Does Jeremy Abbott need a coaching change?

[Skittl1321]

I think it was rude of Jeremy to say the new winner needs to get the 3rd spot back. Jeremy has had ample opportunity to help do that, no?

I watched the press conference, and he didn't say it in a rude way at all. He was very complimentary of them, and was very honest that he messed up and his mistakes lost him the title- I think he said the difference in points between his double salchow and the triple (which he said was his easiest jump) was the difference between winning and bronze.

[pinky166]

No. The issue really with Jeremy is that he doesn't have a consistent quad anymore. He used to hit the 4t sometimes, and when he fell on it, he was usually at least all the way around on it, but that is no longer the case. Couple that with his inconsistency, age, and nagging injuries (all of which likely played a factor in how his quad has come to be more "miss" than hit), and he just doesn't have the goods to make it to the very top internationally, or even nationally, when he isn't perfect on everything else. If he could go out and hit everything else consistently, he might be able to afford falling on a UR quad in the FS, not doing one in the SP, and still be in the mix, but he's never been good at that and I don't think a coaching change will change that, he's just nerve ridden and inconsistent. His age and injuries are also not doing him any favors regarding jump consistency, he's got quite a few years on most of the top guys at the moment, and the ones that are around his age like Takahashi and Joubert, for awhile Plushenko, are only able to stay in the mix due to their ability to jump quads and 3a with consistency (notice that when these guys have an "off" night and don't hit the big tricks, their scores drop a lot too). I think Jeremy is better off staying with Yuka and Jason, trying for 2014 if he's healthy enough, see what happens, and regardless of if he makes the team or not and how he does there, retire afterwards.

[Eyre]

No. The issue really with Jeremy is that he doesn't have a consistent quad anymore.

He has never had a consistent quad. Now he's almost lost the quad. If he didn't double those two easiest jumps, he'd go to the world. However, the best scenario would be "go to the world". He cannot make even top 6 at the world.

Jeremy has lost his athletic ability rapidly with his age. I don't think changing coach would make any difference. It is sad. I'd rather see Jeremy gets more noticeable medals than Johnny Weir (three Nationals and one World bronze). To me, Abbott is way more talented and exquisit.

[leafygreens]

Hypothetically, if Jeremy can still go to the worlds with a triple, and his quad is so inconsistent, why not leave out the quad? Just do an immaculate triples program. He is more than capable of that. It may help his confidence just to skate cleanly. I'm afraid all the talk about "needing" a quad has gotten to him, and he is doing a jump he's not as capable of.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I don't understand why his routines were so boring and almost uninspired this year. They felt beneath him, but I felt that Abbott sort of phoned in this season (I mean seriously that gimmicky, not-even-wacky-though-it-was-trying-to-be Spy routine and the incredibly lame and boring "Bring Him Home"?). Here's hoping to a better season for Sochi, but he needs to at least project some sort of commanding presence again.

[Sasha'sSpins]

I think it was rude of Jeremy to say the new winner needs to get the 3rd spot back. Jeremy has had ample opportunity to help do that, no?

That did pi$$ me off. Such hubris. It's like he figures it's a given he'll be on the Sochi Olympic team should 3 spots be available. Mirai is one of my all-time faves but if she said something like that I'd be just as pi$$ed. I know he was sort of joking I guess but it wasn't funny-not to me anyway.

That being said-I do hope he has a good Olympic season next year.

[missysays]

I don't think changing coaches is going to help Jeremy at all- it's something he needs to do for himself mentally. I heard that when Gracie Gold was being interviewed post-competition she said that her coaches told her she needed to get angry- that's what Jeremy needs is to generate and channel hunger/anger whatever combative energy he can muster and utilize it in his programs- even the "softer" ones. I feel like he's holding back and waiting for the other shoe to drop every time he's out there on the ice.

But as those above suggest, it may be that even if he could muster a more fighting spirit his body may no longer be able to accommodate what he needs to do to achieve good placement in the men's field internationally and now apparently nationally.

[Jammers]

Nothing and nobody is going to be able to help Jeremy. He has all the talent and skills he needs to be great but he's not a great competitor and to often like yesterday screws up.

[Vash01]

I was surprised that he went for the quad, even though he was struggling with it in practices. He did not really need it at the US nationals (he would have needed it at worlds). All he needed was a clean skate, and let the judges recognize his superb skating skills by giving him high PCS.
The fall on the quad seemed to take some air out of him, and he could not even do a simple 3 sal. I see this as a strategic error.

If Frank Carroll was his coach, he would have told Jeremy to take out the quad, and just do a triple toe or a triple axel for this first jump (that's how he managed Lysacek, and he won with far inferior skills than Jeremy's). It would have saved Jeremy's from the deductions for the fall, ur on that jump, and would have given him more confidence and energy rest of the way . I don't know if Jeremy insisted on doing the quad, whether the option to not do it was considered by him & his coaches. At the US nationals, with just 2 spots available, it was important that he made the world team. I think someone dropped the ball here.

