U.S. Ladies 2010-11, part deux

[Sylvia]

I thought I'd just go ahead and start a new thread and dropped "Senior" from the title.

So, will it take us longer or sooner than 6+ months to reach 1000 posts like in the original thread?

[AliasJohnDoe]

So, will it take us longer or sooner than 6+ months to reach 1000 posts like in the original thread?

Sooner. We drink more at this time of year. At least I do.

[gkelly]

If it takes longer than six months, someone would start a 2011-12 thread before this one gets filled up.

During and after Nationals, this might as well be the one-stop shop for discussing US ladies. Except the actual competition reports.

[chipso1]

So, will it take us longer or sooner than 6+ months to reach 1000 posts like in the original thread?

That depends on how Christina Gao does at Nationals, and how often she's hyped leading up to Nationals.

[blade runner]

That depends on how Christina Gao does at Nationals, and how often she's hyped leading up to Nationals.

Chipso1 there is something about you I like.

Your post tend to be pretty accurate and analytical.

Sometimes really funny!

[Sylvia]

Chipso1 there is something about you I like.

Aw, you're just sayin' that 'cause he's a big fan of Agnes Zawadzki!

Hey chipso1, can you please repost your U.S. Ladies international scores list?

[oleada]

Sylvia, you get snarkier every day. I love it

[chipso1]

Chipso1 there is something about you I like.

Your post tend to be pretty accurate and analytical.

Sometimes really funny!

Aww, shucks.

Aw, you're just sayin' that 'cause he's a big fan of Agnes Zawadzki!

BUT a Mirai uber all the way.

Sylvia, you get snarkier every day. I love it

I'm also a fan of the new, snarkier Sylvia!

Hey chipso1, can you please repost your U.S. Ladies international scores list?

Updated List -- Through Trophee Eric Bompard
Just for fun!

Top scoring U.S. Senior Ladies

1. Alissa CZISNY (172.37) Skate Canada
2. Mirai NAGASU (167.79) Trophee Eric Bompard
3. Christina GAO (167.14) JGP Austria
4. Ashley WAGNER (167.02) Cup of Russia
5. Rachael FLATT (162.86) Skate America
6. Yasmin SIRAJ (161.75) JGP Sheffield

7. Vanessa LAM (156.41) JGP Ostrava
8. Agnes ZAWADZKI (154.35) Skate Canada
9. Kiri BAGA (138.70) JGP Japan
10. Kristiene GONG (134.32) JGP Sheffield
11. Caroline ZHANG (133.86) NHK Trophy
12. Melissa BULANHAGUI (133.72) Nebelhorn Trophy

13. Amanda DOBBS (132.45) Cup of China
14. Alexe GILLES (125.64) Skate Canada
15. Karen ZHOU (123.63) Coupe de Nice DNQ to Nationals
16. Felicia ZHANG (123.16) JGP Dresden
17. Samantha CESARIO (122.39) JGP Romania
18. Kristine MUSADEMBA (119.45) Cup of China

Mirai improves upon her CoC score by more than 20 points and moves from 8th to 2nd.

Grand Prix Finalists: 2nd qualifier -- Czisny (26), 6th qualifier -- Flatt (26). Nagasu (22) is the 2nd alternate, and Wagner (18) is the 3rd alternate.

Upcoming events:
Czisny and Flatt (GPF)
Gao, Siraj, Gong (JGPF)

[Sylvia]

Back to my "boring" self ... I'd like this thread to include the lesser-known/discussed US ladies. RD found and posted this link to this "Figure 8 This" blog article about Melissa Bulanhagui that's written by a former competitive skater: http://daniellecandela.wordpress.com...for-nationals/

When I asked her [Bulanhagui] what she expected this year at nationals, she responded, “My goal this year is to skate two solid clean programs. I want to be in the final warm up after the short program, and I hope to break the top six. ”

[Debbie S]

Back to my "boring" self

Well, it was fun while it lasted...

I'm a fan of Alissa and Ashley.

I think it will definitely take less than 6 months to reach 1000 posts, especially if we're expanding the discussion to all levels, not just Senior. This is the 'meaty' part of the season and prime time for uber wars.

