Update on Rachael Flatt

[apatinar]

She will be back. She has some street smart, urban moves she's planning to unveil.

That sounds like an absolute disaster.. Rachel Flatt - street smart and urban moves don't really go together at all...

[apatinar]

If the USA has three spots, and if Rachael can slim down, I see her going for it. She is a tough cookie.

I really don't think Rachel can slim down anymore than she is... No matter how much weight she loses she will always have that puffy looking face like Renee Zellweger... Also, no matter how much weight she loses she will always have that pear shaped body.. It is just the way she is built... It doesn't look good for figure skating, but that is how she was made..

[MacMadame]

What type of anonymous performance feed-backs did you get?

It's a volunteer position, not a job. Though they did elect me to a 3rd term (you are appointed for the first two) so they must have liked me.

[Skittl1321]

It's a volunteer position, not a job. Though they did elect me to a 3rd term (you are appointed for the first two) so they must have liked me.

At Stanford (and many schools) RA is a job. http://studentaffairs.stanford.edu/r...ntstaffjobs/ra

[overedge]

As for her weight, the injuries and reduced ice time naturally make it harder to stay svelte. At Skate America, her timing looked good, but she wasn't the trimmest she's been since the Olympics. If she wants to complete more jumps, of course she will try to lose some weight.

That's ridiculous. Successful jumps are about timing, not about how much body weight you are carrying. There are a lot of male skaters who, judging by their height and body build, probably weigh more than Rachael does, but they have no trouble doing quads.

[euterpe]

That's ridiculous. Successful jumps are about timing, not about how much body weight you are carrying. There are a lot of male skaters who, judging by their height and body build, probably weigh more than Rachael does, but they have no trouble doing quads.

Every skater has an optimum weight at which he/she performs best. Sarah Hughes was at her optimum weight for skating at the 2002 Olympics, but the following year, she had put on at least 10 lbs and her jumps suffered. The URs she worked hard to overcome in 2002 were back in 2003, she was flutzing worse than ever, and she couldn't do 3/3. She was 6th at Worlds 2003.

One year, Alexei Yagudin overtrained and lost a lot of weight. His performances were subpar until he put back some of the weight he lost. OTOH, Brian Joubert has admitted that when he is not at his optimum weight (i.e., is heavier) he doesn't skate well.

[Carolla5501]

Every skater has an optimum weight at which he/she performs best. Sarah Hughes was at her optimum weight for skating at the 2002 Olympics, but the following year, she had put on at least 10 lbs and her jumps suffered. The URs she worked hard to overcome in 2002 were back in 2003, she was flutzing worse than ever, and she couldn't do 3/3. She was 6th at Worlds 2003.

One year, Alexei Yagudin overtrained and lost a lot of weight. His performances were subpar until he put back some of the weight he lost. OTOH, Brian Joubert has admitted that when he is not at his optimum weight (i.e., is heavier) he doesn't skate well.

And the truly amazing part... posters on here know the "optimum" weight somehow and can also judge. (wonder how many of us are at our "optimum weight"? )

[euterpe]

No, we don't know what a skater's optimum weight is. But they do. Some are vigilant about maintaining it, others less so.

[overedge]

And the truly amazing part... posters on here know the "optimum" weight somehow and can also judge. (wonder how many of us are at our "optimum weight"? )

Not to mention that a skater being outside their optimum weight isn't always the cause of jump problems.

[CantALoop]

I just have a feeling her double chin doesn't garner cred in LA. Just saying, but love the video. I knew it too, oops..

Wow, I can't imagine why anybody would unfriend you on Facebook

[Iceman]

At my school RA was a job too and a quite demanding one. Rachael has said that she won't have surgery on her 3 bulging disks until her competitive days are over. It looks like now when she is not competing would be a good time to have it done. Undoubtedly, she will do what Thomas did for the Olympic year and that is take that year off from school.

