State of U.S. Ladies' skating 2016-17

[skylark]

I COULD see her being granted the "Wagner VIP Package" should she be a close 4th (although given how she's skated all season, not sure how that could be strongly justified)...but 5th or lower, I'm willing to bet $$$ that she's out. Only exception: if those above her are too young to go.

I wish you wouldn't characterize it that way. Ashley's being appointed to Sochi Olympics had nothing to do with VIP treatment. It had everything to do with the rules and guidelines of USFSA: placement at Nationals being a key determinant, and another key determinant being each skater's international performance for the previous year or so. Ashley had placed 5th at 2013 Worlds, won gold at the current season's TEB, silver at SA and bronze at GPF. Mirai's 2013 record was nothing like.

According to those guidelines, I have trouble imagining Gracie finishing 5th at nationals and be appointed to compete at Worlds, and with this season's record it's hard to imagine it if she finished 4th. But what could enter into it is her finishing 4th at worlds and 2015-16 GP season. I think the entire year or 15 months' record is considered.

 

[skylark]

Originally Posted by FlattFan View Post
Even Ashley is not dependable at this point. She could be 7-12 range herself. Even worst. She was 6th in a random GP.

You took the words right out of my mouth.....

Really? One bad event, and all her other accomplishments disregarded just like that? Talk about forgetfulness. Well, to quote Ashley: #Laugh it Off# and #Keeppushingforward.#

 

[FlattFan]

Really? One bad event, and all her other accomplishments disregarded just like that? Talk about forgetfulness. Well, to quote Ashley: #Laugh it Off# and #Keeppushingforward.#

One bad event is all it takes to lose spot. How does past accomplishments change the fact that 3 spots for next year is very shaky right now? you roll on the floor laughing too much you must have hit something and forget that even if she won 10 Olympics in a row, it doesn't change the dire situation this year. Quote away.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

One bad event is all it takes to lose spot. How does past accomplishments change the fact that 3 spots for next year is very shaky right now? you roll on the floor laughing too much you must have hit something and forget that even if she won 10 Olympics in a row, it doesn't change the dire situation this year. Quote away.

I think the USFSA actually does need Ashley at Worlds. She is by far our most stable skater. If Ashley stayed home, there would be a very realistic possibility of only one Olympic spot. I don't think anyone else is certain to bring the form that Mirai showed last year in placing 10th.

 

[FlattFan]

I think the USFSA actually does need Ashley at Worlds. She is by far our most stable skater. If Ashley stayed home, there would be a very realistic possibility of only one Olympic spot. I don't think anyone else is certain to bring the form that Mirai showed last year in placing 10th.

Oh, I agree. She is my #1 pick at Worlds right now. The other two spots are really up for grab. There's no one that can claim body of work.

 

[keasus]

Sorry if I missed something discussed earlier, but does any one know why Polina Edmunds is not competing at Nationals this year? Is she still having problems with her foot? Other reasons?

 

[stella luna]

topic: I always thought "agree to disagree" was the term for "you have your view and I will have mine, so let's not talk about it and move on." Then I used it during a disagreement with my mother-in-law! Don't think I will ever be able to use the phrase in the same way ever again. Makes me nervous just hearing the words.

Or just time for the two of them (Frank and Gracie) to go separate ways without admitting failure on either party. Some times just agreeing to disagree and move on makes the most sense......

 

[gravy]

Sorry if I missed something discussed earlier, but does any one know why Polina Edmunds is not competing at Nationals this year? Is she still having problems with her foot? Other reasons?

Frat mixer that weekend.

 

[stella luna]

Frat mixer that weekend.

 

[ice coverage]

Sorry if I missed something discussed earlier, but does any one know why Polina Edmunds is not competing at Nationals this year? Is she still having problems with her foot? Other reasons?

You did not miss anything.

In fact, AFAIK, nothing officially has been announced about whether or not Polina will compete at Nats. No announcement from her, and none from USFS.

When she withdrew a month ago from NHK, USFS referred to rehab for her right foot injury.

http://usfigureskating.org/story?id=90128&type=media (Nov 8)​

 

[keasus]

You did not miss anything.

