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

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vesperholly said:
Yes ... as I said in the rest of my post ... "I'm about 60/40 on Ashley withdrawing from 4CC, but I'd rather Angela take Starr's place." :confused:
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Maybe Mariah is going on vacation with her honey Ponsart? By the way his tweets were really adorable last night.
 
Yazmeen said:
Looks like I'm not alone in my opinion:

http://ftw.usatoday.com/2018/01/ash...e-but-herself-for-not-making-the-olympic-team
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Holy Crap...

I noticed this too... so did USAToday.. I said to myself on Wednesday night.. why she didn't clap during her camel spin like she always did to get the audience going. I dint think that was a cause for her dipping PCS but USA Today noticed it too....

"On Wednesday night, it was flat. It was missing little moves that raise the artistry of a skate, like getting the crowd clapping mid-spin."
 
Yazmeen said:
This may not be popular here, but my two cents:

IMO, Ashley has coasted more than a bit on her past accomplishments and her presentation skills over the past 2 seasons and allowed the technical to slide, not good since the technical side was never her strong point. She simply has not been as good as she was at Worlds 2016 and the downward slide worsened this season. I think its possible she (and Raf, although that's not his style) saw her as a probable lock for team, especially with Gracie's withdrawal. But then came "Hurricane Bradie" at SA, throwing a huge wrench into the situation.

She also shot herself in the foot by competing as minimally as possible this season, and going back and forth on what program she would be skating. While one can argue at least to a small extent that she was low-balled in PCS at Nationals, in all honesty, the only person who prevented Ashley from making another Olympic team was Ashley herself. And I believe she knows that, and it's killing her. I think the smartest thing she could do right now is suck it up, go to 4CC and kick ice, and cheer her fellow skaters on in Pyeongchang. I love Ashley and wanted her on the team, but I hope she shuts up about the judging and doesn't take any further spotlight away from her fellow competitors. It's time to be there for Adam and be gracious, no matter how unfair she thinks it is.
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I think this is spot on. This was the first time she competed this version of La La Land, right? So while I’m sure she thought her PCS marks should be higher based on what she’s received in the past, she didn’t have a direct comparison for what to expect for this program. And I agree with the USA Today article that her SP was not as good as in the past.

I feel sorry for Ashley, but she really lacks some self awareness sometimes, at least outwardly.
 
Reality tells the story. From Facebook news to NBC, no one gives two craps about noodle arms Tennell, can't ever win Nagasu, and whatshername. All the stories this morning are about Ashley and bad judging. Maybe USFSA needs to do what Miss America did and bring in a president who actually accomplished something in the sport rather than some Olympic wanna be who never did anything.

President Kwan?
 
Clutz said:
Reality tells the story. From Facebook news to NBC, no one gives two craps about noodle arms Tennell, can't ever win Nagasu, and whatshername. All the stories this morning are about Ashley and bad judging. Maybe USFSA needs to do what Miss America did and bring in a president who actually accomplished something in the sport rather than some Olympic wanna be who never did anything.

President Kwan?
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That's immature to call names like that. You lose all credibility.
 
Clutz said:
Reality tells the story. From Facebook news to NBC, no one gives two craps about noodle arms Tennell, can't ever win Nagasu, and whatshername. All the stories this morning are about Ashley and bad judging. Maybe USFSA needs to do what Miss America did and bring in a president who actually accomplished something in the sport rather than some Olympic wanna be who never did anything.

President Kwan?
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Is it possible for you to make a point without name-calling? And what, did Mirai pee in your cornflakes some morning or something? If you disagree, then disagree. You don't need to act like a middle schooler who didn't make the cheerleading team.
 
Clutz said:
Reality tells the story. From Facebook news to NBC, no one gives two craps about noodle arms Tennell, can't ever win Nagasu, and whatshername. All the stories this morning are about Ashley and bad judging. Maybe USFSA needs to do what Miss America did and bring in a president who actually accomplished something in the sport rather than some Olympic wanna be who never did anything.

President Kwan?
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Mirai is trending on twitter.
 
DimaToe said:
Well she didn’t go when you could say that it mattered, so I don’t see her going this time.
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But if it's that or nothing (which it is, barring a withdrawal from the Olympics or Worlds), she might go. In previous years she was always on the World team when she opted not to go. We'll see soon enough. It would be a good opportunity for Angela if she had the chance to compete!
 
