2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter Spirals for Miles
- Start date
What did she say?
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
I think it's a blessing in disguise that Bradie has such difficult assignments. It will push her from day 1 and I think it will prepare her well for Nationals and Worlds. She didn't make the GPF last year and she still managed to win Nationals and skate well at Worlds.
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2016
Well last year she only had SA so she couldn’t have made the gpf.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
True.....And for fans like myself, it was a shock to see her skate so well at Nationals. With so many veterans skipping the GP, I have hope that Bradie will medal at her events even if she doesn't make the final. How is Mariah Bell looking? When I look at our Ladies, I don't really see any of them being threat to Bradie's title.
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2017
Well, Alysa Liu will be skating as a senior at nationals this year so she will definitely be a threat
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2016
A clean Alysa will be a major contender. If Alex can consistently work with Karen and get her a clean combo, she has everything else needed to be at the top. Starr seems hungry to podium but I don’t think win. I think Bradie has an excellent shot to win but not guaranteed by any means.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Has Mariah Bell competed at all this summer?
- Joined
- Dec 29, 2013
She’s done some ice shows.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Is she still on the radar as a major competitor?
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
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I don’t see any of them being a real threat to bradie, either, unless they get it together. Bradie will probably be the highest ranked US lady coming out of the GP. This is......I mean............
..........how can I get excited? Bradie is Blandy.
But she is our best.Of course. She went to Worlds and has two spots on the GP. Anyone with that scenario is on the radar as a major competitor for the U.S.
I worry for Gracie. I don't want to see her as she was in her last season when she could barely land a triple jump. It was painful watching a talented skater fall so far so quick if she can't be competitive better to retire. Nothing worse then seeing a great athlete being a shadow of their former self getting beat by mediocre skaters.
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2017
actually up until early 2017 she's fine, she still got 3-3 in nationals but she often pops which so costly and drop her scores a lot. And yeah i remember after that in shows she only do doubles. I hope she already regain her triples back even with no 3-3. If Polina can survive without even Lz and Flip then Gracie will too~
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
Reading the thread about Daisuke Takahashi’s return, I found it striking that despite the fact that he’s 32, has been away from competitive skating for 4 years, and is returning to a completely changed landscape, the reaction has been almost uniformly positive - ecstatic, actually, in many cases.
In contrast, the reaction to the news of Gracie’s return has been far more mixed - negative, actually, in many cases. Perhaps in part that’s because we did see her struggle in her final full season. It was fairly recent, and yes, it was difficult to watch.
But imagine how much more difficult her failures were for Gracie herself. When you are capable of doing something at a very high level, underperforming - especially for reasons you may not fully be able to control - can be devastating. That’s especially true when your struggles are so publicly obvious, as hers were.
None of us know more than generally what things were affecting her, or how she is handling those things today. We don’t know where she is in her training now, whether she’ll be in good enough competitive shape by early October to be assigned to Skate America, or how she’ll perform in Russia.
We do know she had to take affirmative steps to be selected for a GP spot. We also know she’s in a new environment, with a new coach who’s known for teaching jumps. While we don’t know much about him, there’s no evidence he’s the one driving her to return, or that he will try to force her back into the plastic, pretty princess mold that so many have criticized her for.
This is Gracie’s journey, not ours; whether she returns to form this season or is “painful” for us to watch is not really the point. Like Takahashi, she clearly has unfinished business with competitive skating. I think she’s shown a tremendous amount of courage this past year, and will really be rooting for her this season.
I think with Dice-K people just have nostalgia and miss his skating (I do!). I don’t think people (or he for that matter) expect him to come back to top form. People don’t have that same feeling for Gracie cause she hasn’t been away that long.
But I agree with your post and will be cheering for her too!
But I agree with your post and will be cheering for her too!
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2012
I was very glad to see that Gracie is returning. It is such a sad thing to see a career cut short without the promise having been fulfilled. I'm sure we have not seen the best that Gracie could be.
I think, though, that patience is required. One should neither put too much expectation on her shoulders for too speedy recovery & success - nor, if that is not immediately forthcoming, ditch her as a hopeless case who will never amount to anything.
Hoping & wishing for the best - and let things take the time they will take.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
Absolutely - and I didn’t mean to imply people were wrong to be ecstatic for his return. Their situations are very different in some ways.
