I'm here (I'm a "he", BTW)...I was following along on Twitter and trying to capture the action...still more editing left to do tomorrow but glad the feed was mostly clean, only cut out shortly a couple of times...
Onto the skating...first, I want to say this: Wow, what a women's event we had tonight. So many great performances, redemption skates, etc.
This Karen Chen girl, we might be onto something here. She is small yet skates big - she has a lot of confidence - she stands out. And she skated really well...yet another surprise medalist after Edmunds came out of nowhere last year. This year, it's Chen. And she's even too young to go to Worlds so Edmunds in 4th lucks out with another (likely) trip to worlds this year, hope she makes the most of it! Only thing is that I want to caution people against anointing Chen- she WILL grow and she WILL go through some rough patches. Are we going to give her some space and let her develop or are we going to burden her with expectations and then get all mad if/when she doesn't live up to them immediately?
Nagasu - You know, I get the feeling I'm more emotionally detached watching skating then the average skatefan. It takes a LOT to make me feel much of anything. Yet, for the first time I really felt for Nagasu here. Even more so than last year, because she'd already been to the Olympics after all - I saw a LOT of skaters skate very close to the walls here in Greensboro but she's the only one that actually caught the end and fell. An awkward fall, too...busted her knee, looked to be in serious pain and it took her out of the performance. She was doing so well up to that point and then a freak accident like that happens. Can't catch a break, just bad luck again for yet ANOTHER year. But I know she'll be the stronger for it in the end - she fought through the rest of the skate and she needn't feel sorry for herself. There's always next year.
Good for Cesario for coming back after her shaky SP - one of many redemption skates we had tonight. Gao (who skated much earlier) had another one.
Too bad for Hicks - this was really her time to shine and she squandered a GREAT opportunity to get on the podium. Just wasn't her night, and after a killer SP it was rather disappointing. Because, outside of the Big Two, a solid Hicks is probably the next best thing to have at Worlds. Unfortunately Hicks just can't seem to get it together at the big events and it continues to hurt her.
Wagner - I don't even know where to start...You know, we fans who have followed skating have known of Wagner since 2008, and it feels like she's been on the scene a long time. Yet,
every time she appears to be regressing or stagnating after a great prior skate and people start to count her out, she
somehow manages to pull a rabbit out of a hat and take things to the next level. I guess passion and dedication have no bounds. First, I thought 2012 worlds was the best it was gonna get for her...then 2014 Olympics...then 2014 Worlds...and then finally, 2014 GPF. But no, she continues to raise the bar of what we all thought was possible from her. I mean, who would have thought she would do a clean 3-3? A lutz-toe at that?
Two of them (even if one is a sequence)? That FS was probably the first time I've seen her truly give a world-class skate. One of the best National performances I've seen in a long time, especially from ladies. I actually had flashbacks to Kwan in 2004 at the end, it was that good. Do that at Worlds and you just may have yourself a medal, assuming you haven't buried yourself with yet another mediocre SP...Wagner got a huge, HUGE monkey off her back tonight. She actually delivered the goods when it counted most, and at Nationals to boot, her weakest event traditionally. Well-deserved winner, even if the score was a bit
But I will hold off on the anointing once again - ice is slippery, and I find myself doubting that she can do it again at Worlds. But hey, she's on a roll here proving people wrong with great skates, why not once more?
Gold - Considering the position she was in, I think she actually did really well. Fall aside, she didn't let the task of skating after Wagner overwhelm her and she held it together. It's like Sochi when she followed Sotnikova's skate (sorry to bring her up again) and did decently there, too. That said, I think Gold's weaknesses were accentuated skating immediately after eccentric Wagner. To me, Gold's performance, although technically solid minus a fall, fell flat. There really was no way Gold was going to beat Wagner that night even if clean - forget the 5 point SP lead - it was one of those nights that just belonged to Wagner and no one else. Still, Gold goes to Worlds and call me crazy if you want, but Gold is STILL very much a contender for a World podium spot, and Gold is STILL the best the US has to offer when she is on, although I must say Wagner is closing the gap very quickly(!). Don't count Gracie Gold out yet, guys. I get the feeling she's not done yet...it's gonna be a great rivalry between her and Wagner as long as both can stay healthy and keep their level.
Edmunds - Decent effort here too, although the fall likely cost her bronze. Not that it matters that much, given that Chen isn't old enough for Worlds anyway. Got a monkey off her back too, clean SP finally followed by a FS where she didn't fall apart.
So...definitely an exciting night - and hopefully the tone was set moving forward. I would like for one (or both, even!!) of Wagner and Gold to finally end our 8-year drought of world medals...it IS possible...and doable...they just need to execute...the Russians, although tough, aren't invincible, as we have seen...
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