2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
Which music are you referring to as horrible?
Cinderella--in various renditions--has been performed by Mihara, Tobias & Tkachenko, and Cannuscio & McManus within the last two years. It was quite a well-recognized number for Angela Nikodinov.
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
I agree with you that Courtney doesn't deserve based on her skating the TBD SA spot, but I would never give it to Bradie because she was able last minute to pull out a win at a Summer Competition. I'd be giving the SA spot to Angela.
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- Jul 9, 2014
I completely agree with this comment. Especially if you base it on a body of their work. I haven't seen Angela live in years but when I did, I thought she was spectacular. Fast, deep edges, big jumps, and great choreography. I still haven't seen Angela's FP and I'll have more of an opinion after I do. However, if you were to ask me based on their styles, I would go with Angela.
I don't really have skin in this game -- I have a preference for Courtney, but Bradie has been performing well really summer and I think makes a good case for that TBD spot. She also won Broadmoor, FWIW, so she's showing some consistency.
I'd be fine with Angela getting it -- her programs, on the whole were more striking than Bradie's. TPTB have a tough choice to make!
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- Jul 31, 2014
I am not a Bradie fan, but this is not really a fair assessment. She has been top ten at US senior Nationals for two years now and was US junior champ the year before that. She was our highest placing lady at junior worlds, thus we can thank her in large part for what spots we do have. She also got a bronze at a Challenger B last fall. This is really not a case of a last minute win, this is a case of building on past success... she just tends to not be that memorable, so her past success is forgotten.
That being said... I kinda think Angela will get it as she was higher at US Nationals, and USFSA often goes by that for the TBD, at least it seems to be the impression i get. I do think Bradie has eared a few more assignments, at least enough for a bye to nationals.
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- Jan 9, 2017
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- Jul 9, 2014
Here you go.https://youtu.be/jtdpEbiy124
After watching Angela's performances, I can see how Bradie beat her in the FP. I'm not sure what's going on with Angela and her Loop jump but, she missed it on both attempts. That said, I still prefer Angela as a skater. She has deep knees and she is fast and smooth across the ice. When clean, I prefer her to both Bradie and Courtney. Like I said, it will all come down to Nationals...It's going exciting and nerve wracking all at the same time.
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- Jan 9, 2017
As far as Angela's Loops it's one of those things of when you are on you are on and when a jump is off it's just off. We all have those days.
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- Jul 9, 2014
As far as Angela's Loops it's one of those things of when you are on you are on and when a jump is off it's just off. We all have those days.
Right!! I had those days in dance and at times it was baffling even to me.....I still love her style...Beautiful posture which is such a pet peeve of mine. By the way, what is her music? I absolutely love it!!
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- Jan 9, 2017
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- Feb 17, 2010
It's funny because when I heard the music, I was thinking "finally, someone skating to happy-sounding music." To each their own, I suppose.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Agree with you re: preferring Angela. I always write her off in my mind so I forget how impressive she is to watch - she has the polish of a top-tier lady, moreso than Bradie or even Courtney (my biggest critique would be that Angela has a bit too much two-foot skating). She's a little bland, lacks the "it" factor a bit, but her skating skills are very impressive anyways.
Also watched Amber Glenn. I swear I must be the most annoying Amber Glenn fan. Her costume was sexy and dramatic. The first half of her LP was really wonderful. It fell apart after the halfway point, but I'm hoping that's pre-season lack of fitness. She reminds me so much of Gracie, but with better arms and worse spins. I don't think she's in danger of making the US Olympic team, but some decent senior B results and maybe even competing at 4CCs could be huge for her.
