2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating

[Sasha'sSpins]

Mirai should consider changing her SP music the stress gets to her she needs upbeat music

Love Mirai but part of me was thinking the same thing. I LOVE her Chopin SP but this season it seems to be missing last year's sparkle.

 

[Kittosuni]

I would love for Mirai to keep going for that 3A so that hopefully come nationals she is already very comfortable with it in her program because right now its very disjointed.

Skating the Chopin next to Medvedeva really exposed a lot of her weaknesses. The choreo is weak and the first part especially before the axel is dreadful.

Hopefully she skates like the one she did in Japan for her FD because that was awesome and showed that she can get the job done.

 

[skatinggold]

She needs to do two triple axle at the FS, she got nothing to lose, she is so low with the scores. That triple axle is massive and she is so consistent with it.. Go for 2 and go for the WIN Mirai!!! Olympic Gold Medal for Mirai!!!

 

[Sasha'sSpins]

If by some chance Mirai does consider changing her SP, I would much rather she get a new one with a much more upbeat number - like her "Pirates of Caribbean" SP from 2010. And she absolutely has to change the lead up to that 3A in the SP. I say again that it looked like she was about to jump, changed her mind, re-set again and then went for the 3A. I also think there should be some choreo prior to the 3A and her combo. Zero choreo. That's largely why her component marks are so low. Some choreo between the jumps would give her a chance to recover from the 3A (whether it goes good or bad), then go for the 3F-3T. I wish she would do the combo first actually, then go for the 3A. She did that in one of her FS's a couple of months ago. But then she changed it to the 3A before the combo. :disapp:

In his GS interview, Tom said that one of Mirai's goals was making the GPF. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkmIIuIhDMA

That's not going to happen now. It's sad. He also seemed to say that he was aware of the criticisms about her empty programs versus the jumps. I think she should have skated all along with FULL choreo. The GP is no time to get used to it and now it's half over for her. Just one more GP to go.

Well enough gloomy doomy. I say she should keep the 3A. She has nothing to lose.

GO FOR IT MIRAI!! SKATE GREAT IN THE FS!!

 

[SkaterX]

And she absolutely has to change the lead up to that 3A in the SP. I say again that it looked like she was about to jump, changed her mind, re-set again and then went for the 3A:

I watched again and it almost looks like she was setting up for a 3F-3T and then realized her mistake and reset for the 3A.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I watched again and it almost looks like she was setting up for a 3F-3T and then realized her mistake and reset for the 3A.

There were awkward moments in that SP in which she looked like she forgot the choreography, such as the 3A setup.

 

[loopy1217]

Karen and her coach Tammy Gambill need to collaborate with a jump expert like Alex Ouriashev, which would probably help Vincent, too. Seriously - there are clearly coaches who are good at some things and bad at others, and US skating would be much better off if those coaches would work together

^^^^THIS!!!!!
Karen has UR calls since 2015, but Tammy keep saying it’s not UR in practices. At some point, you have to stop making excuse and get an expert advice on this. This should be where USFS comes in and said, why don’t you go to see xxx to get some jumping advise.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

^^^^THIS!!!!!
Karen has UR calls since 2015, but Tammy keep saying it’s not UR in practices. At some point, you have to stop making excuse and get an expert advice on this. This should be where USFS comes in and said, why don’t you go to see xxx to get some jumping advise.

I don't see this happening, mainly because the USFSA turns a blind eye to these problems at Nationals. Most skaters get the benefit of the doubt there but they don't anywhere else internationally. Virtually all of the women have the same problem, which is that they land the triples right at 1/4 short. With a strict tech panel, their scores get slammed with UR calls.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

^^^^THIS!!!!!
Karen has UR calls since 2015, but Tammy keep saying it’s not UR in practices. At some point, you have to stop making excuse and get an expert advice on this. This should be where USFS comes in and said, why don’t you go to see xxx to get some jumping advise.

As far as a jump coach Frank Carroll. He's in LA and closer to Tammy's skaters than Alex O is in Chicago. Just sayin'...

 

[mrrice]

I don't see this happening, mainly because the USFSA turns a blind eye to these problems at Nationals. Most skaters get the benefit of the doubt there but they don't anywhere else internationally. Virtually all of the women have the same problem, which is that they land the triples right at 1/4 short. With a strict tech panel, their scores get slammed with UR calls.

This is completely true and it's not just USFSA who does it. I loved Jennifer Robinson as a skater. She was the Champion of Canada for years.....I fell in love with her at worlds in 1999 and was excited to see her again in 2001. I had much better seats this time and I can tell you that I "Heard" Jennifer, Sarah Hughes, and Irina Slutskaya, under rotate their jumps during the free program at Worlds. It does not help a skater to "gift" them at Nationals and send them to Worlds only to have reality come crashing down on them.

