2019 U.S. Nats: Ladies FS

[Casual]

With that mindset, only the children of white, heterosexual couples should do anything that puts them in front of the public. When you're a single father, the question of "who's the mom" is bound to come up, so being transparent about that up front is probably better than having to address it when someone else uncovers the facts.

Plenty of celebrities strive to fiercely protect their privacy. Not every question needs to be answered, especially about a minor. So, it's a false choice (to either not become famous at all, vs. to share every little private detail with the public).

For whatever reason, a choice was made to announce Alyssa's parentage details on national tv to millions.

It just occurred to me - maybe extra publicity was encouraged by USFS, as a way to make sure Alyssa doesn't switch to China? (The Chinese state used to have some weird one-child policies, about controlling their population reproduction. So who knows how they will view her story.)

 

[bobbob]

It just occurred to me - maybe extra publicity was encouraged by USFS, as a way to make sure Alyssa doesn't switch to China? (The Chinese state used to have some weird one-child policies, about controlling their population reproduction. So who knows how they will view her story.)

Switching to China? Well, that escalated quickly!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Not every question needs to be answered, especially about a minor. So, it's a false choice (to either not become famous at all, vs. to share every little private detail with the public).

While this is true, protecting your child's privacy won't stop the media from prying into her background. Hiding important details would make it a bigger story than it actually is, once everything is revealed.

 

[Quelita]

Hi ! I agree the top 5 skaters are very promising. I am very glad that 2 ice skaters from Texas got medals in this year's nationals: Ashley Cain and Hanna Harrell. That had never happened before, there are good athletes and very good coaches in Texas. Are Mr. Peter Mc Cain and Letov olympic coaches? I still am not sure. I am extremely happy also for Alysa Liu, the little girl from California who is trying to be a leader in american skating, I was always wondering who would be the new 13 year old senior figure skating champion. It happened sooner than what I thought! Does anyone know how old she was when she started doing doubles and triples??? I am really wondering about that and if US Figure Skating is pushing their top skaters to do triple axels or quads to win international championships including Starr Andrews. Also, if they are trying to organize trainings sessions for their ladies team so they can practice more together and who is the national head coach?? When Carlo Fassi was alive the skaters trained in Colorado and he was the main coach. The skaters need to be well trained by a national coach and all develop together their potential.

 

[el henry]

I do not know what is meant by “Olympics coach” (I seem to remember this question coming up before about the Cain’s).

The Cains coach Aimee Buchanan, who represented Israel in the 2018 team event. I believe that makes them Olympic coaches.

I know less about the Letovs.

 

[Mathman]

Hi ! I agree the top 5 skaters are very promising. I am very glad that 2 ice skaters from Texas got medals in this year's nationals: Ashley Cain and Hanna Harrell. That had never happened before, there are good athletes and very good coaches in Texas.

I think the most famous skater from Texas was Katy Taylor, who won a national medal in 2006 and was also the Four Continents champion that year. Not to mention, you can sort of claim Olympian Tara Lipinski, who lived in Sugar Land from 1991 to 1993. Amber Glenn is a pretty good skater, although she hasn't quite been able to break out.

People move around the country so much. Hanna Herrell was actually born in Arkansas (as was Pooja Kalyan.

 

[andromache]

Why would Alysa switch to China? She's the #1 skater in a more powerful/influential federation. Switching countries would be a downgrade for her, unless she switched to Russia and beat all of their girls (and she's not THAT good ).

All this speculation is making the in-vitro factoid way more important than it actually is. She isn't even some kind of magical miracle baby with in her own family - she has 5 other siblings from in-vitro as well!

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

I think the most famous skater from Texas was Katy Taylor, who won a national medal in 2006 and was also the Four Continents champion that year. Not to mention, you can sort of claim Olympian Tara Lipinski, who lived in Sigar Land from 1991 to 1993. Amber Glenn is a pretty good skater, althoiugh who hasn't quite been able to break out.

We claim Tara as one of our own here in Texas. :yes:

 

[concorde]

Why would Alyssa switch to China?

My guess is China would offer 100% funding for her training. No way can USFS come close to matching that.

 

[andromache]

Why would Alyssa switch to China?

My guess is China would offer 100% funding for her training. No way can USFS come close to matching that.

Money doesn't seem to be a problem for Alysa's family, and after Nationals, she is likely to receive sponsorships that will only become more lucrative as she gets older.

