This is our big concern. Canada is doing ok in other disciplines, but ladies are incredibly weak.
A lot of fans are hoping Mira goes up the learning curve to get into top 20 to 15ish at Worlds.
My pipe dreams for next seasons include, but are not limited to:
- Myriane and Erika Tisluck become consistent competitors or Kathryine Kang acquires big jumps and becomes more consistent in LPs.
- Cynthia gets back on track,
Not much you can ask for Lesley, who is a hard worker.
Agree although I think Cynthia is getting back on track. She was off on all her jumps ( save the opening toe ) in her LP but she FOUGHT for all her landings and except for the double axel where she was way off refused to fall. She is not quite there yet but she is close to her pre-fracture form and she has made tremendous strides forward.
As for Tisluk, I watched her on TV with my mother and my mom noticed the stage fright before she took the ice for her LP. We weren't surprised by the meltdown.
Personally my pipe dreams have more to do with changing the system so that ladies is no longer the laughingstock of Canadian figure skating. It will take years for changes in the system to have the desired effect.
First of all let me congratulate Skate Canada for making senior skaters do challenges at nationals. For too long "senior" skaters who couldnt't land any double axel or triple jumps made it directly to nationals just because they were lucky to come from a small section with 4 or less senior ladies. At least the challenge made sure you had to EARN your trip to nationals.
Personally I would love to see the following things happen.
1. More ladies going to the big US summer competitions where the USFSA is making decisions about international assignments .
All our promising dance teams went to Lake Placid this year. For ice dance, Lake Placid is excellent because it is a compulsory event for all US dance couples who want an international assignment. Therefore you get strength vs strength and our Canadian dance couples have done well with the experience.
If it works for our dancers, why don't we do it for our ladies. I am talking the Liberty and Detroit competitions specifically for our ladies.
2. In our own summer competitions, where there are multiple groups for an event ( say novice ladies ) , the best in each group face off against each other in a final. Hopefully the final is a combined event but even a free skate alone would do if ice rental costs is a problem for the section. This would give our best skaters the experience of the added pressure that comes when you compete against a quality field. Too often in local summer competitions you have 1 or 2 decent skaters where the rest of the field is just terrible. I have seen summer junior ladies competitions where only 2 or 3 ladies land a double axel and no triples are landed at all and the bottom ladies have troubles with double flips and lutzes.
I am soo happy for them especially Cynthia who is back on track. I couldnt be more pleased
