2020 U.S. Nationals: Ladies Short Program Recap | Golden Skate

2020 U.S. Nationals: Ladies Short Program Recap

gsk8

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Country
United-States
Bradie Tennell took the lead after the Ladies’ Short Program on Thursday night in Greensboro, N.C. Defending champion Alysa Liu is currently in second followed by Mariah Bell.

Tennell put out a stellar performance to “Mechanisms” and “Chronos” by Kirill Richter, opening with a solid triple Lutz-triple toe and double Axel. The 2019 Skate America silver medalist also landed a triple flip and showed strong level 4 spins and footwork to earn 78.96 points.

“It’s fun and sassy, and that is kind of me with my family and friends and more open and fun, sarcastic and sassy,” said Tennell of her short program. “I like to put that into my skating necessarily, and I like to explore myself. I had been more reserved on the ice, and this opens up a new chapter with my skating. I lost myself in the performance. I hadn’t skated like myself all week, with the warm up, I felt kind of stressed, and I used the warm up to remind myself that I did this every day. Once the music started, I was like, ‘all right, I can breathe a little bit.'”

More...

What are your thoughts on Tennell's SP? What did you think about the Ladies event overall? Which was your favorite performance?

“Overall, I felt better than the qualifiers, but nationals is nationals,” said the former two-time national champion. “I couldn’t really do triple toe run throughs until Thanksgiving. For me, the short and long are two different entities. Someone can have the world’s greatest short program and botch the long. It’s different music, different set ups and different priorities. People are invested in my story and my comeback. No one wakes up and is an inspiration today. America loves a comeback story.”
What do you think is holding Gold back?
 
Last edited:

princessalica

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 20, 2015
Bradie Tennell took the lead after the Ladies’ Short Program on Thursday night in Greensboro, N.C. Defending champion Alysa Liu is currently in second followed by Mariah Bell.

Tennell put out a stellar performance to “Mechanisms” and “Chronos” by Kirill Richter, opening with a solid triple Lutz-triple toe and double Axel. The 2019 Skate America silver medalist also landed a triple flip and showed strong level 4 spins and footwork to earn 78.96 points.

“It’s fun and sassy, and that is kind of me with my family and friends and more open and fun, sarcastic and sassy,” said Tennell of her short program. “I like to put that into my skating necessarily, and I like to explore myself. I had been more reserved on the ice, and this opens up a new chapter with my skating. I lost myself in the performance. I hadn’t skated like myself all week, with the warm up, I felt kind of stressed, and I used the warm up to remind myself that I did this every day. Once the music started, I was like, ‘all right, I can breathe a little bit.'”

More...

What are your thoughts on Tennell's SP? What did you think about the Ladies event overall? Which was your favorite performance?


What do you think is holding Gold back?

Today? I think it was her nerves more than anything. In the kids and cry she mouthed that she was scared to death or something along those lines. Regionals and sectionals were one thing but this is nationals and she knows how many people are watching her.
 

Bluediamonds09

Medalist
Joined
Sep 8, 2016
What a great event so far!

Amber: you did it, girl! We knew u had it in you!

Gracie: Congratulations! We’re all so happy to see u here! Good job on the 2A after the mistake. And on a side note, beautiful costume!

Karen: Was she trying to go for the 3-3? Because if she was.....Karen, you can’t launch yourself into a massive lutz and expect to get a 3toe off the end of it. I wish she would go to a jump specialist and fix this. On a side note, beautiful costume and spiral. Always lovely to see an extended spiral.

Starr: Good job. The simpler 3toe-3toe kept her out of the final group.

Paige: Good to see u back at nationals. Congratulations on the 60+ score.

Bradie: Cool under pressure as we’ve come to expect, which is great for the US ladies.
 

