2016 JGP Ljubljana Cup Ladies SP

ice coverage · Sep 23, 2016

topaz emerald said:
ice coverage, what is the difference between challenge skate and glacier falls? Is one competition more important than the other? just wondering...

I hope others who are a lot more knowledgeable than I am will jump in and give you better answers than I am capable of. Just my two cents:

The Glacier Falls Figure Skating Club holds The Summer Classic every year around the end of July. http://glacierfalls.com/2012-summer-classic/
Seems to be one of the most prestigious club competitions in the U.S. Includes high-quality skaters and judges.
Also one of the biggest club comps, I think. Senior, junior, novice, intermediate, juvenile, and more.
It is an open competition (as opposed to an invitational).
Almost forty junior ladies competed this year.

USFS itself holds U.S. Challenge Skate every September for novice and junior skaters. http://www.usfigureskatingclassic.com/challengeskate
Skaters must meet various entrance criteria.
A limit of twelve skaters per singles event.
Held in conjunction with the US International Classic for seniors, Challenge Skate is intended to give novice and junior skaters the "feel" of an international comp -- although it is a domestic developmental comp.

Within the context of the discussion of which U.S. junior ladies were assigned to JGPs, the "problem" with Challenge Skate is that it does not take place until midway through the JGP season. IMO, it is understandable that USFS had not given Starr a JGP assignment before Challenge Skate. Although she had a good win there, only three JGPs remain, and other junior ladies are as deserving or more deserving.

Again, others probably can give better answers than I have. If you want to hear other perspectives, maybe it would be a good idea to raise the question in the U.S. ladies thread.

hippomoomin · Sep 23, 2016

Upon folks suggestion, I watched Matilda Algotsson, and then the song twice on Youtube and I fell asleep. :laugh:

Not that I don't like the song; the song seems to have some amazing power to put people to sleep, especially the original, not the remix version.

largeman · Sep 23, 2016

https://www.instagram.com/p/BKqw123AKif/

When I see evidence like this that they are funloving and bighearted girls who care about and support one another, I feel embarrassed for skating fans who engage in petty arguments and try to put down skaters just because they are rivals to their personal favorites. :noshake:

Interspectator · Sep 23, 2016

largeman said:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKqw123AKif/

When I see evidence like this that they are funloving and bighearted girls who care about and support one another, I feel embarrassed for skating fans who engage in petty arguments and try to put down skaters just because they are rivals to their personal favorites. :noshake:

Go everyone! I can proudly be a fan of all of them. :love:

Sam-Skwantch · Sep 23, 2016

largeman said:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKqw123AKif/

When I see evidence like this that they are funloving and bighearted girls who care about and support one another, I feel embarrassed for skating fans who engage in petty arguments and try to put down skaters just because they are rivals to their personal favorites. :noshake:

This is awesome!!

eace:

CaroLiza_fan · Sep 23, 2016

hippomoomin said:
Upon folks suggestion, I watched Matilda Algotsson, and then the song twice on Youtube and I fell asleep.

Not that I don't like the song; the song seems to have some amazing power to put people to sleep, especially the original, not the remix version.

The song does not just put people to sleep. My internet actually died during Algotsson's routine!

The bad bit is that it didn't come back to life for ages afterwards. Which meant that I missed the whole of the rest of the competition!

And, unfortunately, I don't think I'll get a chance to watch the rest of it today. :disapp:

(Not that there is any rush - I will be out when the girls are doing the Free Skate tomorrow!)

CaroLiza_fan

CaroLiza_fan · Sep 23, 2016

largeman said:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BKqw123AKif/

When I see evidence like this that they are funloving and bighearted girls who care about and support one another, I feel embarrassed for skating fans who engage in petty arguments and try to put down skaters just because they are rivals to their personal favorites. :noshake:

Love that there is so much camaraderie between them. At the end of the day, they may be rivals on the ice, but they are still young girls who have something in common that can bind them together.

And I echo your sentiments about the fans. We could learn a lot about camaraderie from these girls.

Caroliza_fan

Tolstoj · Sep 23, 2016

topaz emerald said:
thanks...your English is fine. I saw a score sheet and I tried to understand it, but I couldn't. But it's not like I tried that hard to understand it....when I am in a better mood, I will look at a score sheet again, lol.

She is still 13 years old, still 2-3 years to improve and achieve something at the Junior circuit.

