Canada’s Zhao prepares for senior debut

gsk8 · Jul 4, 2015

While Canadian Junior champion Selena Zhao is looking forward to debuting her senior year on the national level this upcoming season, she is also keeping her fingers crossed for some international opportunities. [More]

Zhao realizes that she needs to up her game in order to become more competitive with the senior ladies. One area that she is working hard on is the consistency of her triple-triple combinations as well as the triple loop so that she can count on them in competition.

“Another incredibly important aspect of moving up to senior is that I need to skate with more maturity,” she acknowledged. “I am working with my choreographer to bring out the nuances and character of the music, and to skate with more carriage, speed and flow. I am also working to improve my presentation and connection to the music.”

dorispulaski · Jul 4, 2015

Good luck to Selena in the new season. Such rotten luck to be sick at Jr. Worlds

chuckm · Jul 5, 2015

IMO, what Selena needs most is a sports psychologist. She has the talent for sure, but she tends to let her nerves get to her when she skates against tough international competition. Her performances at home were confident and near-clean, while her international outings in the JGP and at JW were marred by numerous missteps. There is no doubt she has the ability---she just has to believe in herself.

Skater Boy · Jul 6, 2015

chuckm said:
IMO, what Selena needs most is a sports psychologist. She has the talent for sure, but she tends to let her nerves get to her when she skates against tough international competition. Her performances at home were confident and near-clean, while her international outings in the JGP and at JW were marred by numerous missteps. There is no doubt she has the ability---she just has to believe in herself.

Thanks Chuckm. I was thinking this girl really isn't much hope when you look at results if it weren't for you explaining some stuff. I mean she wouldn't even earn a glimpse at in the US or Russia. Canada is not known for its woman but rarely do they not qualify for the freeskate. A tough lesson but hopefully she can take a negative and make it a positive. Still she has to beat Osmond, Daleman, Chartrand and Mallet.

AlexRus · Jul 7, 2015

chuckm said:
IMO, what Selena needs most is a sports psychologist. She has the talent for sure, but she tends to let her nerves get to her when she skates against tough international competition. Her performances at home were confident and near-clean, while her international outings in the JGP and at JW were marred by numerous missteps. There is no doubt she has the ability---she just has to believe in herself.

Her International Personal Best 135.65, her score at Nationals 140.67. Not so serious difference.

She is of same age (born at first half 1998) as Lipnitskaia, Pogorilaya, Edmunds, Daleman, whose level is significantly higher.

She looks like Kaetlyn Osmond before her Senior debut, so maybe we will see Selena's real progress.

AlexRus · Jul 7, 2015

Skater Boy said:
Canada is not known for its woman

Joanne Rochette (World Elite level), Synthia Phaneuf, Amelie Lacoste (World level) in past. Osmond, Daleman, Chartrand for now.

chuckm · Jul 7, 2015

Selena used to skate in US preliminary competitions and made it to Nationals just once, in 2012, when she finished 7th as a Novice. She won 2013 NWP Junior Regionals, but at Pacific Sectionals, she was 9th after the SP and even though she was 3rd in the FS, her overall 6th place finish wasn't enough for her to make it to Nationals. She tried again in 2014, this time winning SW Junior Regionals (a tougher competition) but at Midwest Sectionals was 9th after the SP and 3rd in the FS, and 5th overall, just missing the cut for Nationals.

That was the point when she decided to skate for Canada where the competition wasn't as stiff. She had no problem whatsoever winning Canadian Nationals as a Junior last season. I think, however, she will find Senior competition in Canada significantly more challenging.

AlexRus · Jul 7, 2015

chuckm said:
She had no problem whatsoever winning Canadian Nationals as a Junior last season. I think, however, she will find Senior competition in Canada significantly more challenging.

Only in top group.
Selena Zhao probably would be 5th at Senior Championships, so no problem to qualify to Nationals.

In USA Senior Championchips also is much more challenging than Junior.
In Russia they are close - at most Ladies who compete both at Senior and Junior Nationals at Senior earn place 2-3 lower than at Junior (for example Medvedeva 3rd at Senior 1st at Junior).

Sackie · Jul 7, 2015

chuckm said:
IMO, what Selena needs most is a sports psychologist. She has the talent for sure, but she tends to let her nerves get to her when she skates against tough international competition. Her performances at home were confident and near-clean, while her international outings in the JGP and at JW were marred by numerous missteps. There is no doubt she has the ability---she just has to believe in herself.

But hasn't that been the story for a lot of Can ladies. Blow you away at Nationals then go to a big international competition and show signs of nerves. Chouinard was a prime example of this. If she had skated at worlds and Olympics the way she did at home she would have won medals for sure and probably even won a world title. But the same could be said for Manley and Rochette too. If Rochette had skated her Firebird program at worlds the way she did at Nationals she would have been top 5 and maybe even won a world medal a lot earlier then she did.

kresslia · Jul 8, 2015

AlexRus said:
Joanne Rochette (World Elite level), Synthia Phaneuf, Amelie Lacoste (World level) in past. Osmond, Daleman, Chartrand for now.

Eh, if we're known for any discipline, it's probably the men. Which is hilarious seeing as that's the one discipline that hasn't won us an OGM.

Canada’s Zhao prepares for senior debut

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