U.S. Ladies [#18]: These Boots Are Made for Skating

[Frau Muller]

Not the greatest finesse in Starr but at least she is giving it her all. Maybe this is what's needed to spark a renewed love of figure skating among US audiences. Besides, like Gracie Gold, she has a good name for headlines: "Starr's the Star!"

Angelina also has charm but it's too early to tell if she's Olympic Team material. Not yet age eligible (14 going on 15)...we have to wait until Beijing-2022.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

It's funny, that while everyone is focused solely on Ashley and Gracie at the moment, we also have a very confident Karen Chen, a revitalized Mirai Nagasu - reeling off 3A's, a hungry Courtney Hicks, a motivated Mariah Bell, a returning Polina Edmunds, an emerging Bradie Tennell, an artistic dream skater in Tessa Hong, etc, etc. Maybe @Frau Muller is right, that we might be sending a team of first-time ladies, or Mirai and two newbies. It is possible that neither AW nor GG make the team, or maybe they both will. But hey, let's just keep on talking about Ashley & Gracie.

Dont forget my Amber Glenn please

 

[Sylvia]

@AngieNikodinovLove anyone else interested - this Amber Glenn article was published back in May: http://figureskatersonline.com/news...tacles-amber-glenn-is-ready-for-a-new-season/

Glenn finished 5th in the Philadelphia Summer International competition last month (behind Bradie Tennell 1st, Angela Wang 2nd, Courtney Hicks 4th and just ahead of Starr Andrews 6th and Tessa Hong 7th) and will compete next at Lombardia Trophy in Italy with Tennell.

 

[leafygreens]

Me either! I don't think any of this (changing programs, not doing early comps) bodes well for her.
And this is said by someone who is a huge fan.

It really stinks for anyone who thought they might choose Lala Land but didn't because they thought Ashley was using it!

Ashley Wagner has never competed in a Senior "B" in her entire life!

Whatever floats her boat. IMO as skating evolves, competition strategies must evolve.

While it could be a career-long strategy for Ashley to not do senior Bs, it should also be noted that senior B competitions have gained greater prominence since the Challenger Series was created in the 14-15 season, and more top-level skaters are doing them, whether to get ranking points or more competitive experience during the fall.

Agreed.

It's funny, that while everyone is focused solely on Ashley and Gracie at the moment, we also have a very confident Karen Chen, a revitalized Mirai Nagasu - reeling off 3A's

Please let the 3rd one be Mirai. I feel like no one is taking her seriously and it could work in her favor. At this point I lean toward GG not making it, Ashley is a question mark but will probably make it, and Karen will definitely make it. That leaves one strong open spot and a half maybe open spot.

 

[Bellanca]

Dont forget my Amber Glenn please

Yeah, I know. I thought about Amber, but I was pressed for time. I can definitely see her rocking the boat. She's capable.

 

[mgobluegirl]

I hate Moulin Rouge. It's insipid.

 

[Sylvia]

Here's Ashley practicing a spin (with a cameo appearance by Mae Berenice Meite near the end ): https://www.instagram.com/p/BYbp_07gbKR/?hl=en&taken-by=ashwagner2010
(West Side Story is playing - Mariah Bell's FS music, I assume - caught a glimpse of her at beginning.)

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Here's Ashley practicing a spin (with a cameo appearance by Mae Berenice Meite near the end ): https://www.instagram.com/p/BYbp_07gbKR/?hl=en&taken-by=ashwagner2010
(West Side Story is playing - Mariah Bell's FS music, I assume - caught a glimpse of her at beginning.)

LOL, adorable

 

[VGThuy]

Gracie is taking some time off to seek professional help:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ng-time-off-seek-professional-help/624408001/

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Gracie is taking some time off to seek professional help:

https://www.usatoday.com/story/spor...ng-time-off-seek-professional-help/624408001/

Kinda breaks my heart a bit.

ONLY the best for her. I can't imagine whats she's been going through there past 2 years and won't even attempt.

I still dislike how they make Boston sound like a nightmare. Finishing 4th is VERY respectable. I hate how they spin that.

Strange to get the confirmation that she couldn't do "the simplest of jumps at Champs Camp." Sigh.

Sending her so much power and strength. I hope she will be strong enough to do the GP circuit, but if not come back STRONG and HEALTHY! XO

 

[kittysk8ts]

I think if you want Karen to stop wearing long sleeves, you'll have to rip them off yourself:

https://media3.s-nbcnews.com/j/news...e792ae18a33d29375b2a6.nbcnews-fp-1200-800.jpg

HAHAHAHA!! OMG you guys.

 

[ilovepaydays]

I still dislike how they make Boston sound like a nightmare. Finishing 4th is VERY respectable. I hate how they spin that.

I can't like this enough. I understand that Gracie probably would have at least finished 2nd if she had a good skate, but it's not like she completely imploded. She couldn't afford any big mistakes and she did.

I wish the best for Gracie - in skating, life, and whatever she does next. She's an Olympian. That's an insane enough accomplishment and she (and anyone else) should hold her head up high..

