2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[Sasha'sSpins]

Did anybody manage to catch Ashley’s interview?

Also if she’s going to be involved with the media I sincerely hope to see Gracie there too

Do you mean the Access Hollywood interview? If so, yes. I recorded it.

It was a little bit more about how Ashley has no regrets about her 'furious' comments after coming in 4th at Nationals. I'd even say Ashley looked a little defiant as she stood there, when she was introduced!

Some of her FS was shown, then she was asked how she felt at that moment, etc. Ashley explained again that she has NO regrets, her feelings were genuine. People on social media can be nasty. She was surprised by some of the reaction. But she pointed out that people were also supportive of her! She joked that while she wanted people to think that she was always fabulous and glamorous, things can be hard too! She said that she had 'roughly' a score in her head as she sat in the Kiss & Cry and was (obviously) very disappointed when the score was 'a little bit lower' than what she had expected. Basically, her Olympic dreams were over and it was hard especially with the cameras there and people wanting to know immediately after 'Okay, what do you think'.

Ashley said that she thought it was 'so important' for people to see that you are human. She was asked if she turned off the comment section but she said 'Oh no! I see it all!'. But then she smiled and said "So now, the second you post something nasty, and anyone that 'Likes' a mean comment, I go to ALL of those profiles 'Block Block Block...' Bye! Won't miss you! Try and write! I won't be able to read it!'. Lol. Ashley is feisty!

They showed Ashley a clip of Adam where he says 'I'm so biased, because I think Ashley is one of the most beautiful skaters I've ever seen, she's one of my favorite skaters, so if I were on the panel, I would've given her like perfect scores!'. Ashley smiled as she watched the clip. They spoke to Ashley about the Dick Sporting Good's 'Contender's program'. She's their spokesperson. Basically the program helps athletes who have to work but also train as hopefuls for the Olympics and Paralympics. She mentions she worked at a jean store back in the day where she had to get up at 4 a.m. to change mannequins and 'I wasn't about that life', and she wishes she'd known about this program back then! She said Adam is her 'best friend and gay husband'. She mentions 'how handsome he is, he's the prettiest person I know!'. She said Adam dyes his lashes and brows! (I did that once with my lashes LOL!). She apparently gets at Adam about it because 'I have to look' at him LOL!

She said she received a text from USFS 'Congratulations, you have been named the Olympic alternate'. She said a bit sarcastically 'Thanks for the congrats! Via text.' (commentator interjected here, 'I'd want a phone call!)'. But Ashley was like, no (say) 'Thanks to my face!'. (I agree! Rather cowardly to let someone know their Olympic dream is over via text! And in that casual 'congrats you're the alternate' way').

She got the Olympic tattoo on her rib cage. She said one of her friends is a Pairs skater and 'Pair girls are insane, they're the toughest people I know' and she went with Ashley to get the tattoo!

They showed the semi-nude photo of Ashley with her skates on from behind. With a blue strip covering her bottom of course. She said she is very proud of that photo shoot. She said she had to call her grandma and explain 'it wasn't like a nudie shoot, even though I was naked' LOL! She said 'that was a weird conversation' but then assured the commentators that her grandma 'loved it!' She said she wanted to show the world to 'see the body you have to have to be a figure skater'!

I hope that helps!

 

[topaz emerald]

It's good that you are supporting her but I don't think Bradie's current skating is even close to the top girls. I don't think she can backload + tano/rippon at the moment but even if she did she really shouldn't be on the podium when Evgenia/Alina/Carolina/Satoko/Sotskova/Kaetlyn are all clean for an obvious reason = PCS. She doesn't yet have the polish she needs and anyone can see that to be honest.

evgenia can't properly do a lutz, nor a flip, nor a double axel, yet she's somehow at the top. She is certainly NOT a polished skater with her average skating skills that somehow gets 9s and 10s. Nor is Alina a polished skater with her jagged edges and cheated triple lutz 3loop combo, in which she UR the lutz and prerotated the loop, so obvious in slow motion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-O9isTkWYQ. In fact, I am baffled they are 1,2. It's like watching two average skaters outdo each other, sorry.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

A major opportunity for Mariah Bell this week. She could possibly be a 4CC medalist. It’s looking like a Japanese sweep, but if Mariah skates clean......

