2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating | Page 267 | Golden Skate

2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating

skatenewbie

Medalist
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Next year 4 ladies will be competing for the 2 World spots: Bradie, Mariah, Ting and Hannah. I think it's more like Bradie + Ting. After all these years, I really don't see Mariah at 23 can significantly elevate her technical content, and Hannah needs some more polish, and stamina in the second half of her LP. But anything can happen between now and the next Worlds. Would Karen, Gracie, Mirai and Polina come back?
Not sure Hannah will go on senior next year. Sure she compete in Senior at US Nats but she only had very few JGP experience. She needs to polish her PCS department. She may go to 4CC if she place top 3-4 in Nats. But worlds is unlikely. She and Alysa Liu will be leading US junior in JGP next season, i hope both of them can show their full potential and qualify for JGPF. Its been a while since we have ladies skater in JGPF
 

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I don't see that Mirai would be any help getting 3 spots back. She's been to Worlds twice in the last 3 years, and finished 10th both times. Since then she's had hip surgery. She landed the 3a once at the Olympics and not at all at Worlds, and has a history of URs. She'll turn 26 next month, so we probably will not see any improvement in her skating after a year's absence.

It would be wiser to focus on younger skaters with the most potential, and that would be Ting for starters.
 

rlopen

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 4, 2016
I would agree, except being a World's ladies medalist (or attaining any particular placement) these days seems to have more to do with politics, and less with actual skating skills or refined artistry.

The judging was so astoundingly corrupt at the WC, the actual level of skating might matter less and less in the future.

Huh? At least just looking at the ladies’ event, excluding the TP, I though the judging was actually just about right. There may have been a few overall placements that I didn’t agree with but that’s because some of them were just super close in terms of points received. The only thing I would change is maybe switching the placements of Samodurova and Bell and giving Miyahara a bit more PCS, but still I don’t think it would be enough PCS for her to change her placement.
 

CellarDweller

Ice Time
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
Country
United-States
Polina announced last fall her intention to come back next year.

Good for her! With Gracie, Polina, Mariah, Bradie, Ting and Alysa all in the mix, it would prove to be a packed field. Yes, I know that Alysa would be too young to go to World's, but her being there would still be an incentive to the others to really skate their best.
 

TunaKeem

Rinkside
Joined
Oct 21, 2017
I'm just so impressed with Bradie. It seems she really found her niche. Cinderella was not the program for her but she has really found the style of skater she is with her SP and FS this season with more drama and less frills. Technically, she is one of my favorite jumpers. Her fast rotation, tight air position. She's also going for the 3X+3Lo combinations. I hope she can become more consistent with it and not UR to have it as a permanent fixture in her programs.

Alysa Liu, I think it's too early to tell and I don't see Mariah getting up there. I think Mariah's quality of elements is not up to the level we would see on a podium. I think Bradie is America's best bet at a podium if she continues to improve artistically. The strides she made between her Cinderella program and this year is immense and hope she continues to go this route. The intensity she builds throughout her SP gives me chills.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Next year 4 ladies will be competing for the 2 World spots: Bradie, Mariah, Ting and Hannah. I think it's more like Bradie + Ting. After all these years, I really don't see Mariah at 23 can significantly elevate her technical content, and Hannah needs some more polish, and stamina in the second half of her LP. But anything can happen between now and the next Worlds. Would Karen, Gracie, Mirai and Polina come back?

I don't see Gracie or Polina being a factor for 2022 to be honest. Mirai is probably done so that leaves Karen who is still only 19 and is as talented as any US lady right now. If she could ever get her head together and fix the underotated jumps she could be a factor.
 

truthbooth

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 27, 2014
I agree that Karen has the most "raw" talent I've seen in the US ladies field in quite some time -- perhaps since Sasha Cohen.

We've seen glimmers of excellence, particularly in the 16-17 season, but she's never been able to put it all together in a consistent way. If she could harness all of her talents, I could easily see her repeating as US Champion in the future.
 

ramurphy2005

Unabashed Mainer
On the Ice
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Country
United-States
I agree that Karen has the most "raw" talent I've seen in the US ladies field in quite some time -- perhaps since Sasha Cohen.

We've seen glimmers of excellence, particularly in the 16-17 season, but she's never been able to put it all together in a consistent way. If she could harness all of her talents, I could easily see her repeating as US Champion in the future.

I hope she can, too. 'On Golden Pond' is one of my all time favorite short programs.
 

natsulian

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 14, 2018
Although the seniors next season will be exciting with Bradie, Mariah, Ting, Gracie, Karen, Polina, Starr, and a few others leading the race, I cannot wait to see the juniors. If the seniors is "packed", then the juniors are overflowing. Since there will no longer be a novice level championship at Nationals, almost all of the novices and some intermediates will jump straight to juniors. Additionally, now that we have full spots for Junior Worlds and the Junior Grand Prix thanks to Ting and Hanna, this is the perfect time to enable the younger girls to have some exposure internationally. Alysa and Hanna will probably lead the junior ladies next year, but we also have some very talented younger ladies coming down the pipeline, a lot of them having already attempted and successfully landed 3-3 combos, with a few going for that 3Lz-3Lo and 3Lz-3T (and there's one girl in particular who could really shake things up if all goes well).
 

princessalica

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 20, 2015
We definitely have evidence that Gracie has her triples back and is working very hard on her comeback. Polina has posted some, definitely not as much as Vincent has posted of Gracie. I wouldn't count either of them out. If Gracie does get back to her previous level, the judges have shown that they like to reward her. She may not have any championship medals, but she does have several small championship medals. If Ashley hadn't skated lights out at Worlds in 2016, Gracie would have been the Bronze medalist. Either way, there was going to be a US lady on that podium. And Polina was really moving upward at the time she got injured. Of course it may not work out, but they've both shown a lot of strength and style in their skating.

