2020-21 US Women's Figure Skating

[natsulian]

Although it wasn't a great day, I wouldn't put too much emphasis on it. They barely had time to turn around from Worlds and with restrictions and everything, I'm sure things were not on the upside. Hopefully they turn it around with their Free Skates.

 

[katymay]

How was Bradie's SP at WTT?

Not good. Nor was Karen impressive today. They earned the right to be there (and the prize money that goes with it) but I think I would have rather seen Amber and/or Bell.

 

[mrrice]

Not good. Nor was Karen impressive today. They earned the right to be there (and the prize money that goes with it) but I think I would have rather seen Amber and/or Bell.

This is a really strange time for our ladies. I'd just like to see them skate well in FP. I'm getting nervous.

 

[readernick]

How was Bradie's SP at WTT?

Despite what everyone has saying here, I actually think Bradie did quite well. Her confidence and performance quality were back. Her combo was UR and she was called. However, it was definitely far superior to her Worlds performance. Hopefully, she gets her UR on the 3-3 under control. It has been a problem since she changed coaches. She did look slower than usual and her StepSeq wasn't great, but it certainly wasn't a bad performance.

Karen didn't have a good SP. She fell and UR two jumps. The fall was a bit unexpected. The URs weren't. She is always going to be at the mercy of the technical panel.

I do wish they had sent Amber. Given her performances this year ( and the fact that she actually fully rotates jumps) it would have been a good opportunity for her to get a good score.

 

[Amei]

Despite what everyone has saying here, I actually think Bradie did quite well. Her confidence and performance quality were back. Her combo was UR and she was called. However, it was definitely far superior to her Worlds performance. Hopefully, she gets her UR on the 3-3 under control. It has been a problem since she changed coaches. She did look slower than usual and her StepSeq wasn't great, but it certainly wasn't a bad performance.

I think the problem with Bradie is people's perception, she's touted out as being a reliable/consistent technician - the reliable technician has got an UR problem.

Karen didn't have a good SP. She fell and UR two jumps. The fall was a bit unexpected. The URs weren't. She is always going to be at the mercy of the technical panel.

And herein lies how I don't think Karen is a lock for the Olympics like some people seemed to be saying after Worlds.

I do wish they had sent Amber. Given her performances this year ( and the fact that she actually fully rotates jumps) it would have been a good opportunity for her to get a good score.

While it would have been nice to get her experience, based on my understanding of how WTT qualifications work she was ineligible, the skaters with the highest points went to WTT, notice how Russia didn't send Trusova but Tuktamysheva.

https://www.isu.org/docman-document...orld-team-trophy-osaka-2021-announcement/file

 

[rollerblade]

I do wish they had sent Amber. Given her performances this year ( and the fact that she actually fully rotates jumps) it would have been a good opportunity for her to get a good score.

Could they have sent Amber? I've read WTT attendees are based on world ranking.... unless you cite injury (China) or strict quarantine criteria (China) as your reason for "alternates".

 

[moonvine]

Could they have sent Amber? I've read WTT attendees are based on world ranking.... unless you cite injury (China) or strict quarantine criteria (China) as your reason for "alternates".

How can that be when our #3 dance team is there and all 3 of them train at IAM?

 

[rollerblade]

How can that be when our #3 dance team is there and all 3 of them train at IAM?

H/B did not fly back to Canada after worlds.

Hubbell is in Montreal, but I have no idea where C/B is.

 

[Yeslekyelnats]

Could they have sent Amber? I've read WTT attendees are based on world ranking.... unless you cite injury (China) or strict quarantine criteria (China) as your reason for "alternates".

World ranking or world results

 

[Bluediamonds09]

There are still 4 US ladies outside of the top ones (bradie and the rest of the top5) with potential, I think. Even if we don't see Ting or a recovered Hanna again, there's still audrey shin and pooja..... but
1. audrey needs to stop the "tribute" costumes and programs, right? She keeps doing it, and her costumes are close replicas of whomever performed it before.
2. Pooja has potential unreached yet and talent but no performance shown in the face, u can see her concentrating hard.

 

[mrrice]

Clearly, there is not a domintate US Lady at this time. 2 weeks ago Karen beats Bradie and here, the positions are revearsed. Happy to see the team finish ahead of Japan and take the silver. Russia did an amazing as usual but, It was nice to see all the countries have some great skates.

 

[chuckm]

I thought the tech panel was unusually harsh on the US ladies. For example, Bradie got L2 on her footwork in both SP and FS, and she has consistently received L4, even at Worlds when she was skating in disintegrating boots. Bradie was very "on" at WTT, even got a standing ovation from the audience.

Of course it didn't help that the TS was Kuznetsov......

 

[skatesofgold]

Yeah, I just watched Bradie's free program and felt the judges were harsh even though it was a season's best for her.

 

[fzztsimmons]

I thought Bradie did really well here, tight on some jumps sure, but at least she got those two 3Lz-3Ts in, and her spins were fabulous as always. You could tell from her fist pump at the end she was happy with what she put out there and I think she should be. Loved her little moment with Coach Jason there at the end, the US team have really all been super supportive of each other which has been so nice to see!

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I'm just catching up with the World Team Trophy events. It's essentially more like a fun competitive exhibition. It seems stressful for a lot of skaters who either had nerves or else they have had trouble pacing themselves after Worlds.

Karen skated so well at Worlds and made an impression, it seems to me that she should have pulled out of this event and focused on a vacation and then preparing for next season. U.S. fed should have given Amber Glenn the opportunity to compete at WTT. Many feds mixed it up with sending different athletes for WTT event, which makes a lot of sense.

