Does Emily Hughes have a shot at the National Title?

[SeaniBu]

It's a matter of physics, every pound is what 5 cm of jumping height, .

I figured there would be a margin of muscle to power ratio that might compensate to SOME degree with that - Jump hight issue. More muscle (to a small degree), more power = compensation. I really mean to some degree though, for I am sure there is a point that it will be counter productive to have..... I think everyone understands what I am trying to say. Too much will get in the way, but I never thought Emily has "too much" on her. Just that she has to use more strength, which it would appear she has, to accomplish. But sense she has it...???

Really I would think the fact she has more weight - via muscle - that might have effect on her joints more then anything. I don't THINK muscle compensates that much as far as "impact" goes. That would be my main concern. But as was discussed before, bodies are just different, Like Tara. It is hard to say who for sure is going to have joint issues.

I am glad to hear so much acceptance to her body type too. I feel kinda weird saying / writting so about a 17 year old, but she has a really nice figure IMO. Like sis a bit.

The problem lies in Emily who thinks she doesn't have to work out off-ice, watch what she eats and I'm just hoping for that wake-up call.

That all makes sense but I didn't know that about her work out regimen. Is this something that is publicized. I haven't heard that about off ice work out and eating. Guess I haven't been paying attention.

In reference to Emily's weight:

It's only been in the last few years that the ladies have started becoming stick-like. Think about some well-known skaters of the past. Liz Manley, Katarina Witt, Nancy Kerrigan, Tonya Harding, Midori Ito, Debi Thomas, Denise Biellmann and others were all bigger than the typical skater today.

I'm not sure it's her weight that can be blamed when she skates poorly.

I :agree: to some extent about the fact the "size" of ladies has more recently been getting smaller but only on a larger ratio. And I see a good correlation between say Kat Witt and Emily's, but IMO I think Midori or Denise were not the "bigger", more the "middle." But I see the point and don't mean to detract from it.

 

[R.D.]

I tend to agree with the poster who said Emily works harder when there is a serious goal at hand (like making it to the Olympics). This season with Sasha and Michelle out of it, it seems quite likely Emily will make the World team even skating the way she is now, because Katy, BeBe, Alyssa and Christine are all skating far worse.

There was a definite drop-off in Emily's performance from the Olympics to Worlds. Emily looked a tad out of shape at Worlds and her skating didn't have the spark it had in the Olympics. Her skating has dropped off even farther since then, but it may not matter.

Yes, but it depends on how badly Emily wants worlds. She probably doesn't have a better opportunity to challenge for a national title than now. But how badly does she want it?

I think everyone was basically off their game come worlds 06 due to the olympics. It's strange Meissner pulled it together then she did because her performances seemed to drop off, too.

 

[psycho]

Dear god, why are people ragging on Emily's weight? There is nothing wrong with her weight! Would you prefer she looked near death like Dan Zhang or Johnny Weir?

You don't have to starve yourself to be successful in this sport. Irina was never a stick figure and neither was Michelle. They are the best female skaters of the last decade and their body type is closer to Emily's than Sasha's.

 

[SeaniBu]

Dear god, why are people ragging on Emily's weight? There is nothing wrong with her weight! Would you prefer she looked near death like Dan Zhang or Johnny Weir?

I don't think "people" are. As a matter of fact there are a plethora of comments DEFENDING her weight as fine and attractive. Sorry psycho, but it appears you may have read one post rather then the rest of them. I think it was originally brought up as a possible issue regarding her chances at a National title. And IMO feel it was brought up mainly with high regard and respect, just looking at all the elements that might effect her chances at said title. As I see it most think she is a very talented, athletic, beautiful, etc.. young lady.

Body size, puberty, mentality, etc are all things that can have an effect on a skaters performance. That's all.

 

[R.D.]

I think it was post 52 that mentioned Emily's weight in a negative way. And now considering that many of the most successful skaters had body types closer to hers her struggles have absolutely nothing to do with it.

Reminds me when people were ragging on Sarah for HER weight when she was basically a normal size girl in a sea of stick figures. Of course she'd look big there

 

[SeaniBu]

Reminds me when people were ragging on Sarah for HER weight when she was basically a normal size girl in a sea of stick figures. Of course she'd look big there

That is a good point that someone with a positively nice looking figure may standout in a group like that. Just over exaggerates something that is really quite nice looking as SEEMING "big" when in reality it is just "bigger" - which in a lot of cases (Emily to Ira) is incredibly beautiful just the same.

I do wonder though about some of the effects regardless. It might not make a difference, but I am sure it suggests the need to use the extra power those "lovely" muscles provide - and she has. I am only saying that as something along the lines of more strength needed to the fact the hollow of her blades is grooved a little deeper then say Sasha. "Big factor" not likely, but a factor that really doesn't make much of a difference yet notable in questions. Like landing strength and impact on her joints - particularly the synovial fluid and membrane and articular cartilage - in her hip.

And I don't think AT ALL she is bulky at all, quite contrary. But I said that uncomfortably already.

