Alysa Liu Ready for Change

[natsulian]

US reigning Champion Alysa Liu, now fifteen, looks to her last season as a junior with newfound maturity, excitement, and the same fervency that characterized her birth as a star two years ago.

Brandon Penny's article about Alysa Liu can be found here: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...f-change-with-new-coaching-team-programs.aspx

Things to note:

• Short program will be performed to "La Strada"
• Long program will be performed to "The Storm"
• Trains with Massimo Scali at the Oakland Ice Center
• FaceTimes and ZOOMs Lee Barkell and Lori Nichol
• Long program will have two triple-Axels and one quad-Lutz
• Working on skating skills, speed, choreography, and maturity on the ice
• Started skating again in June
• Doesn't think she'll be on social media anytime soon as she no longer finds it fun, but rather exhausting
• She's grown from 4' 7" to 5' 0"

Furthermore, Alysa Liu will be performing virtually at Carnival on Ice on October 3rd and will compete at the ISP Points Challenge on October 6th.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

She's grown from 4' 7" to 5' 0"

Big change. I hope she's able to keep her 3A and 4Lz through that growth.

 

[dancelion21]

Big change. I hope she's able to keep her 3A and 4Lz through that growth.

It's not too bad. She was only 4'7" during 2019 Nats. In pictures from 2020 Nats, it's pretty clear that she grew a lot, and looks more 4'9" to 4'10", so the growth isn't that extreme. Also, in the growth from 2019 to 2020, she was able to maintain her jumps, learn a 4Lz, and overall improve her skating quality, so I'm not too worried.

 

[ice coverage]

....

Things to note:

...

• Trains with Massimo Scali at the Oakland Ice Center

....

But the Oakland rink now sounds (IMO) more like only a secondary training base for Alysa, per the new Fan Zone article.
An unnamed rink in SF sounds like her new primary training base.

... Since returning to the ice in the middle of June ... Liu has been training in San Francisco with Scali, noting that she also still goes to her former training home at the Oakland Ice Center. ...​

(I'm not from the Bay Area, but the only rink in SF that I'm aware of is Yerba Buena??? Are there other rinks specifically in SF where Alysa might be training with Scali?)

---

ETA:

Coming tomorrow: New Phil Hersh article on Alysa for NBC.​

---

ETA (on Sep 29):

Lots of great reporting in today's new Hersh article, including good details about where Alysa was, is, and will be training.
Excerpts:

... As of now, Liu can’t go to Toronto to work face-to-face with coach Lee Barkell, the newest member of the team, and choreographer Lori Nichol ...
Barkell and Nichol contribute via several FaceTime or Zoom sessions each week. Once entry restrictions from the U.S. to Canada are eased, Liu intends to visit regularly while continuing to live with her family in the Bay Area....

... Liu has been training in San Francisco [for the last seven weeks] because of issues with ice time availability at her home rink in Oakland, in a different county with different pandemic rules than San Francisco.
When no rinks at all near her were open after coming back from junior worlds, Liu and her father, Arthur, an attorney, went to Wilmington, Del., from early March through mid-May, living in an AirBnb property. She trained in Wilmington on her own except for spotting from a coach with jumps done on a pull harness. ...

Since she has been training in San Francisco, Liu takes the BART train back and forth, sometimes by herself, sometimes with Scali, who lives in Berkeley. ....

When they began working together on a full-time basis, it was briefly at her usual rink (the Oakland Ice Center),
Scali said they plan to return to the Oakland Ice Center as soon as they can get the ice time Alysa needs there. ...​

In the photo that Scali provided for the Hersh article, Alysa and Scali are at the Yerba Buena rink in SF.

And LOL, Brian Boitano, who skates regularly at Yerba Buena, was Alysa's proctor for the second round of the ISP Points Challenge. Not too shabby!
(He also has been giving her skating tips.)​

 

[natsulian]

New article by Phil Hersh --> https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/09/29/alysa-liu-figure-skating/

They have been working on making her skating more powerful. The triple-Axel and quad-Lutz are not back it seems, although she wants to add them later in the season but only time will tell.