In fact, AFAIK, nothing officially has been announced about whether or not Polina will compete at Nats. No announcement from her, and none from USFS.

When she withdrew a month ago from NHK, USFS referred to rehab for her right foot injury.

http://usfigureskating.org/story?id=90128&type=media (Nov 8)​

Thanks. I thought I read a tweet on TSL yesterday that she would not be at Nationals, but I couldn't find any confirmation. I hope she goes and comes out guns a'blazin.

 

[amc987]

Thanks. I thought I read a tweet on TSL yesterday that she would not be at Nationals, but I couldn't find any confirmation. I hope she goes and comes out guns a'blazin.

I think Polina's probably out. Dave Lease seems to have a lot of insider info that he won't discuss publicly (b/c it's unconfirmed or b/c the parties involved were speaking off the record). I imagine that since he tweeted it, he has a good sense that it's true.

 

[Tolstoj]

I think USFS would looooove to have someone new to push at Nationals. The attention Polina has gotten domestically over the past few years hasn't translated into too much international success (4CCs excepting). Then we have a lot of girls with potential, like Amber Glenn (who I believe was sidelined with some long-term illness last year? maybe I am thinking of someone else, but anyway, she chose not to pursue sectionals/nationals) who can put out a decent program/competition every once in awhile but never sustains it over the course of a season. Like Amber. In 13/14, she had a 3rd place JGP event finish and then finished 7th at JW. Not terrible. In 14/15, 6th and 3rd on the JGP, 13th at Nationals. Then last season where she didn't even try to make it to Nationals (unsure why).

There's a reason you don't know who Amber Glenn is and it's not USFS's fault.

Anyway, with the way reputation scoring now plays a large role in determining PCS internationally, USFS can't afford to send a team of "unknowns" to Worlds. They could all skate as well as the Russian ladies and barely make it into the top ten due to a lack of reputation. Then bye-bye three spots. A newbie has to establish themselves on the GP first, like Evgenia did last year. And US ladies haven't, aside from Ashley and Gracie (not this year, but in the past). Not USFS's fault.

I don't see this, sorry.

Polina last season deserved to be US National champion: her FS wasn't perfectly clean but overall she was the most consistent skater of the event, but instead the Fed / judges decided to push Gracie's scores once again almost at the point to set a new record to let her win.

Thinking on the mind of Polina Edmunds, or Mirai Nagasu at US Nationals 2014: it must be tough to see that you're doing your best and you know, that you were the best there, but still not being able to win because the fed decided to bet on someone else. To me that kills the competition and when there is no competition, it's pretty obvious why we are always talking about those three ladies even when they are very disappointing.

US fed should risk more, giving everyone the same chances and then let's see who deserves to be at worlds, this is important not just for the skaters but also the coaches: Frank learned from the mistakes but also the successes of his students, Tom or Tammy or David has to do the same way.

At this point Mariah Bell and Courtney Hicks have more medals than Gracie this season, they need that little trust from the fed to stay in the mix and maybe going to worlds and keep improving, it would be very sad to see something similar to last year.

Everyone here is expecting a Pogorilaya moment for Gracie, but you should know that Anna skated that good at Nationals because she knew she needed two perfectly clean performances after the disappointing GP season.

 

[ice coverage]

Thanks. I thought I read a tweet on TSL yesterday that she would not be at Nationals, but I couldn't find any confirmation. I hope she goes and comes out guns a'blazin.

I too hope that Polina comes back strong. :agree:

I would add that some have been speculating, theorizing, extrapolating, and making lame jokes about other supposed explanations for why Polina has not yet competed this season.
But again, other than injury, Polina herself has not articulated any cause and effect.

---

I think Polina's probably out. Dave Lease seems to have a lot of insider info that he won't discuss publicly (b/c it's unconfirmed or b/c the parties involved were speaking off the record). I imagine that since he tweeted it, he has a good sense that it's true.

As is often the case, TSL failed to provide sourcing.
If Polina ends up not competing at Nats, we could just as easily assume that Dave's tweet was nothing more than a good guess on his part.

