Changes on US team for Worlds

gsk8 · Mar 16, 2018

Three Skaters Added to 2018 World Team

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado (March 16, 2018) - U.S. Figure Skating announced today roster changes for the upcoming 2018 ISU World Figure Skating Championships set to begin next week in Milan.

U.S. Olympic Team member Karen Chen has withdrawn from the ladies event, while Tarah Kayne and Danny O’Shea have withdrawn from the pairs event.

Second alternate Mariah Bell will replace Chen in the ladies competition. Ashley Wagner, the first alternate, declined an invitation to the event. Bell finished fifth at the 2018 U.S. Championships. In the 2016-17 season, Bell won the silver medal at Skate America and won bronze at the U.S. Championships. She finished 12th at the World Championships last season.

Deanna Stellato and Nathan Bartholomay will replace Kayne and O’Shea in the pairs competition. Stellato and Bartholomay have been U.S. medalists in each of their two seasons, earning pewter in 2017 and bronze in 2018.

In total, sixteen athletes will represent the United States in Milan.

el henry · Mar 16, 2018

Sorry for Tarah and Danny (I hope they’re OK)

but wooooot for Deanna and Nate :yahoo:

And yes I will post this everywhere I can

Colonel Green · Mar 16, 2018

Wagner declined to go? Yeesh.

Tutto · Mar 16, 2018

Happy for Mariah but Ashley ? Has she officially retired already?

russianfan · Mar 16, 2018

Now it's even harder to keep 3 spots for US. At least Chen was 4th at last Worlds...
also, Ashley... :palmf:

sheetz · Mar 16, 2018

Ashley has barely been on the ice since Nationals so it's no surprise she declined.

drivingmissdaisy · Mar 16, 2018

russianfan said:
Now it's even harder to keep 3 spots for US.

Does the US deserve three spots? We have very little depth right now.

louisa05 · Mar 16, 2018

sheetz said:
Ashley has barely been on the ice since Nationals so it's no surprise she declined.

Exactly. Even if she got back to training recently, she was at the Olympics doing the Toyota athlete reporting thing and lost three weeks of training. It makes sense for her to decline having missed that much training time. She is doing the right thing for the team. So, of course, we should criticize her for that. And, if she went, having missed a huge chunk of training time and it showed in her performance, she'd get criticized for that.

So, hey, Ashley haters! This was a win-win for all of you!! Congrats!!! :rolleye:

My question is why did Karen withdraw and what are her future plans?

xeyra · Mar 16, 2018

I'm sad about Karen.

Wonder if her withdrawal is related to the recent boot situation and she has been unable to find proper replacements yet.

russianfan · Mar 16, 2018

drivingmissdaisy said:
Does the US deserve three spots? We have very little depth right now.

Well, in my opinion - no. But i'm talking about chances, not about who deserves and who are not. Bell is a non-factor and it's like 99.9% chance she will be out of top 10. At least it will be a good experience for her, i guess...

sheetz · Mar 16, 2018

I think Mariah should be reasonably prepared. She trains with her boyfriend who's also going to Worlds and with neither of them going to the Olympics she was probably training with him all this time.

Tutto · Mar 16, 2018

Gracie please come baaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

Ice Dance · Mar 16, 2018

russianfan said:
Well, in my opinion - no. But i'm talking about chances, not about who deserves and who are not. Bell is a non-factor and it's like 99.9% chance she will be out of top 10. At least it will be a good experience for her, i guess...

Mariah's odds are probably as good as Karen's. I'd rather have Karen, but there it is.

Mathman · Mar 16, 2018

russianfan said:
Well, in my opinion - no. But i'm talking about chances, not about who deserves and who are not. Bell is a non-factor and it's like 99.9% chance she will be out of top 10.

Well, to be honest, there was no guarantee that any of the three U.S. ladies will make the top ten. I think that Mariah Bell has as good a chance as anyone to make a contribution. She is capable of scoring well if she eliminates mistakes. Plus, she has a entertaining short program, wherever she finishes.