......only, I doubt that she will.

 

[quadrupleaxel15]

evgenia can't properly do a lutz, nor a flip, nor a double axel, yet she's somehow at the top. She is certainly NOT a polished skater with her average skating skills that somehow gets 9s and 10s. Nor is Alina a polished skater with her jagged edges and cheated triple lutz 3loop combo, in which she UR the lutz and prerotated the loop, so obvious in slow motion https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-O9isTkWYQ. In fact, I am baffled they are 1,2. It's like watching two average skaters outdo each other, sorry.

But these are all TES-related? (and has nothing to do with Bradie to be honest)

Name any PCS that you find suitable for Evgenia and Alina, Bradie should get lower than.

 

[MarinHondas]

A major opportunity for Mariah Bell this week. She could possibly be a 4CC medalist. It’s looking like a Japanese sweep, but if Mariah skates clean......

......only, I doubt that she will.

Angela Wang could snag a bronze. If she gets herself ahead with a clean short and then skates a decent long? eh it's far fetched. I love the Team USA girls but all of them don't seem primed for a podium spot. I won't be upset about a japanese sweep. They are all lovely skaters.

 

[MarinHondas]

Good Luck to all ladies competing tomorrow!

 

[brightphoton]

4CC SP standings:
Mariah in 4th with 62 points, down on the 3Lutz-3T combo.
Starr in 7th, with 60 points, turnout on the 3T-3T.
Angela in 9th with 58 points, doubling an attempted rippon 3-loop in the second half.

On the bright side, all of their costuming was top-notch.

I'm glad Mariah repeated her Chicago SP, because that sparkly silver dress is my favorite. Always selling it during the step sequence.
I'm a fan of unitards, and Starr's red one was eye-catching. Her shoulder shimmy to the music, good touch.
Angela's dress looks like one that Ashley once wore. Good triple flip-triple toe.

 

[brightphoton]

Michelle Kwan puts full exhibition "Beautiful Thing" on Instagram

Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeWZc68jlqg/
Part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeYlNuWjDtP/
Part 3: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeY_qVfDaU0/

At the end of part 3 is Michelle's signature split falling leaf jump

 

[topaz emerald]

But these are all TES-related? (and has nothing to do with Bradie to be honest)

Name any PCS that you find suitable for Evgenia and Alina, Bradie should get lower than.

I don't really understand the scoring, to be honest and I think the GOEs are not marked fairly for all skaters and mostly based on reputation. I really don't know what separates a skater like Alina and evgenia from a skater like Maria or Bradie or the rest of the field by such a wide margin, for example, where are those point gaps coming from? When I say they aren't polished skaters, I am talking about their skating skills, and interpretation of music, and just general body movement....I thought these are part of the PC marks like when they get 9s and 10s.

Anyway, I don't have any more interest in discussing Alina and Evgenia vs. Bradie any further. I know Bradie doesn't have a good chance to podium anyway with those panel of judges. And I don't care for Alina or Evgenia's skating one bit. Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. Thanks for your input.

 

[topaz emerald]

Michelle Kwan puts full exhibition "Beautiful Thing" on Instagram

Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeWZc68jlqg/
Part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeYlNuWjDtP/
Part 3: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeY_qVfDaU0/

At the end of part 3 is Michelle's signature split falling leaf jump

I wonder if any young American lady skaters look up to her or watch any of her old skating videos...they can learn from watching her skate from the heart.

 

[skatesofgold]

I don't really understand the scoring, to be honest and I think the GOEs are not marked fairly for all skaters and mostly based on reputation. I really don't know what separates a skater like Alina and evgenia from a skater like Maria or Bradie or the rest of the field by such a wide margin, for example, where are those point gaps coming from? When I say they aren't polished skaters, I am talking about their skating skills, and interpretation of music, and just general body movement....I thought these are part of the PC marks like when they get 9s and 10s.

Anyway, I don't have any more interest in discussing Alina and Evgenia vs. Bradie any further. I know Bradie doesn't have a good chance to podium anyway with those panel of judges. And I don't care for Alina or Evgenia's skating one bit. Let's just agree to disagree and leave it at that. Thanks for your input.

I can't say I really understand it either. I don't really have an opinion on overscoring or not, but I do feel the scores should be much tighter among the top tier. I feel like most of them are similar in difficulty and quality, but I don't see a difference in PCS on average. I don't take PCS to mean artistry like some people seem to. It includes things like skating skills, and I just don't notice a difference,

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Mariah Bell finished in 5th place......and even though she landed the big tricks, they still look like very scary, very insecure jumps. And Angela had yet another meltdown. I’m just........I mean.....I don’t.......

 

[MarinHondas]

Mariah Bell finished in 5th place......and even though she landed the big tricks, they still look like very scary, very insecure jumps. And Angela had yet another meltdown. I’m just........I mean.....I don’t.......

what really killed her was the 3lo pop. If she had landed that she would have came 4th.

 

[MarinHondas]

Starr was also promising here. She fell on the 3-3 which was kind of a fluke considering she has not fallen on that in over a year. Other than that she was very strong and scored a new PB by 10 points!!!

 

[mrrice]

I really don't know what to make of Angela Wang. This was a real opportunity for her and to see her finish behind Starr is kind of sad. At some point, the fed will give up on her as she's had years to make a statement. She has so much talent and when she's on, she's spectacular. Unfortunately, she's seems to be losing her competitive nerves and rarely skates a clean program.

topic:

I can't seem to get pictures to load here anymore. Is that a forum change? I can still get video's but not pictures...:confused2:

 

[mrrice]

Michelle Kwan puts full exhibition "Beautiful Thing" on Instagram

Part 1: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeWZc68jlqg/
Part 2: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeYlNuWjDtP/
Part 3: https://www.instagram.com/p/BeY_qVfDaU0/

At the end of part 3 is Michelle's signature split falling leaf jump

Good Grief!!!!!! She is still SO beautiful!!!! I know people hate it when I group her with Maria Butyrskaya but, IMO, they are 2 of the prettiest skaters EVER!!

 

[VenusHalley]

Starr was also promising here. She fell on the 3-3 which was kind of a fluke considering she has not fallen on that in over a year. Other than that she was very strong and scored a new PB by 10 points!!!

She looked bit nervous even in her short. Maybe this is little bit overwhelming for her.....but she had a good score despite her mistakes, so I think she has a great potential.

 

[MarinHondas]

She looked bit nervous even in her short. Maybe this is little bit overwhelming for her.....but she had a good score despite her mistakes, so I think she has a great potential.

It has to be nerve racking. First senior season! First 4cc! She skated fairly well. I believe if she hit 3-3 she would have earned 120. I hope she gets her lutz back soon!

 

[flipsydoodle]

Starr was also promising here. She fell on the 3-3 which was kind of a fluke considering she has not fallen on that in over a year. Other than that she was very strong and scored a new PB by 10 points!!!

I think Starr has a great future. Besides raw talent, she has kind of an IT factor.

However, in the FS at 4CC, it looked like she was rushing. That might account for the mistakes. I'm thinking the mistakes and rushing might also have been provoked by having her also do the singing on her program music. It a) may have distracted her by thinking of singing rather than skating, b) let her anticipate as if she were singing; c) thrown off her jump timing; and d) made her hyper alert instead of comfy. I'm thinking she might have been able to settle down more if she'd used the original, sink into someone else's big voice and steadiness, and let it power her along.

 

[frida80]

Poor Angela. I'm not sure what happened. She seemed like she was in a better head space after nationals. But I think she can come back from this. She has talent and just needs to gain the confidence to execute it.