US Team: 4CCs and Worlds (updated)

[yelyoh]

Mirai placed 10th last year at Worlds. She would do at least that well. Yeah I know she sometimes chokes but she is a better bet than Karen who, head cold or head case, only skates well at Nats. If the USFSA wants even the possibility of three spots for next year they need to send Mirai. Mariah is a work in progress but she did get silver at Skate America. I'm not saying this is the magic formula but it's a better option.

 

[Heero Yui]

Mirai should be sent in the World Championships. She could have won the gold in the 4CC if she did skate very well in the short.

 

[bekalc]

No, they didn't. They chose the top two ELIGIBLE skaters for Worlds. You can argue this til the cows come home, but VINCENT WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR WORLDS AT NATIONALS. USFS, WISELY, chose not to take for granted that he would get them.

Giving "a young skater an opportunity to compete under pressure and grow" is fine - in ANY OTHER YEAR. NOT the year the Olympic spots are decided and NOT when his teammate will be a Worlds debutante also!

Once again they could have named Vincent to the team contingent on him getting minimums that is not without precedent.

I did not say they should not take Brown. I said they should have TBA it. They should have probably TBA the ladies except Ashley too. There is a difference.

Once again Jason is injured and even healthy does not have the best tech. It is a risk taking him too. I don't know why you don't want to see that. He finished 10th in the short here add in some from Euros and heck just Fernandez and it does not matter if Nathan wins Worlds-two spots.

Jason is not a sure bet not even close not because he is s bad competitor but because of his tech content.

Lots of teams TBA teams I don't know why USFSA does not and I think it would be appropriate for them to do so in some circumstances.

And there are benefits to getting young skaters out there.

 

[jFarrisFAN]

Mariah and Karen deserve the boot. They've both shown they are extremely inconsistent internationally but MIRAI has shown 2 seasons in a row that she peaks towards the end of the season and she definitely deserves to go. To be honest I'd even send Gracie because at least there's always the slim chance Gracie could place a top 10 or top 8 where as at this point Mariah and Karen have shown that they are unable to skate 2 decent programs this season other than at nationals.

 

[bekalc]

Bell skated well at Skate America so it's not fair to say she skated well only at Nationals. Maybe this was just nerves on their end?

 

[icellist]

Ashley and Mirai and Kwan and Cohen for worlds!

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Mariah and Karen deserve the boot. They've both shown they are extremely inconsistent internationally but MIRAI has shown 2 seasons in a row that she peaks towards the end of the season and she definitely deserves to go.

Yes. Mirai has never shown inconsistency internationally

I wouldn't be surprised if USFSA did something boneheaded like boot one of them though. It's why we are where we are. We strive to maintain instead of accel. Sometimes ya just gotta gamble on the future. Who cares about a third spot that likely wouldn't even be a top ten anyway. SRSLY

 

[sarama]

It is a tough position for USFSA. Sending Mariah and Karen is really going to Vegas (as Raf would say), but there's no guarantee Mirai would do well. Plus some help could come from the Japanese ladies and the Canadians, especially if Satoko is out or not too prepared.

 

[OS]

Just toss their name in a hat, and let the luck decide. Fair? There's no guarantee Ashley will do that well either. Look at what happened to Kaetlyn today.

I wish people would stop being so quick to condemn. There's always that sense of entitlement among US figure skating fans for their ladies, it hardly ease pressures for these youngsters to live up to the glorious legacy of Kwan. I've seen it with Alissa, Mirai and Gracie, and they ends up have to fight a mental game when they are really talented and just perform below what they are capable of. And exactly what does it mean to invest in these youngsters, it means encouragement even when results are not so great not quick condemnation and treat them like some puppets.

 

[snowflake]

Yes. Mirai has never shown inconsistency internationally

I wouldn't be surprised if USFSA did something boneheaded like boot one of them though. It's why we are where we are. We strive to maintain instead of accel. Sometimes ya just gotta gamble on the future.

Really??? The right thing now is to stick to the plan and support the chosen so they can have the best preparations. I can’t see any of Mirai, Mariah or Karen being more safe than the other.

