One except I love!:
Kwan, 23, knew that sort of frankness was what she needed to improve as she prepared for January's U.S. championships, where she will compete for a record 12th straight time at the senior level. Two of her jumps, the loop and salchow, had become shaky. Sometimes it appeared she rested during programs.
"All coaches try to hide weak parts and make shiny your strong parts," Arutunian said.
The weak parts?
"Everything should be much more powerful, stronger and reliable," he said.
The trick, with a skater of a relatively advanced age and a body that has taken years of pounding, is to push without risking injury.
At a recent practice, Kwan rolled through her four-minute free skate with a performance good enough to win another U.S. title. There was no chance for her to catch her breath in the four minutes, especially since her trademark spiral sequence has been shortened and there are more details that demand attention in the spaces between elements.
"You're taking up all my resting spots," she teased Arutunian.
The resting spots, she knew, were what judges and critics were complaining about, what she needed to get past.
Sounds like her fans will get their wish of a beefed up Tosca!!