Courtney's LP costume suits her - I've complained in the past that her costumes tend not to be flattering for her body type. I quite like her choreography, love her speed, but hate her music (which I realize is entirely just me). I like her SP costume even better, adore her music, but the program itself is a little snoozy. But I'll admit that I've just never been super into Courtney, though I know she tends to be a dark horse favorite in this thread. I do think she's been unfairly pegged as a completely non-artistic athlete - which just isn't true - but she's just never made me
.Starr is very enjoyable to watch, and I love her jump landings. She needs a new SP costume - she's got a little bit of an Elena Radionova hunch problem, and this costume seems to have a turtleneck, which just erases her neck completely. She skates rather juniorish for 16, but would look 100% at home on the JGP, so that's okay.
I don't really understand Angela's team. She has a beautiful and big 3Lz, but it's so big that they switched to a 3F-3T for her combo. That I understand because her flip isn't as big so she can tag the 3T better. But why not milk the GOE points from her Lz with a -2T combo and a solo jump in the LP.
(3F-3T-2l, 3LZ, 3L, 3LZ-2T, 3L-2t,3S, 2A) She gets a ! on her flip pretty common.
Also, it seems that Tessa and Starr are most likely going back to JGP.
The shortlist for the SA TBD, Sr B, and Challenger Series should include: Caroline Zhang, Angela Wang, Bradie Tennell, Amber Glenn, Courtney Hicks, Polina
with preference to the four in the middle (order was based on last year's nationals)
(3F-3T-2l, 3LZ, 3L, 3LZ-2T, 3L-2t,3S, 2A) She gets a ! on her flip pretty common.
Also, it seems that Tessa and Starr are most likely going back to JGP.
The shortlist for the SA TBD, Sr B, and Challenger Series should include: Caroline Zhang, Angela Wang, Bradie Tennell, Amber Glenn, Courtney Hicks, Polina
with preference to the four in the middle (order was based on last year's nationals)
- Joined
- Jan 9, 2017
Did you ever think that maybe just maybe they were experimenting at this competition and her 3LZ will be around later in the season if this doesn't work...or in addition to it?
Don't judge her team if you really don't know what's going on. Please.
I. Do not. Know. What. They will do.
-Caroline has the highest finish from Nationals & a second place at the only international she was sent to last season.
-Bradie has the highest summer score, 2 summer wins, the highest junior finish at Junior Worlds last year, and a Challenger medal.
-Courtney has the most GP experience and a GP medal.
-Angela had the SA spot last season & had to drop it due to injury. She won the only international she did not withdraw from last season.
-Amber--I have to be honest & say I don't see how you can make an argument for Amber. She has some results over some of these girls, but nothing over everyone.
Hanul Kim of Korea won the FS in Philadelphia, BTW. (By which one can probably surmount that none of these ladies would have been a sure bet to finish higher than Bradie's 7th place at Junior Worlds). Hanul finished 5th & 6th at both her regular JGP events last season. (She had an unusually bad Nationals).
-Caroline has the highest finish from Nationals & a second place at the only international she was sent to last season.
-Bradie has the highest summer score, 2 summer wins, the highest junior finish at Junior Worlds last year, and a Challenger medal.
-Courtney has the most GP experience and a GP medal.
-Angela had the SA spot last season & had to drop it due to injury. She won the only international she did not withdraw from last season.
-Amber--I have to be honest & say I don't see how you can make an argument for Amber. She has some results over some of these girls, but nothing over everyone.
Hanul Kim of Korea won the FS in Philadelphia, BTW. (By which one can probably surmount that none of these ladies would have been a sure bet to finish higher than Bradie's 7th place at Junior Worlds). Hanul finished 5th & 6th at both her regular JGP events last season. (She had an unusually bad Nationals).
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Ic3Rabbit...............Thank you, Thank you, and Thank you!!! Such a beautiful song.......
Yes, a very flattering cut on both costumes. But her whole body also looks more streamlined and stretched; I think she's changed her off-ice training (and possibly lost some weight).
More importantly, she seems to have lost the slight "hunch" that she sometimes has had in her shoulders. Maybe that too is due to a better costume design, but I think her new team (Todd Sand & Co.) has done wonderful things to improve her posture!
I like Starr's SP, but I think it might be more appropriate for her...two years from now? 3? It's a bit mature for her.