The way i see it, the U.S. has two chances to get three spots in ladies.

1. Mirai hits triple Axels in both long and short programs and finishes fourth. Bradie or Mariah rise to the occasion with 9th.

2. Bradie Tennell skates squeaky clean and gets 5th when skaters ahead of her falter. Mirai or Mariah jump up with an 8th. :yes:

I hope Tarah Kayne is not still plagued by past injuries.

Spirals for Miles · Mar 16, 2018

Well, let's see. Last year at Worlds, Mariah Bell was 12th with 187.23 points. For reference, Wakaba Higuchi was 11th with 188.05 points, and Anna Pogorilaya was 13th with 183.37 points.

This year, Bell's SB is 188.56, earned at Rostelecom Cup, where she placed 6th. She was 9th at NHK Trophy with 166.04 points and 5th at US Nationals with 192.34 (inflated Nationals scores are also a factor). Out of the ladies going to Worlds, her SB would place her 11th if everyone scored their SB. Her lowest score, 166.04, would place her 18th if everyone scored their SB and she scored her worst score of the season. So, out of the top 10? Probably, but it's not a given. She could overtake Stanislava for 10th, or someone could have a meltdown (I hope it doesn't happen, but it might) I think top 10 is a good goal for her but it would require some really strong skates. She skated well at Worlds last year, though.

noskates · Mar 16, 2018

Yikes. What's going on? Like El I'm happy for Deanna and Nate. Unfortunately I don't see the US being competitive in too many of the disciplines. Have often thought they should not have Worlds in an Olympic year. It just makes the season wayyyyyyyyyyy too long.

ancientpeas · Mar 16, 2018

I'm really happy for Deanna and Nate.

Colonel Green · Mar 16, 2018

louisa05 said:
Exactly. Even if she got back to training recently, she was at the Olympics doing the Toyota athlete reporting thing and lost three weeks of training. It makes sense for her to decline having missed that much training time. She is doing the right thing for the team. So, of course, we should criticize her for that. And, if she went, having missed a huge chunk of training time and it showed in her performance, she'd get criticized for that.

So, hey, Ashley haters! This was a win-win for all of you!! Congrats!!!

My question is why did Karen withdraw and what are her future plans?

When you’re selected as an alternate, the whole idea is that you’ll be ready to go if needed.

LiamForeman · Mar 16, 2018

I am beyond thrilled for Deanna Stellato!! Imagine coming back from retirement that many years later and then making a senior World team!!! Good luck!

Karen Chen... uggh. I suspected this would happen. Glad Ashley turned it down since she hasn't trained and really hasn't been seemingly interested all season. I really hope Mariah Bell has been training hard. She did pretty well at 4CCs so I can hope she's capable of a top10 finish. As for holding on to 3 spots? Nope. Mirai has had all her distractions so I would expect at best a performance like she gave in the individual event. Bradie? She's not going to save the day. Oh well. It will make them that much more competitive and hungry next season.

ETA: Someone mentioned Mariah is dating a training partner also going to Worlds. I must have been in a coma, but is she dating Nathan? I don't know why I didn't catch that one earlier.

LiamForeman · Mar 16, 2018

Colonel Green said:
When you’re selected as an alternate, the whole idea is that you’ll be ready to go if needed.

Exactly. Why didn't she just decline being the 1st Alternate in the first place like she did with 4CCs? Kind of unprofessional. It looks like she's not coming back.

Changes on US team for Worlds

gsk8

el henry

Go have some cake. And come back with jollity.

Colonel Green

Tutto

russianfan

Match Penalty

sheetz

drivingmissdaisy

louisa05

xeyra

Constant state

russianfan

Match Penalty

sheetz

Tutto

Ice Dance

Mathman

Spirals for Miles

Anna Shcherbakova is my World Champion

noskates

ancientpeas

The Notorious SEW

Colonel Green

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam

LiamForeman

William/Uilyam

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