2018 US Championships Sr. Ladies SP

[klutzy]

This seems like an ideal that I would love, and that the American public needs, but these federations are very Reactionary.

I got the book right, woohoo! The sentiment was off a bit, in context with the book. It’s the packaging aspect that I take from it, that you have to “fit the mold”.

I think America doesn’t have darlings anymore because of the emerging diversity, yes, but then you have the Frank Carroll’s of the world, who still have a voice, and even though he had Kwan, you can TELL it was all about packaging with him.

Sometimes it takes an all world talent to completely break the mold. Gymnastics had Simone Biles. Who will be USFSA’s Biles?

Hello, Debi Thomas would like to be acknowledged for her world championship, power moves and skating-while-black.

Gabby Douglas would like to be acknowledged for being the first African-American all-around gold medalist in gymnastics. Mary Lou Retton would liked to be acknowledged for being the "baby bull" of American gymnastics back in 1984 and showing that power wins.

One of the things that irritates me is that the true groundbreakers in sports are getting forgotten because they don't fit the storyline that gets built up.

 

[TCAngel18]

Actually, they monitor these things and can suggest a change in music/program.

Is this something they do for all National level skaters, or just at an event like Champs Camp?

 

[el henry]

Actually, though, I don't think it's so outlandish that an American teenaged girl likes Beyonce.

Now if she had skated to the original 1958 Peggy Lee version ...

I don’t think it’s outlandish that the teens know Beyoncé. I do not think “Fever” is a good fit for Starr.

I would loooove Miss Peggy Lee. And Screamin’ Jay Hawkins’ “I put a spell on you” instead of these endless covers. And what is wrong with Simon & Garfunkel’s “Sounds of Silence”?

What’s the matter with kids today? (cue Paul Lynde)

 

[Globetrotter]

What do you mean?

Not all of her body positions are amazing or the most aesthetically-pleasing, but I think she's about as "artistic" as Gracie was this time in 2014 (albeit Gracie had better skating skills - but her arms were far worse than Bradie's are now).

I love Maria, but her style of skating is very different from Bradie's - much more "quiet" and classical. I don't think Bradie has found her style just yet, but it's not that.

ETA: I'm amazed to see so many people complaining about Angela not being higher. She's great when she's on, but that isn't too often, and she's pretty irrelevant internationally. She was lowballed here like she would be at a GP event, or at the Olympics.

Woh thanks for putting it on the board. I rewatched the SP twice and I did think Angela Wang was lowballed in PCS relative to the others. Her SS certainly is not worse than Ashley or Bradie! I was never an Ashley fan as I dislike her mediocre SS but I do think she was lowballed on the PE and IN while Bradie was overscored a tad in PCS. Her SS was awkward and she didn’t really hold out her positions. I will have it like just 30-31 max. Angela was on but I suspect she was kept down due to past reputation for inconsistency. Based on what she put out rather than reputation, she deserved at least like 31-32 PCS.

 

[da96103]

Mirai Nagasu article
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/everything-know-team-usa-figure-160023254.html

LOL, "You can watch Mirai in action when the Winter Olympics begin on Feb. 8. For more information, visit Team USA."

You got yourself into trouble now with your superiors for revealing yourself to be a time traveler, bringing headlines from the future.

But I hope it is true.

 

[da96103]

Mirai landed the 3A abruptly, on two feet, then stepped out of it and put a hand down. It was a hot mess. A jump must be landed on ONE foot to be completely rotated. Mirai's 3A was not, yet the tech team let her have it anyway. That is not fair to skaters who DID fully rotate and land their jumps, as well as unfair to skaters who URd their jumps and got gigged for it.

If Mirai gets uncalled URs in her FS and wins over a clean Bradie, that will be a HUGE scandal. It won't help Mirai at the Olympics in the long run, because international tech teams haven't been kind to her when it comes to URs, especially on her 3As. Most of her 3As have not been ratified internationally.

Is this correct? I am sure I have seen jumps landed on two feet and are considered fully rotated with full BV given, though of course the GOE should be negative (most of the time).

