First of all, Ashley’s record leading up to 2018 was superior to Mirai’s leading up to 2014. As for Karen’s credibility leading up to 2018 being better than Ashley’s, that’s widely debatable. Karen was a mess at every one of her fall events in 2017-2018, and Ashley beat her at Skate Canada with a Bronze Medal and placed ahead of Karen in the SP at Skate America before she withdrew. Karen’s win over Ashley at 2017 Nationals was debatable, and as for Karen’s 4th place over Ashley’s 7th at Worlds - Ashley didn’t skate well, but even with 3 clean triples she was only around 5 points from Karen’s 4th place (and Karen landed twice the amount of triples that Ashley did). Between Karen showing up to the Olympics with boot problems that weren’t fully resolved and crying about not being with her mom to her mediocre placement, I think USFS made the wrong call. Ashley over Mirai in 2014 was a no-brainer, Karen over Ashley in 2018 was stupidity.
2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating
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First of all, Ashley’s record leading up to 2018 was superior to Mirai’s leading up to 2014. As for Karen’s credibility leading up to 2018 being better than Ashley’s, that’s widely debatable. Karen was a mess at every one of her fall events in 2017-2018, and Ashley beat her at Skate Canada with a Bronze Medal and placed ahead of Karen in the SP at Skate America before she withdrew. Karen’s win over Ashley at 2017 Nationals was debatable, and as for Karen’s 4th place over Ashley’s 7th at Worlds - Ashley didn’t skate well, but even with 3 clean triples she was only around 5 points from Karen’s 4th place (and Karen landed twice the amount of triples that Ashley did). Between Karen showing up to the Olympics with boot problems that weren’t fully resolved and crying about not being with her mom to her mediocre placement, I think USFS made the wrong call. Ashley over Mirai in 2014 was a no-brainer, Karen over Ashley in 2018 was stupidity.
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2017
It wasn't.
Which tells you more about reputation than what the scores should have been. Have you rescored either of their performances?
Best choreographed SP in the international ladies' field, better jumps and spins. Sure, "stupidity". Ashley blew it at repeatedly and then again at nationals. Being left off the team was highly deserved.
- Joined
- Sep 8, 2016
Question: is this weekend’s regionals over yet? How did the skaters do??
- Joined
- May 27, 2018
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Can we pls fire bradies seamstress now
She is reaaaallllly not doing her any favors with the blue and black disaster...
There's something extremely 90s about that black + electric blue. I liked the black dress she wore at her Challenger. That was a good look on her.
Can we pls fire bradies seamstress now
She is reaaaallllly not doing her any favors with the blue and black disaster...
I don't know what everyone is seeing when they gush over Bradie's improvement. I see the same posture issues as before and lack of audience connection.
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2011
She definitely should have kept the black one out of the 2...
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2011
Bradie has done a lot of work over the summer on her components, and it's just completely false to say theres no difference between last year and this year. Even just going back to the olympics, her skating has improved so much. Its not where it needs to be yet, but shes on the right path.
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2014
Did Bradie fall? How is she not in the top 3?
- Joined
- Nov 12, 2011
She singled the second half of her 3-3.
Disagree, neither Ashley or Karen had stellar seasons and let's all be honest neither had a prayer at the podium unless they skated the skate of their lives and multiple other skaters had poor performances - not worth the bad press to pick Ashley who finished 4th again over the 3rd place skater. 2014 there was a least the argument for being more sure of what you'd get from Ashley and possibly sneaking on the podium, that wasn't the case in 2017. Plus there is the fact that Ashley was on the downhill of her career, whereas Karen there's the argument that she's still early in her senior career and the Olympics experience could be beneficial for her.
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2016
Well. Bradie ended skate America in fourth place. Not terrible but yeah... what cost her the bronze here was the UR’s. (3loop in combo was called ur, as well as 3ltz-3t) Had she not have the rotation issues, she would have medaled. I admire her desire to increase her content but she may have to go back to “just” a 3ltz-3t and 2a-3t. Cleanliness is rewarded much more in the plus 5 minus 5 system.
But similar to Evgenia she might need to 'sacrifice' this season a bit for the future seasons if she plans to have a chance at being on the podium at major competitions past this season.