SorrySkater

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Bradie was wonderful and deserved first. Before that crazy fall, I thought Mariah might pass her. All else in her program was wonderful. Alysa’s program is cute and totally age appropriate, but Bradie’s performance clearly surpassed hers, even without the mistake on the triple axel. I noticed Gracie’s hands shaking, while she was posed at the start of her program. I was afraid it would be worse than it was and am so happy that, overall, she held it together. Hopefully her nerves will not be so bad in the long and she will really have a great program.

I think the top 3 remain the same, but the order could change in a myriad of ways. Looking at the scores, I think Bradie is well positioned to win - unless Alysa nails everything and gets a crazy high score.
 

macy

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 12, 2011
i posted something similar in the competition thread, but i can't imagine how scary and downright terrifying this had to have been for Gracie. yes she put in the work, but her return was so anticipated and it was like you could hear a pin drop before she began her program. she had so many eyes on her leading up to yesterday, i would assume many of which were expecting to see her old self back. she must have been so, so nervous. but just getting through it was a huge step for her, she fought through the whole thing. i hope tonight she can skate with a lot less pressure on her, and has a skate she is happy with. this is only the beginning for her and the sky is the limit with how hard she has worked and the many improvements she's made in such a short period of time. i believe in her.
 

SkateTM0102

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 23, 2019
I think last night Gracie was nervous. I’ve been around all week and have watched her practice multiple times this week. I actually thought based on practices she might be 4th after the short, that’s how good she looked. I don’t think her stamina is quite there so I expected that the long would be more of a struggle. However, she looked very nervous and pale during the warm up and her jumps were tight. I can’t imagine the guts it took to get out there yesterday. I’m hoping that being in the first group will take some pressure off of her. She has a lot of people rooting for her, she got the most cheering at every practice.
 

KatGrace1925

Medalist
Joined
Apr 4, 2016
Yeah like other's have said Gracie's issue was nerves. In practice she was nailing her jumping passes, she looked completely different going into her jumps during the program, just tight without that same ease. Performing well in practice and performing well in your first major competition in years are two completely different things.
 

Mishaminion

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 12, 2014
Gracie...she made it to Nationals and she skated well, shame about the loop but it was not a disaster. That she is there at all after all she has gone through is amazing, so proud of her.

Bradie was very good, but I really thought Mariah could have beaten her without that unfortunate step Sequence fall. Still think Mariah's score should have been a little higher, even with that fall.
 

kaitlinicole

Rinkside
Joined
Jan 13, 2014
Gracie looked good and I’m confident she will only get better. She’s only 24 I think people feel like she’s been around much longer than she has. Mariah is 23 I think? I’m glad to see the “older” ladies holding their own against younger injury free talent

- - - Updated - - -

And about Mariah..even with that little fall that’s a program I want to watch again and again! She looked like she was having fun. Pure fire and I loved that ponytail

- - - Updated - - -

And about Mariah..even with that little fall that’s a program I want to watch again and again! She looked like she was having fun. Pure fire and I loved that ponytail
 

Jaana

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 27, 2003
Country
Finland
What do you think is holding Gold back?

I think that Gold should just enjoy herself and not torment herself by result expectations and especially by those from the US audiences or fans... If she really is skating to faultless performances at practices and not at a competition as important as the US Nationals for a skater, her mindset somehow is not peaceful or relaxed enough. Just enjoy yourself feel proud of yourself and forget everything else!!!
 

moonvine

All Hail Queen Gracie
Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 14, 2007
Country
United-States
What do you think is holding Gold back?

I think she just needs to take a moment to breathe. I think being Gracie is both a curse and a blessing. Media has been crawling all over her since she got here. I hope she’ll do some summer comps, even though that isn’t her thing. If she continues improving at this pace I think USFS would be foolish to not send her as a host pick to Skate America. They sent Megan Wessenberg as a host pick when she had finished 17th or 19th at Nationals based on her performance over the summer. I really hope she doesn’t have to go back the Regionals/Sectionals route. At this point I think she’d be taking a place away from someone else for no reason.
 
Top