Based on the quotes in the posted article, it sounds like Michelle is recovering "snowball fashion", i.e. it took more time for Michelle to recover enough to go from no jumps to actually doing single jumps than it took her to get from doing singles back to doing triples. If so, then the "snowball" (hopefully) will gather speed as Nats comes closer and closer, so that Michelle will be healthy enough to skate. After that, it is anyone's guess, based on what actually happens. If SC, AC, and KM all clearly outskate her, the USFSA certainly should not (and actually might not) name her to to the Oly team, but that doesn't mean that, at Nats, SC, AC and/or KM will actually do so.
Michelle
- Thread starter kyla2
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 11, 2003
Don't you love it when he interviews a skater and asks "How did you feel when you fell out of the 3A?" or "What happened when you fell on that 3 loop?" He is a ghastly interviewer to all skaters. Skaters know what they did and they are human and have feelings that don't have to put them on the spot. I believe he is out of the spotlight and hating everone. It's time ABC said goodbye to Caruthers.Gatzbee said:i agree about caruthers. i just don't like him period. and even if mk wasn't in the picture i just don't like the way he has made some of his comments to certain skaters in the past and the tone of his voice is just annoying sometimes... in the end i wasn't surprised by the commentators' picks. i loved kwan's heart in YRMU (though i wasn't thrilled about the white Fallin' dress revival), but these weren't her best skates, and im sure she knew it.
Joe
Joesitz said:
Joe
I agree about her camel spin, also her spiral sequence, holding her leg to her side showed she has flexibility. COP experts would this sequence be a level 3 or 4? I take away positives that she has been looking at COP and trying to make her program work. There are some that think some moves might have been left out of the program because of the pain issue at this time. With more training I think she will be okay. At this point its all about making the olympic team. Not bad for her first skate of the season.
Michelle still has a month but her problem isn't just a lack of training but that she's still not fully recovered from the injury. She said she physically couldn't do anymore than she did. She may get physically better and be able to do triples but with the lack of training how consistant will they be. It isn't just jumps either. With COP you've got to do more than just simple spins too. She's got to work on both in a short amount of time. It isn't going to be Michelle's lack of will but what her body will be able to do and we have no idea what that will be. There is no way to predict that. I'm not counting her out but I'm waiting and seeing.
hmmm just rewatched kwan's SP. she does her normal fw into the flip, and then adds what she traditionally did as the fw she did typically before a triple toe way back when. honestly the music isn't so bad, its just the techno dance beat that kills me. when i sat there in the audience everything was fine til the techno came on and i quietly shuddered for about 5 seconds realizing that this was the same exact cut as irina's SP which i wasn't particularly fond of. i just don't get it, the music i think would sound perfectly fine even if they removed the techno. can someone steal her tape or just get her an un-techno'd version?? lol. sigh. aside from that things looked alright to me. would a catchfoot to her camel help increase the level? also she hopefully will be able to increase her speed in the layback eventually b/c she didn't seem to get all the rotations in for each position. but it did seem like a layback geared to level 3? correct me if im wrong. her spiral before the COE, if that's supposed to be in the sequence, needs that 3 seconds as well as the backwards IE spiral (which seemed just short of 3 seconds). i can't tell if she did a COE in her final combo spin. and im guessing that combo spin would need to be upgraded as well for a higher level. all in all i actually liked watching it better than when i was there live. i think the initial shock that she was skating to techno distracted me . personally when i was there i thought the SP was about to end after the layback b/c of the sort of weird editing there. i was so pissed off that i didn't set my camera and have it ready b/c her opening pose was like right in front of my section and her COE spiral was aimed right towards me too! i don't usu. take pics or just give up cuz i can never capture a good shot, but these were just moments waiting to be taken! o well.
. personally when i was there i thought the SP was about to end after the layback b/c of the sort of weird editing there. i was so pissed off that i didn't set my camera and have it ready b/c her opening pose was like right in front of my section and her COE spiral was aimed right towards me too! i don't usu. take pics or just give up cuz i can never capture a good shot, but these were just moments waiting to be taken! o well.