 

[Willin]

@AngieNikodinovLove I don't think Boston was a nightmare as far as reality goes, but more a mental thing. Gracie went into that season fully expecting to medal at Worlds and working her butt off to do so. After the SP she was in a great position to medal. Everything was going according to plan. And then, with one mistake in the LP she was knock her off the podium. After all that work, all those expectations, all that hope, it must have hurt.
4th is so close yet so far. At US Nationals, she would have had a medal and been on the podium. I think if she had had a bad SP or a much worse LP that landed her lower in the standings, it would've been easier to handle as opposed to being that close to getting a medal.

 

[aftershocks]

Well, you know...people like facts.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1f/9a/9c/1f9a9c74b734522e3d08a4e3b48827bc.jpg
Gorgeous dress; beautiful program

I don't mind Chen in sleeves, I just wish her costumes were less busy in general. SO MUCH BLING.

It also bothers me that she was dressed as a swan (or sometimes a peacock) last year for her short to On Golden Pond when the bird call at the beginning is clearly a loon. This, IMO, was a missed opportunity for a really cool and beautiful costume:

https://backroadjournal.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/img_6444.jpg

Really lovely markings for the loon. Someone could still adapt it for a costume without having to skate to On Golden Pond.

Here's another loon view:
http://vet.tufts.edu/wp-content/uploads/adult-common-loon.png

 

[DimaToe]

IMO it would be best to keep discussing Gracie Gold in the other thread in GSD and keep this thread about the U.S. ladies that we know are currently competing. Of course you can all do whatever you wish but I think it'd keep things going more smoothly if we don't end up with two threads discussing the same topic.

 

[Coco]

Starr landed a 3a today? Did she get full credit for it?

 

[Sylvia]

JGP Salzburg results:
5 Starr ANDREWS USA 159.28 4 5
10 Angelina HUANG USA 134.10 18 7

Starr Andrews (her JGP debut):
SP (59.93): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ug9zzCUSQAk
FS (99.35): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8uvjqfSPxGo
Her opening 3A was downgraded << but she stood up & it was a gutsy attempt!
2 highlight elements for Starr: Her 3S+3T+2T in the 2nd half was worth 11.6 points and she was one of only 4 to receive level 4 for her step sequence (4.6 points with + GOE).

Angelina Huang's 7th place FS (92.42): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCrL6Sm6-iM
Nice comeback today after a rough SP in her JGP debut!

 

[danafan]

Starr landed a 3a today? Did she get full credit for it?

Well she stayed upright on it but it was downgraded and netted 1.87 points.

 

[DimaToe]

So when I first saw Starr Andrews perform (her famous "whip my hair" routine) never did I think she would make it to the JGP, let alone attempting a 3A in international competition. I have nothing but respect for how far she has come and I can't wait to see how much more she continues to accomplish

 

[danafan]

Btw I think "one moment in time" is a great piece of music to skate to and I really loved Andrews' interpretation of it.

 

[Jammers]

At this point i think it's best for Gracie to end her career. Why keep doing what has caused so many problems over the last 6 years? There would be no more expectations no worrying about getting in shape and people talking about you. She just needs to find something that makes her happy and get away from the skating world.

 

[Maofan7]

At this point i think it's best for Gracie to end her career. Why keep doing what has caused so many problems over the last 6 years? There would be no more expectations no worrying about getting in shape and people talking about you. She just needs to find something that makes her happy and get away from the skating world.

She obviously doesn't want to just throw everything she has been striving for away. That could lead to a lifetime of regret, in terms of what might of been. Hence, the most sensible approach is to regroup ahead of the Grand Prix

After the Olympics, she will have all the time in the world to "get away from it all"

So when I first saw Starr Andrews perform (her famous "whip my hair" routine) never did I think she would make it to the JGP, let alone attempting a 3A in international competition. I have nothing but respect for how far she has come and I can't wait to see how much more she continues to accomplish

Check out this video of an interview with Starr from 3 years ago

I think it was evident even then that this was somebody who was going to go far

 

[Frida80]

She obviously doesn't want to just throw everything she has been striving for away. That could lead to a lifetime of regret, in terms of what might of been. Hence, the most sensible approach is to regroup ahead of the Grand Prix

After the Olympics, she will have all the time in the world to "get away from it all"



Check out this video of an interview with Starr from 3 years ago

I think it was evident even then that this was somebody who was going to go far

Thanks for the link. It looks like she's been planning on doing a 3A all along. Good for her!

I've watched Starr closely for years. She has the same pattern. Plan a very ambitious program and grow with it during the season. What happens at the end of the season is she masters the tougher jumps she's struggled with and comes out even better. She's improved a lot over the last year and her programs have a lot of potential. I look forward to seeing her progress.

 

[Sylvia]

Final results from Brisbane:
5 Kaitlyn NGUYEN USA 161.42 6 5 (coached by Ivan Dinev & Angela Nikodinov)
...
5 Kaitlyn NGUYEN USA 107.15 57.78 49.37 6.29 5.93 6.14 6.21 6.29 0.00 #20
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kn4ydbmmQg8
She was credited with landing 5 of 7 triples cleanly.

