U.S. Ladies [#5]: All That Glitters Is Not Gold

[olympic]

^Looking at the line-up of Mao Asada, Julia Lipnitskaya and Kiira Korpi, Mirai has an uphill battle but maybe like you said, being off the radar will help her out

[chipso1]

^Looking at the line-up of Mao Asada, Julia Lipnitskaya and Kiira Korpi, Mirai has an uphill battle but maybe like you said, being off the radar will help her out

Not to mention Zijun Li, who I think could surprise as well.

Mirai has an uphill climb to the podium next week, but if she's determined and focused enough I have no doubt she can medal.

[jlai]

Mirai has never medalled at her first gp in the season, has she? I thought the last two seasons she medalled in her second gp.

[chipso1]

Mirai has never medalled at her first gp in the season, has she? I thought the last two seasons she medalled in her second gp.

That's correct. Silver at 2010 TEB and silver at last year's CoC.

[Jammers]

Mirai's problems are the same as they've always been. Is she in shape and can she handle pressure well? She's fine when she's flying under the radar but the moment she becomes a favorite and not the underdog she's a headcase.

[love_skate2011]

we keep forgetting this was Grcaie's first GP event,
I'm sure by her next GP she will podium or even win , she is a determined girl

[mtnskater]

Of course I was very disappointed that Gracie couldn't show in competition what she has showed consistently in practice. Competing is tough. Some are naturals and some have to learn how to do it. I also was hoping for more of an artistic transformation in the use and softening of her arms and getting down in the knees more, as well as watching posture and not to ever round the shoulders. I kind of wish Nicks or Caroll could get a hold of her. I think her coach is a good technical coach but not sure he is up to providing the rest of the package including the ability to compete. She is such a talent and I'd like to see it nurtured and developed,

[pinky166]

Anyone think Gao can make the GPF? Now that Osmond won SC but doesn't have a second event, Gracie and Caroline have no shot to qualify, and the odds are not in Liza's favor to qualify, Mirai still has only one event and it's with the deepest field thus far, Sotnikova will likely need a gold or silver at her next event to qualify and seems to still be making lots of mistakes, Agnes bombed at the Japan Open, Kanako is still having major UR issues and has only a bronze so far, and Mao seems to have ditched the 3a for now, idk, seems like there's a chance Christina could make it. I know the field at TEB is tough, but if she can skate like she did at SA, who knows, she could wind up on the podium and that could do it.

[RD]

That's one hell of an IF, is it not?

[Nomad]

Anyone think Gao can make the GPF? ...

Christina Gao will rule the universe. I'm pretty sure we already had this discusion shortly after her senior debut.

[judgejudy27]

I was wondering (not certain but wondering) after last season if Gao had already peaked, she had been unable to advance her position at U.S Natiionals for several years, and with her starting college full time, it seemed she might even slide into retirement gracefully. I am happy to see she still has some fight in her. I would love to see her spring a few surprises this year.

[edonice]

When I saw Gao at Nationals last year, she had the coltish, noodly look of someone who's just grown, which threw me because I feel like she's been in a coltish stage for the past three years. She just didn't look like she knew where her arms and legs ended, and she didn't seem to have the strength to control them.

This year, she looks like she's finally stopped growing and has some more muscle, so her knees are bending more and she has more control of her body overall. All her lovely grace is finally reaching her hands and feet.

I wonder if that was a blessing in disguise? That she didn't bubble to the top before she's mature enough to occupy a space there and fight for it. Seeing Kimmie, Mirai, and Rachael falter has been pretty heartbreaking, and I can't help but wonder if they hit the top of the National (or International) podium long before they were ready for the pressure.

[pinky166]

Christina Gao will rule the universe. I'm pretty sure we already had this discusion shortly after her senior debut.

Glad we're on board . I mean, if people think Gracie Gold, with her earth-shattering score of 151 and 7th place at SC, is a contender for Olympic Gold in Sochi, I see no reason why Christina can't rule the universe after what she did at SA .

But in all honesty, Gracie Gold is Agnes Zawadzki 2.0. Both won the junior title in dominant fashion after not making it to Nationals the season before, both were really consistent leading up to winning the Jr. title, they both have huge jumps, especially the 3lz, and are capable of monster 3-3s, they both won JW silver after Nationals, both opted to skip the JGP the following season and were lucky enough to end up with 2 senior GP assignments, and just like Agnes Gracie is showing that she has a tendency to choke in senior competitions. They both even are blonde, tall, from the midwest, and have similar body types with the thin gangly arms and very muscular thighs. Agnes might have a slight edge over Gracie though because she has a good coach and choreographer whereas I know nothing about Ousharev and Brown but considering they never produced anyone else good before Gracie you can probably assume Krall and Nichol are better.

[mag]

entire second paragraph.

Wow! Clearly there is no point in Gracie even skating again. She is doomed from the get go. Might as well get a job flipping burgers and accept her place as a has been who never was.

[pinky166]

Wow! Clearly there is no point in Gracie even skating again. She is doomed from the get go. Might as well get a job flipping burgers and accept her place as a has been who never was.

Did not mean that I just mean her and Agnes's careers thus far, strengths and weaknesses, etc are STRIKINGLY similar at this point, and unlike some who are totally sold on Gracie Gold, I'm taking the outlook that her prospects regarding Worlds and the Olympics are no better, or worse, than Agnes or any of the other girls who's names get thrown around like Mirai, Christina, etc. That second Worlds spot is wide open ATM, as well as the Olympic team next season, whether it has 2 spots or 3. The only one with an edge at this point is Wagner, and realistically I think she is the only one with a good shot to medal at either the 2013 Worlds and/or the 2014 Olympics. For all her raw jumping ability, Gracie has very little international experience and is just out of juniors, and puberty could still play a factor in her development as a senior skater at this point. She well COULD be the next big thing in skating, but idk if it's realistic to expect this will happen between now and Sochi. 2018 could be her time to shine.

[Nomad]

Good Lord. First Gold was the Messiah of US Ladies Figure Skating, now she's a headcase who can't hack it. FWIW I think she's just a talented teen-aged girl who still has a few lessons to learn about competing on the senior international level and there's nothing wrong with that. It's not her friggin' job to "save" US Ladies Figure Skating and she doesn't owe any of us anything. Let her grow and develop at her own pace, and be happy when she does well and not trash her when she doesn't.

[demetriosj]

What is Scott Brown's claim to fame? Was he an international competitor, medalist? Who else has he choreographed for?

[demetriosj]

Let her grow and develop at her own pace, and be happy when she does well and not trash her when she doesn't.

In that case, this thinking should be applied to all skaters, not just one.....

[Nomad]

In that case, this thinking should be applied to all skaters, not just one.....

True, but most skaters haven't been over-hyped the way Gold has.

[Coco]

Is it me or is Gold a lot thinner than last year? She didn't need to loose any weight, I wonder if it's affected her power.