A Case for Mirai Nagasu
- Thread starter AC96
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*raises an eyebrow*
Who, pray tell, should they have sent instead - and who should have stayed at home?
It's been days. Why are we still arguing about this? I love Mirai. I was devastated at nationals for her. I'm over the moon for her bronze at 4cc. But unless someone is injured, the team stays as is. Let's just hope for the best. Maybe they'll surprise us.
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- Feb 24, 2012
Have some faith. If Ashley wins silver again Karen or Mariah needs to finish 11th which surely one of them would be in the top ten.Neither one will give up a chance to go to worlds even if they have to lie a little ie their boots are fine or whatever Its not about three spots it is about "me' and getting what me wants. I remember years ago Canada in I believe 1998 maybe lost their shot to send a female skater all because Susan Humphries would let someone else skate in her place at some competition even though it wa sknonw she was injured. canada wound up with no lady at the olymmpics oh the shame lol. We are selfish.
I like Mirai´s skating when she is on, but that happens rarely. Now she was on the podium at 4CC, but that does not mean that she would skate well at Worlds, unfortunately. As a competitor she is not very good. I worry, that she wastes time with the triple axel training, a skater who has problems in rotating her triples at competitions. Maybe she should just train more her triples and forget the triple axel?
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This would be tough. Ashley skated her best in Boston but, if judged solely on TES, would have placed 5th. I don't think she'll win PCS outside the US against Evgenia or Caro. I think 4th for Ashley would be a great achievement, given the deeper field this year.
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I dreamt last night she won bronze
. (Not even kidding though I really did dream that).
I expect Ashley to be in the best shape she's been all year at Worlds (not unlike last year) and in completely peak form. That said, I think you're right - if Ashley skates her best, and everyone else skates their best - 4th/5th is probably where she would wind up. (She'd definitely get beat by Evgenia, Anna, and Satoko, and then Carolina, depending on what Carolina's TES is by Worlds).
Satoko being plagued by URs and/or not in top shape because of injury would help Ashley. I don't see Ashley beating Anna. Evgenia is obviously unbeatable.
ETA: Oh, and Kaetlyn. Ashley would probably wind up behind a perfect Osmond (putting Ashley in 4th/5th depending on Carolina's tech content). I knew I was forgetting somebody! Anyway, Ashley's most likely placement is 3rd-6th, I'd guess.
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Mirai skated well at Worlds last year. She was 10th in one of the toughest fields ever. If just she and Ashley had been on the US team, they still would have gotten three spots. They didn't even need Gracie!
She obviously has been training her triples, since she skated with no under-rotations in her LP at 4CC. In her short program, she didn't get an UR on her 3-3, which is usually where she has a problem. I'm not saying Mirai should go to Worlds. That ship has sailed. But I think she would have done just fine, if she had been on the team.
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Don't forget that Mariah beat both Mai Mihara and Gabrielle Daleman at Skate America. She could place as high as 8th-- after 3 Russians, Satoko, Carolina, Ashley, Osmond (not in any particular order). Admittedly, it will be difficult.
ETA: Also, your post reminds me of 2011 Worlds, where Rachael Flatt didn't give up her spot to Mirai, despite being injured. Mirai had just won bronze at 4CC and Alissa Czisny had her best placement ever at Worlds, as I recall. So a good chance at three spots was lost.
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They didn't need Mirai to retain the 3 spots last year. Ashley was 2nd and Gracie was 4th. It didn't matter where Mirai finished.
Ashley and Gracie regained the three spots at Worlds 2013 with Ashley 5th and Gracie 6th. When Ashley, Gracie and Polina competed, they all finished top 10: 2014 Gracie 5th, Ashley 7th, Polina 8th; 2015 Gracie 4th, Ashley 5th, Polina 8th.
This year, only Ashley can be counted on to finish in the top 6. Even Mirai wouldn't be guaranteed any higher than 10th if she had managed to finish top 3 at Nationals.
Without Gracie, the 3 spots are gone. That's the way it's going to be, unfortunately.
Ashley and Gracie regained the three spots at Worlds 2013 with Ashley 5th and Gracie 6th. When Ashley, Gracie and Polina competed, they all finished top 10: 2014 Gracie 5th, Ashley 7th, Polina 8th; 2015 Gracie 4th, Ashley 5th, Polina 8th.
This year, only Ashley can be counted on to finish in the top 6. Even Mirai wouldn't be guaranteed any higher than 10th if she had managed to finish top 3 at Nationals.
Without Gracie, the 3 spots are gone. That's the way it's going to be, unfortunately.
UGH! There's nothing worse than breaking in new boots just before a major competition.
And when a skater has "boot problems" getting new boots does not mean there is resolution. It just means adjusting to new boots which could be better or worse than the previous pair. If the new boots aren't an improvement, the skater is torn between going with the not-good new boots, or going back to the not-good old ones.
And when a skater has "boot problems" getting new boots does not mean there is resolution. It just means adjusting to new boots which could be better or worse than the previous pair. If the new boots aren't an improvement, the skater is torn between going with the not-good new boots, or going back to the not-good old ones.
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This is my personal opinion, obviously, but I would have sent Jason over Grant. Jason tried to petition onto the team, he was the National Champion from the previous year, and he in general scores much better with the International judges than Grant does. Max has at least gotten GP medals.
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- Nov 19, 2013
I feel almost certain that Mariah will be just fine on this one. She's not complained of boot problems, and the ones she wore at 4CC looked really broken down. She's probably getting another pair of what she had before and this break in time was already planned out. Karen has had tons of boot problems in the past, and if she's trying something different than what she wore at Nationals, I'll be pretty worried about how she'll do at Worlds.
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What is it that "boots problem" that people talk about here? I am a total layman in that aspect, never wore Figure Skating boots only skated in those for hockey or speed skating recreationally. What "breaking into boots" is supposed to mean and how can you tell that boot is already "broken"? Is that breaking process very difficult or what? For me it's obscure & mysterious like mycology.
I can only suspect that it's about making your boot well fitted to your foot by continuous wearing them just like normal shoes change their shape somewhat after being worn.
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I hope they both do much better than they did at 4CC.
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But as I think we all know, it never was a matter of USFS making a choice between sending Grant vs. sending Jason.
The 2016 chronology was:
- Jason petitioned to be on the team.
- USFS announced its selections of three men and three alternates for the World team. Grant was named as first alternate. The decision that USFS made was not to include Jason among the six selections (team + alternates).
- Nathan got injured.
- As the previously announced first alternate, Grant filled the vacancy caused by Nathan's injury.
- USFS announced its selections of three men and three alternates for the World team. Grant was named as first alternate. The decision that USFS made was not to include Jason among the six selections (team + alternates).
- Nathan got injured.
- As the previously announced first alternate, Grant filled the vacancy caused by Nathan's injury.
As we have seen this year and in 2014, when USFS wants to make selections that do not match the top placements at Nats, it does so.
(Basically the only new change this year in the selection rules is that the National champion did not automatically receive a spot on the World team.)
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All the more props to Polina then for what she did last year.
I wasn't a Polina fan before last year tbh, but even then I thought that was really classy.
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It's just like leather shoes, but new figure skates are very firm and stiff through the whole foot and up through the ankle. When they're very new, you can get blisters and have aches and pain from the tight fit. As they break in the leather become more soft and you have more flexibility through your foot and your ankle. That's where you want them. After you've had them for too long, the leather breaks down, and the skates are too loose and don't offer enough support.
