A couple of the comments Kimmie made at GPF caught my attention. In the press conference after the SP, she said she will do the 3-3 in the LP and she will do her best to take the gold. Then in the ESPN interview after her LP, she said she fell because she was so anxious, and she was anxious because she really wanted the title.
Even if she had skated her very best, I don't think Kimmie had a good chance of getting more than bronze, unless Mao & Yu-na both had major meltdowns (which they didn't). I wonder if she and her team are making realistic assessments of her abilities, in comparison to the other top skaters. Of course it's important as an athlete to believe in your best. And it's also important for her team to put out a positive image to the media. But on the other hand, you also have to be realistic in assessing your weaknesses and working on areas that need improvements. If Kimmie thinks she's good enough to beat Kim & Mao, and all she needs is to land her 3-3's, then I think "Yes!", she can use a coaching change. A coach needs to be motivating, but at the same time discerning and honest.
In comparison, Zhang's team seems much more realistic and to the point. Zhang said in the press conference after the SP that she was surprised to land in 2nd, and that her hopes for the GPF were to place 5th or 6th with some good scores. And after the LP, her coach said that Zhang's biggest problem is lack of speed, and that's their new top priority. After SA, her coaching team focused on better rotations, and that really improved over the season. And now hopefully this shifted focus will take her to the next level.
Kimmie's team, in comparison, seems to me to lack a clear direction. Her coach's response to the UR calls was that Kimmie doesn't normally under-rotate jumps in practice, including the 3-3. Yet Kimmie's 3-3 is one of the worst UR offenders this season. Pam Gregory's comments were also in contrast to Kimmie's remarks respecting TEB, which showed she was quite happy that she actually managed to land the 3Lz (while aborting the 3T). Then at GPF, Kimmie and her team were very surprised and puzzled after the SP regarding her score (which took a hit from the UR on the combo, and the 'e' on the lip). And in the LP, the ESPN commentators kept on talking about this, and positing that this was the reason why Kimmie's confidence took a hit and that's why she's not skating her LP well.
Well, if her coaching team is feeding Kimmie unrealistic expectations and neglecting to work on the things that she most needs work on, then she might continue to feel confused and un-confident in future competitions. Kimmie is a real fighter and a really nice kid, I really hope she can bounce back and skate to her full potential. I think it's time for her to try a different coach. There's nothing worse than to not have full trust in your coach's words as you go through the grind of daily practices and intense competitions.
If so, good for her...I like honesty, but it's also possible that there is an underlying issue that team Meissner is keeping from the press and are just having her say things like this to avoid speculation. :think:
