State of US Ladies in skating III: 2014-15 Season

[apgold]

Gao and Cain are struggling

.

Yes, I wonder why Gao is competing this season? I'm sure her studies have something to do with her performance. She barely hit any of her jumps in her FS not sure if that was her lack of training or just not being there mentally.

As for Cain, she has so much potential, maybe she is just not cut for competing.

 

[ice coverage]

... Yes, I wonder why Gao is competing this season? I'm sure her studies have something to do with her performance. She barely hit any of her jumps in her FS not sure if that was her lack of training or just not being there mentally.

Gao qualified for the GPF during her freshman year at Harvard.
Whether/how her studies affect her skating is not clear.

Richard Dornbush just won a GP bronze at Cup of China.
Representing UC San Diego, he won the men's title at the 2014 US Collegiate Figure Skating Championships in August. The event is open only to full-time college students.

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2014/08/14/89597442/dornbush-headlining-collegiate-championships​

"He is pursuing a degree in physics with a specialization in computational physics" at UC San Diego.

http://web.icenetwork.com/skaters/profile/richard_dornbush​

 

[skatedreamer]

Gao qualified for the GPF during her freshman year at Harvard.
Whether/how her studies affect her skating is not clear.

Richard Dornbush just won a GP bronze at Cup of China.
Representing UC San Diego, he won the men's title at the 2014 US Collegiate Figure Skating Championships in August. The event is open only to full-time college students.

With all due respect to Richard (whose LP I really like, BTW), not everyone can handle that kind of balancing act. No disrespect to Christina, either. I just think that it all depends on the person.

 

[ice coverage]

With all due respect to Richard (whose LP I really like, BTW), not everyone can handle that kind of balancing act. No disrespect to Christina, either. I just think that it all depends on the person.

Another piece of data for Gao is that when she took a year off from Harvard to make a run at Sochi, her skating was less successful than when she was a freshman carrying a full course load.

All the more reason why I would not assume that her studies are the cause of her low placement at Cup of China.

 

[skatedreamer]

Another piece of data for Gao is that when she took a year off from Harvard to make a run at Sochi, her skating was less successful than when she was a freshman carrying a full course load.

All the more reason why I would not assume that her studies are the cause of her low placement at Cup of China.

sorry, I think I misinterpreted something. If that's the case, it sounds like Christina's studies are helping her skating, not hindering it.

 

[gotoschool]

I know she is not a senior yet, but as I wrote in an earlier post Karen Chen is my favorite American, along with Mirai who is my sentimental favorite. Karen just needs some more consistency on her jumps, but the spins, extensions, graceful movements, steps and presence on the ice impress me more when she is "on" than any other American at the moment. Though her scores were down slightly this year, she came within one point of winning the Croatia Cup and finished 1st in the SP at both the Croatia Cup and Czech Skate against stiff competition: Wakaba Higuchi, Evgenia Medvedeva and Maria Sotskova, all of whom are in the Junior Grand Prix final. I know she hurt her ankle badly late last year. Perhaps, her stamina is not where it needs to be yet to make it through the LP. I am not saying she is a sure thing (she also needs to improve her skating skills), but she certainly has huge potential and she is only 15. I hope she can get her stamina and jumps down when she competes in Nationals. And I will also be pulling for Mirai.

 

[flutz16]

Chen is going through a growth period and injury
if she can recover from them, they should invest on her. its better to go to puberty early than going to it at 16/17 years old.

 

[Miss Ice]

.

Yes, I wonder why Gao is competing this season? I'm sure her studies have something to do with her performance. She barely hit any of her jumps in her FS not sure if that was her lack of training or just not being there mentally.

Heh, I have a friend who is friends with Gao, probably can ask them why.

 

[ice coverage]

I know she is not a senior yet, but as I wrote in an earlier post Karen Chen is my favorite American....

Stupid question:

Is Karen Chen in this photo with Frank Carroll? I had posted it in the FC thread, but no one responded. I know that the others are Rabbitt, Keiser, and Omori.​

https://twitter.com/SeanRabbitt/status/529389186751549440​

sorry, I think I misinterpreted something. If that's the case, it sounds like Christina's studies are helping her skating, not hindering it.

My opinion is that it's impossible to conclude one way or the other that Gao's studies are consistently helping or hurting her skating. IMO, the ups and downs of her skating are not necessarily tied to whether or not she's juggling schoolwork at the same time.