This is reminding me of the comment I made a while back about Emily cornering Kimmie "inquiring" about any derogatory comments made when they were very young. I would have to imagine that Emily could easily press more weight in the gym than most of the ladies. Not someone any of the girls would really want to tangle with, yet she looks so good.:agree:

 

[Tonichelle]

Reminds me when people were ragging on Sarah for HER weight when she was basically a normal size girl in a sea of stick figures. Of course she'd look big there

for whatever reason skating fans in general (there are always exceptions) seem to love to rag on the hughes girls... for whatever reason...

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I can't imagine Emily or any skater to put all that time and daddy's money into skating and not wanting to win Nats and go to Worlds.

I don't think anyone has ragged on Sarah. I do think the majority of fans in her era were for Cohen, Slutskaya and Kwan. Didn't seem to bother Sarah. :thumbsup:

I'm not sure what "rag" means. I am an old curmudgeon and don't quite get the yungun's trendy slurs. Emily skated her best and worst at Cup of China. Is that ragging on her?

It's not like anyone is saying she is under pressure. Is it?

Joe

 

[SeaniBu]

I'm not sure what "rag" means. I am an old curmudgeon and don't quite get the yungun's trendy slurs. Emily skated her best and worst at Cup of China. Is that ragging on her?

Would it be fair to say "ragging" is the same as "picking on" or "nit-picking"? I didn't get the impression HERE either, but have heard stuff like that in the past.

 

[R.D.]

Sarah got a LOT of heat here and on other forums. A LOT. Some folks even went as far as to call her fat. but I'd rather not go there again. Looks like people are doing the same thing to Emily now. Just someone else to hate on now that the vets are gone.

 

[Tonichelle]

I'm not saying in this thread either girl is getting ragged on... I'm saying in the past...

ragged is a term my mother uses, Joe... she's 60... I think sean's definition is pretty close to what I use it for. I've always understood it to be a negative term in that people just get off on being overly harsh to someone for no real reason

to call any olympic level athlete overweight or even fat (which both Sarah and Emily have been accused of by 'fans') is absurd.

Many 'fans' of the sport were very negative towards Sarah 'back in the day' when she was skating and catching up to Michelle and Sasha... people saw her as undeserving and so took to petty attacks on the girl.

 

[R.D.]

Many 'fans' of the sport were very negative towards Sarah 'back in the day' when she was skating and catching up to Michelle and Sasha... people saw her as undeserving and so took to petty attacks on the girl.

It was at its peak during the year she did Stars on Ice. Apparently her jumps were not at the level of the other participants and it just added fuel to the fire. It just wasn't pretty.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Thanks Toni - I'll add rags to my vocabulary. And Oh, I didn't realize it was because of SOI. As I recall what started to 'ragging' about Sarah's weight was the complaints by the two males of the Pairs skaters. There is usually a finale in the SOI where the boys pick up the girls aloft. Sarah was apparently, the heaviest.

Of course that sort of thing brought comments from the Boards. The use of 'fat' as opposed to using 'put on weight' is not as nice but then posters will be posters.

Sarah is doing fine and let's hope Emily does too.

Joe

 

[Tonichelle]

I remember the fat comments around 01 and 02 being just as harsh...

didn't her coach used to post on one of the skating boards and get quite defensive of Sarah?

 

[sk8addict]

this season?

Unfortunately Emily actually has a shot, I don't want to see such horror movie though!

She is really not pleasant to watch.

I was never an Emily fan but she has won me over this season. Her spirals are beautiful as are her spins and she actually knows what music is playing, Something I don't think Kimmie will ever do as she checks off her moves as she does her programs. YOU BET EMILY HAS A SHOT!

 

[attyfan]

I remember the fat comments around 01 and 02 being just as harsh...
...

I don't recall any fat comments about Sarah Hughes around '01 or '02 -- it didn't get bad until after she had been at Yale for a bit ("freshman 15?") Some of the costumes Sarah wore in SOI really did make her look fat -- dressed normally, she looked much better

 

[sk8addict]

I think that it might be a good thing for Emily to win Nationals. She will gain some confidence. And for Kimmie: it would make her more hungry and make her go and make improvements that she needs. I agree anyone can win this thing at this point. I can't wait!

Improvements like changing coach and hiring more outside choes?

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I remember the fat comments around 01 and 02 being just as harsh...

didn't her coach used to post on one of the skating boards and get quite defensive of Sarah?

I really don't remember fat comments until SOI. I certainly would not have said anything like that. I remember her being tallish sprawny little girl. There were plenty of remarks about her technical: underrotated jumps, flutzes, bent spirals, etc, some of which I could not agree to.

If someone believes some skater is fat and says so, I don't necessarily have to agree to that and more important, I don't care. I don't like the skinny comments about Pang which I remember reading and none of it was proven as anorexia.

I don't think ragging is banning material.

Joe

 

[SeaniBu]

I don't think ragging is banning material.

Where did that come from, foresight? I don't think so either, but IMO I think the "F" word should be an "auto edit" (f**) like the other "F" word is - I think it's edited??? It is really a "dirty word" IMO when referring to the absolutely beautifully figured ladies even as "chunky." But I should probably not be so sensitive and protective. :agree: I mean it don't even know them but I think it is just deplorable to make a derogatory comment like that period, let alone when it is so far from the truth IMO. But alas "relativity"

 

[R.D.]

"Chunky" I don't see as derogatory if it's used in a non-threatening way. But words like "overweight", "fat", or "eats whatever she wants" are just loaded with digs.