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

[bardtoob]

I was wondering how long it would be before the media picked up on Andrews' first name as a title grabber, in the same, cloying way they have with Gracie Gold.

At least the skaters have "it". I literally have only seen Starr's skating from practice clips from this week at Nationals, and her jumps are huge and she can do the second jump of 3-3 with hands a loft a la Rippon, Ito, and Manley and she has great speed and power as she moves across the ice. I think she is going to be the first American to challenge the Russian ladies for 1st place at international competition after the Olympics. She'll be able to construct her program like them, backloaded with every feature of a +3 jump and whatever else is a benefit under the IJS.

Eteri has said that when she has come to the US, the skaters she worked with worked harder than her own skaters. Furthermore, it seems to me that if this was a cultural problem, the US would struggle to have successful skaters in any discipline, which is not the case . . . I personally was extremely impressed with the crop of younger ladies I've been seeing at juniors and lower. Obviously there's no telling how they'll develop, but there's a lot of talent there.

The young skaters are IJS Native. Right now the top American ladies are doing programs that would do well under both the 6.0 system and IJS, as opposed to only meeting the expectations of the IJS native. The top America's are too ingrained with a "skating ethic" that says constructing backloaded programs is points grubbing and that rocking onto the outside edge while entering a 3Lz instead of from a long glide, step, or turn is wrong, etc.

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.

I don't agree . . . but that was some amazingly great +3 GOE on Level 4 Snark

 

[insideedgeua]

If life were fair, there would be a tutu deduction.

I couldn’t agree more!

 

[bardtoob]

Mirai is planning 8-triple program. (3A, 3F3T, 3S 2A3T2T, 3Lz2T, 3F, 3Lo)

If she lands all 8 and get level 4's, her TES would be in the 80s (higher than Zagitova and Medvedeva)!!

And G*d love her for that. All the American Ladies need to be that ambitious!

8 triples and 1 2axel is going to give advantage in BV compared to 7 triples and 2 2axels, but some of that advantage can be compensated when someone like Zagitova backloads everything and repeats the tougher triples (lutz and flip).

I am pretty confident that the American Jr. skaters moving into Sr. will be playing the same game as Zagitova.

 

[Alilou]

Article by Beverley Smith with an emphasis on Mirai:

https://bevsmithwrites.wordpress.com/2018/01/02/mirai-nagasu-its-time/

 

[Coco]

But doesn't Mirai always practice well? I hope she competes well!

And I agree with @Wyliefan too soon to tell with Ashley's program.

 

[topaz]

At this point I don't care what kind of program Ashley skates to. It is probably her last Nationals. She's had a rough year and at this point it is about doing the program elements and getting on the team. I'm sure she's disappointed with the way her season has gone. Ashley practices well too; Per Jackie Wong her 3f/3t combos look good yesterday. She has to relax and reach back quickly into the 3toe and 3sal to get the rotations. I'm hoping she skates well, get the levels on the footwork and spin places 2nd at least.

I have Mirai going for the win this year. She looks SO confident and lord knows she deserves some breaks. I have to say She look happy with her coaching situation which I am happy about. Just remembering how she looked while being coached by Frank C makes me sad. She looked miserable, all the time.

I think Mirai is going to stick around too. If Ashley can win, but goodness I want Mirai to win the title.

Also, Ashley should have called me. I have wanted her to skate to Frida soundtrack or a mature Evita program. I think Shae Lynn would have excellent choreography for a mature Eva Peron program for her. She could have been
"blond blond" with a GORGEOUS set of dresses. I have been waiting for someone, to skate to music of Trevor Morris' The Tudor for years. She would have made a great Anne Boleyn.

 

[VGThuy]

I think Ashley would have been glorious as Evita. Imagine her in a mock Christian Dior skating gown.

 

[Carolla5501]

No! I can’t take Marai hype. I have flashbacks to 2010 and her heartbreak.