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- Joined
- Sep 10, 2005
Joesitz said:
Gah, yes. He's like those reporters who corner murder victims' families and ask "So how does this make you feel?" (I'm waiting, one day, for a victim to take said reporter's microphone and shove it somewhere painful.) Unless he's sucking up to someone he likes. (ENOUGH ON KIMMIE, ALREADY.)
He keeps getting sent on silly side excursions to do things like order a crepe in broken French or eat caviar with Johnny Weir. Paul Wylie is doing a lot of the actual skating commentary. The writing is on the wall and I think someone's a tad bitter about it.
Horribly OT, sorry about that. I didn't see the cheesefest, though, so I can't comment on Michelle except to say I never count her out.
Now THIS is an event that can be referred to as a "cheesefest" (although I still don't use that word).
(see the difference between Campbell's and an event like this?)
Now, do you think they would do this sort of event again? Would you WANT them to do an event like this again? Maybe I should start a poll.
(see the difference between Campbell's and an event like this?)
Now, do you think they would do this sort of event again? Would you WANT them to do an event like this again? Maybe I should start a poll.
Peter Curruthers seemed unnecessarily evil/critical today. He didn't have to make sarcastic comments and ask skaters what they felt when they fell on a jump. Why can't he point out positive parts of each skater? I've been fed up with Curruthers lately, and this one really did it. Even Uncle Dick was generally nice.
She skated a lot better than I would've expect a week ago. But I had heard she had skated better in practice with couple of clean run throughs this week.
To think about her recovery process just started speed up couple of weeks ago. She landed her first 2A and 3Toe during the week of ThanksGiving after the injury......This is not too bad. Things will only getting better and sooner than when she just back on ice.
Finally, remember she does not need to win, just placed top 3 will get her team ticket.
I think by Nationals she'll be strong enough, may be not win but make the team.......We haven't seen the 'real' level of elements yet. As long as her jumps back, I don't think there will be three US ladies all having level difficulty to beat Kwan.......But Turino is another story, but then there is another month.
ETA,
The result of this competetion couldn't be better to her psychlogically. She knows she is still the most loved skater by fans. And she knew where she would be standing for in the eye of judges. This sure will get her fired up. If she still wants to be there.....
To think about her recovery process just started speed up couple of weeks ago. She landed her first 2A and 3Toe during the week of ThanksGiving after the injury......This is not too bad. Things will only getting better and sooner than when she just back on ice.
Finally, remember she does not need to win, just placed top 3 will get her team ticket.
I think by Nationals she'll be strong enough, may be not win but make the team.......We haven't seen the 'real' level of elements yet. As long as her jumps back, I don't think there will be three US ladies all having level difficulty to beat Kwan.......But Turino is another story, but then there is another month.
ETA,
The result of this competetion couldn't be better to her psychlogically. She knows she is still the most loved skater by fans. And she knew where she would be standing for in the eye of judges. This sure will get her fired up. If she still wants to be there.....
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If this really has the side effect described as most to believe. I really doubt her parents will ever let her on the medicine. Estella is a strict believer at Chinese medicine practice.......does not even allow her takes painkillers if she could manage the pain.......she (Estella) has her own experience how defying western doctor's suggestion on western medicine and surgyery while using traditional chinese treatment to recovery from back pain/injury.Panther2000 said:
All I know is those traditional chinese treatment gets effective very slowly at the beginning of the threapy. But once it starts, the therapy will go forward much fast.
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I only noticed two good things about the "stand in a line while the TV commentators critique you" aspect. One was the look on Sasha Cohen's face as Peggy Fleming complimented her skating. The other was that no one had to listen to a Dick Button rant, and his public comments were much more positive than his usual commentary
- Joined
- Jul 31, 2003
Peter Carruthers is a good commentator but a terrible interviewer. They need to give him assignments he is good at. I like him a lot when he is commentating.
I am very concerned about Michelle. I am sure she will be much improved by nationals but I don't see her as winning any competition at this point. May be she will surprise us all, but I really think Sasha is going to win these nationals handily. IMO artistically Michelle is still superior but her strength (technically) was in the jumps. I was very disappointed with the mistakes she made. May be it was just a matter of getting used to doing jumps again? The competititve spirit was definitely there. The body was not ready.
