2023 U.S. Nationals Sr. Women's Free Skate

[skaket023]

I know everyone is happy about the line-up for Worlds. However, I can't help feeling sorry for Josephine Lee. Both Amber and Starr were surprised at their scores. They did not skate their best.

Congrats to Isabeau. She's on borrowed time with those jumps though. Oh well.

It was somewhat of a splat fest. The ice seemed very wet in key jumping areas after re-surfacing.

 

[dorispulaski]

Josephine will almost surely be going to Jr. World's, I think. She is 14. She cannot go to senior ISU competitions anyway. And she far out scored Soho Lee, who won juniors.

 

[skaket023]

Josephine will almost surely be going to Jr. World's, I think. She is 14. She cannot go to senior ISU competitions anyway. And she far out scored Soho Lee, who won juniors.

I didn't know she was 14, but she still deserved a medal here.

Anyway, they both can go to Junior World's as we have 3 spots.

 

[skatesofgold]

Agreed, I don't think there's a reason for them to deviate from placements here for Worlds. And since 4CCs is in the USA this year we may see the same team named, though I do think it's possible Bradie opts to skip 4CC since she has the furthest to travel from her training base (France) and may prefer to conserve her competitive energy for Saitama, especially given the altitude factor in Colorado. In which case Starr would likely be named in her place. Amber trains in Colorado, so I don't see her skipping it, and Isabeau has never been to the event before so she probably would want to go.

Yeah, last night I just remembered that 4CCs are in Colorado this year, so I was hoping we might see closer to an A team rather than a B team.

 

[ManyCairns]

Maybe the next junior world champion if she skates like that!

I think the poster is looking at the past with rose-colored glasses, conflating the top skaters of the 80s and 90s with the lower or mid-finishing skaters of today, and imagining that everyone at Nationals in the 80s and 90s skated with sublime artistry and edges and a full set of triples. They didn't. There was Midori Ito, and then there were the top skaters with three or so triples, and then there was everyone else. Take Gabby or Josephine or any other skater who did their program well tonight and plop them down at Nationals anytime in the 80s or most of the 90s and people would think they were goddesses. I can hear Dick Button now - "I've never seen jumping like this - triple loop, flip and lutz, in one program, and even in combination, I'm just beside myself." Plus, in case the poster failed to notice, the world has kind of gone to hell the past three years - give these skaters some credit for training and keeping it together as well as they have.

It reads to me as a slam at the current ladies for not having tech any better than was had in the 80s or 90s, in that poster's mind.

 

[Jeanie19]

And it is the absolute worst when the screeching tweens are sitting right behind you like they were at a gymnastic tour show my sister and I attended years ago. My ears were practically bleeding!

I love your new Avatar.

 

[jenaj]

The state of US ladies skating is not good, in my opinion. The future is not with Amber or Bradie. And TBH, I can't get into Isabeau's skating. Maybe it's her music --I don't know. And Tara and Johnny's commentary on her is so over-the-top it is actually off-putting. My favorite skater of the competition was Sonja Hilmer. She actually performed her program and I loved her 3sal-2sal in opposite directions.

 

[jenaj]

Isabeau for world championship gold. USA is going to dominate even with national inflation the world is USA's oyster. the skating God's have declared team usa is unbeatable!!!! (Add to that not only are they best right now in everything but their major competitiors in dance, pairs are injured; men and ladies is ripe for the picking. The world will bow to the greatness of team USA.

I see you are being sarcastic. But appropriately so.

 

[jenaj]

Gracie is a puzzle to me. She skated a really good SP but her reaction then was hardly different from that of her LP where she had several mistakes. Is that the idea - to take the emotion out of skating and just focus on the elements? I applaud her return and doing it for herself. I just don't see the pleasure or the reward.

Time is not on Gracie's side. She has improved a lot but if not now, when? If she can't do her 3-3 or even her solo lutz, it is pretty hopeless for her.

 

[jenaj]

Isabeau is a world class performer. She looks up and performs to the arena throughout. I don't know how she got those jumps around but she looked like a woman on a mission. She came here to win this Nationals!

She really didn't have much competition. Everyone was picking her for gold.

 

[flipsydoodle]

Even though I haven't seen her in person, she casts a spell through the camera, and certainly is exquisite to watch. Just her glowing face tonight was everything. Her attention to artistry is so refreshing. Very beautifully done, Isabeau!