Uprooting a 13 year old to move to China and train away from her family? Uprooting the entire family, dad's job, etc.? Neither option is worth it - otherwise we would see far more US skaters representing China than just Beverly Zhu.

This sort of speculation just seems silly.

 

[concorde]

My impression is that Beverly continues to trian in the USA. She "just" switched federations.

Lots of skaters do this - my rink has had at least 3 over the last several years and one of those was a 2x Olympian.

I think it is naive to assume that China has not tried to recruit Alyssa. If so, then clearly has has said no. But situations can change.

I know of 12-year old that was recruited by China and that family has also said no. But they are recruiting.

 

[bytheriver]

Money doesn't seem to be a problem for Alysa's family, and after Nationals, she is likely to receive sponsorships that will only become more lucrative as she gets older.

Uprooting a 13 year old to move to China and train away from her family? Uprooting the entire family, dad's job, etc.? Neither option is worth it - otherwise we would see far more US skaters representing China than just Beverly Zhu.

This sort of speculation just seems silly.

I agree with you, but want to correct that Beverly still lives and trains in Los Angeles. She spends minimal time here and there training in China with the national team and Chen Lu. It was actually mentioned in an interview with one of her coaches that she lives full-time in LA and it is sometimes difficult adjusting to the cold weather in China around Nationals.

But I digress, haha.

 

[chuckm]

Any dad who can pay surrogates to give birth to 5 children has obviously got plenty of money.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Uprooting a 13 year old to move to China and train away from her family? Uprooting the entire family, dad's job, etc.? Neither option is worth it - otherwise we would see far more US skaters representing China than just Beverly Zhu.

This sort of speculation just seems silly.

Not only that, but IIRC Alysa's dad is an attorney, so it might not be easy for him to reestablish his practice in another country.

 

[noidont]

Alysa's dad came to US as a political refuge. No way in hell she is switching to China. He might still be on some kind of blacklist in China.

 

[bobbob]

Any dad who can pay surrogates to give birth to 5 children has obviously got plenty of money.

Please do not jump to conclusions (not that it matters). From what my friend has told me, he lives quite modestly in a three bedroom house in one of the most economical parts of the Bay Area (Richmond), which he shares with at least 6 other people, including his 5 children. He has sacrificed a lot for Alysa's skating.

The idea of her switching to China is ludicrous, I don't know how that came about. Neither her, nor her father, is a Chinese citizen.

 

[andromache]

Doesn't RusFed pay for Medvedeva to train in Canada? Doesn't North Korea pay for North Koreans to train in Canada?

Medvedeva is an exception, and she will presumably lose her funding if her results continue to falter. North Korea is its own weird thing.

Anyway, I'm really just curious as to how much funding and autonomy recruited Chinese skaters have. Presumably, most Chinese skaters who have always skated for China train in China (other than Wang/Liu since now they train with Marie-France) and Chinese fed seems to make all decisions about coaching, choreographers, training, etc., and they control all of the skaters' funding. If Beverly Zhu wants to change coaches or get new choreography, is there a lot of difficulty with the Chinese fed? How much control do Beverly's parents have (assuming they are the ones who have been in charge of her skating career until now)?

I'm really off-topic now. Oops.

 

[concorde]

The idea of her switching to China is ludicrous, I don't know how that came about. Neither her, nor her father, is a Chinese citizen.

Lots of things people thought were ludicrous 5 years ago are reality now. Nothing surprises me anymore. Only time will tell.

 

[eaglehelang]

Doesn't RusFed pay for Medvedeva to train in Canada? Doesn't North Korea pay for North Koreans to train in Canada?

The Russian Fed already came out with a statement that they do Not pay for Evgenia's training expenses. She pays Orser & co's fees from her endorsements, ice shows, commercial shoots.
If I recall correctly, Russian Fed said they are paying for Evgenia's apartment in Canada & flight tickets.

 

[Quelita]

The fact that Russia pays for Medvedeva's trips and housing is very good. The thing is for how long? Also, I don't know if she can stay for more than one year in Canada since she is a tourist not an international student and is not attending a university. Does the Russian and Canadian federation pay for the trips, trainings and hotel stays of the skaters who are on their national teams? If those countries do that why doesn't the U.S.pay for the training of their best skaters who are on the national team and Alyssa Liu's trainings and trips? After her national title they really should help her out with those expenses and give stipends to the top 10 skaters every year who are working so hard to represent well the U.S. internationally. Just wondering, how old was Liu when she started learning her doubles and triples?? I am very curious about that.