Ladies Free Skate

[EnchantedStarlight]

That's a question that will come around again after Nats and Worlds.

I wanted to give her a chance, but I'm doubtful right now. Being realistic, I think she's in quite a bit of trouble at the moment.

Well, hopefully Zhang & Co. are ready to take over the top spot in US skating once they get old enough. I always think of Hughes/Meissner as the "interim generation" until that occurs. Next!

ITA
I've watched Kimmie since her junior days. really never thought of Kimmie as a World Championship caliber skater. She proved me wrong in 2006, but I don't think she has or will have what it takes to compete against the top ladies in the world. She could well get her jumps back, and I hope she does, but still she's nowhere near Yu-Na and Mao's level.

I'm glad Caroline is really making progress. I don't know how high her ceiling is, but at least there's a hope.

 

[lilybear]

Congratulate to Yuna,Mao,Carolina, Caroline and Yukira! Your beautiful performance in big pressure make me so happy! And though Kimmie lost 3 jumps in her LP,her smile still attracted me!

 

[slutskayafan21]

I wish Yu-Na would work more on her spins, footwork, and spiral quality. She maxs out her levels on those with all level 4s, except a level 3 footwork sequence. However her GOE are only mild on those elements. I just know she is so talented that she is capable of much more in the GOE of those elements. So I hope she works on them and makes them stronger since she is very capable of it.

 

[*Sniper*]

ITA
I've watched Kimmie since her junior days. really never thought of Kimmie as a World Championship caliber skater. She proved me wrong in 2006, but I don't think she has or will have what it takes to compete against the top ladies in the world. She could well get her jumps back, and I hope she does, but still she's nowhere near Yu-Na and Mao's level.

I'm glad Caroline is really making progress. I don't know how high her ceiling is, but at least there's a hope.

I agree.
Kimmie has done well with what she has.
It's a bit sad though that just as she seems to break out of the airplane mode, her jumps escape her.
I wish her the best of luck in the future.

 

[bekalc]

I wish Yu-Na would work more on her spins, footwork, and spiral quality. She maxs out her levels on those with all level 4s, except a level 3 footwork sequence. However her GOE are only mild on those elements. I just know she is so talented that she is capable of much more in the GOE of those elements. So I hope she works on them and makes them stronger since she is very capable of it.

I'm sure she will work on them, there is an article about how she's working with a famous ballet dancer, so that should help her stretch etc.

 

[Vicky458]

Ah, give'em time!
They will eventually fill Michelle's shoes.

Nobody can ever fill Michelle's skates!

 

[*Sniper*]

Nobody can ever fill Michelle's skates!

Oh right. Skates!

 

[Bennett]

I just watched Mao's performance. It was REALLY great

3A looked so easy. I also liked 3F-3T and 3F-3L!

She might have slightly two-footed 3A and 3F-3T and might have slightly underrorated 2A-2l-2l, which might have affected her GOEs. But still it was a great performance!

I feel that she should have deserved better PCSs, which might have been due to the skating order. Artistically speaking, I like her Canada performance the best. I think that she was very elegant especially from the last step sequence to the finishing pose. This time, she looked a bit rushed towards the end. I feel that the finishing pose was more elegant in Canada than in TEB and GPF. But the flow on the ice, the complexity of the choreos that go so well with every note of the music, and the elegant arms and posture have always been superb in her LP.

She and her coach looked SO HAPPY and relieved after her performance.

Especially considering what happened yesterday, I just admire her strength! This performance was something very moving. It was more than skating, but a statement of her courage and strength. She is a great girl!!!

Go Mao

 

[mars]

Glad to see Mao pull out a pretty good performance, after yesterday disaster.

I could see why she lost the gold to Yuna: the jumps where not really clean, slfw was a little sloppy at the end, as was the donut spin, but still i think that their total scores should be closer.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Looks like Kimmie got a bonus too! With 3 falls the PCS marks shouldn't be that high! Just goes to show that being a former world champ has it's advantages.

Just curious about your remarks that falls should knock the PCS score down more. From what I understand, they have some effect on jumps and they are given a -1 in total which I believe it is more severe than in either Tec or PCS.
Not sure the effect on the PCS except subjectively.

Appreciate any clafification you may have on this.

Joe

 

[equestrianguy]

[Well, hopefully Zhang & Co. are ready to take over the top spot in US skating once they get old enough. I always think of Hughes/Meissner as the "interim generation" until that occurs. Next![/QUOTE]

It's interesting to label Meissner as filling the "void" after the reign of Michelle, Tara and Sasha.. I hope the "new" generation (Zhang, Nagasa and Flatt) will be the future fab three for the US ladies... Hmmmm...who filled Kristi Y skates after she retired from amatuer skating?.....Nancy K? LOL

Ooops, I forgot to put Sara in there...Although, I always thought of her as the girl who just got lucky one night in Salt Lake City...lol

 

[demarinis5]

Congrats to YuNa for her win, Mao for her fighting comeback, Carolina K for skating a decent LP and medaling in her home country and to 14 yr. old Caroline Z for finishing 4th and not last as predicted. Caroline Z should be proud of herself for her respectful finish in a tough field. Surprised at Kimmie's meltdown not sure what is going on with her I hope she gets it together for Nationals and Worlds. Last year she did not make the finals and this year she comes in last. Ouch

 

[tiara]

While watching it live, I actually thought the second triple in both of Mao's 3+3 combos looked a little underrotated.

