The U.S. Olympic team has just been announced

[SkateFan4Life]

No surprises, as far as I'm concerned. IMHO, the USA has an incredibly strong and talented women's figure skating team. Kwan/Cohen/Meissner - you go, girls!

It's a little ironic that Sarah Hughes won the bronze medal at the 2002 US Nationals and defeated Michelle Kwan, who won the national title, at the Olympics. Now, her little sister Emily also wins bronze at the 2006 Nationals and is being bypassed for a spot on the Olympic team by Michelle. Of course, had Michelle been healthy and able to compete, I'm sure she would have finished first or second, so it's a moot point.

Still, Emily is wise to keep training, because anything can happen at this point.

 

[Mathman]

What about Beatrisa Liang? She finished ahead of both Zukowski and Czisny at Nationals. I can understand Alissa being appointed to Junior Worlds because of her success on the GP circuit, but Zukowski? This was Bebe's 6th trip to the U.S Nationals and she's done very well all 6 times. Why has she never done Junior worlds or the senior/junior GP events?

Beatrisa is all through with juniors. Last year IIRC she had the choice of going to Junior Worlds or to Four Continents as a senior; she chose Four Continents. This year she did compete in the senior Grand Prix, at one event, Skate America (fourth place).

Christine Zukowski was 2nd in U.S. juniors last year, and competed on the junior GP circuit, making the junior Grand Prix final (6th).

MM

 

[Mathman]

After watching this Nationsals, I'd like to see Stephanie Rosenthal (or whoever choreographed her programs,) do programs for Kwan, Slutskaya, and Cohen !! I could maybe see Slutskaya in Rosenthal's SP, but even at that, it's a stretch!

It's great to see a skater "think out of the box." I wonder what Rosenthal's scores would have been like, if she really had the jumps...?

Nubka, you and I may not agree on Michelle, but we're on common ground here! COI should snach up Stephanie for next summer's tour.

MM

 

[Piel]

Isn't Czisney a liitle old for Junior Worlds? I actually thought the Jr. Worlds team announcment was a misprint and maybe meant 4C? Since Hughes is going to Worlds she will be training and ready to go to Turino if needed.

 

[Mathman]

Just because you think a skater's programs are dull/slightly boring/yesterday's news,...

And yet...and yet...she's just so doggone

♫ Looooov - ly!
♪ Don't you ever change!
♫ Keep that breathless charm!
♪ Won't you please arrange it
♫ 'Cause I loooooove you!
♪ Just the way you look...to...night!! ♫♪

http://www.dieneueepoche.com/pics/2005/01/18/l/2005-01-18-l--Eiskunstlaufen.jpg

This U.S. Nationals competition has given us a preview of what figure skating will be without Michelle. Yes, Stephanie Rosenthal was worth the price of admission. Otherwise, I don't know...maybe not so much to hold our interest?

Mathman

PS. And..that..laugh..that..wrinkles your nose...

http://www.toeloopy.com/portfolio/photography/favorites/images/mk093004-09038.jpg

 

[R.D.]

Did the "haters" say anything?

Then why is there a discussion about them? :scratch:

 

[flowjo35]

This U.S. Nationals competition has given us a preview of what figure skating will be without Michelle. Yes, Stephanie Rosenthal was worth the price of admission. Otherwise, I don't know...maybe not so much to hold our interest?

MM I hope it gets better. That was painful.

 

[nubka]

Where do you guys get all these icons you keep using ??

 

[K-Mo]

PS. And..that..laugh..that..wrinkles your nose...

http://www.toeloopy.com/portfolio/photography/favorites/images/mk093004-09038.jpg

Priceless!!!

 

[nubka]

And yet...and yet...she's just so doggone

♫ Looooov - ly!
♪ Don't you ever change!
♫ Keep that breathless charm!
♪ Won't you please arrange it
♫ 'Cause I loooooove you!
♪ Just the way you look...to...night!! ♫♪
http://www.toeloopy.com/portfolio/photography/favorites/images/mk093004-09038.jpg

She is lovely, no dobut. With all her talent (as I've said so many times before,) I'd just like to see her "think out of the box" every once in a while...why is that so wrong? Even eating the most exquisite chocolate can become blah after awhile if it's the only kind you ever try...

It would be so refreshing if all the "biggies" in this skating world would get out of their comfort zones, and push the envelope every now and then. Or is that only for the Stepahnie Rosenthals to do...?

 

[sk8er1964]

It's a little ironic that Sarah Hughes won the bronze medal at the 2002 US Nationals and defeated Michelle Kwan, who won the national title, at the Olympics. Now, her little sister Emily also wins bronze at the 2006 Nationals and is being bypassed for a spot on the Olympic team by Michelle. Of course, had Michelle been healthy and able to compete, I'm sure she would have finished first or second, so it's a moot point.

Still, Emily is wise to keep training, because anything can happen at this point.

