hope we get to find out.

 

[doze]

After all the stress of nationals i'm just glad we get to end on a good note and that's the skating spectacular.

 

[Cleo]

I agree if you look at early performances of Mao and Caro they could do everything. But, at a place in their career what they did in the past no longer worked. Mao had a few years when she was reworking her jumping technique and was hit or miss in competitions. Caro really went thtough it alsmost quiting altogether in 2010 only to come back beautifully in time for Oly 2014; she's a miracle.

Ashley hit a wall and seems to be moving past it. Gracie may have her own wall to face and overcome. Isn't this why sport inspires?

I'm a big Kerrigan fan. If you compare those nail-biting performances of the early 90's with the asurance and command of Lilihammer it's not the same skater. I can't imagine what she put herself through to get there.

I come out of classical music. It's not uncommon for a pianist or a singer to stumble across the issue that has limited them. Suddenly pianists are playing things they never imagined they could and singers find an extra octrave of 'gold'.

I hope this compeition helps US ladies believe that they CAN win.

Yes, thanks for the comparison to musicians. I'm a serious amateur instrumentalist and a "late bloomer". Some fingerings or passages confound me, but I keep plugging away at them. I find if I leave them for a while (if it's something I'm working on for fun), or am fortunate to be able to repeat a piece of music with my groups, they are much easier and then I wonder why I struggled so much in the first place.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Personally I thought Ashley deserved to win, but the points were ridiculous, both of her 3-3s were pretty questionable and I have never gotten the love for her FS, it's just a very superficial program with not many transitions, few moves that actually reflect the music

The sad thing is that this program was actually better, choreographically, at the very start of the season. She used to do a Triple Flip at the start of the program with that BANG of the music. Now she opens with a Double Axel (not a great jump for her). It's just like...really? That's your big move right here? A telegraphed double axel? Then she does that lackluster 2Axel+2Toe not much later in the program. There isn't much purpose.

 

[mice]

I read with horror all those heralding Chen as the next coming....people do this with the breakout star every year. Zhang, Nagasu, Hicks, Gold, Edmunds....ironically Ashley was never really seen as one. Perhaps that is why she has done so well. Karen has enormous potential but I wish people wouldn't be so quick to seal her destiny!

 

[Blades of Passion]

In a competition that Karen Chen got 64 for PCS, there is nothing wrong with Ashley's PCS.

Two wrongs don't make a right. It underserves the entire sport when you score what Ashley did as "the best performance ever". A couple of friends who used to be HUGE into figure skating tried to watch Nationals and all they could think was "eh, she's fine".

If this kind of skating is being scored as some kind of phenomenal landmark, then there is 0 motivation for anyone to try and be more artistic. It all comes down to the technical only and PCS are nothing but how the judges feel like placing you. Not a real reflection of the skating skills, choreography, and musicality.

 

[Sophie-Anna]

The sad thing is that this program was actually better, choreographically, at the very start of the season. She used to do a Triple Flip at the start of the program with that BANG of the music. Now she opens with a Double Axel (not a great jump for her). It's just like...really? That's your big move right here? A telegraphed double axel? Then she does that lackluster 2Axel+2Toe not much later in the program. There isn't much purpose.

It is just my different opinion but I like that double axel at the start right to the music. First because of connection with the music, second there are many ladies who put to the start triple lutz or flip(some of them in combination) so it's nice to see something different. I don't know how to explain I just like it.