2018-19 U.S. Ladies' figure skating

[natsulian]

Challenge Cup Ladies Results:
2. Starr Andrews, 187.69 - no falls, but two under-rotations and one edge call
4. Amber Glenn, 180.91 - one fall, one pop, and three under-rotations

First time Starr has put together two relatively clean programs and Amber did not fall apart. Small steps for both ladies heading into the next season, but good steps nonetheless. It’ll be an interesting next season for Starr to see if she’ll get over her sophomore slump.

 

[frida80]

Challenge Cup Ladies Results:
2. Starr Andrews, 187.69 - no falls, but two under-rotations and one edge call
4. Amber Glenn, 180.91 - one fall, one pop, and three under-rotations

First time Starr has put together two relatively clean programs and Amber did not fall apart. Small steps for both ladies heading into the next season, but good steps nonetheless. It’ll be an interesting next season for Starr to see if she’ll get over her sophomore slump.

Clearly this year’s FS was too much for her. Too fast, and the layout kept changing. Once she changed back her old program, her stamina was less of an issue and she was more confident. I hope next year they focus on a senior strategy that accounts for the length and difficulty of a longer FS. One the plus side, she only got a ! and not a out right (e) on her lutz. Plus this is her first senior international medal. Good for her!

As for Amber, I think she made huge strides this year. She ended up losing the SA spot when she scored a dismal 68.25 in her FS at Philly International. She’s now changed to a of pops into just a fall, pop, and a few underrotations. It’s a vast improvement.

 

[truthbooth]

Bradie’s choreographer Benoit Richaud said that she doesn’t have artistic talent, but she is a very hard worker.

Source?

Challenge Cup Ladies Results:
2. Starr Andrews, 187.69 - no falls, but two under-rotations and one edge call

Congratulations to Starr for having her best competition and performances to close out the season. I think it was wise to go back to the Whitney Houston program. Hopefully, she can take this success and channel it for next season. The raw talent is there.

 

[oatmella]

Source?

From Benoit interview with TSL:
https://youtu.be/-PXgGprlBCY

‘So first of all, I love this girl ... because first, she’s a hard worker. I like people who work, and I like humble people ... I like simple person ... and that’s one quality that Bradie has, she is a simple girl. She’s the same as last year, completely the same - and she works hard.’

‘She don’t have this talent of skating skills or musicality or dance movement ... so it’s really challenging.’

 

[frida80]

From Benoit interview with TSL:
https://youtu.be/-PXgGprlBCY

‘So first of all, I love this girl ... because first, she’s a hard worker. I like people who work, and I like humble people ... I like simple person ... and that’s one quality that Bradie has, she is a simple girl. She’s the same as last year, completely the same - and she works hard.’

‘She don’t have this talent of skating skills or musicality or dance movement ... so it’s really challenging.’

I know he meant it as a compliment but reading it again and it just sounds harsh.

 

[oatmella]

Karen’s instagram post - she has been dealing with a stress fracture:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuR8bilgiAF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

Karen’s instagram post - she has been dealing with a stress fracture:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BuR8bilgiAF/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Not a new one, right?

 

[andromache]

Starr has the raw talent but I really think she has progressed as far as she can with her current team. She needs a coaching change to continue developing.

 

[Noxchild]

Congrats to Starr on her first senior medal, which I'm sure must be a boon to a no doubt frustrating and non-ideal debut season. I don't follow her enough to know whether her coaching situation works for her or not, but I hope she continues to work on her technique and delivery, because she has the real potential to blow up in the US and become a cultural zeitgeist if she scores a few more medals and wins, even. Go Starr!

 

[CellarDweller]

Congrats to Starr on her finish! I'm glad that she went back to the One Moment In Time program for this competition.

 

[ssffww]

I didn't like Bradie last season, at all. But she is much improved. (Also, a good choice in music helps. :thumbsup

I don't see her as ever being able to grow into an artist. Something is missing for that, IMO. But she can certainly continue to teach herself to become a better performer, and keep on improving technically.

So, while I was not on her bandwagon, I root for her - as I would for anyone who's obviously trying and working very hard.

I came to appreciate Bradie when I saw her live at Skate America in 2017. She had speed and power on the ice that does not translate on screen. I also find her fair coloring washes her out on camera. She's much more striking live.

 

[oatmella]

Not a new one, right?

Not new. I wasn’t sure if she had specified her injury before.