[Squibble]

Back to my "boring" self

[RD]

Back to my "boring" self ... I'd like this thread to include the lesser-known/discussed US ladies. RD found and posted this link to this "Figure 8 This" blog article about Melissa Bulanhagui that's written by a former competitive skater: http://daniellecandela.wordpress.com...for-nationals/

Yeah, I was just about to post this over here and nearly hit the submit button before seeing this...here are the relevant quotes, the important one in bold:

She has set the bar high for herself, expecting nothing but her personal best. When I asked her what she expected this year at nationals, she responded, “My goal this year is to skate two solid clean programs. I want to be in the final warm up after the short program, and I hope to break the top six. ”

The question I then posed was, well, CAN she do it? We've been talking about the Contenders this whole time, but how do some of the lesser knowns fit in? Will there be surprises? There is about an 18 point difference between her Nebelhorn Trophy score and Amanda Dobbs' 6th place score at last year's Nats. Is that attainable?

BTW, I like it when skaters aren't shy about stating their ambitions and goals.

[Jenna]

Melissa CAN do it, but she needs to have a squeaky clean performance. The judges aren't too generous with her program components.

[Sylvia]

Bulanhagui skated a pretty clean SP at Nebelhorn Trophy in September (her jumps were 3Lz+2Lo, 3S and 2A) and her 2nd place score (51.20) is her highest SP score of this season so far. She was only 5th in the FS in Germany but held on for the bronze, her first senior international medal in her first attempt. She has gone for the 3A at Liberty for the past few summers and although she has stood up on the jump in the attempts I've seen, it has been downgraded by the tech. panel (it got the << in her FS at Liberty and was worth only 1.92 points). Bulanhagui has finished 12th (2007), 8th (2008) and 12th (2010) in her 3 Nationals as a senior.

[chipso1]

Melissa CAN do it, but she needs to have a squeaky clean performance. The judges aren't too generous with her program components.

I agree. It's possible, but even if she goes clean I'm not sure her PCS will be in the mid-to-high 6s, which is probably what she would need to average to be top 6 after the short.

[RD]

Bulanhagui skated a pretty clean SP at Nebelhorn Trophy in September (her jumps were 3Lz+2Lo, 3S and 2A) and her 2nd place score (51.20) is her highest SP score of this season so far.

51.20. Hmm. With at least 4 or 5 ladies capable of scoring 60 points or higher (national scale) it's gonna be tough for her to make the final group unless there are mistakes from multiple Contenders (think Wagner's meltdown in 2009). Nagasu, Flatt, Czisny, Wagner can do 60...Gao, Zawadki high 50s. Zhang, not sure.

I take it Mel B will need the SP of her life + help from the top to make top 6- although making it to the 2nd to last group (and therefore on TV) isn't out of the question I guess.

[Jenna]

It's going to be tough for sure, but I certainly admire her drive and ambition.

I think she might have to go for the 3A in the SP. If the jump is called 3A<, she'll still get more points than a clean 2A, right? The risk of course is getting the jump downgraded. That's the worst possible scenario.

[pinky166]

That depends on how Christina Gao does at Nationals, and how often she's hyped leading up to Nationals.

Hey now, I like other skaters too, like Mirai and Amanda and Samantha! A podium of those three and Christina would make me

[Sylvia]

Top 15 SP scores so far this season of the international competitors that have qualified for 2011 US Nationals at the Senior level:
58.76 Nagasu (Cup of China)
58.07 Gao (JGP Austria)
56.84 Zawadzki (Cup of Russia)
56.17 Wagner (Cup of Russia)
55.95 Czisny (Skate Canada)
55.66 Siraj (JGP Great Britain)
53.69 Flatt (NHK Trophy)
53.05 Lam (JGP Czech)
51.20 Bulanhagui (Nebelhorn)
50.70 C. Zhang (NHK Trophy)
50.09 Baga (JGP Japan)
47.08 Gong (JGP Romania)
46.53 Dobbs (Cup of China)
45.95 F. Zhang (JGP Germany)
43.01 Cesario (JGP Romania)

Top 5 Senior SP scores at US Regionals or Sectionals:
60.48 Zawadzki (Southwestern Regionals)
56.98 Czisny (Midwesterns)
53.64 Lam (Pacific Coasts)
52.13 Cesario (Easterns)
48.28 Forte (Easterns)

ETA the averaged SP scores of the 11 skaters above that had 2 internationals this fall:
58.74 Nagasu
56.57 Zawadzki
55.73 Czisny
54.55 Wagner
52.87 Gao
52.36 Flatt
50.68 C. Zhang
49.92 Baga
49.19 Siraj
46.58 Gong
46.18 Dobbs

[RD]

I think [Mel B] might have to go for the 3A in the SP. If the jump is called 3A<, she'll still get more points than a clean 2A, right? The risk of course is getting the jump downgraded. That's the worst possible scenario.

I don't know her consistency on it, but isn't the worst case scenario FALLING on it? Then she'd clearly be out of the running.