That isn't to say that I don't have high hopes for some of the up and comers, but I think its best to keep an open mind and cheer for all. I'm sure that many had given up on Ashley Cain after her last senior ladies nationals, but she found a way to come back stronger. - no she didn't medal, but she helped win back a pairs spot. I think we should continue to support our team until they tell us they are done. Because until they are done, they still could show up and skate lights out.
 

b-man

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 25, 2010
Well, I am writing off both Edmunds and Gold. Edmunds will be turning 21, and has no significant results since Nationals in 2016. She is five foot seven, has had foot problems, and has other distractions. I wouldn't be putting any eggs in the Edmunds basket.


Gold will be 24 in August, and has had no significant results since the Boston Worlds. She was so close to a world medal, and should have come out hungry for the 2017 season. But we are now starting the 2019-20 season. Even if she could get back to 2016 form, which is a big, big question mark, would that be competitive with Zagitova, Kihira, Trusova. I don't see Gold as the future of US figure skating.


I also see Wagner and Nagasu as done. They were backbones, with a few others, of US skating for 11 years, and have done more than their share for US Skating.
 

Bluediamonds09

Medalist
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
Hannah Harrell is definitely one of my favorite US skaters, but she doesn’t seem to have a following like Ting or Alysa yet. I hope she learns those difficult jumps for next season in order to change all that. Does she post her jumps to Instagram?

My prediction is that mirai and Ashley are not returning next season. Polina, maybe.
 

natsulian

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 14, 2018
Hanna usually posts her jumps often. She's training a 4T and a 3A currently, hopefully she finds success. She's definitely a rising star and the most consistent between her and Ting, but Ting has higher scoring potential.
 

oatmella

陈巍
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 23, 2014
Gracie landing triples is great, but it will have to be seen if she can land them - and have the stamina - across two programs. Like quite a few men post on their IG clips of them landing 4Lz, 4Lo, etc. - but can’t do them successfully in competition.

I wish her well - but my feeling is she will not really be competitive among the top US ladies.

The judges did reward Gracie if she skated well in the past. But I think the sport has moved past her at this point - as I recall she said in an interview that a World medal is her goal. The top senior ladies next season will likely be doing quads, 3A - it’s a new era.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
I'm probably a bit more optimistic for Gracie than some others. I still think her top form from 2016 would be competitive today, especially since skaters aren't having to backload most of their jumps to get solid scores anymore. She may not be able to recapture that form, but at least she has achieved it before, so it's possible she could.
 

Jammers

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 4, 2010
Country
United-States
Hanna usually posts her jumps often. She's training a 4T and a 3A currently, hopefully she finds success. She's definitely a rising star and the most consistent between her and Ting, but Ting has higher scoring potential.

Hanna needs to work on her in between skating and not be so fixated on the jumps. Its great to be pushing to do harder jumps but she was noticeably weaker in speed and skating skills then the top girls at Junior worlds.
 

readernick

Medalist
Joined
Dec 5, 2015
Hanna needs to work on her in between skating and not be so fixated on the jumps. Its great to be pushing to do harder jumps but she was noticeably weaker in speed and skating skills then the top girls at Junior worlds.

I agree. She can continue to push ahead technically but she really needs to improve her SS. I would make that top priority.
 

Skater Boy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 24, 2012
Good for her! With Gracie, Polina, Mariah, Bradie, Ting and Alysa all in the mix, it would prove to be a packed field. Yes, I know that Alysa would be too young to go to World's, but her being there would still be an incentive to the others to really skate their best.

Gracie, Polina, Mirai, Asley whoever all can say the right stuff about coming back. But whether they have the real goods is another issue. Talk is cheap. Show us the money. Not that I don't wish them well but we will have to wait and see if any come back is genuine. It will be tougher - probably 3 Japaneseladies and 3 Russians ahead. Add ET, Lim, Kostenr or Pagiani or a Fin and maybe a Canadian or two if Kaetlyn and Gabby come back strong. Still Bradie is solid. But that might not be enough.
 

katymay

Medalist
Joined
Mar 7, 2006
Huh? At least just looking at the ladies’ event, excluding the TP, I though the judging was actually just about right. There may have been a few overall placements that I didn’t agree with but that’s because some of them were just super close in terms of points received. The only thing I would change is maybe switching the placements of Samodurova and Bell and giving Miyahara a bit more PCS, but still I don’t think it would be enough PCS for her to change her placement.

Agree. I can't believe I am saying this, but overall, I thought the judging was very good.
 
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