 

[macy]

New article by Phil Hersh --> https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/09/29/alysa-liu-figure-skating/

They have been working on making her skating more powerful. The triple-Axel and quad-Lutz are not back it seems, although she wants to add them later in the season but only time will tell.

thanks for sharing, you can definitely see she's grown. it also sounds like Lori is giving her Caro's choreography for the storm?

i also think skating programs without 3As and quads will make her focus on PCS more since she can't rely on those jumps for points. a good thing for her. it will be interesting to see her skating this season since her primary coach is a PCS coach, not a technical coach.

 

[natsulian]

thanks for sharing, you can definitely see she's grown. it also sounds like Lori is giving her Caro's choreography for the storm?

i also think skating programs without 3As and quads will make her focus on PCS more since she can't rely on those jumps for points. a good thing for her.

I want to remain positive, but her not having her 3A or quads back is alarming. I do wonder if she's lost her jumps, is injured, or it's just taking awhile for her to get acquainted with her new body. I wish her the best of luck and hope that she gets back her big jumps.

 

[dancelion21]

New article by Phil Hersh --> https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/09/29/alysa-liu-figure-skating/

They have been working on making her skating more powerful. The triple-Axel and quad-Lutz are not back it seems, although she wants to add them later in the season but only time will tell.

I'm excited to see her performance quality now. I'm a little worried about the jumps, since she's not getting in-person training, and she's grown quite a bit (not the five inches that USFS implied, but still two inches, which can cause a difference). I anticipate that we won't see two triple axels and a quad lutz at ISP Challenge next week (maybe just one triple axel).

 

[macy]

I want to remain positive, but her not having her 3A or quads back is alarming. I do wonder if she's lost her jumps, is injured, or it's just taking awhile for her to get acquainted with her new body. I wish her the best of luck and hope that she gets back her big jumps.

i assume all of that is taking a toll, but it's probably smarter to take her time easing back into the harder jumps to avoid injury. i just finished reading and also noticed the end part about her split with Laura...it sounds like things may have not ended very well.

 

[natsulian]

I'm excited to see her performance quality now. I'm a little worried about the jumps, since she's not getting in-person training, and she's grown quite a bit (not the five inches that USFS implied, but still two inches, which can cause a difference). I anticipate that we won't see two triple axels and a quad lutz at ISP Challenge next week (maybe just one triple axel).

According to the article, she will not be going for either the 3A or 4Lz. Now that I've had time to digest the article, this seems like a good idea.

 

[Senseo]

From what I understand await more important competitions for the big jumps.

 

[mrrice]

From what I understand await more important competitions for the big jumps.

There is certainly no rush. I feel the same way with Nathan. There is absolutely no reason to rush yourself into top form when it appears they will be no TRUE GP Season and Nationals ( If it happens ) will be weird as well.

 

[natsulian]

Here are my thoughts:

Coaching changes, of any kind, take time to settle in. No matter how talented an individual is, a change in environment and the people you interact with will have psychological effects. Furthermore, although Alysa did begin skating again in mid-June, she was off the ice for three months. Additionally, based on the article, Alysa was "coaching" herself during her time in Delaware. The amount of tribulations this young lady had to endure would have affected anybody and it is charming and enlightening to see that she's still just as bubbly and charismatic. Alysa is an intelligent young lady, she understands the fixation on her jumps, skating skills, etc. Her team, hopefully, will know how to best maneuver the pieces so that by the time 2022 rolls around, everything is set in motion and Alysa will be primed and ready to fight for her spot and placement.

