2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating

[ice coverage]

... I sincerely USFS will learn from this experience and host Champs Camp/juniors Champs Camp earlier in the summer to ensure that all skaters can receive feedback on their programs before they have to compete internationally with them.

In June, Pooja was at the 2018 edition of USFS High Performance Singles Camp, which has been held since 2015 (then called ISP Singles Camp) and which always has appeared to me to be the equivalent of "champs camp" for those not yet at the GP level.

The timeframe of High Performance Singles Camp is late June, after Broadmoor Open.
(Lest anyone wonder: The USFS campers of course are not required to compete at Broadmoor Open.)

I think it's great that the smaller group of Pooja and others had the additional opportunity this year of the brand-new Emerging Athletes Program, at/alongside Champs Camp.

 

[temadd]

I think what weighed down her score was the choreography. Instead of being intricate and expressive it felt very undeveloped with random hand positions. I’m not sure what Scott Brown was thinking. After the jumps were done she came alive. But she needs to have her program tweaked or her PCS score will stay low, at least for the short.

It's August, 1st competition of the season for her. Let's not go criticizing the choreographer so quickly. Many skaters take much of the season developing a program to include all the intended intricacies. Also this is her first Junior GP.

 

[frida80]

It's August, 1st competition of the season for her. Let's not go criticizing the choreographer so quickly. Many skaters take much of the season developing a program to include all the intended intricacies. Also this is her first Junior GP.

There is a big difference between growing into a program and being given a dud. This is a dud through and through. She did well at her first JGP. But her programs probably cost her 3 points over all. If you can't score above 60 with a clean program including a triple triple, it's a really big problem.

 

[MarinHondas]

Pooja has pretty strong skating skills and she is a musical skater. I am sure she was lowballed in the PCS because she's an unknown and truthfully doesn't have much hype behind her. It could also be the choreography but..let's just say that I think her pcs score was unfair when she does have such strong basics. Anyways, to insinuate that because she got a low pcs score at her first junior international her whole career will crumble is probably a little hasty. Pooja is a pretty calm skater and can do the jumps more often than not. The US needs skaters like that. She has strong jumping technique that will allow her jumps to stay with her for many years to come. This the US, not Russia. If Pooja was skating for Russia and was skating clean but getting low pcs, I would agree with you that this is bad but although the US does have Alysa and Kate, if there is a skater who can put out clean programs with 3-3's and good spins the USFSA will never not utilize them. Look at what happened with Bradie. She became a national champion, an Olympian, and a World team member. Those things didn't happen for Bradie because she has mindblowing PCS.



Kaitlyn's situation was entirely different, She certainly didn't have the jumping technique base that Pooja did and is younger. Maybe you didn't know but she was also injured. Her instagram is private so I won't share the post but she did post something after sectionals saying how hard this season had been with multiple injuries. This is why she was having so many issues at nationals, she was just rebuilding after injury.


Anyways I am looking forward to watching Pooja in the long program tomorrow. I hope she will maintain consistency and do as well as she can. I hope she wasn't rattled by her SP score. Good luck Pooja!

 

[frida80]

Pooja has pretty strong skating skills and she is a musical skater. I am sure she was lowballed in the PCS because she's an unknown and truthfully doesn't have much hype behind her. It could also be the choreography but..let's just say that I think her pcs score was unfair when she does have such strong basics. Anyways, to insinuate that because she got a low pcs score at her first junior international her whole career will crumble is probably a little hasty. Pooja is a pretty calm skater and can do the jumps more often than not. The US needs skaters like that. She has strong jumping technique that will allow her jumps to stay with her for many years to come. This the US, not Russia. If Pooja was skating for Russia and was skating clean but getting low pcs, I would agree with you that this is bad but although the US does have Alysa and Kate, if there is a skater who can put out clean programs with 3-3's and good spins the USFSA will never not utilize them. Look at what happened with Bradie. She became a national champion, an Olympian, and a World team member. Those things didn't happen for Bradie because she has mindblowing PCS.



Kaitlyn's situation was entirely different, She certainly didn't have the jumping technique base that Pooja did and is younger. Maybe you didn't know but she was also injured. Her instagram is private so I won't share the post but she did post something after sectionals saying how hard this season had been with multiple injuries. This is why she was having so many issues at nationals, she was just rebuilding after injury.


Anyways I am looking forward to watching Pooja in the long program tomorrow. I hope she will maintain consistency and do as well as she can. I hope she wasn't rattled by her SP score. Good luck Pooja!

I wish I wasn’t exaggerating. But yes, this could lead into a domino effect that hurts her future career. JGP are serious. USFS is showing they are putting more emphasis on them. It means for some skaters like Bradie, she could make a come back after getting past her injuries. But if Pooja can’t make her PCS score higher, then she’ll fall behind. Next year she will get nudged out of the JGP for the CS. If she doesn’t have the scores, she won’t get the GP slot. No GP slot means USFS will leave her out of the top 8. Without fed backing, even if she skates clean she’s at a disadvantage. She needs strong programs to make that impression.

Yes, I already know that Kaitlyn was injure. Please do not share anything from her private Instagram.

 

[shmay]

Kalyan paid someone to choreograph the Samson and Delilah program? Or is this a homemade thing?

If the former that's most unfortunate

 

[frida80]

Kalyan paid someone to choreography the Samson and Delilah program? Or is this a homemade thing?

If the former that's most unfortunate

Scott Brown made this.

