Flatt trains with Tom Z over winter break

[RD]

ITA!!! We don't have any girls good enough to be on the podium at Worlds. I don't think Alissa, Ashley or Mirai will be good enough to get us three spots in 2013. We just need all new faces!!

A team of Czisny and Nagasu CAN get it done. They've gotten the scores necessary to do so. But getting both to perform well at such a high stakes competition =

[Iluvid]

She did do a show at my rink a few weeks ago. Christmas program not her competition program. Do you think she was paid for it?

[Iluvid]

Her principal coaches are Justin Dillon and Lynn Smith, but due to other commitments, they aren't available every day. As a result, she also trains with other coaches, including former U.S. Men's Champion Charles Tickner. The various coaches are at three rinks, in San Jose, Redwood City, and Oakland.



Hardly.

Dillon and Smith are based in San Jose. Unless Flatt is driving in the height of rush hour traffic (which I doubt), that's about half an hour away from campus. Redwood City is about fifteen minutes away. Oakland is farther, but how often does she actually go there?

Lynn and Justin are based in Oakland! Justin comes to San Jose more often than Lynn does. IMHO Rachael or any skaters here in the Bay Area really have no choice but to go from rink to rink for "Quality" coaching.

[chipso1]

ITA!!! We don't have any girls good enough to be on the podium at Worlds. I don't think Alissa, Ashley or Mirai will be good enough to get us three spots in 2013. We just need all new faces!!

I disagree. With Kim and Ando out this year, Sotnikova and Tuktamisheva too young for Worlds, and skaters like Korpi and Makarova struggling, the Americans' chances of getting 3 spots for 2013 is probably the best it's been in years, and the best it will be for years to come...

[jlai]

Flatt skated much better than I thought the last gp, so she can still surprise us. But her PCS will be telling

[julianaqtpi]

A team of Czisny and Nagasu CAN get it done. They've gotten the scores necessary to do so. But getting both to perform well at such a high stakes competition =

Can't we just combine Ashley's spins, Gracie (Gold)'s consistency, Mirai's programs, Rachael's (old) presentation, and Alissa's jumps into one skater? And then make two identical copies of that skater? That would get us the 3 spots at Worlds next year....

I wish. I hope that some of these juniors (my picks are Mariah Bell, Gracie Gold, and Barbie Long- I've seen Mariah and Barbie skate in person, and talked to Mariah, and they're both very excellent skaters, pretty consistent.... but I doubt if any but Gracie will actually chance at Senior in 2013.) can improve before next year and at least get us more spots at Sochi. And some of the new seniors this year look good- Yasmin Siraj, Leah Keiser, and Nina Jiang seem promising.

[julianaqtpi]

I disagree. With Kim and Ando out this year, Sotnikova and Tuktamisheva too young for Worlds, and skaters like Korpi and Makarova struggling, the Americans' chances of getting 3 spots for 2013 is probably the best it's been in years, and the best it will be for years to come...

Oh, that's totally true, we do have pretty good chances at medaling this year! Mao will probably take gold, unless she bombs it or someone else totally outshines her.... I'm not able to think of any other skaters right now that present a huge threat to the American skaters, except maybe Carolina Kostner, she skated very well in the Grand Prix this year. Assuming the American women skate clean at Nationals and then skate clean at Worlds.... Good chance of the 3 spots back for next year!

[MacMadame]

She did do a show at my rink a few weeks ago. Christmas program not her competition program. Do you think she was paid for it?

I can't see any other reason to take time out from training, not just to do the show, but to come up with a new program (or two), given her Fall season.

[Sylvia]

She did do a show at my rink a few weeks ago. Christmas program not her competition program. Do you think she was paid for it?

Wasn't that at the San Jose rink where she trains?

[Iluvid]

That makes me mad. The skaters who signed up and who didnt get solos even though they have been long time club members had to pay to be in the show. Our money probably went to Rachael if that is how they paid her!

[RD]

Can't we just combine Ashley's spins, Gracie (Gold)'s consistency, Mirai's programs, Rachael's (old) presentation, and Alissa's jumps into one skater? And then make two identical copies of that skater? That would get us the 3 spots at Worlds next year....

Did you mean Czisny spins and Wagner's jumps?

[RockTheTassel]

I think the US ladies are capable of getting the three spots, especially this year, but both of them have to land and rotate the jumps. They have the ability to make it happen, but at least one of them always ends up bombing at Worlds.

I can't help but hope that Rachael doesn't make it this year. I like her a lot, but I don't think she'll be able to do well at Worlds again. It's time for someone else to have a chance.

[victoriaheidi]

That makes me mad. The skaters who signed up and who didnt get solos even though they have been long time club members had to pay to be in the show. Our money probably went to Rachael if that is how they paid her!

If it's a club show, I doubt she got paid.

[Iceman]

IMO Rachael wouldn't be putting herself through all of this if she didn't still think she could make the world team. Going back to her old coach for this period seems like a smart move, as she won't have to make adjustments like she is making with dealing with new coaches (and so many of them at that) and Tom knows her better than any of the new ones. Personally, if more than one of the current leading ladies (mirai, ashley, alissa or rachael) is on the Sochi team I will be surprised. That being said , this year seems to be one of the most opportune for getting three spots back.

[Carolla5501]

She did do a show at my rink a few weeks ago. Christmas program not her competition program. Do you think she was paid for it?

Yes! I think that's part of why she's doing these shows.

It may not be much, but I can't see any other reason she would be doing these unless she's just plain "not thinking" and she's too smart for this. These take time away from training and school. It just doesn't make sense to bounce around from place to place doing these because "they asked me"

[Sylvia]

If this was the holiday show in Oakland ( http://www.oaklandice.com/news/news.asp?story_id=293 ) then Flatt could have performed because she trains part-time at the facility and is going to Nationals with the other featured skaters.

[chipso1]

If it's a club show, I doubt she got paid.

I'm sure she did get paid. I can't imagine she would skate in a show if she wasn't paid for it (like all other top skaters).

[victoriaheidi]

I'm sure she did get paid. I can't imagine she would skate in a show if she wasn't paid for it (like all other top skaters).

I guess. But still, if I were a skater, I wouldn't feel comfortable asking to be paid if I KNEW that kids were paying to participate. Even the audition fee thing weirds me out a little bit.

[Marco]

A team of Czisny and Nagasu CAN get it done. They've gotten the scores necessary to do so. But getting both to perform well at such a high stakes competition =

Actually, basing on just the season's best total scores of age eligible ladies up to this point, any combination of Nagasu, Czisny & Wagner can get it done.

[julianaqtpi]

Did you mean Czisny spins and Wagner's jumps?

Yes, my bad... Somehow I had a huge brain fart and was thinking Ashley was the one with the stunning spins. (Actually, we'll use Alissa's spins in this ideal US skater, but take Mirai's biellmann, hers is prettier than Alissa's.)