Do not worry about Mao's jumps. There is no underrotation or undergrade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeTzmkLpXCE

Rather short and quick on the landings. I'm not surprised she got negative GOEs for both 3+3s.

Judges are more strict with Mao than Yuna. That must be their policy. That policy could be changed by the next Olympics.

Her free foot was also very close to the landing one on her 3A.

Mao's 3A is perfect. However, 8 out of 10 judges give negative GOE(-1). How unfair it is!

Mao's triple-triples don't come close to the awesomeness of Yu-Na's 3F+3T. Really, the one Yu-Na landed in this LP was practically faultless.

However, Yuna's flip is a lip. Cheating jumps should not be counted.

http://www.uploda.org/uporg1157873.zip.html

And I really hate to say it, but I think Kimmie's peaked.

I think Yuna has peaked. She has already used up all her potential as a skater. There are not so much room to grow from now. Jumpwise, she will never master a 3A. Though Mao has already gone through her pubescent body change, Yuna has not yet. Yuna can not keep her washboard-like breast forever.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

It is interesting to label Meissner as filling the "void" after the reign of Michelle, Tara and Sasha.. I hope the "new" generation (Zhang, Nagasa and Flatt) will be the future fab three for the US ladies... Hmmmm...who filled Kristi Y skates after she retired from amatuer skating?.....Nancy K? LOL

Ooops, I forgot to put Sara in there...Although, I always thought of her as the girl who just got lucky one night in Salt Lake City...lol

The USFS has a stable of junvenile and junior skaters not to worry about Kimmie who happens to be in a bad slump. If she had skated her best and lost I would say she is in trouble as is the USFS in getting 3 skaters into the 2009 Hollywood Worlds. Aside from whom you mentioned, there is Ashley Wagner, Angela Maxwell, and others coming out of Sectionals right now. Maybe you follow skating at the TV level only. Dunno.

As for 'new' generations, there really hasn't been any since Tenley Albright. Sometimes Ladies are up; other times they're down. C'est la vie.
Sarah deserved what she got. GOLD. Was she the best of the group? She was that night.

Joe

 

[*Sniper*]

Do not worry about Mao's jumps. There is no underrotation or undergrade.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xeTzmkLpXCE



Judges are more strict with Mao than Yuna. That must be their policy. That policy could be changed by the next Olympics.



Mao's 3A is perfect. However, 8 out of 10 judges give negative GOE(-1). How unfair it is!



However, Yuna's flip is a lip. Cheating jumps should not be counted.

http://www.uploda.org/uporg1157873.zip.html



I think Yuna has peaked. She has already used up all her potential as a skater. There are not so much room to grow from now. Jumpwise, she will never master a 3A. Though Mao has already gone through her pubescent body change, Yuna has not yet. Yuna can not keep her washboard-like breast forever.

Yay, Tiara is back!

 

[netnuts]

{QUOTE]
The USFS has a stable of junvenile and junior skaters not to worry about Kimmie who happens to be in a bad slump. If she had skated her best and lost I would say she is in trouble as is the USFS in getting 3 skaters into the 2009 Hollywood Worlds. Aside from whom you mentioned, there is Ashley Wagner, Angela Maxwell, and others coming out of Sectionals right now. Maybe you follow skating at the TV level only. Dunno.

Joe

Yeah! After watching the intermediate competition from icenetwork, I am super excited about a 10-year-old Nina Jiang, the intermediate & junvenile double champions... Unlike Caroline Z or Flatt's weird jump technique, Nina has Yu Na/Mao quality textbook jump technique. She is so little but her 2A is HUGE and I'm rooting for her to be the next American lady to land a 3A in the future. Her first triple - 3S is also squeaky clean. Her combination jump technique also has 'Yu-Na Kim' quality with both good height and distance.

Go Nina!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Not at all surprised at the Gold and Silver places. However, Carolina is not your best bet for her constant inconsistencies, but when she's on, she's a contender. Don't ever count her out.

Joe

 

[bekalc]

Not at all surprised at the Gold and Silver places. However, Carolina is not your best bet for her constant inconsistencies, but when she's on, she's a contender. Don't ever count her out.

Joe

Yeah, I thought that if everyone skated clean that Kostner would end up on that podium. But well Kostner's issue is she's never clean...Still a much better skate for her, and what's nice is if she hadn't popped that triple flip, she'd be something like 124 in the long, which is a nice score. Still, I didn't beat on her because her longs have been so not so great until today.

 

[SkatingAnalyst]

To : TIARA

I really want to see your picture !!!
You must be real pretty being so critical about beautiful Yu-Na's body !!!

BTW, Mao really, really put up a good fight.
She still has her biggest weapon, EDGE JUMPS.
So... The RIVALRY CONTINUES...

 

[chuckm]

Not at all surprised at the Gold and Silver places. However, Carolina is not your best bet for her constant inconsistencies, but when she's on, she's a contender. Don't ever count her out.

Joe

Carolina made the podium thanks to her inflated PCS scores, while Zhang's were held down. However, I don't ever see Carolina beating Kim or Asada, and at Worlds, Carolina may face other skaters who can put together two cleaner programs than she can. And Carolina is 'off' more often than she is 'on'.