U.S. Ladies [#20]: In a Week, Maybe Two, They'll Make You a Star

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Tom Z might help a skater with their jumps but in terms of programs and skating skills he's about the last coach i would go to. I've always said i could spot a Tom Z skater a mile away with how slow they skated examples being Rachael Flatt and Brandon Mroz.
 
Jarrett said:
Why would she? They never really change or improve anyway? It is like if Mirai talked about how she is working with a choreographer to smooth out the programs.....
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Because the whole teleconference is fluff and exaggeration anyway, like "dramatically better" "100% better"... etc. Yet she can't even utter something like "my jumps are finally rotating" and "my spins are under control finally"...

Of course, if you are just being sarcastic, I would say this is something I am genuinely concerned about.
 
Dr.Siouxs said:
The shade is strong here! :watch:

Look, I'm thrilled we still have Mirai but the qualities that once made her world class (fabulous posture, effortless speed, line, flexibility) have diminished badly since she joined Tom Z. They might as well put her in flannel and have her skate to "Orange Blossom Special" by Johnny Cash. At least the lumberjack skating would make sense in context.
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That is so totally wrong. Mirai's problems pre-dated Tom Z. There is also a mythology about Mirai as a young skater. She had under-rotation problems back in 2010 when she did not win Nationals and fell from 1st to 7th (or 8th) at Worlds. Mirai is my favorite skater(currently) and I think the move to Tom Z has been positive. It has kept her in the mix and who else would have pushed her to learn a triple axel?
 
meggonzo said:
Dr. Siouxs was talking about posture, speed, line, and flexibility. Not under-rotating jumps.
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OK, here is my response to that. Mirai still has amazing flexibility (look at her I-spin or her layback into Biellman), good speed and posture (that's a new criticism). If her "line" has changed it's because she grew up. (Not really buying that, either). If Mirai concentrates more now on technical elements, it's because that's what the system rewards. So the post is still wrong in blaming the move to Tom Z.
 
Maybe the common denominator is nerves? It’s intimidating to be first after the sp at your first sr. worlds and then that LP was like an ode to the underrated triple. 6 years later in Boston she seemed to be stroking through molasses with a blank expression on her face which I interpreted as 100% concentration on going clean in the LP.
 
berthesghost said:
Maybe the common denominator is nerves? It’s intimidating to be first after the sp at your first sr. worlds and then that LP was like an ode to the underrated triple. 6 years later in Boston she seemed to be stroking through molasses with a blank expression on her face which I interpreted as 100% concentration on going clean in the LP.
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Stroking through molasses? Blank expression? You must have seen something different than what I saw at Worlds. Mirai was animated, fast and only made one visible mistake. Underscored, as usual.
 
She was almost overwhelmingly perky in 2008-2010. So when she skates with anything less than that level of perk, I think people are inclined to see it as a blank expression.

That is not to say that she doesn't need to work on her expression and interpretation. She does. But I think when it comes to expression, she's held to an extremely high standard because of her earlier work.
 
Idk if anyone posted this, but in a Mercury News article today about another skater they mentioned Polina Edmunds was working with Christy Ness, Kristi Yamaguchi's former coach. She is apparently not working with Rudy Galindo or David Glynn anymore, but that could just be awkward wording from the article.

I'm rather surprised to hear that! Christy's been mostly retired since the 90s. I had no idea she was interested in coaching again...
 
I had heard informally a few months ago that Christy Ness was working with Polina but, AFAIK, this was the first time Ness' name has appeared in a published article (Mercury News one linked by @Willin above) in conjunction with coaching Polina. Polina's mother has coached her all of her life (eta: before David Glynn and Rudy Galindo became involved) and traveled with her daughter to her international assignments this fall (Finlandia and GP France).
 