My impression -- just guessing here - is that the powers that be see a lot of up side to Karen's skating, while they hope that the challenges that hold her back can be met with only minor tweeking. This gives her higher potential than Bradie or Mariah, who seem to be maxed out. Alyssa appears to be a long shot at this point. Amber is not yet regarded as a top-rung contender, but who knows what a year will bring?.

But it looks like Karen still has the Achilles heel of trying to overcome nerves and self-doubt. It's a difficult sport, with the mental and physical aspects highly complex and stressful. Unless athletes are able to relax to a degree and make the nerves work for you, mistakes easily happen. Ice is so slippery.

I wouldn't say that either Bradie or Mariah have 'maxed out.' I think that Karen has perhaps more superior aesthetic skills that the other two ladies. Technically, all three can tend to have issues, especially if they can't control their nerves in high pressure moments.

Amber has the 3-axel weapon, and she needs the opportunity to put it out there in a less high-pressure situation, which WTT seems to be made for, IMO. Also, Amber has very good musical interpretive skills, though some tend to not give her credit for her aesthetic talent. Mariah has improved tremendously, but she was under a lot of heavy pressure at Nationals this year. I blame U.S. fed for placing a bit too much hype on Mariah's shoulders, because they didn't reward her when they should have at 2020 U.S. Nationals, in her breakthrough performance. They were still fixated on over-rewarding young Alysa Liu, who even then had a tendency for URs on some of her money jumps (which often were ignored). Now, getting used to a different body, Alysa has to relearn her jumps. Alysa performed well at Nationals in January, but it's clear that there's a lot of work ahead of her to be able to get the jumps back that got her recognized and over-hyped.

 

[Tavi...]

@BlissfulSynergy, since the Olys are next season, skaters haven’t had as many opportunities to compete as usual, and there was US$1 million in prize money (I think Team USA gets $180,000 for taking silver, meaning each athlete earns $18,000 if it’s split equally) I can see why Karen and others wanted to go this year. I also think that with the upcoming Olys / lack of comp opportunities this year, athletes may have treated WTT a bit more seriously than in the past. All just guesses on my part.

 

[metconahay]

Yeah it was really important for the athletes who are Olympic team contenders, but not automatic locks, to perform well here. People like Karen, Bradie, Jason, K/F, for example (in contrast to Nathan, who is Nathan, or H/B, who are pretty solidly the US' third ice dance team). Two clean programs would definitely help them make their cases as favorites for team selection, while two bad programs would be very unfortunate going into Oly season. This definitely added pressure and made this year's WTT different from the one in 2019, where everyone was just trying to have a good time

 

[readernick]

I think this competition proved that there is no / or should not be any secure spots on the Olympic team. Karen's UR are a major problem. Bradie was more stable but she, also, needs to overcome her 3-3 underrotation problem all her 3Lz+3T here were UR or q. I think the US federation likes Karen a lot. However, I hope they choose the skaters who do the best next season. If Amber, Alysa, and Mariah outskate Karen or Bradie they should be sent. Karen's score is limited due to UR issues and no 3-3s in the freeskate. Bradie's scores are also limited if she doesn't rotate her 3-3s. Olympic spots appear wide open to me.

 

[Amei]

I think this competition proved that there is no / or should not be any secure spots on the Olympic team. Karen's UR are a major problem. Bradie was more stable but she, also, needs to overcome her 3-3 underrotation problem all her 3Lz+3T here were UR or q. I think the US federation likes Karen a lot. However, I hope they choose the skaters who do the best next season. If Amber, Alysa, and Mariah outskate Karen or Bradie they should be sent. Karen's score are limited due to UR issues and no 3-3s in the freeskate. Bradie's scores are also limited if she doesn't rotate her 3-3s. Olympic spots appear wide open to me.

I agree with you that there shouldn't be an 'secure' spots on the team, all of them have pretty big technical weaknesses.

• Karen has the UR problem and lack of 3-3 in the FS
• Bradie's also got an UR problem
• Mariah's not exactly consistent or doing that difficult TES either, I've not been able to see the score sheets for the ISP event but she didn't compete land a 3-3 at Skate America or Nationals in the FS this year.
• Amber is a wild card, yes there is a potential triple axel but she's got limited international exposure and of her competition results it doesn't indicate a super strong competitor either - in a 6 year senior international career her best finish is 3rd at a challenger event (I'm not going to scour through the score sheets of them all), in both her GP events last year she had pretty big errors in the FS - popping jumps into singles, UR on others.

 

[readernick]

I agree with you that there shouldn't be an 'secure' spots on the team, all of them have pretty big technical weaknesses.

• Karen has the UR problem and lack of 3-3 in the FS
• Bradie's also got an UR problem
• Mariah's not exactly consistent or doing that difficult TES either, I've not been able to see the score sheets for the ISP event but she didn't compete land a 3-3 at Skate America or Nationals in the FS this year.
• Amber is a wild card, yes there is a potential triple axel but she's got limited international exposure and of her competition results it doesn't indicate a super strong competitor either - in a 6 year senior international career her best finish is 3rd at a challenger event (I'm not going to scour through the score sheets of them all), in both her GP events last year she had pretty big errors in the FS - popping jumps into singles, UR on others.

This is so negative. We really don't know how they will do next year. I hope it is better than your posts suggest.

I would say technically Alysa, Amber, and Bradie have the most potential. However, Alysa is dealing with growth. Bradie has been having trouble since changing coaches. ( which Is normal, I guess. We will see next year if the coaching change was a good choice) and Amber is inconsistent. When confident, her jumps are great. When not confident, she has been a disaster. Hopefully, next year the pandemic will be under control and the skaters can show up prepared.