Phil Hersh's recap of the Ladies' FS (Nagasu-focused): http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/01/06/264356472/comeback-kid-nagasu-perseveres-to-reach-dream
Nagasu's quote at the end:
"I started out (her career) very strongly, and as I've grown in the public eye, I've had my rough seasons," she said. "I've learned that being in the public eye has made me more determined to show I do want to be at the top. Sometimes I just get in my own way. The last Olympic cycle, I felt so disappointed in myself. I had so much regret."
...
"I took on the full responsibility of being a stronger competitor and person," she said. "I wasn't going to let a decision that wasn't mine keep me from my dream."
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Lynn Rutherford's recap article includes quotes from the happy top 3: http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/01/06/264356390
Tennell:
"I've always loved the challenge. I'm not one to back down from something hard," Tennell said. "I always enjoy performing, especially this (free) program, it's very close to my heart. I think I just went out there and it showed."
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Denise Myers on Tennell's FS:
Prepared, and confident with their material. When Tennell brought Cinderella -- including a vocal to "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes" as well as selections from the Prokofiev ballet -- to U.S. Figure Skating's Champs Camp this summer, some officials suggested she change the vocal to something more mature. After due consideration, Tennell stood her ground.
"We took the advice to heart," Myers said. "We tried 10 different versions and nothing was as good as the original (edited by Hugo Chouinard). So, we stuck with our plan."
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Nagasu:
"I think tonight I went into this performance not expecting myself to be perfect," Nagasu, fourth in the U.S. last season, said. "I think I made that mistake last year. I was training strong, probably not as strong as this year, but I was fully capable of doing what I did tonight last year. Tonight I was prepared to make those mistakes and work around them. I knew I wanted to be tired at the end of the night and to push through it and that's exactly what I did."
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Karen Chen:
"Yesterday [Thursday] I was unable to practice and was really sick, stuck in bed," Chen said. "I caught a virus or something. I couldn't sleep at all after the short (on Wednesday). I was up all night in a lot of discomfort. All morning I had body aches and pains."
Chen, who hails from nearby Fremont, talked to her sports psychologist and visited her acupuncturist.
"I did all the steps I could so I would feel better today," she said. "A lot of it was mental strength. I had to stay as positive as I could and keep thinking to myself, 'I trained so hard for this moment, I don't want to regret it, I can't let this cold or virus win.' I repeated it over and over until I believed it, and I just skated with my heart."
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^realy? I find men’s and dance to be where the fun to watch skating is at. Yeah, the ladies have been a train wreck since Kwan left, but a wreck I can’t stop rubbernecking. Pairs I am just so done with. They’re all hot messes and then just keep swapping partners faster than swingers at a 70s key party, but nothing ever works, they’re still a mess but with different match ups.
 
chapis said:
¨Since she’s done Hip Hip Chin Chin so many times, judges know how good it can be¨

:lol:
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So do fans. A couple friends and I were discussing the ladies last night. One is mostly an every four years fan but she follows it enough to dislike Wagner. The other hasn't really followed skating in the last decade and has no cable TV so she has to be sent links. So, last night she looked up the top US ladies programs on YouTube and immediately thought Ashley was dressed and acting "like a whore" on ice but that she "did pretty good", so I took it upon myself to find some links to better versions of Hip Hip Chin Chin to show her, which she watched and once she saw those, she could see the difference in the performance levels. Point is, if even a casual fan, watching a couple of different performances of the same program, can see the level of quality was lackluster on Wednesday, then you can be assured the judges knew it too. We all said it that night, and folks who were in the arena reported the same. It isn't a matter of hating on Ashley or wanting her to be dumped (frankly, Tennell does nothing for me) but being honest about the quality of Ashley's skating. She just wasn't all that great this week.
 
I do wonder what Ashley plans going forward... I always felt that this would be her last Olympic cycle but now that she placed fourth at Nationals and is now off the Olympic team, I wonder if she'll go through with competing next season.
 
I'm def starting to come around to the thinking that once Gracie Gold went MIA this season, Ashley got lazy and just phoned it in as she was under the impression that the USFS/NBC needed her on the team and made no real changes to her tech content and trotting out years old programs. Meanwhile, Mirai was working her ass off on getting a triple axel to keep up with the younger skaters like Bradie and Karen.
 
Lizziebeth said:
I forgot to mention that I wish Amber Glenn had received an assignment. I really like her jumps and nice skating. She just needs some more experience and I hope she gets a spring assignment.
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Same. Like you said her jumps and skating are very beautiful.
 
olympic said:
I know this isn't an important part of BOW [but should be], however Bradie and Mirai had the highest scores in front of international judging panels this season on the GP circuit and both finished 1-2 here. Mariah was no. 3 with a 188 at RC.

I honestly feel like if anyone got hosed here it was Mariah. She fell on a rotated 2A [I know, dumb move] but Karen got a DG and various UR problems, and Ashley popped a jump, then UR'd / 2-footed the 3Z which is more egregious in TES. I know that doesn't matter because Mariah beat them both in TES, so you have to consider PCS: Mariah skates with speed and power just like Karen [I can't compare one against the other but both are fast], but for me, Mariah's movements are cleaner and better defined. Ashley 'performs' better than anyone else and that is part of PCS, but Mariah shines and sparkles when she is on and is faster and more sure-footed, so in this sense, IDK how to break it down in PCS between the 3 - maybe it's a wash when you consider the different categories of PCS. So, Mariah beats them both on TES and should've been 3rd.

ETA - I glanced at the PCS: Karen - 69, Ashley - 68, Mariah - 62. Isn't that gap a little much?
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I thought if anyone was low-balled, it was Mariah.
 
Some thoughts on the ladies.

