Senior Ladies pre-event discussion

[flying camel]

Picking this world team is going to be very important. So, I would not be surprised if they passed on Czisny, but only if some other skaters show a lot of promise. If you had a choice between Czisny & Wagner who would you choose? Wagner is untested at worlds. We pretty much know how Alissa is going to skate. I would be willing to give the spot to Wagner if there was a choice. So, I like Kimmie, Wagner, maybe Hughes (only because she will at least land some of her jumps). But I would not be sad if Hughes was knocked off the team. If only Rachael was old enough! Maybe Meagan Williams Stewart will make a statement this year. Doesn't she have all the triples? She can't do worse then Czisny.

 

[Wrlmy]

Honestly, how many out of age-eligible ladies are gauranteed to skate better than Czisny? Czisny skated better lp than Hughes at both Nats and Worlds last year. When was the last time Kimmie landed more than three clean triples? Now, there's Ashley Wagner. I would say she's the most consistent out of the bunch, but almost every skater has a consistent season early in their career. Before writing off Czisny, remember she skated winning lp at Nats last year, and she is one of only three currently competing ladies who have skated at GPF.

 

[demarinis5]

I would not be suprised at all if Czisny is on the World team.

 

[flying camel]

I like Alissa. I love her LP. It is her inability to land even half her jumps under pressure. She coould barely land the double axel at NHK. But she will probably be on the team again considering all the age inelegible skaters.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I like Alissa. I love her LP. It is her inability to land even half her jumps under pressure. She coould barely land the double axel at NHK. But she will probably be on the team again considering all the age inelegible skaters.

So, what is there to predict: Meissner, Hughes, Czisny . That would mean no Wagner, Liang, Hacker, how many others with a lucky skate.

I can predict Meissner if she wins the Nats.

I can also predict Hughes if she places second or better.

I can not predict what the USFS will choose as the third Lady for Worlds.

And NOTE: The first two are also big ifs.

Joe

 

[McWicked]

Cziny??? No way!!! Meissner, Wagner and Hughes for the world team!!!

 

[chuckm]

I'd be horrified if Czisny went to Worlds again. She was 16th last year, and it is entirely possible that she could finish even lower if she got another chance. Her GP events were very poor, and she has great difficulty rotating her triple jumps.

Wagner won a bronze medal in the GP and she DOES rotate her triples. I think she and Kimmie have the best shot of hanging onto the 3 spots for Worlds 2009.

I have nothing personal against Alissa Czisny. She is a beautiful skater with many excellent qualities, but she is not a great competitor. The US needs a strong competitor at Worlds this year, and IMO, that is Wagner.

 

[Mathman]

I might be wrong, but I will predict that USFS will send the top three age-eligible finishers at Nationals, and will not try to outsmart themselves by making guesses about who might or might not come up strong at Worlds.

 

[ks777]

I'd be horrified if Czisny went to Worlds again. She was 16th last year, and it is entirely possible that she could finish even lower if she got another chance. Her GP events were very poor, and she has great difficulty rotating her triple jumps.

Wagner won a bronze medal in the GP and she DOES rotate her triples. I think she and Kimmie have the best shot of hanging onto the 3 spots for Worlds 2009.

I have nothing personal against Alissa Czisny. She is a beautiful skater with many excellent qualities, but she is not a great competitor. The US needs a strong competitor at Worlds this year, and IMO, that is Wagner.

I totally agree with you there.We need to send Wagner! She lands almost 6 triples every competition!

 

[Tonichelle]

If only two U.S. ladies go, that will open up a spot for a skater from some other country. Is that a bad thing?

You're looking at it as a fan of skating... not as the USFSA which is only interested in its "TEAM" and the number of said team able to go to worlds and -most importantly- the Olympics.

 

[flying camel]

So, what is there to predict: Meissner, Hughes, Czisny . That would mean no Wagner, Liang, Hacker, how many others with a lucky skate.

I can predict Meissner if she wins the Nats.

I can also predict Hughes if she places second or better.

I can not predict what the USFS will choose as the third Lady for Worlds.

