This turned out to be a very bad year for Alissa.

[Mathman]

Honestly, I can speak for myself as to what I'd do if I was in Alissa's position. Even if I was crowned National champion, I'd pull out of Worlds and yield my spot to someone who can handle competition better....

Better to focus my efforts in making the Olympic team next year...

But, mindful of how awful you are, why would you try for the Olympics?

 

[Blades of Passion]

Alissa doesn't do 5 triple programs.

Oh, 2007 Nationals never happened?

The judges aren't going to reward someone HUGE PCS when they are doing a program of low technical difficulty.

Then they should learn to judge and/or USFSA should have been lobbying better. Alissa didn't deserve huge PCS for her performances at Worlds, but she was definitely scored too low in the LP.

 

[museksk8r]

Alissa didn't deserve huge PCS for her performances at Worlds, but she was definitely scored too low in the LP.

She didn't score high in PCS because she skates so tentatively and because she only managed to skate in the 2nd of 4 groups in the LP. Everyone's PCS scores are low when they skate that early in the competition.

 

[Mathman]

There have been reports on other forums that [Alissa] and her team ain't as sweet as they appear to be.

Alissa is sweet as sugar. Her choreographer and advisor Yuka Sato is sweet as honey. (I am not sure about her confidant and mentor Brian Boitano. )

 

[Ptichka]

Honestly, I can speak for myself as to what I'd do if I was in Alissa's position. Even if I was crowned National champion, I'd pull out of Worlds and yield my spot to someone who can handle competition better. I wouldn't go, especially since I know I'm a very poor competitor and there are Olympic spots on the line this year. After all, I've competed at Worlds before, and there's no chance I'd make the podium even if I hit my planned jump content of 5 triples. Better to focus my efforts in making the Olympic team next year, and with 3 spots available, my chances of making the team are that much better.

I envy your certainty regarding this hypothetical situation. For me, I'd say I have no idea what I'd do in place of someone who has finally achieved such a great result at Nationals.

 

[Kimmie Fan]

It isn't true that Rachael has never completed a 7-triple program. She did it several times in 2007-2008 and was credited with landing that 3/3.

Alissa has never attempted a 7-triple program and it appears 5 triples is the most she is capable of. Fact is she landed only TWO clean triples at Worlds 2009, because she got an edge call on her 3F, she was dinged with a UR on her 3Lo, and she doubled the 3T.

Other skaters:
Lepisto - 2 clean triples
Leonova - 5 clean triples (edge call on lutz)
Flatt - 6 clean triples (deductions were on 2nd jump of her combos)
Asada - 5 clean triples
Rochette - 5 clean triples (2nd lutz had a wonky landing, Lo doubled)
Ando - 5 clean triples (Lo was UR)
Kim - 4 clean triples (edge call on flip, doubled salchow)

So whats the difference between Alissa and Lepisto?
Both only landed 2 clean triples?
Where is the outcry over the reigning Euro champion

 

[LeCygne]

Seriously, I'm wondering if USFSA is just going through all of their top skaters to see which one actually proves to be reliable. The last three Nationals champions could all be said to be "gifted" the title. When's the last time a National champion did not win the SP?

2007 - Kimmie Meissner - Emily Hughes very nearly beat her to it. But oh great, look what happened to Kimmie...
2008 - Mirai Nagasu - 70+ points in SP? Fall on 2axel in LP... Yikes, bottom US lady at Junior Worlds?
2009 - Alissa Czisny - Huge PCS for a 3 triple LP... Look, she lost our 3 spots...
2010 - Who will be next???

 

[chuckm]

So whats the difference between Alissa and Lepisto?
Both only landed 2 clean triples?
Where is the outcry over the reigning Euro champion

At least both of Alissa's clean triples were 3Zs, and she did land a 3F, although it was called a lip.

Lepisto's clean triples were a loop and a salchow; she had a fall and a bad landing on a 3Z attempt; and instead of 3T+3T, she landed 2T+2T. But she got a 58.32 PCS score to Alissa's 52.64 because (a) Lepisto skated in the final group and (b) she was European champion.

