- Joined
- Jul 28, 2003
ITA
Ladies LP notes
- Thread starter Ptichka
- Start date
She and Fumie need a triple/triple if they want to be really competitive this season. Because right now they can win just if they skate completely clean and all the younger skaters (Mao, Kimmie, Miki, Yu Na Kim) have a meltdown.
It's a mistake to dismiss Kimmie so quickly. Looking at her GP performances last season, I would have agreed that she wasn't a serious contender for a World medal, or even a top 10 finish at the Olympics.
You forget that Kimmie has been a very busy lady this summer, touring in COI while filling commitments to her charity activities, while the Japanese ladies were working hard on their new programs. Both of Kimmie's programs are very new to her and she is not comfortable with them yet. But I did notice a tremendous improvement between the Campbell's FS skate and the same program at SA. Give the girl time to settle into her programs and get used to the choreography. By Nationals and Worlds, her programs will have the nuances you don't see now.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
That has been on Fumie's personal improvements list for a few years now. But she hasn't taken it off yet, so she must still be trying.?? I better not have anything in front of me if she does it, cuz that will be flying across the room as I start hopping. I am sure I would jump to my feet anywhere the first time I see that.
Does anyone recall how Arutunian behaved in the K & C when he coached Sasha Abt? It might just be that Rafael is not one who displays his emotions.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
I certainly wouldn't put Kimmie down so drastically as a matter of taste. She is a competitor and she proved it in her long program. It was Mao who was most off at Skate America.
This is the REAL opening of the skating season. Forget Campbells. That's a show biz thing and the next one, Marshalls one can vote for their favorite however badly he/she skates.
Skate America is also a trying out the new routines. Any skater who reused an old tune should have an advantage over the skaters trying out their new routines for the first time.
I don't think American skaters are so horrible. Watch out for Bebe
And the new men coming up are terrific. NNN/Lefty are a team in progress. M/Z, N/B are both dance teams in progress. But then, if it's only Ladies one is interested in, so be it.
Joe
This is the REAL opening of the skating season. Forget Campbells. That's a show biz thing and the next one, Marshalls one can vote for their favorite however badly he/she skates.
Skate America is also a trying out the new routines. Any skater who reused an old tune should have an advantage over the skaters trying out their new routines for the first time.
I don't think American skaters are so horrible. Watch out for Bebe
And the new men coming up are terrific. NNN/Lefty are a team in progress. M/Z, N/B are both dance teams in progress. But then, if it's only Ladies one is interested in, so be it.Joe
Joe, I don't think the American skaters are horrible at all. In fact, I can't believe how strong we are in ice dance and really love Themi/Naomi in pairs. And please don't get me wrong, certainly Kimmie is talented. She's a very good jumper, but her skating style is just not my cup of tea.
Now Bebe? Oh would I love for her to come out swinging this season!!!
Now Bebe? Oh would I love for her to come out swinging this season!!!
IMO, USA is the leading country in Figure Skating, because it is strong in all 4 disciplines. Now the USA team is stronger than the Russian one. Japan is rising, but it is weak in Dance and Pairs. China is strong just in Pairs.
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2004
I seem to remember him looking very grim most of the time, I think he may have shown more emotion after Abt's brilliant 2002 Euro LP but I can't remember clearly enough.
I agree with whoever said that a hands off approach probably suited Kwan just fine and I wouldn't be surprised if it's fine for Japanese skaters too. I suspect that for most Japanese the crucial thing is feeling like part of a team (see Ando's remarks). I have no idea what does that for them though but a coach who treats them like adults rather than darling little girls might well be good for them.
The remarks about Arutunian are a bit surprising to me. He seemed very friendly with the Asadas when I've seen him. The Japanese TV broadcasted a longer clip from the K&C and I did not notice any "coldness" on Arutunian's part.
I recommend watching the "Mao Asada 2006-07 season preview" on www.japanskates.com, it shows Mao interacting with her coach. I thought the hugging episode was rather cute.
I think the one reason that they might seem a bit apart is that they have no common language. Mao doesn't speak English yet, Rafael doesn't speak Japanese. They manage to communicate enough to make training together possible (in fact, Mao said she likes working with Arutunian, because his instructions are easy to understand), but it might be too soon for to communicate freely off the ice.
I recommend watching the "Mao Asada 2006-07 season preview" on www.japanskates.com, it shows Mao interacting with her coach. I thought the hugging episode was rather cute.
I think the one reason that they might seem a bit apart is that they have no common language. Mao doesn't speak English yet, Rafael doesn't speak Japanese. They manage to communicate enough to make training together possible (in fact, Mao said she likes working with Arutunian, because his instructions are easy to understand), but it might be too soon for to communicate freely off the ice.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
That's a bit over-the-top on Arutunian. Michelle used to kiss him in the K&C and he smiled bashfully. Also during the hotel fires, he showed a lot of concern for Mao. I was near them.
Sasha Abt, imo, was a beautiful skater long before Weir. He made a big mistake going east and leaving Arutunian.
Joe
Sasha Abt, imo, was a beautiful skater long before Weir. He made a big mistake going east and leaving Arutunian.