Bradie -- Congratulations to our new national champion! Her consistency is only going to be an asset moving forward. I don't mind her free skate packaging (I think she looks lovely) as much as others. And more importantly, if she likes it and feels confident, then the critics be damned. Remember Sarah Hughes between 1999 Nationals and Worlds, and also between 2002 Nationals and Olympics? I hope the berth will motivate Bradie to improve her lines even more.

Mirai -- I hope she hits the 3A in Korea. Also, ten years removed from her first win and still competitive -- what an accomplishment.

Karen -- I don't understand the hate. Kudos to her for giving it her all while sick. Her quotes came AFTER the event. She didn't whine or complain before. I had a bad cold last week and could barely even stand. I remember when Yagudin and Kwan were sick and still competed at championships. Wishing her a speedy recovery. I hope she pays particular attention to her spins for the rest of the season, because those are levels/points she can easily rack up.

Ashley -- At no time this season did I ever think that she would get an automatic berth, no matter what the press said. She would have to fight for that spot. During the opening pose of her SP. I thought, "wow, what a star." She looked great. But during the actual program, I was unimpressed. I give her lots of credit for debuting a new FS at Nationals, but it definitely needed a bit more mileage. I'm wondering if she should've gone the 3Lo+2A sequence and solo 3S route because the 3Lo+1Lo+3S hasn't been working for awhile, but she wanted a jump layout that was familiar to her. I suspect she'll retire after this. Like Mao Asada, she's carried her country and given many memorable performances, but now surpassed in ability.

Starr -- What a debut. She has a lot going for her -- presence, flexibility, confidence. I didn't love the music cuts of her FS, but she did a great job.

Bummed for Angela, Amber, and Caroline, who all had such promising starts to their programs. Angela, in particular, has had so many wonderful qualities in her skating but still can't break out of that middle pack. I suspect Caroline will call it a day.
 
casken said:
100%. I don't get where people think those simple, slow, plodding programs with almost nil expression are going to do well in front of an international panel.

The PCS for Nigasu remind me a lot of the year Ryan Bradley was pushed up to the National title, and then he went to Worlds and reality hit.
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I think Mirai has the potential to do very well if she hits all 8 triples cleanly (same for her short program). However, I agree about her programs. I don't see why people think she was ripped off in her PCS.
 
Well, I think Ashley is great, and I’m disappointed for her, but I do think she gave it away with little mistakes, and she does not have a cushion in the technical mark. She needs to focus on training now, because it is still possible that she could be called on for the Olympics, and probable that she will be called on for Worlds.
 
Finally caught up on the free skates....God, are Tara and Johnny awful!

Bradie deserved the victory, good for her! Great competition mind. She doesn't stand out much, but jumps really well. Hope she can get some kick-ass packaging next year. The music is snooze and has nothing in it to choreograph after, except "looking nice".

Mirai was holding back like I'm getting used to Mirai is holding back, but I love her and is over the moon for her. Those jumps are getting there in competition. So happy she could have her redemption moment.

Karen skated really well! She has such attack. After reading here, I expected a less stellar performance, but she really went for everything and that lutz is huge! And after being sick the day before. Very impressive. Overall you cannot argue she shouldn't be third.

Ashley I have nothing against, but she's not my favorite either. She lost impact on me when constantly skating the same programs, and I prefer skating skills to posing (except that part of me that can't get enough of Adam's SP ;) ) I was pleasantly surprised with her new FS, but as with Bradie, the music doesn't really do anything. It's nothing advanced, just flowy and pretty. But she really tried, you could see she wanted it. I'm turned off by her aftermath whining. It was close. Nothing in the programs screams that she should be ahead of Karen. Little details mattered. A popped salchow. A high lutz. A step out in a combo. I agree with those who thinks Mariah was more robbed, because she skated very well. I would have had her FS above Ashley, although slightly.

Starr Andrews is indeed a star, I love her, but she's not quite there yet. She lacks the last little finesse, she needs to finish off her moves, give them a little more time, not bend over so much when going in and out of elements, but wow, what a great, great performance, she will remember this for a long time. Hope she can kill it at 4CC and JWC as well. And good for her singing too!

Angela is my favorite SKATER of the crop. She has so many qualities. Seeing her I see what Andrews lacks at this point (but will get with maturity). I could watch Angela all day. Ok, she made some mistakes towards the end, but I feel she was held back. Her components were too low. No really, I can't see Ashley complaining. You win some, loose some. I'll cheer for Angela instead :cheer2:

And btw Ting Cui I can't wait to follow. Great Rippon jumps, and great flow.
 
Part of me is in awe of all skaters but at the same time, my critical faculties are in complete and total darkness about why Angela Wang inspires so much devotion here. I wish some time someone would explain why she is so good instead of just saying it. This is not directed at anyone in particular. She clearly has many fans. ( She has even been compared to Kwan. Just no!)
 
Spun Silver said:
Part of me is in awe of all skaters but at the same time, my critical faculties are in complete and total darkness about why Angela Wang inspires so much devotion here. I wish some time someone would explain why she is so good instead of just saying it. This is not directed at anyone in particular. She clearly has many fans. ( She has even been compared to Kwan. Just no!)
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I was on the same boat until that first half of her LP last night. I felt it and felt it strong.
 
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