I think the US Federation made a bad decision to send her in Slovenia: this is a tough field, even with a relatively clean LP she could finish off the podium (Marin is the reigning JWC, Alina again has a tough LP with all the jumps in the 2nd half, and Rika has a 3A scheduled), while in previous events such as St. Gervais the bronze medal was easier to reach.

kalee · Sep 23, 2016

Ashley had a good skate but it'll be challenging for her to podium at any of the JGPs this season.
IIRC, she has not broken 100 points in the FS yet, which would still keep her behind Ye Lim Kim, Rin Nitaya, Alisa Lozko, and Yuna Shiraiwa, all of whom placed 3rd or 4th in the previous JGPs. Even to get to 4th in Ostrava would have required a PB from her.

If she hangs on to 5th here she would probably be doing as well as she would at any other comp -- it would be a challenge to stay ahead of Eun Soo in the free though. In any case she shouldn't drop lower than 6th if she has a strong free skate.

Chemistry66 · Sep 23, 2016

Tolstoj said:
She is still 13 years old, still 2-3 years to improve and achieve something at the Junior circuit.

I think the US Federation made a bad decision to send her in Slovenia: this is a tough field, even with a relatively clean LP she could finish off the podium (Marin is the reigning JWC, Alina again has a tough LP with all the jumps in the 2nd half, and Rika has a 3A scheduled), while in previous events such as St. Gervais the bronze medal was easier to reach.

Unfortunately, she was a substitute so ended up with a tough assignment. I wonder how Vivian Le would've turned out here.

skatelikewind1966 · Sep 23, 2016

kalee said:
Ashley had a good skate but it'll be challenging for her to podium at any of the JGPs this season.
IIRC, she has not broken 100 points in the FS yet, which would still keep her behind Ye Lim Kim, Rin Nitaya, Alisa Lozko, and Yuna Shiraiwa, all of whom placed 3rd or 4th in the previous JGPs. Even to get to 4th in Ostrava would have required a PB from her.

If she hangs on to 5th here she would probably be doing as well as she would at any other comp -- it would be a challenge to stay ahead of Eun Soo in the free though. In any case she shouldn't drop lower than 6th if she has a strong free skate.

Ashley put together her best total score at Skate Houston, 157, just a couple of weeks ago so if she can skate clean in her FS she will be the first US Junior lady to post a score of 100+ in the FS. Is it too much to ask of a 13 y.o. to put up the best SP and LP score for the US at the same competition, perhaps, but I think she can do it, she will need a clean skate. I certainly do not see her making the podium, but I do see her gaining a lot of confidence and momentum going into Sectionals as she will have a bye from Regionals.

skatelikewind1966 · Sep 23, 2016

hippomoomin said:
To me, Ashley Lin's biggest problem is her air position. Her free leg is so loose that I found it aesthetically ugly, though I don't think judges deducted any points from her for that. It is really glaring. I remember there used to be a Japanese skater years ago whose free leg did not really wrap well. I am afraid it has become her habit and it is very hard to change. If she manages to improve her jumps in 3 to 5 years, that air position probably will not get her good PCS.

She appears to me much better than Gaby overall, who seems to be scared of jumps.

As I said the other day, air position is the concern for Ashley so thank you hippo for echoing my thoughts.
Not sure if Gaby is scared of jumps, but it's easy to understand why one might say that after watching her in Japan. With that said, her 3Lz in the FS received the highest marks of any competitor that day (GOE 1.40) and all competitors did a 3Lz. Her 2A and 3Lo were very pretty in her FS and even with a fall still pulled out a 52. I watched her Glacier Falls FS video where she landed all of her jumps and scored 100+ but watching her in Japan it was a different program, different dress. Maybe she changed her her FS program just a couple of weeks before being called up to Japan, she was a sub. She also changed coaches a couple of months ago and her jumps have changed a lot so I'd say still a work in progress, not scared of jumps.

skatelikewind1966 · Sep 23, 2016

Chemistry66 said:
Unfortunately, she was a substitute so ended up with a tough assignment. I wonder how Vivian Le would've turned out here.

She was not a substitute, though I thought the same thing about "what if Vivian". I am so looking forward to seeing Vivian skate, she has improved so much in such a short period of time with her coach this summer. She truly looks like a senior competitor and I was deeply saddened by her injury and hope she is able to come back stronger than ever but as we all know, these injuries sometimes become nagging injuries and always cause problems (Karen, most recently comes to mind). With her new maturity, improved expression and strong skating and jumps, I hope Vivian will be the replacement for some of the aging Senior ladies.