 

[chuckm]

The funny thing is that at Nationals, after her lackluster, faulty FS, Alissa seemed resigned to losing the championship. From her face and body language, it was clear that she expected to be placed behind Rachael.

I think if she hadn't gone to Worlds as the US champion, Alissa would have skated better in the SP and she would have placed higher in the FS, because she probably would have skated in the penultimate group with Rachael. It's entirely possible that they would have secured the 3 places.

I don't think going to Worlds as the US champion would have affected Rachael adversely, and she might have gotten just a tad more respect in her first appearance at Worlds.

 

[Mathman]

She didn't score high in PCS because she skates so tentatively and because she only managed to skate in the 2nd of 4 groups in the LP.

About Czisny looking scared and tentative, I have seen her skate with much more fire and confidence. I think in her worlds LP she was just saying to herself, "please, skate gods, just let me stay upright for 4 minutes."

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Is the winner of the US Nats automatically given right of passage to the Olys? Is that a hardfast USFS rule? If so, I see no reason for Alissa not winning the Nats again in 2010. She is a beautiful skater when she is on.

 

[chuckm]

Is the winner of the US Nats automatically given right of passage to the Olys? Is that a hardfast USFS rule? If so, I see no reason for Alissa not winning the Nats again in 2010. She is a beautiful skater when she is on.

Not any more (thank the Lord). Apparently that rule is going bye-bye.

I wouldn't mind Alissa winning Nationals if she deserved the win. She was GIFTED with the win this year in a big way, especially in the FS, where she was definitely NOT "on". I was sitting in the front row and she fell on her lutz right in front of me. You could see her stiffen up and skate tentatively after that, and she made still another mistake.

 

[R.D.]

*sigh* what's happened has happened. There's nothing else to be done here. Alyssa won Nationals (or the judges gave it to her, or however you wish to put it), and unfortunately failed to deliver in the Worlds SP. Two spots for US in the Olympics. Next?

 

[Mathman]

Next?

I'll bite. Next is, Will the USFSA send Alissa to the team championship, or will it be Rachael and Caroline to try to win their share of $200,000?

 

[blue_idealist]

*

Whoever said Alissa should have given up her spot to someone 'better' and stayed home from worlds, that is extremely rude. Alissa worked very hard to get where she is. Even if some think she didn't deserve first (I'm not sure - it's very subjective), the judges gave her first and that can't be changed so she should obviously get to skate her place at worlds!!

 

[Tonichelle]

2009 - Alissa Czisny - Huge PCS for a 3 triple LP... Look, she lost our 3 spots...

she didn't *lose* it this year... we didn't HAVE three spots...

 

[brightphoton]

she didn't *lose* it this year... we didn't HAVE three spots...

Every country has a chance of having 3 spots for the Olympics.

 

[Tonichelle]

we had two spots going into the world championships, and we came out with two... nothing was lost... and nothing was gained.

 

[R.D.]

we had two spots going into the world championships, and we came out with two... nothing was lost... and nothing was gained.

That's EXACTLY what I've been trying to tell folks over on FSU

 

[Andalusia]

But, mindful of how awful you are, why would you try for the Olympics?

Ya got me there.

But seriously, Alissa must have expected she'd do poorly at Worlds. Reports were that she was bombing practices, and there was a mention on FSU that she was even in tears after one of her lousy practices. This girl has a performance problem, as simple as that. Knowing that you cannot deliver and that so much hangs on the line this year, why not pull out? After all, Alissa has been to Worlds before. And look at her at these championships - she simply didn't look happy to be there, in fact she looked positively scared and miserable. Contrast her demeanor to Rachael's.

Now, Alissa has really dug herself into a deep hole. She'll take the flak for not gaining that 3rd spot, and I don't think that would do wonders for her self-esteem as a skater. I can't foresee that she'll be sent to the Olympics next year, no matter how well she places at Nats. I don't predict a stellar GP season for her, either - she is just unable to sustain consistent performances over the course of a season. This season, she did unpredictably well at SC and petered out soon after. Nearly a decade's worth of inconsistent performances points to how she'll probably do next season.