 

[da96103]

I'm perplexed as to why we're talking about Zhenya in a US Championship Thread!!!! We all have a ton respect for her but, I don't talk about Bradie in the Russian Thread and I don't think this conversation belongs here.

There was an arc.

Someone said Bradie is a snoozefest.
So I asked is Bradie like Sotskova.
Then a few posts of comparing Bradie with Sotskova.
And then it developed to comparing Sotskova with Zhenya.

 

[TCAngel18]

Hello, Debi Thomas would like to be acknowledged for her world championship, power moves and skating-while-black.

Gabby Douglas would like to be acknowledged for being the first African-American all-around gold medalist in gymnastics. Mary Lou Retton would liked to be acknowledged for being the "baby bull" of American gymnastics back in 1984 and showing that power wins.

One of the things that irritates me is that the true groundbreakers in sports are getting forgotten because they don't fit the storyline that gets built up.

Yes, they were ground breakers, but none of the above wins came without controversy, per se, and none at the level of sheer dominance of Biles.

Mary Lou Retton would have been swept under the Rug by Baraksnova and Mostepanova had the Iron Curtain not boycotted in retaliation of the Moscow games.

Douglas had a great win in London, but some still do argue that they could have easily gave the win to Komova, especially with the scoring rise Gabby was given on both her Uneven Bars and Balance beam routines, compared to other scores for equal routines across competition segments. She also lucked her way into the AA finals, as she could have been scored even more harshly for her floor in Team Qualifications, and Jordyn Wieber had an overall tentative day. And this is coming from a big Gabby Fan.

Yes, Debi Thomas fully earned her worlds win, but again, did not Keep that level of skating after the worlds win.

I am not one of these 4 years, Olympic bandwagon fans. I have been watching Figure skating religiously since Albertville, and Gymnastics since the 1991 Indianapolis worlds, and have not missed a worlds for either sport since.

In the above situations that you express were groundbreaking, were wonderful for each sport, but not COMPLETELY breaking the mold, as I inferred in my post. There has not been a quad of sheer dominance by one athlete in either sport, without stiff competition, EXCEPT Biles. Retton had Ecaterina Szabo, and would have had both Soviets, except politics. Debi had Katarina Witt. Gabrielle Douglas had Viktoria Komova. Biles had no one. Even on her weakest apparatus, Uneven Bars, she was good enough to make a Worlds final, in 2013, and placed 4th. The other three apparatus, she medaled in every world and Olympic final she participated in.

I understand that the Biles storyline was built TF up on NBC prior to the Games. My statement still stands.

 

[Amei]

Okay not 100% perfect, but i'll take it, Mirai is still very much in the running, I don't think USFSA will want to leave her home this year with her potential tech. I honestly feel like she's 1000x more nervous here than she would be at the Olympics.

Given what happened in 2014 maybe she's afraid that winning Nationals is her only guarantee for going to the Olympics....Which if the USFSA does skip over someone for a lower-placed finisher (regardless of discipline) could they wait till after the gala performances so someone doesn't have to go out there in tears or close to tears.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Actually, though, I don't think it's so outlandish that an American teenaged girl likes Beyonce.

Now if she had skated to the original 1958 Peggy Lee version ...

I never said anything about her liking Beyonce to be a problem. Fever, on the other hand, is a little mature for her.

 

[Crossover]

I love Starr's "star" quality and choice of bold and gorgeous costume. She is 16 years old, so the choice of music is OK for me after seeing a very tiny Russian girl of 13 years old doing "Chicago" in junior circuits (really uncomfortable to watch). The costume is somewhat reminiscent of Surya Bonaly's and I hope she builds her career as much as or more than Surya's.

 

[Figure 8's]

Everyone is hating on Bradie because she isn't an inconsistent mess like everyone's faves are (my faves are inconsistent messes too - it's okay). Clean performance after clean performance will boost your PCS. Bradie would have more of a lead over Mirai if this was an international competition and the tech panel wasn't lenient.

If Bradie skated after Marai, she would have more of a lead. Sad but so few US skaters can skate a clean performance anymore. And nothing beats a clean performance. Ask Sasha Cohen. Sasha's program was elegant, difficult and beautiful. But Arakawa's was clean.