While skating fans can scream all day and night long about 'wait till the Russian girls go through puberty and see what those jumps look like'; the skaters and their coaches can't bank on it and have to be realistic that not all of those skaters are going to lose their technical goods to puberty, and frankly I don't think that the big 4 (Trusova, Tarkanova, Shcherbakova and kostornaia) necessarily need to have the quads/triple axel to beat the current crop of seniors.
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2014
Big shout-out to Megan Wessenberg. I thought she did a great job at SkAm. Could she end up with another Grand Prix?
- Joined
- Feb 20, 2018
Considering Karen relatively delivered two times in a row at nationals (justifiably beating Ashley both times), and at the previous worlds (once again beating Ashley, and all comps with the highest stakes) I think they were hoping that she'd be able to deliver similarly at the Olympics. Plus she has better everything and better scoring potential.
Don't get me wrong, there would've been justifications for sending Ashley as well, and perhaps it would've been a better decision in hindsight, but to act as if they made an irrational decision that had no justification just to screw over Ashley is really disingenuous.
Don't get me wrong, there would've been justifications for sending Ashley as well, and perhaps it would've been a better decision in hindsight, but to act as if they made an irrational decision that had no justification just to screw over Ashley is really disingenuous.
- Joined
- Mar 23, 2014
Good for Megan Wessenberg. She had the strongest outing here for a US lady relative to expectations.
Disappointed for Bradie, but this was an extremely well-skated event and she made mistakes. Being off the podium here is bad for her, but I think it will push her to improve. I do think the 3Lz-3Lo is worth continuing to do - it sets her apart as one of the few current senior ladies who are actively improving their tech to compete with Alina. She's doing a 3-3-2 in the second half! That's impressive, and I think her URs will improve as the season goes forward and she continues adjusting to her new layout.
I'm just going to be a Bradie stan because the hate she gets is extra and unnecessary.
I enjoy both of Starr's programs - they are super fresh and innovative - but she seems to be really struggling technically. Aside from the jumps, she got StSq2 in both programs, which is bad look. I think she'll peak later in the season....but still. She's not going to be the savior of US skating, but I admire her for being an African-American lady in skating who is skating to programs that are thematically/culturally black. It's important.
ETA: Also, I think Bradie's SP is kind of a masterpiece. The level of intensity suits her perfectly. The strength behind Romeo and Juliet isn't bad either, but thematically it's not super strong.
Disappointed for Bradie, but this was an extremely well-skated event and she made mistakes. Being off the podium here is bad for her, but I think it will push her to improve. I do think the 3Lz-3Lo is worth continuing to do - it sets her apart as one of the few current senior ladies who are actively improving their tech to compete with Alina. She's doing a 3-3-2 in the second half! That's impressive, and I think her URs will improve as the season goes forward and she continues adjusting to her new layout.
I'm just going to be a Bradie stan because the hate she gets is extra and unnecessary.
I enjoy both of Starr's programs - they are super fresh and innovative - but she seems to be really struggling technically. Aside from the jumps, she got StSq2 in both programs, which is bad look. I think she'll peak later in the season....but still. She's not going to be the savior of US skating, but I admire her for being an African-American lady in skating who is skating to programs that are thematically/culturally black. It's important.
ETA: Also, I think Bradie's SP is kind of a masterpiece. The level of intensity suits her perfectly. The strength behind Romeo and Juliet isn't bad either, but thematically it's not super strong.
Can we banned the term “savior of US skating?” I hate that term so much! It is not the job of one skater to save all of ladies skating. Furthermore it’s because of that ridiculous type of thinking that ladies are failing so much now. How many skaters had so much pressure put on them that they crumbled? I’m sick of it. Bad enough Alysa is still underrotating her 3A but domestic tech controllers are still calling it clean. Now she has a JGP in the US next year! Why?! Why won’t they ever learn?! :gaah:
When she gets tired she gets a bit sloppy. Her problems though, are easily fixable. She gets up in the shoulders, sloppy arms, flinging hands etc. Hopefully her coaches watch the video and point things out: there there and there, and look at your hand/arm/freeleg there there and there. I expect these tiny issues to be cleaned up by nationals.
