2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating
- Thread starter Spirals for Miles
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With Alysa wouldn't it be sort of like when Karen got her first Nats Bronze? In 2015 or 2016 when she did everything clean but she wasn't senior eligible yet? Also I recall the 14-year-old Mirai winning Nats in 2008 - the field wasn't a lot weaker than it is now. I'd say Alysa has a solid chance of the podium and a decent chance at silver, but not gold unless Bradie makes a lot of mistakes.
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- Mar 23, 2014
A medal - definitely. But not the national title.
Agreed.
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- Feb 17, 2010
I agree. As shaky as the US women can be, the winner usually ends up having two solid programs, maybe with one fall in the whole event. I can't remember the last time that the champion skated poorly, actually. It would be hard for Alysa to win over the established skaters if any of them are nearly clean.
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- Feb 20, 2018
If Alysa skated well they'd probably want to place her 2-4 (depending on how good she is technically) They'd put a clean Bradie, Karen, Mirai and Mariah over her, but there's a small chance that they'd all go clean so that'd put Alysa around 2-4.
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- Feb 20, 2018
Karen is at TCC. Probably getting choreo or doing something with Jackson.
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- Aug 25, 2017
Well if Alysa brings quads... all bets are off...
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Well sure, but we haven't even seen a clean one in practice on video, and I believe she said on insta that she hadn't done one clean yet, just that she was working on different quads (might be misremembering that). Trusova had clean videos from last season, didn't she? And it still took several competitions attempting her 4S to get it clean. Like, two JGPs, a Russian Cup stage, the JGPF, Russian Jr Nats, and then she got it clean or close at the Russian Cup final (I think?) and had it at JW. Plus, she probably did it at test skates. So at least five attempts in comp before she got it, and it sounds like hers was probably further along at this point than Alysa.
Which isn't to say she can't do it. Just wanted to put in perspective how likely it is for her to have even one quad clean by US Nats, let alone multiple ones.
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- Aug 25, 2017
Oh I know it's a long stretch. Just me hoping! 
But the 3A? I think it's possible!!
But the 3A? I think it's possible!!
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- Jul 9, 2014
It's a really fine line with these young skaters. It's fun to see them jump but, I truly worry about their health and burnout. I mean, where is Tuk these days. The season before Med arrived, she won everything and now she's not even a blip on the radar. Alysa may skate Senior at Nationals but, that the only place she'll be skating at the level. Med has 2 World Titles with no 3A and no quad. If Alysa wants to push herself, I hope it's artistically until she reaches puberty.
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- Nov 2, 2013
She scored almost 200 points at Cup of China... That sort of a score would have won the event in 2014. In fact, the score she received is HIGHER than it was when she won said Cup of China 2014 by over 20 points. So, this blip on the radar-comment...
Also... injuries are a part of top professional sports. To be honest, it's bizarre to me how over-protective people are of people who they have no relation to. Injuries can happen on far easier jumps as well, or even on things that have nothing to do with jumps. I think that if Alysa Liu actually wants to up the level of technical prowess in USA, she needs to be supported and commended. No, she's not going to stop practicing 3As because people are "concerned" so just be supportive and positive instead.
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- Jul 9, 2014
Maybe blip was the wrong word. I still think it must have been hard to go from winning everything to missing the team within 2 years. Shayuki, I'm not trying to be negative or put any skater down. I know personally how much injuring my hip flexor muscle effected my skating career. It also effected my dance career into my 40's. Skating is a short career in the span of ones life and I just hope these young skaters don't bear the scars once they leave.
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I fully intend to continue being protective of people I don’t know.
It is wrong and unhealthy and not right for young girls (or boys) to feel pressure to jump jump jump to win skating competitions, without any regard to their future health.
And I truly don’t care what skaters do or do not do in practice, :confused2:. I wouldn’t support lowering the drinking age because kids are going to drink anyway, or lowering the age to purchase cigarettes because kids are going to smoke anyway. What skaters will do “anyway” is on them or their parents or coaches, once I’ve done everything I feel need to do to ensure their health.