 

[AxelAnnie]

At this point I don't care what kind of program Ashley skates to. It is probably her last Nationals. She's had a rough year and at this point it is about doing the program elements and getting on the team. I'm sure she's disappointed with the way her season has gone. Ashley practices well too; Per Jackie Wong her 3f/3t combos look good yesterday. She has to relax and reach back quickly into the 3toe and 3sal to get the rotations. I'm hoping she skates well, get the levels on the footwork and spin places 2nd at least.

I have Mirai going for the win this year. She looks SO confident and lord knows she deserves some breaks. I have to say She look happy with her coaching situation which I am happy about. Just remembering how she looked while being coached by Frank C makes me sad. She looked miserable, all the time.

I think Mirai is going to stick around too. If Ashley can win, but goodness I want Mirai to win the title.

Also, Ashley should have called me. I have wanted her to skate to Frida soundtrack or a mature Evita program. I think Shae Lynn would have excellent choreography for a mature Eva Peron program for her. She could have been
"blond blond" with a GORGEOUS set of dresses. I have been waiting for someone, to skate to music of Trevor Morris' The Tudor for years. She would have made a great Anne Boleyn.

Evita could have been EPIC!

Is it too late for her to change programs?

 

[Spun Silver]

No! I can’t take Marai hype. I have flashbacks to 2010 and her heartbreak.

Think you mean 2014. 2010 she was fourth at the Olympics, skating last and fabulously.

 

[topaz]

I think Ashley would have been glorious as Evita. Imagine her in a mock Christian Dior skating gown.

I KNOW!!!!

https://dreamgolive.files.wordpress.com/2012/06/p1090181.jpg

 

[Carolla5501]

Evita could have been EPIC!

Is it too late for her to change programs?

Not based on Karen Chen’s programs this year

 

[Frau Muller]

What should have been a fantastic vehicle for Wagner, so far, is leaving me rather underwhelmed.

The elements seem randomly placed, and the music edits are choppy, too.

Ashley however, is one of those rare skaters who knows how to switch it on in front of a crowd. Even with the little time she has had to prepare this brand new program, I have the confidence in her to see La La Land work.

Just saw this. So many exciting, peppy tunes in the movie, yet Ashley opts for the slowest and dullest? At least she’ll have “the Beat” in the SP.

 

[Jarrett]

Starr's singing in her long program was actually very good. She is so talented. Whitney sang the last 1/3 of the program but Starr was the first 2/3.

 

[wickedwitch]

At least the skaters have "it". I literally have only seen Starr's skating from practice clips from this week at Nationals, and her jumps are huge and she can do the second jump of 3-3 with hands a loft a la Rippon, Ito, and Manley and she has great speed and power as she moves across the ice. I think she is going to be the first American to challenge the Russian ladies for 1st place at international competition after the Olympics. She'll be able to construct her program like them, backloaded with every feature of a +3 jump and whatever else is a benefit under the IJS.

Her international results do not remotely support this. But she could be a late(r) bloomer.

 

[bardtoob]

Her international results do not remotely support this. But she could be a late(r) bloomer.

I agree she has not skated well enough yet, but she is ambitious and IJS native.

2019 US Nationals will probably have as much turn over as 2018 Russian Nationals. If the USFSA hopes to market talent that is really world-class into 2022, then they are best off fairly letting the younger eat the older at next years Nationals unless the Older still has the highest level content and program construction.

 

[Bill Trenary]

Also, Ashley should have called me. I have wanted her to skate to Frida soundtrack or a mature Evita program. I think Shae Lynn would have excellent choreography for a mature Eva Peron program for her. She could have been "blond blond" with a GORGEOUS set of dresses.

Sigh...it also should have been perfect for Bobek. Had some great outfits when she used it in 95 and 98, and the first 30 seconds or so were sublime. Damn that inconsistency and the musical edits though...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nahcVYQ9QHU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpQc66-5bG0

 

[Bill Trenary]

Not sure if this was posted already...article on Ashley, not much new:

http://www.espn.com/olympics/story/...-ahead-2018-nationals-pyeongchang-olympic-bid

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I have Mirai going for the win this year. She looks SO confident and lord knows she deserves some breaks. I have to say She look happy with her coaching situation which I am happy about. Just remembering how she looked while being coached by Frank C makes me sad. She looked miserable, all the time.