As for the jumps, it seems as though her triple-Axel and quad-Lutz will not be part of her layout until November. Alysa's layout without the ultra-jumps will most likely be what we see next Tuesday, October 6, at the International Selection Pool (ISP) Points Challenge. However, I am optimistic that at least her triple-Axel will become consistent enough to add back into her programs. Alysa grew, yes, but she grew even more between her first and second National titles and her jumps, presentation, and overall skillset improved drastically.

Finally, focusing on skating skills, speed, and presentation with about 18 months to go until the Olympics is a sign that her team is going to address her shortcomings. Furthermore, once Lee is able to physically teach her the jumps, I'm sure her jumps will come back--stronger than ever before.

I wish Alysa and her team the best, she is a bright star and I hope for longevity and success for her.

 

[skatinggold]

Can’t Lori come up with something more original than La Strada. This is the same program she did for Boyang Jin. And then she recycles a program she did for Carolina Kostner. I hope Alysa is not paying full price of these used programs. At least we didn’t see the program from Carolina so that choice is okay.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

It'll be interesting to see how her programs are marked, especially on PCS and jump GOE, without the 3A and 4Lz. Based on her level of skating last season, Alysa should be scored miles behind Mariah and Bradie if all skated clean and did roughly the same jump content.

 

[oly2018]

All of these articles seem really disorganized and contradictory. Coaching changes take time, but I hope they find her a consistent, in-person, jump coach. Lee still has in person students and I don't know how helpful zoom coaching is when you are learning all new technique.

 

[Senseo]

Tutti questi articoli sembrano davvero disorganizzati e contraddittori. I cambiamenti di coaching richiedono tempo, ma spero che la trovino un coach di salto coerente, di persona. Lee ha ancora studenti di persona e non so quanto sia utile il coaching dello zoom quando impari tutte le nuove tecniche.

There is also Brian Boitano.

 

[oly2018]

It doesn't sound like Brian is really coaching her. A tip or two is kind, but that isn't consistent coaching. Unless they want to keep her old jump technique and just work with it.

 

[macy]

All of these articles seem really disorganized and contradictory. Coaching changes take time, but I hope they find her a consistent, in-person, jump coach. Lee still has in person students and I don't know how helpful zoom coaching is when you are learning all new technique.

it sounds like borders between the US and canada may be open at the end of october. i say this because i just got tickets to a drive in show in Chicago to an artist who is Canadian and lives in Canada. i don't think he would have bothered booking 3 US shows if there wasn't a good chance they would be open. i hope Alysa won't have to wait too long to get into Canada regardless.

kids are resilient and she may be having an easier time than someone like Medvedeva did with Orser. people are different.

 

[SnowWhite]

it sounds like borders between the US and canada may be open at the end of october. i say this because i just got tickets to a drive in show in Chicago to an artist who is Canadian and lives in Canada. i don't think he would have bothered booking 3 US shows if there wasn't a good chance they would be open. i hope Alysa won't have to wait too long to get into Canada regardless.

kids are resilient and she may be having an easier time than someone like Medvedeva did with Orser. people are different.

It's been easier for Canadians to get into the US than Americans to get into Canada the whole time, from what I've heard (especially if you just fly). A family member was able to go visit his mother in the US via plane, but she hasn't been able to come here (and she's a Canadian citizen - but her residence is in the US), for example. So I wouldn't assume that means the border will be open soon. Also, I wouldn't assume a musician has any inside info on whether/when it will happen. I've heard some discussion over whether it can be opened safely, but nothing indicating the government is planning to do so soon (they may, but it's not public at least).

The closure is official until October 21st, and the most recent poll I saw still had about 90% of Canadians wanting the border to stay closed. So personally, I'd be surprised if it opens by next month, given that cases are surging here and that public opinion very much supports keeping things closed. But things can change before then so who knows.

But I wouldn't count on Alysa being able to get in easily soon. Especially since it's not just her but also her dad, and because we still have a 14 day quarantine in place, so it wouldn't make a lot of sense for a short-term stay, which seemed to be her plan.