 

[penguin]

I thought Mirai had aborted her 3A setup in the SP too, until I saw the long — she does the same setup there, where her arms go up like she's about to jump, but then she continues skating on to do the real 3A setup. It must just be what feels comfortable for her. On one hand, it's the freaking 3A, so do what works. On the other hand, I don't think it looks good and it's very lengthy, which probably hurts her (if not in outright scores, then at least in perception).

 

[skatinggold]

As far as a jump coach Frank Carroll. He's in LA and closer to Tammy's skaters than Alex O is in Chicago. Just sayin'...

Haha Frank, look at how he messed up Gracie's jumps. Karen needs to go to good tech. coach. Not Raf though, just look at how he messed up Vivian Le's beautiful triple lutz.

 

[Bluediamonds09]

That WSS program does nothing for Mariah. It highlights nothing about her skating. It’s not memorable.......ok, on the plus side she sort of beat mirai, though neither was on point here....

 

[ice coverage]

... need to collaborate with a jump expert like Alex Ouriashev, which would probably help Vincent, too. Seriously - there are clearly coaches who are good at some things and bad at others, and US skating would be much better off if those coaches would work together. ...

Off topic for this thread, but Tom Z is among the triumvirate of Vincent's coaches -- along with Drew Meekins and Gambill.

And my impression is that Vincent spends at least as much time in Colorado Springs with Drew and Tom as he does in California.
(Not sure, but my hunch is that Vincent even spends the majority of his time in Colorado Springs, where he has access also to the resources of the OTC.)

In any case, I think Vincent is a good example of U.S. coaches who are working together.

 

[skylark]

That WSS program does nothing for Mariah. It highlights nothing about her skating. It’s not memorable.......ok, on the plus side she sort of beat mirai, though neither was on point here....

Mariah SORT OF beat Mirai? Mariah's total score for the comp was 188.56. Mirai's: 178.25. I try not to get hung up on scores, but 10 points is a healthy margin by any definition.

I support people supporting Mirai, but this is the U.S. Ladies' thread. Mariah did very well indeed today, and she came in 6th in the comp. Both Bell and Nagasu stepped up their performances from yesterday, significantly.

I felt that Mariah had a better clarification in her own mind of what she wants to express and project with her WSS program, compared to a few weeks ago. It's still developing. It was much improved. And her opening 3Lz-3T was gorgeous.

ETA: Mariah placed 6th. Mirai placed 9th.

 

[el henry]

Roxie and West Side Story for Mariah; sticking with the US Classic combo....

So I am *still* wondering who did the choreo for WSS. I know what IceNetwork says, I know what the ISU says, and I have heard no confirmation from Mariah or anyone in her camp (not that I follow all their accounts).

I don't care how well she performs it, I'm still not a fan, and if that is Rohene, I'll :scard8:

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

As far as a jump coach Frank Carroll. He's in LA and closer to Tammy's skaters than Alex O is in Chicago. Just sayin'...

Oh please! He's the guy the USFSA and other Feds go to for teaching/correcting jumps to their skaters. He travels for this or skaters travel to him. Jason Brown has gone to Frank for years for this and Kaetlyn Osmond as well. There are many others he has helped but I'm not going to sit here and name them all.

Gracie was a totally different story and it wasn't Frank that "Ruined" Gracie as many here like to claim.

 

[R.D.]

Mariah SORT OF beat Mirai? Mariah's total score for the comp was 188.56. Mirai's: 178.25. I try not to get hung up on scores, but 10 points is a healthy margin by any definition.

Stepping back a bit: It doesn't really matter to me at this point who beat who at COR. As it stands, both are WELL under the 200-point threshold it will take to challenge for any kind of Olympic or World medal.

Lots of work for both of them to do. And for Nagasu in particular there really is no excuse - she's a seasoned veteran and I don't buy any of the rationalizations that some of her fans seem to be offering up in here.

 

[Icey]

Mirai's skate today was such an emotional roller coaster! That 3A was awesome even thought it was called <. I hope she rallies in the FS tomorrow.

She had 3 ur's in the FS. She really hasn't improved substantially. I so wanted her to do very well this year, but I fear she will not even make the Olympic team. Today Mariah Bell placed higher than Mirai. There Pcs's in the FS were essential the same. Even if Mirai were to make the team like she is skating now, she certainly wouldn't medal at the Oly's. This is such a perplexing situation.

 

[skatinggold]

Oh please! He's the guy the USFSA and other Feds go to for teaching/correcting jumps to their skaters. He travels for this or skaters travel to him. Jason Brown has gone to Frank for years for this and Kaetlyn Osmond as well. There are many others he has helped but I'm not going to sit here and name them all.

Gracie was a totally different story and it wasn't Frank that "Ruined" Gracie as many here like to claim.

There you go, you got your answers already. He has been teaching Jason for years but Jason don't even have a quad. It shows how good of a tech coach Frank is.