She is asking for music ideas in her current instagram story - so seems that she is looking towards next season.

 

[Mathman]

I know he meant it as a compliment but reading it again and it just sounds harsh.

Yeah, he wanted to compliment her work ethic, etc., but it came out kind of awkward.

Edit: But I think the point is that Bradie has her own style. She doesn't float like a butterfly, she stings like a bee. Cinderella did not play to her strengths, but this year's short program does.

As for why everyone was so taken with Brady last year, I think it is that she was super-consistent in the first half of the season. U.S. skating fans had gotten used to holding their breath while the U.S. champion lands six out of seven jumps and finishes fifth.

 

[gold12345]

Yeah, he wanted to compliment her work ethic, etc., but it came out kind of awkward.

Edit: But I think the point is that Bradie has her own style. She doesn't float like a butterfly, she stings like a bee. Cinderella did not play to her strengths, but this years' short program does.

I agree, it sounded harsh. Maybe he meant to say Bradie doesn't have as much natural talent in terms of dance, skating skills, etc. Things like that can be worked on to some extent. You can see a distinct improvement in her SP this year vs her Cinderella LP last season. I don't think this year's LP shows her off as well, but some of that to me is because of the choreo itself, especially the beginning of the program which seems a little choppy and looks awkward on her.

As for why everyone was so taken with Brady last year, I think it is that she was super-consistent in the first half of the season. U.S. skating fans had gotten used to holding their breath while the U.S. champion lands six out of seven jumps and finishes fifth.

I would say landing 6 of 7 jumps and finishing 5th is more promising than skating rock solid and still finishing 5th. I think consistency is sometimes overrated. Bradie has had moments of inconsistency too, as well as underrotations. Some of the most consistent ladies get that way by jumping smaller and underrotating at times. We do tend to fall in love with any US lady who skates clean but there's obviously a lot more to it. Someone like Gracie Gold was more erratic, but it was clear they were going to award her huge numbers if she would just hit. Bradie could probably skate cleaner than someone like Kaetlyn Osmond on most occasions, but who was going to score better? We see how high Kaetlyn scored during the times when she did skate well.

 

[natsulian]

An article about Hanna Harrell, the 15-year-old who placed 4th at Nationals.

http://figureskatersonline.com/news/2019/02/26/hanna-harrell-ready-to-make-her-debut-to-the-world-at-the-junior-world-championships/

Key Points:
- Original coach was 1992 Olympic Pairs Champion Natalia Mishkutionok
- Current coaches are the wife and husband pair Olga Ganicheva and Alexei Latov
- Trains in Texas, moving there with her mother
- Currently trains a 3A and 4T and wants to add them next season
- Believes that to compete with the Russians, US ladies need to be consistent first then push the technical envelope
- Injury on her right foot derailed the beginning of the 2018/2019 season
- Wants to duplicate her success at Nationals and show that it was not a fluke

Funny thing to note is that Hanna's coaches actually advise against her rippon jumps, but she herself loves it so much that she decided to add it to nearly all of her jumps. We love a rebellious young lady. Good luck to both Hanna and Ting at Junior Worlds!

 

[Mathman]

I would say landing 6 of 7 jumps and finishing 5th is more promising than skating rock solid and still finishing 5th.

That is an interesting question. For me, the answer is not obvious.

If a skater does her best and her best is fifth place, well, good for her. I for one am satisfied.

A skater who seems to have the potential to reach higher, but time after time doesn't quite skate up to that promise -- that can be frustrating.

 

[champs]

An article about Hanna Harrell, the 15-year-old who placed 4th at Nationals.

http://figureskatersonline.com/news/2019/02/26/hanna-harrell-ready-to-make-her-debut-to-the-world-at-the-junior-world-championships/

Key Points:
- Original coach was 1992 Olympic Pairs Champion Natalia Mishkutionok
- Current coaches are the wife and husband pair Olga Ganicheva and Alexei Latov
- Trains in Texas, moving there with her mother
- Currently trains a 3A and 4T and wants to add them next season
- Believes that to compete with the Russians, US ladies need to be consistent first then push the technical envelope
- Injury on her right foot derailed the beginning of the 2018/2019 season
- Wants to duplicate her success at Nationals and show that it was not a fluke

Funny thing to note is that Hanna's coaches actually advise against her rippon jumps, but she herself loves it so much that she decided to add it to nearly all of her jumps. We love a rebellious young lady. Good luck to both Hanna and Ting at Junior Worlds!

