U.S. Ladies [#17]: Heading to Helsinki in a Handbasket

[VGThuy]

That was actually 2008, 3 were too young, and Meissner got named because Katrina Hacker was a "nobody" in the minds of USFS compared to Kimmie and who had no senior international medals. And what happened to those girls? Growth spurts, being taught lousy jump technique to just get the triples around and then getting hammered when the IJS took over. Or in the case of Flatt, simply just not being a great package.

It's kind of crazy how the U.S. dominated the Junior scene during that period, but it couldn't translate that same dominance as seniors. However, those juniors that did dominate weren't so bad in general, with the entire U.S. sweep from 2007 Junior Worlds still competing and placing in the top 5 at Nationals to this very day. I don't know if that's more of a statement about them or U.S. ladies skating.

 

[danafan]

^^^ And Ash Wagner (her first senior appearance too) went to Junior worlds because of her age.. She had a good Senior outing at Nats too.

No, Wagner went to worlds in 2008 and finished 16th. She was third at nationals, the highest ranked skater who was senior international age eligible. She did go back to junior worlds in 2009 though and finished 3rd.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

No, Wagner went to worlds in 2008 and finished 16th. She was third at nationals, the highest ranked skater who was senior international age eligible. She did go back to junior worlds in 2009 though and finished 3rd.

Wow..Realy?? Im really forgetting as time goes on LOL

I thought 2008..Mirai won Nats... Ash was in 3rd after SP And 3rd overall... and went to junior Worlds that year and lost to maybe Leonova?

Wasnt 2008 Ash's first year as Senior (when Mirai won). I could go to wikipedia but that would be too easy I guess. LOL

I was skiing that weekend when Mirai won and I watched the skating mostly alone in the resort because my friends went out.. thats why it (I thought) sticks in my mind so much....

 

[VGThuy]

Wow..Realy?? Im really forgetting as time goes on LOL

I thought 2008..Mirai won Nats... Ash was in 3rd after SP but then 4th overall... and went to junior Worlds that year and lost to maybe Leonova?

Wasnt 2008 Ash's first year as Senior (when Mirai won). I could go to wikipedia but that would be too easy I guess. LOL

I was skiing that weekend when Mirai won and I watched the skating mostly alone in the resort because my friends went out.. thats why it (I thought) sticks in my mind so much....

At the 2008 Nats, the rankings were: 1. Mirai 2. Rachael 3. Ashley 4. Caroline 5. Bebe 6. Katrina 7. Kimmie. 1, 2, and 4 were too young, and I think it was determined that Katrina didn't really have the TES to compete at Worlds and Kimmie was a former world champ from two seasons ago and had recently placed 4th at Worlds the year before, placed 1st and 2nd at her two GP events and qualified for the GPF that season prior to Nationals.

Mirai, Rachael, and Caroline were sent to Junior Worlds and swept the podium, with that being the second year in a row the U.S. swept the Junior Worlds podium.

 

[danafan]

Wow..Realy?? Im really forgetting as time goes on LOL

Yes, I think you are

I thought 2008..Mirai won Nats... Ash was in 3rd after SP but then 4th overall... and went to junior Worlds that year and lost to maybe Leonova?

Yes, Nagasu won 2008 nationals ahead of Flatt and Wagner in that order. Wagner was the highest ranked skater who was age eligible for worlds, where she finished 16th. The US swept junior worlds that year (Flatt, Zhang, Nagasu). [/QUOTE]

Wasnt 2008 Ash's first year as Senior (when Mirai won). I could go to wikipedia but that would be too easy I guess. LOL

I was skiing that weekend when Mirai won and I watched the skating mostly alone in the resort because my friends went out.. thats why it (I thought) sticks in my mind so much....

Yes, 2008 was Wagner's first year as a senior.

Wagner was 4th at 2009 nationals and went to junior worlds where she finished third behind Leonova and Zhang. Wagner bombed the short program at those nationals and IIRC was 12th in the short and won the long, but was too far behind.

