Senior Ladies Short Jan 26 7:30 PM

[Mathman]

A most hearty Golden Skate welcome to AEMERALDRAINC (8 years late ) and to ICEBEAUTY! Post often, post long!

 

[Jammers]

I really loved Nina Jiang's performance. What a senior debut!

Very happy about Caroline also.

ITA with icebeauty's assessment re Rachael and schooling. If you want to be an athlete, the time is now. There is nothing wrong with graduating college a bit later than 22. I was 26 when I graduated....no big deal. She should think about the part-time option for now.

I just don't see Rachael keeping up with the Ladies now.. With Agnes improving and Caroline making a comeback and the new kids and Juniors next year she will just continue to fall behind.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I just don't see Rachael keeping up with the Ladies now.. With Agnes improving and Caroline making a comeback and the new kids and Juniors next year she will just continue to fall behind.

Rachel will be fine. One of my favorite qualities about Rachel is that it never seems to be about the titles or the pagentry. She just goes out there to do her best and tries to improve relative to her standards. That kind of attitude will lead to success in her life; how many marginally talented people out there can, through persistence and hard work, be the best in their country (and one of the best in the world) at something? It's clear the sport has passed her by but she had her moments of greatness and she should keep her head held high.

 

[Spun Silver]

^ Something tells me Rachael would not be too thrilled by that faint praise. I imagine she likes winning as much as the next lady. I'm sure you're right about her work ethic betokening other future successes, though.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Of course she enjoys winning. But it isn't something I think is her biggest motivation. This season she did not show up to any competition in winning form, yet she continues on competing. Most former champions wouldn't show up to an event knowing they had no chance of winning, whether it be about tarnishing her reputation or unwillingness to put in the work needed and still have an unfavorable outcome.

 

[tulosai]

Of course she enjoys winning. But it isn't something I think is her biggest motivation. This season she did not show up to any competition in winning form, yet she continues on competing. Most former champions wouldn't show up to an event knowing they had no chance of winning, whether it be about tarnishing her reputation or unwillingness to put in the work needed and still have an unfavorable outcome.

I honestly think Rachael come to Nationals expecting to medal or at least get in the top 5 and have a bye for next year, though perhaps I'm wrong. She looked very surprised with her score.

 

[Lissy]

Does anybody have any more unlisted links on youtube?

 

[Not Anybodys Mother]

Does anybody have any more unlisted links on youtube?

LOL, I came here to beg for more, too!

I would love to see Agnes if anyone's got a link of her SP.

 

[pangtongfan]

If Rachel is to make a choice between school and skating it should be school all the way. It would be a waste to put all her effort into skating and delay her graduation date and future plans just for skating since even with a full effort she isnt a real contender to make the Sochi Olympic team. She is no longer a favorite of the USFSA, her skating has plateaued, and there are just too many talented girls coming on strong now. Plus she has already been to an Olympics and placed respectably, that is as good as it gets for her. On the contrary I think she should only keep skating if it is just a part time thing she is doing for fun at this point, her chances are no longer there to make it worth putting of something just to put all her energy into it.

 

[MK's Winter]

The ladies long is going to be interesting!

Agnes - well deserved first place! Great speed and that lutz was HUGE! I wasn'treally feeling her costume or make up,it's too dark for her.

Alyssa- beautiful program! I love her lyrical/balletic qualities and those spins, I swoon every times. I hope she makes the World team, international judges recieve her well. I am proud of how far she has come since 2010!

Ashley - she has been hyped for this event on twitter all week! Glad to see her put out a great short. John Nicks is good for her,now if she could knock that ego down a notch.....

Caroline- how wonderful it was to see her SMILE!! and skate like she was enjoying it! I though the 3L/3L was dead on! Great to see her hard work paying off!

Mirai - Had a great warm up, landed 3 triple loops perfectly! I think she is soo focused on landing the jumps that it just kills her performance level, confidence is her biggest problem and if she doesn't have it in herself no one is going going to put any into her and her abilities, maybe Mr. Nicks could be good for her too...... I still have faith though!

Rachel - the lovefest is offically over. Glad to see her hit the lutz and flip but in comparison to the top ladies she is out of form. Her spins seem to have gotten worse as well. I wish her the best but it may be decsion time for her, I think the USFSA's penatly for worlds has extended farther than money, there is offically no love in this club.... She honestly seemed shocked ather scores.

 

[brightphoton]

If Rachel is to make a choice between school and skating it should be school all the way. It would be a waste to put all her effort into skating and delay her graduation date and future plans just for skating since even with a full effort she isnt a real contender to make the Sochi Olympic team. She is no longer a favorite of the USFSA, her skating has plateaued, and there are just too many talented girls coming on strong now. Plus she has already been to an Olympics and placed respectably, that is as good as it gets for her. On the contrary I think she should only keep skating if it is just a part time thing she is doing for fun at this point, her chances are no longer there to make it worth putting of something just to put all her energy into it.

I think I would've agreed with you in the past, but seeing Caroline Zhang pull a complete 180 from stick-a-fork-in-her to her current position makes me question writing anyone off.

 

[macy]

has anyone seen any LP practice reports???

