2020-21 US Women's Figure Skating | Page 57 | Golden Skate

2020-21 US Women's Figure Skating

Amei

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
Yes, I know, Karen and her URs. Maybe it's illogical but I think Karen has it in her? Or maybe I am just full of wishful thinking? I don't know. But as you said, Mariah has already been to Worlds and have not succeeded, and Amber is a wild card to say the least. I guess I am saying Karen is all that is left...

Regarding upgrading her TES if you look at both Karen and Mariah neither have meaningfully upgraded their TES since their first Worlds which was 2017. Below is based off the protocols for the 2 competitions, the BV and the score after GOEs added in:

Karen
2017 Worlds2020 Skate America (Domestic Scoring)
SP TES BV32.2430.65
SP TES after GOEs38.3535.13
FS TES BV59.0554.96
FS TES after GOEs65.9866.29

Mariah

2017 Worlds2020 Skate America (Domestic Scoring)
SP TES BV31.1632.39
SP TES after GOEs32.1640.80
FS TES BV59.0055.59
FS TES after GOEs65.2967.33

Sources:
 

brightphoton

Medalist
Joined
Jan 23, 2009
I hope that world championships doesn't happen, because let's be honest, our ladies are not the most hardy of folk. Even the full adult tennis players of the Australian Open are making a media spectacle about the quality of their quarantine accommodations (or lack of), so I don't know how our sheltered figure skaters are going to cope. It is highly unlikely we'd get 3 spots anyway :slink:
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
What are people's thoughts about Gracie Gold. I was hoping to see the old Gracie but I have to say I was disappointed. Iknow i takestime butthisis along time.. I almost expected her to skate a fs to a sappy farewell song like Kiss today goodbye or we are the champions or memories.
 

Dawn825

Medalist
Joined
Jan 19, 2021
We're never going to see the "old Gracie" because she's a different person. Someone's who's grown up and experienced severe depression is never going to have the joyful abandon of a child. But I get wanting to see a little more joy than we did. Any skater so stone-faced would be hard to watch. Part of it could have been the lack of audience to perform to. But if she simply suffers too much from nerves and has to shut off to get through, or only thinks landing jumps is important and all the in between stuff is irrelevant, she's going to be hard watch every time. I appreciate her determination, but I can't enjoy Gracie's performance if Gracie doesn't enjoy her performance.
 
Last edited:

katymay

Medalist
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
What are people's thoughts about Gracie Gold. I was hoping to see the old Gracie but I have to say I was disappointed. Iknow i takestime butthisis along time.. I almost expected her to skate a fs to a sappy farewell song like Kiss today goodbye or we are the champions or memories.
On practice she did big beautiful rotated jumps and jump combos. All of them. Her jumps are STILL the best of all the women. BUT, she had to rest after each jumping pass. She gets winded skating from one end of the rink to the other. She probably needed the slow emo balllad to skate to, because she needs to rest in the middle of her program. If she could get stamina and conditioning back? She could make the Olympic team. Is she able to put in the sort of work that would require? I would love to see it.
 

Amei

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
What are people's thoughts about Gracie Gold. I was hoping to see the old Gracie but I have to say I was disappointed. Iknow i takestime butthisis along time.. I almost expected her to skate a fs to a sappy farewell song like Kiss today goodbye or we are the champions or memories.

I question why she's still putting herself through competitions; she's not doing competitive content and she doesn't seem to enjoy skating when she's competing. There are skaters that go out and compete and know they aren't going to win, which is where she is at right now, but you can still see them enjoying themselves out there on the ice, Gracie looks like she's doing her taxes out there a painful but necessary thing no one wants to do.
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
What are people's thoughts about Gracie Gold. I was hoping to see the old Gracie but I have to say I was disappointed. Iknow i takestime butthisis along time.. I almost expected her to skate a fs to a sappy farewell song like Kiss today goodbye or we are the champions or memories.
Gracie is one of the bravest athletes I’ve seen, though there are many brave athletes in the world. (She tries to say she’s not brave, that soldiers are brave. Yes soldiers are brave but so is she.). First of all.. she went to inpatient treatment for anxiety, depression and an eating disorder. I used to be a therapist. Going to inpatient treatment is kind of a big deal. It means you are very sick. Most mental health problems are handled on an outpatient basis with therapy or therapy and medication. And most people don’t talk about it. She does. There is no telling how many people she’s helped with that alone.

Now her skating...as others have stated you aren’t going to see the old Gracie. This Gracie is a woman. One that’s persevered. She’s raw and honest and real and it shows. She has all the jumps of the top US women except Alysa. She’s worked really hard and it shows. Her skate at Nationals was much better than the one at SA. She’s skating for herself. And I am ALL IN. It is my honor to see her skate every time she does so.

Now the only thing that Gracie and I share, besides two XX chromosomes is RBF. You’re not going to see her skating around with a fake smile plastered to her face. I do think she needs an audience. There was some Twitter commentary that basically said it must be difficult for her to be skating solely in front of adults representing the association that failed her so badly. She smiled in practice when she landed difficult jumps.

In summary, she is everything.