And NOTE: The first two are also big ifs.

Joe

I am not familiar with Hacker. Have you seen her skate? Is she any good?

 

[chuckm]

I might be wrong, but I will predict that USFS will send the top three age-eligible finishers at Nationals, and will not try to outsmart themselves by making guesses about who might or might not come up strong at Worlds.

I wish I could be as sanguine as you, MM. I have seen the US judges pick at Flatt's and Meissner's 3/3s, yet give Czisny's and Hughes's underrotated triples a free pass. The international tech teams dealt harshly with Czisny and Hughes at Worlds last year because of their multiple underrotated triples.

This season, Czisny was given credit for just one rotated triple out of all the attempted triples in her two GP free skates. Hughes seems to have lost her lutz and her flip doesn't seem to go all the way around (when she lands it).

I just don't want to see skaters elevated to the podium because the judges are seeing them through rose-colored glasses.

 

[demarinis5]

I agree with Mathman about the top three eligible ladies at Nationals will be the World Team. If Czisny is on the Podium she will go to Worlds. I do not see the USFA sending someone else in her place. Has this ever been done before? What if Wagner places 5th or 6th do you still think USFS would send her to Worlds instead of Czisny.

 

[Tonichelle]

Has this ever been done before?

AFAIK only when the skater(s) are too young

What if Wagner places 5th or 6th do you still think USFS would send her to Worlds instead of Czisny.

Alissa will go... they let Ryan Bradley go to worlds last year even though he has never had the strongest track record and most thought it was a fluke that he got the silver...

 

[Mathman]

I just don't want to see skaters elevated to the podium because the judges are seeing them through rose-colored glasses.

Good point. In the U.S. we seem to believe that Alissa is so pretty, her spirals and spins so amazing, that if only she stands up on more of her jumps she can be competitive at the World level. Yet the international judges are not blown away in the PCSs, even setting aside the jump problems.

Still, I'm rooting for her to have the best performance of the year at Nationals.

 

[skatergirl45]

I believe that the only shoe in for Worlds is Kimmie.
The other spots are up for grabs between Emily, Ashley, Alissa, and Bebe.
Am I forgetting anyone?

I hope Emily gets one of the spaces because once Caroline and Mirai become age-eligible, she will have no chance..........

I have a feeling that Ashley will get the third spot because she has skated very well compared to Bebe and Alissa this season.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Bebe and Alyssa can both skate extremely well, on occasion. If one or both gets on the podium which 2 will go to Worlds in 2008 in addition to Kimmie?

It seems the consensus of this Forum is that it would be Kimmie, Emily, and Ashley, which would mean pushing off Bebe and Alyssa.

What decision will the USFS make - they have the Power.

Joe

 

[pista04]

I dont think USFS would have the balls (sorry if that word offends; i feel it's a very necessary word here...and this is a guy typing, hah) to not send the top 3 age-eligible ladies. They would face such criticism that at this point, it'd be better to lose a spot at 2009 worlds then to choose a girl who wasn't top 3 of the age-eligible.

As for Czisny, if she can earn it over Wagner, she definitly deserves the spot. I adore Alissa, and after her not so amazing night last year in Tokyo, I would love to see her have an on night this year in Sweden.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Well, the US only needs two to get three a total of13 points for 2009, so if that works, so be it. If not, how many points does it take to get two for 2009?

Joe

 

[chuckm]

You always want to send your 3 best ladies, because you never know if there is going to be a sudden illness or injury. Imagine what would happen if Kimmie, BeBe and Alissa got sent to Worlds and then Kimmie was too ill to skate. If Alissa and BeBe skated the way they did at Cup of China, they'd finish in the bottom 6 and the US would be down to one lady for 2009.

I just don't want to see Alissa and BeBe given huge boosts in PCS scores that will place them artificially ahead of age-eligible skaters like Wagner and Hacker who are new to the senior ranks. Alissa and BeBe are indeed veterans, but neither one of them has demonstrated that she can skate consistently well internationally, while the less-experienced Wagner has done extremely well in her international events.