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AxelAnnie said:
Thank you. I have never heard of her. I shall have to go to Oakland and watch a practice. She is quite something else.....and she spins like another Alyssa we know.
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So it turns out a couple of my friends remember Alysa Liu's father from when they were at Hastings law school together! Small world. They're not skating fans, but maybe this will interest them a little more in the sport. Alysa is very impressive-- great jumps, fast spins, polished presentation. Can't wait to see how she does at nationals. Here's her regionals performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIsELtJf1pg
 
livetoskate said:
So it turns out a couple of my friends remember Alysa Liu's father from when they were at Hastings law school together! Small world. They're not skating fans, but maybe this will interest them a little more in the sport. Alysa is very impressive-- great jumps, fast spins, polished presentation. Can't wait to see how she does at nationals. Here's her regionals performance:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIsELtJf1pg
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Yep, she's little firecracker! Fully rotated 7 jump long program featuring a triple lutz/triple toe and a triple flip/half loop/triple sal. This girl is only 12 years old!
 
If Polina is w/ Ness, that is a good move IMO. She coached KY to OGM and also helped out Lulu on the road to Nagano '98, when she was going thru hell, abandoned by her Fed and having suicidal thoughts. I also think Ness was coaching Bebe Liang when she was at her technical best (around '04, I want to say).
 
sjs5572 said:
Yep, she's little firecracker! Fully rotated 7 jump long program featuring a triple lutz/triple toe and a triple flip/half loop/triple sal. This girl is only 12 years old!
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The triple toe was definitely not rotated. I don't think there's video replay available at Regional competitions. Her jump technique concerns me though. But lots of talent and great spins, so hopefully she will mature well.
 
Sylvia said:
In this Starr Andrews article, it is revealed (she also tweeted about it yesterday) that she has recorded her own version of Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time" for her Nationals free skate: http://www.nbcolympics.com/news/rising-starr-andrews-shooting-place-among-figure-skatings-best
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That's cool about the gold hoop earring with dangling heart that Tai Babilonia gave to Kristi Yamaguchi, and Kristi gave to Katia Gordeeva after the death of Sergei, and Katia eventually gave back to Tai, and then Tai gave to 9-year-old Starr after seeing her performance of Whip My Hair. Starr still has the lucky charm and plans to pass it on in time, but she's presently concentrating on the business at hand of focusing on her skating career, which 7 years later is only just beginning on the senior level.
 
Hmmmm seeing all these La La Programs in novice and intermediates, etc... Hope Ash can pull something off for the woman that she is........

Has anyone seen a clip lately of her program?

Id rather she ditched Hip Hip and got mostly new choreo for MR.
 
zigzig said:
Not sure if this article has been shared elsewhere:

Where Are the American Women in Olympic Figure Skating? https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/30/sports/olympics/figure-skating-united-states.html

Just a summary for the general public of the chatter that’s been happening here for the past 3 Olympic cycles :lol:
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Great article, and true.

Just like all things change is inevitable. Figure skating for a lifelong career isn't as lucrative (if at all) in USA as it once was. Almost all the elite skaters have college on their agendas from Rachel to Emily to Christina to Michelle to Sarah... well, all of them... Does Ash have plans?

I could be wrong but I feel like in Russia (just look at Evegeny) its seen ATM as a more serious life long field.

I feel USA culture is different than what it was in 98, etc.

Everything is cyclical tho, USA had a long high of women's, now focus is Russia and Japan. Just like ice dance used to be Russia, now its 90% North American.

15 yrs from now who knows where focus will be. But yeah, so true, in Russia theres much interest in figure skating.
 
VIETgrlTerifa said:
I think so too, but when you say it out loud some people may bite your head off. It's nice to have an American skater where you don't have to worry about who is on the tech panel and need to pray to not get certain ones.
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LOL Oh Ive been saying it for weeks.

Bradie - US CHAMP 2018

Silver & Bronze: Mirai and Ash
 
shady82 said:
Oh dear, Jackie Wong predicts Mirai will win Nationals. I hope this doesn't jinx her, because that appears to have happened with Wakaba at GPF and Nationals :shuffle:
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Holy Moly, Jackie will be in deep ---- if this doesn't come to pass. :p :lynch:
 
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