@LRK, agreed. People have always had super high expectations for Gracie. Hard not to with so much talent but not the easiest thing for her.
I’m quite curious as to what programs we’ll see - the ones she planned to use last season or new ones? It might be cost effective to use the old ones, but psychologically new ones might be helpful, especially if she struggled trying to learn those programs. We’ll have to wait and see.
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2014
The difference I think is that Dice-K stepped away on his own terms and on healthy terms. Gracie did not choose to step away, she needed to for health reason. And when you step away due to needed health reasons, sometimes you need to be cautious about your reentry.
The other part is that we really have not gotten a sense of what Gracie's goals or expectations are this season. Dice-K gave a press conference and summed up his feelings, so there is less mystery. Gracie has not even formally announced her coach yet. So it is hard for me to get excited for Gracie as I don't know what she wants her fans to be hoping for her.
If she wants a Rachael Flat 2014 moment, I think that is great and am happy and thrilled for her. But if her goal is to make it back to 2019 worlds... well that would worry me a little as I am not sure that would be a good goal right now. 2020 worlds i could get behind, but honestly with only 2 spots i think the USA should send someone with a track record longer than one GP in two season. Heck Id be nervous sending Mirai with a clean 3A after skipping the fall... so that is kinda where I stand on the matter. I want to see Gracie be happy and healthy, so I want to get a sense that she has good goals. Because if she is eyeing the world podium already... i am scared we may be in for a heartbreaking season. Id rather see Gracie at nationals smiling in 10th place than crying in third for lack of a better way to put it. But so much of that depends on what Gracie wants out of her comeback, and right now we just don't know.
The other part is that we really have not gotten a sense of what Gracie's goals or expectations are this season. Dice-K gave a press conference and summed up his feelings, so there is less mystery. Gracie has not even formally announced her coach yet. So it is hard for me to get excited for Gracie as I don't know what she wants her fans to be hoping for her.
If she wants a Rachael Flat 2014 moment, I think that is great and am happy and thrilled for her. But if her goal is to make it back to 2019 worlds... well that would worry me a little as I am not sure that would be a good goal right now. 2020 worlds i could get behind, but honestly with only 2 spots i think the USA should send someone with a track record longer than one GP in two season. Heck Id be nervous sending Mirai with a clean 3A after skipping the fall... so that is kinda where I stand on the matter. I want to see Gracie be happy and healthy, so I want to get a sense that she has good goals. Because if she is eyeing the world podium already... i am scared we may be in for a heartbreaking season. Id rather see Gracie at nationals smiling in 10th place than crying in third for lack of a better way to put it. But so much of that depends on what Gracie wants out of her comeback, and right now we just don't know.
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2014
From what I read in the “Daisuke is returning” thread, he didn’t leave on his own terms - he had a knee injury, didn’t perform well at Nats, and failed to make the World Team that year. While it’s nice that he gave a press conference explaining the reasons for his return, (1) he’s a Japanese skater, and skaters are reputedly like rock stars in Japan; and (2) he’s been out four years and if I’m not mistaken, has been working as a commentator. So in that sense, his situation and Gracie’s are very different.
As to what our expectations are for Gracie this year - and what her personal goals are - I really think that’s up to her and not something we should be pre-judging. I don’t think there’s any need to limit her to a Rachel Flatt-like moment at Nationals, unless that’s her personal goal. If she doesn’t skate well this season, she won’t - and shouldn’t - make the World Team. But remember- she’s not the reason we only have two spots this year - that’s down to the women who competed there; Mirai and Mariah placed 10th and 12th, respectively.
I think all of us probably want to see Gracie happy. I just don’t think it’s up to us to determine what will make her happy and what goals are “good” for her.
The US ladies team - notwithstanding Bradie’s rise - struggled as a whole last year, to the point that much of the talk this post-season has been about Alysa Liu, a skater who is not even age eligible yet to compete as a junior. So I think it’s great that we have a potentially strong senior lady coming back this year. As LRK said, she may not come back strong out of the gate - if she does a summer competition, she may still look like a work in progress in July, for example. That doesn’t mean that by November she won’t be ready for Russia.
I hate to keep bringing up guys in this thread, but remember Jason’s stress fracture and awful performance at NHK 2016, the criticism of his not so great performance at 4CC 2017, and then his brilliant performances at 2017 Worlds and WTT? That’s why I think we should just wait and see with Gracie.