By tweeting something, Dave IS discussing it publically.
If Dave took his own journalism seriously, it would be quite unprofessional for him to "report" unconfirmed information without saying that it is unconfirmed -- or to publish information that he received off the record.

 

[amc987]

I too hope that Polina comes back strong. :agree:

I would add that some have been speculating, theorizing, extrapolating, and making lame jokes about other supposed explanations for why Polina has not yet competed this season.
But again, other than injury, Polina herself has not articulated any cause and effect.

---

As is often the case, TSL failed to provide sourcing.
If Polina ends up not competing at Nats, we could just as easily assume that Dave's tweet was nothing more than a good guess on his part.

By tweeting something, Dave IS discussing it publically.
If Dave took his own journalism seriously, it would be quite unprofessional for him to "report" unconfirmed information without saying that it is unconfirmed -- or to publish information that he received off the record.

I get that Twitter is public reporting. My point, which I meant to imply and could follow from what you said, was that this info about Polina is probably confirmed and probably was on the record because Dave reported it publicly. Maybe Dave didn't report this info in more traditional way at the request of whoever gave it to him (maybe an official announcement is pending). Or, maybe you're right that he's unprofessional in reporting information that's either unconfirmed or not ready for attribution.

In any event, my guess is that his info is accurate and Polina won't be at Nationals.

 

[KatGrace1925]

https://www.google.com/amp/olympics...gracie-gold-carolina-kostner-golden-spin/amp/

Gracie apparently told Nick McCarvel, "I'm getting out all the bad stuff. There's been a lot of bad. I'm setting the stage for an amazing comeback." Which about sums up how I hope her season goes now.

 

[mrrice]

https://www.google.com/amp/olympics...gracie-gold-carolina-kostner-golden-spin/amp/

Gracie apparently told Nick McCarvel, "I'm getting out all the bad stuff. There's been a lot of bad. I'm setting the stage for an amazing comeback." Which about sums up how I hope her season goes now.

That's certainly good news however, she will need to make a drastic move if she's going to convince her detractors. Myself included. Hopefully, seeing the rise of Mariah Bell, a skater who had never been close to beating Gracie in the past, will remind her that the right coach can make all the difference. Especially when it comes to the rest of the skaters in the coaches stable. Raf has done so much for Mariah and Ashley but, it didn't stop Adam and Nathan from finishing 5th and 6th in the GPF and neither Ashley or Mariah even got to attend the GPF. Gracie, should have a look at Mr, Chan. He's older than the rest of the field and is just a few weeks away from his 26th B-day. He scored a 99.76 in the SP

Gracie is no longer a rookie and as a seasoned veteran, it is now or never. What she can no longer do, is pretend that everything is fine by making these kinds of comments. When I see it on the ice, then and only then will I believe that an "Amazing Comeback" is in the offing.

 

[ice coverage]

https://www.google.com/amp/olympics...gracie-gold-carolina-kostner-golden-spin/amp/

Gracie apparently told Nick McCarvel, "I'm getting out all the bad stuff. There's been a lot of bad. I'm setting the stage for an amazing comeback." Which about sums up how I hope her season goes now.

McCarvel's full article has lots more quotes from Gracie in Zagreb (after she competed both programs). She sounds determined and optimistic re Nats.

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2016/12/09/210803784 (Dec 9)​

Go, Gracie :yay: .

 

[KatGrace1925]

McCarvel's full article has lots more quotes from Gracie in Zagreb (after she competed both programs). She sounds determined and optimistic re Nats.

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2016/12/09/210803784 (Dec 9)​

Go, Gracie :yay: .

By this article it sounds like she is doing whatever she can to correct her trajectory. She sounds much better than she did at Skate America. I really hope she pulls it out at nationals!

 

[Lenny318]

https://www.google.com/amp/olympics...gracie-gold-carolina-kostner-golden-spin/amp/

Gracie apparently told Nick McCarvel, "I'm getting out all the bad stuff. There's been a lot of bad. I'm setting the stage for an amazing comeback." Which about sums up how I hope her season goes now.

Ugh the thought of trying to do any of those difficult elements with back pain. I can understand hesitation between trying to put out what you practiced before leaving and trying not to aggravate it further. Hope it gets resolved safely and quickly!