 

[Jammers]

It's kind of crazy how the U.S. dominated the Junior scene during that period, but it couldn't translate that same dominance as seniors. However, those juniors that did dominate weren't so bad in general, with the entire U.S. sweep from 2007 Junior Worlds still competing and placing in the top 5 at Nationals to this very day. I don't know if that's more of a statement about them or U.S. ladies skating.

I think it says more about US Ladies to be honest. The fact that Ashley and Mirai will in days be 26 and 24 and still be two of the top contenders for the Olympic team says it all. At least Ashley has improved her skating over the last 5 years but if Mirai were skating for Japan or Russia with how her skating stagnated post 2010 she would probably be buried like Leonova or retired by now. There just have been no real talented girls that have come up since Sochi to challenge the older ladies like Mirai who quite frankly hasn't exactly set the world on fire. Even someone like Mariah Bell is almost the same age as Gracie.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Mirai, Rachael, and Caroline were sent to Junior Worlds and swept the podium, with that being the second year in a row the U.S. swept the Junior Worlds podium.

My Gosh, I need to up the Ginkgo biloba

 

[Sylvia]

I don't believe this interview was posted in this thread:

Karen Chen cherishes experience gained in worlds debut
U.S. champion to use fourth-place finish as motivation moving forward
Posted 4/1/17 by Jean-Christophe Berlot, special to icenetwork
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/04/01/221833978/
Excerpt:

Chen: I have no time for anything else besides skating, and I am a senior in high school. I have many loads between the two. I have no time for other things.
Icenetwork: Do you know what you'll do after you graduate high school?
Chen: We'll see. I might get into the medical field. I had to deal with many injuries in the past, and I really appreciated the work they did.
I think I'll wait one year, to give all I have for the Olympics and see what it leads me to. After next year, I'll concentrate more on my studies.

Karen worked with Misha Ge recently: https://www.instagram.com/p/BSm-Yx-h1EQ/
It was great to work these few days with @karebearsk8 on her new piece. It something new for her, something personal, something strong. Excited to see this art to debut on this year US Tour of StarsOnIce
(She will compete at WTT and then join the Stars on Ice tour on May 4.)

 

[berthesghost]

U.S. champion to use fourth-place finish as motivation moving forward

oh, the shade of it all!

Sorry, the devil made me do it!

 

[Wyliefan]

How is that shade? Fourth place at her first Worlds is nothing to sneeze at.

 

[berthesghost]

I don't think Karen was intentionally throwing shade. The headline was just a coincidence. I assume.

 

[Wyliefan]

I still don't understand what you're getting at. What shade? What coincidence? Maybe I'm just not caffeinated enough . . .

 

[VGThuy]

How is that shade? Fourth place at her first Worlds is nothing to sneeze at.

I still don't understand what you're getting at. What shade? What coincidence? Maybe I'm just not caffeinated enough . . .

I don't get it either.

 

[toddlj]

I don't get it either.

Karen views her 4th place as motivation... Gracie viewed hers differently...

 

[Fiero425]

Karen views her 4th place as motivation... Gracie viewed hers differently...

That's why it's called "individuality!" Everyone should have a different way of looking at something for motivation!

 

[DimaToe]

Aside from the fact that I don't see this so called shade, Karen was 4th at her worlds debut. Gold had already been to worlds 3 times prior and she finished 4th for the second year running. VERY different situations.

 

[Coco]

Don't think many people would see that as shade at GG.

I do love those quotes from Karen. Very unfiltered, very blunt, she shows a very clear minded perspective. Almost a bit Russian, if I do say so.

 

[insideedgeua]

Watching in slo-mo, it looked around but always hard to tell with Mirai's toes

So if you ( not you personally but a technical panel) have to look at the jump over and over in slo-mo to decide if it is under rotated, then shouldn't the benefit of the doubt fall on the side of the skater?

I don't mean just Mirai and the 3A but any skater on any jump.