Vash
I am very concerned about Michelle. I am sure she will be much improved by nationals but I don't see her as winning any competition at this point. May be she will surprise us all, but I really think Sasha is going to win these nationals handily. IMO artistically Michelle is still superior but her strength (technically) was in the jumps. I was very disappointed with the mistakes she made. May be it was just a matter of getting used to doing jumps again? The competititve spirit was definitely there. The body was not ready.
Vash
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Lucy25 said:
It has nothing to do with the jumps. People are praising Sasha's performances. If Michelle had landed all of her jumps, Sasha would have still out-performed her. JMHO.
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2003
Hmmmm....okay. After reading everything in this thread, I thought Michelle's new SP was going to be a total disaster and a legendary bore. I prepared myself for the worst. I just watched it 5-6 times from a download, and I must say I don't understand all of the "she is completely dead in the water" talk. Naturally, many will assume I say this because I am a Michelle fan. But, this is coming from someone who thought "Tosca" and "Aranjuez" were bad programs early on in the season (I hated them the first couple of times.....and I never expected she would do with them what she ultimately did). She made those masterpieces. I actually like this program quite a bit. It is different. I even like the "techno" which everyone is so up in arms about. Also, didn't she just start jumping again a few weeks ago? And isn't she still recovering from an injury that is (obviously) serious in nature? I say give her a freaking break. IMO, Sasha clearly outskated her. But, no one can know for sure what kind of recovery or improvement is possible in the coming month.
I expected utter disaster after reading this thread earlier today. That isn't what I saw. I saw a skater coming off of a lack of training time due to injury give a gutsy performance that, understandly, wasn't up to her usual standard. I feel much better after watching this performance. That drive and joy to be on the ice is still very much apparent. If a fully trained and prepared Michelle were to skate this SP to its fullest potential (with some small improvements in level difficulty in the spin department....most notably the combo) I could see it garnerning high scores. It is exciting and has enormous potential. I hope she makes huge strides in this coming months and delivers solid programs in January at the Nationals. So, taking into account ALL of the circumstances and issues, I give this new SP a :agree: .
I expected utter disaster after reading this thread earlier today. That isn't what I saw. I saw a skater coming off of a lack of training time due to injury give a gutsy performance that, understandly, wasn't up to her usual standard. I feel much better after watching this performance. That drive and joy to be on the ice is still very much apparent. If a fully trained and prepared Michelle were to skate this SP to its fullest potential (with some small improvements in level difficulty in the spin department....most notably the combo) I could see it garnerning high scores. It is exciting and has enormous potential. I hope she makes huge strides in this coming months and delivers solid programs in January at the Nationals. So, taking into account ALL of the circumstances and issues, I give this new SP a :agree: .
I know Michelle is the topic, but just wanted to say here, too, that I loved the format and I thought I'd hate it. This is the best Cheeze skating I've ever seen from all the skaters. It was just the problems on some of Michelle's jumps as she got tired in the 2nd program that was kind of "loose." I've seen Campbell's where no performance was as good as any of these.
Okay, here's my Carruther's anecdote (those who've heard it before, please forgive): I'm at Campbell's and as I usually wait for the crowds to thin out before feeling like I'm just "mooing" along with everyone else. (I'm a ladies single cow, thank you very much.) Things thin out and as my friend and I are walking, I see we are headed right towards Terry Gannon and Peter Carruthers. We're all walking in lines. I get almost alongside Gannon and say, "Why, it's the famous Terry Gannon," with the kind of irony I hoped he'd appreciate.
Gannon laughs right away, saying, "Yep, that's me. Next season's 60 million dollar man." (Some rookie had just signed a $60 million dollar deal.) My boyfriend, who looks like a banker anyway and was wearing a perfect banker's gray suit, was right behind me and although he meant to say it into my ear, I guess the accoustics or something was just right because Gannon heard my guy, who was about 72 at the time, say, "Isn't it the 60 Minute Man?" I giggle, my boyfriend is droll as usual, and Gannon gives a great big belly laugh. As my boyfriend and Gannon passed, I was told later since I couldn't see it, Gannon patted my guy on the shoulder and gave him the "thumbs up" sign.