 

Bluediamonds09

Medalist
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
I just finished watching the junior ladies free skate at nationals. I have to ask: why did Kate Wang look so uninterested in what she was doing?? She half-did every piece of choreography. She looked like she hated what she was doing!
 

bubblecherry

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 20, 2018
I finally found a way to watch some of Jr Nats and go Isabeau! I love her skating. Beautiful lines, extension, attention to detail, musicality, and especially performance. She has such a big and demanding presence on ice despite being so tiny! Hopefully she’ll continue to work on her all aspects of her jumps and skating so she can give us beautiful performances for a long time. :)

I’ll go ahead and link the SP while it’s up somewhere: https://youtu.be/tU3ITjPDLs0
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011

readernick

Medalist
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
I finally found a way to watch some of Jr Nats and go Isabeau! I love her skating. Beautiful lines, extension, attention to detail, musicality, and especially performance. She has such a big and demanding presence on ice despite being so tiny! Hopefully she’ll continue to work on her all aspects of her jumps and skating so she can give us beautiful performances for a long time. :)

I’ll go ahead and link the SP while it’s up somewhere: https://youtu.be/tU3ITjPDLs0
Really lovely skater. She needs more speed especially into her jumps, but she really shines on the ice doesn't she?
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
looks like Gracie has dealt with overtraining, boot issues and injury this year. she is committed to another season.
I'm a big fan of Gracie, and was very hopeful when we all saw how she progressed with the jumps in the many practice videos. None of these obstacles she's citing have anything to do with her being unable to replicate in competition the jumps she does in training, or the lack of speed and intricate choreography.
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
I'm a big fan of Gracie, and was very hopeful when we all saw how she progressed with the jumps in the many practice videos. None of these obstacles she's citing have anything to do with her being unable to replicate in competition the jumps she does in training, or the lack of speed and intricate choreography.

She was doing the jumps in practice. Repeatedly. Both Johnny and Dave Lease have commented on it. I think that's a big part of the frustration,
 

katymay

Medalist
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
I just finished watching the junior ladies free skate at nationals. I have to ask: why did Kate Wang look so uninterested in what she was doing?? She half-did every piece of choreography. She looked like she hated what she was doing!
I noticed the same. But off the ice she is full of personality, and at the Youth Olympics she had a strange fall and was laughing. Even though she hit most of the elements at Nationals, her expression made it difficult to watch.
 

Amei

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 11, 2013
I'm a big fan of Gracie, and was very hopeful when we all saw how she progressed with the jumps in the many practice videos. None of these obstacles she's citing have anything to do with her being unable to replicate in competition the jumps she does in training, or the lack of speed and intricate choreography.

She doesn't have technical skills ready for competition fine, she should at least be trying to sell the heck out of her performance but she's often looked like she would rather be anywhere but on that ice and there doesn't look to be any conviction to performing the program just going through the motions. That's what turns me off to her now, fine you aren't yet back to the point of being somewhat competitive
 

Makemi

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 4, 2019
I have to say that I actually enjoyed the Juniors far more than I enjoyed the Seniors. Isbeau is a little firecracker, I especially loved her SP. Her jump technique looks a bit wonky to me (I'm sure she' work on that) but she's certainly seems determined and I'm looking forward to where she goes.

But the one that stole the show for me was Kanon. I can't stop watching both her programs. She's absolutely adorable, her spins are crazy, and she genuinely looks like she's enjoying every minute of being on the ice. Her reaction in the KnC was the cutest. (I remember seeing her at 4CC during the gala two years ago so I have a soft spot for her.) Really need to watch this one closely!

Amazed that Mia went for the quad (Poor girl was waiting for her scores forever, probably because the judges couldn't believe it either). The rest of the performance didn't go as she hoped but she's got guts.

Was also really impressed with Clare (wonder what made her switch from repping Korea?)

Agree with the comments on Kate though. What captured me when I saw her on the JGP was her sense of joy (and the fact that she was completely unnerved with that sold-out Russian audience). That was completely missing for me in this comp. She clearly went through a growth spurt though so maybe she was just focusing on hitting her elements.

All-in-all I thought the future of US Ladies looked pretty bright.
 

TontoK

Hot Tonto
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 28, 2013
Country
United-States
Really lovely skater. She needs more speed especially into her jumps, but she really shines on the ice doesn't she?

I was thinking the exact same thing about the speed into the jumps. She rotates in the air like a top. I guess she has to.

But there is a lot to like. I look forward to seeing her development.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
We're never going to see the "old Gracie" because she's a different person. Someone's who's grown up and experienced severe depression is never going to have the joyful abandon of a child. But I get wanting to see a little more joy than we did. Any skater so stone-faced would be hard to watch. Part of it could have been the lack of audience to perform to. But if she simply suffers too much from nerves and has to shut off to get through, or only thinks landing jumps is important and all the in between stuff is irrelevant, she's going to be hard watch every time. I appreciate her determination, but I can't enjoy Gracie's performance if Gracie doesn't enjoy her performance.
Maybe Gracie can show angst, pain and use it for dramatic effect? I agrree right now I do not want to watch Gracie; it is too painful. I don't see or feel any joy It is the life is sucked out of her. Not even nice new costumes can hide; the heart, the passion is gone. It is really painful to watch.
 

katymay

Medalist
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
I was thinking the exact same thing about the speed into the jumps. She rotates in the air like a top. I guess she has to.

But there is a lot to like. I look forward to seeing her development.
Watching the Russian Novice girls a few days ago-the speed into jumps is the difference between the US young skaters and the Russian girls. There were some painful and spectacular falls from the Russian Novice girls, but I notice most of them go into their jumps at full throttle. (In the US I would say that Kanon has the same qualities)
 
Top