Joe
I have to agree with this.
The Japanese will have neither a Dance nor a Pairs team after this year, because Watanabe/Kido are retiring and Japan's one Pairs skater, Yuko Kawaguchi, is now skating for Russia with Alexander Smirnov.
Russia, once dominant in all disciplines, is struggling in Men and Ladies with the absence of Plushenko and Slutskaya. Their one remaining strong Pair, Petrova/Tikhonov wanted to retire but stayed on one more year because the depth in Pairs is no longer there. Russia has one promising ice dance team, Domnina/Shabalin, but they are not medal contenders as yet.
The Chinese have only aging men and a few young ladies who have yet to make a major mark in figure skating. Their Ice Dance teams are nowhere near as strong as their Pairs.
What is most telling is the junior ranks. While the Japanese Singles are romping at the Senior level in the GP, it's a different story in the JGP. In Ladies, the US ladies captured 7 of 8 gold medals, and the US Men, same story. One Japanese lady and one Canadian man won gold medals. 5 US ladies and 5 US men made it to the JGPF, while only 2 Japanese ladies and one Japanese man made the final. One Russian man and no Russian ladies made the final. Five US Pairs teams made it to the JGPF, along with 2 Russian and one Canadian team. The US won 3 of the 4 available gold medals in Pairs. While the Russians won 4 gold medals and qualified 3 Ice Dance teams for the JGPF, the US were close behind with 3 gold medals and qualified 2 teams.
It is interesting that the Chinese sent no Junior pairs to the JGP this year.
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- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
I've really gotten into Juniors this year. I didn't see the US as being particularly all powerful but they are. There are some I saw at seniors last year. In addition to looking at medal winners, I also take in the 'new' ones and decide their fate as future potentials.
Steenberg if he stands up will be a force; Carriere has the jumps. Varner will not impress many. I don't know others who may be skating Seniors, except the eagerly awaited RACHEL FLATT. I've never seen her skate except on Youtube. She's good but will it translate to a bronze medal at US Nats?
Joe
Steenberg if he stands up will be a force; Carriere has the jumps. Varner will not impress many. I don't know others who may be skating Seniors, except the eagerly awaited RACHEL FLATT. I've never seen her skate except on Youtube. She's good but will it translate to a bronze medal at US Nats?
Joe
- Joined
- Feb 21, 2006
Flatt is an amazingly consistent skater so if she is healthy, and gets through MIDS in a couple of weeks, she might be a spoiler at Sr ladies this year. She has been a consistent and a hard working skater over the years...from USFS bio and from googling...(wonder if she will go back to pairs in the future?)
Juvenile Pairs (with former partner, Andrew Speroff)...National Silver Medalist ...2003...as a ten yr old if we did our math correctly
Juvenile Singles...JNs competitior....6th place final round...2003
Intermediate Pairs...National Champion...2004
Intermediate Singles...JN competitor...2004
Novice Ladies....National Champion 2005
Junior Ladies...Nationals 2nd
Senior ladies...won Broadmoor, Liberty, Cup of Colorado; withdrew due to back injury for JGP events this fall...
Guess we all will have to wait and see how her back is doing for sectionals.
But there are a number of other ladies that have moved up from JRs last year (all but two) so lots of potential spoilers in the mix....
Can't wait for sectionals to see who makes it to Nationals along with the skaters going direct to Natls!
Current JRs...that look amazing...all those kids heading to JGPFinal!
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Nigel - Is Musademba skating seniors this year? There is a lot of talent there and I wouldn't want her to rush it. What does one do after Novice?
If we continue to have faith in Emily, and Sasha does skate, there is no opening for the podium, but if Sasha does not skate then there is an opening whether Emily podiums or not. Maybe two openings.
There is definitely 1 opening in Men's and that is going to be a big battle.
Spokane will be interesting this season.
Joe
If we continue to have faith in Emily, and Sasha does skate, there is no opening for the podium, but if Sasha does not skate then there is an opening whether Emily podiums or not. Maybe two openings.
There is definitely 1 opening in Men's and that is going to be a big battle.
Spokane will be interesting this season.
Joe
No, she is novice this year. Last year she was intermediate.
And if she does well in novice this year, as seems likely, she will probably skate junior next year.
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Thanks, gk. I saw her at MidAtlantics last summer and was quite impressed.
Arutunian
Joe,it's not an over the top observation about Arutunian at all. He is more distant and less connected than many of the other coaches in the kiss and cry section. I can't speak to how he is on a one to one when he is coaching, but he is much less outwardly emotional with his skaters in the kiss and cry. Also,look at his body language. He is not warm and cuddly. But having said all that, I didn't call him an axe murderer, but yes, it does make me long for the days of Frank Carroll.
Joe,it's not an over the top observation about Arutunian at all. He is more distant and less connected than many of the other coaches in the kiss and cry section. I can't speak to how he is on a one to one when he is coaching, but he is much less outwardly emotional with his skaters in the kiss and cry. Also,look at his body language. He is not warm and cuddly. But having said all that, I didn't call him an axe murderer, but yes, it does make me long for the days of Frank Carroll.
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