And I certainly won’t feel happy for them or celebrate it
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- Nov 2, 2013
You are comparing drinking and smoking illegally to professional sports? To these children who have dedicated their entire lives into doing something they LOVE? That's so insulting I don't even know why I'm replying! I couldn't believe what I was reading. Saying something like that made me absolutely fuming. Are you sure you care about THEIR feelings rather than wanting to make you feel good about yourself for being so "caring" and "righteous"? Who are you to decide they have no regard for their health? Who are you to decide what sort of risks and sacrifices are worth it and for whom? Regret is the worst feeling you can have.I fully intend to continue being protective of people I don’t know.
It is wrong and unhealthy and not right for young girls (or boys) to feel pressure to jump jump jump to win skating competitions, without any regard to their future health.
And I truly don’t care what skaters do or do not do in practice, :confused2:. I wouldn’t support lowering the drinking age because kids are going to drink anyway, or lowering the age to purchase cigarettes because kids are going to smoke anyway. What skaters will do “anyway” is on them or their parents or coaches, once I’ve done everything I feel need to do to ensure their health.
And I certainly won’t feel happy for them or celebrate it
Feel free to not feel happy for them or celebrate them. I don't know how you can be proud about that, however.
Just a poster/fan entitled to their own opinion.
It remains to be seen in what state the Russian prodigy skaters who are now doing quads, 3As and backloaded programs will be. Also - will we remember their names in a year, two or five when new ones appear on the scene - will we even care to ask if they have consequences from their training.
But concern is very legitimate.
I don't think she's saying that practicing quads is equivalent to drinking/smoking. Namely that putting a restriction (i.e. age limit) has not stopped a underage kid from getting cigarettes or alcohol, so that putting an age limit on seniors isn't going stop them from practicing quads or doing other high-risk elements.
A friend of mine recently posted this (in light of her daughter's journey away from drug addition):
The point of my friend's post is that even something good and socially acceptable becomes hard to give up and can lead to behaviors that are harmful for one's health. I know it's easy to say "Oh it's what they love, they'll be fine. They know the risks, etc." But sometimes you want to do something SO much, you almost disregard those risks.
I don't feel one way or another about age limits or girls practicing quads, but I just wanted to point out that I get where el's coming from. Also as someone that is highly motivated and driven, often times I am so to my detriment of my physical and mental health--even if it is to achieve something good or something I enjoy doing. I think it's important for the coaches, who ever they are, to keep those mental/physical health risks at check. Cause they're there.
Looping it back to Alysa though -- it sounds like she has a good support system with Laura, her coach and her father (and their community of friends that help him raise his family). I admire her drive and ambition and wish her success in her debut senior (nationals) season and hope to see her at a few more Novice internationals this season.
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I think Mrs. P explained it well, and I apologize if it came off the wrong way. Those were the first examples that came to my mind, and they may not have been the best.
I believe that encouraging more jumps and more difficult jumps at younger ages is harmful to a young person’s health. I do not personally consider more and more jumps and more and more rotations to be “progress” in figure skating. There was an article in the NY Times yesterday about the deleterious effect of specializing in a sport at an early age. (On my iPad and can’t link). I do worry about that, and I do not consider it to be self-righteous.
Therefore, if you believe as I do, that there are health risks, “They will do it anyway in practice” is not a defense to limiting jumps or types of jumps at a comp. There are lots of activities that teenagers may do “anyway”, but we still discourage them.
Of course I acknowledge all skaters’ results and their dedication and their hard work.
But I still believe that limiting jumps at a comp is a good idea to consider and what or how skaters will train does not invalidate that.I don't know how many posters remember Tara Lipinski's hip injury which she suffered from repetitive practice of her 3lo+3lo. She was in increasing pain during her Olympic year and that was why she signed with SOI and quickly went pro right after the Olympics. Early in the tour, she had to have surgery on her hip, then returned to the tour too quickly and developed arthritis in the repaired hip. During the remainder of her tour years, her jump repertoire was limited to the easier jumps (toe and salchow) and she took more and more time off because of the arthritic pain. By age 20, she'd hung up her skates and spent the next 5-6 years trying to establish herself as an actress. In the last two years, during her commenting gig,Tara mentioned that she was returning to the ice, but AFAIK, we never did see her perform on skates. I guess that old injury still has its sting.....