The opinions I heard from everyone I talked with this weekend, who are not involved in anyway in figure skating (but are somewhat knowledgeable, because they're involved in hockey), is that it is a travesty that MK got placed on the Olympic team. As one of them said, it's like "Team A" played their hearts out to win the district, but "Team B" had won the year before and asked to go in "Team A's" place, so "Team B" gets to go. He called it, and I quote, "another black eye for your sport".

Thought I'd give you a view from outside the insular world for figure skating. And no, I'm not a hater. I do feel very bad for Emily Hughes, though.

 

[Piel]

LOL, I guess that's why we don't ask hockey folks to pick the Olympic figure skating team.

 

[Mathman]

Where do you guys get all these icons you keep using ??

The "icons," like "question mark," "news," etc., are down at the very bottom of the dialogue box when you post.

If you mean the little pictures that appear under our names ("avatars"), like I have Yuka Sato, click on User Control Panel at the upper left, then on Edit Avatar in the menu on the left. You can pick one (plenty of Michelle's left ) from the bank.

After you have 100 posts you can create your own "custom avatar" and email it to Golden Skate.

If you mean the smileys, like , etc., besides the ones listed over on the right odf the dialogue box, if you click on "more" there are more.

Some people link their own, which they find on other boards or on web sites devoted to smileys. (But hot-linking is discouraged as band-width theft).

If you want the musical note, you can copy and paste it from my post above. ♫♪

MM

 

[Ogre Mage]

The opinions I heard from everyone I talked with this weekend, who are not involved in anyway in figure skating (but are somewhat knowledgeable, because they're involved in hockey), is that it is a travesty that MK got placed on the Olympic team. As one of them said, it's like "Team A" played their hearts out to win the district, but "Team B" had won the year before and asked to go in "Team A's" place, so "Team B" gets to go. He called it, and I quote, "another black eye for your sport".

Thought I'd give you a view from outside the insular world for figure skating. And no, I'm not a hater. I do feel very bad for Emily Hughes, though.

I feel bad for Emily also, but I still think the decision was correct. The job of the Olympic Selection committee is to send the strongest team possible. Frankly, Emily's LP was nothing to write home about.

 

[sk8er1964]

LOL, I guess that's why we don't ask hockey folks to pick the Olympic figure skating team.

Actually, I was rather shocked at how much these guys did know about figure skating. We were at one of my son's coach's house to review a game tape, and while we were eating pizza I asked to have the men's event put on the tv. One of our coaches is a former NHL (8+ years) player. He mentioned going to social events with Boitano and Bowman and Stoiko. He complimented Weir on his "quick feet" (which is important to hockey, and is a high compliment). These guys might not be figure skaters, and in the past, before I got to know hockey, I would have discounted their opinions, but they know skating in general, and they know good figure skating when they see it.

They also know what's fair and what's not.

 

[Piel]

They also know what's fair and what's not.

What's fair is following the rules...all sport is based on rules. That's what the committee did. You can bet if this were football, basketball, or hockey, if their best guy was out for the season but healthy enough to return for the playoffs they would let him play if when he returned he proved that he was better than the back up was. These hockey players didn't happen to be Mr. Hughes' old team mates were they?

 

[Mathman]

If this were football, basketball, or hockey, if their best guy was out for the season but healthy enough to return for the playoffs they would let him play if when he returned he proved that he was better than the back up was.

I think this is the right way to look at it. Michelle is part of the American Olympic team.

 

[julietvalcouer]

If they thought they were seeing good figure skating during the ladies' long programs, they know less than they think. Kwan's bye would be unfair only if someone within shouting range of the medal podium besides Meissner and Cohen didn't fall apart during the long program, but that's not what happened. I saw nothing from Emily last night to indicate she'd be any more likely to medal than Michelle would. Better to send someone you know can perform under pressure.

Ladies' is my least-favorite discipline, so no skin off my nose if it's going to be a dry spell once Kwan and Cohen retire (though as far as Cohen goes, I think she's the worst offender in the 'grab the ankle and pull your foot over your head' school--yes, we know you're flexible, honey, now do something else.) But if they keep rewarding snoozefests like Katy Taylor (this is the first time I've seen her and I dislike her already) instead of someone joyfully innovative like Stephanie Rosenthal it IS going to be a drought. (I loved her. Her positions were interesting and she was having such a good time.) I hope someone was listening to Dick Button when he suggested a rule limiting the endless catchfoot positions.

 

[sk8er1964]

. These hockey players didn't happen to be Mr. Hughes' old team mates were they?

Not as far as I know . http://www.legendsofhockey.net:8080/LegendsOfHockey/jsp/SearchPlayer.jsp?player=14283

 

[Ogre Mage]

If they thought they were seeing good figure skating during the ladies' long programs, they know less than they think. Kwan's bye would be unfair only if someone within shouting range of the medal podium besides Meissner and Cohen didn't fall apart during the long program, but that's not what happened. I saw nothing from Emily last night to indicate she'd be any more likely to medal than Michelle would. Better to send someone you know can perform under pressure.

That's how I feel also. If Emily had placed high on the GP circuit this season, skated a great SP and LP in St. Louis and then was bumped, I would cry foul. But this clearly is not the case.