Chemistry66 · Sep 23, 2016

skatelikewind1966 said:
She was not a substitute, though I thought the same thing about "what if Vivian". I am so looking forward to seeing Vivian skate, she has improved so much in such a short period of time with her coach this summer. She truly looks like a senior competitor and I was deeply saddened by her injury and hope she is able to come back stronger than ever but as we all know, these injuries sometimes become nagging injuries and always cause problems (Karen, most recently comes to mind). With her new maturity, improved expression and strong skating and jumps, I hope Vivian will be the replacement for some of the aging Senior ladies.

Vivian was provisionally assigned here, so that's why I was considering Ashley a substitute even if she may not have been technically. I think if Vivian wasn't dealing with injury issues, she'd have been here instead.

topaz emerald · Sep 23, 2016

Chemistry66 said:
Vivian was provisionally assigned here, so that's why I was considering Ashley a substitute even if she may not have been technically. I think if Vivian wasn't dealing with injury issues, she'd have been here instead.

I think I read on the forum she was supposed to compete in slovenia too. But I remember seeing her at one of the nationals and she had huge height on her jumps but they were uncontrollable, almost too big, so she would either fall or have a shaky landing. I haven't seen any of her recent performances yet.

frida80 · Sep 23, 2016

Tolstoj said:
She is still 13 years old, still 2-3 years to improve and achieve something at the Junior circuit.

I think the US Federation made a bad decision to send her in Slovenia: this is a tough field, even with a relatively clean LP she could finish off the podium (Marin is the reigning JWC, Alina again has a tough LP with all the jumps in the 2nd half, and Rika has a 3A scheduled), while in previous events such as St. Gervais the bronze medal was easier to reach.

I don't. The point of sending her was just to give her so e international experience. I don't think they had any intention of her winning. Or any of the girls they've sent so far. Their scores were mid 150s. To place in a JGP you need at least a 165. The Japanese and Russians are just too good. The bottom line was this year Tessa and Vivian were injured. Knowing that the gave slots to girls that had potential. Next year she will be better prepared against such tough competition.

chuckm · Sep 23, 2016

It's good for these young US girls to get international experience, and it's not fair to expect them to bring back medals against the very experienced Russian and Japanese girls. The Russians set up a system of rigorous domestic competitions for their skaters, and only the ones who get the best competition results get JGP assignments. They are very strong competitors even before they get those assignments. In a sense, they are already 'professional' skaters at 12 or 13.

kalee · Sep 23, 2016

frida80 said:
I don't. The point of sending her was just to give her so e international experience. I don't think they had any intention of her winning. Or any of the girls they've sent so far. Their scores were mid 150s. To place in a JGP you need at least a 165. The Japanese and Russians are just too good. The bottom line was this year Tessa and Vivian were injured. Knowing that the gave slots to girls that had potential. Next year she will be better prepared against such tough competition.

This year's JGP has been more competitive than last year for sure. There were at least some comps last year where 150+ would get you on the podium. But this season, the podium finishers were all scoring 170+ with the exception of Ostrava.

The Russian juniors in particular are exceptionally precocious, by the time they go to JGP they need to be able to deliver scores that are on par with seniors. The oldest of this year's crop, Konstantinova, is actually the same age as Vivian Le but more is probably expected of her and there will be the pressure to turn senior (whereas we would be happy to see Vivian carry the US' JGP and JW hopes for a while). Some of the Japanese girls are coming of age a little older but many are getting into the 180+ range this year.

Art&Sport · Sep 25, 2016

I really enjoyed that sp by Rika Kihira. She has a lot of presence and command at a young age. Plus, the music and choreo are wonderful and the way the jumps were laid out worked very well for her. I guess that can be tricky if you lay difficult elements out at the end of a program and then feel too tired to complete them well. But this strategy worked for Rika. Maybe she likes to be warmed up well before jumping?

In any case, I am not so much interested in ladies today, but I will occasionally take a look here and there at some senior and junior ladies. Marin Honda is very strong and she has a lighthearted personality on the ice. She unfortunately missed her 3/3 jumping pass in the sp, which put her behind. A good overall win for Kihira.

2016 JGP Ljubljana Cup Ladies SP

ice coverage

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