If US ladies get 3 spots....

[johndockley92]

If the american ladies can pull out three spots for next year, I feel like those 3 spots would really be up for grabs and have quite a few contenders. With Ashley coming into her own, Caroline showing improvement, Alissa being Alissa, Gracie moving up, and Agnes and Mirai still very much in the mix.

Also Gao, Keiser, & Cain all appear to be viable 4th-5th place candidates + who knows what a clean Angela Wang could do, even with mistakes she won the technical at Nationals and in fact ended up ahead of Agnes in the FS.

I'm now feeling very encouraged about ladies skating in the US. I hope these girls can keep their confidence and hold it together and continue to improve.

The question is which 3 ladies would you like to see sent to worlds next year, if we attain 3 spots.

Personally, I think it might not be quite the cake walk for Gold that some are predicting it may be. A clean Gold wouldn't hold a candle to A clean Alissa. I think Alissa is the one I would want to see for sure there. The other two spots could come down to a hard fought battle between Ashley, Caroline, and Gracie; especially if the first two pull out the triple triples.

I really hope Ashley & Alissa do well enough for this to happen, ladies skating is getting very exciting! Perhaps next season it will have the same excitement that men does yearly, where so many are contenders!

[Sasha'sSpins]

If the american ladies can pull out three spots for next year, I feel like those 3 spots would really be up for grabs and have quite a few contenders. With Ashley coming into her own, Caroline showing improvement, Alissa being Alissa, Gracie moving up, and Agnes and Mirai still very much in the mix.

Also Gao, Keiser, & Cain all appear to be viable 4th-5th place candidates + who knows what a clean Angela Wang could do, even with mistakes she won the technical at Nationals and in fact ended up ahead of Agnes in the FS.

I'm now feeling very encouraged about ladies skating in the US. I hope these girls can keep their confidence and hold it together and continue to improve.

The question is which 3 ladies would you like to see sent to worlds next year, if we attain 3 spots.

Personally, I think it might not be quite the cake walk for Gold that some are predicting it may be. A clean Gold wouldn't hold a candle to A clean Alissa. I think Alissa is the one I would want to see for sure there. The other two spots could come down to a hard fought battle between Ashley, Caroline, and Gracie; especially if the first two pull out the triple triples.

I really hope Ashley & Alissa do well enough for this to happen, ladies skating is getting very exciting! Perhaps next season it will have the same excitement that men does yearly, where so many are contenders!

I misread the title thread 'US ladies get 3 spots' and my heart leapt briefly!

Who I'd like to see there and who likely will be there (should the US regain 3 spots) going by current trends:

My dream:

1. Mirai
2. Ashley
3. Gracie

I love Alissa too but the above 3 are the ones I hope would go.

If things go next year like they did this year the most likely candidates:

1. Ashley
2. Gracie
3. Alissa

[feraina]

I would love to see a team of Caroline, Mirai, and Ashley (the same 2007 JW team that swept the podium!). But I think it might instead be Ashley, Caroline, Gold. I know Mirai can be special, though she didn't show much sign of it this year. Gold has all the technical goods but is yet untested on the senior stage, and plus, she would have to have a "Salome"-like transformation like Michelle Kwan to really capture the audience's heart.

Alissa is elegant and at times ethereal, but I feel like physically she is on the decline and her improved mental game cannot wholly make up for that -- I wish she had gotten a WC medal last year, and retired then on a high note. I'd be happy if she can stay in the top 6 or 8 at Worlds this year; I can definitely see Ashley in the top 4.

[johndockley92]

I mean I've been hearing all about Alissa's 3lz+3t's in practice. If she shows up with that, then look out world :O

[Braulio]

A team of Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Mirai Nagasu (if only...) would be awesome thinking of having 3 spots also for Sochi Olympics

[euterpe]

The US ladies have a real shot at getting 3 spots for 2013. But keeping them for the Olympic season is going to be a lot harder, because the Russian superkids will be eligible for Worlds 2013. Asada and Kostner will still be in, and Ando may return; add in at least two high-scoring Russians and a Chinese lady and the top 10 will be very crowded. That will make it harder for the US ladies to reach the magic 13.

[johndockley92]

The US ladies have a real shot at getting 3 spots for 2013. But keeping them for the Olympic season is going to be a lot harder, because the Russian superkids will be eligible for Worlds 2013. Asada and Kostner will still be in, and Ando may return; add in at least two high-scoring Russians and a Chinese lady and the top 10 will be very crowded. That will make it harder for the US ladies to reach the magic 13.