 

[chuckm]

Pooja skated a clean program and made the final flight. She is one of the few non-Russian ladies whose 3/3 passed tech inspection. That in itself is a quite an accomplishment, so it's time to stop crying about the choreography and lowish PCS scores. Let's see how she does with her FS before we start mourning that the sky is falling!

 

[frida80]

Pooja skated a clean program and made the final flight. She is one of the few non-Russian ladies whose 3/3 passed tech inspection. That in itself is a quite an accomplishment, so it's time to stop crying about the choreography and lowish PCS scores. Let's see how she does with her FS before we start mourning that the sky is falling!

Last year nearly every girl at least made the top six. Often with messy programs. My problem is that Pooja is sixth with a clean problem with a triple triple and level 4s on all her spins. Two weeks ago, Gabriella Izzo scored a 60 with just a triple double at Asian Open. This is a legitimate problem.

 

[Ice Dance]

Um, people. Everyone above Pooja has a triple lutz triple combo. If she wants to make major headway internationally, she will have to upgrade that. But she had a great skate. She finished above at least one athlete who could have been expected to defeat her. It's her first JGP, and she did her job. This is why she's on the JGP. Because she does her job.

I've seen her skate live only twice--at the last two Nationals. She finished 4th & 5th in the SP in those two events. And 4th & 3rd in the LP in both of them.

But she finished 3rd & 2nd overall.

So let her do her job.

 

[chuckm]

Last year nearly every girl at least made the top six. Often with messy programs. My problem is that Pooja is sixth with a clean problem with a triple triple and level 4s on all her spins. Two weeks ago, Gabriella Izzo scored a 60 with just a triple double at Asian Open. This is a legitimate problem.

And here's WHY Izzo scored so well with a 3/2. Look at what the other girls did:


3z+2t, 3f, 2a Gabriella IZZO
3z+3t, 3f!, 2a Haein LEE
2a, 3f↓, 3t+3t< Ashley LIN
3z+3t<, 3f, 2a Seoyoung WI
3z<+3t<, 2a, 3f!< Shiika YOSHIOKA
2a, 3lo<+3t<, 3f< Rion SUMIYOSHI

Haein Lee rotated her 3/3, but lipped, and Izzo beat her on PCS by 3 points. All the other 3/3s were UR.

 

[frida80]

Um, people. Everyone above Pooja has a triple lutz triple combo. If she wants to make major headway internationally, she will have to upgrade that. But she had a great skate. She finished above at least one athlete who could have been expected to defeat her. It's her first JGP, and she did her job. This is why she's on the JGP. Because she does her job.

I've seen her skate live only twice--at the last two Nationals. She finished 4th & 5th in the SP in those two events. And 4th & 3rd in the LP in both of them.

But she finished 3rd & 2nd overall.

So let her do her job.

She did her job. She skated clean. It’s her choreographer that failed.

 

[frida80]

And here's WHY Izzo scored so well with a 3/2. Look at what the other girls did:


3z+2t, 3f, 2a Gabriella IZZO
3z+3t, 3f!, 2a Haein LEE
2a, 3f↓, 3t+3t< Ashley LIN
3z+3t<, 3f, 2a Seoyoung WI
3z<+3t<, 2a, 3f!< Shiika YOSHIOKA
2a, 3lo<+3t<, 3f< Rion SUMIYOSHI

Haein Lee rotated her 3/3, but lipped, and Izzo beat her on PCS by 3 points. All the other 3/3s were UR.

I wasn’t talking about placement, I was talking about scores. Scoring a 60 with just a triple double is rare. It means the skater skates with quality jumps and artistically. Most people need a triple triple to crack the sixty mark on the JGP.

 

[Skater Boy]

OTOH, Mirai has never landed a 3a combination in competition, and in the competition for which Mirai earned her SB (NHK), in the SP: 3f+3f<, 3z!< in the FS: 3a<

I don't think a 3F 3F combo is physically possible - maybe as a sequence and I have never ever seen Mirai try that - and it wouldn't make sense to do it in a short program - it would be a non element I think.

 

[SnowWhite]

I wasn’t talking about placement, I was talking about scores. Scoring a 60 with just a triple double is rare. It means the skater skates with quality jumps and artistically. Most people need a triple triple to crack the sixty mark on the JGP.

Are you basing that on previous years? Because keep in mind, the scoring system has changed.

 

[Tolstoj]

Not sure if this is OT but shout out to Tom Z and Tammy Gambill.

Both Yi Christy Leung and You Young looked really solid in Bratislava, improved on pretty much everything compared to last season, much more consistent (really impressive considering we are still in August) and they also both had good programs, well choreographed.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

Pooja was 8th with 160.60 (fell on lutz)
She did a 3F-3T but still has a solo 3T so upgrading the combo is pretty useless because of that
She did very well for her first JGP!

 

[bytheriver]

Pooja looked really good, I love her jumps. Her free program just proves that Scott Brown needs to go - a choppy rough edit of The Lion King and uninspired choreo. Pooja is so lovely she honestly deserves better.

 

[invisiblespiral]

Curiosity question: is Izzo likely to get a JGP?

 

[loopy1217]

I wasn’t talking about placement, I was talking about scores. Scoring a 60 with just a triple double is rare. It means the skater skates with quality jumps and artistically. Most people need a triple triple to crack the sixty mark on the JGP.

IIRC Emmy Ma also only have Triple-double last year on her first JGP and end up in bronze...and back then it was in a stack field (with Eun soo Lim I think and with a +/-3 GOE). It could be a good strategic (though very risky) to land all the jumps and be artistic than to have jumps that the skaters aren’t comfortable with.