[danceronice]

Wow, I can't imagine why anybody would unfriend you on Facebook

Can't rep, would rep if I could rep...funny, we were having a thread on a riding forum about the 'Eq Diet' (ie anorexic behavior; hunters are about twenty years behind every other female-majority sport in admitting they have a problem with eating disorders despite glaring evidence to the contrary) and I had even said that skating and gymnastics had improved and people were less likely to make snide remarks about weight than they used to be. I stand corrected.

[Anita18]

Wow, I can't imagine why anybody would unfriend you on Facebook

I have no idea where the LA comment came from. Stanford is a good 6 hours driving from LA. And Bay Area residents thumb their noses at LA residents! She'd probably be glad not to garner cred in LA!

I live in LA and Rachael would have plenty of cred here. Not like she wants to be a Barbie-ed up actress.

[Sylvia]

The "exhibition show in February" (mentioned in the original article in post #1) is the annual club show of the Lakewood Winter Club and is taking place in Tacoma, Washington starting today, Friday afternoon, Feb. 8 through Sunday afternoon, Feb. 10. Rachael Flatt and Ben Agosto are this year's Special Guest Stars - here's the info: http://www.lakewoodwinterclub.com/Re..._Ice_Show.html

[victoriaheidi]

Agh, people, California is huge. What's cool here in LA is a laughingstock in Palo Alto, and vice versa. /Angeleno rant

In all seriousness, though, being an RA is, if not a job, an extraordinarily generous effort. My friends fall into one of two groups: the "I loved my RA so much I became one" group and the "I bugged my RA so much that I'd never want to become one" group.

[Jammers]

RA?

[Blondie12]

Rachel is not seriously thinking about Sochi, is she? I think everyone knows the 2 spots are going to ashley and Gracie. I don't see RAchel ever getting that 3rd spot. (Assuming it exists). I think Christiana, Agnes or Mirai would get it over her

It would be a shame for Rachel to waste a year of her college experience to try for something she has such little chance of accomplishing... And if you add to that the politics involved, even if She skated perfect, I doubt they would want her on the Olympic team...she burned too many bridges w the worlds situation...

I also do not know what she would seek to accomplish, most returning Olympians try to increase their ranking, but her ranking would decrease, I cannot see how she would crack the top 10 unless there are serious meltdowns

[Karina1974]

RA?

RA = Resident Advisor. In a typical dorm, each floor has at least one, or more depending on the size of the dorm. In the college I attended, the dorm was L-shaped, and each leg of the L was split on each floor, and each section had its own RA. Each RA had half their room and board paid for, and they all took a turn at minding the front desk on a weekly basis. They also got together to plan dorm activities for the residents, like passing out "study buddies" for finals (little plastic buckets with assorted snacks), planning parties, etc.

[Skittl1321]

Rachel is not seriously thinking about Sochi, is she? I think everyone knows the 2 spots are going to ashley and Gracie. I don't see RAchel ever getting that 3rd spot. (Assuming it exists). I think Christiana, Agnes or Mirai would get it over her

I don't think 'everyone' knows who those two spots are going to. Ice is SO slippery. Did anyone think Rockne and Keanu weren't going to be Olympians? Until nationals happens, no one knows who is getting the spots (although the ladies you named are definetly presumed front runners.)

[Sylvia]

Rachel is not seriously thinking about Sochi, is she?

Did you read the article that was posted at the beginning of this thread? http://www.stanforddaily.com/2013/01...d-off-the-ice/
Rachael's quote at the end:

Right now, skating is Flatt’s passion, even as she battles back from her injuries. Though faced with the reality that her injuries may prevent her from returning to competition, Flatt said she is prepared to move on if she must.

“It’s hard to say that [my career will end] because it’s been such a big part of my life for so long,” Flatt said. “But it’s been such a great ride, and if that’s the end, I made the most of it… At this point, I have a lot of other things in my life that I would like to concentrate on too.”