Interesting, I have the exact opposite experience: I find Isabeau very tight and strained, pose-y. I generally have to take a break when she's on the ice. I prefer skaters who let loose a bit and are "air-y". Kilmer did it for me, Josephine Lee, and Bradie-nouvelle. I found those 3 to be a breath of fresh air.

 

[mrrice]

I see that Starr made the Podium taking home the Pewter Medal. For me, Amber's FP was a triumph. After being left off the team, some people would have given up. She kept fighting and this a big deal!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

The state of US ladies skating is not good, in my opinion. The future is not with Amber or Bradie. And TBH, I can't get into Isabeau's skating. Maybe it's her music --I don't know. And Tara and Johnny's commentary on her is so over-the-top it is actually off-putting. My favorite skater of the competition was Sonja Hilmer. She actually performed her program and I loved her 3sal-2sal in opposite directions.

As long as the Russians are sidelined, any of the three US women has the potential to medal at worlds.

 

[Skater Boy]

I see you are being sarcastic. But appropriately so.

BUT USA can legitimately win all 4 gold. They are favoured in 3 and with the vulnerability of Loena and the Japanese ladies including Kaori the door is open. Though I do think the better teams this year in dance are from Canada and the Japanese in pairs. USA has the power, the luck (injuries to others) so you just don't know.

 

[Skater Boy]

As long as the Russians are sidelined, any of the three US women has the potential to medal at worlds.

As long as the Russians are sidelined, any of the three US women has the potential to medal at worlds.

True but I think it will be a lot tougher for Amber. She would have to hope for melt downs from Loena and whoever is hot in Europe - Gubanova, Kurakova, Ripond - the flavour of the day and a Japanese lady. Isabeau and Bradie have more name cachet.

I was truly impressed by Bradie because I thought with her injuries she might be another Polina who never really came back.

 

[Skater Boy]

Time is not on Gracie's side. She has improved a lot but if not now, when? If she can't do her 3-3 or even her solo lutz, it is pretty hopeless for her.

I just wonder how much joy she is getting out of skating? I know we should not judge on her physical reaction but she doesn't exactly looking like she is having fun. Is she really skating for herself? Is it because it is all she knows or her identity is so much in skating? Is it for attention? So many fans supporting and hoping. I give her full credit she has improved a lot since her crash after 2016. But six or seven years to come back up and no where close to where she once was in a world even without Russians where the tech is very high (expectations) is kind of where she is at. As for time it is none of our business but this is an expensive sport. costumes, choreography, coaching, dance coaches, physio therapy, sometimes acting lessons, psychologists etc It maybe cost prohibitive. Sad as it is usually success on the ice affects your funding. IN the last few years she has some very decent short programs but hasn't come through in the long program. Is the glass half full or half empty. She placed 8th and US nationals - many would say that is win. BUt from where she once was it may be seen as a disappointment. No matter what Gracie has made her mark on skating and no one can take that away.

 

[klutzy]

Josephine Lee was in 12th after the short. Yes, she had a great skate, but a medal contender? C'mon, she wasn't robbed.

 

[moonvine]

I truly hope she is enjoying this because watching her I am not sure I see much joy and this is getting a bit tiresome - decent sp and then a let down in the freeskate. Like a moment of home then the balloon bursts. But with the state of women's skating she might get funding and be a back up for for 4cc's and worlds?

Why, why, why do people keep saying this? One of the only things Gracie and I share is a nasty case of RBF. She had the most beautiful smile during the short. Not so much the long. Because she wasn’t doing well. Especially if it is an injury that would be doubly frustrating. Gracie Gold loves skating. If she didn’t she wouldn’t be doing it. She would do something else like more of her Road to Gold or even something that didn’t involve skating. Please go watch her short. Her smile was exquisite.

 

[moonvine]

Time is not on Gracie's side. She has improved a lot but if not now, when? If she can't do her 3-3 or even her solo lutz, it is pretty hopeless for her.

She did her 3-3 in August at Philly. Oldest woman to ratify a 3L-3T. Honestly she’s injured, but still finished 8th, which is normally enough for USFS to start sending you to Senior Bs.

 

[jenaj]

She did her 3-3 in August at Philly. Oldest woman to ratify a 3L-3T. Honestly she’s injured, but still finished 8th, which is normally enough for USFS to start sending you to Senior Bs.

But she didn't do the jumps when they counted. Don't get me wrong. I love Gracie and want her to do well, but time has just about run out on her comeback.