[Cherub721]

IMO Valentina is the only one who seems to be flourishing with Yuka and Jason's coaching. Her results aren't stellar as far as the entire world scene, but they are consistently improving.

[Vash01]

I don't understand why his routines were so boring and almost uninspired this year. They felt beneath him, but I felt that Abbott sort of phoned in this season (I mean seriously that gimmicky, not-even-wacky-though-it-was-trying-to-be Spy routine and the incredibly lame and boring "Bring Him Home"?). Here's hoping to a better season for Sochi, but he needs to at least project some sort of commanding presence again.

I had a completely different impression. I thought 'Bring him home' was a beautiful program and it suited his style so well.

[tut88]

When things don't go well, we always think that it's coaching problem ...
I don't know how Yuka works
I only know that Jeremy has many injuries... body is not getting younger ...
and he is never been a jumping machine...
that spin thing is really silly !!! I still can't understand how could happen...

I still hope he 'll make it at Sochi !!
I love him !!

[tut88]

I agree with you !

I had a completely different impression. I thought 'Bring him home' was a beautiful program and it suited his style so well.

[briancoogaert]

Jeremy needs a change in life. I wish him well in future endeavors. Thanks for the beautiful memories!

If he needs a change in life, I'm ready to take care of him in Paris

[reese]

Well the whole thing about neither Jason or Yuka knowing that his SP spins were illegal was pretty scary. I mean, navigating these requirements and doing the math and making sure points are maximized are a big part of being a coach these days, and the fact that an onlooker pointed it out to them the day of the SP still completely blows me away.

[overedge]

There are only so many times someone can change coaches. There are some things a coach can fix, but then there are other things that only the skater themselves can fix. And I think Jeremy's problems are in the second category.

I saw him at Skate America this year, and despite the jump problems he had there and at Nationals, I think the Les Mis program is a masterpiece. And I despise the music from Les Mis, so that is saying something. I don't necessarily agree with the comments about the music being too monotone, the program not being dramatic enough, etc. He can skate it so beautifully and with such emotional investment and depth that his performance transcends whatever flaws the music has as a piece of competition music.

Sadly, when he gets rattled about the jumps, I think he loses the focus on the rest of the program's qualities. And that's something he has to work out for himself. A good coach would help him do that, and I think Yuka and Jason have definitely been supportive in that regard, but ultimately he's the one who has to figure out how to deal with that.

I agree that a pro circuit would be an excellent opportunity for him (and others with the same sort of issues, e.g. Adam Rippon). If only.....

[Rex]

Maybe a life coach?

[pinky166]

Hypothetically, if Jeremy can still go to the worlds with a triple, and his quad is so inconsistent, why not leave out the quad? Just do an immaculate triples program. He is more than capable of that. It may help his confidence just to skate cleanly. I'm afraid all the talk about "needing" a quad has gotten to him, and he is doing a jump he's not as capable of.

Because if he happens to rotate the quad, he can still get 7.3 (or count in the deduction and that's 6.3) points for it which is more than any other triple jump. Plus he will need the quad in the FS at Worlds, so USFS would likely have been hesitant to put him on the Worlds team without even attempting a quad at the Nationals. Like I said, if he had fallen on the UR 4t and was otherwise clean, he would have made the team, but he just made other mistakes on top of it and that's the issue. Further, Jeremy has issues skating a clean FS regardless of what his jump content is, so he really needs to go for the quad just because he might make mistakes on other jumps. It's not like when Jeremy doesn't do the quad he's a sure thing for skating a clean FS, and that's the only situation where it would maybe make sense. But with the current state of the men internationally, I don't think anyone will be in the mix for top 6 at Worlds without trying at least one quad between their 2 programs, especially now that it isn't unusual to see 2, 3, even 4.

[Wiery]

I don't think Jeremy is a headcase in the classic sense. I think there are two separate issues which have really come to the forefront of late... the first is simply age/time. He has become injury-prone of late, and that limits his training, and therefore his consistency in competition.

Second, in my view Jeremy is an artist who uses skating as his medium, and it seems that he gets so involved in the performance and telling the story that he buries himself so deeply in the choreography that he can't focus on his technical cues, etc. And due to the limited training, his muscle memory isn't what it needs to be, so those technical cues may be even more important to his results than in previous years...

I think this is a very astute theory. I thought Jeremy was very poised at US Nationals; of course he was nervous but did not seem lost in his fear. To me, it seemed to be the lack of training time that hurt his performance, not nerves.

I hope he does continue to skate competitively; the emphasis seems to be on quads now, but he is still a gorgeous skater with a lot to contribute to the sport.

Please don't quit, Jeremy, unless your body is saying it is time to do so.

He certainly has a bright future ahead of him as a choreographer, if that's what he wants to do after competitive skating.

[misskarne]

I think it was rude of Jeremy to say the new winner needs to get the 3rd spot back. Jeremy has had ample opportunity to help do that, no?

I think it was more rude of him to be talking about London in the short program press conference, as though no-one had a chance of beating him...