Thanks for the heads up, that was a very informative read. She didn't end her last season on a high note (rather contrary to what the article says) and I hope she will this time around. Don't know how realistic her aim for including 3A/4T next season but I love her ambition (and her joyous skating!)

 

[ice coverage]

An article about Hanna Harrell, the 15-year-old who placed 4th at Nationals.

http://figureskatersonline.com/news/2019/02/26/hanna-harrell-ready-to-make-her-debut-to-the-world-at-the-junior-world-championships/ …

Good luck to both Hanna and Ting at Junior Worlds!

:agree: Good luck to Hanna and Ting. :yay:

Thanks for writing out key points from the Hanna article.

Not a key point, but sounds great that after JW, Hanna will go to Japan to visit her mom's family.

Perfect excuse to post this wonderful mini-video of Akari Nakahara and Hanna introducing themselves in Japanese and thanking fans. (I think it was recorded at the FOFS breakfast at Nats.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtNCNXmH63w/ (Jan 28)​

ETA (on Mar 3):

In reply to an Instastory question today, Hanna said that she is fluent in Japanese. (I have been a fan of Hanna for a couple of years, but haven't had much awareness of her personal bkgd. Perhaps already common knowledge to others.) A different Insta question was written in Japanese, and Hanna wrote back in Japanese.​

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FYIs re local shows:

(1) Hanna H will be a guest skater for Showtime On Ice, Fri-Sun Apr 26-28, in Colorado.

Tomoki Hiwatashi is the other guest skater. Ryan Bradley returns as emcee.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtudnOCn_sX/ (Feb 10)​

(2) Alysa Liu will be a headliner for Skate It Forward, Saturday, June 22, in Ohio.

I think she is the first cast member to be announced for this year.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BuZHnxyHBQB/ (Feb 27)​

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Did anyone else watch juv girls? 68 is an insane score!!! The girl’s name was Kanon, kind of reminded me of Hanna Harrell when she was that level, Hope she follows a similar path as I see some potential in her. Also believe her coach is Tammy, but I might be wrong, very impressive for a juvenile skater.

Wanted to (belatedly) mention in this thread that Kanon Smith, 2019 U.S. juvenile girls champion, skated in the Four Continents gala in Anaheim. She led off the show.
(Sorry, I don't know whether there is video of her Four Continents program.)

 

[skylark]

I would say landing 6 of 7 jumps and finishing 5th is more promising than skating rock solid and still finishing 5th. I think consistency is sometimes overrated.

I agree. That's why we've had ONE US lady since 2006 who's a World Medalist: Ashley Wagner. For sheer watchability, interest and excitement, I'd rather see Wagner, Gold, Bell and Liu in competitions. Not to mention artistry and the subjective side of performing, which have always been important values of the sport.

That is an interesting question. For me, the answer is not obvious.

If a skater does her best and her best is fifth place, well, good for her. I for one am satisfied.

A skater who seems to have the potential to reach higher, but time after time doesn't quite skate up to that promise -- that can be frustrating.

Frustrating for whom? For fans who like predictability? Or who prefer steadiness and comfort in programs over emotion, drama, charisma, musical thrills? Or something else not immediately apparent to me? I'm sure it's frustrating to the skaters themselves too, but that may also be part of the beauty and attraction of participating in the sport.

Of all the qualities I've mentioned, emotional resonance is the essential one. For me.

Having said that, it's fun to see your thoughtful take on the question, Mathman. It really is an interesting question and highlights yet again how the fans as well as the skaters love figure skating for different reasons.

 

[Mathman]

Frustrating for whom? For fans who like predictability? Or who prefer steadiness and comfort in programs over emotion, drama, charisma, musical thrills? Or something else not immediately apparent to me? I'm sure it's frustrating to the skaters themselves too, but that may also be part of the beauty and attraction of participating in the sport. ...

Personally, I vote for emotion, drama, charisma, musical thrills, too. It's just that if you have all that, hit all your jumps but don't do a quad, and finsh fifth -- well, I am OK with that.

My favorite guy this year is Matteo Rizzo. Why? I don't know, I just like his performances. Is he going to medal at Worlds? Hey! ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN! Maybe one day he can help Italy make it to the final round of the Olympic Team competition!