Currently Kaitlyn is the placeholder for JGP #5 in Croatia -- should she and Starr be given a 2nd JGP assignment based on what they did respectively in their 1st JGP? Both placed 5th and Starr scored 2 points lower overall (159.28) with 4 triples called rotated out of 8 planned. Discuss.

 

[Willin]

I think Starr and Kaitlyn should get 2nd assignments based on performance, but I'd also like to see how the other US skaters do first.

 

[FSfan107]

I just watched Starr's free skate and despite the mistakes, I really enjoyed it! She is lovely to watch and she has a really elegant look (not to mention her dress was gorgeous). That late triple sal-triple toe-double toe was impressive too. She seems to have the full package. I'm looking forward to watching her more this season!

 

[Willin]

As much as I don't like ISI (for petty personal reasons), I do think that Starr really benefited from it. Since it encourages skaters to do more fun programs that allow skaters to perform and has judges that appreciate entertainment value/performance, skaters who do it usually learn to perform very well during competition. Those skaters that did ISI competitions when they were little like Starr and Jason Brown are some of USFS's best performers.

 

[Debbie S]

Currently Kaitlyn is the placeholder for JGP #5 in Croatia -- should she and Starr be given a 2nd JGP assignment based on what they did respectively in their 1st JGP? Both placed 5th and Starr scored 2 points lower overall (159.28) with 4 triples called rotated out of 8 planned. Discuss.

Well, since you asked , with only 1 spot at each of the remaining JGPs (unless another country opts not to use theirs), I think that USFS should give additional skaters a shot, since the precedent is to only give skaters a second assignment if they medal/have a chance to qualify for the Final, and it would seem unlikely that Starr or Kaitlyn could qualify even with a win at a 2nd event. If the U.S. had 2 spots at each event, I think you could make more of a case for giving them each a 2nd and a newbie could still get their first. Hopefully next year (Kaitlyn and Starr for the JW team? ), we'll have 2 spots at each event.

 

[aftershocks]

Check out this video of an interview with Starr from 3 years ago

I think it was evident even then that this was somebody who was going to go far

That's a fun interview with Starr from 2014. I hadn't seen it before, so thanks for sharing. I like the handsome interviewer. He asked great questions and Starr was so confident and forthcoming with her responses at the age of 12. Plus, the addition of a physicist/scientist describing how the technique and the physics makes these jumps possible was informative and entertaining.

I enjoyed watching Starr's programs from Salzburg. And I watched Eunsoo Lim and Anastasia Tarakanova too. Eunsoo is so long-legged and lovely. One commenter described Eunsoo's style as a combination of Yu Na Kim (technical precision and grace -- altho' I think Eunsoo has the potential for lovelier stretch than Kim) and Ashley Wagner (aggressive style and athleticism).

One thing though while watching: Although I'm amazed at the talent of all these young people (I watched a few of the young men too), it just seems to me to be so much crammed-in tech elements in these programs. Way too much IMO, at the expense of a focus on skating skills. Whatever good SS and presentation these youngsters possess appears to be welcomed as icing-on-the-cake, but more of an afterthought to pushing the tech envelope. Why doesn't the sport as a whole try to push the blade skills/ skating skills envelope? If that happened, I think the jumps and jump technique would improve. With the need to cram so much into programs, it seems to me that it makes it very difficult for skaters to fully develop at an even, balanced pace. They are pushed beyond their limits to the point of nagging injuries or career-ending injuries and bone-growth problems. Of course some are 'luckier' than others in moving up and on to the hope of bigger and better things.

Good luck to Starr. I'm going to focus on trying to appreciate her fully now from moment-to-moment, and not trying to imagine or over-anticipate how her future will unfold.

Those skaters that did ISI competitions when they were little like Starr and Jason Brown are some of USFS's best performers.

Cool observation.

 

[Frida80]

Well, since you asked , with only 1 spot at each of the remaining JGPs (unless another country opts not to use theirs), I think that USFS should give additional skaters a shot, since the precedent is to only give skaters a second assignment if they medal/have a chance to qualify for the Final, and it would seem unlikely that Starr or Kaitlyn could qualify even with a win at a 2nd event. If the U.S. had 2 spots at each event, I think you could make more of a case for giving them each a 2nd and a newbie could still get their first. Hopefully next year (Kaitlyn and Starr for the JW team? ), we'll have 2 spots at each event.

Sadly I don't think we have more skaters that USFS wants to send. I've looked closely at the entries for the fourth and fifth JGP and they could've taken slots from GB and Sweden but didn't. The subs they have are just subs at this point with several that will get Challengers instead. The juniors that they wanted to get technical minimums, Kaitlyn, Hanna, Audrey, Ting, and Angelina, have gotten them. The ones they want to get some JGP experience have been assigned.

Kaitlyn and Starr have the highest scoring potential. But the problem is they are both skating senior this year and have different senior and junior programs. One of these reasons why they were both shaky at the JGPs was because this was the first time they competed with their junior FS this season. Since they both will probably be named to JW, I would give them both a second spot so they can get more mileage on their FS and gain WS points. The more points they have the later their start time at JW, and the higher their PCS scores will be.