They both have the same issue... when nervous, tighten up and they attend the < festival.

If they can both skate free and loose then who knows......

They both seem solid in practice but that is the norm for them....

Fingers crossed y'all!!!!!!

 

[TygerLily]

I never encountered this "everybody is a winner" mentality (at least promoted on such a mass level) until the Obama presidency of the last 8 years.

From March 2008 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFN3CtcYs0Q

(edit to fix publication date http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0963207/?ref_=ttqt_qt_tt )

 

[skateboy]

I realize that Ashley is a sentimental favorite for many and, while I've never been a big fan, kudos to her for sticking around all this time and fighting hard. I felt bad for her at SA... her teary message to viewers after her withdrawal, saying she was going to come back and be national champion (which she also posted on social media), sounded sadly desperate to me.

It couldn't have been easy for her, after all the hype she's been getting, along with being featured in that Bridgestone Tire commercial (which was shown every 20 minutes throughout the broadcast), knowing she hasn't been skating too well for the past two seasons... not to mention hearing Bradie's killer score as she took to the ice.

We'll find out soon enough how she'll do this week but, if she can pull off great skates, she will have definitely earned her place on the Olympic team.

 

[Dr.Siouxs]

I jumped off the Ashley Wagner train after that ass-trocious Sweet Dreams program. Unforgivable!

Really not sure who to root for...

 

[berthesghost]

I’m sentimental and thus love a good repeat champion.

If Karen pulls it off she’ll do what’s become unusual under cop: defend a title! Ashley’s been the only one since Kwan and 6.0 to do it iirc.

If Mirai pulls it off, how epic will two titles 10 years apart be?!

If Ashley pulls it off, she’ll join an elite group who have 4 titles. Even legends like Hamil, Thomas and Yamaguchi don’t have 4.

 

[Wyliefan]

No offense, but Evita would be too much of a Moulin Rouge retread. Enough with the fading glamour queens; if she wants to skate a program about a young woman taking one last shot at her dream, good for her. She IS only 26, and while that may be old in skating, it's not actually old.

 

[Vagabond]

Mirai is planning 8-triple program. (3A, 3F3T, 3S 2A3T2T, 3Lz2T, 3F, 3Lo)

If she lands all 8 and get level 4's, her TES would be in the 80s (higher than Zagitova and Medvedeva)!!

When you've got it, flaunt it!

You like it?

And maybe she could skate to that next season!

 

[VGThuy]

No offense, but Evita would be too much of a Moulin Rouge retread. Enough with the fading glamour queens; if she wants to skate a program about a young woman taking one last shot at her dream, good for her. She IS only 26, and while that may be old in skating, it's not actually old.

Well, you know how I feel about Emma Stone and that "Audition" song. I also think Ashley needs help of the music because I don't really find her to be a natural when it comes to music interpretation and her cut of LLL requires someone who is. But I won't say anymore to avoid the wrath.

 

[DimaToe]

IMO Wagner should have skated to either a Madonna or Lady Gaga medley for her LP just to make the gays happy. I hope she skates next season if just for that

 

[tylersf]

Trophee de Tupperware?

To be honest, that is actually a pretty good idea. I think the figure skating audience would be in the demographic that uses Tupperware. If Tupperware sponsored "Skate America", they could request to change the competition name to "Trophee de Tupperware".

 

[VGThuy]

IMO Wagner should have skated to either a Madonna or Lady Gaga medley for her LP just to make the gays happy. I hope she skates next season if just for that

I'm afraid that would have ended up like that unconvincing "Sweet Dreams" SP.

 

[DimaToe]

I'm afraid that would have ended up like that unconvincing "Sweet Dreams" SP.

The problem with Sweet dreams was that the tempo of the song was just too slow. There’s plenty of songs she could choose from to make something