 

[clairecloutier]

So if you ( not you personally but a technical panel) have to look at the jump over and over in slo-mo to decide if it is under rotated, then shouldn't the benefit of the doubt fall on the side of the skater?

MY answer to this is yes. Every time.

 

[Sylvia]

... Karen was 4th at her worlds debut. Gold had already been to worlds 3 times prior and she finished 4th for the second year running. VERY different situations.

One point they had in common - both Karen and Gracie successfully dealt with the pressure of helping to get 3 U.S. ladies spots for the Olympics by placing well in their first appearance at Worlds (at 2013 Worlds, Gracie was 6th to Ashley's 5th overall and she was 5th in the FS, one place ahead of Ashley).

Re-posting from the SOI thread:

My interview with Gracie. Again, this was a Stars on Ice promo interview, and I write for a local parenting magazine, so I let the kids ask the questions and asked some follow-ups to cover the "how not to be awful sports parents" angle.

Gracie was lovely to interview, very sweet and thoughtful with her answers. Also, my son asked me to ask her whether she's ever tried hockey skates--because, of course, all skaters should play hockey. The answer is no. But she's a soccer girl.

Link to @Jozet's interview (thanks!): http://www.centralpennparent.com/20...wo-time-u-s-figure-skating-national-champion/

 

[vesperholly]

That was actually 2008, 3 were too young, and Meissner got named because Katrina Hacker was a "nobody" in the minds of USFS compared to Kimmie and who had no senior international medals. And what happened to those girls? Growth spurts, being taught lousy jump technique to just get the triples around and then getting hammered when the IJS took over. Or in the case of Flatt, simply just not being a great package.

IIRC, Hacker was offered Worlds and actually declined the assignment because she and her team felt she wasn't prepared to have her Senior international debut on such an important stage. I remember people saying she was nuts to decline because it was likely to be her only chance to compete at Worlds.

 

[olympic]

IIRC, Hacker was offered Worlds and actually declined the assignment because she and her team felt she wasn't prepared to have her Senior international debut on such an important stage. I remember people saying she was nuts to decline because it was likely to be her only chance to compete at Worlds.

Yes. That is what I recall. It was also obvious that Hacker's focus was on her future education

 

[Sylvia]

IIRC, Hacker was offered Worlds and actually declined the assignment because she and her team felt she wasn't prepared to have her Senior international debut on such an important stage.

According to Katrina herself (I spoke with her at Worlds in Boston last year while she was volunteering), this is NOT true. (She seemed amused by this Internet urban myth. )

AFAIK, she doesn't seem bitter about what happened all those years ago and has moved on successfully with her life: http://www.katrinahacker.com/home

 

[skateboy]

Any updates about Polina? If she's healthy, she's always a competitive factor.

Assuming she comes back, along with a possibly renewed Gracie, this Olympic season could be very interesting for the US ladies.

 

[Willin]

@skateboy Last I saw on her instagram she was having a mighty good spring break drinking pina coladas in Mexico. So probably still recovering from the injury or still deciding if she wants to return.

 

[Tinami Amori]

@skateboy Last I saw on her instagram she was having a mighty good spring break drinking pina coladas in Mexico. So probably still recovering from the injury or still deciding if she wants to return.

Paulina is 18 years old.....

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Paulina is 18 years old.....

Mexico probably (like Europe, etc) doesnt have a 21 yr old drinking law. Im sure its 18.

 

[Willin]

@Tinami Amori While technically US residents aren't allowed to drink until age 21, even internationally, no one follows that. Servers in Mexico go by their drinking age - 18 - hence why so many US college students go there for spring break.

 

[made_in_canada]

Mexico probably (like Europe, etc) doesnt have a 21 yr old drinking law. Im sure its 18.

Or you can just get booze out of vending machines at any age

 

[Jarrett]

@Tinami Amori While technically US residents aren't allowed to drink until age 21, even internationally, no one follows that. Servers in Mexico go by their drinking age - 18 - hence why so many US college students go there for spring break.

Wow that is interesting!