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

After looking at the protocol, I was right. Vanessa got the best step sequence last night. It was easy, it was fast, it was nice. Kudo to her on this front.

Girls who are overscored: Mirai, Ashley, Alissa,
Girls who are underscored: Caroline, Vanessa, Rachael. I don't understand why all 3 got negative GOE for their flips.

Actually the only one overscored (and for a long time now) is Rachael Flatt. I'm glad she finally got the scores she deserved and wasn't held up on PCS. And if you think Nagasu is slow then Flatt in comparison looks like she's skating through molasses. And mind you I felt bad for BOTH Mirai and Rachael, but Flatt more so.

*Respectfully clipped for space*
Rachael: Given her GP performances, this one was stellar. But it's pretty obvious that no matter how well she does the judges have no intention of letting her anywhere near the world team, and she'd be lucky to get 4CC at this point. I expected her to score a 57 or 58...but 52? Yeah, the USFSA hasn't forgiven her for last year and they are making her pay out the @$$ for it. It's odd that that same program scored 62+ last year. She genuinely looked shocked when her scores came up. What I found interesting was that even though she was marked so low, no one in the audience seemed to protest the results. In the first group, I believe it was Haley Dunn who received a low score and the crowd booed very loudly. Everyone seemed to be accepting of Rachael's placement. Ah well. Her number is up at this point. The international judges have written her off and now the US ones has as well. I hope she has a strong skate for her sake, but I don't know how much more of Rachael we'll be seeing.

^^^
THIS!! Flatt is going to have to claw her way back into their good graces after last year's Worlds fiasco. But like Caroline-she could work hard and fight back but with Stanford-it is extremely hard to serve two masters.

Now it seems like Mirai is the one that doesn't want to be out there sort of like where Caroline was the last couple years. Mirai better take a page from Caroline's playbook and decide if she really wants to continue to skate and to work her *** off and try to improve. Caroline had a lot more problems to correct then Mirai does. Mirai has or used to have more speed and doesn't have to rework her jump technique like Caroline did but i don't see a fierce competitor when i watch Mirai . I see someone who just goes through the motions.

After seeing Caroline's performance here, and the re-born Alissa in her mid-20's these past couple of seasons, not to mention the successes of Carolina Kostner and Mika Ando in their 20's, I'm not quite ready to give up on Mirai just yet. She's 18 and may just be going through a phase. The clock for Sochi is ticking but it ain't over til it's over. Anything can happen the next two years. Mao Asada was having problems of her own but seems to be getting it back. I'm hoping the same for Mirai. As long as she still loves it (even if it doesn't seem like she does at the moment) I'm definitely still a fan.

 

[Jtsmith12]

Will does the Ladies LP start ?

 

[SLouise]

Will does the Ladies LP start ?

7pm eastern/4pm pacific

 

[bekalc]

After seeing Caroline's performance here, and the re-born Alissa in her mid-20's these past couple of seasons, not to mention the successes of Carolina Kostner and Mika Ando in their 20's, I'm not quite ready to give up on Mirai just yet. She's 18 and may just be going through a phase. The clock for Sochi is ticking but it ain't over til it's over. Anything can happen the next two years. Mao Asada was having problems of her own but seems to be getting it back. I'm hoping the same for Mirai. As long as she still loves it (even if it doesn't seem like she does at the moment) I'm definitely still a fan.

Mirai is extremely talented and she's never one that you can write off. But Nagasu's situation isn't the same as the other girls. Nagasu's issues seem to be work ethic, and drive not technique/competitive nerves etc... Asada for example is known for having an incredible work ethic; Zhang, in order to fix those jumps; has to have a work ethic too.

Mirai is very talented but I question if she really wants to put in the work necessary to be a big star in this sport. She may change her mind someday, but I can't help feeling if she isn't motivated by now when will she be?

 

[Nadine]

7pm eastern/4pm pacific

Oh no, I'm going to miss this. Why oh why does it have to start so early; even if it started at 7PM I may have made it, but 4PM, no way. I usually don't have time to watch skating on the weekends, darn, especially now, Nationals.

 

[Spun Silver]

I don't buy the theory that Rachael is being punished. She simply can't match her past performance level now. Even last year's outstanding EOE scored almost 4 points under Agnes's majestic SP. But I'm kinda allergic to conspiracy theories so I may miss one occasionally.

 

[SLouise]

Oh no, I'm going to miss this. Why oh why does it have to start so early; even if it started at 7PM I may have made it, but 4PM, no way. I usually don't have time to watch skating on the weekends, darn, especially now, Nationals.

The final two groups will be shown on NBC. I don't know if they will tape delay on the west coast, or not. Either way, I don't think the final groups will start until 7 or later, so you should be able to at least see them.

ETA: I just realized it 9pm eastern = 6 pm pacific not 7. NBC coverage starts at 9 on the east coast.

 

[Poodlepal]

We know what Rachael is doing when she'd not skating: she's studying, what, chemical engineering or something? But what is Mirai doing? I know she came to Skate America, I believe, with a boy and wearing a sort of skate-punk outfit (NOT the look she skates with, LOL.) Is she in school as well, or is she just having fun? What is the cause of her "lack of work ethic" if that is, in fact, the case?