What Chinese lady? Kim may return too, no? Yes we need 3 spots for next year so we have more of a shot to keep them for sochi (the more ladies we send the better chance we have of acquiring 3 spots, logically?).

[euterpe]

What Chinese lady? Kim may return too, no? Yes we need 3 spots for next year so we have more of a shot to keep them for sochi (the more ladies we send the better chance we have of acquiring 3 spots, logically?).

I was thinking of Zijun Li. I doubt very much that Yu-Na will return.

If the top 5 spots are taken by non US skaters, then two of the US skaters have to finish 6th and 7th. If the top 6 spots are taken by non-US skaters, there IS no possibility of hanging on to 3 spots for Sochi.

If one of the US ladies finishes in the top 5, then the chances are a lot better. But it won't be easy.

[martyross]

never understood this obsession with the 3 spots. nationalism?

[johndockley92]

never understood this obsession with the 3 spots. nationalism?

The more spots we have, the more opportunities our skaters get and the higher the chance of coming home with a medal. Think of it as rolling a die. If you can only bet on 5, your chances are low. but if you bet on 5, 6, & 7, your probability increase exponentially.

Also I don't think Zijun is anywhere near the top of the other ladies in the world, as it stands now anyways.

[euterpe]

Zijun Li and Kexin Zhang (5th at 4CC) may become more formidable going forward. We're talking 2013 here, not today.

[judgejudy27]

Alot can happen in a year but if they get 3 spots I would hazard to guess that Wagner and Gold will be getting 2 of those spots, leaving the other between Czisny, Zhang, Nagasu, and Agnes. I dont see any other possabilities outside those 6 unless Gao, Wang, or someone else improves alot. I dont know if Flatt plans on continuing but if she does she can look forward to a 12th place finish at Nationals with even lower PCS than she got this year.

[Jenna]

Zijun Li and Kexin Zhang (5th at 4CC) may become more formidable going forward. We're talking 2013 here, not today.

I agree. Kexin Zhang actually really impressed me at 4CC.

[moebius]

What happens if the 3rd person tanks, like almost dead last? Does that affect the number of spots for next year, regardless how well the other 2 performs?

[doubleflutz]

never understood this obsession with the 3 spots. nationalism?

The US (and Canada, Japan, and Russia) have a ton of world-class skaters and teams who would easily be making World and Euros/4CCs teams every year, the Olympics every time they were eligible, and probably be getting 2 GP spots every year if they skated for some small or even just not-particularly-strong country. Look at 4CCs: no disrespect intended to those athletes, but we have novice ladies who are strong than the national champion of many of the countries in the first flight. Japan alone could justifiably send six or seven male singles skaters to the Olympics every year. It's kind of a shame that with so much talent in the US, we're not even sending the maximum number of skaters we can. To me, it's not so much a matter of medals, as all of four of our programs can come up with skaters who are genuinely world-class and deserve to compete on the international stage, especially when there are all these country-hoppers who don't have half their talent.

[euterpe]

What happens if the 3rd person tanks, like almost dead last? Does that affect the number of spots for next year, regardless how well the other 2 performs?

Nope.

[RockTheTassel]

What happens if the 3rd person tanks, like almost dead last? Does that affect the number of spots for next year, regardless how well the other 2 performs?

If three skaters compete, then only the top two need a combined total of thirteen to keep three spots. So if one skater gets fourth, another gets seventh, and the last one gets twenty-sixth, the country would get three spots because the placement of the top two skaters adds up to eleven. The skater who got twenty-sixth wouldn't affect it.

[BigB08822]

I think it is very important for the US to get back 3 spots next year. I know people HATE all the Gracie Gold talk but I want to make sure she can get a spot next year without all the pressure of going to Worlds and keeping 3 ladies, and possibly herself, a spot at the Olympics. I am not saying she will definitely make the world team but I do think she will be a contender, another year of experience and maturing and hopefully those amazing jumps would surely contend for top 3 at US Nationals. If she can go to Worlds and just soak it all in and LEARN I think it will go a long way to helping her come Olympic season.

[pinky166]

I mean I've been hearing all about Alissa's 3lz+3t's in practice. If she shows up with that, then look out world :O

She's done 3lz-3t in competition before, it is not that impressive, both jumps are low and the 3t is always cheated, < if not <<. It is nothing like Gracie or Yuna's 3lz-3t.