So, I've been spending a lot of time watching YouTube and various other links, rewatching/rereading post interviews, reports, etc. I've started to think about skaters who never made it, due to injuries or work ethic.
Tonya Harding is the greatest waste of natural talent. She had HUGE jumps and nice spins. I bet if she skated under COP, she would be one to have 3/3's, be a 3axle or quad threat and noone would care that she's not some "baby ballerina". Nicole had so much talent, but no work ethic. She did win a National title and World Bronze, but she probably could have acheived so much more had she worked harder.
What boggles me is when people discuss "natural talent" or "wasted talent". Sasha seems to get linked to both. On one hand, she's praised as having the "most raw talent" or being "the most talented ladies skater". On the other hand, she gets the backlash as "wasted talent" or "not living up to her talent". I don't get it. The very thing that has made Sasha so special has been the same things that have helped her be so successful over the years: extreme flexibility, natural spinner and innate artistic quality. Sasha's been blessed with the body type she has-she's very straight, with a longer torso that makes her a great spinner. Her flexibility comes from the way her ligments are put together (obviously, both are furthered through hard work). Artisticly, she's been able to put out performances that catch your attention. Another thing that is hard to teach. She has never had huge jumps, difficult combos or been fast. Her jumps got smaller as she got older. These are things she's had to work hard on. The very thing that keeps her off the top of the podium time after time is the thing she probably has to work hardest on-landing her jumps. I wonder how much is due to early training-not having deep, secure edges early on, not having a lutz. That's a coaching issue, not a sign of poor work ethic. Maybe it's strength vs. flexibility thing. Publish reports have linked extreme flexibility to loss of strength. Or maybe it's an endurance thing. Or maybe it is all in he head. I don't know. Each year, people come up with a new excuse. How does that make her "wasting talent" when her spins and spirals and artistry are what keep her in the top 4 year after year?
Then you look at, say, Kimmie. She more athletic, more "jumping bean" and has to work very hard to be artistic. She can land more triples as well as 2 3/3's in a LP. Does that make her less talented than Sasha? Or Michelle. Everyone talks about her work ethic, how she works like crazy. Well, I doubt you can stay at the top for over 10 years without lots of natural talent. Michelle at 13 was not as musical or lyrical as NNN (who was a phenom, no other 13 year is like that!) but she still had a special style about her that Kimmie did not have at 15 or 16. She still had natural movement with her arms and expressions that fit the music. She was considered "just" a jumping bean that grew into an artist. Does that make her less "natural"?
I can't think of many skaters who have been able to combine raw natural athlectism with top notch artistry. There are several who come close. I think, if Shizuka had landed a 3/3 in Turin, 7 clean triples, then she would be the poster child for this. Yu Na Kim looks like she just may be that type of skater. If Mao and Kimmie contiune to improve on their artistry while keeping their 3/3's, 3axle, those 3 could be VERY interesting to watch!!
Some ramblings from a bored fan...Any thoughts???
Tonya Harding is the greatest waste of natural talent. She had HUGE jumps and nice spins. I bet if she skated under COP, she would be one to have 3/3's, be a 3axle or quad threat and noone would care that she's not some "baby ballerina". Nicole had so much talent, but no work ethic. She did win a National title and World Bronze, but she probably could have acheived so much more had she worked harder.
What boggles me is when people discuss "natural talent" or "wasted talent". Sasha seems to get linked to both. On one hand, she's praised as having the "most raw talent" or being "the most talented ladies skater". On the other hand, she gets the backlash as "wasted talent" or "not living up to her talent". I don't get it. The very thing that has made Sasha so special has been the same things that have helped her be so successful over the years: extreme flexibility, natural spinner and innate artistic quality. Sasha's been blessed with the body type she has-she's very straight, with a longer torso that makes her a great spinner. Her flexibility comes from the way her ligments are put together (obviously, both are furthered through hard work). Artisticly, she's been able to put out performances that catch your attention. Another thing that is hard to teach. She has never had huge jumps, difficult combos or been fast. Her jumps got smaller as she got older. These are things she's had to work hard on. The very thing that keeps her off the top of the podium time after time is the thing she probably has to work hardest on-landing her jumps. I wonder how much is due to early training-not having deep, secure edges early on, not having a lutz. That's a coaching issue, not a sign of poor work ethic. Maybe it's strength vs. flexibility thing. Publish reports have linked extreme flexibility to loss of strength. Or maybe it's an endurance thing. Or maybe it is all in he head. I don't know. Each year, people come up with a new excuse. How does that make her "wasting talent" when her spins and spirals and artistry are what keep her in the top 4 year after year?
Then you look at, say, Kimmie. She more athletic, more "jumping bean" and has to work very hard to be artistic. She can land more triples as well as 2 3/3's in a LP. Does that make her less talented than Sasha? Or Michelle. Everyone talks about her work ethic, how she works like crazy. Well, I doubt you can stay at the top for over 10 years without lots of natural talent. Michelle at 13 was not as musical or lyrical as NNN (who was a phenom, no other 13 year is like that!) but she still had a special style about her that Kimmie did not have at 15 or 16. She still had natural movement with her arms and expressions that fit the music. She was considered "just" a jumping bean that grew into an artist. Does that make her less "natural"?
I can't think of many skaters who have been able to combine raw natural athlectism with top notch artistry. There are several who come close. I think, if Shizuka had landed a 3/3 in Turin, 7 clean triples, then she would be the poster child for this. Yu Na Kim looks like she just may be that type of skater. If Mao and Kimmie contiune to improve on their artistry while keeping their 3/3's, 3axle, those 3 could be VERY interesting to watch!!
Some ramblings from a bored fan...Any thoughts???