 

[Amei]

And to sum up the ladies short program: a shocking PCS scoring controversy. There are posters blowing smoke, a few drinking hot chocolate and i know some are swilling the whine. Buckle up because this train is about to leave the station, destination Pyeonchang or bust.

Patron makes a chocolate tequila - alternate the water for tequila and it's hot cocoa goodness!

 

[R.D.]

You got yourself into trouble now with your superiors for revealing yourself to be a time traveler, bringing headlines from the future.

But I hope it is true.

Or maybe the writer of the article knows something we don't......Hmm.....:think:

 

[R.D.]

Everyone is hating on Bradie because she isn't an inconsistent mess like everyone's faves are (my faves are inconsistent messes too - it's okay).

So predictable, really...I suppose it's easier when you're not heavily invested in any particular skater, because emotions always seem to run SUPER high among lots of those who are, especially in an Olympic year.

To have someone like Tennell is refreshing. So. Refreshing. No frills, just goes out there and LANDS THE JUMPS. Which GETS POINTS. And US Ladies Skating NEEDS someone like that right now so badly, it's not even funny...

 

[NAOTMAA]

So predictable, really...I suppose it's easier when you're not heavily invested in any particular skater, because emotions always seem to run SUPER high among lots of those who are, especially in an Olympic year.

To have someone like Tennell is refreshing. So. Refreshing. No frills, just goes out there and LANDS THE JUMPS. Which GETS POINTS. And US Ladies Skating NEEDS someone like that right now so badly, it's not even funny...

she's also got the difficult transitions as well! She's like baby Gracie except with the you know consistency

It's funny people think Mirai should have gotten higher PCS marks when she did nothing but crossovers, spent who knows how long setting up that 3A and didn't exactly do much actual interpreting of the music expression wise either. All season long people were saying her programs are even more empty then Carolina Kostners and that it was embarrassing for a top level skater yet they want her to get higher PCS marks then someone who actually had a full rounded program? Bradie still has tons of room to grow but at this point she still projects far more then Mirai does :confused2:

 

[klutzonice]

I thought Mirai interpreted her music just fine. My favourite performance of her Chopin was her Autumn Classic last year which earned her a personal best SP score. I thought her expression and attack in her movements yesterday came very, very close to that. Her step sequence yesterday showed more maturity than before, and she skated with an understanding of the subtle passion in Chopin. She doesn't need to be over the top to interpret her music - but if people prefer that... her NHK performance is available.

I'm not going to comment on Bradie's program because her music was taken from a war film I have not seen. In terms of transitions... well, if Mirai could do a spread eagle into a 3A wouldn't that be a treat!

 

[TCAngel18]

I thought Mirai interpreted her music just fine. My favourite performance of her Chopin was her Autumn Classic last year which earned her a personal best SP score. I thought her expression and attack in her movements yesterday came very, very close to that. Her step sequence yesterday showed more maturity than before, and she skated with an understanding of the subtle passion in Chopin. She doesn't need to be over the top to interpret her music - but if people prefer that... her NHK performance is available.

I'm not going to comment on Bradie's program because her music was taken from a war film I have not seen. In terms of transitions... well, if Mirai could do a spread eagle into a 3A wouldn't that be a treat!

Agreed, you don’t give Face for Chopin. Mirai is great at using her movement and arm positioning to set the mood. Even though I LURVE Miss Saigon, she hasn’t quite achieved that ability yet in the LP. Probably because this program has more mileage.

 

[Manuel Pablo Arnao]

Get used to it. That's figure skating especially when you're a 3-time national champion and World silver medalist. She's place the bar high for herself. Oh and the performance was phoned in. I think most figure skating fans would agree. Ashley has sacrificed training time for sponsorships and it's being reflected in her skating. She hasn't had a good competition since Skate America 2016!!!

 

[Manuel Pablo Arnao]

I'm ok with the top 4 after the short. I think Mirai's PCS was accurate but I definitely think Brady was overscored in that area- she should have gotten a 30.