Who cares about a third spot that likely wouldn't even be a top ten anyway. SRSLY

Are there not requirements for the skaters sent to olympics? Like having a good chance to finish among top ten or somesuch? Every athlete is a cost for the US olympic committee, right? Or who is paying? I wonder how much each participant cost: Travels, coaches, accommodation, clothes, food, etc

 

[bekalc]

There is no guarantee Ashley will do well but she has a good track record (although her first trip to worlds didn't get a huge placement)

I would cut Bell some slack. 6th isn't to bad. As for Kaitlynn, she's never been the best competitor.

I do think people need to let nerves play out. I worry about Chen though because she really doesn't compete well internationally.

 

[jFarrisFAN]

Bell skated well at Skate America so it's not fair to say she skated well only at Nationals. Maybe this was just nerves on their end?

And what do you think their nerves will be like when they are at the world championship for the first time knowing that if they don't place well the US will lose the 3 spots and will further diminish their chances of going to 2018?

 

[jFarrisFAN]

Yes. Mirai has never shown inconsistency internationally

I wouldn't be surprised if USFSA did something boneheaded like boot one of them though. It's why we are where we are. We strive to maintain instead of accel. Sometimes ya just gotta gamble on the future. Who cares about a third spot that likely wouldn't even be a top ten anyway. SRSLY

I wasn't saying that MIRAI hasn't had moments of her own too. But she has shown this season and last season that she peaks towards the end of the season so I would definitely be more confident sending her to worlds than Karen or Mariah. She also has WAY more international experience and will likely deal with the pressure better than Bell or Chen.

 

[andromache]

Idk, maybe it's silly of me, but I think Mariah is going to be good to go by Worlds. She's a fighter, Raf knows what he's doing, and subpar performances at Four Continents don't mean much.

Karen should've left Tammy Gambill several seasons ago and moved to someone like Raf or Brian, who might not have made her into the most consistent skater, but someone who could've made sure that her lows aren't quite so darn low. Like Gracie, prior to this season, who could make mistakes and still do well enough to place top 6. Karen should be that skater, but she's not, and it's at least in part due to the fact that she's not with a world class coach.

Even so, I hope the team stays as is and there are no Liam Firus situations. It wouldn't be right, and tbh it's not like Mirai would do much better at Worlds.

 

[Kittosuni]

I get that Mirai placed higher compare to Mariah and Karen but was her performance really that compelling for USFS to completely change their decision?

I think the only way USFS to even consider changing their decision is if she skated 2 clean programs, skated lights out and blew the competition. But instead she came out 3rd in a weak field and had a mistake in the SP. She had nothing to loose here and should have thrown that 3 axel but instead she skated conservatively.

 

[Kittosuni]

I get that Mirai placed higher compare to Mariah and Karen but was her performance really that compelling for USFS to completely change their decision?

I think the only way USFS to even consider changing their decision is if she skated 2 clean programs, skated lights out and blew the competition. But instead she came out 3rd in a weak field and had a mistake in her SP. She had nothing to loose here and should have thrown that 3 axel but instead she skated conservatively.

 

[Sjs5572]

The USFSA should stick with its commitment for this year. However, going forward, World and Olympic selections should be made on last possible day, with a final test skate included for close calls. The practices at 4CC indicated that Chen and Bell may have indeed peaked too early in the season, and that they hadn't just succumbed to the vagaries of competition pressure; however, fairness dictates that we stick with our current team.

 

[chuckm]

Mirai had a similar skate at 4CC last year and won silver; she pretty much repeated that skate at Worlds, yet placed just 10th. Even when skating clean, her PCS scores hold her back because she is so intent on delivering the technical goods that there is no Mirai in the performance.

Mariah did OK at 4CC, not great, but I think she can do better at Worlds. Karen just seems to collapse into a ball of self doubt when she competes internationally.
I watched her 4CC FS and she looked as if she was scared to death and had no idea what was coming next.

I would be very surprised if Karen can finish in the top 12 at Worlds; I think Mariah probably can manage to do it. But with this team, it's bye bye 3 spots for US ladies.


Let's face it: we need Gracie and let's hope she is training hard so she'll be ready to get back where she belongs next season.

 

[bekalc]

I think the team remains the same but in close calls TBA should be used. Why not.

 

[OS]

There's also a matter of compete for the placement or for the win. IMHO Karen at her best is very competitive internationally. Element to element. Jumps for jumps, spins for spins, spirals for spirals, SS to SS, am I right? She does need a better long program, and more experienced team to help her get there.