 

[Miss Ice]

I know she is not a senior yet, but as I wrote in an earlier post Karen Chen is my favorite American, along with Mirai who is my sentimental favorite. Karen just needs some more consistency on her jumps, but the spins, extensions, graceful movements, steps and presence on the ice impress me more when she is "on" than any other American at the moment. Though her scores were down slightly this year, she came within one point of winning the Croatia Cup and finished 1st in the SP at both the Croatia Cup and Czech Skate against stiff competition: Wakaba Higuchi, Evgenia Medvedeva and Maria Sotskova, all of whom are in the Junior Grand Prix final. I know she hurt her ankle badly late last year. Perhaps, her stamina is not where it needs to be yet to make it through the LP. I am not saying she is a sure thing (she also needs to improve her skating skills), but she certainly has huge potential and she is only 15. I hope she can get her stamina and jumps down when she competes in Nationals. And I will also be pulling for Mirai.

Wow, we have a lot of similar opinions. Karen Chen is also my favorite junior besides Higuchi. I really hope to see her do well at senior nationals and at JWC if she is going and everything is alright.

 

[tulosai]

Are you sure you're talking about the same skater? I think tulosai was referring to Oksana Baiul's Olympic FS.

This... Baiul had no triple triple that I'm aware of in that free skate and definitely never executed a three jump combo... I'm not being sarcastic at all CanadianSkaterGuy when I ask who are you talking about?

 

[gotoschool]

Stupid question:

Is Karen Chen in this photo with Frank Carroll? I had posted it in the FC thread, but no one responded. I know that the others are Rabbitt, Keiser, and Omori.​

https://twitter.com/SeanRabbitt/status/529389186751549440​

/QUOTE]

I don't think it is a stupid question because the young lady in the picture does resemble her just a little. But to me, I don't think it is her after looking at other photos of Karen.

 

[humbaba]

Stupid question:

Is Karen Chen in this photo with Frank Carroll? I had posted it in the FC thread, but no one responded. I know that the others are Rabbitt, Keiser, and Omori.​

https://twitter.com/SeanRabbitt/status/529389186751549440​

I don't think that young lady is Karen. Doesn't look like her to me.

 

[ice coverage]

Stupid question:

Is Karen Chen in this photo with Frank Carroll? I had posted it in the FC thread, but no one responded. I know that the others are Rabbitt, Keiser, and Omori.​

https://twitter.com/SeanRabbitt/status/529389186751549440​

I don't think it is a stupid question because the young lady in the picture does resemble her just a little. But to me, I don't think it is her after looking at other photos of Karen.

I don't think that young lady is Karen. Doesn't look like her to me.

Thx for your responses. If anyone can shed light on the name of the young lady in the photo, please share it. :think:

 

[noskates]

That is not Karen Chen in that picture.

I saw Karen last weekend in the Kristi Yamaguchi/Brian Boitano ice show in San Jose, CA. I was really pretty unimpressed with her. Perhaps it's the growth spurt or maybe the lingering injury, but she just didn't have "it!" When she finished her program my thought was "is that all there is?"

 

[amc987]

Is Ashley Cain injured? She looked excellent this summer and somehow she's wasn't rotating most of her jumps at CoC. I think the caller was a bit tough, but some of hers weren't even that close in the SP and FS. And she didn't seem particularly surprised by her performance or her marks.

Was it just a terrible competition for her or was her skating over the summer more of an aberration?

 

[flutz16]

is Gao still continuing ? Harvard life is tough, I wouldnt be surprised if she followed Flatt's route next season
also Gold has been a disappointment, people were expecting too much from her.

 

[SimplyAFan]

We're only halfway through the GP. I'm trying to be optimistic and hope that all the ladies have taken something away to really work on from the first competition and have better performances, regardless of placement, in their second events.

 

[vexlak]

Is Ashley Cain injured? She looked excellent this summer and somehow she's wasn't rotating most of her jumps at CoC. I think the caller was a bit tough, but some of hers weren't even that close in the SP and FS. And she didn't seem particularly surprised by her performance or her marks.

Was it just a terrible competition for her or was her skating over the summer more of an aberration?

Ashley has a history of bad international events. Not sure if it has to do with peek timing or purely mental issue.

 

[vexlak]

is Gao still continuing ? Harvard life is tough, I wouldnt be surprised if she followed Flatt's route next season
also Gold has been a disappointment, people were expecting too much from her.

Gao is a nice skater, but she just does not have it. Last year she did'nt do so good and that was with break from the school. It will get only harder with the school. On top of that, if she will skate the way she skates, she will not earn any international points and not make it to the WC or 4C, hence not get any GP for the next season. In my view it would be hard to motivate her to continue. The only light at the tunnel would be if she does great at the US NC. But from I can see that is not happening.
As for Gold, keep in mind that it is the beginning of the season. Yes someone disappointing from the fan point of view, but in reality she was third at the GP, and what really matters this year for her is the WC which is in late March. US NC is no issue as no matter what she does, she will be in the team USA for the 4C and the WC. Plus it is hard to motivate now young celebrity (and good $$ earner) after the Olympics. WC is far away and there is plenty of time to get better.