Meanwhile, Peter Carruthers had to have heard either the whole thing, or at least, "Why it's the famous Terry Gannon." Carruthers gave me such a glare, as if to say, "I'm the famous one, you fool!" Plus he kept trying to fix his hair. For gosh sake, we were cattle tramping out of an arena and the guy's worried about his hair?
When we got out of the herd, my boyfriend said, "Who was that yucky guy behind the 60 Minute Man?"
The End
BTW. did others notice how Carruthers's imitation of Dick Button fell flatter than a DVD? Dick Button's face was just stone and Peggy didn't crack a smile either--though I'll have to check my tape in slow motion.
Rgirl
Okay, here's my Carruther's anecdote (those who've heard it before, please forgive): I'm at Campbell's and as I usually wait for the crowds to thin out before feeling like I'm just "mooing" along with everyone else. (I'm a ladies single cow, thank you very much.) Things thin out and as my friend and I are walking, I see we are headed right towards Terry Gannon and Peter Carruthers. We're all walking in lines. I get almost alongside Gannon and say, "Why, it's the famous Terry Gannon," with the kind of irony I hoped he'd appreciate.
Gannon laughs right away, saying, "Yep, that's me. Next season's 60 million dollar man." (Some rookie had just signed a $60 million dollar deal.) My boyfriend, who looks like a banker anyway and was wearing a perfect banker's gray suit, was right behind me and although he meant to say it into my ear, I guess the accoustics or something was just right because Gannon heard my guy, who was about 72 at the time, say, "Isn't it the 60 Minute Man?" I giggle, my boyfriend is droll as usual, and Gannon gives a great big belly laugh. As my boyfriend and Gannon passed, I was told later since I couldn't see it, Gannon patted my guy on the shoulder and gave him the "thumbs up" sign.
Meanwhile, Peter Carruthers had to have heard either the whole thing, or at least, "Why it's the famous Terry Gannon." Carruthers gave me such a glare, as if to say, "I'm the famous one, you fool!" Plus he kept trying to fix his hair. For gosh sake, we were cattle tramping out of an arena and the guy's worried about his hair?
When we got out of the herd, my boyfriend said, "Who was that yucky guy behind the 60 Minute Man?"
The End
BTW. did others notice how Carruthers's imitation of Dick Button fell flatter than a DVD? Dick Button's face was just stone and Peggy didn't crack a smile either--though I'll have to check my tape in slow motion.
Rgirl
I ended up liking the format too - for what it was - a chance for the audience to vote on who they liked to watch skate the most. It is an interesting way to get the audience and general public involved and interested in the skaters and skating. I for one really enjoyed the opportunity to make the statement that I enjoyed watching Michelle the most - in spite of her mistakes - I just love watching the girl skate. Even though Sasha would win today on the basis of scoring, I just cannot get into her skating. I know its been said a hundred ways before but Michelle makes me feel she's skating for me, Sasha makes me feel like she skating for a mirror and wants me to admire her. Michelle skates to "you raise me up" and Sasha skates to "don't rain on my parade." I guess in some ways the names of their songs reflect my experience of the difference between their presence on the ice. I just so often find Sasha's presence offensive - and I know others love that - but this format actually gave the audience a bit of a chance to have their say. Anyway I thought it was interesting.
As far as Michelle's SP, I actually really really like it. I think it is COP friendly and enthralling - if she can recover and heal so she can skate it in its complexity I think it will be very competitve - and certainly challenge Dark Eyes. I love her footwrk and spirals - watch them in slow mo - this girl has amazing edging.
As far as Michelle's SP, I actually really really like it. I think it is COP friendly and enthralling - if she can recover and heal so she can skate it in its complexity I think it will be very competitve - and certainly challenge Dark Eyes. I love her footwrk and spirals - watch them in slow mo - this girl has amazing edging.
